Military Operations

of the
American Expeditionary Forces
UNITED STATES ARMY
IN THE WORLD WAR
1917-1919

Military Operations
of the
American Expeditionary Forces

Volume 9

CENTER OF MILITARY HISTORY

UNITED STATES ARMY
WASHINGTON, D.C., 1990
 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
(Revised for ~01s. 7-9)

United States Army in the World War, 1917-1919.

Contents: v. 1. Organization of the American
Expeditionary Forces.-v. 2. Policy-forming docu-
ments of the American Expeditionary Forces-
[etc.]-v. 4-9. Military operations of the American Ex-
peditionary Forces.
1. United States. Army-History-World War,
1914-1918. 2. World War, 1914-1918-United States.
I. Center of Military History.
D570.U55 1988 940.4’0973 88-600367

A new introduction has been added to Volume 1.

‘&pe has been reset, but original pagination has not
been altered. Except for front matter, maps, illustra-
tions, and some tables, camera-ready copy was
produced by Susan Blair using optical scanning and
laser printing technology.

First Printed 1948-CMH Pub 23-14

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office
Washington, D.C. 20402
 UNITED STATES ARMY IN THE WORLD WAR, 1917-1919

Volume 1 Organization of the American Expeditionary Forces

Volume 2 Policy-forming Documents of the American Expeditionary Forces

Volume 3 Training and Use of American Units With the British and French

Volume 4-9 Military Operations of the American Expeditionary Forces

Volume 10 The Armistice Agreement and Related Documents

Volume 11 American Occupation of Germany

Volume 12-15 Reports of the Commander-in-Chief, AEF, Staff Sections and Services

Volume 16 General Orders, GHQ, AEF

Volume 17 Bulletins, GHQ, AEF

V
 FOREWORD

Military historians and scholars of operational art have tended to neglect the role
played by the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I. Although the Army orga-
nized a historical office in 1918 to prepare a multivolume history of the war, budget res-
traints and other considerations frustrated Chief of Staff Tasker H. Bliss’ intention to
“record the things that were well done, for future imitation . . . , [and] the errors as
shown by experience, for future avoidance.” The momentous events of succeeding dec-
ades only strengthened this tendency to overlook our Army’s role in the fields of France
in 1918. This neglect, although understandable, is unfortunate: World War I posed
unique challenges to American strategists, tacticians, and logisticians-challenges they
met in ways that could provide today’s military student with special insights into the
profession of arms.
To encourage further research in the history of World War I and to fill a gap in the
Army’s historical documentation of that conflict, the Center of Military History has cre-
ated a World War I series of publications consisting of new monographs and reprints.
Complementing our newly published facsimile reprint Order ofBattle of the United
States Land Forces in the World War, we are reprinting this seventeen-volume compila-
tion of selected AEF records along with a new introduction by David E Trask. Gathered
by Army historians during the interwar years, this massive collection in no way repre-
sents an exhaustive record of the Army’s months in France, but it is certainly worthy of
serious consideration and thoughtful review by students of military history and strategy
and will serve as a useful jumping off point for any earnest scholarship on the war.
There is a certain poignancy connected with the publication of this collection in the
seventieth anniversary year of “the war to end all wars.” Later this summer veterans of
that war will gather together, perhaps for the last time, to discuss the history of the
American Expeditionary Forces and to reminisce about their service. To them espe-
cially, but to all five million Americans who served in World War 1, we dedicate this
scholarly undertaking.

Washington, D.C. WILLIAM A. STOFFT

1 June 1988 Brigadier General, USA
Chief of Military History

vii
 CONTENTS
MEUSE-ARGONNE Page
Preface .......................................................
Order of Battle and Command ..................................... . :
Concentration of Forces and Plans for Operations ..................... 3
Organization for the Meuse-Argonne Operation ........................ . . 77
Order Prescribing Initial Attack .................................... . . . . 82
D-Day Announced .............................................. . . 126
H-Hcur Announced .............................................. . . . . 127
First Operation-First Phase, September 26-30, 1918 .................. . . . . 132
Second Phase, October 1-6, 1918 .................................. 189
Order of Battle, Second Phase ..................................... 199
Plan of Attack for East of Meuse ................................... . . 215
Third Phase, October 7-11, 1918; Order of Battle. ..................... . . 229
Preparatory Order for Fourth Phase ................................ . . . 251
Fourth Phase, October 12-16, 1918. ................................ . . . 255
Activation of American Second Army ............................... 257
Major General Hunter Liggett Assumes Command of American First Army . . 260
Fifth Phase, October 17-31, 1918 .................................. . . . . 286
Plan for Defense of Conquered Ground .............................. . . . . 288
Strength of Allied Air Force ....................................... . . . . 362
The Second Operation, November l-l 1, 1918 ........................ . . . . 365
Premature Announcement of Armistice ............................. . . . . 400
Armistice Signed ............................................... . . 411
Second Army Organization ....................................... . . . 415
D-Day for Second Army Attack .................................... . . 461
American Units Operating in Champagne Area ....................... . . . . 470
Annex-Translated German Documents ............................. . . . . 507

Maps

No.
112. Location of American Corps and Divisions, August 11, 1918 ..... 5
113. Concentration for Meuse-Argonne Operation .................. . . 67
114. Battle Instructions, September 16, 1918. ..................... . . 81
115. Plan of Attack of First Army ............................... . . 128
116. Combined Order of Battle, September 26, 1918, A.M. ........... . . . . . . 133
117. Ground Gained by First Army, September 26, 1918 ............ . . . . 139
118. Ground Gained by First Army, September 26-October 3, 1918. ... . . . . . 188
119. Plan of Attack, First Army, October 4, 19 18 .................. . . 211
120. Plan of Attack, East of Meuse .............................. . . . 217
121. Plan of Attack, American I Corps, October 7, 1918 ............. . . . . 234
122. Plan of Attack, American V Corps, October 9, 1918 ............ . . 242
123. Plan of Attack, American First Army, October 14, 1918 ......... 270
124. Ground Gained by First Army, October 3-31, 1918 ............. . . . . 363
125. Plan of Attack, American First Army, November 1-3, 1918 ...... 373
126. Movement of 1st Division, Toward Sedan. .................... 393
127. France-American Operations, September 12-November 11, 1918 . . 467
128. German Defensive Positions ............................... 508

