Blanc Mont Ridge 1918: America's forgotten victory

97 Pages·17.015 MB·English

by  Romain Cansiere, Ed Gilbert

BLANC MONT
RIDGE 1918
America's forgotten victory
ROMAIN CANSIÈRE
ILLUSTRATED BY GRAHAM TURNER
& ED GILBERT
CAMPAIGN 323
BLANC MONT
RIDGE 1918
America’s forgotten victory
ROMAIN CANSIÈRE AND ILLUSTRATED BY GRAHAM TURNER
ED GILBERT Series Editor Marcus Cowper
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 5
The strategic situation and political maneuvering
CHRONOLOGY 9
OPPOSING COMMANDERS 11
Allied commanders German commanders
n
OPPOSING FORCES 14
American forces French forces German forces Order of battle
n n n
OPPOSING PLANS 27
The German Defensive Plan The Allied Defensive Plan
n
THE OFFENSIVE 33
Tuesday, October 1 Wednesday, October 2 Thursday, October 3 Friday, October 4
n n n
Saturday, October 5 Sunday, October 6 Monday, October 7 Tuesday, October 8, 142nd Infantry front
n n n
Tuesday, October 8, 141st Infantry front Wednesday, October 9 Thursday, October 10
n n
The arrival of the 72nd Brigade Friday, October 11 Saturday, October 12 Sunday, October 13 to
n n n
Saturday, October 26 Sunday, October 27 to Tuesday, October 29
n
THE AFTERMATH 90
THE BATTLEFIELD TODAY 93
SUGGESTED READING 94
INDEX 95
The Western Front and Allied Plan, September 1918
nz
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bl
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Rhine XXX EMBUR XXXX XXXX B
XX TT A
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Köln WÜ
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XX XX
g XX 7eFR To be able to say when this war is finished, I belonged to the 2nd Division,
bour 19 Moselle I fought with it at the battle of Blanc Mont Ridge, will be the highest honor
Liège Spa XXXXX GALLWITZ Luxem XXXX C Metz St. Mihiel Nancy XXXX8eesFRueM XXXXX GAE tMTwhhoaaertj socatra f-dtnGea rceynon oomefor eatn hl t eoJoo fea hntnnhtyi erA me4. watLhnae .jro.efu nOe,c tUoSbMer,C 1918, was by far the bloodiest and
Bruges GhentXXXXXXXX4BELGIAN3XXXXXXXXXXeserpYdsBrusselslyeLhcXXXXS/tSeconduaRUPPRECHTGAFcBRsEelliLXXXXXXXXXXXXXFiftherbm6aSBRBOEHNMonsNamurXXXXXXXXXXXXXValenciennes17FirstMaubeugeBRArrasBEFXXXXAulnoyeCambraiXXXXXd2ThirdrSXXXXooNBRm um2edKRONPRINZ laXXXXnaXXXXCHirson184FourthAmiensBRSt. QuentinSt. Quentin CanalMézièresXXXXXXXX1re7XXXXFRXXXX13LaonXXXXXXXXX5ensiAGrandpréMontfauconSoissonsSomme-PyGARXXXX110eReimsFResVerduniO XXXXXXXX4e5eFRFRXXXXFirstParisUS MarneSeine XXXXX GAC Front line, July 18 1918Front line, September 26 1918 1. French/US attack, September 26 191850 miles2. British attack, September 27 19183. French/Belgian/British attack, September 28 191850km4. British attack, September 29 1918 MAtOomv arejeeorrt rircc eLeaannetrt auoinrrymit eoPss. oiHmnb uatshncnuety, r Gi1btrsyaet.t a tBItlna eWst t taaharlrei eo oA nfl o,l1 ls5i9ett1 dht4 oH–M 1mua8nre tidmnoreooeskdr,y bUD, aSbarMeuylstyC oOmnfoefre eno stfh ivtahen e o aff ed 1aet9csa1 do8ef, Awtoma tshe arei cmwaaanjr oe-wrn metrayor ryina Flteroe btnhoceoh sw. t ar
n
ue Here an American soldier is
o
R N greeted by a French “Marianne”
0 0 and the ghost of Admiral
Rochambeau. (NARA)
The Western Front and Allied Plan, September 1918
INTRODUCTION
To be able to say when this war is finished, I belonged to the 2nd Division,
I fought with it at the battle of Blanc Mont Ridge, will be the highest honor
that can come to any man.
