This village, renowned for its dry wine, is pleasantly situated on the banks of the Vesle. Throughout the war, it was quite close to the trenches and was frequently bombarded. In May, 1916, only some fifty of its inhabitants remained in the village, which subsequently suffered very severely, especially in 1918. _Take a turn in the village, then follow N. 44 towards Châlons (see Itinerary, p. 166)._ [Illustration: THE "PLACE DE LA MAIRIE" AT SILLERY (1918)] The region of =Sillery-Pompelle= was the scene of much fierce fighting throughout the war. After the capture of =La Pompelle= and the "=Alger Inn=" by the French 10th Corps on the night of September 17-18, 1914, the Germans increased the number of their attacks, with a view to regaining these important positions. One of these attacks (that of December 30, 1914) was preceded by the explosion of a mine at the "Alger Inn," which made a hole 130 feet in diameter by 55 feet deep (_see photo, p. 169_). After a hand-to-hand fight, the French drove back the enemy and remained masters of the crater. In 1918, during their offensives against Rheims, the Germans attacked several times in this region. On June 1, between =Pommery Park= (in the south-eastern outskirts of Rheims) and the north-east of Sillery, they attacked with eight or nine battalions and fifteen tanks. The garrison of Fort Pompelle, momentarily encircled, held out until a furious counter-attack by the French Colonial Infantry relieved it and drove back the assailants. The German tanks were either captured or destroyed. On the 18th, after an hour's intense bombardment, the Germans made a fresh attack and secured a footing in the Northern Cemetery of Rheims and in the north-eastern outskirts of Sillery, but French counter-attacks drove them out almost immediately. From July 15 to 17 their attacks on Sillery were likewise repulsed. _Continue along N. 44 to the_ destroyed Espérance Farm _(about 2 kilometres distant), then turn to the right_. Numerous military works were made by the French in the embankments of the Aisne-Marne canal along the left side of the road. _The road rises towards the "Mountain of Rheims."_ A white tower, dominating the whole plain, _is seen on the left (photo below)_. =Verzenay= _is next reached by the Rue de Sillery._ [Illustration: VERZENAY, SEEN FROM THE VERZENAY--MAILLY--CHAMPAGNE ROAD] [Illustration: THE OLD MILL AT VERZENAY] It was at =Verzenay= that, on the evening of September 3, 1914, the German aeroplane, which had dropped bombs on Rheims the same morning, was brought down. It has suffered relatively little from the bombardments. _To visit the church_, which contains the tomb of Saint-Basle (_chapel on the right_), _take the Rue Gambetta, then the Rue Thiers_. _After visiting the church, return to the Rue Thiers, at the end of which is the Rue de Mailly (G.C. 26)._ _Take the latter, which, on leaving Verzenay, rises fairly stiffly._