BATTLE OF SAINT-MIHIEL

The 'Battle of Saint-Mihiel' was a World War I battle fought between September 12 - 15, 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Force and a number of French troops under the command of U.S. general John J. Pershing against German positions. The United States Army Air Service (which later became the United States Air Force) played a significant role in this action.
This battle marked the first use of the terms 'D-Day' and 'H-Hour' by the Americans, though it was not the first battle that the Americans were involved in despite popular belief to the contrary.
The attack at the St. Mihiel salient was part of a plan by Pershing in which he hoped that the U.S. would break through the German lines and capture the fortified city of Metz. It was one of the first US solo offensives in WWI and the attack caught the Germans in the process of retreating. Hence their artillery was out of place and the Americans were more successful than they otherwise would have been. It was a strong blow by the U.S. and increased their stature in the eyes of the French and British forces. However, this battle again illustrated the critical role of artillery during WWI and the difficulty of supplying the massive WWI armies while they were on the move. The U.S. attack faltered after outdistancing their artillery and food supplies as muddy roads made support difficult. The attack on Metz was not realized as the Germans refortified their positions and the Americans turned their efforts to the Meuse-Argonne offensive.

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Aftermath

Aftermath

For all historians, the battle of Saint-Mihiel is an example of advancing an army against one that preferred to leave a difficult to supply bulge. Overall casualties were low as defense was mainly rear-guard oriented. Strategically it was good news for the Allies. Compared to huge battles such as Verdun or the Somme, this was merely a skirmish. Its real importance is in the huge boost that this advance had on the US and Allied morale.