=Avocourt and Avocourt and Malancourt Woods.=—One of the finest feats of arms in the Battle of Verdun was performed at Avocourt. [Illustration: THE CROSS IN THE MIDDLE OF AVOCOURT VILLAGE IN APRIL, 1916.] [Illustration: TRENCH IN THE RUINS OF AVOCOURT VILLAGE IN APRIL, 1917.] On March 20th, 1916, the Germans, who had never been able to take the village, attacked with a fresh division of picked troops (IInd Bavarians), which had taken part in the summer campaign in Galicia and Poland with Mackensen’s forces. The attack succeeded, with the help of liquid fire. A French counter-attack on the 29th by the 210th R.I., and a battalion of the 157th, recaptured the wood and the redoubt known as the “Réduit d’Avocourt,” situated on its S. edge. The attacking troops, which had not been revictualled for four days, had finished their reserve rations twelve hours previously. So fatigued were they that they slept standing despite the bombardment. To rouse them, their chiefs, at 3 a.m. next morning, ordered the buglers and drummers to play. As the day was breaking the music suddenly stopped, a shell having buried all save one drummer. Furious at this, the men, with the drummer at their head, rushed forward, and by 8 a.m. the wood had been entirely reconquered. [Illustration: SITE OF AVOCOURT VILLAGE IN NOVEMBER, 1918.] In 1917, hard fighting continued in this region with varying fortune. Powerful German attacks gave the enemy a little ground between Avocourt and Hill 304, and in Avocourt Wood. On August 20th, the French 25th D.I. drove the enemy from the S. part of the wood, advancing 1,200 yards and capturing 750 prisoners, thirty machine guns and ten trench mortars. [Illustration: MALANCOURT WOOD IN 1916, _seen from the French lines. The sandbags mark the German lines._] On September 26th, 1918, the wood was entirely cleared of the enemy by the First American Army. =Malancourt Wood.=—It was against a French trench, in this wood that on February 26th, 1915, the Germans made use of =liquid fire for the first time=, special pumps, operated by pioneers of the Guard, being employed. VII.—Avocourt to Aubréville _From Avocourt take the road which follows the small valley running southwards (see Itinerary, pp. 88 and 89). It was on this road, hidden from the view of the enemy, that the French concentrations were carried out in the rear lines._ _Two kilometers from Avocourt, take on the left the road leading to Hesse Wood, scene of all sorts of concentrations, posts of commandment, dressing stations, batteries of artillery, depots, etc._ _This road is in good condition almost as far as Aubréville, with the exception of two or three places on leaving Hesse Wood, beyond Bertrame’s Farm._ VIII.—From Aubréville to Verdun _On entering Aubréville, take on the left N. 46 which skirts the St. Menehould-Verdun railway._