Chapter II: Part 2

The bombardment began on the morning of the 5th. The 75’s opened breaches in the defences, and the observers, who were only 130 yards from the enemy line, gave accurate directions to the gunners. In their turn, 6–in. shells crushed the machine-gun emplacements, and at mid-day the explosion of five mine-fields annihilated the garrison and threw the enemy into a panic. A bayonet-attack was launched at once, without the firing of a single shot.

_German Post of Commandment at the side of the road, 4 km. from St. Mihiel._]

Two companies attacked on the western side of the wood, two others on the southern side.

The attack on the west was successful and, going beyond the third German line, reached the northern fringe of the wood. The machine-gunners, who followed the advance, at once took up their positions.

The attack on the south, after the first rush forward, was forced to withdraw slightly before an enfilading fire. At three o’clock in the afternoon the German artillery thundered; at four o’clock a counter-attack was launched but failed; and at 5.30 the Germans tried to retake the lost ground by a terrific bombardment. In an hour and a half, on a front of 360 yards, twenty thousand shells of all sizes (4–in., 5.5–in., 6–in. and 8–in.) cut the French lines of communication, but failed to force a retreat. The attack was resumed next day, but in the evening, after fierce hand-to-hand fighting, the French still held the three lines of German trenches. On the 7th and 8th they repulsed eight counter-attacks, which left the shell-leveled ground in their hands.

_German Defence Works in quarry by roadside, 3 km. from St. Mihiel._]

On the 10th, after an artillery preparation lasting all day, a fresh attack was launched at seven o’clock in the evening. The whole of the wood was quickly occupied and immediately consolidated, in view of counter-attack. Five machine-guns, five trench-mortars, thousands of grenades and large quantities of equipment and stores, were left in the hands of the French.

From that time scarcely a month passed without some communiqué stating that the Germans had bombarded or counter-attacked Ailly Wood.

_St. Mihiel is entered via the Faubourg de Nancy, in which are the_ burnt ruins of the Sénarmont Barracks.

_Follow the Rue Porte-à-Nancy, then the Rue Grande, as far as the Rue de l’Eglise, into which turn to the left to reach the Church of St. Etienne._

St. Mihiel during the War

On September 24, 1914, St. Mihiel was taken by the Germans, who held it until September 12, 1918.

Up to the latter date only one attempt was made to retake the town—the attack of November 17–20, 1914, during which a French unit succeeded in occupying the suburb of Chauvoncourt, but was forced to retire as the Germans had mined this section.

The Franco-American offensive of September, 1918, finally cleared St. Mihiel.

General Pershing, in the disposition of his forces, generously arranged that a French regiment, the 25th Colonial, should have the honour of being the first to enter St. Mihiel. The Prime Minister’s son, Captain Michel Clémenceau, was among those who marched into the town.

On the whole the town had suffered little. The bridges had been blown up, trenches cut up the streets, and a German narrow-gauge railway ran through the town. The monument of 1870, “_Aux Morts pour la Patrie_,” was damaged. As everywhere else, all copper had been removed, the machinery had disappeared or had been broken, while the optical-glass factory and the copper foundry had ceased to exist.

On Friday, September 13, General Pershing, accompanied by General Pétain and Mr. Baker, American Secretary of State for War, visited St. Mihiel. The next day President Poincaré, in his turn, paid homage to the valiant city.

Little by little, when the first excitement was over, the inhabitants told the story of the occupation; of the war levies imposed by the Germans, as in every town which they had occupied; first a million francs in 1914, when the commandeering without payment or vouchers; the fines (20 francs for omitting to salute an officer); children forced to work in the trenches; people sent to prison, and even to the convict prison on the slightest pretext; an abbé deported as a hostage because he had said in a sermon, “_After the thorns will come the roses_;” a whole family placed in solitary confinement for forty days because they were suspected of having telephoned to the French, etc., not to mention the systematic looting and removal of objects of art, pictures and silver.

_Group of children in French Officers’ Car on Sept. 13, 1918._]

On Tuesday, the 10th, the Germans, knowing the attack was imminent, made their final preparations for departure. On the 11th they ordered the inhabitants, on pain of death, to remain indoors until noon on the following day.

During the night of the 11th they blew up the bridges and removed their guns. On the morning of the 12th the French entered the town.

Several days later the American Headquarters which, until then, had been at Souilly, on the road from Verdun to Bar-le-Duc, moved into St. Mihiel.

A VISIT TO ST. MIHIEL

ITINERARY

_Enter the town via the_ Faubourg de Nancy _and the_ Rue Porte-à-Nancy (1). St. Etienne Church (A); Place Ligier Richier (4); Hôtel-de-Ville (H); Rue Porte-à-Metz (6); Promenade des Capucins; Les Sept-Roches.

_Cross the Meuse by the_ temporary bridge (14), Chauvoncourt, _and_ Paroches Fort.

_Return to St. Mihiel by the temporary bridge._ Place des Halles (17); Place du Collège (20); Church of St. Michel (B); _and_ Hôtel de la Division.

_Leave St. Mihiel by the Commercy road._

=Plan of St. Mihiel=

_Arbitrary Signs_

A.—St. Etienne Church. B.—St. Michel Church. C.—Cavalry Barracks. CC.—Chauvoncourt Barracks. CS.—Sénarmont Barracks. H.—Hôtel-de-Ville. J.—Palais-de-Justice. O.—Octrois.

1.—Rue Porte-à-Nancy. 2.—Rue Grande. 3.—Rue de l’Eglise. 4.—Place Ligier Richier. 5.—Rue de la Vaux. 6.—Rue Porte-à-Metz. 7.—Rue Carnot. 8.—Rue du Général Blaise. 9.—Rue Haute des Fossés. 10.—Rue des Annonciades. 11.—Avenue des Roches. 12.—Place du Marché. 13.—Place du Manège. 14.—Temporary Bridge. 15.—Destroyed Bridge. 16.—Rue du Saulcy. 17.—Place des Halles. 18.—Rue du Pont. 19.—Rue Notre-Dame. 20.—Place du Collège. 21.—Place aux Moines. ]

Starting point: The Church of St. Etienne.

