During the first half of 1918, while grave events were taking place on
other parts of the front, the Argonne remained quiet. The battle,
however, spread from point to point, and the Argonne front in its turn
was again set ablaze on the date fixed by Foch in his plan for the great
offensive which was destined to bring the Germans to their knees.
[Illustration: MARSHAL FOCH]
After the Allied counter-offensive of July 18 on the Aisne front (see
Volume I: “The Second Battle of the Marne”), which drove the Germans
back to the Vesle, the Allies were forced to mark time on the centre of
the front.
The battle shifted to the wings. Offensive followed offensive with
unfailing regularity, first on the left (the Franco-British offensive of
August 8), then in Artois (the offensive of August 20), and lastly
against the whole of the Hindenburg line, which the Allies attacked on
September 1.
The Germans were already greatly shaken, but Foch gave them no respite,
and to prevent them recovering he redoubled his attacks.
An offensive movement on both wings began: on the left (in Flanders) the
Belgian, French and British armies, under the command of King Albert,
attacked simultaneously with the Fourth French Army under Gouraud and
the First American Army under Pershing on the right.
As a prelude to taking its place in the line for the great offensive,
the American Army had already fought the brilliant action which, on
September 12, reduced the St. Mihiel salient. (See Volume 2: “The Battle
of St. Mihiel.”)
This operation was only just over when the main body of the American
army was moved very rapidly from the Meuse to the Argonne, to the
positions assigned to General Pershing in the Allied plan of campaign.
This very important movement, effected without a hitch between September
4 and 24, involved the displacement of enormous forces; eleven French
divisions, constituting the Second Army, were replaced by fifteen
divisions of the First American Army, which thus held the whole Verdun
front from the Aisne to the Moselle, between La Harazée and
Pont-à-Mousson.
[Illustration: AMERICAN CEMETERY CONTAINING 28,000 GRAVES, ON THE
HILLSIDE, NEAR CUNEL VILLAGE (SEE P. 45)]
[Illustration: GEORGE H. CAMERON,
_Commander of the American 5th Corps, comprising the 79th, 37th and 91st
(active), and 32nd (reserve) Divisions_.]
[Illustration: HUNTER LIGGETT,
_Commander of the American 1st Corps, comprising the 35th, 28th and 77th
(active), and 12th (reserve) Divisions_.]
[Illustration: ROBT. L. BULLARD,
_Commander of the American 3rd Corps, comprising the 33rd, 80th and 4th
Divisions_.]
[Illustration: MAJOR-GENERAL JOSEPH DICKMAN
(_1st Corps._)]
[Illustration: MAJ.-GEN. JOSEPH E. KUHN
(_79th Division._)]
[Illustration: MAJOR-GENERAL WILLIAM WEIGEL
(_83rd Division._)]
[Illustration: MAJOR-GENERAL GEORGE BELL
(_33rd Division._)]
[Illustration: MAJOR GENERAL WILLIAM H. HAY
(_28th Division._)]
[Illustration: MAJOR-GENERAL CHARLES G. MORTON
(_29th Division._)]
[Illustration: MAJOR-GEN. EDMOND WITTENMEYER
(_7th Division._)]
[Illustration: MAJOR-GENERAL JOHN L. HINES
(_3rd Corps._)]
[Illustration: MAJOR-GENERAL JAMES W. M‘ANDREWS
_General Chief of Staff._]
[Illustration: MAJOR-GENERAL ROBERT ALEXANDER
_Commander of the 77th Div._]
[Illustration: MAJOR-GEN. WM. M. WRIGHT
(_1st Corps._)]
[Illustration: MAJOR-GENERAL HANSON E. ELY
(_5th Division._)]
[Illustration: MAJOR-GENERAL JAMES H. M‘RAE
(_78th Division._)]
[Illustration: MAJOR-GEN. C. P. SUMMERALL
(_5th Corps._)]
[Illustration: MAJOR-GENERAL LEROY S. LYON
(_90th Division._)]
[Illustration: MAJOR-GENERAL GEORGE B. DUNCAN
(_82nd Division._)]
[Illustration: MAJOR-GENERAL SAMUEL D. STURGIS
(_80th Division._)]
[Illustration: MAJOR-GENERAL ROBERT L. HOWZE
(_Com. of the 3rd Div._)]
[Illustration: The above map shows in detail the German Positions
between the Meuse and the Argonne on the eve of the great
Franco-American Offensive of September 26, 1918 (see next page), the
immediate objective of which was to drive the enemy across the Meuse.]
[Illustration: THE OBJECTIVES OF THE FRANCO-AMERICAN ATTACK OF SEPTEMBER
26, 1918]