Major-General John A. Lejeune, USMC
The afternoon of the 4th of October, 1918, was by far the bloodiest and
worst day of the entire war.
Major Leroy P. Hunt, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, USMC
Over centuries many battles are lost to memory, but one of the feats of
American arms in the Great War of 1914–18 took barely more than a decade
to retreat into obscurity. In the Allied Hundred Days Offensive of 1918,
American entry into the war
was a major morale boost
to the war-weary French.
Here an American soldier is
greeted by a French “Marianne”
and the ghost of Admiral
Rochambeau. (NARA)
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two American divisions smashed through some of the strongest defenses on
the Western Front, an achievement now largely forgotten. The reasons are
several. The Americans were under command of the French 4e Armée, and
were administrative “orphans.” The American Expeditionary Force (AEF)
considered the battle a sideshow to the larger Meuse–Argonne offensive. In
the history of the US Marine Corps, Blanc Mont has been overshadowed by
the June 1918 battle of Belleau Wood (Osprey Campaign Series 177 Château-
Thierry and Belleau Wood, America’s Baptism of Fire on the Marne). The
battle was the subject of professional military literature, but by 1930 it had
virtually disappeared.
This account focuses upon the two American divisions involved, and
particularly the 2nd Division. The rivalry between the Army soldiers of
the Division’s 3rd Brigade and the Marines of the 4th (Marine) Brigade
transformed the 2nd Division into one of the most ferocious Allied divisions
on the Western Front. French accounts of the battle are largely limited to
official unit records, lacking in first-person accounts. German records are
even more limited, since many were destroyed in the chaos of World War
II. Fortunately a detailed account is preserved in the work of Colonel Ernst
Otto, published in 1930.
THE STRATEGIC SITUATION AND POLITICAL
MANEUVERING
The low hills on the northeastern margin of the Paris Basin dominate
the terrain to the south, and the city of Reims. The Germans seized the
hills in 1914. In September and October 1915 the French conducted a
The welcome from French
counteroffensive that was bloodily repulsed, and both sides settled into a
citizens was equally
enthusiastic. (USMC-HD) static front.
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The German high command realized that the entry of the United States
into the war would alter the strategic balance, and launched a series of
summer 1918 offensives in an attempt to decide the war before the weight
of the Americans could be felt. Russia had fallen to revolution, freeing up
huge numbers of German troops. The July offensives in the Marne and
Champagne regions were preliminaries to a “mighty blow” in Flanders that
would force the British to enter peace negotiations. The early offensives made
large gains in the west and central sectors of the front, but the German
Army had shot its bolt. The July 15–17 Friedensturm (peace offensive) east
of Reims made minor gains, and did not break through the French defenses
at any point. The summer offensives consumed German reserves; henceforth
Germany would fight a defensive war.
West of the Ardennes the Germans were prepared to withdraw across a
broad front, a plan designed to preserve Germany’s territorial integrity in
anticipation of a negotiated settlement. In northwestern France, the Germans
could fall back along a dense network of roads and railroads (shown as dashed
lines in the map on page 4) into Belgium. In the east the withdrawal zone
was shallower, with few rail lines. The railroad junction at Mézières (modern
Charleville-Mézières) was particularly important. Loss of the east–west heavy-
duty railroad through Metz–Longuyon–Sedan–Mézières would nullify the
German ability to move troops quickly to threatened sectors of the front. The
loss of Mézières would hamper any retreat, and in the hands of the Allies
would threaten an Allied advance through Luxembourg and Metz, and an
unthinkable invasion of southern Germany.
Kronprinz Wilhelm, commander of Heeresgruppe Deutscher Kronprinz
retained final power of decision about the extent and timing of any withdrawal.
His orders were that “Each retreat movement will be utilized to inflict
heavy enemy losses wherever possible, even by counterattacks of the most
unimportant nature. Only by following this method will it be possible to guard
the troops against the moral dangers of retreat and hold them firmly in hand.”
