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1 Chapter 1 : st. mihiel salient DALE STREET BOOKS birth of an american army Allied counteroffensives in mid- eliminated most of the German salients on the Western Front. But the St. Mihiel salient. Edit Saint-Mihiel is a town in the Meuse department in north-eastern France. Since the end of the Franco-Prussian War the town was no longer considered important strategically and military installations were not developed. This changed early in World War I with the town inside the battlefront. In the German command wished to take the Verdun fortifications which formed a strong point in the French lines. A first attempt, at Bois-le-Pretre Priesterwald in German, failed despite violent fighting. During two more attempts Battle of Flirey German troops took Saint-Mihiel and the fort at Camp des Romains, but they were ultimately stopped at the Fort de Troyon to the south of Verdun. During the course of the war the battlefront did not change much in this area. Saint-Mihiel formed a salient inside the French lines, blocking communications between Nancy and Verdun. The area near St. Mihiel would know much fighting: Mihiel, Metz, and Verdun would have a significant effect on the German army. After these goals were accomplished, the Americans could launch offensives into Germany proper. Heavy driving wind and rain during parts of day and night. In some parts of the road, the men were almost knee-deep in mud and water. After five days of rain, the ground was nearly impassible to both the American tanks and infantry. Some of the infantrymen developed early stages of trench foot, even before the trenches were dug. Vigneulles, Thiaucourt, and Hannonville-sous-les-Cotes. Their capture would accelerate the envelopment of the German divisions near St. One Swiss newspaper had published the date, time, and duration of the preparatory barrage. However, the German Army stationed in the area of St. Mihiel lacked sufficient manpower, firepower and effective leadership to launch a counter-attack of its own against the Allies. Mihiel Salient and consolidate their forces near the Hindenburg Line. The Allied forces discovered the information on a written order to the German Group Armies von Gallwitz. As a result, by September, Colonel George S. Mihiel offensive began on 12 September with a threefold assault on the salient. The main attack was made against the south face by two American corps. A secondary thrust was carried out against the west face along the heights of the Meuse, from Mouilly north to Haudimont, by the V Corps from right to left the 26th Division, the French 15th Colonial Division, and the 8th Brigade, 4th Division in line with the rest of the 4th in reserve. In First Army reserve were the American 35th, 80th, and 91st Divisions. The Allies also mobilized 1, aircraft to provide air superiority and close air support over the front. Defending the salient was German " Army Detachment C ", consisting of eight divisions and a brigade in the line and about two divisions in reserve. The Germans, now desperately short of manpower, had begun a step-by-step withdrawal from the salient only the day before the offensive began. The attack went so well on 12 September that Pershing ordered a speedup in the offensive. By the morning of 13 September the 1st Division, advancing from the east, joined hands with the 26th Division, moving in from the west, and before evening all objectives in the salient had been captured. At this point Pershing halted further advances so that American units could be withdrawn for the coming offensive in the Meuse-Argonne sector. Order of Battle, First Army, 12 September Page 1

2 Chapter 2 : Battle of Saint-Mihiel Summary racedaydvl.com The St. Mihiel salient, which had been formed in the fall of, seriously hampered French rail communications between Paris and the eastern segements of the front. Pershing's First Army headquarters opened in the St. Mihiel area on 13 August. See Article History This contribution has not yet been formally edited by Britannica. Articles such as this one were acquired and published with the primary aim of expanding the information on Britannica. Although these articles may currently differ in style from others on the site, they allow us to provide wider coverage of topics sought by our readers, through a diverse range of trusted voices. These articles have not yet undergone the rigorous in-house editing or fact-checking and styling process to which most Britannica articles are customarily subjected. Interested in participating in the Publishing Partner Program? The Allied attack against the Saint-Mihiel salient provided the Americans with an opportunity to use their forces on the Western Front en masse. Although lacking some of the tactical skills of the French and British, the U. First Army carried the day