Victory Monument commemorating the Eighth Regiment of the Illinois National Guard, an African-American unit that served in France reorganized as the 370th U.S. Infantry Regiment of the 93rd Division. The bronze sculpture is by Leonard Crunelle and was erected in 1927.The regiment saw action at St. Mihiel, the Argonne Forest, Mont des Singes, and in the Oise-Aisne Offensive. The monument lists the names of the 137 soldiers of the regiment who lost their lives in the war. © 2013, John M. Shea
Victory
July 18 - August 6, 1918
Western Front
General Foch had been planning a massive Allied counter-attack since May 1918, plans that he could not execute as the Germans conducted the Aisne and Noyon-Montdidier Offensives. He ordered small attacks to prepare the French for the coming battle. French General Mangin commanding the French 10th Army successfully conducted one of these near Soissons after the Noyon-Montdidier Offensive.
General Erich Ludendorff hoped to drive the British from the war and continued to plan a massive attack against the British in Flanders. He attacked the French to prevent their continued relief of the British, but after his success in the Aisne Offensive, in which he reached the Marne River and threatened Paris, diverged from his goal by continuing to strike the French rather than the British.
From prisoners and air reconnaissance, the French had ample warning of the coming Champagne-Marne Offensive. As Ludendorff prepared, Foch readied a counter-attack for July 18.
On July 15, Ludendorff struck on the eastern side of the salient on either side of Rheims. The assault east of Rheims ended on the first day after making little headway. Southwest of the city, Italian divisions in the French line fell back and the Germans crossed the Marne.
On July 17, Foch brought the French Ninth Army under Mitry into the battle, moving against the German advance from the Marne. The American Third Division anchored the French left wing, and held its ground. Between the Americans and Rheims, the French fell back, luring the Germans forward.
Ludendorff had used two German armies in his offensive, the 7th Army under Boehn and the 9th to its right, and under Eben. Facing them would be four French armies. Mangin's 10th Army on the western side of the salient had 18 infantry divisions (2 of them American), 3 cavalry divisions, 240 batteries of 75mm guns, 231 heavy batteries, 41 air squadrons, and 375 tanks. Degoutte's 6th Army was on Mangin's right to the southwest and had 8 divisions. The 9th Army under Mitry had moved into position to the south on July 17 and covered the southern side of the salient, facing the Germans on the Marne. The 5th under Berthelot held the eastern side of the salient. Eight American divisions, each double the size of French, British, and German divisions, were in the French line south of Soissons, north of the Ourcq River, at Belleau Woods and Château Thierry. The French were also bolstered by Italian divisions. The Allied forces overall were supported by 750 tanks and 1,000 aircraft.
The primary Allied assault was on the west by the 10th and 6th Armies which advanced swiftly in two days. Mangin concealed much of his 10th Army in the Forest of Villers-Cottêrets, moving into position on July 17 and in the hours and minutes before the attack. With no preparatory artillery barrage, Mangin struck the German right flank at 4:35 AM on July 18 with several hundred tanks including Renaults. On the German left, Berthelot's Fifth Army attacked at 5:00 AM. The defenders were taken completely by surprise. The Allies advanced up to four miles on the first day, taking 25,000 Germans prisoner.
The Allies continued their advance on the 19th, with all four armies advancing and compressing the salient, but by the 20th the German line began to harden even as it continued to lose ground on the right and left flanks. The Germans retreated to escape the trap that Foch had set, and in the process shortened and strengthened their line. As the Germans retreated from the Marne, the 9th Army retook territory south of the Marne.
On July 24, Foch, Haig, and Pershing met to plan the next assaults in their offensive. On July 25 and 26, the 6th and 10th Armies struck on both sides of the Ourcq, and by July 28 the Germans had withdrawn to the Ourcq.
On August 1, supported by tanks, the 10th Army resumed its advance with three French divisions and one British. They withstood German counter attacks before the Germans withdrew. On August 2 and 3, the 10th, 6th, and 5th armies advanced with no opposition as Ludendorff had ordered a general retreat. The Germans had evacuated Soissons and established a new line on the Vesle.
French, American, Italian, and British divisions had taken part in the battle. By its end, the Allies eliminated the salient the Germans had created two months earlier, and had captured 30,000 prisoners, over 600 guns, 200 mine throwers, 3,000 machine guns. They had re-established the Paris-Châlons rail line, and removed the threat to Paris.
By August 6 the Germans held a shortened, stronger line on the Aisne and the Vesle Rivers. But the battle had been catastrophic for German forces. Casualties incuded 420,000 dead and wounded and 340,000 missing or taken prisoner. Ludendorff's army was collapsing as desertions skyrocketed in July and August and reserves stopped reporting to the front. Supplies of munitions and gasoline were running out. Ludendorff's own mental state exhibited signs of panic and paralysis. Ludendorff also misunderstood the situation. On August 2, after his decision to retreat to the line of the Vesle, Ludendorff expected no further Allied attacks. For Foch and the Allies, the battle was the first in a 100-day drive to end the war before the year was out.
Start Date: 1918-07-18
End Date: 1918-08-06
