Get knee deep into history following the American Expeditionary Forces in their St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne Offensives of late 1918. On 24 July 1918 General Pershing issued orders announcing the formation of the First American Army, effective 10 August; and in early August Generals Pershing and Foch agreed that this army should eliminate the St. Mihiel Salient. The German Supreme Command had already planned a retreat from the salient to a more defensive position, and the first German troops had started moving when the offensive began.

The rapid success of the St. Mihiel Offensive, lasting only from 12 – 16 September 1918, would give a shot in the arm to America’s coalition partners and make the A.E.F. over-confident.

In late 1918 Foch ordered Allied attacks in parallel all along the Western Front to give the German Army the deathblow. The Meuse-Argonne Offensive began on 26 September, but it would not go as smoothly as the previous assault. Green troops and leaders would suffer severe casualties in the face of a skilled adversary fighting for survival on terrain that favored the defender.

Briefings during this tour will focus on the complexities of coalition war-making in late 1918, advances made by Allies on other fronts, General Pershing and other key A.E.F. leaders, and a comparison of U.S. and German casualties.

This tour is timed to coincide with the 107th Anniversary of the start of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.