Ok WWI History buffs I need your help!

[Ice]

I am researching a paper on the Battle of the Argonne Forest during WWI. My question is this the same as the Meuse-Argonne Offensive? I ask because I am finding info on only the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Thanks

*I am posting this in both the frontroom and monestary to get quick answers (Paper due tommorow, doh!). Please, don't close either. Please. Thanks. :balloon2: *

[Kaiser of Arabia]

Argonne Forest was the battle where the one marine battallion held off God-knows how many Germans, right?

If so, ti was part of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. The Offensive was a campaign, not a battle. So yeah.

[Ice]

Argonne Forest was the battle where the one marine battallion held off God-knows how many Germans, right?

If so, ti was part of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. The Offensive was a campaign, not a battle. So yeah.

Yeah I figured this, and yes, it was the battle where around 800 men held off the Germans.

[Kaiser of Arabia]

Watch the Lost Battallion. It's not that accurate but it's a good film on it.

[Proletariat]

Did you finish your paper on time, ghost?

[Ice]

@Kaiser- I've seen it. Actually, it's why I choose this battle... I loved the movie.

@Proletariat- I did. Took me about 4 hours to write, criique, and proofread 4 pages. Not a huge assignment.

[Kurando]

If you're finished why not post the paper here at das org ghost908?

I wouldn't mind giving it a read.

[Ice]

Alright, but it truly isnt anything special:

Battle of the Argonne Forest
The Battle of the Argonne Forest, also called the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, was the final push by allied forces in World War I. The battle lasted from September 26, 1918 till November 11th, 1918 and would result in the defeat of the German Army. The Germans suffered 126,000 casualties while the Americans suffered 122,066 with 26,277 men killed and 95,786 men wounded. This battle was the largest one that American troops fought in the entire war (Wikipedia 1).
The United States forces were made up of ten divisions, commanded by General John J. Pershing. Col. George Marshall planned the strategy for the Americans. The American ten divisions battled around forty German divisions under the command of General Georg von der Marwitz. The objection of the battle was to take the railroad hub at Sedan, and cut off support for German armies in the southeastern sector of the Western Front. This was to be accomplished in a series of steps. (Wikipedia 1)
For this operation to be a success, huge amounts of men, animals, and equipment were necessary. All t his had to be moved to the front. It was an extremely difficult task moving 800,000 troops alone, but with equipment it was near impossible(World War I 1). To add to this difficulty, there were only three main roads that could be used, and all three were in extremely bad shape due to deep ruts. (Bosco 113). Nevertheless, American troops were in position as scheduled. On September 25th, the day before the battle was to start, American troops waited silently. It was raining softly. One private said “it was as though the heavens were weeping over the sacrifice of so many lives that were so soon to be made” (Bosco 115). The Americans were about to find out just how much the Germans had prepared for this inevitable attack. For four years, the Germans had been fortifying the already tough Argonne Forest. Steel, barbed wire, and machine gun posts lined the forest.
The first phase of the battle began at 5:30 am on September 26th, following the three-hour 2,700 gun bombardment (Bosco 115). The Americans progressed rapidly the first two days advancing 11 kilometers. (Wikipedia 1) After this though, they started to bog down and progress very slowly. At the end of September the US advance grinded to a halt. At this time though, more veteran American divisions were fighting. American soldiers fought hard and moved up inch by inch, crawling through barbed wire and dodging spear traps that German soldiers had prepared for them. In this first phase, the Americans captured the villages of Montfaucon, Exermont, Gercourt, Cuisy, Septsarges, Malancourt, Epinonville, Charpentry, and Very. (Weaver 1) They also took ten thousand German prisoners. Keeping the troops supplied became a large problem. As the Americans advanced, they left behind a large no man’s land. Roads would have to be built if the Americans were to be successful. This gave the Germans time to rush new divisions to the area and better prepare themselves for the next American onslaught.
As this was happening, the Seventy-seventh, commanded by Maj. Charles Wittlesey, pushed about a half mile ahead of the rest of American forces into a small valley with steep banks on October 1st. The Germans quickly surrounded the men. Wittlesey, seeing this, radioed for reinforcements, but only a company made it to his position. By the morning of October 2nd, all six hundred men were completely surrounded. For days, they fought off continuous counter-attacks and refused to surrender to the Germans. They were even shelled by their own artillery. On October 8th, when three companies of the 307th Infantry finally came to their aid, only 194 men remained. They become known as the Lost Battalion and many of the men became highly decorated. (Bosco 116-118).
The Second phase of the battle began on October 4th. The Americans launched an attack on twenty German lines and reserve positions. (Wikipedia 1). The Americans suffered many casualties and suffered from exhaustion, but nevertheless, continued to push forward. Chatel-Chehery was captured on October 7th and Fleville was captured on the 9th. Brieulles and Cunel were also reached soon after. (Weaver 1) By the October 14th, the Americans had reached and crossed portions of the Hindenburg Line. (Wikipedia 2).
On October 28th, the third and final stage of the offensive began. This broke the American forces into two parts. The first led by Gernal Liggett, would advanced to the Carignan-Sedan-Mezeieres Railroad. The second led by Lt. General Robert L. Bullard, was ordered to move eastward towards Mertz. Both armies faced a combined thirty one divisions of German men. Americans adjusted their lines, as they pushed forwards, to allow France to recapture Sedan, which they had lost in the Franco-Prussian war. To better complete their objectives, both the Germans and Americans used aircraft extensively for reconnaissance and daylight bombing. The offensive ended when the Germans surrendered and signed an armistice on November 11th, effectively ending World War I. A combined 248,066 American and German men had either been killed or wounded. (Wikipedia 1).
The Battle of the Argonne forest was one of the most important battles in World War I. It was the final thorn in the Germans sided and successfully ended the war. Victory came at a high cost for the Americans, though. This was the most lethal and bloody battle in American history.

[Kurando]

Not bad amigo + I hope you get a good grade!

[Ice]

Not bad amigo + I hope you get a good grade!

Thanks, I got an A- on the presentation of the paper. He said it was excellent, I just forgot to use my visual aid. Doh! :sweatdrop: