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The town square of St. Mihiel, France in 1918 shows some of the destruction from the war
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American Forces under General Pershing Launched First Major Offensive in WWI
September 12, 1918
Pershing's first target was a triangular piece of land between the fortified French cities of Verdun and Nancy known as the St. Mihiel salient. German troops occupied the St. Mihiel salient as a base for their planned push toward Paris. The occupation of Paris would have been devastating to the Allies. The U.S. First Army under Pershing bombarded the fortress, and in only four days, had destroyed the Germans' hold on the area. Though Pershing was determined to maintain the integrity of the AEF as an independent army, he allowed Allied commander Marshal Ferdinand Foch to take the lead in another battle, the Meuse-Argonne offensive. What do you think was the result?
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