The Meuse–Argonne offensive (also known as the Meuse River–Argonne Forest offensive, the Battles of the Meuse–Argonne, and the Meuse–Argonne campaign) was a major part of the final
Allied
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
offensive of
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
that stretched along the entire
Western Front. It was fought from September 26, 1918, until the
Armistice of November 11, 1918
The Armistice of 11 November 1918 was the armistice signed at Le Francport near Compiègne that ended fighting on land, sea, and air in World War I between the Entente and their last remaining opponent, Germany. Previous armistices ...
, a total of 47 days. The Meuse–Argonne offensive was the largest in
United States military history, involving 1.2 million
American soldiers
''American Soldiers'' is a 2005 war film
War film is a film genre concerned with warfare, typically about navy, naval, air force, air, or army, land battles, with combat scenes central to the drama. It has been strongly associated with the 20 ...
. It is also the deadliest battle in the
history of the United States Army
The history of the United States Army began in 1775. From its formation, the United States Army has been the primary land based part of the United States Armed Forces. The Army's main responsibility has been in fighting land battles and military ...
, resulting in over 350,000 casualties, including 28,000 German lives, 26,277 American lives and an unknown number of French lives. American losses were worsened by the inexperience of many of the troops, the tactics used during the early phases of the operation and the widespread onset of the global influenza outbreak called the "
Spanish flu
The 1918–1920 influenza pandemic, commonly known by the misnomer Spanish flu or as the Great Influenza epidemic, was an exceptionally deadly global influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 influenza A virus. The earliest documented case was ...
".
The offensive was the principal engagement of the
American Expeditionary Forces
The American Expeditionary Forces (A. E. F.) was a formation of the United States Army on the Western Front of World War I. The A. E. F. was established on July 5, 1917, in France under the command of General John J. Pershing. It fought along ...
(AEF) in World War I. It was one of a series of Allied attacks, known as the
Hundred Days Offensive, which brought the war to an end.
It was the largest and bloodiest operation of World War I for the AEF even if, given the scale of other battles on the Western Front, its size was limited and the operation itself secondary, being far from the main offensive axis.
Overview
The logistical prelude to the
Meuse
The Meuse ( , , , ; wa, Moûze ) or Maas ( , ; li, Maos or ) is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a t ...
attack was planned by American then-Colonel
George Marshall
George Catlett Marshall Jr. (December 31, 1880 – October 16, 1959) was an American army officer and statesman. He rose through the United States Army to become Chief of Staff of the US Army under Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry ...
who managed to move American units to the front after the
Battle of Saint-Mihiel
The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a major World War I battle fought from 12–15 September 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) and 110,000 French troops under the command of General John J. Pershing of the United States against ...
(
Saint-Mihiel
Saint-Mihiel () is a commune in the Meuse department in Grand Est in north-eastern France.
Geography
Saint-Mihiel lies on the banks of the river Meuse.
History
A Benedictine abbey was established here in 708 or 709 by Count Wulfoalde and his wif ...
is a town on the river
Meuse
The Meuse ( , , , ; wa, Moûze ) or Maas ( , ; li, Maos or ) is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a t ...
, the most important water obstacle on the Western Front). The Allied breakthroughs (north, center, and east) across the length of the front line in September and October 1918 – including the Battle of the
Argonne Forest – are now lumped together as part of what is generally remembered as the Grand Offensive (also known as the
Hundred Days Offensive) by the Allies on the Western Front. The Meuse–Argonne offensive also involved troops from France, while the rest of the Allies, including France, Britain and its dominion and imperial armies (mainly Canada, Australia, and New Zealand), and Belgium contributed to major battles in more northwestern sectors of the Western Front, including the Hindenburg line.
![Bundesarchiv Bild 104-0153, Argonnen, Soldaten beim Wasserholen](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/Bundesarchiv_Bild_104-0153%2C_Argonnen%2C_Soldaten_beim_Wasserholen.jpg)
After
Operation Michael
Operation Michael was a major German military offensive during the First World War that began the German Spring Offensive on 21 March 1918. It was launched from the Hindenburg Line, in the vicinity of Saint-Quentin, France. Its goal was t ...
