- Date:
- September 12, 1918 - September 16, 1918
- Location:
- France
- Saint-Mihiel
- Participants:
- France
- Germany
- United States
- Context:
- World War I
Battle of Saint-Mihiel
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What was the Battle of Saint-Mihiel?
The Battle of Saint-Mihiel, an Allied victory on the Western Front during World War I, took place from September 12–16, 1918. It was the first U.S.-led offensive, allowing the American Expeditionary Forces to fight en masse under their command rather than French generals.
Spearheaded by Gen. John Pershing, the attack aimed to eliminate the Saint-Mihiel salient, a bulge in the Verdun line. George Patton led tank assaults from the front, while the U.S. Army Air Service, under William "Billy" Mitchell, delivered coordinated bombing runs. The Americans successfully met up with Allied troops advancing from the west by September 13. The offensive halted three days later, with the salient in Allied hands. The battle, though won through determination and numbers, demonstrated to the Allies that the Americans could operate independently.
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When and where did the Battle of Saint-Mihiel take place?
The Battle of Saint-Mihiel, an Allied victory, was the first U.S.-led offensive in World War I, occurring from September 12 to September 16, 1918. The battle took place at the Saint-Mihiel salient, a bulge in the old Verdun line that extended outward toward the Allied lines, 25 miles long and 15 miles deep. The town of Saint-Mihiel is located in the Meuse département, in the Grand Est région of northeastern France. The Allied capture of Saint-Mihiel occurred after the Germans had occupied the town since September 1914.
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Who were the main countries fighting in this battle?
The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was an Allied victory and the first U.S.-led offensive in World War I. The main participants in this battle were:
- Allies: Primarily the American Expeditionary Forces, with support from two smaller French corps.
- Central Powers: German forces.
The U.S. First Army, led by General John Pershing, spearheaded the attack on the Saint-Mihiel salient, which had been under German occupation since 1914. The American forces were supported by a large air armada of over 1,000 airplanes, commanded by William "Billy" Mitchell.
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Why was the Battle of Saint-Mihiel important in World War I?
The Battle of Saint-Mihiel, fought from September 12 to 16, 1918, marked an Allied victory and the first U.S.-led offensive in World War I. The attack on the Saint-Mihiel salient gave General John Pershing the opportunity to use the U.S. First Army in combat for the first time. The battle demonstrated that the Americans were capable of operating independently on the battlefield, which later influenced their role in Germany's surrender negotiations. The victory also allowed Pershing to dispatch his forces westward to participate in the Meuse-Argonne offensive.
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How did American troops contribute to the battle’s outcome?
In the Battle of Saint-Mihiel (September 12–16, 1918), the Allied forces achieved victory, marking the first U.S.-led offensive in World War I. The battle provided an opportunity for the Americans to utilize the American Expeditionary Forces en masse on the Western Front, operating for the first time under their command rather than French generals.
The U.S. First Army, despite lacking some tactical skills of their counterparts, demonstrated determination, leveraging overwhelming numbers and a multifaceted attack plan to carry the day. The battle saw the first major use of the U.S. Army Air Service, led by William "Billy" Mitchell, and aggressive tank assaults led by George Patton. The relative ease of the initial American attack prompted Pershing to order his commanders to speed up their advance.
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What were the results of the battle for both sides and for the war overall?
The Battle of Saint-Mihiel, fought from September 12 to 16, 1918, resulted in an Allied victory and was the first U.S.-led offensive in World War I. The assault provided the Americans with an opportunity to use the American Expeditionary Forces on the Western Front en masse and under their command.
The Germans, short on men, were withdrawing to a shorter, more defensible line when the Allies attacked. The Americans exploited this advantage, aided by coordinated air attacks that limited avenues of escape. The relative ease of the American attack led to an order to speed up their advance. By September 13, lead units of the U.S. First Army met up with Allied troops advancing from the west. Three days later, the offensive was halted, with the salient in Allied hands.
The battle convinced the British and French military leadership that the Americans were capable of operating independently on the battlefield. U.S. losses amounted to 7,000 casualties, while the German losses totaled at least 17,500, including 10,000 captured.
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Battle of Saint-Mihiel, Allied victory and the first U.S.-led offensive in World War I, fought from September 12 to September16, 1918. The Allied attack against the Saint-Mihiel salient provided the Americans with an opportunity to use the American Expeditionary Forces on the Western Front en masse and, for the first time, under their own command rather that under that of French generals. Although lacking some of the tactical skills of the French and British, the U.S. First Army carried the day through sheer determination, overwhelming numbers (more than a million fresh U.S. troops had arrived on the front), and its multifaceted plan of attack. The battle was also noteworthy as the first major use in the war of the U.S. Army Air Service (precursor to the U.S. Air Force) led by William “Billy” Mitchell and the aggressive tank assaults by George Patton, who boldly led his charges from the front lines and not from the rear as many other officers did during the war.
The American commander-in-chief in France, General John Pershing, had, in the main, fought off attempts to use his divisions piecemeal in support of French and British operations, preferring to hold them back to form a separate U.S. army. The attack on the Saint-Mihiel salient, a bulge in the old Verdun line that extended outward toward the Allied lines and that was 25 miles long and 15 miles deep, gave him the opportunity to use the U.S. First Army in combat for the first time. In a plan developed by a rising young lieutenant colonel, George Catlett Marshall, the American part of the assault was to be conducted by two “super” corps, each with three divisions in attack and one in reserve, marking the largest assembly of U.S. soldiers since the American Civil War. Two smaller French corps would provide support on the western part of the salient.
General Erich von Ludendorff—now short of men and aware of the coming Allied offensive—had decided to withdraw from the salient to a shorter and more easily defended line to the rear. As the Germans were withdrawing, the Allies attacked. With much of their artillery not in place, the Germans were poorly prepared to maintain the front line, an advantage that the attacking Americans were quick to exploit. The American assault was aided by coordinated strafing and bombing runs; Mitchell had assembled the largest air armada of World War I, numbering more than 1,000 airplanes, and these set about relentlessly bombing German positions and reshaping the battlefront to limit avenues of escape. German fighter aces dueled in the sky with the likes of budding American aces Eddie Rickenbacker and Frank Luke. So successful was Mitchell’s air campaign that he was promoted to brigadier general after the battle.
The relative ease of the initial American attack came as a surprise to Pershing, and he sent orders to his commanders to speed up their advance. Prominent in the attack was the 42nd “Rainbow” Division, commanded by Brigadier General Douglas MacArthur. By September 13 lead units of the U.S. First Army had met up with Allied troops advancing from the west. Three days later, the offensive was halted, with the salient in Allied hands.
The Battle of Saint-Mihiel easily convinced the British and French military leadership that the Americans were capable of operating on their own on the battlefield, independence that later had a bearing on the Americans’ taking a role in negotiations for Germany’s surrender and the subsequent peace. Pershing now dispatched his forces westward to take part in the forthcoming Meuse-Argonne offensive.
Losses: U.S., 7,000 casualties; German, at least 17,500, including 10,000 captured.