During the great Meuse-Argonne Battle, fought by General Pershing’s troops after September 26, the operations on the St. Mihiel front were limited to intermittent bombardments and local attacks. When the Armistice was signed on November 11, General Pershing was making dispositions to invest Metz by an offensive towards Longwy with the 1st Army, and towards Briey with the 2nd Army, while a detachment of six American divisions was to co-operate on the right bank of the Moselle with General Mangin’s Army, in an attack on Château-Salins. Meanwhile, the Germans had already begun to evacuate Metz. The Allies’ advance began on November 10 and 11, but the general capitulation of the Germans, on terms dictated by the Allies, robbed the Americans of a new and crushing victory, which would have fittingly crowned their fine success at St. Mihiel. A VISIT TO THE BATTLEFIELDS IN THREE ITINERARIES [Illustration] FIRST ITINERARY (_p. 22_) Distance: 80 km. (_See pp. 23–71_) =VERDUN to COMMERCY, via Calonne Trench, Eparges, Apremont Forest, Ailly Wood and St. Mihiel=, including =A VISIT TO ST. MIHIEL= (_pp. 55–69_) SECOND ITINERARY (_pp. 72–137_) Distance: 142 km. (_See pp. 72–137_) =COMMERCY to METZ, via Pont-à-Mousson=, including =A VISIT TO PRÊTRE WOOD= (_pp. 102–119_) =A VISIT TO METZ= (120–137) THIRD ITINERARY (_pp. 138–145_) =METZ to VERDUN, via Etain= (_pp. 138–145_) [Illustration: FIRST DAY—VERDUN TO COMMERCY _Follow the roads indicated by the continuous black lines, in the direction of the arrows. See sheets 7 and 12 of the Michelin Touring Map._] [Illustration: FAÇADE OF THE HÔTEL-DE-VILLE, OVERLOOKING THE PUBLIC GARDENS (_From the Michelin Guide: The Battle of Verdun._)] FIRST DAY FROM VERDUN TO COMMERCY _Leave Verdun by the Rue de l’Hôtel-de-Ville, Rue St. Sauveur, Rue and Gate of St. Victor (photo below) and N. 3._ _Ten kilometres down this road, Rozellier Fort will be seen on the left. One kilometre further on, take the strategic I.C. 3, also known as Calonne Trench, on the right._ [Illustration: VERDUN—ST. VICTOR’S GATE (_From the Michelin Guide: The Battle of Verdun._)] [Illustration: CALONNE TRENCH _French Post of Commandment on the left, about 200 yds. before the fork in the road to Haudiomont (see sketch map, p. 25)._] Calonne Trench This picturesque road enables the tourist to follow the phases of the struggle which took place in the district of Les Eparges. The road crosses in an almost straight line the whole forest of Amblonville, Bouchot Wood, and La Montagne Forest, and comes out about twelve miles further on at the Hattan-châtel cross-roads. Formerly this road was used only by poachers, gamekeepers, and shooting-parties, being a well-known haunt of game.