InMarch1915,aftersuccessiveattackshadfailedtopiercetheGermanlinesinChampagne,FrenchgeneralReveilhacorderdthe21stCompanytotryagain.Butwhenthewhistletoattackwasblown,onlyafewofficerswentoverthetop.
Reveilhacwasfurious,andorderedartillerycommander,ColonelBerube,toopenfireontheFrenchpositions.WhenBeruberefused,Reveilhacorderedthecommandersofthe21stCompanytosendoutintono-man'slandagroupoffourcorporalsandsixteenprivatesoldierstocuttheGermanbarbedwirebyhand.Inbroaddaylightitwasasentenceofdeath.Themenselectedclamberedoutofthetrenches,butwerepinneddownbyheavyfiretillafterdark,whentheyfellback.Reveilhacthenhadthefourcorporalsshot.
一九一五年三月，法國將領雷韋亞克見連番進攻都未能突破德軍在香巴尼的防線，下令第二十一連再攻，但進攻哨子響起之後，走出戰壕的只有幾個軍官。
雷韋亞克非常憤怒，命令砲兵指揮官貝呂貝向法軍陣地開火，遭貝呂貝拒絕，就命令第二十一連指揮官派四個下士率領十六個二等兵，到兩軍對峙之間的無人地帶，負責用手剪斷德軍陣地的帶刺鐵絲。要在白天執行這任務，等於判處死刑。被挑出的二十人一爬出戰壕，即在猛烈槍火之下，無法前進，到天晚才返回戰壕。雷韋亞克把那四個下士槍斃了。