The day before yesterday, they welcomed 500 soldiers, including their commanding general back from another deployment to iraq. They have served our country every single day, without fail since june 1917. It is a record. The first time that they fall for our country was at was in france in may, 1918. It was americas first battle for the security of democracy in europe. Were still concerned about the security of democracy in europe and we still have troops in europe. It was the beginning of a very long and important history. Introduce thisto evening speaker, matt davenport. He has written the book that he will tell you about that is about the battle. I was privileged to look at over when it was a manuscript. I had two reactions. The first was, this is the best thing i have ever read on the battle. That was one reaction. The second reaction was intense jealousy. Matt did this as a hobby. He is actually a practicing attorney. He has a real profession. He did this on the side. His family is with us over here. Jessica, and sons. His sisterinlaw, linda, and her husband. There always is. Welcome. [applause] he did not tell his family he was working on this book for a couple of years. He squirreled away in an office. Book about the battle of canteen he. Cantigny. When someone comes out of a law ande and rights rights this, hats off. He is a veteran in the u. S. Army reserve. He grew up in st. Louis and spent some time as a long as a young man in rockford, illinois. Man, a devoted family professional, and someone who very much loves the history of this country and its military history in particular. He really would not give me much more for the introduction. So i asked, his sons to help me. They said he is very nice, the best dad ever. Loses the twogoal trains, particularly big boy, a wonderful collection of strange halloween uniforms. That includes some that he wears at halloween when he dresses up like a world war i soldier. I thought that picture was pretty good. Without further ado, i would like to introduce you to matthew davenport, author of the book , first over there. [applause] thank you, colonel. It is difficult to get the facts right on an event that occurred 97 years ago in a field in france. It is impossible to do that without the help of archives and museums and archivists and librarians and institutions from coasttocoast and overseas. And of the long list of institutions and group of people that i am grateful to on that long list, above all would be the 1st Division Museum here. Wonderful staff at the research center. Thank you. They are a wonderful, wonderful group. This book would be impossible without you. Those of you dont support them, i urge you to. So plug. I know i am in the presence of a lot of people that know a lot ,bout the battle of cantigny here in this audience, from the colonel who has written about it himself many of you out theyre. , i hope you have partaken. It will take a little bit of pressure off me. The cash bar. I learned early on when i decided to tell the story that to tell the story, really you cannot tell it without getting into the experience of the men that led up to the battle. So their experience in volunteering, shipping over to france, in training, then in the trenches, it informed their when they planned and executed the battle, which ended up being our 1st victory on the western front. The book is 16 chapters. I dont even get to the balance of the battlefield until chapter eight. So tonight i will get into detail about the battle itself, but i need to get you there first and i want to give you a little bit of a roadmap of how they got there at first and then the puzzle of the great war holistically. Combat world war i occurred fouren august 1914 and 1918, years and three months. The u. S. Did not get involved until over two and half years in really because it took the United States so long to get its industrial and manpower up to , add thethen form volunteers to the regular army, andp them and armed them send them over there to train. And really are actual precipitation in the war was limited to the last five and a half months, from the battle to the armistice. And i was curious when i started researching, where did the actual casualties occur on that timeline . As a think many of you know, the u. S. Lost over 116,000 men killed in action over the course of 19 months, but to say they were lost over that time is not painting an accurate picture. The u. S. Entered the war in 1917. By the end of that year, eight and a half months into our participation in the war come out of the hundred and 16,000 one at a thousand, more than half of them are debts deaths , 53,000ult of sickness in combat. I will tell you, by the end of 1917, eight and a half months into our time in the war, are actual combat deaths by the War Department records, the combat deaths at the end of that year where only, and i do not use that callously, relatively, only 33. 33 men in the first eight and a half months. Bythe time of this battle, may 20 8, 1918, combat deaths, u. S. Combat deaths were only about 594. So what does that tell you . It tells me from this day on for the next five and a half months the u. S. Lost about 52,000 men in combat. Combat more than we lost deaths, then we lost in korea and vietnam and over a decade and that in iraq and afghanistan. October 1918, when we finally had full presence on the front, divisions fighting, american divisions fighting under american core and american armies, eventually killed them on the western front at full capacity, that last few months of the war we lost 27,000 men in combat, the deadliest single month in American Military history. It was deadlier than the deadliest month in world war ii. That tells you that youre for yard and man for man, the western front was the deadliest combat our troops, american troops, have ever experienced. Before it or since. Imagine if the armistice did not occur in midnovember. And november carries the same casualties and the same combat deaths, then december and january. What the totals would have been. The british and the french, the allies