=Malancourt= village was reoccupied by the French on October 13th, 1914. Enemy attacks on the following 16th and 20th failed. From February, 1915, the French lines were advanced to the slopes on the N. of the village. In 1916 the Germans did not attack until the end of March. They were unable to enter it on the 28th, but the next day captured two houses. On the night of the 30th they occupied it entirely. Malancourt and its wood were recaptured by the First American Army on September 26th, 1918. The wood was hard to take, as the Germans had installed numerous blockhouses and barbed-wire entanglements. [Illustration: GERMAN OBSERVATION-POST IN THE RUINS OF MONTFAUCON CHURCH.] Montfaucon _From Malancourt tourists may go to Montfaucon, three miles away, by a rather difficult road which has been summarily repaired._ From Montfaucon, where the Germans had established an observation-post in the ruins of the church, there is a complete view of the whole of the battlefield north-west of Verdun, from the hills on the right bank of the Meuse, to Vauquois. _See Panorama and Map on pp. 106 and 107._ The tower of the church, which made a fine observation-post for the Germans, was destroyed by the French artillery. When, after their brilliant offensive of September 26th, 1918 (_see p. 24_), the Americans drove the enemy from Montfaucon, they found this observation-post (_photo below_) built with materials taken from the ruins of the church. [Illustration: THE OPENING IN THE OBSERVATION-POST, THROUGH WHICH THE PANORAMIC VIEW ON PP. 106 AND 107 WAS TAKEN.] [Illustration: Hills on the right bank of the river Road to Cuisy Mort-Homme Hill 275 Road to Malancourt Hill 310 Montfaucon Wood Vauquois Spur PANORAMA OF THE BATTLEFIELD OF VERDUN, SEEN FROM MONTFAUCON.] _The above view was taken from the inside of the Observation-Post seen in the photo below, the camera looking through the slit-like embrasure._ In the foreground are vestiges of shell-torn trees and the ruins of Montfaucon Village. Verdun is on the horizon between Mort-Homme and Hill 275. [Illustration: GERMAN OBSERVATION-POST, _through the embrasure of which the above Panoramic View was taken_.] [Illustration: SKETCH-MAP OF THE BATTLEFIELD, AS SEEN BY THE GERMANS FROM THE EMINENCE OF MONTFAUCON.] [Illustration: AVOCOURT VILLAGE IN MARCH, 1916.] VI.—From Montfaucon to Avocourt _From Montfaucon return by the same road to Malancourt._ _The bad state of the Malancourt–Avocourt road (May, 1919) does not allow it to be taken from the former to the latter locality._ (The road passes through the woods of the same names, disputed with incredible fierceness.) _The tourist should, therefore, return to the Wayside Cross at Esnes, along the same road that he came by._ _From Esnes Cross (see p. 100), take on the right the road to Avocourt, which marks approximately the extreme limit of the battlefield W. of Verdun_.