Meuse–Argonne offensive
The Meuse–Argonne offensive (also known as the Meuse River–Argonne Forest offensive, the Battles of the Meuse–Argonne, and the Meuse–Argonne campaign) was a major part of the final Allied offensive of World War I that stretched along the entire Western Front. It was fought from September 26, 1918, until the Armistice of November 11, 1918, a total of 47 days. The Meuse–Argonne offensive was the largest in United States military history, involving 1.2 million French, Siamese, and American soldiers. It is also the deadliest campaign in the history of the United States Army, resulting in over 350,000 casualties, including 28,000 German lives, 26,277 American lives and an unknown number of French lives. American losses were worsened by the inexperience of many of the troops, the tactics used during the early phases of the operation and the widespread onset of the global influenza outbreak called the "Spanish flu."
| Meuse–Argonne offensive | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Western Front and Hundred Days Offensive of World War I | |||||||||
An American gun crew from Regimental Headquarters Company, 23rd Infantry, 2nd Division, firing a 37mm gun during an advance against German entrenched positions. | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
|
France United States Siam | Germany | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
Ferdinand Foch Paul Maistre John J. Pershing Henri Gouraud Henri Berthelot Hunter Liggett Robert Bullard |
Paul von Hindenburg Erich Ludendorff Wilhelm of Prussia Max von Gallwitz Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg | ||||||||
| Units involved | |||||||||
| Siamese Expeditionary Forces |
Army Group German Crown Prince Army Group Gallwitz Army Group Duke Albrecht | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
|
: 1,200,000 personnel 380 tanks 840 planes 2,780 artillery pieces : 850 personnel | 450,000 personnel | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
|
Total: 192,000 : 122,063 26,277 killed 95,786 wounded : 70,000 casualties : 19 dead |
Total: c. 126,000 28,000 dead 42,000 wounded 26,000 POWs taken by Americans 30,000 POWs taken by French 874 artillery pieces captured by both | ||||||||
Meuse-Argonne American Memorial Location within France | |||||||||
The offensive was the principal engagement of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) in World War I. It was one of a series of Allied attacks, known as the Hundred Days Offensive, which brought the war to an end. It was the largest and bloodiest operation of World War I for the AEF even though, given the scale of other battles on the Western Front, its size was limited and the operation itself secondary, being far from the main offensive axis.