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Origin and history

Hill 108 is a hill located in Berry-au-Bac, in the department of Aisne, in the Hauts-de-France region. This strategic site dominates the Aisne and Loivre valleys, as well as two navigable canals, making it a crucial military checkpoint during the First World War. It marks the eastern end of the Chemin des Dames and was, as early as September 1914, a front line between the French and German armies.

Starting in November 1914, the French began digging galleries under the German trenches to listen to enemy movements and then to place explosives there. From June 1915 to February 1916, more than 25 funnels were created by explosions, using 200 tons of explosives and 8 km of galleries, dug in particular by miners from the Nord and Pas-de-Calais. The Germans responded by similar techniques, intensifying the war of saps.

Hill 108 was the scene of violent fighting, particularly during the Battle of the Way of the Lady. Four mine funnels, remains of this underground war, still remain today, as well as traces of trenches. The site, classified as a historic monument in 1937, was long closed to the public due to its private property. Since 2014, guided tours have been organized, in partnership with the Dragon Cavern, a museum dedicated to the Chemin des Dames.

A Franco-German project, launched during the centenary of the First World War, aims to enhance this historic site. A local association, Correspondance Rating 108, established in 2013, coordinates archival research conducted by young university researchers. Two memorials recall the fighting: one in the meander of the Loivre, listed 108, and the other in the national necropolis of Berry-au-Bac, dedicated to the sappers of the 2nd regiment of genius who died between 1916 and 1917.

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