Battle of Saint-Mihiel

Battle of Saint-Mihiel
Part of the Western Front of World War I

A Renault FT tank ploughing its way through a trench and starting toward the German line near Saint Michel, France.
Date12–15 September 1918
Location48°53′21″N 05°32′37″E / 48.88917°N 5.54361°E / 48.88917; 5.54361
Result Allied victory
Belligerents
 United States
 France
 German Empire
 Austria-Hungary
Commanders and leaders
United States John J. Pershing
United States Hunter Liggett
United States Joseph T. Dickman
United States George H. Cameron
French Third Republic Ernest Joseph Blondlat
German Empire Max von Gallwitz
German Empire Georg Fuchs
German Empire Eduard von Below
Austria-Hungary Ludwig Goiginger[1]
Units involved

United States First Army

French Third Republic II Colonial Corps
French Third Republic Division Aérienne
German Empire 5th Army
Strength
United States: 216,000 men, 144 tanks
French Third Republic: 48,000 men, 275 tanks
1,481 aircraft
2,900 artillery pieces
German Empire: 75,000 men, 213 aircraft[2]
Casualties and losses
7,000[3] 22,500 (2,000 KIA, 5,500 WIA, 15,000 POW)
450 guns captured[4]

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 German positions. The U.S. Army Air Service played a significant role in this action.[5][6]

This battle marked the first use of the terms "D-Day" and "H-Hour" by the Americans. [citation needed]

The attack at the Saint-Mihiel salient was part of a plan by Pershing in which he hoped that the Americans would break through the German lines and capture the fortified city of Metz. It was the first large offensive launched mainly by the United States Army in World War I, and the attack caught the Germans in the process of retreating.[6] This meant that their artillery was out of place and the American attack, coming up against disorganized German forces, proved more successful than expected. The Saint-Mihiel attack established the stature of the U.S. Army in the eyes of the French and British forces, and again demonstrated the critical role of artillery during World War I and the difficulty of supplying such massive armies while they were on the move. The U.S. attack faltered as artillery and food supplies were left behind on the muddy roads.[7] The attack on Metz was not realized, as the Supreme Allied Commander Ferdinand Foch ordered the American troops to march towards Sedan and Mézières, which would lead to the Meuse–Argonne offensive.[8]

  1. ^ "Austro-Hungarian Army: Ludwig Goiginger - Austro-Hungarian Divisional and Corps Commander".
  2. ^ Osprey, St. Mihiel 1918
  3. ^ Clodfelter 2017, p. 408.
  4. ^ ref: William R. Griffiths: The Great War: Strategies & Tactics of the First World War. Square One Publishers, 2003. S. 161
  5. ^ Hanlon (1998)
  6. ^ a b History of War (2007)
  7. ^ Giese (2004)
  8. ^ Weigley, R.F., 1977. The American way of war : a history of United States military strategy and policy Indiana University Press paperback., Bloomington: Indiana University Press, p. 203.

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