THE AEF ENTERS THE BATTLE
AMERICAN Forces WOULD TAKE TIME To ADAPT To THE INTENSIVE FIGHTING on THE WESTERN FRONT
Although America had declared war in April 1917, a year later its army still existed largely on paper. Two divisions, formed from regular forces and some National Guard units, were in France when the German offensive opened, but under strict instructions from President Woodrow Wilson to build a national army, their commander, General John Pershing, had resisted all calls for his troops to be integrated into Allied formations. An exception was made for Africanamerican regiments, which served with distinction in French formations. The French liaison officers who served with the American Expeditionary Forces could see how poorly prepared they were for modern war: Pershing’s doctrine stressed the role of the combat infantryman with his rifle and bayonet, counter to all the tactical lessons of material-intensive warfare learned by the Allies since 1914.
This was to be demonstrated in early engagements, such as that of the Second Division at Belleau Wood in June, where US Marine and regular army battalions threw themselves repeatedly at German defensive positions with inadequate artillery support, in a battle that reminded French observers of the bloodbaths their own troops had endured in the past. In response to the German onslaught, it was agreed in conference at Abbeville on 2 May that American troops would come to France not as formed, equipped and trained divisions but piecemeal, infantry and machine gunners first. Units would be equipped from Allied stocks and trained behind the Allied lines, taking up defensive positions in the American sector in lorraine in order to free up French forces for the battle. over 1.5 million US soldiers came to France thereafter.
But it was one thing to have men, another to create an effective fighting army. There were 25 formed US divisions in France by the time of the Second Battle of the Marne, each about twice the strength of an Allied division, but few had seen combat of any sort and all needed training and battle experience. A few units had fought with Allied forces. In late May, 28th regiment of First US Division had taken the village of cantigny in the AEF’S first offensive action. But they had depended on French artillery and tank support for success. More American divisions were engaged on the Marne, where they gained a reputation that was not really justified by their military achievements: the French made a point of supporting all American forces closely, while ensuring that their actions were emphasised in the Allied press for morale purposes.
Five divisions in all took part in the Second Battle of the Marne, and fought with enthusiasm if not great skill. Still, as the army expanded and improved, American forces would play an increasing part in the Allied counterattack. Two American armies were eventually formed. The First Army, with support from French Second Army, recaptured the St Mihiel salient east of verdun in mid-september. Both American armies would take part in the Meuse-argonne offensive, Septembernovember 1918, on the extreme right of Foch’s armies pushing the Germans out of France and Belgium.