did not have to imagine. They had been fighting this for years. They had been suffering. Row was low and they knew it. So when the u. S. Entered the war , the british and french sent delegations to president wilson right away and said we need an american presence on the front right now. Whatever you have, send them over. We know what your plan is and it will take a while, so get some troops over. The orders are sent down to the general who deployed the chief of the adf, the mac and expeditionary forces, to immediately handpick for regiments for the army, beefing it with volunteers and sending it across right away. So the 16th and 18th and 26 regiments are sent in midjune, by june 14 they ship out and by late june they land in france, a day the day when they shipped they were the First Expeditionary division. And then they are read three designated the First Division when they land. Said, they have been on continued active duty ever since. Landing, theyy on are put into what general pershing envisioned with his general headquarters, that all aes divisions aef divisions they would train under the allies, mostly the french, then they would go into a frontline sector for experience under british or french command and then they would take over a part of the sector under their own control as Thomas Division and as an autonomous division. And as they went to the stages, they could assemble an american rps and then an American Army and then take over part of the western front. That was the plan. The First Division is the first foot into it and immediately there is a sense, it is spelled im not french. I looked up so many pronunciations. I will just say, this is where they went. And they trained there through the summer. This is where they learned. All they brought with them where the spring photo rifles and the 5s. 45s colt. 4 they have to learn how to fire the machine guns, the automatic rifles, and three filled artillery regiments are trying to separately. Im notes place at pronouncing it correctly. But they learn how to fire the 155 military artillery. So by the end of summer, when they finish training, they are still the only division in france, when the 22nd arrives by fall. Go to somerviller and they enter the trenches. The first u. S. Division into the trenches. And they fire the first shot at the germans. They are bound by their wire. They cannot go past the wire. So they do not watch raids, but they learn what it is like to hold a frontline sector. It is a quiet sector. It has not moved much since the first month of the war. But then the inevitable happened. On november 3, Early Morning hours. As battalions are rotating, they did 10 days. The second battalion of the 15th and jeffrey that every tree is struck by the germans. And they launch a trench raid and i think as many of you know, the first three americans are killed. In that raid. And that is a photograph of the funeral, the french general given the eulogy. Captured andre more injured. They then rotate the next battalion and after a month they all rotate back in december. So now theyre getting ready to go into the frontline trenches. The First Division has finished their second phase of training and the general knows of all the american divisions they will be the first ones into combat. So in december, lacking confidence in the initial commanders, he replaces him with the man of the top. We could justify an entire hour on these two men in the photograph, reverently Robert Bullard was ack, southerner, he was one year ahead of pershing at west point. He was an infantry man. His first move when he takes he was a folksy southerner, he was one year ahead. He was an infantryman. He took over the command of the first decision and appointed charles summerall, the man at the bottom right. He appoints him as a commander of the first his experience with summerall goes back. When they both fought together 1901, philippines, in general bullard was a kernel volunteer was a kernel of volunteers. I was very impressed by a young lieutenant, lieutenant summerall , who supported him with such effective and support. It was something he never forgot. He was the man who was appointed. This was a consequential decision. Charles summerall thing goes on, hes photographed in the summer. He goes on to be the next commander of the First Division. After the war, he becomes the army chief of staff and hands the army off to macarthur in 1925. He becomes the president of the citadel. In the summer of 1917, these two men are put in place. It is very consequential. The first thing that general bullard asks for is to get his division into a frontline sector for the first for the third phase of training. He wants it to be an active sector. January,tter cold of the very bitter cold, he asks and gets the greenlight light for his division to go into the sector. Those are the three towns that are in a triangle. In the event in january. This sector is probably two or three times as act as their first set. This is the first time that these troops, that american troops feel the full weight of german artillery. Daily and nightly bombardments. This is where, as they take over autonomous as one the vision, theyre given control of the sector. , one of hisards first orders was to be active all over no mans land, do not wait for the enemy to fire. This is where they learn how to launch patrols, intelligence patrols. How to where they learn launch enemy trench raids on the german trenches. The casualties are high. It is here that most of the junior officers, the lieutenant and the captains, most of whom were civilians a year earlier. There are very few west pointers in the junior officer ranks. Ones whohese guys are were college students, cashiers at banks, just a year earlier. Now they are leading men. The only formal training was a 90 officer day training school. This is the sector that many of them, those who lead platoons and companies at cantigny would later say this is where they learned how to lead the men. This is where they learned trench warfare. Many of them would hearken back to the sector as the reason for their success when they finally entered cantigny. They are there through january and february. 