Monument of
the rap
On August 25, 1914, several companies of the 38th Infantry Regiment of Saint-Etienne took up positions on the edge of the Bois de la Rappe to avoid any German threat on the left flank of the French attack on the town of Baccarat. As soon as the first shots rang out from the Baccarat bridge, the Bavarian troops were put on alert. The German columns fired on the French soldiers who took refuge in the Bois de la Rappe. For many hours, a violent fight ensued, often hand-to-hand. After the battle, nearly 400 dead from both sides and as many wounded were counted. Several cemeteries and mass graves were established. On the site of the largest cemetery, to commemorate the soldiers killed, this monument featuring a large white cross was erected in 2. The remains of the soldiers were transferred around 1927 to the National Necropolis of Badonviller.
