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Posted on 06/15/2003 4:20:23 AM PDT by snippy_about_it
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 are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
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The Second Battle of the Marne marked the turning of the tide in World War I. It began with the last German offensive of the conflict and was quickly followed by the first allied offensive victory of 1918. The American Expeditionary Force with over 250,000 men fighting under overall French command played key roles both in the initial defense and the later advances. In the Second Battle of Marne with 30,000 killed and wounded, the United States started suffering casualties on the enormous scale usually associated with the battles of the Great War. In late May, the German high command had ordered a major offensive from the Chemin des Dames northeast of Paris towards the River Marne threatening both Paris and the Paris - Verdun rail link. The 2nd and 3rd divisions of the AEF helped defend along the Marne on either side of the river town of Chateau Thierry. What resulted was a rounded bulge in western front thirty miles wide at the base, extending south about 25 miles to its apex right at Chateau Thierry. With American encouragement, a plan evolved to eliminate this salient with a two pronged assault from the west and south.  In July, when it became clear that the Germans would renew their assault in the area, a decision was made to absorb the assault, let the enemy tire themselves, and then counterattack soon afterwards. There were three distinct parts to the battle of the Marne and they will be discussed separately in this article. Since this piece was produced for the Doughboy Center, the emphasis will be on the American participation. French, British and Italian forces fought hard and in great numbers in this huge operation as well. Here is a summary of those three phases with some key dates: July 15-17, 1918 July 15 Three and one-half German Armies attack in the early morning. The 3rd Division of AEF makes a strategically important stand on the left end of the Marne River line.  July 17 German units occupy southern bank of Marne between Epernay and Chateau Thierry and advance their line 7 miles east of Reims. July 18 - August 17, 1918 July 18 French 10th and 6th Armies attack the salient from the west Tanks are used effectively and four American divisions lead a rapid advance. German high command decides to reinforce the salient to avoid a route.  July 19 American units south of Soissons start meeting fanatical resistance. German air force commands the air. July 21 Second assault against the salient from the south. Five more AEF divisions would eventually be committed. July 30-Aug 1 Battle before Sergy; Ourcq River line crossed. Aug 4-22 Tenacious battle before Vesle River at Fismes and Fismette as German Army defends vigorously on the Vesle. AUGUST 18 - SEPTEMBER 16, 1918 Aug 18 French 10th Army launches major offensive near Soissons Aug 28-Sep 2 US 32nd Division captures key town of Juvigny cutting the Soissons-St. Quentin road. Germans find Vesle line untenable and withdraw before River Aisne.  Sep 4 Vesle River crossed; US 28th & 77th Divisions advance. Sep 16 Last full American division in sector [77th] relieved as the axis of the French and American offensive operations shifts east to the Champagne and Verdun sectors. The 5th Ludendorff Offensive, July 15-17, 1918 At midnight, July 14/15 the artillery crashed and the last German push of the war started. As predicted, it was a drive to get across the Marne [east of] Chateau-Thierry...[From Chateau-Thierry east were] the Third American Division...where they'd been ever since their machine gunners had come charging up the riverbank six weeks before. Then came another French outfit and next the pea-green Pennsylvania National Guard -- The 28th Division -- which had no line time even in a quiet sector. They were fed in by companies to fight with the French. Farther east {of Reims] there was the veteran 42nd Division, the Rainbow...That night and the next day the 38th Infantry Regiment of the 3rd Division, made a stand that deserves to rank with the famous ones, and it won.  The 38th was in line just west of where the Surmelin River flows north into the Marne. The Surmelin runs northwest and down either side of its gentle valley there ran two good roads which went south into the main Paris highway. This was to be the main German track, the route by which guns were to move south and help exploit a breakthrough. [Westpointer, Colonel Ulysses Grant McAlexander commanded the 38th.] Down by the [Marne] river he put Major Guy Row's 2nd Battalion. The 1st Battalion, only half strength, was farther back in the support, and the 3rd Battalion even deeper in reserve. Along the river Row's men had three companies in line...from left to right -- each with two platoons dug in down on the riverbank, two more about three hundred and fifty yards back behind the embankment of the east-west Metz-Paris railroad. The railroad was raised up on a constructed embankment about nine feet high and so wide it was very difficult to fight from behind it. The story continues with a firsthand description of the defense along the River Marne by Captain Jesse Woolridge of Major Rowe's battalion: ...Newly captured prisoners began to give real information - a grand offensive was to be made [where] the Marne was only about 50 yards wide...We had 600 yards of [this] front all to ourselves...[When it began] it seemed [the Germans] expected their artillery to eliminate all resistance...French Officers attached to our Brigade stated positively there was never a bombardment to equal it at Verdun.  At 3:30am the general fire ceased and their creeping barrage started - behind which at 40 yards only, mind you, they came - with more machine guns than I thought the German Army owned... The enemy had to battle their way through the first platoon on the river bank - then they took on the second platoon on the forward edge of the railway where we had a thousand times the best of it - but the [Germans] gradually wiped it out. My third platoon [took] their place in desperate hand to hand fighting, in which some got through only to be picked up by the fourth platoon which was deployed simultaneously with the third...By the time they struck the fourth platoon they were all in and easy prey. It's God's truth that one Company of American soldiers beat and routed a full regiment of picked shock troops of the German Army...At ten o'clock...the Germans were carrying back wounded and dead [from] the river bank and we in our exhaustion let them do it - they carried back all but six hundred which we counted later and fifty-two machine guns...We had started with 251 men and 5 lieutenants...I had left 51 men and 2 second lieutenants... Capt. Jesse Woolridge, 38th Inf., 3rd Division The German Commander quoted: ...All [German] divisions [along the Marne] achieved brilliant successes, with the exception of the one division on our right wing. This encountered American units! Here only did the Seventh Army, In the course of the first day of the offensive, confront serious difficulties. It met with the unexpectedly stubborn and active resistance of fresh American troops.  While the rest of the divisions of the Seventh Army succeeded in gaining ground and gaining tremendous booty, it proved impossible for us to move the right apex of our line, to the south of the Marne, into a position advantageous for the development of the ensuing fight. The check we thus received was one result of the stupendous fighting between our 10th Division of infantry and American troops... Erich von Ludendorff, Quartermaster General
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Hunter Liggett was born in Reading, Pensylvania, on March 21, 1857.