21, as many know, the germans launched the first of their spring offenses. This does not get talked about a lot. I cannot overstate how close the allies came to losing here. November, was the russian revolution. The russians do not enter us up at peace until later. Effectively, they are fighting the fighting on the Eastern Front was over. It freed up 60 german divisions. They had west, to the western front. The german leadership salt was coming with the u. S. , they saw the leviathan that was proving across the atlantic. Every month was going to be more exponentially more american troops and divisions coming. The germans decided there were going to throw the full weight of what they got from the u. S. Front and they would train them and launch it in a spring offensive to knock the allies out of the war before the americans could arrive. By this point, the u. S. Had five divisions in france. The First Division was the only one that have finished all three stages of training. Pershingisis, general abandons his original plan to army of the u. S. Multiple core and u. S. Divisions over the front. Of multiple corps and us divisions over the front. General pershing goes to him and say all i have is yours. He made sure he said all my divisions are yours. He was not going to split up his divisions into regiments or battalions. Keeping the divisions as of thomasl and level units, he would hand is over to british french command. Whatever they needed. They said, we need one division. It like you to send it to the furthest Western Point of the recent german thrust. That was, if you look at the map. This includes all of the german offenses. Thethe dark line is the way western front booked before the spring offensive. The dots in the middle, came to is the farthest dot. Named r was that is where the First Division is sent. Thethest west later furthest west the germans reach. General pershing pulls the First Division out of the lines, relieves them with a 26 division. He pulls them back for two weeks of training. Knowing that he is sending them into the war, knowing he is sending them into what will probably be an offensive, and they will be the First American troops to fight the germans, he goes to general bullards temporary headquarters and addresses all of the divisions officers. Over 900 of them. I start the first chapter because it is very historic. Subsequent history and hindsight if it a lot more weight than it had at the time. Because of the men that were in the courtyard. A lot of these men would go on to lead the army in world war ii and lead the division and world war ii. They were standing in this courtyard. Youll see general bullard. Behind him to the left is general duncan. He would go on to be the commander of the 82nd. Partially obscured behind general duncan is general bullards operations officer. He was 37 at the time. He wouldve believed the army in world war ii. He later became secretary of state. He was the division chief three here. He was the operations officer. General pershing sends them to this photograph is one of the only known photographs of cantigny. A wartime photograph taken before the american assault. I wanted to show it to you tonight because i think many people look at the west think of the western front and think of some dantes inferno landscape here it it was accurate before the spring offensive. , this is freshit farmland. Because of until then, the war had been 40 miles east. The germans had pushed 40 miles. This is on a front where victory for the last 3. 5 years had been cldver one 200 yards. 100 or 200 yards. Up until 300 weeks up until three weeks before they got here, this was farmland. Cantigny sat on a hilltop. It does it elevated above the ground. You will see the buildings here, they were still intact. There was still vegetation on the trees. The germans pushed west and a French Colonial division was heading north to reinforce another french division. It was a reserve division. In astopped the germans counter of engagement. The germans dug into the village. The french we took the village. The germans pushed them back out. The french retook it. The germans pushed them back out. Since then, the germans held the village. That was early april. The germans fortified themselves in the village. Y fenced the west of the the west of it. They fenced it with trenches and dug in to all of the village dwellings, the sellers. They made bunkers and command post. Arrived, whencans the First Division gets there, they are not in an established sector at all. There is no trenches like they saw at the first sector. Deep is no 5, 6 foot trenches. Nothing has been built. The french are occupying a series of shell craters in a line with very little communication between them. The very first task the division has to build the sector. Build this line and build miles of trenches. And communication trenches and bunkers. That photograph is one of many. If you go through the division history, from the time they take over the sector, april 24, up until midmay. Almost all of the pictures are of them digging. The infantry was pressed into helping. The engineers could not do it along. While there they are, it is just as active as it was. The germans are pounding them day and night with heavy bombardments. General summerall is responding. By midmay, general bullard gets the green light to plan a limited offensive. A limited offensive meaning he will retake the village of canteen he from the germans, retake this position, the high ground, he will hold it against inevitable counterattacks. It is a bite and hold. Lines as they looked after they established the sector. You will feel the collects that he is. Marshal sons they send orders of the frontline infantry. Leaders oon company commanders, we need intelligence. We need to know where all the german machine guns are. S weillage structure need to know this. We need to know the locations of everything. From midmay up until the battle, for two weeks some nights there were patrols in no mans