The Church of St. Etienne, often called the “Eglise du Bourg,” contains several remarkable Renaissance sculptures, chief among which are a =bas-relief= in St. Joseph’s Chapel (_photo, p. 58_), a large =reredos= behind the high altar (_photo, p. 58_), and above all, in the central bay of the south aisle, behind a railing (_photo, p. 57_) in a sort of grotto or crypt, the _chef-d’oeuvre_ of Ligier Richier, commonly known by the incorrect title of the “=Sepulchre of St. Mihiel.=”

The “Sepulchre,” by Ligier Richier

This comprises a group of thirteen figures, rather more than life size, executed between 1554 and 1564, and placed after Richier’s death in the church, where it stands to-day (_photo above_).

The figures are arranged as follows: _on the left_, Salome lays in the coffin, the shroud which is to enwrap Christ, while two disciples, Joseph and Nicodemus, carrying the body of their Divine Master, stand in the foreground. Nicodemus carries the body by the shoulders, while the unsupported head rests against his arm. Joseph of Arimathæa, one knee on the ground, supports the legs of Our Lord. Near him Mary Magdalene helps to carry the feet, which she touches with her lips. In the background the Virgin, leaning on St. John, and Mary, the wife of Cleophas, turn a last look on Christ.

Between Mary, the wife of Cleophas, and Salome, stands an angel bearing the Cross—an unfounded tradition says that this is a portrait of the artist.

_On the right of the central group, and next to Nicodemus, a woman_, often called Veronica, carries the crown of thorns. Behind her, in the background, two men-at-arms are casting lots for the seamless coat. _At the other end, on the right_, a Roman officer, often, without justification, called the Centurion, is seated on a shield with a sword in his left hand. He is the captain of the guard in charge of the tomb.

This is a strong, touching work by a French master-sculptor, who had not yet come under Italian influence and methods.

Ligier Richier

Numerous legends surround the life of the “Master of St. Mihiel.” The only son of Jean Richier, a master-sculptor, he was born at St. Mihiel about 1500. Brought up as a Catholic, he was converted to Calvinism about 1560. There is a legend that Michael Angelo came to St. Mihiel, admired the work of the boy Ligier Richier, and took him to Rome; but it is known that Michael Angelo never visited Lorraine.

Ligier Richier, not being able to carry out his commissions single-handed, gathered around him apprentices and companions, who have been called his brothers. It is true that he had a son (Gerald) in 1534, and that the latter worked in his father’s studio, and had in his turn five sons, also sculptors, who settled in Nancy, Metz, Lyons and Grenoble. In 1764, in consequence of the persecution of the Protestants, he settled in Geneva, where he died about 1567.

Numerous groups of sacred figures, scattered over this district, attest the happy skill of Ligier Richier: a =reredos= of many-coloured stone in the church at Hattonchâtel (p. 38); =Christ Crucified= between the Virgin and St. John, in the church at Génicourt, on the road from Verdun to St. Mihiel; =Group of Notre Dame-de-Pitié=, in the Sacré-Cœur Chapel of the church at Etain; a =Calvary= (six statues of wood variously coloured) in the chapel of the new cemetery at Briey; a large =Christ carrying the Cross= in the Chapel of Notre-Dame-de-Pitié in the Church of St. Laurent, at Pont-à-Mousson (p. 92); and lastly, in St. Mihiel itself, two of his masterpieces: “=The Swooning Virgin=,” in the church of St. Mihiel (p. 67) and the important group, “=The Sepulchre=” in the Church of St. Etienne (p. 56).

_Renaissance Bas-relief in St. Joseph’s Chapel._]

_Renaissance Reredos in the Choir._]

_After visiting the Church of St. Etienne take on the right the Rue de l’Eglise, at No. 3, of which there is_ a curious old house.

_Follow the continuation of the Rue de l’Eglise (Rue du Général Audéoud), which leads to the_ =Place Ligier Richier.=

The statue of Ligier Richier used to stand in the centre of this Place. It was removed by the Germans during the occupation.

_At the left-hand corner of the Place take the Rue de la Vaux. On the right of the street is the_ =17th century Hôtel-de-Ville=, _at the corner of the Rue Porte-à-Metz. On the left of the Rue Porte-à-Metz, stairs lead to the_ public garden called “La Promenade des Capucins,” which overlooks the town and the valley of the Meuse (_fine panorama_).

_If the tourist enters St. Mihiel by the Rue Porte-à-Metz, he will see_ a large cemetery containing more than two thousand granite monuments, opposite the first houses of the town. Over six thousand Germans were buried there, killed for the most part during 1915, and a few in 1916.

No Frenchman, soldier or civilian, has been buried in this cemetery.

_The cemetery can also be reached by returning along the Rue Porte-à-Metz as far as the last houses._

(_No. 3, Rue de la Vaux._)]

_Return to the Rue de la Vaux, which take on the right._

_At No. 3, on the right, is an_ old Renaissance house with curious gargoyles; _and at No. 2, opposite_, a curious old house.

_At the beginning of Rue Carnot, which is a continuation of Rue de la Vaux, see the_ 16th century house called “Du Narrateur,” _at No. 36_.

_Opposite this house, take the terraced Rue du Général Blaise_ (old house at No. 30).

_Follow its continuation (Rue Haute des Fossés), at No. 7 of which is_ Ligier Richier’s house.

_Take the Rue des Annonciades as far as the Avenue des Roches, which leads to the_ “Seven Rocks,” situated at the gates of the town (_see p. 62_).

(_No. 36, Rue Carnot._)]

The Seven Rocks

On the edge of the Verdun road, which is an extension of the Avenue des Roches, and overhanging the Meuse just beyond the town, rise seven rocks, known as the “Cliffs of St. Mihiel.”

In the first, surmounted by a stone cross, a grotto has been hollowed out containing a tomb in which lies a great stone Christ. A staircase in the rock gives easy access to it.

This calvary is a place of pilgrimage on Good Friday. The sixth rock, worn away by water, resembles a gigantic mushroom and is called the “Devil’s Table.”

These rocks are represented in the St. Mihiel coat of arms, which is: “Three rocks argent on an azure field, two in chief and one in pile.”

