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U.S. field artillery in Château-Thierry
Belleau Wood Campaign
(Western Front)
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The Battle of Château-Thierry was fought on July 18, 1918 and was one of the first actions the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) under General John J. "Black Jack" Pershing. It was a battle in World War I as part of the Second Battle of the Marne, initially prompted by a German offensive launched on July 15 against the newest troops on the front, the AEF (American Expeditionary Force).
On the morning of July 18, 1918, the French (some of them colonial) and American forces between Fontenoy and Château-Thierry launched a counter-assault under the overall direction of Allied generalissimo Ferdinand Foch against the German positions. This assault on a 40-kilometre (25 mi) wide front was the first for over a year. The American army played the larger role fighting for the regions around Soissons and Château-Thierry. The allied forces had managed to keep their plans a secret, and their attack at 4:45 a.m. took the Germans by surprise when the troops went "Over the Top" without a preparatory artillery bombardment, but instead followed closely behind a rolling barrage which began with great synchronized precision. Eventually, the two opposing assaults (lines) inter-penetrated and individual American units exercised initiative and continued carrying the battle to the enemy despite being nominally behind enemy lines.[1]
[edit] Memorial
After World War I, a memorial was built on on Hill 204, 2 miles (3 km.) west of the town for which it is named. The Chateau-Thierry Monument, designed by Paul P. Crey of Philadelphia, was constructed by the American Battle Monuments Commission "to commemorate the sacrifices and achievements of American and French fighting men in the region, and the friendship and cooperation of French and American forces during World War I."[2]
Plaque of commemorative text from the memorial
[edit] References
[edit] External links
United States,
France,
Belgium
German Empire