American General John J. “Black Jack” Pershing had refused to commit
American troops piecemeal. (Pershing’s nickname came from his earlier
command of the 10th Cavalry’s black “buffalo soldiers.”) Now the AEF
consisted of a field army of 38 infantry divisions and four tank regiments, plus
two separate tank battalions. Pershing was determined to restore mobility to the
battlefield, but previous efforts had been thwarted by difficulties with logistics
and communications. Logistical transport was mostly by train or horse-drawn
wagons, and shell-torn terrain stymied attempts to advance more than a few
miles when the enemy front was penetrated. Tactical communications were by
couriers, pigeons, or field telephones, and the ability of senior commanders to
control – or even locate – advancing units broke down.
The American First Army would be part of the Hundred Days Offensive,
designed as a knockout blow delivered simultaneously across the entire
Western Front to overwhelm Germany’s dwindling resources. Maréchal
Pétain’s plan for the Metz–Verdun–Reims region depended heavily upon
surprise. The impression was created that the Americans would extend their
lines eastward into the Vosges Mountains. Troop movements took place
under cover of darkness.
On August 30, Maréchal Foch outlined the plan to Pershing; he considered
the St. Mihiel operation (September 12–15; Osprey Campaign Series 238, St.
Mihiel 1918) merely a preliminary. The plan was objectionable to Pershing
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because it scattered American troops, but
Pershing’s plan to concentrate American
forces would mean that providing corps-
level artillery, air support, and logistics
would be a burden upon the French. An
agreement was reached that the Americans
would be in a sector defined by the Meuse
River on the right, and supported by 4e
Armée on the left. Foch ordered that an
offensive “will be prepared without delay,
to be delivered between the 20th and 25th
of September.”
The Americans would drive through the
The Blanc Mont front remained Argonne Forest, while the main French and British objective would be to
static for years, with plenty of push back enemy gains of the past summer. East of Reims the Allies would
time to carve souvenirs from advance to the Aisne River to avoid formation of a German salient.
the soft stone. (Author’s picture,
The crucial sector lay around Blanc Mont. This position threatened the
artifact in Sommepy-Tahure
Franco-American Museum) Allied communications and transportation nexus at Reims 22 miles (35km)
to the west, and the Paris–Metz Highway (approximately the modern French
A4) where it swung north to pass through Reims. Defense of this highway
had resulted in heavy fighting at Château Thierry and Belleau Wood in mid-
1918. The French 4e Armée would be tasked with eliminating Blanc Mont,
but morale among French troops was low. On September 16, Général Pétain
requested the loan of American troops to serve as a spearhead. Pershing’s
original plan was to provide two untested divisions, but he eventually
provided the veteran 2nd and the untested 36th divisions.
On September 21, Marine Corps Major-General John Lejeune of
the 2nd Division was summoned to Général Henri Gouraud’s 4e Armée
headquarters. Lejeune was impressed by Gouraud, but learned through the
staff officer grapevine that Gouraud’s plan included possibly breaking up
the 2nd Division to use his men as replacements. Lejeune demanded another
audience and Gouraud carefully laid out the situation. The Americans were
stalled in the Argonne, and the Germans were resolutely holding the Blanc
Mont position. Between September 26 and September 30 the French pushed
the Germans back, but the offensive stalled at the base of the Blanc Mont
heights. French soldiers had come to think of Blanc Mont as impregnable.
Lejeune promised, “General, if the 2d Division is kept together as a unit
and is allowed to attack on a narrow front, I am confident that it can take
Blanc Mont Ridge by a single assault.” Gouraud replied that Maréchal Foch
and Pétain would make the final decision; Lejeune had been outmaneuvered
in the arcane political realm. On September 23 Pétain transferred the two
American divisions to Gouraud’s command. On September 29 the 4th
(Marine) Brigade was ordered to Suippes, a day’s march south of the Somme-
Py1 gateway to Blanc Mont, as the vanguard of the 2nd Division.
On October 1 the division was assigned to Général Stanislas Naulin’s 21e
Corps d’Armée. Naulin and his staff were familiar to the Americans from
service in the Château Thierry sector, but the situation was confused as the
2nd Division’s 3rd Brigade subsequently arrived in the line.