through sheer determination and its multifaceted plan of attack. The battle was also noteworthy as the first major use in the war of the U. Army Air Service precursor to the U. Air Force led by William "Billy" Mitchell and the aggressive tank assaults by George Patton, who boldly led his charges from the front lines and not from the rear as many other officers did during the war. The American commander-in-chief in France, General John Pershing, had, in the main, fought off attempts to use his divisions piecemeal in support of French and British operations, preferring to hold them back to form a separate U. The attack on the Saint-Mihiel salient on 12 September gave him the opportunity to use the U. First Army in combat for the first time. The American part of the assault was to be conducted by two "super" corps, each with three divisions in attack and one in reserve. Two smaller French corps would provide support on the western part of the salient. As the Germans were withdrawing, the Allies attacked. With much of their artillery not in place, the Germans were poorly prepared to maintain the front line, an advantage that the attacking Americans were quick to exploit. The relative ease of the initial American attack came as a surprise to Pershing, and he sent orders to his commanders to speed up their advance. By 13 September lead units of the U. First Army had met up with Allied troops advancing from the west. Three days later, the offensive was halted, with the salient in Allied hands. Pershing now dispatched his forces westward to take part in the forthcoming Meuse-Argonne offensive. Page 2

3 Chapter 3 : Saint-Mihiel History, Geography, & Points of Interest racedaydvl.com THE U.S. ARMY CAMPAIGNS OF WORLD WAR I St. Mihiel, September well as the birth of new nation-states and the rise of totalitarian. After the end of the â 71 Franco-Prussian War, the town was no longer considered important strategically, and military installations were not developed. This changed early in World War I, with the town inside the battlefront. In, the German command wished to take the Verdun fortifications, which formed a strong point in the French lines. A first attempt, at Bois-le-Pretre Priesterwald in German, failed, despite violent fighting. During the course of the war the front did not change much in this area. Saint-Mihiel formed a salient inside the French lines, blocking communications between Nancy and Verdun. The area near St. Mihiel would know much fighting: Mihiel, Metz, and Verdun would have a significant effect on the German army. For this, he placed his confidence in a young First Infantry Division Major, George Marshall, to move troops and supplies effectively throughout the battle. After these goals were accomplished, the Americans could launch offensives into Germany proper. Pershing had to persuade Marshall Foch the supreme Allied military commander to permit an American attack on the salient. Heavy driving wind and rain during parts of day and night. In some parts of the road, the men were almost knee-deep in mud and water. After five days of rain, the ground was nearly impassable to both the American tanks and infantry. Some of the infantrymen developed early stages of trench foot, even before the trenches were dug. Vigneulles, Thiaucourt, and Hannonville-sous-les-Cotes. Their capture would accelerate the envelopment of the German divisions near St. One Swiss newspaper had published the date, time, and duration of the preparatory barrage. However, the German Army stationed in the area of St. Mihiel lacked sufficient manpower, firepower and effective leadership to launch a counter-attack of its own against the Allies. Mihiel Salient and consolidate their forces near the Hindenburg Line. The order to evacuate the area was given on 8 September. The th Battalion left the positions of departure and advanced ahead of the Infantry at H-hour 5: On the morning of the 26th, Colonel G. Brett, commanding the th Battalion, was then placed in command of the Brigade. The main attack was made against the south face by two American corps. A secondary thrust was carried out against the west face along the heights of the Meuse, from Mouilly north to Haudimont, by the V Corps from right to left the 26th Division, the French 15th Colonial Division, and the 8th Brigade, 4th Division in line with the rest of the 4th in reserve. A holding attack against the apex, to keep the enemy in the salient, was made by the French II Colonial Corps from right to left the French 39th Colonial Division, the French 26th Division, and the French 2d Cavalry Division in line. In First Army reserve were the American 35th, 80th, and 91st Divisions. The remaining forces would then advance on a broad front toward Metz. This pincer action, by the IV and V Corps, was to drive the attack into the salient and to link the friendly