_Three rocks argent on an azure field, two in chief, and one in pile._]

Across the intervening wooded slopes are seen the large buildings of the old Benedictine Abbey of St. Michel, of which the name St. Mihiel is a corruption.

Founded in 709 on a site known to-day as St. Christopher’s Farm, in Vieux-Moutier Wood, it was transferred in 819 to the village of Godinécourt, which then took the name of St. Michel or St. Mihiel. It was closed in 1791.

A romanesque tower, dating from about 1060, dominates the abbey.

_Return by the Avenue des Roches to the market; behind the latter_, take the Place du Manège, which leads to the temporary bridge across the Meuse.

Cross the bridge and take G.C.D. 1, which passes through the suburb of Chauvoncourt.

Chauvoncourt

Chauvoncourt, occupied by the Germans from the beginning of their advance in September, 1914, was an important bridgehead which the French had an interest in retaking. Its capture and subsequent evacuation (November 16–18) are famous.

In the evening of November 16, French heavy batteries took up their position at Fresnes-au-Mont, on the left bank of the Meuse, five miles from St. Mihiel; but before attacking, the German howitzers on the Paroches position had been destroyed.

The bombardment began at dead of night. Four hundred shells fell on the enemy, causing the Bavarian ammunition dump to explode. At dawn, French infantry, massed in the peninsula of Les Romains, crossed the Meuse on a pontoon bridge, whilst the cavalry on the Fresnes road threatened Chauvoncourt from the west. By ten o’clock the infantry were in sight of the village. The Bavarians advanced by successive rushes—at each of which they fired a salvo—then halted behind a little glen. The fight became a fusilade, and would have continued indefinitely but for the arrival of the French dragoons, who, with lances fixed, charged furiously. The enemy, afraid of being cut off, retreated, followed by the cavalry, who began the siege of the houses. Every window, door and roof sheltered a Bavarian marksman. All day on the 17th the fighting continued in favour of the French, who by night occupied the western part of Chauvoncourt and slept in a French barracks. On the left bank of the Meuse the Germans, two hundred of whom had surrendered, now occupied only a few ruined houses.

But at five o’clock on the morning of the 18th an explosion was heard. At the end of the main street three houses, luckily unoccupied, had been wrecked. Orders were at once given to evacuate the occupied portion of the town, which proved to be a wise precaution, for at eight o’clock the whole south-west portion blew up, over an area of four acres. No soldiers were killed, but civilians, who stayed on in spite of orders to the contrary, were victims of their own imprudence.

Trenches and shelters are to be seen all along the road.

_Leaving Chauvoncourt, take to the right G.C. 34, which leads to_ =Paroches.=

The village of =Paroches= is an absolute ruin. The 14th century church, with the exception of part of the belfry, has been almost entirely destroyed (_photo opposite_).

_At the end of the village, on the right, near the Calvary and skirting the wall of the last house, there is a military cemetery. Take, on the left, the narrow road to_ =Fort Paroches.= Around the fort are numerous defence works and the graves of French soldiers.

=Paroches Fort=, built to protect the approaches to Spada Pass, which Troyon Fort defended on the north, is an old masonry fort. Visit the shelters, inner works in concrete.

From the summit there is a fine sweeping view (_panorama above_) over the

battlefield, the Valley of the Meuse, St. Mihiel, the “Camp-des-Romains” Fort (p. 65), Versel Wood and Spada Pass.

_Return to St. Mihiel by the same road as far as the temporary bridge over the Meuse and the Place du Manège._

_From the Place du Manège, take, on the right, the Rue du Saulcy, which leads to the Place des Halles._

_To the right, on reaching the “Place,” is the Rue du Pont, which leads to the_ ruined bridge. _Turn to the left, cross the “Place,” and take the Rue Notre-Dame on the right._

_At No. 1 of this street is a 15th century house with a polygonal turret._ Opposite at No. 2 is a 14th–15th century house, known locally as the “Maison du Roi.”

_Follow the Rue des Carmes, which is a continuation of the Rue Notre-Dame, then the Place des Regrets to the Place du Collège._

_On the left stands the_ =Church of St. Michel.=

This 17th century church is recognisable by its old Romanesque tower, which forms a vestibule in front of the building. It has three naves with side chapels divided into five bays by fluted columns.

Note the =fine organ= (_photo, p. 68_), the pipes of which were removed by the Germans. In the Chapel of the Baptismal Fonts is a stone Cupid holding skulls.

_As the Germans left it._]

The Church of St. Michel contains one of the finest of Ligier Richier’s works, known as “_The Swoon_,” or “_The Fainting Virgin_.” It stands to the right of the choir in a chapel with a door.

In the Middle Ages it was customary to represent the Virgin standing in contemplation of the wounds of her Divine Son, as described in the famous chant, _Stabat Mater Dolorosa_. In the 15th century, on the contrary, the Virgin was generally represented as described in the Gospel of Nicodemus. In Richier’s group we see the Virgin, supported by St. John, fainting at the foot of the Cross. The extreme simplicity of the work renders it most pathetic.

This work is only a fragment of a much larger group which comprised a large Crucifix, and on either side of the Virgin, St. Longin, Mary Magdalene and four angels, each holding a chalice to catch the Saviour’s blood. The work was in painted walnut, as had been the custom from the Middle Ages, but the worm-eaten wood gradually crumbled away. In 1720 the Benedictines managed to save the crucifix and the group of “The Swoon.” The crucifix is supposed to have been burnt during the Revolution (1792). Now all that remains is a moulding of Christ’s head.

_Leaving the Church, skirt the front of the adjoining Collège, and pass under the arch of the Palais-de-Justice, thus reaching the_ =Place des Moines.= In this square is the fine façade of the old abbey, restored in the 17th and 18th centuries, the buildings of which have been transformed into the Hôtel de la Division, Palais-de-Justice and prison. Above the latter is the famous monastic library containing 13,000 volumes and valuable manuscripts.

