Macon beacon., 1917-07-06
KEY TO FLANDERS
Bapaume Has Been Objective Of
Many Great Campaigns.
lt Was Here That D'Artasnan, Then
Young Officer Of Cadets, Won Last
ing Fame.

Bapaume, which the Germans gave
up after they had Striven TO make
1t an impregnable fortress, has been
the scene of many battles and siegeS.
As the "key to Flanders" it was the
objective of more than a dozen great
campaigns in the last 600 years, a
writer in the Kansas City Times re-
calls.
Strangely, the stubborn trench fight
ing that has been going on before Ba-
paume during the last year is the re-
occurrence of one Of the notable fea-
lures of the Thirty-Years' war, that
long struggle that devastated Europe
In the middle of the seventeenth CEN
tury. The armies of Ferdinand II of
Austria and of Macmillan Of Bavaria
had pushed across Germany and into
France and held Bapaume and the
important territory which lies about 1t.
Marshal de la Meilleraye, with
strong French army, laid siege to the
city. The Austrians and Bavarians
had strongly fortified 1t and had dug
powerful intrenchments around it on
three sides. French attacks were
beaten back and finally the besiegers
settled down to wearing, waiting
struggle. Then, as in 1915, the besieg-
ing soldiers chafed under the monot-
Onous strain Of trench warfare. De
la Meilleraye, though regarded as one
Of the most brilliant commanders Of
his day, was freely criticized and the
imperious and impatient Richelleu sent
word finally in 1871 that Bapaume
must be taken.
De la Meilleraye preferred to with
hold his attack longer but feared to
do so. He assembled his subordinate
generals for conference as to the
method Of attack. One of them said
that young officer of cadets named
DArtagnan had observed a point of
weakness in the city's walls. D'Arta-
gnan was called in and stated that at
the point which attracted his atten-
tion there seemed to be weaker de-
fense than elsewhere. Stimulate an
attack on another part Of the city and
give me company of my comrades
from Gascogne, I promise you I'll get
into the place." he said.
"Well, sir" the marshal replied, "I'll
give you what you ask, but you will
answer with your head for the sue
cess Of this audacious adventure"
The following day Bapaume was TAX
en- by assault, after D'Artagnan's men
had pierced the defenses at the point
he had promised. The same D'Arta-
gnan later became marshal of France.
Bapaume is position of vital i'm
portance; 1t marks the last limit of
the last ridge, of the Artois hills to
which an array pressed from south and
west can cling. After Bapaume come
the plains Of Flanders, with Cambrai
Valenciennes and Douai in plain sight.
Louis XI Is the first commander his
tory records as a besieger of Bapaume.
He destroyed the city. Francois l be-
sieged and took 1t. Later it fell into
the hands Of the Spaniards, and after
that the Austrians held 1t for awhile.
1t has been French since its capture
in 1641 by De Ia Meilleraye. In the
Franco-Prussian war the French won
one of their few victories Mt Bapaume,
General Faidherbe checking the Ger
man advance at that point.
Though Bapaume in time of peace
had only 1000 inhabitants, 1t was an
important manufacturing center with
extensive cambric, calico, thread and
sugar industries.