A.—From Pont-à-Mousson to the Croix des Carmes, via Montauville, returning to Pont-à-Mousson
The Fighting in Prêtre Wood
Prêtre Wood dominates all the southern part of the Plain of Woëvre (altitude: 1,200 feet).
From October, 1914, to May, 1915, it was the scene of a continual struggle, at the end of which the wood remained in the hands of the French.
It was in September, 1914, that the Germans installed themselves in Prêtre Wood, which they at once fortified with barbed wire, chevaux-de-frise, etc.
On September 30, 1914, the French obtained a footing in the south-western edges of the forest. A month later (October 29) they captured a German post in the south-eastern salient. Their efforts were next concentrated on Père Hilarion Ravine, which they gradually occupied after many fights in the rain and snow of November and December.
Their troops advanced by short rushes as far as the principal line, which had to be taken by a direct attack. First, artillery was brought up by night to prepare the attack. Sappers, by long and patient sapping, blew up the minor defences and penetrated the blockhouses. The adversaries were at times less than a hundred yards apart.
