Figure 1.--Here French school children wave to American Doughboys noving up to the front (June 18, 1918). This was a year after the first Anericans arrived in France. They were green, untrained soldiers that spent the year training and organizing. They were not commited in force until the Germans launched Operation Michael to win the war in the West. By that time more than a million American had arrived in France. And while most had not completed their training, they were thrown into combat to stop the Germans. This small American column is mounted, but one of the major Amnerican contributions to the war in addition to a massive infantry force was trucjs tht gavbe the allies unprecedented mobility.

The Germans gambled in 1917 that unrestricted submarine warfare would cut off Britain and force the British to make peace. They reasoned that it would be some time before the Americans could train, equip, and deploy an army to France. And the German Navy assured the Reichstag that the Americans would never even come because German U-boats would sink transport ships. And the U-boats could win the war by starving the British. The resumption of un-restricted submarine warfare was a mistake of enormous proprtions which cost Germany the War. Here the U-boats failed and in 1918 the German Army had to deal with the consequences of the Kaiser's failed gamble--the AEF. The Russian Army had prevented the Germans from focusing on the Western Front. Now with the Russians out of the War, the Germans brought America into the War, a country with manpower comparable to Russia. The AEF was, however, still training and not yet deployed in force when the Germans launched their Spring Offensive. President Wilson had given General Pershing only one order when he assumed command of the AEF. That was that the AEF was to fight as a separate force under the American flag and not as replacements for deplete British and French units. In the emergency, American units still not fully trained were rushed to the front to support hard-pressed British and French units (March 28). The AEF fought the War largely with Allied (British and French) weapons. The AEF played a major role in helping the French Army during the Aisne Offensive at Ch�teau-Thierry and Belleau Wood (June 1918). The AEF that helped stopped the Germans was a force that the Germans did not have to face. They were there becuse of the deecisions of a German Government which beloeved that the americans were not areal nation that needed to be reckoned with. The War ended before American industry could be brought to bear. Given the fact that America had a much larger populatioin than Germany and was the largest industrial nation in the world, the enormity of the mistake bringing the United States into the War can be seen. And it highlights while the German spring offensive was their last chance to win the War. If it failed, so did the entire German war effort.

German Gamble

The Germans gambled in 1917 that unrestricted submarine warfare would cut off Britain and force the British to make peace. They reasoned that it would be some time before the Americans could train, equip, and deploy an army to France. And the German Navy assured the Reichstag that the Americans would never even come because German U-boats would sink transport ships. And the U-boats could win the war by starving the British. The resumption of un-restricted submarine warfare was a mistake of enormous proprtions which cost Germany the War. Here the U-boats failed and in 1918 the German Army had to deal with the consequences of the Kaiser's failed gamble--the AEF.

Pre-War U.S. Army

One reason that the Germans dismissed the American threat was that the United states did not have a substantial army. It was large enough for an expedition into neiggboring Mexico, but not to fight a Eutopean war agaunst a professional well-armed foe. The U.S. Army had a mere 133,000 men and 5,800 officers at the time the United states declared war. The minimally trained National Guard had 67.000 mn and 3,200 officers. This force was laughably small compared to European conscript armies even before the War. [Ayers, p. 11-21.] Even small countries like Belgium, Bulgaria,Serbia, and Romania had larger armies. Not only did the Americans have only a small professional force, but american industry was not mobilized for war. And President wilson made no effort to change this before he asked Congress to declare war on Germny (April 1917).

First American Troops (June 1917)

The United states declared war on Germany (april 1917). Soon after, American troops began landing in French ports. The first American infantry troops landed at Saint Nazaire (June 26, 1917). This was the beginning of the AEF. The arrival was unanounced. The landing site had been kept secret because of fear of German U-boats. The World war I German U-boats were not long-range ships. They primarily operated in the eastern North-Atlantic in shipping lanes and near British and French ports. The 14,000 Americans had lined up to take their first salute on French soil and a an enthusiastic French crowd of civilians gathered to welcome them. The Doughboys were not, however, a seasoned, hardened combat force. They untrained, minimally equipped, and not ready for action along the deadly Western Front. They had been rushed to France for training, not for immediate deployment.

AEF Training

Only after Congress pased the Selective Service Act (May 1917) could the Army begin mobiling. The Germans understood this. The French population did not. They assumed a large country like America would have a large army to immeditely commit to battle. The first American troops landed in France (June 1917). General John J. Pershing�s first immediate task as commander of the AEF was to set up training camps in France where the arriving Doughboys could begin training. Pershing also needed to establish communication and supply networks. The United States began mobilizing the 4 million man 'National Army'. This was the General Staff contingency plan. The Americans began shipping men to France, but they were untrained draftees. They would be trained in France and armed with Allied weapons. At the same time while men were being shipped to France, other draftees were bing trined in camps set up all over the country, especially in the South. This mean that by 1918, mny of the Dougboys arriving in France had basic military training. The United States mobilized some 4.7 million Americans during the War, about 4 million were enrolled in the Army. Had the War not ended in 1918, even more men would hae been mobilized. The Americans began arriving at the phenomenal rate of 5,000 to 10,000 men a day (spring and summer 1918). This changes the calculation of war for the Germans. The clock was clearly ticking for them. Unless the Germans could win the war before the AEF was traind anbd bloodied, they would loose the war. The AEF was still training and not yet deployed to the front in force when the Germans launched their Spring. final war winning offensive (March 1918).