_Besides the Hôtel de la Division is the_ chevet of St. Michel Church, _looking on to the square of that name. By turning to the left in the latter, the tourist comes back to the Place du Collège, which cross to take the Commercy road (N. 64)._

_On leaving St. Mihiel, N. 64 climbs up a steep slope. A mile from the town, on the left, is a_ concrete blockhouse _at the corner of the Commercy road and that leading to_ Fort Camp-des-Romains. _Take the latter to the fort._

Fort of the Camp-des-Romains

This is one of the two forts which protect St. Mihiel. Standing on the end of a narrow peninsula formed by a loop in the Meuse, it dominates the town from a height of 450 feet above the valley. (The hill itself is 1,200 feet high.) It owes its name to the remains of Roman entrenchments, still existing when the fort was built.

When the German Army of Metz occupied St. Mihiel on September 24, 1914, and crossed the Meuse, the Fort of the Camp-des-Romains remained isolated, without troops in the plain to defend it, and absolutely dependent on its own guns. The Germans left it alone for the time being, confident of being able to take it whenever they wished. The 16th Corps hastened to the rescue, but stopped in front of St. Mihiel. The Germans finally dug themselves in and were able, from a position near the town, to begin the bombardment of the fort with the aid of Austrian heavy guns.

The guns were very quickly placed in position, and in a few days they silenced those of the French fort, the turrets and bastions of which were destroyed. In the end the heroic garrison were smoked out by the enemy, who had reached the base of the fort. When the surviving defenders, half suffocated, were able to leave the ruins, the Germans presented arms as a tribute of admiration for their valour, and permitted the captured officers to retain their swords.

All this sector, with a few slight changes, was to remain in the hands of the Germans until September, 1918.

In spite of the terrific gunfire to which it was subjected, the fort was not completely destroyed. In the moats and on the bastions are numerous concrete blockhouses built by the Germans. Near the entrance is the grave of Captain of Artillery Cordebard, killed in 1914.

From the fort there is a fine view on all sides over the valley of the Meuse and the Forest of Apremont.

_Return to N. 64 which descends in a long zig-zag to the Meuse, which it crosses._

_The road passes through_ Sampigny—considerably battered—where President Poincaré’s country house was completely ruined by the German bombardments.

_It next crosses the railway before entering Vadonville and again on leaving_ that village.

Lerouville, then Commercy, are _soon reached_. The night should be spent at the latter (_see information on the fly-leaf inside cover_).

Commercy is of no particular interest from a picturesque or artistic point of view, but its “Madeleine” cakes enjoy a world-wide reputation.

_Arbitrary Signs_

A.—Old Château, now a Barracks. C.—Barracks. H.—Hôtel-de-Ville. O.—Octrois. P.—Sous-Préfecture. T.—Theatre.

1.—Place de l’Hôtel-de-Ville. 2.—Rue du Pont-des-Religieuses. 3.—Road to Metz. 4.—Rue des Capucins. 5.—Road to Nancy. 6.—Rue Levée-de-Breuil. 7.—Road to Bar-le-Duc. 8.—Rue Carnot. 9.—Rue de Lisle. 10.—Road to Verdun. 11.—Rue du Four. 12.—Rue de l’Eglise. 13.—Rue de la Gare. ]

SECOND DAY

COMMERCY—PONT-À-MOUSSON—METZ

=A.—Commercy to Pont-à-Mousson= (_See above._)

=B.—Pont-à-Mousson to Metz= (_See p. 109._)

_Leave Commercy (Place de l’Hôtel-de-Ville) by the Rue du Pont-des-Religieuses which, after crossing the Meuse, joins N. 58. Take the latter._

_Pass through_ =Vignot= (_2 km._) _and enter_ =Vignot Wood= (_French gun emplacements_).

_After crossing the wood the tourist approaches_ =Gironville.= _Before entering the village, on the crest to the right, is_ =Gironville Fort.=

_In the village immediately beyond the church, N. 58 turns to the left. Continue along it for 500 yards beyond the church, then leave it where it turns to the right, and take G.C.D. 10 towards_ =Apremont.=

_The road crosses the_ old French and German lines (shelters and blockhouses), _then rejoins, 200 yards east of Apremont, G.D.C. 1 bis, which take to the right towards_ =Bouconville.=

_Before going to Bouconville, visit Apremont, Brûlé Wood and Ailly Wood, if this was not done on the first day (see pp. 42–52)._

_Notice, in succession, on the left, the ruins of_ =Loupmont Village=, _1,500 yards from the road_; =Montsec=, _further north_, dominating the whole district; and =Vargévaux Pond=, _near the road_.

_Follow G.C.D. 1 bis, to_ =Bouconville.= _Enter the village, leaving the fine_ =Girondel Pond= _on the right_.

The 13th–14th century Church of Bouconville with its three naves is very curious.

In the cemetery are numerous French graves.

The front line, after passing south of Apremont, continued first to the right of the Bouconville road, then crossed the road to the west of Vargévaux Pond, making a bend to include the latter within the French lines, as also the village of Xivray, which was the junction of the French armies with the American divisions. It then passed through the hamlet of Seicheprey, and at Flirey rejoined the main road leading to Pont-à-Mousson.

_Keep along the road towards_ =Rambucourt.=

_A little before this village, N. 58 is picked up again._ All the way the road is camouflaged and bordered by numerous trenches. =Rambucourt= was badly damaged. Numerous shelters were made along the road against the houses, the basements of which were occupied.

_After passing through Rambucourt, N. 58 leads to_ =Beaumont= (in ruins).

Notice the shelters in the houses. The curious church suffered badly (_photo, p. 74_).

_Four hundred yards beyond Beaumont, leave the National road and take the Seicheprey road on the left._

Trenches, shelters and gun emplacements are met with, especially in a hollow on the left. =Seicheprey= _is next reached_.

This village was the scene of one of the first successes of the American Army. The Germans had taken it by surprise in April, 1918, and had kept it for some time, when it was retaken by the 26th (New England) Division.

Part of the belfry of the 12th century church is still standing (_photo above_).

_Near the church the road bends to the right and goes towards_ =St. Baussant.= _Half a mile further on_ the French and German first line trenches _are crossed_. _On entering St. Baussant_, notice in a house on the right in front of the stream a large machine-gun blockhouse in concrete. The loopholes are on a level with the roof.

