St Mihiel 1918: The American Expeditionary Forces’ trial by fire

David Bonk

Oct 2011 · Bloomsbury Publishing

About this eBook

At 1:00 am on September 12, 1918, accompanied by rain and lightning, the American Army launched its first major offensive of World War I. Supported by French Colonial troops, the American IV and V Corps burst through the weakened German line at St. Mihiel and seized numerous objectives while taking over 16,000 prisoners and capturing over 400 guns. Although American tactics remain suspect, and the operation cost 7,000 US casualties, the battle was heralded as a huge Allied victory. More importantly, it demonstrated to the French and British that the Americans were capable of large-scale, combined-arms operations. Packed with photos, artwork and battle maps, this book explains the entire offensive in detail.

About the author

David Bonk is a lifelong student of military history and historical miniatures wargamer. He has written for various wargaming publications, including the Midwest Wargamer Magazine and the SAGA newsletter, as well as Osprey Military Journal. He is a member of the Historical Miniatures Gaming Society and served six years on the board of directors for that organization. Over the past several years he has become interested in the history of the American involvement in World War I and has been wargaming this period for some time. He lives in North Carolina.

Howard Gerrard studied at the Wallasey School of Art and has been a freelance designer and illustrator for over 20 years. He has worked for a number of publishers and is an associate member of the Guild of Aviation Artists. He has won both the Society of British Aerospace Companies Award and the Wilkinson Sword Trophy, and has illustrated a number of books for Osprey including Campaign 69: Nagashino 1575 and Campaign 72: Jutland 1916. Howard lives and works in Kent.