forces at the French village of Vigneulles, while the II French Colonial Corps kept the remaining Germans tied down. Now desperately short of manpower, they had begun a step-by-step withdrawal from the salient only the day before the offensive began. The result of the detailed planning was an almost unopposed assault into the salient. The attack went so well on 12 September that Pershing ordered a speedup in the offensive. By the morning of 13 September, the 1st Division, advancing from the east, joined up with the 26th Division, moving in from the west, and before evening all objectives in the salient had been captured. At this point, Pershing halted further advances so that American units could be withdrawn for the coming Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Page 3

4 Chapter 4 : Roads to the Great War: A Roads Classic: Flying Over the St. Mihiel Salient The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a major World War I battle fought from September, involving the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) and, French troops under the command of General John J. Pershing of the United States against German positions. An American Army and St. Pershing wanted one sector in the active Marne front and another in a more quiet sector, the Toul area, where he could send exhausted units to rest and refit. He wanted to form the American First Army in the active sector and take command himself. Foch was favorably disposed to the plan but made no firm commitment. Three days later, as the Allied forces were approaching the Ourcq River, Foch called a meeting of his senior military commanders to lay out his plan to maintain the initiative on the Western Front. He envisioned a set of limited offensives aimed at freeing important railroads and key resources. Beside the ongoing Marne Campaign, these included operations to reduce the Lys and Amiens salients in the north and the St. Mihiel salient in the south. The latter was to be an American operation. Upon completion of these limited operations, Foch wanted a general offensive along the entire front, pushing to end the war in the summer of On the same day, Pershing officially announced the formation of First Army, with an effective date of 10 August By 8 August the two corps held a front of eight miles and had control of six American and two French divisions. On 10 August Pershing achieved one of his major objectives for the AEF, the formation of an independent American army composed of American corps and American divisions. These arrangements were quickly overtaken by events. American troops from the Vesle region, the Vosges, the training areas around Chaumont, and the British sector were concentrated along the salient. Initially, the forces available to the American First Army were three American corps of fourteen divisions and a French corps of three divisions. Mihiel salient and then push the Germans back along the whole front as stated at the 24 July conference. But now, several weeks later, Foch had reconsidered the need for the St. This plan called for British forces to attack southeasterly and the Franco-American forces to attack northward from the Meuse-Argonne region in a vast double envelopment against the German Army. With the northward attack, a full reduction of the St. Mihiel salient would be unnecessary. Foch further complicated the situation by proposing to divide the American army into two pieces on either side of the Meuse-Argonne, separated by a French army. Not surprisingly, Pershing fervently objected to the suggestion of dividing the American forces. He offered counterproposals, which Foch dismissed as impractical. Quickly, the tempers of the two commanders flared. Foch demanded to know if the American commander wanted to go into battle. The AEF commander contended that the attack against the St. Foch insisted that the operation be limited to simply reducing the salient and that the Americans would have to attack northward by the end of the month. Pershing noted that after his army had eliminated the salient it could pivot and still launch its offensive against the Meuse-Argonne on schedule. Finally, the three commanders agreed to two distinct American operations supported by French troops and equipment: Mihiel salient beginning about 10 September and the larger offensive along the west bank of the Meuse starting between 20 and 25 September. With approval to proceed with the St. Mihiel Offensive, the AEF staff began the final planning for the operation. Resulting from a German offensive in September, the St. Mihiel salient was a square-mile triangle jutting 14 miles into the Allied lines between the Moselle and Meuse Rivers. Bounded by Pont-a- Mousson to the south, St. Mihiel to the west, and the Verdun area to the north, the terrain was mostly rolling plain, heavily wooded in spots. After three