
Meuse–Argonne offensive
Military campaign during World War I / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Meuse–Argonne offensive (also known as the Meuse River–Argonne Forest offensive,[6] the Battles of the Meuse–Argonne, and the Meuse–Argonne campaign) was a major part of the final Allied offensive of World War I that stretched along the entire Western Front. It was fought from September 26, 1918, until the Armistice of November 11, 1918, a total of 47 days. The Meuse–Argonne offensive was the largest in United States military history, involving 1.2 million American soldiers. It is also the deadliest battle in the history of the United States Army, resulting in over 350,000 casualties, including 28,000 German lives, 26,277 American lives and an unknown number of French lives. American losses were worsened by the inexperience of many of the troops, the tactics used during the early phases of the operation and the widespread onset of the global influenza outbreak called the "Spanish flu".
Meuse–Argonne offensive | |||||||||
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Part of the Western Front and Hundred Days Offensive of World War I | |||||||||
![]() An American gun crew from Regimental Headquarters Company, 23rd Infantry, 2nd Division, firing 37mm gun during an advance against German entrenched positions. | |||||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||||
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Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
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Units involved | |||||||||
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Strength | |||||||||
![]() ![]() 380 tanks 840 planes 2,780 artillery pieces ![]() | 450,000 personnel | ||||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||||
Total: 192,000[3] ![]() 26,277 killed 95,786 wounded ![]() ![]() |
Total: c. 126,000[4] 28,000 dead 42,000 wounded 26,000 POWs taken by Americans 30,000 POWs taken by French 874 artillery pieces captured by both[5] | ||||||||
The offensive was the principal engagement of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) in World War I. It was one of a series of Allied attacks, known as the Hundred Days Offensive, which brought the war to an end. It was the largest and bloodiest operation of World War I for the AEF even though, given the scale of other battles on the Western Front, its size was limited and the operation itself secondary, being far from the main offensive axis.