“Jean Baptiste Eugène Estienne was born at Condé en Barrois (Lorraine) on November 7, 1860. Owing to the trend of events during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71 his school, the Lycée of Bar le Duc, was forced to shut, and it was whilst enjoying an enforced holiday at the age of ten years at Condé with his parents that his idea of embracing a military career was born. He was one day an interested spectator of the passage of a column of Prussian artillery through the paved streets of his native town, and was lost in youthful admiration of this display of military power. He hastened back to tell his parents of his decision one day to enter as a conqueror into a town with his guns clattering behind him. “From this hour he became wedded to an artillery-man’s life, and in due course passed in and out of the famous École Polytechnique, where his mathematical ability enjoyed full scope. “In due course, too, he passed through the artillery school of Fontainebleau, and in 1884 entered the garrison town of Vannes as a Second Lieutenant. “Promoted Captain in 1891, he completed his studies in the use of the _collimateur_[50] and became the apostle of the use of direct fire for field artillery, which he eventually succeeded in introducing in the French Army. In 1909 he was summoned to Vincennes with a view to determining if any use could be made of aeroplanes in conjunction with field artillery, and succeeded in establishing a part for F.A. aircraft service. This, however, was transferred to the R.E. and Lieut.-Colonel Estienne consequently asked to be returned to regimental duty. “In 1913 he was again summoned to Vincennes to continue his research, and was here at the outbreak of war, when he obtained command of the 22nd Regiment of Artillery. This he commanded in Belgium and throughout the retreat from Charleroi to the Seine. He had with him his two experimental aeroplanes, which rendered invaluable service during the Battle of the Marne, where he served under General Pétain. “It was during the retreat that Colonel Estienne first spoke to members of his Staff of the future which would attend a machine capable of crossing ploughed fields and trenches, transporting arms and men. With this thought in his mind he was wont to invite his casual visitors and members of his Staff to assume all manner of peculiar attitudes under tables, etc., with a view to determining how many human beings could conveniently be crammed in a certain cubic area. “His last command before being selected to father the future _Chars d’Assaut_ was at Verdun, when he did not hesitate to employ a barrage of his heavy guns to break up a threatening German attack.