Champfleury, very important by reason of its dominating position (as shown in the above photograph), was vigorously defended, but after two unsuccessful assaults it was finally carried by the French. There they were subjected for two days to a violent bombardment from Étrépilly, Vincy, and Trocy, which made all their attempts to debouch both difficult and costly.
The farm buildings suffered badly and the rooms of the farm-house were reduced to ruins by shell-fire.
The view below shows the façade; the officers seen in the photograph belonged to the staff of the 56th Division which took the farm. The owners had evacuated Champfleury at the beginning of September; when they returned they found in the billiard-room (which was smashed to pieces) a jeering inscription signed by a German officer, regretting that they (the owners) had not been there to take part in the cannoning performed on their table.
CHAMPFLEURY FARM
To enter the farm follow a little lane on the right for about 100 yards. Very likely it is still possible to see the various seats hidden in the trees in the garden, which were used by the look-out men.
From Champfleury the road descends towards Puisieux. The view below shows the situation of this village, in a fold of the ground. In the background, at the summit of the plateau, is seen the farm of Nogeon, which will be visited in the course of the excursion.
On the tourist's left, and outside the limits of the photograph, is a depression beyond which, in a position similar to Champfleury (see panorama D, pp. [106]-[107]), appears the farm of Nongloire.
From the plateau on which stands this farm the French artillery hammered Champfleury and the Étrépilly position.