, the 1918 German offensive, began well but ended with the disaster of Reims in front of the French and at Amiens to British forces, The French and British armies systematically pushed back a German army whose efficiency was decreasing rapidly. British, French, and Belgian advances in the northwestern sectors of the front, along with the French–American advances around the Argonne Forest, are credited for leading directly to the Armistice of November 11, 1918. On September 26, the Americans began their strike north toward
Sedan. The next day, British and Belgian divisions drove toward
Ghent
Ghent ( nl, Gent ; french: Gand ; traditional English: Gaunt) is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province, and the third largest in the country, exceeded i ...
, Belgium. British and French armies attacked across northern France on September 28. The scale of the overall offensive, bolstered by the fresh and eager but largely untried and inexperienced U.S. troops, signaled renewed vigor among the Allies and sharply dimmed German hopes for victory.
The battle was the largest frontline commitment of troops by the U.S. Army in World War I, and also its deadliest. Command was coordinated, with some U.S. troops (e.g. the
Buffalo Soldiers
Buffalo Soldiers originally were members of the 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army, formed on September 21, 1866, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. This nickname was given to the Black Cavalry by Native American tribes who fought in t ...
of the
92nd Division and the
93rd Division) attached and serving under French command (e.g. XVII Corps during the second phase).
Prelude
Opposing forces
The American forces initially consisted of 15 divisions of the
U.S. First Army
First Army is the oldest and longest-established field army of the United States Army. It served as a theater army, having seen service in both World War I and World War II, and supplied the US army with soldiers and equipment during the Kore ...
commanded by General
John J. Pershing until October 16 and then by Lieutenant General
Hunter Liggett
Lieutenant General Hunter Liggett (March 21, 1857 − December 30, 1935) was a senior United States Army officer. His 42 years of military service spanned the period from the Indian campaigns to the trench warfare of World War I. Additionally, h ...
. The logistics were planned and directed by then Colonel George C. Marshall. The French forces next to them consisted of 31 divisions, including the
Fourth Army (under
Henri Gouraud) and the
Fifth Army (under
Henri Mathias Berthelot
Henri Mathias Berthelot (7 December 1861 – 29 January 1931) was a French general during World War I. He held an important staff position under Joseph Joffre, the French commander-in-chief, at the First Battle of the Marne, before later commandi ...
).
The U.S. divisions of the AEF were oversized (12
battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...
s per division versus the French-British-German nine battalions per division), being up to twice the size of other Allies' battle-depleted divisions upon arrival, but the French and other Allied divisions had been partly replenished prior to the Grand Offensive, so both the U.S. and French contributions in troops were considerable. All of the heavy equipment (tanks, artillery, and aircraft) was provided by the Allies (mainly by the French Army). For the Meuse–Argonne front alone, this represented 2,780 artillery pieces, 380 tanks, and 840 planes.
Concerning armored support, the 35th Division was completed by the 1st Tank Brigade (under
George S. Patton
George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh United States Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, and the Third United States Army in France ...
) with 127 American-crewed Renault FT light
tank
A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engi ...
and 28 French-crewed Schneider medium tanks. The 3d US Tank brigade with 250 French-crewed tank was also involved supporting the V Corps. The 37th and 79th Division were augmented with a French tank regiment (Renault FT light tank) and 2 groups of medium tank (St-Chamond). The 91st Division was augmented with an equivalent force (1 light tank regiment and 2 groups medium tank).
![Hunter Liggett](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/Hunter_Liggett.jpg)
As the battle progressed, both the Americans and the French brought in reinforcements. Eventually, 22 American divisions participated in the battle at one time or another, representing two full field armies.
[ ] Other French forces involved included the
2nd Colonial Corps, under
Henri Claudel
Henri Edouard Claudel (13 January 1871 – 20 February 1956) was a French general.
Early career and First World War
Claudel became a lieutenant-colonel on 24 September 1911, before being assigned to the 3rd Senegalese Tirailleurs regiment on 2 ...
, which had also fought alongside the AEF at the
Battle of Saint-Mihiel
The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a major World War I battle fought from 12–15 September 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) and 110,000 French troops under the command of General John J. Pershing of the United States against ...
earlier in September 1918.
![Robert L Bullard](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Robert_L_Bullard.gif)
The opposing forces were wholly German. During this period of the war, German divisions procured only 50 percent or less of their initial strength. The 117th Division, which opposed the U.S. 79th Division during the offensive's first phase, had only 3,300 men in its ranks. Morale varied among German units. For example, divisions that served on the Eastern front had high morale, while conversely divisions that had been on the Western front had poor morale. Resistance grew to approximately 200,000–450,000 German troops from the
Fifth Army of
Group Gallwitz commanded by General
Georg von der Marwitz
Georg Cornelius Adalbert von der Marwitz (7 July 1856 – 27 October 1929) was a Prussian cavalry general, who commanded several German armies during the First World War on both the Eastern and Western fronts.
