On August 7, part of a trench was taken by the Germans in a night attack at Fille-Morte. During the whole of that month, at Courte-Chausse, Les Meurissons, La Haute-Chevauchée and Bolante, continual fighting took place with artillery, mines, trench-mortars, grenades and bombs. On September 27, during the French offensive in Champagne, the Germans attempted a diversion against Bolante and Fille-Morte. After a heavy bombardment with explosive and gas shells, a force of nearly two regiments attacked in four successive waves. At first they made some slight progress, but were soon almost everywhere repulsed with very heavy losses. From October, 1915, it was in this part of the Argonne that the activity was greatest, though here, as elsewhere, the fighting considerably diminished. In 1916, frequent mining operations gave rise to grenade fighting around the craters at Fille-Morte, Bolante, La Haute-Chevauchée and Courte-Chausse. In 1917, mine warfare was practically abandoned, but both sides frequently made raids into the opposing trenches, for the purpose of taking prisoners and destroying the works and shelters there. [Illustration: GERMAN CEMETERY ON THE ROAD FROM FOUR-DE-PARIS TO VARENNES (_4 km. from the former_)] _On reaching Four-de-Paris from La Harazée, take G.C. 38, on the left, towards Varennes._ _The road follows the valley of Les Meurissons_ (_on the right is_ =Bolante Wood=), _crosses_ Hill 265, _and passes by the_ original front lines. _From here onwards_, veritable villages built by the Germans _may be seen on the sides of the hill, on the left bank of the Meurissons stream_. The forest on the crest of the hill was cut to pieces by the shells. _Almost at the top of the hill the road runs past_ a German cemetery containing a curious monument (_4 km. from Four-de-Paris; photo above_). [Illustration: DESTRUCTION OF THE ARGONNE FOREST] _One kilometre further on, at the Meurissons cross-roads_, =La Haute-Chevauchée=, an old Roman road, _is reached_. _Follow La Haute-Chevauchée_--_a very interesting road, but in bad repair--driving slowly and carefully for the first 2 km._ _The road passes through_ =Jardinet Wood=, which is full of dug-outs, shelters and gun-emplacements. _On leaving the wood_ the view is impressive. Hill 285, opposite, is literally ploughed up by the shell fire, while not a single tree is left (_photo below_). This is the sector of the Fille-Morte, Pierre-Croisée and Courte-Chausse. _The road goes round the hill, passing_ a succession of shell-craters on the crest. _Shortly afterwards, after entering Chalade Wood, the road improves._ On both sides are French structures of stonework. [Illustration: HILL 285, IN THE “FILLE MORTE” SECTOR (_The car is going towards the Croix-de-Pierre cross-roads._)] _One kilometre beyond Hill 285 is the Sept-Fontaines cross-roads, where stood_ a French dressing-station, _facing the road going towards the Mont-de-Villers_.