land, coordinate with each other. Crawl tod go out and after dark. They would crawl to enemy lines. National archives, they had stacks of these reports. They are the most fascinating things to look at. Some of the men actually got through the village to the east on the far side and into the field on the other side. All under the cover of darkness and quiet. They would come back before dawn, hopefully and fill out a patrol report. That was sent back to marshall and his staff. Bullards staff. They would plug it into the map. Slowly, the Operations Plan took shape. Ive photograph here, you can see this. Going to the about archives, you can hold these up and see what the original plans were and how they above. You can see where the changes took place. As they got more intelligence, which parts of the attack plan evolved. There on the right, there were many slips of paper that i saw. They were tucked into these folders and they were all in George Marshalls handwriting. He would write these memos. He was very much the architect of the plan. Was a long, wide dugt, the fortified enemy in. The artillery was going to play a huge role. On the left, this is the map of the village. Those red marks are the hand drawn labels. Intelligence would come back from patrols and this is how cantigny looked before the battle. They would then mark which once had a seller. All of those arrows on the left, those are machine guns. Up on the right, the french aviator would go out on clear days and take aerial photographs. That is one of the many photographs they used in planning. Artillery the general and his staff planned the artillery. Muchwas going to be a very combined armed attack. The infantry and the military group was going to have to work together. The plan was that there would be a destructive bombardment of the village. This appears on the right, this pointer . Re is a laser show any of the village structures. This is all of the different batteries that were given partisan and the village. All of them are aimed at the village. This would be almost 300 french guns. For a total of 386 guns. 75 up to 210,m 240 up to the immense to 80. 280. They would destroy all of the destroy, render all of the german garrisons incapable. That would be from 5 456 40. Then the plan would be that the artillery would start from 75 meters. 64 of them would fire a protective arise out to no mans land. It was described as a wall of smoke and flame. At 6 45 they would jump up and low their whistles and at zero hour, the first wave of infantry would go forward toward the protective arise in no mans land. Forward another hundred meters until they reached their objectives. This in the i put book. On the left, you will see that each one of these rectangles is one of the rifle companies. This is the 28th infantry. Ride three battalion wide infantry attack. Battalion,the first two companies, right here. Company would wait in the ds. Teen h cantigny woo then they would create forward another hundred meters and another hundred meters. Companyreached here, a would swing out and meet with be company. They would fight off that portion of the german line and hold that against an inevitable counterattack. Operation plan to map showing the Infantry Company and how they would move forward. That was the objective line right there. Not having ever experienced an offensive before, they were holding at this time. They were taken out of the frontline by the 18th infantry and sent back to the rear to reverse the battle. It was 2. 5 days of rehearsal. Not only would it be protected it would be accompanied by a battalion, a french schneider tank. A dozen french flamethrower teams accompanying the center of the attacks to mop up the village ruins. These are the photographs of them rehearsing. There is one from the side. Here is a spot for the french plan plain that would fly over and report back any german batteries that were fired. One of the biggest part of the Operations Plan as i told you, it evolves. In the evolving, what i found interesting was that they kept emphasizing more and more that when the infantry got to the far side of the village and doug lines, they would be exposed. They knew to keep the german artillery undercounter battery fire, especially during that time while they dug in. That is why the french got pushed back out. They could take it but they couldnt hold it. Portion went from one paragraph to three paragraphs to two pages to 2. 5 pages. Emphasizing that the french artillery had the range. 200assive to 40s 40s. This would keep them under fire as the americans dug in. That is what happened on the morning of may 27. A couple of things happen. On the morning of may 27. The attack is scheduled. J day is scheduled for may 28. The morning of may 28. They rehearsed. One third of them the battalion comes back. Over tonight,at they need to spread the release. The Center Battalion is brought into night before. In two nights before. The Center Battalion comes in and takes over to portions of the line. The germans launch a trench raid. Of all the places along the line that they could hit the american trenches, a hit the one place that was being held by the members of the 28. They just came back from rehearsal. They knew everything about the attack. German writers raiders crosse d no mans land. They hit one part of company e. They more than decimated the company. 30 americans are killed. 