_The house on the left was transformed into a concrete Blockhouse. Above the ruined wall: Loop-holes for the machine-guns. In the background: Ruins of old Castle._]

=St. Baussant= is almost entirely in ruins. _To the right, on the hill, stood the_ old château, of which only a few broken walls are left.

This village, being an important road junction, had been strongly fortified by the Germans. It is one of the places where the American tanks performed wonders, taking the position in less than half an hour.

The last house of the village, at the _I.C. 13_ crossing, on the right, bears the inscription “_Café Hocquard_.” Here are three large concrete shelters, the walls of which are five feet thick. _At the fork in the road is_ a machine-gun blockhouse in concrete.

_In the foreground: The bridge over which I.C. 19 passes. In the background: Montsec Hill._]

_Take I.C. 13 to the left, which follows the Rupt-de-Mad stream and becomes G.C. 33 on reaching_ =Lahayville.= _1,600 yards beyond this village_ (greatly damaged), _leave G.C. 33 and take I.C. 19 to the right. After crossing the bridge over the Rupt-de-Mad_, =Richecourt=, razed to the ground, _is reached_ (_photo above_).

_Near a house on the left, at the end of the village, is_ a German concrete shelter with the inscription “Pommernburg.” Other shelters of less importance are to be seen among the ruins.

_This concrete shelter is seen on leaving the village by the road to Montsec. Over the door is the word_ “Pommernburg.” _The village is a heap of ruins._]

_German Telephone Exchange on the road to Woinville._]

_Follow I.C. 19 as far as_ =Montsec= (_3 km._).

The village of Montsec is at the foot of the hill; it was badly damaged.

=Montsec Ridge=, or Hill 380, made a first-class observation-post for the Germans, as it dominates the whole district from Apremont to Flirey.

Montsec was the scene of the fiercest fighting on June 17, 1916. The French were unable to take it on account of its formidable defences. From that time no surprise-attacks took place in this district.

On the crest, the Germans had constructed a system of tunnels, the entries of which overlooked the region of Heudicourt-Buxières, and at the end of which chimneys over 30 feet in height opened in the summit of the hill. The observers climbed up the chimneys by means of ladders and directed the firing of the artillery, which was massed in the surrounding woods.

_German Signalling Post._]

The system of trenches and shelters was remarkable. In some places the shelters were furnished with electric light.

_To visit the military works of Montsec, go beyond the village along I.C. 19 and stop at the last houses on the left, where there is_ an enormous concrete shelter, which served as an artillery telephone exchange, (_photo, p. 78_). _A narrow road leads from this shelter to the entrances of the tunnels on the crest._ (_Time required to visit: one hour._)

_After visiting Montsec return to St. Baussant by the same roads (I.C. 19 to Richecourt, then G.C. 33 and I.C. 13)._

_Follow I.C. 13 beyond St. Baussant to_ =Maizerais= (completely ruined), _seen on the left of the road, and_ =Essey= _on the Rupt-de-Mad stream_.

From December, 1916, the village of Essey was close to the front, and occupied by the Germans. The inhabitants and mayor remained during the occupation, but were forbidden, on pain of death, to go more than a short distance from their homes.

_In the village, at the corner of the Rue Béquille and the Grand Rue, is_ a concrete blockhouse.

The church was partly destroyed. On its north front, protected by the church belfry, were the Kommandantur’s quarters—an important concrete construction with walls five feet thick.

_After visiting Essey, take D. 3, which passes in front of the church, and follow it towards_ =Flirey.=

_American Cemetery. In the background, at the foot of the larger trees, is the road D. 3._]

_To the right and left are_ numerous shelters. _Turn to the right alongside Sonnard Wood, beside which, 50 yards from the road, are_ an American cemetery _and, on the left, Mort-Mare Wood_.

=Mort-Mare Wood= is famous for the terrible struggles that took place for its possession.

It was while reconnoitring over this wood in an aeroplane that _Senator Reymond_ was killed on October 22, 1914. He was returning from a flight over Mars-la-Tour, Chambley and Thiaucourt, with Pilot Adjutant Clamadieu, and the machine was turning to the right of the southern edge of the wood, when it was seen descending, apparently normally, between the French and German lines. Machine-guns at once opened fire; the Adjutant was killed and Senator Reymond wounded. The French came out of their trenches and a fierce struggle, which lasted until night, took place round the machine. Only then was Reymond able to crawl into the lines, while the French carried back the body of the Adjutant.

Reymond was taken to the hospital at Toul, and was able, before he died, to give an exact account of the mission in the fulfilment of which he had met such a glorious end.

_On reaching the crest, the road crosses the_ old German first lines (concrete blockhouses). =Flirey= _next comes into sight_.

This village, which formed part of the first French lines from 1914, is almost completely in ruins, while the whole country around is laid waste.

_On the right are seen_ the ruins of Toul-Thiaucourt railway bridge.

_Half a mile from the village, keep along D. 3, to visit the_ famous =Flirey Quarry=, where there are numerous shelters and French graves. The surrounding woods contain the emplacements of several batteries.

_Return to Flirey and take, on the right, N. 58 towards_ =Pont-à-Mousson.=

_N. 58, seen in the photo, passes through the village._]

_In the background: D. 3 and Sonnard Wood._]

_One kilometre from Flirey, at the top of the crest, on the right, is_ a military cemetery. _The road runs parallel with the_ old French first lines, which followed the crest on the left.

_At the entrance to_ =Limey=, _through which N. 58 runs, there is_ a large French cemetery _on the left_.

The village of Limey, famous for the hard and bloody battles fought there in September, 1914, is in ruins. The west front of the church was torn open. Numerous shelters are seen, two of them, in cement, being very large; the first, _in the middle of the village on the right of the main road_; the other, a machine-gun blockhouse, _in the last house on the right_.

_Beyond Limey the road crosses a vast wooded district, known as_ =La Haye=, which covers the whole plateau.

