Booklet, Landscaped the Grounds and Meuse-Argonne Battle

^t. <iHttrtel JXmmcart Cemetery nxxb (JHemortal The American Battle Monuments Commission 1986 Chapel Interior 2 ^American Cemetery nnh ^emnrtal LOCATION Woevre exit. From the village of The St. Mihiel American Cemetery Fresnes-en-Woevre, follow directions and Memorial is situated at the west to Pont-a-Mousson (14 miles/22 km ) edge of Thiaucourt, Meurthe-et-Mo- to the cemetery. The cemetery may selle, France. The road from Verdun also be reached by train (Gare de l'Est) (29 miles/47 km ), through Fresnes- to Thiaucourt. Taxicab service is en-Woevre, passes the entrance to the available at Thiaucourt. Hotels are cemetery and continues on to Pont-a- available in Pont-a-Mousson, Metz, Mousson and Nancy (29 miles/47 Nancy and Verdun. By calling the km ). The cemetery may be reached Superintendent or a member of his from Paris by automobile (188 miles/ staff at 381-90-06, assistance will be 300 km ) via Autoroute A-3, from the provided to obtain hotel reservations Porte de Bercy, to the Fresnes-en- or taxi service. Entrance Gate 3 Location of Cemetery Features HOURS front were optimistic concerning a successful conclusion of the war in The cemetery is open to the public 1917. Except for the loss of Rumania, daily as shown below: events during 1916 had appeared to be SUMMER (16 March-30 September) working in favor of the Allies, who 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. — weekdays had numerical superiority on all 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. — Saturdays, fronts. Sundays and holidays As if to reinforce Allied optimism, WINTER (1 October-15 March) the Germans on the western front 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. — weekdays began withdrawing some of their 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. — Saturdays, forces north of Paris to prepared posi Sundays and holidays tions approximately 20 miles to the When the cemetery is open to the rear that could be held by fewer divi public, a staff member is on duty in sions. These defensive positions were the Visitors' Building to answer ques later to be known as the Hindenburg Line. The Russian Revolution broke tions and escort relatives to grave and out while the German withdrawal memorial sites (except between noon north of Paris was still in progress. and 3:00 p.m. on weekends and holi The revolution delivered a serious days). blow to Allied plans, as the Russian Army had been counted upon heavily HISTORY to keep German troops occupied on Toward the end of 1916, French and the eastern front. Although the Rus British commanders on the western sian Army did not collapse immedi- 4 Aerial View of Cemetery ately, it was apparent that it soon between Germany and Russia was not would do so. signed until March 1918, the Germans On 6 April 1917, the United States began moving divisions from Russia entered World War I with no modern to France as early as November 1917, equipment and less than 200,000 men in an attempt to end the war before under arms scattered from the Mexi sufficient American troops could be can Border to China and the Philip brought into action to affect the out pines. It would take longer for the come of the war. United States to mobilize, train, ship As a consequence, the beginning of troops to France and equip and pre 1918 looked far worse for the Allies pare them for combat than for the than the beginning of 1917. To take Russian Army to disintegrate. Despite advantage of the troops that had been this realization, the French and British moved to France from the eastern Armies began the offensives that had front, the Germans launched a series been planned on the western front of five powerful offensives on 21 prior to the Russian Revolution in March 1918. The first two offensives March. The initial British assault be caused considerable concern among gan on 9 April. It was followed by a the Allies who vehemently contended French offensive on 16 April. that if American soldiers were not Quickly, the French offensive turned sent immediately as replacements to into a disaster leaving the British fill the depleted ranks of their units, Army to shoulder the main burden of the war would be lost. General Persh the war on the western front, until ing, Commander-in-Chief of the French forces could reorganize and re American Expeditionary Forces, cuperate. On the eastern front, the refused to allow his men to be used Russians started to attack but were piecemeal and in a surprisingly short promptly driven back. Shortly there time organized, trained and equipped after, an assault by the Germans in them into effective fighting units. the north caused the Russians to seek When the French Army found itself in an armistice. Although the treaty desperate need of assistance during 5 the third and fifth German drives, munitions. Offensively, it interrupted General Pershing quickly offered French rail communications and con American troop units to halt the ad stituted a constant threat against vancing enemy. Verdun and Nancy. Reduction of the The outstanding achievements of salient was imperative before any these U.S. troop units are recorded at large Allied offensive could be the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery launched against Briey and Metz or and Memorial and at the Chateau- northward between the Meuse River Thierry Monument. When the last and Argonne Forest. At the confer great German offensive commenced ence, General Pershing insisted that on 15 July east of Chateau-Thierry, it the attack be a United States Army was promptly repulsed in a severe operation with its own sector, under struggle in which American troop the separate and independent control units played a leading part. Quickly, of the American Commander-in- a U.S.-French counteroffensive was Chief. When the decision was made, launched on 18 July at Soissons. The there were over 1,200,000 American highly successful three-week battle soldiers in U.S. troop units widely that followed, known officially as the scattered throughout France, either "Aisne-Marne Offensive" but called serving with French or British Armies the "Second Battle of the Marne" by or training in rear areas. In view of Marshal Foch, marked the turning the splendid record that so many of point of the war. the U.S. units had already achieved in Determined to keep the enemy on combat, the Allies were forced to the defensive, the Allied Com agree that a separate U.S. Army manders-in-Chief, at a conference on should be formed, although they re 24 July, planned a series of strong, of quested that U.S. divisions continue fensive operations to maintain the ini to be permitted to fight with their tiative and give the enemy no respite armies. or opportunity to reorganize. Follow The order creating the United Sta ing completion of the Aisne-Marne tes First Army became effective on 10 Offensive, the British, assisted by the August 1918; on 30 August, the U.S. French, were given the mission of First Army took over the St. Mihiel conducting an offensive in the Amiens sector. After a series of conferences, sector where the enemy had made the Allies agreed that the St. Mihiel such great gains in March and April. attack should be limited to a reduc At this conference, General Persh tion of the salient, following which ing chose the St. Mihiel sector for an the U.S. First Army would undertake American offensive. The objective of a larger scale offensive on the front the offensive was a salient projecting between the Meuse River and the 16 miles into the Allied line. Roughly Argonne Forest. With the attack at St. shaped like a triangle, the salient ran Mihiel scheduled for 12 September, from Verdun on the north, south to this would require winning an ex St. Mihiel and then east to Pont-a- traordinarily swift victory there, then Mousson on the Moselle River. It was concentrating an enormous force to bordered by a line of hills known as launch a still greater operation 40 the Heights of the Meuse and a succes miles away, within just two weeks. sion of marshes and lakes situated Never before on the western front had across deep ravines and dense forests. a single army attempted such a In addition to its natural defensive ad colossal task. vantages, the salient protected the At 0500 hours, 12 September 1918, strategic rail center of Metz and the following a four-hour bombardment Briey iron basin so vital to the Ger by heavy artillery, the U.S. I and IV mans as a source of raw material for Corps composed of nine U.S. divi- 6 The Sundial and Surrounding Gardens at the Center of the Cemetery sions, began the main assault against SITE the southern face of the salient, while the French II Colonial Corps made a The cemetery, 40Vi acres in extent, is holding attack to the south and located almost at the center of the around the tip of the salient. A sec salient where the majority of the 4,153 ondary assault by the U.S. V Corps military Dead buried there gave their was made three hours later against the lives. The cemetery was first estab western face of the salient. Reports lished as a temporary cemetery by the were soon received that the enemy American Graves Registration Serv was retreating. That evening, the or ice following the offensive in 1918. der was issued for U.S. troops to press After the war, the other temporary ce forward with all possible speed.

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