Le Lingnkopf French Military Cemetery
The summit of Le Ligne was turned into a formidable fortress: a network of trenches, thick tangles of wire and numerous concrete blockhouses were built under cover of the pine trees covering the crest. After one failed attavk, French troops carried back a board removed from the German wire: 'The Ligne will be the Chausseurs’ Grave'. This was to prove sadly prophetic. By 25th August 1915, French casualties On Le Ligne amounted to 9,485 men and 176 officers before the folly of attacking the position was finally accepted. The battlefield of Le Ligne was cleared in the 1960s by the Souvenir Francais; today, the barbed wire, machine gun turrets, bunkers, trenches and tunnel entrances are all preserved by the high altitude environment. Between the front line an
d second line trenches, a German plaque indicates the position of ‘Fort Lingekopf’, surrounded by a wall of concrete and wire. Just a few paces away, slightly below the crest, is the French front-line. No Man’s Land was virtually non-existent here.
Entrance to Le Ligne Museum
Access to the battlefield is only possible via the museum, opened by the Association du Memorial du Linge in 1981. A quadrilateral built on three levels, the museum contains a large collection of battlefield artefacts, weaponary and uniforms relating to combat on Le Ligne. Outside, the tricolour flaps proudly above a plaque dedicated ‘aux 10 000 morts francais du Linge’. A short distance past the museum, the road comes to a T-junction and the Hohrod German Cemetery. In winter, the sight of hundreds of black crosses standing out against the snow-covered hillside makes a vivid impression. A left turn at the junction leads towards Les Trois Epis and a right towards Munster, the main objective of the French assaults on the Lignekopf. If the name has echoes of the Emerald Isle, it comes as no surprise to learn that Munster was founded by Irish monks in the 7th century. The town later became well known for its textiles and particularly its world-famous cheese. To the south lies the rounded summit of the Petit Ballon, a frontline position that offers wonderful views over the Fecht Valley and Alsatian Plain. There are several military cemeteries in the vicinity, including a German Cemetery at Muhlbach and French Cemeteries at Mittlach and Sondernach. 
The Route des Cretes can be re-joined south-west of the Petit Ballon near le Markstein, from where it twists its way uphill towards the highest point in the Vosges range, the Ballon de Guebwiller - better known as the Grand Ballon (the name ‘Ballon’ refers to the rounded summit of the mountain). At an altitude of 1424 metres, the Grand Ballon looms majestically above its neighbours; fortunately, the road runs conveniently near to the summit. There is a car parking area and steepish but not too difficult ascent which takes about half an hour under normal conditions, rather longer when the path is snowbound during the winter months.
Stunning views can be enjoyed from the Grand Ballon
The summit is crowned by the rounded dome of a radar station built in 1997 and the highest monument on the Western Front to the ‘Diable Bleus’, the French Alpine troops who fought in this extraordinary battlezone. The monument was inaugurated in 1927 by Raymond Poincare. Visibility extends to an astonishing 120 kilometres with stunning views across the Southern Vosges and beyond to Germany and Switzerland. To the south-east lies the Vieil Armand (Hartsmanwillerkopf), a precipitous ridge distinguished by its sharply angular crest in contrast to the rounded peaks more typical of the region. This will be the next stop along our journey.
Midway between the Grand Ballon and the Vieil Armand is the Col Amic, where a small memorial stands in memory of Paul Amic, a French officer killed at this spot in 1915. In winter, the road to the Vieil Armand (D431) is closed to vehicles beyond this point and it is a long, though not too difficult, seven kilometre trek to reach the battlefield. Most of the route is enclosed by closely-packed pines and firs, making for an atmospheric and secluded walk along the forest road. Like Le Lignekopf, the Viel Armand was ignored in the early Alsace confrontations and it was not until December 1914 that its huge tactical importance was recognised. Throughout the winter, the summit exchanged hands several times.
From the spring of 1915, fighting became sporadic; yards below the crest, the Germans built an extraordinary network of trenches and fortifications, underground tunnels, cable railway, telephone exchange and power station. Hostilities intensified the following winter and on 21st December, the French attempted another major assault. 25,000 shells pounded the German lines prior to the attack. By 6pm, the French had advanced 300 yards up the eastern face and captured 1,384 prisoners. During the night, German positions were bolstered by troops rushed by train from Mulhouse.
The next morning they launched a massive counter-attack, its ferocity throwing the French backwards. Chaotic fighting ensued amid the snow and ice; attack and counter-attack followed as casualties on both sides continued to mount. Finally, both sides realised the futility of the situation and began a long stand-off. For the rest of the war, the Vieil Armand was relatively peaceful with only the occasional burst of artillery disturbing the unlikely détente. In the last few weeks of the war, American troops took over the French positions and the last casualty on the mountain came on 4th November. The total number of French killed on the Vieil Armand amounted to some 30,000 with German casualties at least as high.
Silberloch Military Cemetery looking towards the Vieil Armand
The impressive Vieil Armand (Hartmannswillerkopf) Memorial and Crypt is dedicated to the fallen of both sides. The site attracts almost 100,000 visitors each year despite being closed during the winter. Inaugurated in 1932, the crypt’s entranceway is fronted by two archangels, created by France’s most celebrated sculptor of the 20th century, Antoine Bourdelle. Inside there are three altars - Catholic, Protestant and Jewish - and a bronze plaque covering the bones of tens of thousands of soldiers found on the battlefield. The walls are covered in memorial plaques dedicated to over a hundred units who served on the Vieil Armand. There is a small museum with displays of photographs and artefacts relating to the battle.
Immediately behind the crypt and museum is the Silberloch Military Cemetery with 1,264 French graves. During the war, this was the site of a first aid post. The cemetery looks directly towards the mountain peak, its pointed, tree-covered slopes crowned by a huge Cross of Remembrance that stands in memory of the 60,000 combatants of both sides killed in the Vosges fighting.
Entrance to the Crypt & Museum
At the foot of the cemetery, a gateway leads to the main battlefield area with several rocky pathways extending through the trees towards the summit. It is not too arduous a climb, only a few hundred yards, but in winter the snow can be several feet deep. Rare species of plants and shrubs cover the summit, along with a mass of willow trees that obscure some of trenches, shell-holes and bomb-craters covering the ridge. One pathway leads to the site of a wonderfully-preserved look out shelter built from wooden logs and corrugated iron.
Beneath the Cross of Remembrance, front-line trenches are situated yards apart. The French lines are shallow, with an iron-plated machine-gun emplacement perhaps the most noticeable feature. By contrast, the German positions comprise a formidable-looking chain of concrete and iron bunkers ringed with twisted wire e
ntanglements; these are more or less intact and give an excellent impression of the fortitude of the German Army who clearly determined to stay here no matter the cost. There are several memorials to French and German Alpine troops, pride of place going to the dramatic 152nd Infantry Regiment monument which overhangs the steep cliff face on the eastern side of the mountain. Depicting three French soldiers in war-like pose, the monument is situated behind the German front-line trenches and represents the furthest point reached in the French attack of 21st December 1915.
Look-out post on the Vieil Armand
From here, the Vieil Armand the Route des Cretes makes its final, plunging descent of the southern foothills of the Vosges towards Cernay. A wonderful, exhilirating adventure can be enjoyed along the Route des Cretes, particularly in winter, but the scenic beauty of the region cannot altogether disguise its violent past.