Calonne Trench will, in future, evoke more tragic memories. The name “Trench” might lead one to suppose that it dates from the Great War, but this is not the case. For more than a century the road, cut out of the crest of the hills, has borne this name. It was made by order of M. de Calonne, Minister of Finance under Louis XVI., to give access to his château at the foot of the Meuse hills. This château was destroyed during the Revolution. [Illustration: CALONNE TRENCH _The “Bouée” Post of Commandment, 1 km. after the fork, and 100 yds. in the wood on the left of the road (see sketch map, p. 25)._] [Illustration: CALONNE TRENCH _French Trenches and Observation-Post on the right, before reaching the road to Eparges (see sketch map, p. 26)._] It is said that M. de Calonne, hoping some day to entertain the king at his château, had rose-trees planted the whole length of this road. However that may be, it is a fact that during the War wild roses were seen in bloom all along this forest road, at that time really a “trench” in the military sense of the word. The battle-front crossed Calonne Trench a little to the south-west of St. Remy, in Bouchot Wood. Both adversaries bombarded each other and were kept constantly on the alert by attacks and counter-attacks. In March, 1915, 5.5–in. naval guns with a range of 13,000 yards were placed in position, to fire over Les Eparges, behind the enemy lines. The marines had great difficulty in bringing these heavy guns into action, owing to the slippery, clayey soil. Their effective bombardment irritated the Germans so much that on April 20 they bombarded the French lines and, four days later, launched a massed attack which reached the third line of support. The marine officers, cut off from their base and unable to communicate with the infantry—the telephone wires being cut—hastily organised defences. They swept the ground with the fire of their heavies and some 75’s brought up by hand, which opened at fuse 0. [Illustration: + _Upper photo, p. 24._ + + _Lower photo, p. 24._] [Illustration: CALONNE TRENCH _On the left: Road to Eparges (impracticable)._] Meanwhile the Germans continued to advance. On the 25th they were within a thousand yards of the guns, and only vestiges of the trenches and of the original barbed wire entanglements lay between them and the guns. On the 26th, while the marines were preparing a vigorous resistance, two battalions of French Chasseurs, summoned to reinforce them, crept through the brushwood and began a counter-attack. On the 27th, the firing became more distant, but the Germans re-formed and renewed the attack on May 5. At first they met with some success, but this was quickly changed by the intervention of the Moroccan Brigade and six battalions of Chasseurs, who retook in a few hours all the ground lost on April 24.