September 26, 1914 
LAND AND WATER 
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VER2ENAY 
VII 
SKETCH 8BOWIXO TUB UIIOHTS BOUND BHKIUS AND THE POINTS OF MAIN GERMAN COUNTER-OFFENSIVE. 
tlie city at a range of about 9000 yards, while on the 
east they penetrated so far that they were able to 
establish themselves upon the more important group 
of hills, also isolated in the plain, which take their 
name from the village of Nogent I'Abbesse. Brimont 
was retaken by the French in part, but lost again. 
Kogent I'Abbesse hill was not retaken, but a lower 
S])»ir to the south called Pompelle 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 
anybo<ly that has the higher hill to the north. From 
these two groups of heights, Brimont at very long 
r.iuge, Nogent I'Abbesse hill at no more than 
7000 yards, the city has been bombarded for many 
days. But so far this bombardment has not had the 
effect of weakening the French centre. Sooner or 
later the French will have brought up heavy artillery 
of their owti to that high position called " the mountain 
of liheims," particularly to the gun position above 
Verzenay, where, though at veiy long range, batteries 
upon the hiU of Nogent can be reached. Whether 
they hold the other gi-oup of hills to the west of 
Elieiins above Pouillon we 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 imtenable to the enemy. 
While this ai-tillery action from the heights of 
Brimont and of Nogent TAbbesse is going on against 
Eheims and the French troops in it and around it, 
Avith the object of there breakuig the French centre, a 
more violent assault, consisting in successive infantry 
attacks, has l)een taking place throiighout that part of 
the same field which lies between Craonuc and Berry- 
au-Bac. The reason tliat a specially active counter- 
offensive has been xmdertaken 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 
suited for an attempt at breaking the French containing 
forces. (1) It is an open plain. (2) It is veiy near 
the place where the AUies 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 brea«h is a minimum. (4) Finally, the place 
must be used for the counter-offensive, or it would 
become itself the most dangerous field for a French 
offensive. If the Germans here relied entirely upon 
the defensive, they would be holding the only part of 
the whole line whi9h 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 Berry- 
au-Bac has hitherto not been any more ^ccessf ul than 
the coiTCsponding attempt to break it by shell lire 
round the city of Eheims itself. 
Moreover, the Germans are here heavily handi- 
capped by the presence behind the field of Eheims of 
the deeply ravined and wooded hills which run from 
Pouillon all the way to the Aisne and on the south by 
the mountain of Eheims. They are attacking men 
who have strong positions on which to retire. 
Vigoi'ous as the Gennan counter-offensive witli 
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 iidvance further to 
the east in the 5th section of the line between Bazan- 
court and the Argonnc, which menaces the other wing. 
9* 