First Deployment (January 1918)

Combat operations for the first year after the United states declared war were very limited. The first an combat action was reported 4 months afyer the fitst Doughboys arrived in France (October 21). Units from the U.S. Army�s First Division were assigned to Allied trenches in the Luneville sector close to Nancy. At the time, each inexperienced American unit was attached to a comprable French unit. Two days later, Corporal Robert Bralet of the Sixth Artillery became the first U.S. soldier to fire a shot. He discharged his French 75mm gun into a German trench a half mile away. Corporal James Gresham and privates Thomas Enright and Merle Hay of the 16th Infantry became the first American soldiers to die when Germans raided their trenches near Bathelemont (November 2). The American sector assigned on the Western Front began with the 1st Division, the Big Red One (Janury 1918). The initial deployment was in quiet sectors. Beginning with the First Dovision, every AEF division that took up a position on the western Front either released experienced Allied divisions from quiet sectors for service in more active sectors or as the fighting progressed helped form a large and increasingly powerful American reserve which served as both insurance against major German offensives or as an potential offensive force which could be uded to sustain Allied counterattacks.

Final German Offensive: Operation Michael (March 1918)

Ludendorff launched Operation Michael with an attack on the extreme right of the British lines (March 21). The objective was the important rail junction at Amiens. Success here would effectively split the British and French Armies. The Germans opened up with a 6,000 gun artillery barrage. Poison gas opened up a huge gap in the Allied lines. The initial attack achieved considerable success. The Germans advanced 22 kilometers (km) in a single day and quickly puched a 60 km bulge in the Allied lines. This was an unpredented achievement in the West where the trenches had meant virtually static warfae since the opening months of the War. These were advances that were difficult for World War I command and control methods and supply units to keep up with. The Germans adopted new tactics designed to break through the Allied lines. The Germans trained elite troops in novel new tactics to penetrate the Allied trenches. The tactics used by both the Allies and Germand in 1915-17 was an extedsive artillery barage to soften up the enemy trenches followed by frontal assaults with masssed infnty. The new German tactic was only a brief artillery barage after which the Storm Troppers would unfiltrate the Attled trenches. The lightly armed, but fast moving shock troo[ps called Storm Trooprs attacked weak points in the Allied trenches such as command and logistics areas. The Storn Troopers would go arrond strong points and surround them. These isolated Storm Troopers would then be overwelmed by infantry with heavy weapons. The Germans succeded in moving forward and were at one point only 120 kilometres of Paris. The moved up heavy Krupp railway guns and fired on Paris. The Parisans at first thought that it was an aerial assault. The Germans were on the verge of victory. Kaiser Wilhelm II pronounced a national holiday (March 24). The weakness in the German offensive appears to be that they had not expected the successes achieved or the losses sustained. Ludendorf did not have forces available to exploit the gaps opened in the allied lines. The British rushed forces across the Channel and units of the AEF were deployed. The Allied lines held and German casualties mounted. German casualties in Operation Michael reached 270,000 men (March and April 1918). Losses of these magnitudes could not be replaced by the Germans. Allied losses were even higher, but with the AEF could be replaced. The Russian Army had prevented the Germans from focusing on the Western Front. Now with the Russians out of the War, the Germans brought America into the War, a country with manpower comparable to Russia.

Deteriorating Allied Military Situation

The Allied High Command hastily convened a conference to address the deteriorating military situation. Commanders met in what has become known as the Doullens Conference (March 21). The basic decession taken was to unify the command structure. British Field Marshal Douglas Haig handed control of his forces over to French Field Marshall Ferdinand Foch. [Edmonds] Foch who was the Chief of Staff of the French Army was assigned resopnsibility for co-ordinating Allied operations on the Western Front. President Wilson had given General Pershing only one order when he assumed command of the AEF. That was that the AEF was to fight as a separate force under the American flag and not as replacements for deplete British and French units.

Initial American Actions (March-June 1918)

In the emergency, American units still not fully trained were rushed to the front to support hard-pressed British and French units (March 28). The AEF fought the War largely with Allied (British and French) weapons. The active AEF contribution on the western Front began when the 1st Division entered the front lines west of Montdidier as part of a French corps and army (May 1918). The Americans planned and conducted an attack on new German positions near the town of Cantigny (late-May). Supported by French artillery and tank units, it was an American battle plan and fought by motly American troops. This first American attack of the war was relatively small, but was a success. It was here that the tenacity and stamina of the American Doughbpy shown for the first time. It was not what the Germans expected. The Americans held the positions they seized even when assulted by strong Germn counter atacks. And they held even when the French withdrew most of their supporting artillery. Cantigny demonstrated that the American forces were not only numerous and fresh, but even more importntly tough and determined. Many American units in the first months of combat demonstrated inexperience, but rarely were the Germans sucessful at pushing back American units. [Millett] The AEF played a major role in helping the French Army during the Aisne Offensive at Ch�teau-Thierry and Belleau Wood (June 1918). The AEF that helped stopped the Germans was a force that the Germans did not have to face. They were there becuse of the deecisions of a German Government which beloeved that the Americans were not a real nation that needed to be reckoned with. At the same time that the American units were moved to the front from traiing camps, troop ships were brining Dough Boys to France in huge numbers. Reports of the German offensive rushed the deployment to France. And these troops had some military training. Some 313,410 Americans disembarked in French ports (July 1918). This was the largest month for American deployment to France.

American Infantry

Sources

Ayers, Leonard P. The War with Germany: A Statistical Summary (Washinbton, D.C.: GPO, 1919).

Millett, Alan R. "Cantigny, 28-31 May 1918", in Charles E. Heller and William A. Stofft, ed. America�s First Battles, 1776-1965 (Lawrence: 1986, pp. 149-85.

Created: 7:59 AM 11/29/2015
Last updated: 7:59 AM 11/29/2015