American Expeditionary Forces at the Battle of Cantigny

The US 1st Infantry Division might have been largely untried, but it was a big, solid American Expeditionary Forces division with a total strength of 27,000 troops, officers and support staff. There were two brigades, the 1st and 2nd Infantry Brigades. The 1st had the 16th and 18th Regiments and the 2nd machinegun Battalion. The 2nd Infantry Brigade had the 26th and 28th Regiments and the 3rd machinegun Battalion. The other divisional units were the 1st machinegun Battalion, 1st Engineers, 2nd Field Signal Battalion and the 1st Field Artillery Brigade made up of the 5th, 6th and 7th Field Artillery units. The 5th had 155mm guns and the 6th and 7th had 75mm guns. The French had also placed a coterie of artillery battalions and batteries from nine regiments at the disposal of the 1st Infantry Division. They were richly equipped with 75mm guns, 155mm guns, 220mm guns and even 280mm giants. Rounding out the French artillery were four batteries of trench mortars ranging from 58mm to 240mm.

Taking Cantigny and bumping the Germans from their commanding view was tasked to the 1st Infantry Division. On May 28th at 4:45 am while it was still pitch black, the French artillery units started firing their 75mm guns at Cantigny for adjustment. 5:45 am, moments after sunrise, the artillery unleashed a full bombardment blasting the German defenders in the village and lighting up the village making it visible for miles around. The 28th Infantry Regiment, to whom the assignment had been poetically made, moved forward at 6:45 am, advancing through the early morning fog. Journalist Fredrick Palmer reported that the heavily laden men were equipped with the following as they left their trenches:

"The men who went over the top were to carry two hundred and twenty rounds of rifle ammunition, two hand grenades and one rifle grenade, two canteens filled with water, one shelter half, four sand bags, one flare and one shovel or one pick, and they were to wear their blouses and to leave their blankets behind. They must have enough food and water to remain for two days in their newly-won positions…"

They were accompanied by the French 5th Tank Battalion, which had 12 French Schneider tanks. These were slow 14-ton six-man leviathans with a richly deserved reputation for getting stuck crossing trenches. Several broke down simply advancing though this was normal of any tank at that time. But those that moved forward provided cover and fire from their side machineguns and solitary 75mm nose cannons to knock out the formidably deadly German machineguns.

By 7:20 am the attack was all over and the Americans had taken Cantigny. Surprisingly, all objectives were achieved on time and with minimal losses. The Americans had suffered less than 100 casualties, but had captured 350 German prisoners.

The Germans counter-attacked, shooting up the village with their own artillery. What little the Americans might have left untouched was whittled down further. Cantigny was ruined, but the Americans held and on the 30th reinforced their position with fresh troops as the 16th Regiment relieved the 28th Regiment. However, by that time, American casualties had climbed to over a thousand. German casualties remained unknown.

The Americans had launched their first offensive in Europe and won. Compared to the overall epic scale of World War I, Cantigny was a small battle, but it showed the Germans, the French, the British and even themselves that American Expeditionary Forces could fight and win.

Previous: Battle of Cantigny, page 1.

Sources:

"The American Army in the World War: A Divisional Record of the American Expeditionary Forces in Europe", pp. 235-236.
"America in France", p. 223.

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