_Two and a half kilometres from Limey, on the left side of the road_, a place called =Fond-des-Vaux= contains numerous French shelters (several in concrete), and also a military cemetery. This is =Lampe Camp.=

_Concrete shelter on the right of N. 58, when coming from Flirey in the middle of the village._]

_At the back, on the left: N. 58._]

Three hundred yards further along the road there are American graves _to the right_.

_The_ =Inn of St. Pierre= _is next reached, from which D. 15 leaves to the left towards_ =Thiaucourt.= _Take this road._

_Arrival of wounded soldier._]

Throughout the war St. Pierre Inn, which is at the entrance to =Prêtre Wood=, was the nearest dressing station to the front. The buildings suffered little, thanks to the sheltering forest. _Prêtre Wood will be visited on leaving Pont-à-Mousson._

_Eight hundred yards from the inn, to the right of D. 15, the_ =Fey-en-Haye= _road debouches. This road is not available for motors._ A visit to the village is interesting, as it was in the first French lines (_distance there and back, 3 km._).

=Fey-en-Haye= _is about 100 yards from the western edge of_ =Prêtre Wood.= At the end of September, 1914, a bloody engagement took place there. Up to the end of March, 1915, this unfortunate village was continuously bombarded, and it was entirely demolished when, on April 2, 1915, it was taken by a French battalion (169th Infantry). Its capture was the prelude to the last series of attacks which, after seven months of terrific fighting, ended on May 31, in the capture of =Prêtre Wood.=

Fey-en-Haye is now merely a heap of ruins. A number of trenches run through it, and a few shelters still exist.

_After coming back to D. 15, continue along it as far as_ =Regniéville=, a village of which nothing remains but part of the belfry of the church (_photo, p. 85_).

For a long time Regniéville was the advance-post of the French line between Mort-Mare Wood, _on the left_, and Prêtre Wood, _on the right_. At the beginning of April, 1915, the French advance was especially dangerous for the enemy, whose counter-attacks became more frequent. It was evident that the slightest advance in the direction of Thiaucourt would hamper the German communications between Metz and St. Mihiel, and would hinder the revictualling of the troops as well as the steady supply of reinforcements and munitions. That is why, on April 9, the Germans made fifteen successive attacks to drive the French from their trenches and the edge of Mort-Mare Wood.

_Keep on towards_ =Thiaucourt.= _To the left of D. 15 there is an_ American cemetery (_photo below_), _500 yards from Regniéville. 1 km. further on, fifty yards from the road, and before entering_ =Four Wood=, lies a derelict Renault tank (_photo above_), _and beside it_ the graves of its drivers. _In the Wood are_ numerous German gun emplacements.

_Smashed Renault Tank at the edge of the wood_.]

_On reaching the crest_ (Hill 340), _on the right, alongside Saules Wood, are_ two German gun shelters.

_Further on, at the “milestone” 4 km. from Thiaucourt, is a_ concrete blockhouse (_photo below_).

_From I.C. 13, D. 15 descends in a large bend across_ =Heiche Wood.=

_One kilometre from Thiaucourt, in a ravine on the right of D. 15, there stood_ a large railway station and an important German military depot. _On the other side of the road there is a_ German cemetery containing 600 graves.

=Thiaucourt=, altitude 750 feet, stands in an amphitheatre, in the centre of a loop described by the Rupt-de-Mad stream.

A large number of its houses are in ruins, especially on the banks of the Rupt.

Thiaucourt was a rest-camp behind the German lines. Numerous huts were erected on the banks of the stream, many vestiges of which still remain.

_After crossing the Rupt-de-Mad in_ Thiaucourt, _keep along the street which continues the bridge and rises to the end of the town. On the right, towards the last of the houses, is I.C. 13, leading to_ =Jaulny.=

_Recross the Rupt-de-Mad at the entrance to Jaulny. Take to the left, along the river, the road running through the village_, many of whose houses were damaged by shells.

_On leaving Jaulny there is_ a large German cemetery _on the right_.

_I.C. 13 runs through a pretty valley, alongside the Rupt-de-Mad and passes near the railway station._ The old road having been destroyed by the explosion of a German ammunition train, _a new road enables the tourist, by crossing the river, to reach the village of_ =Rembercourt= _on the left bank_. The bridge was blown up and many of the houses are in ruins.

_I.C. 13, which continues alongside the Rupt-de-Mad as far as the Moselle, is next reached_. This road is extremely picturesque.

_Leaving Villecey-sur-Mad, slightly damaged, on the right, go towards_ =Onville.= _Three hundred yards this side of the village, to the left of I.C. 13, is_ a large German cemetery. The village, on which a few shells fell, contains a fine church.

=Vandelainville=, _which is the continuation of Onville_, contains several houses damaged by the bombardments.

_Passing through the villages of_ =Bayonville= _and_ =Arnaville=, _N. 52 bis, which runs along the left bank of the Moselle, and which take to the right in the direction of_ =Pagny-sur-Moselle.=

This village, also called Pagny-sous-Prény, from the name of the hamlet and château which dominates the surrounding country, was for forty-eight years the Custom House, being the last French railway station before the frontier.

=Prény Château=, the ruins of which are visible from here, was one of the most famous castles of the Middle Ages. Built by the Dukes of Lorraine, it was dismantled by Richelieu. It formed a square flanked by high, strong towers connected with one another by walls and subterranean passages hollowed out of the rock. At one end there was a second building, also surrounded by moats and flanked by towers, in one of which was the famous “_Mande-Guerre_” bell. The keep with the chapel and living-rooms stood there.

Pagny suffered severely, most of the houses being in ruins.

_The road turns to the left into the valley, then to the right beyond the church, which is left on the right._

_Just outside Pagny-sur-Moselle_ the Germans built a concrete barrier across the road to stop the tanks.

_About 500 yards from Pagny, near the bridge over Mouton stream, is a_ machine-gun blockhouse in concrete _on the right_.

_N. 52 bis next passes through_ =Vandières=, which was burnt down by the Germans during their retreat of September 16. All the houses along the road, especially those on the left, are in ruins.

_Five kilometres further on, after crossing the railway_, =Pont-à-Mousson= _is entered by the Rue du Port, Place Colombe and Rue St. Laurent; the latter brings the tourist to the Grand Place or Place Duroc_.

