The Meuse Argonne Offensive Of World War I

The Battle of the Bulge (16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945) was the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during World War II. It was launched, in the dense forest of Ardennes Wallonia in eastern part of Belgium, northeast France, and Luxembourg. This battle was one of the largest fought by the United States Army, on the Western Front in Europe, during World War II. This fierce battle, was between the German Nazi’s, the American Army, Canadian Army, and the British Army, was one of Hitler’s last attempt to split the Allies driving them towards Germany and destroy their ability to supply themselves. Were the Germans able to stop the Americans and the British from getting their supplies? Was the weather a factor and if so, who did it assist in the battle? Was the American Army able to counter attack in a timely manner and stop the German Nazi’s invasion?

     During the War Eisenhower and his staff felt this spot was the least likely to be attacked. The thought the Germans would not try any thing through the narrow passageway. The Germans wanted the opposite of what the Americans wanted to do. As stated above the Allied troops were 'resting' and reforming; they consisted of General Simpson's 9th Army and General Hodges 1st US Army in the north and General Patton's 3rd Army to the south. The Ardennes was held by General Middleton who had the 8th US Army Corps, 106th and 26th Infantry Divisions and 4th and 9th Armored Divisions.

The terrain of the Argonne forest presented a number of problems to the U.S. forces; Overgrown, bushy, and difficult to navigate. There were no roads in the forest for tanks to travel, also making troop movement difficult. The Americans also had a tactical disadvantage since the Germans had been in control of the area for the past four years, fortifying it. The Germans had zeroed in on the forest with artillery, emplaced fixed machine gun fighting positions along the ridgelines, and had the advantage of being the defenders. Another problem with the offensive was logistical. Trying to move a massive quantity of men

Throughout the years we have heard stories of the Meuse Argonne Offense and all the casualties it created, but it has never been specific facts of the events that happen. There were approximate 600,000 troops for the offense. That is without counting the artillery part which it was an extra 3,980 personnel. This was part of the movement towards the offense that was implemented by General Pershing. Meanwhile they were in route and arrive to the offense General Pershing was not counting in the weather, which it started raining and the soldiers walked the route implemented which it was about 60 miles of mud that did not help the movement to Meuse Argonne and made them an easier target because of their limited mobility and their lack of

The German forces had been in the area of the Meuse-Argonne for years; and they used its terrain to their full advantage. There was high ground at both the Meuse River and the Argonne Forest, which the Germans utilized for both observation and artillery firing points. Along with holding the high ground on

World War I formally ended on June 28, 1919 when the treaty of Versailles was signed in the Palace of Versailles in France (U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, 2015). Even though this was the official ending of the “Great War,” fighting had come to a halt seven months earlier with an armistice, or temporary agreement to cease fighting (U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, 2015). This armistice took place on the eleventh hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month (U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, 2015). This has been known as “the war to end all wars.” On November 11, 1919, President Woodrow Wilson declared this day as the first commemoration of “Armistice Day” (Wilson, 1919).

I am Ella Karcewski reporting to you on this gloomy Spring evening, hoping that this war may soon be over. I am currently experiencing a day that I will never forget. The images that I am seeing, and the heartbreaking pain that I am feeling will never be erased from my naive mind. I feel nearly speechless and am saddened for those drastically affected by this war. I am encountering a tragedy as soldiers and horses alike are collapsing to the ground, screams of pain coming from their courageous bodies. Pouring rain is drenching horses and soldiers, and darkness is curtained over the gloomy sky. Ominous clouds fill the atmosphere above, and it seems that the sun wouldn’t dare peek out on this bellicose April day in 1915. All of this French territory

The Battle of Pozieres is known as one of Australian soldiers’ greatest sacrificial conflicts. To understand the sacrifice involved, it is firstly important to outline what the tactics of the Australian defence force were in their attack on the Germans. Secondly, the response of the German forces is significant to understand the conflict at Pozieres. Thirdly, a comparison of the performance of the Allies and the opponent is explored, analysing the significance of both parties strategies in practice. Finally, an exploration of the factors which determined the final outcome is conducted to understand the battle further and the consequence for both sides. Thus, it is revealed the significance of the Battle of Pozieres for Australia, and the overall effect the won

Hitler’s Watch on the Rheine offensive depended on his three armies, the Fifth Panzer Army in the north, the Sixth Panzer Army in the center and the 7th Army in the south. The German War Machine included 400,000 troops, 1,400 tanks, 2,600 artillery pieces and 1,000 aircraft in comparison to the thin American line consisting of four American Infantry Divisions and one Armored Division totally 83,000 men and 400 tanks (Farrell 37). Despite an overwhelming Wehrmacht (German Army) and their extensive knowledge of terrain and an elaborate plan to infiltrate Allied lines through the use of espionage,

Meanwhile, the US First Army would cross the Rhine and help capture the Ruhr from the south. The secondary Allied focus was General George S Paton’s Third Army in the south, who was to cross the Moselle, capture Metz and Nancy, cross the Rhine River and capture the Saar area.

The terrain of the Somme battlefield, was described as Downs and settlement villages and a scattering of farm lands which offered many advantages to the defender. The German first position, having contained several fighting trenches joined by communication trenches and protected by belts of barbed wire, was carefully situated to control the

Leading into the Fall of 1914, tactics on both sides of the line involved the rapid mobilization, maneuver and envelopment of the opposing side.10 Pre-1914 doctrine took little into account the effects of emerging new technology and their impact on both defensive and offensive operations. This disconnect between doctrine and technology contributed to the failure of early offensive operations in the Fall of 1914 and resulted in staggering casualties.11 Both sides developed doctrine that took into effect the unique terrain and technology that had been developed prior and during World War I. However by the end of the war, a combination of flexibility, decentralized control, and counterattack at every echelon made the German defensive system the most effective.12 This “elastic defense” had three unique characteristics; dedicated counter-attack force at all levels, decentralized command and control, fluid defensive belts and integrated artillery support at the Division level. Under this new doctrine, Corps headquarters had the role sustaining subordinate units, but not directing their actions during battle.13 This defense-in-depth and the lessons learned during the Verdun battles of 1918 were so successful that British forces adopted many of the German tactics with a special emphasis on their counterattack capability.10 Utilizing the new doctrine, by August 1918, Germany had made substantial gains, however had

at German lines which scattered the very land that the allies needed to storm with

On 17 December, 1944, five German divisions were able to push through the VIII Corps’ defensive line 100 miles east of Bastogne nullifying

From January 1915 a stalemate situation existed between the Allied and the German armies. The Allies sat firm in a defensive semi-circular Front Line running from the northeast, east and southeast of Ypres. The occupation of this ground east of Ypres pushed a bulge, called a “salient” in military terms, into the German Front Line here. To the advantage of the Allies it forced the Germans to provide extra manpower to hold a longer section of Front Line. However, a serious Allied disadvantage here was that the Germans had knowingly secured relatively good positions along the edges of this salient. From the south of Ypres there is a naturally occuring spur of high ground which continues around the eastern side of the town of Ypres.