The Second Battle of Marne
July 15th-August 5th, 1918
German Cheif-of-Staff Erich Ludendorff believed that the war could be won by attacking the Flanders in Belgium. In this belief he decided to launch an Offensive at Aisne and then at Marne in order to divert Allied troops in Belgium to France. After the Allied troops are moved from Belgium, Ludendorff would then renew his offensive in the Flanders. The offensive was launched on July 15th with 23 German division a part of the German 1st and 3rd armies attacking the French 4th army to the east of Reims. While to the west 17 divisions of the German 7th and 9th attacked the French 6th army. This was done in an effort to seperate the two French armies. However, joining the French troops at Marne were 85,000 U.S. troops (under American Expeditionary Force(AEF) commander General John Pershing) and some British forces.
On the first day, the German 1st and 3rd armies were unsuccessful and were also halted. While the German 7th and 9th armies to the west were able to successfull break through the Allied lines and crossed the Marne at Dormans. Commander of the German 7th army General Boehm, after breaking through the Alllied lines, set up a bridge head nine wide and four miles in depth. Soon after setting up the bridge head, the French 9th army along with British, American, and Italian troops halted the German advance on July 17th. With the German attempt to break through the Allied lines a fail, Allied Supreme Commander Ferdinand Foch allowed a counter-offensive to be launch on July 18th. Leading the offensive would be 24 divisions of the French army, British, American, and Italian troops along with 350 tanks. The object of this counter-offensive was to remove the German salient of trenches among the French lines. The French 10th army under General Charles Mangin along with the French 6th army under General Degoutte led the attack. These forces advanced five miles on the first day alone while the French 5th and 9th armies launched subsidiary assults on the Germans in the west.
It was on July 20th when the Germans ordered a retreat, and by August 3rd they were back where they started at the beginning of the 'Aisne-Marne Offensive' back in the spring of 1918. The successful Allied counter-offensive was then finally halted on August 6th when the reach the fortified German entrenchments. With the offensive an epic fail, Germany along with its generals saw that winning the war was now impossible with defeat iniment. Durint the 2nd battle of Marne, the Germans suffered the most with 168,000 casualities, French had 95,000, British had 13,000 and the Americans suffered 12,000 casualities.
On the first day, the German 1st and 3rd armies were unsuccessful and were also halted. While the German 7th and 9th armies to the west were able to successfull break through the Allied lines and crossed the Marne at Dormans. Commander of the German 7th army General Boehm, after breaking through the Alllied lines, set up a bridge head nine wide and four miles in depth. Soon after setting up the bridge head, the French 9th army along with British, American, and Italian troops halted the German advance on July 17th. With the German attempt to break through the Allied lines a fail, Allied Supreme Commander Ferdinand Foch allowed a counter-offensive to be launch on July 18th. Leading the offensive would be 24 divisions of the French army, British, American, and Italian troops along with 350 tanks. The object of this counter-offensive was to remove the German salient of trenches among the French lines. The French 10th army under General Charles Mangin along with the French 6th army under General Degoutte led the attack. These forces advanced five miles on the first day alone while the French 5th and 9th armies launched subsidiary assults on the Germans in the west.
It was on July 20th when the Germans ordered a retreat, and by August 3rd they were back where they started at the beginning of the 'Aisne-Marne Offensive' back in the spring of 1918. The successful Allied counter-offensive was then finally halted on August 6th when the reach the fortified German entrenchments. With the offensive an epic fail, Germany along with its generals saw that winning the war was now impossible with defeat iniment. Durint the 2nd battle of Marne, the Germans suffered the most with 168,000 casualities, French had 95,000, British had 13,000 and the Americans suffered 12,000 casualities.