20 more are wounded. They take 50 men out of the center of the attack for the next day. They cant be replaced. The critical thing is that americans defend their lines of effectively and keep the germans from capturing anyone. If one man had been captured they would have known everything about the attack. It might have caused cancellations of the battle. No americans are captured in that range. The rate indicated something a lot more ominous. Of a series ofrt german attacks for the next german senses. It was the third stage of the german offensive. Wasproblem was that it gaining ground quickly. High command sends orders up that the french artillery needs to go support eli to the south. They cant be used for the battle. After a series of matches back and forth. Said that werd will stay but we will only stay for the preparatory bombardment. Most of the big guns will then leave the sector after the americans agree to the objective. That is critical. Especially given how much that Operations Plan had emphasized the role of the french hotel or a. French artillery. These french guns are going to be gone. May 28, all of the companies and here. This was a task organization. To add to it, we are three Machine Gun Companies, they had a company of engineers. They had a full battalion of the 18th infantry in reserve. One of those companies was up in the frontline near company a. This was plus the french flamethrowers. And the tank battalion. These photographs were taken by at thench arial observer end of that, right after the bombardment or toward the end. Northeastom the east, looking back. The americans would have attacked this direction. You can see the smoke rising from the ruins. You cantf this see it here. You can zoom in and you can see that there is not a single building in the entire village. One of the americans, one of the doughboys that went to the village, they looked like matchsticks or house of rubble. Here is another aerial photograph, this photograph of the village was road after the battle. This was charred landscape. At zero hour, the infantry went over the top. That yous photograph see is on the cover of my book. That is actually the second way of going over the top. These are more pictures of the attack. This is the only closeup that i have ever found of the infantry Going Forward across no mans land. It is not identified. Im going to guess that it is probably company e or f. They are moving forward. The platoon leaders are standing with the pistol here. Up here on the north end, this was about needed to waste the. They were waiting for the barrage in front of them to quit forward again. Creep forward again. This is a great photograph because you can see a silhouette of the first wave up there. You can see all of the protective barrages on the horizon. Completely obstructed by the preparatory garage. The third wave were carrying parties. Each company went for two platoons in the first way. Two platoons in the second way in about six minutes later. Also accompanied by a couple of machine gun teams. The companies on the flank had the four machine gun teams. They were to carry all of these. They would make repeated trips toward the front. One of the best quotes i ever heard from a military story. Rick atkinson said topography is state. Battle. Ry true of this one things you can appreciate about the battle is the topography. It hasnt changed much since then. I have shown you two photographs. On the left, this is the best map to show the platoon configuration at zero hour. You will see each one of these sticks here. He was a company a situated in the cantigny woods. Up at the top, you get to be different in the topography. It was relatively flat and open. This is the the you up here from the german trenches as it looks today toward the american lines. This photograph was taken about right here back in the second company. This is the view from the german trenches. It is downhill toward the american lines. The americans were going on a slight uphill. One of the key factors is that these german trenches right here were not really part of the preparatory compartment. They were not hit from 5 45 to 6 45. They were almost untouched. The only shells that hit them were when the american barrage moved forward. Especially on the far north and right here. These german platoons were entirely capable of defense. Down on the south end of the village, right here, right about on this line was what they called a draw. I called it a ravine that cut through the fontaine woods. Right back here and there are a whole lot of german machine guns. The german lines went right along this road. See how low that ground is. Battalion, company d went up through the village. B had toe, Company Cross this field right there. These were the german lines. This road right here was a dirt road than and the germans had built their frontline trench along that road. The german Possibility Company d company be all across no mans land. These germans were entirely defense,f an effective the only shelters worthy american protective barrage. Over on the left, these were the cantigny woods. The actual woods line has moved back. Company a was supposed to swing out here. They connected across the open ground. One of the things that i found most fascinating was the casualties. You can see the topography. It took a long time to figure this out. You crossreference these with the morning reports, you can moste out where and when of the individual soldiers were killed. History has told us that the death total for the battle of cantigny is 199. That is not accurate, 199 were killed but it was far more. Elysas based on colonel report. He issued a report on june 2. Covered the 28th. It only covered what he knew at that point. When you factor in the replacement that was still classified as 128 infantry they still bought in this battle. You factor in all of the added units of Machine Gun Companies and the companies in the 18th that were thrown in. The number i was able to confirm 318. 318 killed in this battle and this battlefield in the 2. 5 days. I think the number is probably more. I know it is at least 318. When they died and where tells you about the flow of action. The Center Battalion second right here with the tenets any flamethrowers going across no mans land, they are headed toward the area that the hourlong preparatory bombardment has destroyed. The garrison has crushed or trapped or land, zeros no mans deaths. The second battalion zero deaths up to this point. The first battalion, reaching this point right here, they are crossing no mans land to include company a swinging out. 21 deaths. That is in the first 10 minutes. 