UNITED STATES ARMY

IN THE WORLD WAR

1917-1919

Military Operations
of the
American Expeditionary Forces

Volume 7

CENTER OF MILITARY HISTORY

UNITED STATES ARMY
WASHINGTON, D.C., 1990
 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
(Revised for ~01s.7-9)

United States Army in the World War, 1917-1919.

Contents: v. 1. Organization of the American
Expeditionary Forces.-v. 2. Policy-forming docu-
ments of the American Expeditionary Forces-
[etc.]-v. 4-9. Military operations of the American Ex-
peditionary Forces.
1. United States. Army-History-World War,
1914-1918. 2. World War, 1914-1918-United States.
I. Center of Military History.
D570.U55 1988 940.4’0973 88-600367

A new introduction has been added to Volume 1.

lype has been reset, but original pagination has not
been altered. Except for front matter, maps, illustra-
tions, and some tables, camera-ready copy was
produced by Susan Blair using optical scanning and
laser printing technology.

First Printed 1948-CMH Pub 23-12

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office
Washington, D.C. 20402
 UNITED STATES ARMY IN THE WORLD WAR, 1917-1919

Volume 1 Organization of the American Expeditionary Forces

Volume 2 Policy-forming Documents of the American Expeditionary Forces

Volume 3 Training and Use of American Units With the British and French

Volume 4-9 Military Operations of the American Expeditionary Forces

Volume 10 The Armistice Agreement and Related Documents

Volume 11 American Occupation of Germany

Volume 12-15 Reports of the Commander-in-Chief, AEF, Staff Sections and Services

Volume 16 General Orders, GHQ, AEF

Volume 17 Bulletins, GHQ, AEF

...
111
 FOREWORD

Military historians and scholars of operational art have tended to neglect the role
played by the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I. Although the Army orga-
nized a historical office in 1918 to prepare a multivolume history of the war, budget res-
traints and other considerations frustrated Chief of Staff Tasker H. Bliss’ intention to
“record the things that were well done, for future imitation . . . , [and] the errors as
shown by experience, for future avoidance.” The momentous events of succeeding dec-
ades only strengthened this tendency to overlook our Army’s role in the fields of France
in 1918. This neglect, although understandable, is unfortunate: World War I posed
unique challenges to American strategists, tacticians, and logisticians-challenges they
met in ways that could provide today’s military student with special insights into the
profession of arms.
To encourage further research in the history of World War I and to fill a gap in the
Army’s historical documentation of that conflict, the Center of Military History has cre-
ated a World War I series of publications consisting of new monographs and reprints.
Complementing our newly published facsimile reprint Order ofBattle ofthe United
States Land Forces in the World War, we are reprinting this seventeen-volume compila-
tion of selected AEF records along with a new introduction by David F. ‘IYask. Gathered
by Army historians during the interwar years, this massive collection in no way repre-
sents an exhaustive record of the Army’s months in France, but it is certainly worthy of
serious consideration and thoughtful review by students of military history and strategy
and will serve as a useful jumping off point for any earnest scholarship on the war.
There is a certain poignancy connected with the publication of this collection in the
seventieth anniversary year of “the war to end all wars.” Later this summer veterans of
that war will gather together, perhaps for the last time, to discuss the history of the
American Expeditionary Forces and to reminisce about their service. To them espe-
cially, but to all five million Americans who served in World War I, we dedicate this
scholarly undertaking.

Washington, D.C. WILLIAM A. STOFFT

1 June 1988 Brigadier General, USA
Chief of Military History

V
 CONTENTS
SOMME OFFENSIVE Page
Preface ........................................................... 1
American II Corps Assigned, September 2, 1918, to GHQ, BEF Reserve ........ 7
American II Corps Transferred, September 20, 19 18, to British Fourth Army ... 37
American II Corps Attached to Australian Corps, September 20, 1918 ......... 42
Plan of Attack on Hindenberg Line, September 22, 1918. ................... 51
Operations of the American II Corps, September 23-October 5, 1918 .......... 59
Preliminary Operations of 27th and 30th Divisions ........................ 160
27th and 30th Divisions Attack the Hindenberg Line ....................... 222
American II Corps Relieves the Australian Corps, October 6-November 11, 19 18 356
Operations of American II Corps Against Hindenberg Line .................. 384
Battle of the Selle River .............................................. 567
The American II Corps in Army Reserve. ................................ 748
Annex-Translated German Documents ................................. 811

Maps
NO. Page
93. British Fourth Army, September 24-October 20, 1918 .................... 4
94. Boundaries and Objectives, American II Corps. .......................... 86
95. Preliminary Operations, American II Corps ............................. 108
96. Operations Order, British III Corps, September 26, 1918 ................... 148
97. Situation, American II Corps, Noon, September 30, 1918 .................. 240
98. Daily Front Lines, American 27th and 30th Divisions, September 24-30, 1918 254
99. Daily Front Lines, American 30th Division, October 6-8, 1918. ............. 406
100. Daily Front Lines, American 30th Division, October 8-9, 1918. ............. 465
101. Daily Front Lines, American 30th Division, October 9- 11, 1918 ............. 513
102. Daily Front Lines, American 27th and 30th Divisions, October 12-20, 1918 ... 713
103. Situation, Elements IV Reserve Corps and Gendko 51, German Second Army,
September 28, 1918 .............................................. 844
104. Order of Battle, German Second Army, September 30-October 19, 1918 ...... 855
105. Situation, German Second Army, September 30, 1918 .................... 894
106. Situation, German Gendko 5 1, October 8, 1918, a.m. ..................... 914
107. Situation, German
.. Gendko 51, October 19, 1918. ........................ 915
France-Sheet 62’ West 922
France-Sheet 62’ East 923
France-Sheet 62* West 924
France-Sheet 62” East 925
France-Sheet 57’ West 926
France-Sheet 57” East 927
France-Sheet 57’ West 928
France-Sheet 578 East 929

Illustrations
Bony-Hargicourt Area 298
Nauroy-Bellicourt Area 323
Premont-Bois de Fraicourt Area 387
St-Souplet---Arbre-de-Guise Area 647
St-Martin-Riviere---Argre-de-Guise Area 692

vii
 Military Operations
of the
American Expeditionary Forces