Battle of Château-Thierry (1918)

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Battle of Château-Thierry (1918)
Part of World War 1
Date 1918 Location Europe Result Allied Victory
Belligerents
United States,  France,  Belgium,  Philippines	German Empire

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

On the morning of July 18, 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 generalissimo Ferdinand Foch, who was later promoted Marshal of France after winning the Second Battle of the Marne, against the German positions . This assault on a 40 km 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 4:45 in the morning 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 carrying the battle to the enemy despite being nominally behind enemy lines.

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