years of occupation, the Germans had turned the area into a fortress with heavy bands of barbed wire and strong artillery and machine gun emplacements. Eight divisions defended the salient, with five more in reserve. The Americans planned to make near-simultaneous attacks against the two flanks of the salient while an attached French corps of three divisions pressed the apex. On the western edge the newly formed V Army Corps would attack southeasterly toward Vigneulles with one American division, one French division, and one American brigade. General Cameron, who had impressed Pershing in the July operations, commanded the corps. The experienced I Corps held the far right of the Allied sector. It would attack with four divisions on line and another in reserve. Pershing also had three additional divisions in army reserve. Pershing was Page 4

5 determined not to fail in his first operation as an army commander. To support his forces he arranged for the use of over 3, guns, 1, planes, and tanks. The British and the French provided the vast majority of artillery, planes, and tanks, though a large number of the planes and some of the tanks were manned by Americans. Initially, to maintain the element of surprise, Pershing was going to have little to no artillery fire before the attack; but in the end he decided to use a four-hour bombardment along the southern flank and a seven-hour one along the western flank. At on 12 September the artillery began its bombardments. As planned, four hours later the infantry and tanks of the I and IV Corps attacked on a twelve-mile front. Meanwhile, the V Corps kicked off its attack at, also making good progress. The Germans put up a determined defense long enough to retreat in good order. They had been ordered to withdraw from the salient on 8 September but had been slow in executing the order. On the afternoon of 12 September Pershing learned that columns of Germans were retreating on roads from Vigneulles and urged both the 1st and 26th Divisions to continue their attacks through the night. Despite having made a very deliberate advance during the day, the 26th Division moved quickly throughout the night; one regiment captured Vigneulles by on 13 September. At dawn a brigade of the 1st Division had made contact with the New Englanders. With the capture of Vigneulles and the linkup of the two converging American columns, the critical part of operation was over. By the end of the day the First Army had taken practically all its objectives. In two days the American soldiers had cleared a salient that had remained virtually undisturbed for three years. While suffering 7, casualties, the American Army inflicted over 17, casualties, mostly prisoners, on the German defenders as well as seizing artillery pieces and a large amount of war stores. The operation freed the Paris-Nancy railroad and secured the American rear for the upcoming northward thrust. More important, the battle gave Pershing and his First Army staff experience in directing a battle of several corps supported by tanks and aircraft. It would be needed for the much larger and complicated operation along the Meuse. Page 5

6 Chapter 5 : John J. Pershing - HISTORY Saint-Mihiel synonyms, Saint-Mihiel pronunciation, Saint-Mihiel translation, English dictionary definition of Saint-Mihiel. A village of northeast France on the Meuse River east of Paris. The World War I battle here was the first major American offensive led by Gen. Now all roads lead to France and heavy is the tread Of the living; but the dead returning lightly dance. Flying Over the St. A career Air Force officer who enlisted as a private and rose through the ranks, at the end of World War II he was commanding general of the Allied Air Forces in the Pacific; later he headed the Strategic Air Command for two years before retiring in as a four-star general. At 27 he was two years above the age limit for combat flying, but he concealed his true birth date, passed the physical, and was sworn in. After learning to fly at Hazelhurst Field in Mineola, New York, he arrived in France in December, underwent two months of advanced training at Issoudun, and received orders to report to the 91st Aero Squadron, where he served as an aerial reconnaissance pilot, winning two aerial victories and several decorations. He kept a diary throughout his service. These are the entries for the period during which the American First Army was conducting its first offensive to reduce the St. This system works well. All the letters from the prisoners agree that the stuff sent them comes through all right. The Saint-Mihiel salient is busted. Every town in the salient on the German side is in flames. The old lines are dead. Hellish flying weather all day but lots of it just the same The guns up at the front were still going strong. Went over at As we had a camera, Bill and