PONT-À-MOUSSON

Origin and Chief Historical Events

Pont-à-Mousson is an old town, in whose archives are found deeds dating back to 896 and 905. At that time it was called “_Villa Pontus sub castro Montionis_” (The Town of the Bridge under the Castle of Monçon).

In the 16th century there was a long controversy between the professors of the University and those of the Jesuit College as to whether the town (“Pont”) or the castle (“Monçon” or “Mousson”) should have precedence, _i.e_. if one should say “_Ponti Mussum_” or “_Mussi Pontum_.” The dispute was settled and the name “_Ponti Mussum_” (Pont-à-Mousson) decreed by Duke Charles III. Nevertheless, the inhabitants still insist on calling themselves “_Mussipontins_.”

Renaud I., Count of Bar, living a retired life in his château of Mousson, founded near the town in 1106 a priory dedicated to St. Michel, which he gave to the Abbey of St. Mihiel. In 1239 the “_Messins_” (inhabitants of Metz) broke down the bridge to prevent the Count of Bar communicating with his castle, but three years later they joined the Count of Bar against Duke Mathieu who, in revenge, burned down the little town of Pont.

Enfranchised in 1263 by Count Thiébaut II., Pont-à-Mousson was raised to a marquisate in 1355 by Emperor Charles IV., and, in 1356, was granted the rights and privileges of an imperial town.

Charles-the-Bold took possession of it in 1476, but it was retaken later by Duke René. However, the defection of his Swiss troops forced him to surrender it again to the Duke of Burgundy.

What made the glory and prosperity of the town was the foundation of a University in 1572. The influx of students and the renown of the professors made Pont-à-Mousson famous until 1763, when the University was transferred to Nancy.

The University encouraged the establishment of printing works, and volumes printed by Marchand and Melchior Bernard are still justly prized.

Although an open town, Pont-à-Mousson was violently bombarded by the Germans as early as August 11, 1914. After a short occupation the town was liberated by the French on September 13, 1914. The bombardments were resumed and lasted till the end of the war.

As to the part played by Pont-à-Mousson in the =Battle for the Grand Couronné Heights=, see the Michelin Guide, “=Nancy and the Grand Couronné.=”

_Arbitrary Signs_

A.—Church of St. Laurent. B.—Church of St. Martin. C.—Lesser Seminary. H.—Hôtel-de-Ville.

1.—Rue du Port. 2.—Rue St. Laurent. 3.—Place Duroc. 4.—Rue de l’Union. 5.—Rue Gambetta. 6.—Rue St. Martin. 7.—Rue Victor Hugo. 8.—Place Thiers. 9.—Avenue Carnot. ]

A VISIT TO PONT-À-MOUSSON.

=Starting-point=: _Place Duroc (or Grand Place), in which stands the Hôtel-de-Ville_.

Place Duroc, with its irregular arcades and Renaissance houses, presents a very characteristic appearance.

Maison Leguy: _the 3 first arcades, beginning at the turret. The 4th and 5th arcades belong to the_ House of the Seven Capital Sins.]

_Visit first the_ “=House of the Seven Capital Sins=,” decorated with caryatids. _At the bottom of a court there is_ a fine bas-relief _representing The Conversion of St. Paul_.

_A little further on is the_ =Maison Leguy=, recognisable by its hexagonal turret, which rests on one of the corner pillars of the arcades. Tradition attributes its construction to the Templars, and says that a subterranean passage led from it across the Moselle and up to Mousson.

_The turret is at the corner of Rue Victor Hugo, which take to see, in the Rue de l’Union (first street on the left), two curious doors at Nos. 6 and 8._

_Return to Place Duroc, turn to the left into Rue St. Laurent and see, in the court of No. 9_, a fine gallery delicately carved in Renaissance style (slightly damaged by the bombardment); _at No. 11_, a handsome façade with a charming court, an old well, the railing of the old terrace, a spiral staircase and timbered ceilings; _at No. 19_, the façade, door and entrance.

_Opposite No. 19 is the_ =Church of St. Laurent=; it was slightly damaged, the roof being pierced by shells in several places.

This church, frequently restored, offers no particular interest.

Inside there is a =reredos= in the form of a triptych, which came from the neighbouring Convent of the Poor Claires at Pont-à-Mousson. This work is by “_Georgin le painctre_,” and dates from the 16th century.

It represents: the _Baptism of Christ_, the _Resurrection of Lazarus_, _the Healing of the Blind at the Pool_, and the _Burial of Christ_.

The Chapel of Our Lady of Pity contains a celebrated “Christ carrying the Cross” by _Ligier Richier_. (_See note, p. 56, regarding this famous sculptor’s works._)

_14th century tomb of a knight and his wife._]

_Return to the Place Duroc, take the street leading to the bridge, which comes out opposite the “House of the Seven Capital Sins.”_ The fine stone bridge was partly destroyed. A temporary footway, however, makes it possible to _cross the Moselle here and reach the Rue Gambetta_.

_On the left, at the corner of Rue St. Martin, stands_ the greatly damaged =Church of St. Martin.= All the stained-glass windows were destroyed. Several shells pierced the walls and roof.

The Church of St. Martin (_Hist. Mon._) is the old church of the Antonists, and was built in 1474.

_Façade facing the Rue St. Martin._]

The very narrow façade is in florid pointed style. The interior of the church has undergone numerous unfortunate restorations. In the aisles are: _on the left_, the funeral statues of a 14th century knight and his wife; _on the right_, the tomb of Esther of Apremont, with her coat of arms (1592), and a particularly interesting late 16th century sepulchre (_see photos, p. 94_).

A triforium runs round the nave, and the tribune is closed by a fine open-work gallery dating from the end of the 16th century. Unfortunately, the choir is disfigured by a facing of marble which conceals the frescoes that decorated the walls.

_Beside the church, in the Rue St. Martin, is the_ =Petit Séminaire=, housed in the sumptuous Abbey of the Premonstrants, dating from the early part of the 18th century.

It was very seriously damaged by the bombardments. The chapel and its façade, the parlour, in very outlined rock-work style, splendid staircases, large cloisters and, above all, the famous wood-carvings in the library, were especially noteworthy.

