The enemy had left nothing undone to put the position in a state of defence. Their cave-shelters contained a narrow-gauge railway, sleeping quarters, and even an officers’ club. Their relief reinforcements were concealed from the French, while their cannon and machine-guns were unceasingly turned on the muddy slopes up which the French laboriously climbed. Unwounded men were drowned in the mud, while many of the wounded could not be rescued in time from the quagmires into which they had fallen. [Illustration: EPARGES IN 1915. POST OF COMMANDMENT IN THE SIDE OF THE CREST] The victory of Eparges has been described as “a work of giants.” But it was a costly victory. Most of the officers and thousands of men fell. The German losses were at least as heavy as those of the French. _Return to the Trésauvaux road._ The village of =Trésauvaux=, the ruins of which were organised militarily by the French (_photo, p. 34_), _is reached shortly afterwards_. [Illustration: EPARGES IN 1915 _Making rings at the entrance to a dug-out during a lull._] [Illustration: TRÉSAUVAUX VILLAGE] _Follow I. C. 54 to_ =Fresnes-en-Woëvre=, the houses of which are seen in the distance. _Go through the ruined village_ (_photos, p. 35_). The statue of General Margueritte has been severely damaged, while the church is entirely in ruins. _Leaving Fresnes, take the Manheulles road (G.C.D. 7) on the left, which joins N. 3, 2½ kms. further on._ [Illustration: THE SQUARE, TRÉSAUVAUX, IN 1915] [Illustration: FRESNES-EN-WOËVRE CHURCH, AUG. 11, 1915] [Illustration: FRESNES-EN-WOËVRE. MUTILATED STATUE OF GEN. MARGUERITTE] [Illustration: GERMAN POST OF COMMANDMENT AT ENTRANCE TO MANHEULLES VILLAGE (_see P. 36_)] _Continue as far as_ =Manheulles=, _where there are numerous military works_, including concrete blockhouses and a German post of commandment _established in the first house on the right at the entrance to the village_. The ground-floor of this house, which appears to be an absolute ruin, is lined throughout with concrete (_photo p. 35_). Several concrete shelters have been added outside, on the front facing Woëvre Plain. [Illustration: MANHEULLES. THE MAIN STREET] _At the cross-roads, in the middle of the village, stands_ a machine-gun blockhouse, built of concrete (_photo below_). _From Manheulles return to Fresnes-en-Woëvre._ _Take G.C.D. 10, which passes through the villages of_ Champlon and Hannonville (severely damaged), Thillot, St. Maurice and Billy. _Leave the village of Viéville on the right and, 500 yards further on, take the road which leads up a steep slope to_ =Hattonchâtel.= [Illustration: MANHEULLES _German Machine-Gun Blockhouse of concrete, in the middle of the village, on left of the road._] [Illustration: HATTONCHÂTEL CHURCH AND CLOISTER] Hattonchâtel