+The "Porte de la Couronne"+ (Place de la Couronne) dates from 1751. FIELD OF OPERATIONS OF THE THIRD FRENCH ARMY =III.--TOUR ROUND BAR-LE-DUC= (66 km.) (See map inserted between pp. 212-213) +Via Villers-aux-Vents+, +Brabant-le-Roi+, +Revigny+, +Nettancourt+, +Sommeilles+, +Laheycourt+, +Louppy-le-Château+, +Louppy-le-Petit+, +Génicourt+, +Vavincourt+ [Illustration: CHURCH, LAIMONT] _Leave by the Boulevard de la Banque. Cross the Canal des Usines, then take on the right the road to Revigny or G. C. D. 4, 1,500 yards further. Cross the railway by a level-crossing and then the Marne-Rhine Canal._ _The road dips down to the left in order to follow the railway, and then crosses the Ornain, of which it follows the right bank. We come to the hamlet of =Venise=, but continue in the direction of =Laimont= (12 km.)._ Half-way thither, on the right, may be seen the woods which constituted the ultimate line of resistance of the Fifth Corps during the violent attacks which it experienced on September 6, and in which it lost about ten kilometres. Snatched from the Tenth Division of the Sixth Corps on the night of the 6th, Laimont was only retaken on the 11th by the Fifteenth Corps. As may be seen in the above photo, the church was damaged by shells. Many houses were destroyed. When they left Laimont the Germans took away seven hostages, among them the rector. _G. C. D. 4 branches off to the left to cross through Laimont, and passes in front of the church; but instead of following it, leave the village on the left and continue straight along the road which becomes G. C. D. 15._ _2 km. 4 further on, take the "Chemin vicinal" to the right leading to Villers-aux-Vents. After crossing a stream, turn to the left at the entrance to the village, following a winding road which leads to the church._ =Villers-aux-Vents= (16 km.) was completely destroyed by the fire which the Germans kindled before leaving. It was attacked on September 6 by masses of infantry coming up from the north and north-west, and gallantly defended by the Tenth Division, which occupied the village and its neighbourhood. Violent fighting took place to the north of Villers, near the Grand-Morinval Pond, in the course of which General Roques, who was commanding the Division, was mortally wounded. Giving way under force of numbers, the Tenth Division was obliged to evacuate Villers and fall back on Laimont. As we have seen above, this village also was lost during the night, and the line of defence was taken up in the woods to the east.