VERDUN AND THE ARGONNE IN 1918
During the winter 1917-1918 the Verdun-Argonne front remained quiet, but the year 1918 opened with ill omens.
Russia gave in and Rumania, left to struggle alone, was forced to terms.
After the straightening out of the Château-Thierry and Amiens salients (July-August 1918).
The General Attack (October-November 1918.)
The Germans reckoned in 1918 to make an end of the Allies. They attacked successively in Picardy, on the Chemin des Dames, in front of Compiègne in Champagne. But whenever these attacks succeeded in driving small salients in the line, the front was at once reunited and the enemy fell short of victory. On July 18th, a decisive move was reached when the Allies in their turn took the initiative.
After the counter-attack of July, which drove the Germans from the Marne to the Vesle, the battle shifted to the flanks. Offensive followed offensive with unfailing regularity, first on the left (the Franco-British offensive of August 8th), then in Artois (the offensive of August 20th) and lastly against the whole of the Hindenburg line which the Allies attacked on September 1st.
The Kaiser and the Crown Prince at a review.
The straightening of the Saint-Mihiel Salient.
Franco-American offensive (September 1918).
The Germans were already greatly shaken but Marshal Foch gave them no respite, and to prevent their recovery he redoubled his attacks.
Clearing the Argonne and Verdun.
Franco-American offensive (September-October 1918).
Three simultaneous offensives were envisaged, on the left wing, in Flanders, the combined Belgian, French and British Armies under King Albert; in the centre the 3rd and 4th British Armies and the 1st French Army; on the right wing, in Champagne and in Argonne, the 4th French Army (Gouraud) and the 1st American Army (Pershing).
The Franco-American offensive of September 26th, 1918.
As a prelude to taking its place in the line for the great offensive, the American Army had already fought the brilliant action of September 12th-14th which reduced the Saint-Mihiel salient.
On September 26th, at the same time as the 4th French Army (General Gouraud) attacked the enemy in Champagne, the American Army under the command of General Pershing, took the offensive between the Argonne and the Meuse.
The artillery preparation was terrific but of short duration, lasting only three hours.
At 5.30 a.m. the Americans furiously assaulted the strong German positions on the left bank of the Meuse and captured the whole line from Avocourt to Forges right away. The artillery, keeping in close support, cleared the stream of Forges during the morning.
The woods which were strongly held were also cleared and by midday the Americans reached the south of Montfaucon.
During the afternoon a stubborn encounter took place on the positions covering Montfaucon, a formidable peak and the most valuable enemy observation post in the neighbourhood of Verdun.
The Americans wisely outflanked the peak on the right and advanced to Septsarges, so that by nightfall Montfaucon was encircled.
On the 27th and 28th, the advance was slower and continued westerly in spite of enemy counter-attacks; Montfaucon was captured.
The American spoils included 8,000 prisoners and 100 guns.
On October 4th, Pershing launched an attack on his whole army front. But the enemy stiffened their resistance by bringing up numerous reinforcements. On the right bank of the Meuse, the 17th French Army Corps (Claudel) and two American Divisions were then brought into the fray, reaching and quickly passing the famous line from which the Crown Prince, in February 1916, had launched his attack upon Verdun.
On October 14th a general attack was launched.
The Germans resisted desperately but could not regain any advantage. Their resources were diminishing and battalions were withdrawn to be hastily reorganised in rear and then put in the line again at once.
Round Grandpré a furious fight raged.
By the end of October the Germans had lost, on the two banks of the Meuse, since September 26th, 20,000 prisoners, 150 guns, 1,000 trench mortars, and 6,000 machine guns.
November 1st-11th 1918.
In the North, the Belgians had just cleared their coast-line, and were menacing the enemy by an advance into the very heart of Belgium. The British had occupied Lille and broken down the defences of the Hindenburg Line. Meanwhile, the French, relentlessly driving back the retreating enemy, had entered Laon, after forcing the formidable bastion of the Saint-Gobain Forest.
On November 1st, a new offensive was opened up by Gouraud's Army and the 1st American Army, resulting in a gain of several kilometres. The enemy fell back on the great Sedan-Metz highway, the approaches to which they wanted to defend at all cost.
On November 4th, the 3rd American Corps reached the Meuse between Mouzon and Stenay.
The Germans withdrew on the right bank.
On the 8th, the French entered Sedan and, on the 9th, Mézières.
On the 10th, the enemy was driven back on the extreme right, to the foot of the Meuse Heights and South of Stenay by the 17th French Army Corps.
On November 11th, with the threat of a fresh offensive in Lorraine, the Germans surrendered in open country to save themselves from complete destruction.
The valley of the Meuse to the south of Consenvoye.
A French photograph used in the preparation of the American offensive on the banks of the Meuse in September 1918.
The barbed-wire entanglements and trenches are plainly indicated.
THE FINAL ALLIED OFFENSIVE FROM JULY 15TH 1918 TO NOVEMBER 2ND, 1918
Nine days before the German capitulation in open country on November 11th 1918.
This sketch represents a set of maps scale 1/200,000 on which the Staff-major of the 20th Corps used to trace the line each day.
By strengthening the two lines of July 15th and November 2nd, which are accurately reproduced, and by adding a few lines inside and the point of the helmet, a draughtsman of the Staff-major obtained this curious figure of Germany brought to her knees.
From the plan one can easily recognise the salients of Ypres and Arras, the indentation of Montdidier, and that of Château-Thierry intersecting the Vesle, the salients of Reims and Verdun and the break through at Saint-Mihiel.
In 1919, Rue De La Belle-Vierge, near the Cathedral.