_From Bras take N 64 towards_ =Verdun=. _The road winds across the western slopes of_ =Belleville Fort=. _At the top of the hill, take the road on the left (leaving the down-hill road to Verdun)._
_The road (IC 2) passes by_ =Belleville Fort= _and along the top of the hill, which formed the last permanent line of resistance, from, N.E. of Verdun to_ =St. Michel Fort=.
_From_ =St. Michel Fort= _there is a fine run down_ =St. Michel Hill= _to Verdun which enter by the_ =Rue d’Elain= _and_ =Chaussée Gate=.
PANORAMIC VIEW OF THE MEUSE VALLEY SEEN FROM THE TOP OF TALOU HILL.]
(_Consider the four parts from left to right, across both pages; the top half fits on to the left of the bottom half._)
[Illustration: From this spot on the road from Vacherauville to Champneuville (see outline map, p. 87), there is a general view of the lines from which the German Offensive started, and of the battlefield on the left bank of the river.]
2nd ITINERARY: THE LEFT BANK OF THE MEUSE
including Cumières, Oie Hill, Mort-Homme, Montfaucon, Hill 304, and Avocourt (_see description, pp. 90–111_)
[Illustration: THE CHURCH AND MAIN STREET OF CHARNY IN JANUARY, 1916]
_Leave Verdun by the Porte de France; after the railway bridge go straight along_ G. C. 38 _(see plan between pp. 30–31.) Cross the Faubourg de Jardin-Fontaine, then Thierville village. Facing it is_ MARRE FORT. _At the foot of the hill on which the fort stands, turn to the right. Leaving on the left the ruined_ farm of Willers-les-Moines, _the road climbs up the small_ Hill 243, _below which is the_ strongly fortified =Charny Redoubt=.
On the other side of the level-crossing is =Charny=. It was at Charny that the Germans crossed the Meuse in 1870. Incidentally, they shot the former notary, M. Violard, under the pretext that he had aided an attack by the francs-tireurs of Verdun. In 1916, the village was frequently bombarded by the enemy, particularly on March 31st.
[Illustration: THE CHURCH AND MAIN STREET OF CHARNY SEEN FROM THE OTHER SIDE IN MAY, 1919
Beyond the Church take the road on the right to Cumières. That on the left, leading to Bourrus Woods, is impracticable for cars.]
_Return to the level crossing, then turn to the right on leaving Charny. The road skirts the northern slopes of the hills on which stands the_ modern forts of =Vacherauville=, =Marre= and =Bourrus Woods=.