Battle of Château-Thierry (1918)

U.S. field artillery in Château-Thierry

Battle of Château-Thierry (1918)
Part of World War I
Date 1918 Location Château-Thierry, Aisne, France 49°2′31″N 3°22′19″E / 49.04194°N 3.37194°E / 49.04194; 3.37194 Result Allied Victory
Belligerents
United States,  France,  Belgium	Germany

The Battle of Château-Thierry was fought on 18 July 1918 and was one of the first actions of 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 15 July against the AEF, the newest troops on the front.

On the morning of 18 July 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 généralissime Ferdinand Foch against the German positions. This assault on a 40 km (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 04:45 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 fighting despite being nominally behind enemy lines.^[1]

Memorial

Plaque of commemorative text from the memorial

After World War I, a memorial was built on Hill 204, 2 miles (3 km.) west of the town for which it is named. The Chateau-Thierry Monument, designed by Paul P. Cret 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]

References

1. ^ Edwin L. James (1918). "A Description of the Battle of Chateau-Thierry". New York Times Current History. New York Times. http://www.shsu.edu/~his_ncp/Thierry.html. Retrieved 2009-06-22. 
2. ^ "Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial". American Battle Monuments Commission, U.S. Government. http://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries/cemeteries/am_pict.pdf. Retrieved 2009-06-22. 

External links

• (English) WWI : Battle of Château-Thierry
• Battle of Chateau-Thierry at the American Expeditionary Force website
• World War I monument photos including Chateau-Thierry's Hill 204 American Monument