Lonesome Memorial #20 The 170th and 174th French Infantry Regiments at Sommepy-Tahure

Located in the Champagne between two battlefields where American forces would become engaged in the fall of 1918, this monument was erected in memory of the soldiers of the 170th and 174th Infantry Regiments of Epinal (Vosges) who fell during that period of brutal fighting. At the base of the memorial is inscribed: 

In these places

under the fire of /enemy machine guns

the 170th and 174th Infantry Regiments from Epinal (Vosges)

captured

extremely fortified positions

and continued the fight

as far as Vouziers

Another  inscription on the monument states "200 meters north of this monument, at the head of his regiment, the 170th Infantry Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Charlet fell gloriously on September 28, 1918." 

The monument was designed by the architect Henri Chailleux, a soldier in the 170th Infantry Regiment,  

Just behind the war memorial are the ruins of a German bunker, covered by vegetation. Near it is a sign that reads, "This German bunker halted the advance of the 170th and 174th Infantry Regiments for many hours, causing them heavy losses." 

The 170th RI saw notable service throughout the war starting in 1914 at the Battle of Mulhouse and ending with Allied victory campaign honored here. The regiment suffered 2,890 officers and enlisted men killed in the war, while earning the nickname "Swallows of Death" from their opponents. This is believed to be the inspiration for the nickname "Black Swallow of Death" of noted aviator Eugene Ballard, who served with the regiment before joining the air service. 

The 174th IR was a newer formation than the 170th, seeing its first action at Notre Dame de Lorette in 1915. It was very active during the 1918 fighting, credited with capturing the nearby Butte de Souain and village of Somme-Py. Both regiments very flanked by American forces during the late-war fighting—the 2nd and 36th Divisions at Blanc Mont to the the west and three regiments (369th, 371st, and 372nd) of the 92nd Division serving under French command of the French Fourth Army to the east.

Just west of the main monument is the grave and marker for a member of the French tank brigade, Georges Emile Estival, who died in combat on 28 September 1918. 

Directions: The monument is about 50km east of Rheims. From that departure point:

1.  Take the D931 (Marked as the  Voie de la Liberté) to Rue de Souain/D19 in Saint-Hilaire-le-Grand

2.  Follow D19 east to Souain-Perthes-les-Hurlus

3.  Turn north on D977 past Navarin Farm on left (worth a stop) to D977/D20 crossroads

4.  Turn right on D20

5.  The memorial will be on your right after 2km

Note:  This route will bring you past many important WWI sites. I recommend you include a visit to the 170/174th  regiment's memorial in a full day of exploring the battlefields of the Champagne.

Sources: Guerre1914-1918.FR; American Armies and Battlefields in Europe