I went over anyhow. Got a few good pictures but the weather was too cloudy to finish the job. Six Boche, Pfalz or Fokkers, jumped me near Etain and chased me out to the west of the sector toward Verdun. As soon as they left, we went back in for a visual reconnaissance. Over Conflans, the carburetor backfired and blazed up. I sideslipped and dove and the fire finally went out. The plane was pretty badly shot up by Archie fire Strahm and Wallis had another fight with six red-nosed Fokkers. Looks like the Germans have moved the Richthofen Circus into this sector. They paint the noses of their planes red Diekema and Hammond and Cole and Martin flew protection for us. He went up in a zoom and fell off in a vrille, on fire, and disappeared in the woods below. My ship was badly shot up with one of the elevators almost off and wobbling. I turned back toward the field wondering how much longer we would be flying. This evening, the doctors over at the Toul hospital said that Cole would be all right and back inâ about six weeks. American Heritage, December Page 6

7 Chapter 6 : Roads to the Great War: Years Ago: The St. Mihiel Offensive Is Launched An American Army and St. Mihiel, September Posted on August 25, by MSW Shortly after the dramatic advance of the 1st and 2d Divisions south of Soissons, Pershing renewed his efforts for an independent American field army. Battle Analysis of St. Mihiel By Captain Joseph H. The engagement was the first battle in which American led forces used a concise and comprehensive operations order allowing for independent initiative from their front-line commanders. Pershing, faced several German armies who were defending a series of in-depth trenches. The trench boundaries started in the French fortified area southeast of Verdun, jutting south toward St. Mihiel, and then east to Pont-Au-Mousson. The combat commanders participating in the operation, namely Colonel George S. Today, the battle of St. By, the number of offensives on the Western Front began to slow down into another phase of static warfare. Mihiel Cemetery at Thiacourt Although the Western armies outnumbered the Germans, the strategic situation was turning into a murderous war of attrition in which each shattered side could no longer sustain an offensive. Mihiel, the Metz, and Verdun would psychologically break the Germans will to fight. Then the Americans, from their bases [now closer to] the Rhine, could launch offensives into Germany. Tactically, the terrain became the biggest threat to the attacking forces. After five days of rain the ground became almost impassible to both the tanks and infantry. The weather section of I Corps operation order stated: Heavy driving wind and rain during parts of day and night. Vigneulles, Thiaucourt, and Hannonville-sous-les-Cotes because their rapid capture would ensure the envelopment of the German [divisions] near St. As a result, by September, Colonel George S. In contrast, the Germans had almost complete knowledge available to them about the Allied offensive campaign coming against them. Thus, the Germans decided to pull out of the salient and consolidate their forces near the Hindenburg Line. The Allied forces discovered the information on a written order to the German Group Armies von Gallwitz. The attack is therefore not to be met in the forward combat zone, but in this case, avoiding it by a withdrawal into the Michel [position] is contemplated, though only in the event of an enveloping attack. Mihiel had broken down the salient into several sectors. Each Corps had an assigned sector, defined by boundaries, that it could operate within. The remaining forces would then advance on a broad front toward the direction of Metz. This pincer action by the IV and V Corps was to drive the attack into the salient and to link the friendly forces at the French village of Vigneulles while the II French Colonial Corps kept the remaining Germans tied down. One reason for the American forces success at St. His plan had tanks supporting the advancing infantry, with two tank companies interspersed into a depth of at least three lines, and a third tank company in reserve. The result of the detailed planning was an almost unopposed assault into the salient. Fresnes-en-Woevre, Northernmost Objective of First Army Another reason for the American success was the audacity of the small unit commanders on the battlefield. Unlike the World War One officers that commanded their soldiers from the rear, Colonel Patton and his subordinates would lead their men from the front lines. One example of subordinate leadership was "Second Lieutenant Julian K. Struck by two bullets in the right hand, he continued forward and, armed only with his. On the 13th of September, the th Battalion was southwest of St. Benoit where they were going to link with the enveloping units of General Samuel D. However, an