The Americans in the Great War; v 1. The Second Battle of the Marne: (Château-Thierry, Soissons, Fismes)
History
The Americans in the Great War; v 1. The Second Battle of the Marne: (Château-Thierry, Soissons, Fismes)
France -- Guidebooks; Marne, 2nd Battle of the, France, 1918
_Cross the village, keeping a straight line towards_ the village of =St.
Gengoulph=, whose ruined church is at the top of a small hill on the
right (photo above).
_Leave St. Gengoulph on the right, without entering it, and a little
beyond the hill above-mentioned, turn to the right into the I. C. 34
towards Chevillon._
=Chevillon= was badly damaged. On leaving the village, the remains of
numerous trenches and shelters will be noticed on the left, while, in
the surrounding fields, thousands of shells have been collected into
heaps.
At the entrance to Chevillon, on the left of the road, there is an
American cemetery containing 240 graves of soldiers who fell on July 18,
1918 (photo below).
_After visiting Chevillon, return to I. C. 34, which follow, leaving St.
Gengoulph on the left._
_Shortly afterwards, turn to the left and descend to the_ badly-damaged
village of =Vinly= (photo, p. 57). _Turn to the left towards_
Veuilly-la-Poterie. _Cross the river Clignon and the railway
(level-crossing), continuing straight along the village, which visit._
[Illustration: AMERICAN CEMETARY AT CHEVILLON CONTAINING 240 GRAVES.]
[Illustration: AMERICAN SOLDIERS IN THE RUINS OF VINLY VILLAGE.]
The view below was taken a few hundred yards from the level crossing.
_Return to the railway, then turn to the right into G. C. 9, which runs
alongside the railway, on the right._
=Veuilly-la-Poterie= was taken by the Germans, but on debouching from it
they were checked by the Americans, who prevented further progress.
Passing through Eloup and Bussiares, the tourist arrives shortly
afterwards at the ruined shed previously seen opposite Torcy (p. 55).
[Illustration: PICTURESQUE VILLAGE OF VEUILLY-LA-POTERIE.]
[Illustration: RUINED CHURCH OF LUCY-LE-BOCAGE.]
This region was bitterly disputed. On June 6, a Franco-American attack
against the Veuilly-Bussiares line gave 270 prisoners, and the Americans
advanced a mile towards Torcy. Veuilly-la-Poterie was retaken on the 7th
and Eloup on the 8th, the Americans beating off all counter-attacks. On
the 9th the Bois d’Eloup and another wood to the south of Bussiares were
captured by the Allies. On the 10th, during several unsuccessful German
attacks east of Vinly-on-the-Clignon (to the north of Veuilly-la-Poterie),
the Franco-Americans advanced towards Bussiares, capturing 250
prisoners. On the 12th they took the southern part of Bussiares. On July
18, at the time of the great Franco-American Counter-Offensive, the
whole of this region was liberated with fine dash by the 1st American
Corps.
_At the crossing near Torcy leave G. C. 9 and take the I. C._ 32 to the
right. Near this fork, on the right, are American graves. The road
skirts the western side of Belleau Wood. More American graves are seen
before coming to =Lucy-le-Bocage=.
[Illustration: INTERIOR OF THE CHURCH AT LUCY-LE-BOCAGE.]
[Illustration: AMERICAN CEMETARY NEAR BOURESCHES.
In the background: the highest part of Belleau Wood.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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