21 dead, 110 wounded. Second battalion zero dead and from all i can tell about eight or 10 wounded. Third battalion at the top, coming across the open field, again, the bombardment did not hit the german lines. The germans open up their machine gun fire right here, especially on company l and k. Theiry l never reached objective. They get to platoon leaders killed. One is rendered absolutely incapable of any leadership, he is shot through the arm and left in no mans land. There is only one platoon leader left. Halfway to the objectives. Offmen below them splinter some run back to the old lines. Some assimilate with company k and a few gather around lieutenant hawkins. They never reach their objective. Actuallyight platoon reaches the line here. They fall back quickly. This battalion to this point suffers 31 killed and 180 wounded. 31 killed, 180 wounded. You see the difference based on and where they had hit the germans leading up until then. The second battalion drives through the village. This is where they had their heaviest resistance. This is the main village structures right here. Here, this has been pummeled by artillery. Here is theht orchard north of the village. If you read the book, you read a lot about the orchard. Wentecond battalion tanks for two lines. Them, a group of five went this way, too stalled out. They were 10 tanks left. They came down here and hit every strong point they could. Another group came across no mans land straight into the orchard. Onesecond Battalion Company goes into the village. The other two companies funnel through and between the cemetery and the buildings on the north end. As they enter the orchard, these are teaming with german machine guns. That is where they suffer most of the casualties, and the orchard, based off the 12 killed, at least 90 were wounded. Lieutenant colonel robert maxey, he was a west pointer, he led second battalion four. Maps in oneing hand, his pistol in the other. Every soldier that talks about him say that he makes him sound like he was chuck noris. One of them said he had a pistol and lead us to victory. He had a handlebar mustache. He was a quite an interesting character. He gets to this point. The objective is right about here. Here and iso about struck by a shell. From what i can tell, other than artillery of the division, there soldiers ofix or 10 the 28th that were killed by artillery shortages fired by the Division Artillery and the french artillery. Of those reports were redacted but you can still see them. The german artillery was entirely silent. Way upro hour all the until about the time that they received the objectives, i cant find any reports of an american killed by german artillery. Theof the first or maybe first is Lieutenant Colonel maxey. He is struck in the next by a shell fragment. He is still alive but his wound is mortal. Evacuate him to a Field Hospital and he says take me to the captain. Here is the captain. He was the best kind of officer. He is commanding the reserve company of the second battalion. Going through. He gives him his maps, he tells them where he wants his command posted. He tells them the plan for the consolidation of the line. I know he does by nightfall. The captain then takes command of the battalion. By the end of the war, claire to is ar clarence commander. In world war ii, he commanded the first infantry. He ended theorest war as a three star and a corps commander. This is a photograph as it looks today. A lot of the german artillery was in these would lines back here. This was the mopping up the village. These are the french flamethrower crews. The men described it as the french flamethrower teams. A flamethrower, one with a bag of grenades. Through any seller opening, and he stares that looked like it was going down into the rubble. They would go up and yell in in german. They would prime the grenade and throw it in and wait for the detonation. A lot of germans were taking cash taken prisoner. A lot of germans were taken prisoner. They crushed and killed much of the german garrison. Line nown of the the french artillery start pulling out. This is the deadliest chapter of the entire battle. The americans get on the far side of the village. Artillery now the big guns are moving out. More every hour. The german artillery starts opening up. The americans pushed through the village and the end up on the far side, mostly in open fields that are exposed to the german lines. They have to get up there in open ground and their platoon leader leaders say dig a trench. The machine gun fire and the artillery fire is coming. Where mostdation is Companies Receive their heaviest casualties. Atn here is a good panoramic the south end of the village. I showed this to you so you can see how it looks today. They finally conquered the germans here. They took this line and they had to dig in here along the line. I know i am a lot closer but if you back up two or 300 yards, this is the view that the germans have of company bs lines. Even worse with company a. Company a over here in the cantigny woods have swung out. They could never connect with company b. To the tree line and dig into lines here. They start getting pummeled by the artillery. Up here, you can see the lines just to the east of the and north. A slope of the land tells you everything. See this is front facing. The village is back on the other side of the trees. Company b diggs and over here. Company d is on a forward facing floats. Float. The germans have an easy shot at this to their right and left. You can see the natural crest of the ground floating up. You cant see but over here, company a is digging in. Company a receives the lowest casualties in the battle. Consolidation, d company suffers 15 killed. The company suffers 11 killed. I think it was 15 killed and at least 120 wounded during this time. This is only about a two or three hour. One was killed and it was after consolidation. You can see that the topography is safe. Where they were trying to dig in meant a lot about their casualties. This is the operations map showing that this was done prior to the battle. Ors was completed on may 25 26. This shows the plan of the organization of the lines. All of these Companies Reached their objective and dug in. Because company l