Second Phase
October 4 – 28, 1918
Beginning on October 4, the second phase of the offensive took place, in which the first assault divisions were replaced by the 32nd, 3rd, and 1st, who were “somewhat more experienced [1].” After immediate contact with German troops, the Allied forces advanced to the Cunel-Romagne Heights, where they managed to drive defenses away from the Argonne Forest. Although they managed to occupy high ground and advantageous artillery positions, the American First Army was “losing combat effectiveness” as casualties reached 100,000 and many were affected by influenza.
In a change of strategy, General Pershing rearranged his troops, appointing Major General Hunter Liggett as leading commander of the First Army, establishing a Second Army and giving up his duty. Between October 14–17, a series frontal assaults were ordered, allowing Americans to break through main German defense lines and allow French forces to reach the Aisne river. Under Liggett’s leadership, the First Army continued to attack north with the objective to capture the line of the Meuse River and South Sedan heights. Subsequently, Major General Robert Bullard led the Second Army on a mission to attack east of the Meuse before reaching the Woevre Plain [2]. |
Sources:
- Chambers and Anderson, The Oxford Companion to American Military History, 431.
- John Richard, “Meuse River-Argonne Forest Offensive, 26 September-11 November 1918.” Historyofwar.org., last modified September 6, 2007, http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_meuse_argonne.html.