Early military career
Marwitz was ...
. The Americans estimated that they opposed parts of 44 German divisions overall, though many fewer at any one time.
Objective
The Allied objective was the capture of the
railway
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
hub at
Sedan that would break the railway network supporting the German Army in France and
Flanders
Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, ...
.
Battle
First phase (September 26 – October 4, 1918)
"During the three hours preceding H hour, the
Allies
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
expended more ammunition than both sides managed to fire throughout the four years of the
Civil War">mericanCivil War. The cost was later calculated to have been $180 million, or $1 million per minute (about $3.5 billion in 2022 dollars)." The American attack began at 05:30 on September 26 with mixed results. The V and III Corps met most of their objectives, but the
79th Division failed to capture
Montfaucon, the
28th "Keystone" Division's attack virtually ground to a halt due to formidable German resistance, and the
91st "Wild West" Division was compelled to evacuate the village of
Épinonville though it advanced . The inexperienced
37th "Buckeye" Division failed to capture
Montfaucon d'Argonne
Montfaucon-d'Argonne (, literally ''Montfaucon of Argonne'') is a commune in the Meuse department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. It is home to the Meuse-Argonne American Memorial.
See also
* Communes of the Meuse department
The foll ...
.
The subsequent day, September 27 most of the 1st Army failed to make any gains. The 79th Division finally captured Montfaucon and the
35th "Santa Fe" Division captured the village of Baulny, Hill 218, and Charpentry, placing the division forward of adjacent units. On September 29, six extra German divisions were deployed to oppose the American attack, with the
5th Guards and
52nd Division counterattacking the 35th Division, which had run out of food and ammunition during the attack. The Germans initially made significant gains, but were barely repulsed by the 35th Division's 110th Engineers, 128th Machine Gun Battalion, and
Harry Truman
Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...
's Battery D, 129th Field Artillery. In the words of Pershing, "We were no longer engaged in a maneuver for the pinching out of a salient, but were necessarily committed, generally speaking, to a direct frontal attack against strong, hostile positions fully manned by a determined enemy."
The German counterattack had shattered so much of the
35th Division—a poorly led division, most of whose key leaders had been replaced shortly before the attack, made up of National Guard units from Missouri and Kansas—that it had to be relieved early, though remnants of the division subsequently reentered the battle. Part of the adjacent French attack met temporary confusion when one of its generals died. Nevertheless, it was able to advance , penetrating deeply into the German lines, especially around
Somme-Py (the Battle of Somme-Py (french: Bataille de Somme-Py)) and northwest of
Reims (the Battle of Saint-Thierry (french: Bataille de Saint-Thierry)).
The initial progress of the French forces was thus faster than the gained by the adjacent American units, though the French units were fighting in a more open terrain, which is an easier terrain from which to attack.
Second phase (October 4–28, 1918)
The second phase began on October 4, when the first assault divisions (the 91st, 79th, 37th and 35th) were replaced by the 32nd, 3rd and 1st Divisions. The 1st Division created a gap in the lines when it advanced against the 37th, 52nd, and 5th Guards Divisions. It was during this phase that the
Lost Battalion affair occurred. The battalion was rescued by an attack by the 28th and 82nd Divisions (the 82nd attacking soon after taking up its positions in the gap between the 28th and 1st Divisions) on October 7. The Americans launched a series of costly frontal assaults that finally broke through the main German defenses (the Krimhilde Stellung of the
Hindenburg Line
The Hindenburg Line (German: , Siegfried Position) was a German defensive position built during the winter of 1916–1917 on the Western Front during the First World War. The line ran from Arras to Laffaux, near Soissons on the Aisne. In 1916 ...
) between October 14–17 (the Battle of Montfaucon (french: Bataille de Montfaucon)). During the Battle of Montfaucon Missouri and Kansas National Guard soldiers were the first U.S. troops who tried to break through the stronghold of the Hindenburg Line at Côte de Châtillon but they were repulsed due to poor leadership. Next, the elite
U.S. 1st Infantry Division tried and failed after suffering catastrophic casualties. The
Rainbow Division (42nd Division) under Brigadier General
Douglas MacArthur was finally able to take Côte de Châtillon after exposing a gap in the German defenses that was discovered by MacArthur's soldiers. This victory at Côte de Châtillon was considered the decisive turning point of the whole Meuse–Argonne offensive. By the end of October, U.S. troops had advanced ten miles and cleared the Argonne Forest. On their left the French had advanced twenty miles, reaching the Aisne River.
