At the cross-roads, about 300 yards beyond the château, go to the left along the Thérouanne. 200 yards further along this road is seen (on the right) the place where a group of German artillery was hidden. Well-screened in the hollow shown in the view below, several heavy batteries, for a long time out of reach of the 75's, made extremely difficult the advance of the French right on the Plateau of Chambry-Barcy. They also hampered the left, of the British army and the 8th French Division on the left bank of the Marne. In the course of this tour, we have already seen several examples of the German battery positions. Wherever the ground allowed of it, the guns were placed in a hollow, visible only to aerial observers. Telephones linked them up with the posts established on the ridges whence the firing was directed.

Returning to the Route Nationale, turn to the left towards Varreddes. On both sides of the road, which was their main way of retreat, the Germans had made lines of defence: trenches were dug and furnished with machine-guns, and light batteries were established as supports.

The whole, which joined up with the defence works of Trocy, constituted a position of withdrawal for the Étrépilly-Varreddes line, seen in panorama B (pp. [90]-[91]). This was the first stage of the retreat on September 9.

HOLLOW WHERE THE GERMAN ARTILLERY WAS PLACED.

This panorama was taken at the intersection of the Meaux-Soissons road (N 36) and a track which leads to Étrépilly, in the field bordering the road and where German machine-guns were established in order to sweep with their fire the Route Nationale and the bottom of the hollow.

E. PANORAMA OF THE VARREDDES HOLLOW