Bois d’Ailly, Marbotte, Fort de Liouville

In the course of the attack on the area of the Fort du Camp des Romains in late September 1914, the Germans had succeeded in pushing the forward line east of the fort far to the southwest right up to the Meuse Heights. As a result, the French lost their ability to observe and influence the strategically important road from St. Mihiel to Apremont and the areas situated to the north. The Germans, on the other hand, were now in a position to look deep to the south into the French hinterland. Consequently, the French lines were bent back far to the southwest.

From April 1915, the area of Bois d’Ailly, which the Germans called the Ailly Forest, was the scene of heavy French attack efforts. Here, in the area of the Combres Heights and further east in the Priesterwald, the French tried with concentrated attacks to depress the St. Mihiel salient. The fighting was supported by the guns of the forts Les Paroches and Liouville, which were still partially operational at that time. The French succeeded in penetrating deep into the German positional system in the area of Bois d’Ailly and establishing themselves there. In the process, on May 20, 1915, the 7th Company of the French 172nd Infantry Regiment (172e RI) under Major d’André advanced across three trenches right into the German main position without connection to neighboring units. The unit was cut off there with about 80 men. The French held out until May 22, 1915, but then had to surrender due to a lack of water and rations. From these battles, the admonition of commander d’André has been handed down: “N’oubliez pas la tranchée de la soif!”, “Never forget the trench of thirst!”. Today, a signposted circular trail and a memorial are located at this site.

By July 1915, the Germans recaptured all the lost territory. Especially in the La Vaux Féry sector, this led to very high-casualty fighting in which both sides also employed the methods of mine warfare. Many of the French wounded and dead were brought to the village of Marbotte, in whose church a dressing station had been established. It is recorded that during the fighting the entire floor of the church was covered with dead, dying, wounded, blood, and excrement.

Beginning in August 1915, the fighting subsided. Trench warfare followed and lasted into September 1918. While both sides continuously endeavored to make gains in terrain, it was no longer with the previous intensity. The German position system was gradually expanded on a massive scale. The trenches of the forward positions were concreted and reinforced with machine gun and observation posts, infantry steps, and bullet-proof dugouts. The terrain returned to Allied possession during the American-French offensive beginning September 12, 1918.