[Illustration: DESTROYED BRIDGE OVER THE MEUSE] _Return by the Avenue des Roches to the market; behind the latter_, take the Place du Manège, which leads to the temporary bridge across the Meuse. Cross the bridge and take G.C.D. 1, which passes through the suburb of Chauvoncourt. Chauvoncourt Chauvoncourt, occupied by the Germans from the beginning of their advance in September, 1914, was an important bridgehead which the French had an interest in retaking. Its capture and subsequent evacuation (November 16–18) are famous. In the evening of November 16, French heavy batteries took up their position at Fresnes-au-Mont, on the left bank of the Meuse, five miles from St. Mihiel; but before attacking, the German howitzers on the Paroches position had been destroyed. The bombardment began at dead of night. Four hundred shells fell on the enemy, causing the Bavarian ammunition dump to explode. At dawn, French infantry, massed in the peninsula of Les Romains, crossed the Meuse on a pontoon bridge, whilst the cavalry on the Fresnes road threatened Chauvoncourt from the west. By ten o’clock the infantry were in sight of the village. The Bavarians advanced by successive rushes—at each of which they fired a salvo—then halted behind a little glen. The fight became a fusilade, and would have continued indefinitely but for the arrival of the French dragoons, who, with lances fixed, charged furiously. The enemy, afraid of being cut off, retreated, followed by the cavalry, who began the siege of the houses. Every window, door and roof sheltered a Bavarian marksman. All day on the 17th the fighting continued in favour of the French, who by night occupied the western part of Chauvoncourt and slept in a French barracks. On the left bank of the Meuse the Germans, two hundred of whom had surrendered, now occupied only a few ruined houses. But at five o’clock on the morning of the 18th an explosion was heard. At the end of the main street three houses, luckily unoccupied, had been wrecked. Orders were at once given to evacuate the occupied portion of the town, which proved to be a wise precaution, for at eight o’clock the whole south-west portion blew up, over an area of four acres. No soldiers were killed, but civilians, who stayed on in spite of orders to the contrary, were victims of their own imprudence. Trenches and shelters are to be seen all along the road. [Illustration: RUINS OF CHAUVONCOURT BARRACKS] [Illustration: PANORAMIC VIEW OF ST. MIHIEL AND THE VALLEY OF THE MEUSE SEEN FROM THE TOP OF PAROCHES FORT] _Leaving Chauvoncourt, take to the right G.C. 34, which leads to_ =Paroches.= The village of =Paroches= is an absolute ruin. The 14th century church, with the exception of part of the belfry, has been almost entirely destroyed (_photo opposite_).