impatient Colonel Patton did not wait for the meeting. Instead, he sent a patrol of three tanks and five dismounted soldiers toward the [hamlet] of Woel to keep contact with the enemy. The tanks joined into the fray, and without infantry support, drove the Germans about six miles to the outskirts of Jonville. Further, the tanks "cavalry-styled" attack caught the German infantry off-guard and gave the initiative back to the "outnumbered" Americans. Evacuation of Wounded Near Les Eparges In conclusion, the audacious leadership qualities and the operational planning present at the battle of St. Mihiel are still important factors for the modern military commander. Finally, "Had Pershing been allowed to conduct his offensive as planned, The First American Army probably would have penetrated German lines [further] and altered the strategic situation along the whole Western Front. Page 7

8 Chapter 7 : An American Army and St. Mihiel, September Weapons and Warfare The First United States Army launches its first offensive on September 12, against the salient of St. Mihiel. The attack force consisted of three US corps and a French corps. By the time the battle ended on September 15, the Allies had captured the salient and inflicted 22, casualties on the Germans while sustaining 7, casualties. Now all roads lead to France and heavy is the tread Of the living; but the dead returning lightly dance. Edward Thomas, Roads Years Ago: Mihiel Salient â Montsec in Distance Where: General Pershing had a deep interest in the St. Mihiel Salient by the time his expeditionary force had begun to arrive in great numbers. He saw the St. Mihiel-Metz corridor as the royal road into Imperial Germany and had it assigned as his main operating and training area. In he started sending a number of his divisions to the St. Mihiel Salient to train. Like with the others divisions assigned to the Salient, they began to learn the business of modern war and gained respect for the skills of the German Army. These lessons were passed on through the entire AEF as key staff of the division were given commands of other divisions, corps, and the Second U. His troops, under French command in the Second Battle of the Marne, were just wrapping up the largest-scale fighting by the United States since the Civil scale War. An independent American army was now feasible. Mihiel sector to launch an offensive. Mihiel area on 13 August. The concentration of troops for the operation started almost immediately. Subsequent negotiations between Foch and Pershing resulted in tabling any follow-up attacks through Metz into Germany. Pershing was forced to compromise on his hope to fully exploit the Salient and promised that the St. Mihiel attack would be followed two weeks later with a major assault launched between the Meuse River and the Argonne Forest. The Germans suspected that an attack in the Lorraine was being prepared but believed that it would not take place until late in September. In anticipation of this attack, and to shorten their front line because their reserves on the Western Front were being depleted, the German High Command issued orders on 11 September for a gradual withdrawal from the Salient and the destruction of all things of military value that could not be moved. However, heavy rain was moving into the area, so most of the withdrawal was not initiated. The rain also masked the last-minute movement of the U. An intense bombardment of the hostile positions began at on 12 September and lasted for four hours. At the infantry of the main attack on the south face jumped off. The attack in the forests of the Meuse Heights was launched three hours later. The offensive concept for St. Mihiel was that these two attacks would converge up as soon as possible, cutting off the Salient and trapping most of the German defenders. Thanks to additional artillery furnished by. French and British port reinforcements brought the total number of airplanes up to nearly, which was the greatest concentration of air power up to that time. V Corps 26th, 4th, and 15th French Colonial divisions advanced down the Meuse Heights on the west face of the Salient. The 26th division played the key role there with the 15th Colonial Division on the left finally fully securing Eparges Spur. Having attacked earlier in the morning, IV Corps 1st, 42nd, 89th Divisions and I Corps 2nd, 5th, 90th, 82nd Divisions meanwhile drove against the southeast face. Mihiel, and maintaining pressure on the German forces while they were be encircled by the two main attacks. As a limited offensive, the St. Mihiel operation would be a striking success. The First Army took 15, prisoners and guns at a cost of about 7, casualties. The success was based on the tactical surprise that was achieved and of particular note was American know-how applied to wire- cutting. One division had