1918 – The Americans Under French Command

The Champagne-Argonne Offensives: Blanc Mont, Marines and African-Americans

Maarten Otte

• Publisher: Pen and Sword Military
• Year: 2025
• Topic: History
• eBook ISBN:
  9781036138585
• Subtopic: French History
• Index: History

Examines lesser-known American Expeditionary Forces battles in the Champagne–Marne region during World War I.

Pershing’s aim had always been to fight the Germans with an independent American Army (the AEF, the American Expeditionary Forces) instead of dividing his divisions between the allies. When the Germans launched the first attack of their Spring Offensives on 21 March 1918, he was still far away from the creation of this independent army. During the first three months of 1918 only a few divisions could be considered as available for immediate action. On 26 March 1918 Foch was selected as the Supreme Allied Commander. Two days later, to solve immediate allied manpower problems and to check the German assault, General Pershing temporarily placed all American forces at the disposal of Supremo Foch. It was agreed that the availability of American troops would only last so long as was needed to check the German advance.

This book deals with three lesser known battles fought by five divisions of the AEF that took place in the Champagne/Marne Region between the City of Reims and the Argonne Forest. The narrative includes actions of the 2nd, 36th, 42nd, 92nd and the 93rd Divisions. The latter two were made up of African-American troops.

The five tours are ideal for visitors who have a few hours to spare coming from or going to the St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne and Verdun battlefields from one of Paris’s airports. They cover a lesser known area and each tour will not take more than a few hours. The starting points are all situated a little north of the A4, the Paris-Metz motorway. The tours also bridge the gap between the better known Chemin des Dames and Meuse-Argonne battlefields.

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Half-Title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• List of Maps
• Series Editor’s introduction
• Introduction
• Chapter 1 America enters the war
• Chapter 2 The 42nd Division: The Champagne-Marne Defensive 4–19 July 1918
• Car Tour 1 The 42nd Division area: Espérance-Souain Sector
• Chapter 3 The 2nd Division: Champagne-Argonne Offensive 28 September-10 October 1918
• Car Tour 2 The 2nd Division area: Blanc Mont to St. Étienne-à-Arnes
• Chapter 4 The 36th Division: Champagne-Argonne Offensive 5–28 October 1918
• Car Tour 3 The 36th Division area: St. Étienne-à-Arnes to Attigny
• Chapter 5 The 93rd Division: Champagne-Argonne Offensive 26 September-7 October 1918
• Car Tour 4 The 93rd Division area: Cernay-en-Dormois to Monthois
• Chapter 6 The 368th Regiment, 92nd Division: Meuse-Argonne Offensive 26 September-1 October 1918
• Car Tour 5 The 92nd Division area: Vienne-le-Château to Binarville
• Appendices
• Advice to travellers
• Acknowledgements
• Select Bibliography
• Index