ix
 Illustrations

Page
La Harazee---Fontaine-aux-Charmes Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Frontispiece
La Chalade-Vauquois Area ..................... . 10
Varennes-Eclisfontaine Area .................... . . . . . . . . . 19
Vauquois-Bois de Montfaucon Area .............. . . . . . . 32
Malancourt-Montfaucon Area ................... . . . . . 41
Bethincourt---Bois d’en-Dela Area. ............... . . . 49
Bois de Forges-Forges Area .................... . . . . . . . 59
Montblainville-Baulny Area .................... . . . . . . . 70
Dannevoux-Sivry-sur-Meuse Area. .............. . . . . . . 76
Montfaucon-Bois de Very Area .................. . . . . 85
Montfaucon-Gesnes Area ...................... . . . . . 89
Montfaucon-Cunel Area ....................... . . . . . . . 95
Montfaucon-Bois de Brieulles Area ............... . . . . 98
Montfaucon-Drillancourt Area .................. . . . 103
Montfaucon-Cuisy Area ....................... . 108
Montfaucon-Bois de Cuisy Area ................. . . 112
Bainarville-Bois de la Buironne ................. . . 118
Apremont-Montblainville Area .................. . 124
Eclisfontaine-Bois de Money Area ............... . . 131
Cornay-Bois de Cornay Area ................... . . . . . . . . 142
Baulny-Chatel-Chehery ........................ . 151
Cornay-Cote 240 (Montrefagne) Area ............. . . . 159
Gesnes-Bantheville Area ....................... . . . . 167
Forges---Brabant-sur-Meuse Area ................ . , . . 178
Bois de Brabant-Bois d’Haumont Area ............ . . . . . . 182
Grandpre-Marcq Area ......................... . . . . . . 190
Marcq-Champigneulle Area .................... . . . . . . . . . 196
Marcq---St-Juvin Area ......................... . . . . 204
Sommerance-Cote de Chatillon Area ............. . . . . . 214
Bois des Chenes-Bois de la Grande-Montagne Area . . . 224
Bois de Bourgogne-Bois des Loges Area. .......... . . . . . 230
Grandpre-Bois des Loges Area .................. . . . . . . . . . . 239
Cote 253---Landres-et-St-Georges Area ............ . . 248
Bois de Sassey-Bois de Chenois Area ............. . . 258
Brieulles-Bois de Chatillon Area ................. . . . . . . . 266
Remonville-Le Fey Bois Area ................... . . . . 277
Bois de Barricourt-Nouart Area ................. . . . . 284
Barricourt-Bar Area .......................... . . . . 293
Bar-Buzancy Area ............................ . . . . . . 298
Le Champy-Haut---Barricourt Area. .............. . . . . . . . 307
Sy-Bois du Mont-Dieu Area. .................... . . 315
Verrieres-Bois de Sy Area ...................... . . . . 324
Mont-Damion---Oches Area ..................... . . . . . . 332
Vaux-en-Dieulet---Bois de Belval Area ............ . . . . . 337
Le Chenois-Mouzay Area ...................... . . . . . . . . . . 344
Le Neuville-a-Maire---Maisoncelle Area ............ . . . . . . . . . 350
Beaumont-Bois du Fond-de-Limon Area. .......... . . . . . . . . 355
Letanne-Beaumont Area ....................... . . . . . . . . . . . 360
Sassey---Bois de Mont Area. .................... . . . . . . . . . 368

X
 Page

Bulson-Chaumont Area ................ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378

Foret de Woevre-Bois du Corrol Area. ..... . . . . . . . . . 387
Haraumont-Borne de Cornouiller Area. .... . . . . . . . . . . 396
Noyers-Sedan Area .................... . . . . . . . . . . . . 405
Autrecourt---Villers-devant-Mouzon Area ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413
Damloup-Bois de Grimaucourt Area. ...... . . . . 418
Moranville-Blanzee Area ................ . . . . . . . . . 427
Bois de Fresnes-Bois de Manheulles ....... . . . . . . . . . . 436
Haudiomont-Pintheville Area ............ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445
Vandieres-Vittonville Area .............. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451
Xon Hill---Bouxieres-sous-Froidmont Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 457
Eply-Bois de la Fourasse Area ........... . . . . . . 464
Sommepy---Blanc-Mont Area ............ . . . . . . . 471
St-Etienne---Blanc-Mont Area ............ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 474
Machault-Dricourt Area ................ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 477
Vaux-Attigny Area .................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 481
Mery-Roche Area ..................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 484
Ripont---Cernay-en-Dormois Area ......... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 490
Vieux-Ardeuil Area .................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . 496
Sechault-Bouconville Area .............. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 503
Vieux-Challerange Area ................ . . . . . . . . . . . . 505
Mouzon-Bois de Yoncq Area ............. . . . . . . . . 515
Moulins-Villemontry Area. .............. . . . . . . 525
Moulins-Bois de Hache Area ............. . . . . . . 534
Bois de Moulins-Bois d’Inor Area ......... . . . . . . . . . 543
Laneuville-Stenay Area. ................ . . . . . . . . . . . . . 550
Brandeville-Bois de Remoiville Area. ...... . . . . . . . . . . . . . 560
Bois de Jametz---Bois-Bas Area .......... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 569
Bois-Bas---Bois Demange Area ........... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 577
Etraye-Damvillers Area. ................ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 587
Flabas---Bois-Jure Area ................. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 596

xi
 Military Operations
of the
American Expeditionary Forces