The St Mihiel Offensive, which took place between the 12th and 16th
September 1918, was the first full scale attack that was under the
direct command of the Americans, in the person of General J Pershing. He
combined his command of the First (at the time the only) American Army
with that of Commander in Chief of the AEF, a tremendous burden.
The St Mihiel Salient had its origins in the early fighting of the war
and had been stabilized by the end of 1914, although there was fierce
fighting there in the first half of 1915 as both sides jostled for
position; the high ground of Les Eparges became notorious for the
intensity of the mine warfare that took place below it, extensive
remains of which can be seen today.
The American attack (with the assistance of a French Corps) was an
outstanding success and the Germans were forced into a rapid withdrawal
to the Michel Line, a strongly defended position that formed the
Hindenburg Line in this area. On the other hand, the success was in part
assisted by the fact that the Germans intended to withdraw from the
exposed position of the Salient back to this line, the only question
being the timing of such a move. Historians argue about whether the move
had actually begun or not; but the reality is that senior German
officers knew that it was imminent and certainly some heavier artillery
had already been pulled back.
Pershing's original hope had been to continue the offensive to seize
Metz, crucial rail links and economically vital areas to the German war
effort. In fact any such attempt would have taken weeks of preparation,
as even a casual examination of the Michel Line defenses still existing
today would show.
It is probable that relatively easy success here led to overconfidence
amongst some that the next offensive, the Meuse-Argonne - to the north
and scheduled to begin on the 26th, would have a similar outcome. If so
they were in for a rude awakening.
This book is profusely illustrated with contemporary photographs and
numerous maps, the narrative supplemented by a number of first hand
accounts; the whole is supported by several walking and car tours.
This is the latest in a series of Battleground books by Maarten Otte on
the American Expeditionary Forces, with several more in preparation.