purchased every wire cutter they could locate in the town where they were posted before the offensive was launched. Marshall, Patton, Stilwell, etc. However, the operation had not succeeded in bagging as many of the 65, German troops in the salient as it might have. The German commanders ordered the planned-for withdrawal expedited as soon as they realized a major assault had been launched. The American divisions with the job of closing the Salient, however, had all advanced readily to their first-day objectives short of closure and halted. The result was that thousands of German troops slipped away the night of the 12th and morning of the 13th. At dawn, a patrol of the 1st Division approaching from the south met them. This marked the closure of the Salient. A general push toward Metz followed for the next three days, when a halt needed to be called. Another offensive was to be launched west of Verdun in less than two weeks and needed attending to. The more experienced American divisions were eventually sent to the Argonne. The units left to Page 8

9 occupy the sector for the next two months were treated to the full delights of trench warfare, especially bombardments with explosives and gas, as the enemy dug in along his partially prepared "Michel Zone" of defenses. While his army was fighting in the Argonne, though, General Pershing kept up his planning for exploiting the St. He reorganized his forces and created the Second U. Army to fight in the ground before Metz. Eventually, Generalissimo Foch was won over to the concept of exploiting the area of the now-reduced salient for a major advance, but one broader than what Pershing had been thinking of in September. Page 9

10 Chapter 8 : Battle of Saint-Mihiel - Wikipedia The Birth of Armored Forces. U. S. Army Military History Institute, U. S. Army Heritage and Education Center March 26, th Tank Battalion, during the St. Mihiel Offensive. He graduated from the U. S Military Academy at West Point in After these two events, he served as an instructor at the US Military Academy from to He then attended the Calvary School in Saumur, France, where he studied reconnaissance and strategy. Eventually, his great knowledge of wartime strategy helped him become an important commanding officer in World War I. Before his tenure as a Major General, he observed the beginning of the war in France, learning how to properly organize and successfully command an army. Parker kept very detailed notes of what he learned in several diaries, and used his knowledge when the United States entered the war. One entry in his diary outlines all of the preparations needed for "La continuation de la lutte pendant la nuit" the Continuation of battle during the night. S Infantry, was promoted to Brigadier General of the 1st Infantry Brigade in, and eventually became the Brigadier General of the entire 1st Division. For his service to the U. He married sometime after the war ended, but not much is known about his immediate family. Parker died in his home in Chicago on March 13th, German Commander Erich Ludendorff believed that luring the American forces from Belgium to the Marne, and then attacking the vulnerable North France could win the war. This bulge, called the Marne Salient, was the main focus of the battle. Allied troops attacked the salient on July 18th, taking the German forces by surprise. Three days later, the German troops retreated to their former lines, shifting the balance of the Western Front. Mihiel Salient[ edit ] The Battle of St. Mihiel Salient took place from September 12th to September 18th,, and was a critical battle determining the outcome of the war. Before the battle had even started, the German forces were quickly retreating, and the Allied offensive was gaining strength and confidence. The commanding officer of the 1st Division, General John J. Pershing, believed that the acquisition of the St. Mihiel Salient would loosen the German restrictions on the railroad lines and road communications into Paris and Verdun. Mihiel, and then quickly move to another great battle, all within the span of 2 weeks. Mihiel Offensive started on September 12, it was the largest battle in American history to date. It included, Americans and, Frenchmen in four different corps, as well as over 1, American, French, British, and Italian aircraft. In comparison, the German forces lost around 20, men who were killed, wounded, or taken prisoner. The Birth of an American Army. Warfare USA, in: International Encyclopedia of the First World War, ed. Chapter 9 : Battle of Saint-Mihiel Military Wiki FANDOM powered by Wikia The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a World War I battle fought between September 12-15,, involving the American Expeditionary Force and 48, French troops under the command of U.S. general John J. Pershing against German positions. Page 10