It was during the opening of this operation, on October 8, that Corporal (later Sergeant)
Alvin York
Alvin Cullum York (December 13, 1887 – September 2, 1964), also known as Sergeant York, was one of the most decorated United States Army soldiers of World War I. He received the Medal of Honor for leading an attack on a German machine ...
made his famous capture of 132 German prisoners near
Cornay.
On October 23, notable injuries were sustained to Major
Frank Cavanaugh as a result of enemy shellfire.
Third phase (October 28 – November 11, 1918)
By October 31, the Americans had advanced and had cleared the Argonne Forest. On their left the French had advanced , reaching the
River Aisne
The Aisne ( , , ) is a river in northeastern France. It is a left tributary of the Oise. It gave its name to the French department of Aisne. It was known in the Roman period as Axona.
The river rises in the forest of Argonne, at Remberco ...
. The American forces reorganized into two armies. The First, led by General Liggett, moved to the Carignan-Sedan-Mezieres Railroad. The Second Army, led by Lieutenant General
Robert L. Bullard, was directed to move eastward toward
Metz
Metz ( , , lat, Divodurum Mediomatricorum, then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Metz is the prefecture of the Moselle department and the seat of the parliament of the Grand ...
. The two U.S. armies faced portions of 31 German divisions during this phase. The American troops captured German defenses at
Buzancy, allowing French troops to cross the
River Aisne
The Aisne ( , , ) is a river in northeastern France. It is a left tributary of the Oise. It gave its name to the French department of Aisne. It was known in the Roman period as Axona.
The river rises in the forest of Argonne, at Remberco ...
, whence they rushed forward, capturing
Le Chesne (the Battle of Chesne (french: Bataille du Chesne)).
In the final days, the French forces conquered the immediate objective, Sedan and its critical railroad hub (the Advance to the Meuse (french: Poussée vers la Meuse)), on November 6 and American forces captured surrounding hills. On November 11, news of the German armistice put a sudden end to the fighting.
Image gallery
File:U.S. Marines during the Meuse-Argonne Campaign.jpg, U.S. Marines
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
during the offensive
File:In the Argonnes. Dugouts - NARA 17391858.jpg, German dugouts in the Argonnes
File:Hannover CL IIIa Argonnen 1918.JPEG, Two-seat German Hannover
Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...
biplane forced down near Cierges
Cierges () is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
Population
See also
* Communes of the Aisne department
The following is a list of the 799 communes in the French department of Aisne.
The comm ...
See also
*
List of military engagements of World War I
*
Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery
*
Meuse-Argonne American Memorial
References
Further reading
*
*
*
*
*
*
* Lengel, Edward G., ed. ''A Companion to the Meuse-Argonne Campaign'' (Wiley-Blackwell, 2014). xii, 537 pp.
*
*
*
*
*
* Yockelson, Mitchell. Forty-Seven Days: How Pershing's Warriors Came of Age to Defeat at the German Army in World War I (New York: NAL, Caliber, 2016)
External links
;Government
Battlefield Experience: The Meuse–Argonne Offensiveat
American Battle Monuments Commission
The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) is an independent agency of the United States government that administers, operates, and maintains permanent U.S. military cemeteries, memorials and monuments primarily outside the United States.
...
The Meuse–Argonne Offensiveat
U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
The Meuse–Argonne Offensive Interactiveat
American Battle Monuments Commission
The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) is an independent agency of the United States government that administers, operates, and maintains permanent U.S. military cemeteries, memorials and monuments primarily outside the United States.
...
This Day in History, September 26, 1918: The Meuse-Argonne Campaign Beginsat
American Battle Monuments Commission
The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) is an independent agency of the United States government that administers, operates, and maintains permanent U.S. military cemeteries, memorials and monuments primarily outside the United States.
...
;General information
Battles of the Meuse–Argonneat
''Encyclopædia Britannica'' Online
*
Meuse–Argonne offensiveat meuse-argonne.com
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Meuse-Argonne Offensive
1918 in France
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Hundred Days Offensive
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