"When the Americans Turned the Tide" Topic
5 Posts
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Tango01 | 27 Jun 2014 10:26 p.m. PST |
"Fifty miles to Paris. That was all that separated a hardened German Army from, perhaps, the end of the Great War. By early 1918, the Germans were rolling through northern France, and French commanders feared they were planning a decisive attack against the capital. First, though, they had to cross a ribbon of green water known as the Marne. And traverse a small forest known as Belleau Wood. In their way were divisions of exhausted but experienced French and British troops, along with their new, largely untested allies from the United States. Months earlier, a war-weary Paris had welcomed the arriving American soldiers with parades and ecstatic relief, believing the Yanks would swing the war for the Allies. But French commanders were uncertain how these raw soldiers, many arriving without weapons, would fare against a German Army that had fought in bloody trenches for four years. It was the first time an American army had fought in a European war, and they were being delivered to the doorstep of a slaughterhouse. Their orders at the Marne were straightforward: Hold the line. Stop them
" Full article here link Amicalement Armand |
monk2002uk | 27 Jun 2014 10:56 p.m. PST |
There are some photographs from the Great War Spearhead II scenario that covers Belleau Wood. The terrain board features the actual contours from contemporary battle maps. Each contour represents a 20m elevation. The scenario is really fun, with the French making an early stand that enables the Marines to get into the wood and prepare their defensive positions. link The Battle of Belleau Wood was a tiny part of the massive re-entrant created by the German advance from the Aisne. More than 95% of the defense was carried out by French forces. The shoulders of the re-entrant were the main focus of the French defensive effort, preventing the Germans from widening their salient. The newly acquired ground was poorly served by roads and rail networks, making resupply of the German attacking forces very difficult. By holding on to the Soissons side of the re-entrant in particular, the French were able to continue their build-up of tanks in the forest. This led to the Second Battle of Soissons in which the Americans played a greater (though still minority) role. Robert |
Tango01 | 28 Jun 2014 11:01 a.m. PST |
Thanks for the link my friend. Amicalement Armand |
itaphil | 28 Jun 2014 5:17 p.m. PST |
Great article Tango. Thanks for sharing the link. |
Tango01 | 28 Jun 2014 11:24 p.m. PST |
No mention my friend. A pleasure for me. Amicalement Armand |
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