In the evening of July 17, the enemy made another powerful effort. Supported by heavy batteries posted above Péronne on Mont-Saint-Quentin Hill, which kept up an uninterrupted fire, the Germans again entered Biaches and captured it. The struggle continued throughout the next day in the ruins of the village with varying fortune, and it was only on the 19th that the enemy were definitely driven out. Further counter-attacks were launched afterwards, but met with no better success. From July 17, 1916, till March, 1917, the French and, later, the British maintained their lines intact in front of Péronne, on the edge of the Somme Marshes. On leaving Biaches, G.C. 1 rises towards Herbécourt. Looking back, there is a very fine view of Biaches, Péronne and the valley _(Panorama, pp. 116-117)_. _3 km. 500 beyond Biaches, leave, on the left, the village of =Flaucourt=_ (completely destroyed), which was carried by storm on July 3, 1916. _=Herbécourt= is 1 km. 500 farther on._ [Illustration: BIACHES. THE PLACE DE LA MAIRIE IN 1919.] [Illustration: PANORAMA OF BIACHES AND PÉRONNE, _as seen from the Biaches Herbécourt road_.] At the entrance to the village, on the left, is a large German cemetery, and on the right a house (almost intact) in which a German dressing-station was installed. German frescoes may still be seen on the walls _(photo, p. 117)_. [Illustration: TRENCH ON THE HERBÉCOURT PLATEAU.] After capturing Dompierre on July 1, 1916, the French advanced so rapidly on Herbécourt that the Germans were unable to make use of the numerous defence-works which had been accumulated between the two villages. The hill overlooking Herbécourt was carried in a few minutes, and on July 2, the village itself was entirely conquered. [Illustration: HERBÉCOURT. HOUSE, PRACTICALLY UNDAMAGED, DECORATED BY THE GERMANS WITH FRESCOES. _It was used as a dressing-station._] The French had thus advanced about 4 km. in depth, and the German second line of resistance was broken into in front of Péronne (6 km. to the east), _i.e._, at its weakest point. [Illustration: HERBÉCOURT. RUINS OF THE CHURCH.] Herbécourt commands a crossing of roads which branch off in various directions. Rapid communication with the south of the plateau was now possible by the road leading to the village of Assevillers (carried on July 3) on the one hand, and with the Somme valley by the road which ends at the bridges and highway of Feuillères (also captured on July 3). [Illustration: ON LEAVING HERBÉCOURT--GERMAN BLOCKHOUSE AT THE CORNER OF THE ROADS TO CAPPY _(on the right)_ AND DOMPIERRE _(on the left)_.] [Illustration: GERMAN TRENCHES ON THE HERBÉCOURT PLATEAU.] [Illustration: +FEUILLÈRES CHURCH AND VILLAGE+ _(not in Itinerary)_. _On the canal between Frise and Biaches, they were violently bombarded in 1916._]