To the south, Debeney's Army took over the front of Humbert's Army--transferred to the sector of the 10th Army--the latter, due to the shortening of the front, being sent to Lorraine, for a new offensive. Debeney's Army, extending south of the Oise, attacked, and after capturing Dallon Spur, Castres and Essigny-le-Grand, reached the valley of the Oise, from Vendeuil to La Fère. [Illustration: PEACE AFTER STRIFE. LIFE IN THE RUINS. _Méharicourt, between Chaulnes and Caix, in 1919._] Disorganized and exhausted, their ranks depleted, the enemy were now incapable of attempting a counter-offensive. To avoid this continuous, exhaustive battle, the Germans sought refuge in positions which they believed to be impregnable, and where they hoped to rest, reorganize and reconstitute their reserves. This was an imperious necessity, as from July 15 to September 25, 163 of their divisions had been engaged, 75 of them two or three times. On September 26, despite a reduction of 120 miles in the length of the front, they were forced to maintain practically the same number of divisions in line as on July 15, owing to their decreased effective strength and fighting value. Moreover, to keep these forces effective, ten divisions had to be dissolved, and the battalions of fifty others reduced from four to three companies. Large numbers of men were called up from the works, in order to husband their last resources--the 1920 recruits. Everywhere, the Allied armies were in contact with the Hindenburg Line, ready for the grand assault against the formidable positions from which the enemy had set out on March 21 for Paris and victory. [Illustration: _The above photograph represents an assemblage of the maps on which the Staff of the French 20th Corps traced the front from day to day._ _By bringing out the two lines of July 15 and November 2 (exactly reproduced), and by adding a few unimportant touches inside and the spike of the helmet, one of the Staff draughtsmen obtained this curious figure of Germania on her knees._ _With the help of the inset sketch-map, it is easy to trace the salients of Ypres, Arras, Montdidier, Château-Thierry (crossed by the Vesle), Rheims, Verdun, and St. Mihiel._] In six weeks, by repeated, inter-related attacks, vigorously executed without respite, the Allies had flattened out the salient from St. Quentin to beyond Montdidier and Albert, produced by the German push. The end was near. To avoid a military disaster without precedent in the world's history, the enemy soon afterwards sued for an armistice and peace. [Illustration: _Ginchy (between Bapaume and Péronne) bombarded by the British (July 11, 1916)._] [Illustration: _Ginchy, ten days later (July 21, 1916)._] [Illustration: _Ginchy, two days before its capture by the British (Sept. 7, 1916)._] ILLUSTRATING THE PROGRESSIVE DESTRUCTION OF A VILLAGE BY ARTILLERY. _Taken from the Michelin Guide_: "THE FIRST BATTLE OF THE SOMME." [Illustration: MODERN WAR WEAPONS.