[Illustration: THE APPROACHES TO VAUX FORT IN MARCH, 1916
When, on the night of June 8th, after seven days and nights of continual fighting, the heroic defenders of the fort were at last overpowered, the unwounded among them had not tasted a drop of water for two days.
Five months later (November 2nd) the Germans were driven out of the fort, which they hurriedly evacuated (_see pp. 63–64_).
[Illustration: THE SOUTH-WEST SIDE OF VAUX FORT]
_On leaving Vaux Fort return along the same road to the fork (photo, p. 60) and turn to the right. About one kilometer from the fork, on the left, the escarpments of_ =Souville Fort= border the road. _Go to the fort on foot (about 200 yards from the road)._
[Illustration: THE OLD ENTRANCE TO SOUVILLE FORT (Sept. 1916)]
=Souville Fort=, which stands as high as that of Douaumont, commands the background of the Douaumont—Vaux line. After taking this line, the enemy, from June 15th to 22nd, undertook the destruction of the fort. On the 23rd the entire CIIIrd German Division attacked, but was repulsed with very heavy losses in front of the French second line trenches. The attack was renewed by two divisions on July 11th and 12th, but failed to reach the moats of the fort.
[Illustration: SOUVILLE FORT (_March 1917_).]
PANORAMA SEEN FROM THE CROSS-ROADS AT THE CHAPEL OF ST. FINE (_entirely destroyed_).]
The “+” on the sketch-map above shows the spot from where the panorama should be viewed. The car in the photo came from Souville Fort, turning to the right towards Vaux Village.
_After visiting the village return to the cross-roads and take the road on the right to Douaumont, seen on the left half of the above panorama (p. 66). The bombardments have left no trace of St. Fine Chapel._
IV.—From Souville Fort to Vaux Village and Pond
_After visiting Souville Fort return to the cross-ways at St. Fine Chapel, seen in the above photo._
[Illustration: ATTACKING WAVES OF INFANTRY CROSSING FUMIN WOOD (_Oct. 1916_).]
It was the ruins of this chapel that the enemy reached on July 12th, 1916, and that the 2nd regiment of Zouaves, at the order of General Mangin, recaptured in order to relieve Souville Fort.
_At the cross-roads, take the_ I. C. 12 _on the right to Vaux village. The road dips down into a gorge between the woods of Le Chapitre and Fumin._