Echoes of Argonne

🌍 A Defining Engagement

The Meuse-Argonne Offensive, also known by several other names including the Meuse River–Argonne Forest offensive, represented a critical segment of the final Allied push along the entire Western Front during World War I. This extensive military campaign spanned 47 days, from September 26, 1918, until the Armistice of November 11, 1918, marking the end of the Great War.

🇺🇸 America's Largest and Deadliest

Historically, the Meuse-Argonne Offensive stands as the largest operation in United States military history, involving an immense force of 1.2 million American soldiers, sailors, and marines. Alongside them fought 800,000 French and 850 Siamese personnel. Tragically, it also remains the deadliest campaign in the history of the United States Army, incurring over 350,000 total casualties. This included approximately 28,000 German lives, 26,277 American lives, and a significant, though unspecified, number of French lives. The high American losses were exacerbated by the relative inexperience of many troops, the tactical approaches employed in the initial stages, and the widespread impact of the global influenza pandemic, commonly referred to as the "Spanish flu."

🏁 Part of the Grand Offensive

This offensive was the primary engagement for the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) in World War I, forming one of a series of coordinated Allied attacks collectively known as the Hundred Days Offensive, which ultimately brought the conflict to a close. While its scale was considerable, it was considered secondary in the broader context of the Western Front, situated away from the main Allied offensive axis. Nevertheless, the combined advances by British, French, and Belgian forces in the northwestern sectors, coupled with the Franco-American thrust around the Argonne Forest, are widely credited with directly precipitating the Armistice.

🇺🇸🇫🇷🇹🇭 Allied Strength

The Allied forces comprised a formidable coalition. Initially, the American contingent consisted of 15 divisions from the U.S. First Army, commanded by General John J. Pershing, who was later succeeded by Lieutenant General Hunter Liggett on October 16. Colonel George C. Marshall was instrumental in directing the logistics for these forces. Adjacent to the Americans, French forces contributed 31 divisions, including the Fourth Army under Henri Gouraud and the Fifth Army under Henri Mathias Berthelot. The 2nd Colonial Corps, led by Henri Claudel, also fought alongside the AEF. Notably, 850 Siamese personnel also participated. The American divisions of the AEF were considerably larger than their Allied counterparts, often twice the size of battle-depleted French-British-German divisions, though French and other Allied divisions had been replenished before the Grand Offensive. All heavy equipment, including 2,780 artillery pieces, 380 tanks, and 840 planes, was supplied by the Allies, predominantly by the French Army.

🇩🇪 German Defenses

The opposing forces were exclusively German. At this late stage of the war, German divisions were significantly understrength, often operating at 50 percent or less of their original complement. For instance, the 117th Division, which faced the U.S. 79th Division during the initial phase of the offensive, had only 3,300 men. German troop morale varied considerably; divisions that had served on the Eastern Front generally maintained higher morale, while those long entrenched on the Western Front often exhibited lower spirits. The German resistance eventually grew to an estimated 200,000 to 450,000 troops from the Fifth Army of Group Gallwitz, commanded by General Georg von der Marwitz. American estimates suggested they faced elements of 44 German divisions throughout the campaign, though not all simultaneously.

🗓️ First Phase: Initial Assault (Sept 26 – Oct 4, 1918)

The offensive commenced on September 26 at 02:30 with one of the most intense and costly artillery barrages in military history. Utilizing 2,711 artillery guns, this barrage aimed to neutralize German defenses, particularly barbed wire obstacles, to facilitate the Allied advance. Captain Harry S. Truman, a future U.S. president, led one of these artillery groups. The Allies expended more ammunition in the three hours preceding "H-hour" than both sides combined fired during the entire four years of the American Civil War, an estimated cost of $180 million (approximately $3.5 billion in 2022 dollars).

The American ground assault began at 05:30 with mixed results. While the V and III Corps largely achieved their initial objectives, the 79th Division failed to capture Montfaucon, and the 28th "Keystone" Division's advance was severely hampered by formidable German resistance. The 91st "Wild West" Division, despite advancing 8 kilometers, was forced to evacuate the village of Épinonville. The inexperienced 37th "Buckeye" Division also failed to secure Montfaucon d'Argonne.

🔄 Second Phase: Breakthrough Attempts (Oct 4 – 28, 1918)

The second phase commenced on October 4, with the initial assault divisions replaced by fresh units, including the 32nd, 3rd, and 1st Divisions. The 1st Division achieved a significant breakthrough, advancing 2.5 kilometers against the German 37th, 52nd, and 5th Guards Divisions. This phase was notably marked by the "Lost Battalion" incident, where a U.S. battalion became isolated. It was eventually rescued by an attack from the 28th and 82nd Divisions on October 7.

🏁 Third Phase: Final Push (Oct 28 – Nov 11, 1918)

By October 31, American forces had advanced 15 kilometers and successfully cleared the Argonne Forest. On their left, the French had pushed forward 30 kilometers, reaching the Aisne River. The American forces were further reorganized into two armies: the First Army, under General Liggett, advanced towards the crucial Carignan-Sedan-Mezieres Railroad, while the Second Army, led by Lieutenant General Robert L. Bullard, was directed eastward toward Metz. During this final phase, the two U.S. armies confronted elements of 31 German divisions.

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