[Illustration: AFTER THE CAPTURE OF TORCY BY THE AMERICANS. THE VILLAGE SQUARE, A HEAP OF RUINS.]
[Illustration: AT THE TOP OF A HILLOCK, THE RUINS OF THE CHURCH AT ST. GENGOULPH STAND OUT TRAGICALLY AGAINST THE SKY.]
_Cross the village, keeping a straight line towards_ the village of =St. Gengoulph=, whose ruined church is at the top of a small hill on the right (photo above).
_Leave St. Gengoulph on the right, without entering it, and a little beyond the hill above-mentioned, turn to the right into the I. C. 34 towards Chevillon._
=Chevillon= was badly damaged. On leaving the village, the remains of numerous trenches and shelters will be noticed on the left, while, in the surrounding fields, thousands of shells have been collected into heaps.
At the entrance to Chevillon, on the left of the road, there is an American cemetery containing 240 graves of soldiers who fell on July 18, 1918 (photo below).
_After visiting Chevillon, return to I. C. 34, which follow, leaving St. Gengoulph on the left._
_Shortly afterwards, turn to the left and descend to the_ badly-damaged village of =Vinly= (photo, p. 57). _Turn to the left towards_ Veuilly-la-Poterie. _Cross the river Clignon and the railway (level-crossing), continuing straight along the village, which visit._
[Illustration: AMERICAN CEMETARY AT CHEVILLON CONTAINING 240 GRAVES.]
[Illustration: AMERICAN SOLDIERS IN THE RUINS OF VINLY VILLAGE.]
The view below was taken a few hundred yards from the level crossing.
_Return to the railway, then turn to the right into G. C. 9, which runs alongside the railway, on the right._
=Veuilly-la-Poterie= was taken by the Germans, but on debouching from it they were checked by the Americans, who prevented further progress.
Passing through Eloup and Bussiares, the tourist arrives shortly afterwards at the ruined shed previously seen opposite Torcy (p. 55).
[Illustration: PICTURESQUE VILLAGE OF VEUILLY-LA-POTERIE.]
[Illustration: RUINED CHURCH OF LUCY-LE-BOCAGE.]
This region was bitterly disputed. On June 6, a Franco-American attack against the Veuilly-Bussiares line gave 270 prisoners, and the Americans advanced a mile towards Torcy. Veuilly-la-Poterie was retaken on the 7th and Eloup on the 8th, the Americans beating off all counter-attacks. On the 9th the Bois d’Eloup and another wood to the south of Bussiares were captured by the Allies. On the 10th, during several unsuccessful German attacks east of Vinly-on-the-Clignon (to the north of Veuilly-la-Poterie), the Franco-Americans advanced towards Bussiares, capturing 250 prisoners. On the 12th they took the southern part of Bussiares. On July 18, at the time of the great Franco-American Counter-Offensive, the whole of this region was liberated with fine dash by the 1st American Corps.