View from Chemin des Dames looking across the valley of the Ailette River towards Laon Cathedral in the city of Laon, France and barely visible in the distance. The Chapelle St. Berthe is down the slope in the near distance. Laon was one of the first-day objectives of French commander-in-chief Robert Nivelle's offensive in the the Second Battle of the Aisne. © 2014 by John M. Shea
"Finally, on May 20 the Corps von Conta received orders to take over their sector of the front, and Headquarters moved up to Château Marchais. The divisions also took up their positions. The last stage of the preparations began and was considerably helped by the plentiful cover the district afforded, woods and hills to the north of the Aisne valley screening them from English observation.In the Aisne valley, on the other hand, work could only proceed by night. All possible cover was utilised for the secret concentration of troops. The movement of new divisions and supply work could only be carried out by night. Bivouac fires by night were forbidden. Horses were not allowed out of the woods."
Excerpt from an account of the Aisne Offensive, the Third German Drive of 1918, and German preparations for it, by Major-General A. D. von Unruh, Chief of the General Staff, 4th Reserve Corps (the Corps von Conta he refers to). The Aisne River flows south of Chemin des Dames, held by the Allies, but its source was behind the German line, and it is that part of the Valley of the Aisne Unruh refers to. Four British divisions that had been devastated in Operations Michael and Georgette in March and April had been moved into what was expected to be a quiet sector, one held by the French.
The Last of the Ebb: the Battle of the Aisne, 1918 by Sidney Rogerson, page 129, copyright © Sidney Rogerson, 1937, publisher: Frontline Books, publication date: 2011
1918-05-20, 1918, May, Unruh, von Unruh, Laon, Laon Cathedral
