September 26, 1914 
LAND AND WATER 
O 
-#VERZENAY 
^^Vv 
VII 
8KXTCB SHOWINO THB HIIOUTS BOUND BEIIUS JUSTD TEI POINTS OF UAIN OSKMAN COVKTEK-OFFEXSITI. 
tlic city at a range of, about 9000 yards, while on the 
east they penetrated so far that they were able to 
establish tliemselves upon the more important group 
of hills, also isolated in the plain, which take their 
name from the village of Nogent I'Abbesse. Brimont 
Avas retaken by the French in part, but lost again. 
Nogent I'Abbesse hill was not retaken, but a lower 
spur to the south called PompeUe was seized by the 
French at the week-end, and is apparently still held 
by them, though it is a difficult place to hold against 
aiiylx)dy that has the higher hill to the north. From 
these two groups of heights, Brimont at very long 
range, Nogent rAbbesse hill at no more than 
7000 yards, the city has been bombarded for many 
days. But so far this bombai-dmcnt has not had the 
ofloct of weakening the French centi*e. Sooner or 
h'.tor the French will have brought up heavy artillery 
o£ their own to that high position called " the mountain 
of Eheims," particularly to the gun position above 
Vcrzenay, where, though at very long range, batteries 
upon the hill of Nogent can be reached. Whether 
tliey hold the other group of liills to the west of 
Eheims above Pouillon avc have not as yet been told. 
But if or Avhen they do, those hills dominate the 
heights of Brimont at a comparatively short range 
and should make them untenable to the enemy. 
While tliis artillery action from the heights of 
Brimont and of Nogent I'Abbesse is going on against 
liheims and the French troops in it and around it, 
with the object of there breaking the French centre, a 
more violent assault, consistmg in successive infantry 
attacks, has been taking ])lace throughout that part of 
the same Held which lies between Craonne and Berry- 
au-Bac. The reason that a specially active couuter- 
cffeusivc has been undertaken here by the Germans in 
assistance of and parallel with the attack on Eheims 
close by is that this point out of all the line is best 
siuted for an attempt at breaking the French containing 
forces. (1) It is an open plain. (2) It is very near 
the place where the Allies join — always a weak point 
in a mixed line. (3) It is very near the exact 
geographical centre of the whole defensive position — 
which is, of course, the ideal point at which to break 
any line, because the largest fraction remaining after 
such a breach is a minimum. (4) Finally, the j^laco 
must be used for the counter-offensive, or it Avould 
become itself the most dangerous field for a French 
offensive. If the Germans here relied entirely upoit 
the defensive, they would be holding the only part of 
the whole line whifh has no ridge or crest from which 
they can dominate the advance of an enemy. It is 
the only serious gap in all the 80 miles. 
But this attempt to break the French line by 
German infantry assault between Craonne and Berr}- 
au-Bac has hitherto not been any more successful than 
the coiTcsponding attempt to break it by shell fire 
round the city of Eheims itself. 
Moreover, the Gennans are here heavily handi- 
capped by the presence behind the field of Eheims of 
the deeply ravined and Avooded hills Avhich run from, 
Pouillon all the way to the Aisne and on the south by 
the moimtain of Eheims. They are attacking men 
who have strong positions on Avhich to retire. 
Vigorous as the German counter-offensive Avith 
Eheims for its centre has been, and partially 
successful as it has been, it is threatened not only by 
the gi'eat turning movement near Noyon, but also by a 
German retirement and a French advance further to 
the east in the 5th section of the line between Bazan- 
coiui and the Argonno, Avhich menaces the other Aving. 
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