never reached their objective. Company k is exposed on the far left. They have become the left flank. Company case offers the highest casualties of any company. And the consolidation 21 killed and 180 wounded. That is almost the whole company. Almost the whole company is gone. The surviving platoon leaders and upcoming back with a couple dozen men. Heavy that byso the first german counterattack they end up pushing them back. You can see company k there. They are exposed on the left. They suffer the heaviest during the digging in of the consolidation. This is taking the afternoon of the 28th. These are german prisoners. Most are happy to be back and getting fed. At a most of the american soldiers and up staying afterwards. They were happy to have survived that inferno. Now they would be well fed. They heard that americans that their prisoners well. Ofs was a photograph taken them heading back toward division headquarters. A lot of the individuals who bought at canteen he canteen he , and it up becoming leaders in the army in world war ii. The most obvious was george marshall. I wanted to emphasize a few. This is john charge. He was a lieutenant of company b. In world war ii, he is a one star general. In the korean war, he takes command of the 24th infantry division. That is a photograph of him during korea. This is clarity of their clarence. Carrying his favorite cold 45 that he carried all the way through the world war ii. Up here, Theodore Roosevelt junior, he was a major, he commanded a battalion of the 26th infantry to the south end of the village. They were tasked with flank support. One of his companies had to come and reserve to plug the line during the battle. Ii herse, in world war was the one star general. Of thea Deputy Commander first infantry and he lands at utah beach. He is a first general officer for utah beach. After the 28th, after the men dig in to their line, the germans push an immediate counter stroke. The americans called it their first counter attack. When ever they had in reserve, they try to throw it at the americans. The interesting thing about the german garrison is unplanned again. The regimen that was holding the hadh half of the village just come to the line that night. Regimentrelieved a that held the line for some time. They were entirely unfamiliar with a lot of their positions. The regiment that was released marched back to rest position. They were about eight miles away. They arrived there around 8 00 a. M. 8 30, eight or 8 20 or they get orders to go back to the front. The americans have attacked. They turned around and they had to march back to the line because they are told that they will counter attack. When they arrive around 1 00 in the early afternoon they have not slept for all of over a day. They have marched 16 hours with no food, no breakfast and little water. These are the troops that the germans sent an for the counter attack that afternoon. I think that is important to note. They counter attacked and they were supposed to counter attack the last was coordination between the two german infantry regiments. Attackd up delaying the by 45 minutes. They got pushed back. Exposed ands so decimated, they were down to just a few men. I dont know there is a different way to say this, they were in a panic and they fell back. They took a lot of the men in company l out in no mans land with them. They will left with the north end of the left flank. The reserve company has to come in and plug the gap. Southdark, down in the where company a is, they never joined up with company b. The objective is consolidated. The next morning, the germans counter attack again. They are pushed back. The men are Still Holding the lines. The next afternoon, the next evening, the germans counter attack again down to the south and the americans pushed them back. Then, through the night, the americans continue to hold the line. A lot of companies didnt get any more water. They were short on ammunition. May 30, theying on had been holding the lines for two days. The germans counter attack again. It was splintered and uncoordinated but the americans fight them back. The germans do not attack again. Kernel thee and hisgets his wish men are released when the 16th infantry goes and. Goes in. One of the soldiers said after he reached the rear that no man set foot in canteen he cantigny again. This was the first time that they took enemy territory. It was the first push back during the germanspring offensive. I am very candid in the book that this was a small battle. There was no disputing that, it was small, if you look at the line on the western front, almost inconsequential. The cause of the rebels were big. It was big news because this is the first time americans planned and operation an operation and succeeded. The deadliest fighting that we ever experienced. From the south and southwest of the village. You can see how it is elevated in their position. This is where company b would have cut through in canteen he woods. Cantigny this was right here in the village in 2008. Picture is general perjing. They are looking at their first maneuvers. Of cantigny. Tory thank you for your attention. [applause] matthew i know that there is time for questions i believe. What were the german casualties . Matthew they remain every imprecise very imprecise. We had over 250 captured. Killed the total germans the claims went upward of 800 or 1000. I think the number is somewhere around 600 total. Righttotal casualties was over 1000. I know they said the division was left with a combat strength over 2500. Try of the gerson holding the village was small. Battalions 858. 