AEF way of war

Mark Ethan Grotelueschen0521864348, 9780521864343, 9780511349584

Provides the most comprehensive examination of AEF (American Expeditionary Forces) combat doctrine and methods ever published. It shows how AEF combat units actually fought on the Western Front in World War I. It describes how four AEF divisions (the 1st, 2nd, 26th, and 77th) planned and conducted their battles, and how they adapted their doctrine, tactics, and other operational methods during the war. General John Pershing and other AEF leaders promulgated an inadequate pre-war doctrine, with only minor modification, as the official doctrine of the AEF. Many early American attacks suffered from these unrealistic ideas that retained too much faith in the infantry rifleman on the modern battlefield. However, many AEF divisions adjusted their doctrine and operational methods as they fought, preparing more comprehensive attack plans, employing flexible infantry formations and maximizing firepower to seize limited objectives.

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Table of contents :
Cover……Page 1
Half-title……Page 3
Title……Page 5
Copyright……Page 6
Dedication……Page 7
Contents……Page 9
Acknowledgments……Page 11
Introduction……Page 13
The U.S. Army, 1914–1917……Page 22
Pershing and the Creation of the AEF, 1917–1918……Page 37
Doctrinal Development in the AEF, 1918……Page 56
2 The 1st Division……Page 71
Training in France, June 1917–May 1918……Page 72
Cantigny, 28 May 1918……Page 84
The Aisne-Marne Offensive, 18–22 July 1918……Page 95
3 The 1st Division……Page 118
The St. Mihiel Attack, 12–14 September 1918……Page 120
The Meuse-Argonne Offensive, 1–12 October 1918……Page 137
Conclusions……Page 152
4 The 26th “Yankee” Division……Page 154
Organization in the United States, August–September 1917……Page 156
Training in France, November 1917–March 1918……Page 159
Holding the Front Lines, April–June 1918……Page 167
The Aisne-Marne Offensive, 18–25 July 1918……Page 171
The St. Mihiel Attack, 12–13 September 1918……Page 188
The Meuse-Argonne Offensive, 14 October–11 November 1918……Page 199
Conclusions……Page 209
6 The 2nd Division……Page 212
Training in the United States and France, August 1917–May 1918……Page 213
Belleau Wood and Vaux, June–July 1918……Page 218
The Aisne-Marne Offensive, 18–19 July 1918……Page 238
Retraining and Reorganizing, August 1918……Page 250
The St. Mihiel Attack, 12–16 September 1918……Page 253
Blanc Mont Ridge, 2–10 October 1918……Page 264
The Meuse-Argonne Offensive, 1–11 November 1918……Page 278
Conclusions……Page 291
8 The 77th “Liberty” Division……Page 292
Training in the United States, September 1917 to March 1918……Page 293
Training in France, May–August 1918……Page 297
The Vesle-Aisne Offensive, August–September 1918……Page 302
The Argonne, 26 September–16 October 1918……Page 322
To the Meuse, 1–11 November 1918……Page 344
Conclusions……Page 353
10 Conclusions……Page 355
Doctrinal and Operational Adaptation in AEF Divisions……Page 356
Innovation in the AEF: Combat Divisions and GHQ……Page 361
Epilogue: The AEF Legacy and U.S. Army Doctrine……Page 364
Archival Material……Page 377
Published Documents and Manuals……Page 379
Contemporary Journal Articles……Page 380
Memoirs and Other First-Hand Accounts……Page 382
Books……Page 383
Book Chapters and Journal Articles……Page 388
Unpublished Dissertations and Theses……Page 389
Index……Page 391