Battle of Blanc Mont Ridge

Battle of Blanc Mont Ridge
Part of the Western Front of World War I
Date 3–27 October 1918 Location Northeast of Reims Result Allied victory
Belligerents
United States  France	German Empire
Commanders and leaders
John A. Lejeune William Ruthven Smith Henri Gouraud	Crown Prince Wilhelm
Strength
2 US Army divisions Assigned to French Fourth Army divisions United States Marines (elements) French 4th Army (elements)	2 German infantry divisions Six additional divisions(elements)
Casualties and losses
7,800 men, killed and wounded. Unknown number captured	Unknown Unknown number captured

The Battle of Blanc Mont Ridge (3 October to 27 October 1918) occurred during World War I, northeast of Reims, in Champagne, France. The US Army's 2nd Infantry Division and the 36th Infantry Division opposed the Imperial German Army's 200th and 213th divisions, along with portions of six additional German divisions. The result of this battle was the expulsion of the Imperial German Army from the Champagne Region.

Early in the war, the German Army had intensively fortified this promontory and proceeded to crush French offensives in the spring and fall of 1915. The strength and reputation of the bastion seemed to guarantee the invader's permanent possession of the chalky plains of Champagne. French planners looked elsewhere a possible break through.

By the end of September 1918, however, the war weary German Army was suffering regular defeats and had begun conscripting the too-young and too-old into active service. In the northwest of the Western Front, the British, strengthened by Canadian and ANZAC divisions, with the small Belgian army guarding on their flank, were on the attack. To the east, the newly arrived First Army of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) was advancing towards Sedan.

The French army in the center of the Western Front needed to match the advances of its allies. In the Champagne region, this meant breaking through at Blanc Mont. After four years of constant warfare, including 1916's bloody Pyrrhic victory at Verdun and the mutinies of 1917, this was simply an unrealistic expectation. Despite three days of heavy fighting, the disheartened French once again failed to retake the stronghold.

What was needed were fresh assault troops willing to accept whatever losses it required. The task was assigned to the experienced Soldiers and Marines of the AEF's 2nd Division, with the unblooded Texas and Oklahoma National Guardsmen of the 36th Division in reserve, a total of 54,000 men. In charge would the French 4th Army's commander Henri Gouraud, a one-armed hero of the Gallipoli campaign and the recent defense along the Marne.

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