1 Called Somme-Py, the name can be found written as a single word, Sommepy. In 1950, the name was changed to Sommepy-
Tahure, in remembrance of the neighboring village of Tahure, destroyed during the Great War and never reconstructed. Here
Somme-Py is used, except in direct quotations.
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CHRONOLOGY
September 2, 1914 The Germans capture villages south of the Aisne including Machault, St.
Etienne-à-Arnes, Somme-Py and the Blanc Mont Ridge, and threaten the
Paris–Metz highway. On September 19 the last residents of Somme-Py are
forcibly removed as the Germans advance.
December 10, 1914 to January 9, 1915 First French offensive in Champagne. The front extends from St. Hilaire-le-
Grand eastward to Perthes-les-Hurlus, some 7½ miles (12km) south of Blanc
Mont. The primary objective is Somme-Py. The offensive bogs down and is
renewed on February 16, 1915 but fails again and is finally stopped by March
17, 1915. Gains are few.
September 25 to October 7, 1915 A second French offensive in Champagne is launched to relieve the Russian
Front and recapture some lost ground. The French recapture Navarin Farm
and Tahure, about 5 miles (7km) south of Blanc Mont.
October 1915 to July 1918 The Blanc Mont front is static. The Germans construct some of the strongest
defenses on the Western Front.
July 15, 1918 The Friedensturm is the last great German attack south into the local plain.
The Kaiser and Quartermaster-General of the General Staff Ludendorff come
to Blanc Mont to observe the attack. Forewarned, the French evacuate their
first line, leaving only outposts to slow the attackers. The next day the French
recapture the lost ground. The Germans lose 40,000 men, with no significant
gains.
September 16 Maréchal Henri Philippe Pétain requests the loan of two American divisions to
the French 4e Armée, to attack Blanc Mont. American General John Pershing
agrees to the temporary loan of two divisions.
September 21 French Général Henri Gouraud implicitly threatens to break up the American
2nd Division, tricks Marine Corps Major-General John Lejeune into
promising that his division can break the Blanc Mont line. Gouraud knows
that the Germans will tenaciously defend Blanc Mont, crucial to the entire
front east of the Ardennes Forest.
September 26 The Americans commence their Meuse–Argonne offensive.
September 26 to October 1 Dogged French attacks quickly drive the Germans back onto the Blanc Mont
positions. On September 28, Somme-Py, the gateway to the Blanc Mont
position, is recaptured by the French, but the attack stalls at the base of Blanc
Mont Ridge.
October 3 The American 2nd Division launches its attack on Blanc Mont and reaches
its first objective by early afternoon. The American left is exposed, the French
being unable to progress.
October 4–6 The 2nd Division holds against German counterattacks. The Germans already
surmise that Blanc Mont is lost, and are fighting to cover a general retreat.
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October 6–7 A brigade from the inexperienced 36th Division relieves most of the 2nd
Division.
October 8 Aided by French tanks, the 36th Division’s 71st Brigade resumes the attack,
amid heavy fighting for the village of St. Etienne and the adjacent cemetery.
October 9 The 71st Brigade advance is stalled by German resistance, but the flanking
French divisions make significant gains. The 36th Division’s 72nd Brigade
comes on line.
October 10 The 36th Division holds in place, but the Germans have initiated the Gudrun
Operation to withdraw to the Aisne River.
October 11 The 36th Division resumes the attack, meeting little resistance from the
retreating enemy. The capture of the village of Machault, a German
transportation center, unhinges another line of resistance.
October 12 On the Allied right the French 73e Division d’Infanterie reaches the Aisne,
and French cavalry patrols screen the advancing 72nd Brigade. Efforts to push
patrols onto the north bank meet heavy resistance, and the Germans have
destroyed all river crossings.
October 13–26 The Allies consolidate positions south of the Aisne. The Germans still hold the
Forest Ferme, high ground in a broad loop of the Aisne, their sole remaining
position on the south bank.
October 27 The 36th Division captures the Forest Ferme.
October 29 The last units of the 36th Division move out of the line and into rest camps.
The front remains stable as the French prepare to force a crossing of the Aisne.
November 11 The Armistice goes into effect, ending the war.
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