Mousson

_To reach Mousson, proceed to the end of the Rue Gambetta, in the opposite direction to the Moselle._

_At the side of the above road (continuation of Rue Gambetta)._]

_Leave the car at the entrance to the Avenue de Metz (on the left) and walk up the hollow road (opposite the Rue Gambetta), which skirts the cemetery. (Time required: half an hour.)_

Along this road artillery batteries were posted, the emplacements of which may still be seen.

_Take a glance at_ the cemetery, where a number of graves have been destroyed.

The village of Mousson is at the top of a hill where there have been successively: a Roman camp, an Austrasian fortress and, in the 10th century, the château of the Countess Sophie de Bar, reduced to ruins by _Richelieu_.

The fortifications consist of a first line covering the village, and a second surrounding the château. The houses thus form a semicircle between the two ramparts.

The village was greatly damaged during the war. Most of the houses are in ruins. Some of them had tricusped windows and curious 15th and 16th century doors.

_Skirt the_ ancient Chapel of the Templars _to reach the_ terrace of the old château.

_In the background_: JOAN-OF-ARC TOWER AND STATUE]

All that remains of the château is the central chapel (11th–12th century) (_Hist. Mon._), which was unhappily enlarged about 1895, and to which a battlemented tower surmounted by a gilt statue of Joan-of-Arc was added.

The chapel (_Hist. Mon._), with a semicircular vaulted roof on curious pillars, contains fine baptismal fonts (1085) decorated with sculptures.

These fonts, resembling the curb-stone of a well, are decorated with bas-reliefs representing: _John the Baptist preaching repentance to publicans and soldiers who came to him in the wilderness; John baptizing two naked Jews immersed in a cistern; John baptizing Jesus Christ, plunged up to the waist in the waters of Jordan._

On the terrace are numerous trenches, in addition to shafts dug by the engineers to reach the underground passages which communicate with concrete shelters. One of these shelters may still be seen along the southern ramparts of the old château. All these military works are very interesting to visit.

There is a =splendid panorama= from this terrace: _on one side_ (_photo, pp._ 100 and 101) the town of Pont-à-Mousson and the valley of the Moselle with, behind Pont-à-Mousson, Puvenelle Forest and Prêtre Wood; _on the other side_, the valley of the Seille, with Metz Cathedral in the distance. _To the south-east is seen_ the Grand Couronné.

Mousson was a first-rate observation-post for the French gunners, which explains the fortifications that were erected there during the war.

_On the right_: JOAN-OF-ARC TOWER AND STATUE]

_In the background_: WALLS OF THE OLD FORTIFIED CASTLE]

A VISIT TO PRÊTRE WOOD

=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.

From January, 1915, the French operations were directed against the western portion, towards Quart-en-Réserve and Croix des Carmes Hill. Four lines of trenches bristling with machine-guns and defences held up the attack. The ground had to be taken bit by bit, and often a counter-attack would win back in the evening the gains of several days’ hard fighting. The first line was carried on January 17, and the second on February 16. At this point aerial torpedoes and hand grenades caused progress to slow down. The third line was captured on March 30. Attacks and counter-attacks followed. Fighting with hand grenades took place in the communicating trenches, behind barrages, and the artillery on both sides covered this narrow strip of ground with projectiles, breaking down the parapets and destroying the communicating trenches. The Germans, who lost heavily, brought up endless reinforcements—in all about sixteen battalions—thus showing the importance which they attached to this position.

The final attack was launched on May 12. The French carried the blockhouses and the northern slopes beyond the crest, but the enemy still clung to the eastern and western slopes. However, the wood was won, and the splendid observation-post which the hill afforded was thenceforth in the hands of the French.

In the little cemetery on the hillside hundreds of heroes sleep their last sleep.

The slopes near the road throughout this district are one vast cemetery, while the wood proper hides beneath its soil hundreds of dead entombed by the explosion of mines or the falling-in of trenches.

This wood of tragic memories was called by the Germans “_The Wood of Death_,” or “_The Widows’ Wood_.”

_Leave_ =Pont-à-Mousson= _by Avenue Carnot, cross the railway (l.c.), leaving N.57 on the left (which follows the railway towards Nancy) and continue along N.58 to_ =Montauville=, _2 km. from Pont-à-Mousson_.

This village did not suffer much. _On entering, there are_ several large concrete machine-gun blockhouses _on the right_.

The nearest dressing station was at Montauville, in the cellar of a ruined house. First aid was given in the trenches or in the little hut near the big oak tree. From Montauville the wounded were taken in motors to Pont-à-Mousson. There was a constant procession of ambulances, stretcher-bearers and hospital attendants on the road.

_Motors stop at the fork. The road to the left leads to Fey-en-Haye, Tourists should take the one to the right leading to the Père Hilarion Fountain and the Croix des Carmes._]

_Beyond a knoll opposite the church of Montauville, take on the right a downhill road which turns sharply and leads to the village cemetery. Here the road forks. Take the road on the left, which first dips and then a little further on rises in the direction of_ =Prêtre Wood.= This road is in bad condition, but in dry weather motors can go as far as the entrance to the wood.

_About 800 yards from the cemetery the road branches, that on the left going to_ Fey-en-Haye. _Take the road on the right, which soon leads to_ =Prêtre Wood.=

_On the right, at the roadside, about 1,200 yards from the fork, are two graves_: one of an American, the other of a French soldier.

_Three hundred yards further on, in a ravine to the right of the road, are the_ =fountain= _and_ =house= _of_ =Father Hilarion.= All around are numerous trenches, shelters and military works of all kinds.

Père Hilarion fountain remained for some time between the opposing lines. Germans and French alike came there every day to draw water, and by a tacit understanding each side came at the definite hour. During this respite no shot was fired from the trenches.

_Follow the road_ (leaving on the right a steep uphill road, 150 yards from the fountain) _which for 800 yards, down a gentle slope, crosses the_ part of the wood called the “=Mouchoir=” and =“Croix des Carmes” Sector.= This formed the first Franco-German lines.

The sight is a moving one: destroyed trees, the ground torn up by shells, trenches fallen in and battered shelters.