In 1879 he graduated from West Point and was assigned as a second lieutenant in the Fifth Infantry. He served in the Montana Territory, Dakota Territory, Texas and Florida, advancing to first lieutenant in June 1884.
On 19 October 1894, 1LT Liggett arrived at Fort McPherson along with the regimental headquarters of the 5th Infantry. He served as the Post Adjutant until 25 April 1896 at which time he took command of Company D, 5th Infantry.
He was promoted to Captain in June 1897 and left the post when the entire 5th Infantry departed for the Spanish-American War. In June 1898 he was promoted to Major and adjutant general of volunteers for service in Cuba, and the following year was sent to the Philippines with the 31st Infantry Volunteers.
In June 1901 he was mustered out of volunteer service and was promoted to major of regulars in May 1902 and lieutenant colonel in June 1909. Following Army War College graduation in 1910, he bacame president of the War College. The next year he took command of the 4th Brigade, 2nd Division at Texas City, Texas.
He returned to the Philippines in 1916 in command of the Provisional Infantry Brigade and of Fort William McKinley. He served as commander of the Department of the Philippines from April 1916 to April 1917 when he was named commander of the Western Department in San Francisco.
In August 1917 he took command of the 41st Division at Camp Fremont (Calif.) and deployed with the unit to France.
When General Pershing ordered that the first American army corps be formed in January 1918, he placed General Liggett in command. The corps participated in the battles of Cantigny and Belleau Woods, as well as in the defense and offensive operations of the second Marne campaign in July and August.
In October 1918 General Pershing relinquished to Lt. Gen. Liggett command of the First Army with its one million soldiers. He remained in command of the First Army until its inactivation in April 1919 when he moved to command the Third Army in occupation duty.
Among his many decorations, General Liggett received the Distinguished Service Medal "For exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services as commander of the 1st army of the American expeditionary forces. He commanded the 1st corps and perfected its organization under difficult conditions of early service in France, engaged in active operations in reduction of the Marne salient and of the St. Mihiel salient, and participated in the actions of the forest of Argonne. He was in command of the 1st army when the German resistance was shattered west of the Meuse."
Upon his return to the United States he commanded the IX Corps area headquartered in San Francisco. General Liggett retired in March 1921 and in June 1930 was promoted to lieutenant general on the retired list by act of Congress. LTG Liggett died in San Francisco on December 30, 1935.
Fort Hunter Liggett was named after Lt. Gen. Hunter Liggett (1857-1935), who served as General Pershing's chief of staff as well as the commanding general of First Army and Third Army. The post was originally designated Hunter Liggett Military Reservation in 1941. It consists of approximately 165,000 acres and lies about 22 miles southwest of King City and about 70 miles south of the Presidio of Monterey and the Naval Post Graduate School. It consists of varied terrain that ranges from level valleys and gentle hills, to steep, rocky mountains. Its mission is to provide areas for maneuvers, live firing of small arms and armor, fitness and survival training, and training for the Army Reserve.
Fort Hunter Liggett was originally the summer ranch of William Randolph Hearst. Some of the buildings currently being used by the Garrison are from the original Hearst Milipitas Ranch. The Hacienda currently on the National Register of Historic Places serves as the Guesthouse and the Community Club. Also located on the fort are the La Cueva Pintada (The Painted Cave). The site also contains a number of original Indian paintings and other significant historical items.
The USS Hunter Liggett (APA-14) was one of the three largest attack transports in the Ampibian Force during World War II. It carried 35 landing boats and 2 tank lighters, along with 51 officers and a crew of 634. It was operated by the U.S. Coast Guard.
This one's a little fast for night time music but I think I have a sugar buzz...I better dance some of those calories off...hope I can sleep later. Good night SAM.
I thought I'd post a little early in case FR experiences any trouble tonight. ;)
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