Translations:CP 02906/20/en
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- ↑ Here, Proust seems to allude to an article which appeared in Le Figaro on 31 January, 1915, p.3, under the title of “The Affair of Hartmannswillerkopf”. It reads: “This is nothing but an episode of war; but it is a magnificent episode. At the summit of Hartmannswillerkopf, we had a large reconnaissance team which was violently attacked by heavy forces on 19 January. We had wanted to disengage. It was a difficult situation. The slopes in this part of the Vosges are a mess of rocks. [...] It was snowing. You could not see further than 10 metres because of the mist. Because the objective was to save our comrades, our officers and our troops did not hesitate [...]” Following this report of their gruelling ascent, hope of saving their comrades dwindled but their ambition to reclaim the summit remained intact. — The battles to reclaim the summit of Hartmannswillerkopf lasted from January to June 1915, and the fighting over positions that resulted from it (each army occupying one part of the heights) continued until 1918. [PK]