0 each. It is impossible to give any precise number on german casualties. That is the best number i can get from german documents. We have a question over here. Was colonel mccormick during all of this . [applause] [laughter] matthew thank you so much. Colonel mccormick commanded the battalion of the fifth field artillery. They had the 155. Suffered from the spanish flu. The spanish flu decimated the ranks. He was struck with the spanish flu but insisted on remaining with his battalion. I am notad saying that because i am on the kernel state. He was an exceptional artilleryman. He insisted on being with them through the rehearsal and going. P to the front lines he was with his battalion when they they fired the preparatory bombardment. Protectivee the barrage from zero hour on until they reached their objective. From earlier in the day before, staff had some of his been begging him. You are sick, please go to the Field Hospital. He insisted on remaining there with his battalion. This was when they executed the most important part of the mission. He allowed himself to be taken to the Field Hospital after. He was in place for the most important part. He commanded one of the battalions. As a nurse, i am curious about the Field Hospitals and were American Nurses there russian mark what was the Health Care Like at all . Probably not too good . Matthew not very good. There was a french Field Hospital. Cant find any sign that there were nurses there. It was all members of either the First Division or members that were brought up to man the hospital. The morning reports and the Field Hospital intake are how i crossreferenced a lot of the casualties. Evacuated those that could be evacuated were taken. A lot of them that couldnt walk were carried on these two wheeled dinghies. They were very rough rides, all the way back to the Field Hospital. At the Field Hospital they perform some surgeries, very painfully. They could be removed to the french hospital. Most of the men are recovered in the french hospital. Records of anyny nurses at the Field Hospitals that supported this attack. Another one over here. There are some stories of extraordinary personal valor and perseverance among our new soldiers in this fight. What were the one or two that struck you . Those were the real examples of the potential and the courage of the american soldier. It is good for a Family Member to try to stop you with a question. One that struck me, i have lived in North Carolina for the last 22 years, one of our favorite sons sam irving was a u. S. Senator from North Carolina. It wasnt until i got into research for this book that i knew that sam irving thought at cantigny very bravely. Sam led one of those parties in the third way. He was a private. He led a 12 man carrying party in the third wave. He was part of the reserve company. Men made five trips across no mans land especially after the machine gun ire. He kept making trips back and forth. Losts fifth trip he had six of his men. Two killed and four would it. It was only him and five other guys i believe. Back, he spotted a german soldier that was wounded. He is shot through the foot. It is by him and german machine gun. He goes back to the Field Hospital. He did not actually recover in time. In next big operation was july. At theinces the Doctors Hospital to allow him to go back to the front. The reports were that he actually used a rifle as a crutch for part of it and helped a guide named samuel parker. They were friends at carolina. They were taking a german machine gun and they were actions for which he would earn the medal of honor. That one of the most amazing men in this story that is impossible to say it is probably george redwood. Gift ead the book or if you have read the books you have learned by george redwood. He was the battalion intelligence officer. His bravery was renowned. He was just a citizen soldier. He was a young lieutenant gone through ninetyday officer training. He goes through no mans land on these intelligence patrols. Redwood went out every night. Georgeattle redwood is seen during the battle by guys all over the north end of the battlefield. Where he appears out of the smoke and shows guys were to go and then goes back. He is shot during the early part of the battle threw his shoulder. Either the chest with the soldier shoulder. He continues going through no mans land. He had been in a no mans land so many times that he knew it better than anybody. During one of the heavy machinegun barrages the men are all down in their trenches. Down there marking where the machine guns are being fired. Received in k and l the afternoon and the troops he actually rallies them to try to drive them back to the front line. That is when he is killed by a shell. Impossible to pick out anymore. Those are just some of the individuals that stick out in my mind. There is countless. One of the frustrating things about the book and about publishers you have to cut out so much. Cover onlyy only about 20 or 30 of these men. I was able to uncover the letters and diaries and personal recollections. That is a lot of digging. It paints an accurate map. There are a lot of stories out there that are told and untold said they. Do know if they were attached to the First Division . No, no. Are you asking how colonel mccormick ended up with the First Division . I know that unit was not attached. None that i know of. Colonel mccormicks journey into the First Division was individual. He was very much a citizen soldier. He wanted to wanted to volunteer immediately. He started as an intelligence cer and ended up thank you for an excellent presentation. One question would be did you run across any records of the german opinion of the u. S. Fighting capability or opinion of appreciation . Matthew yes, the best ones were from the german prisoners. They may have been flavoring what they said at the time. If you read a german operation, they were after the war. I believe it was the army war college. The army translated all of the documents. Germansread what the attributed the loss of the village to. Every single one of them, they talk about the lack of coordination. State of the trips. Men had just taken over the sector and were not familiar with the defenses. They always talk about the fire of the enemy and could not retake the village due to heavy infantry and artillery fire of the enemy. As colonel herbert said many time thewas the United States but in a combined arms attacked successfully and held it successfully. All of the german high command that i could find did a tribute part of that to the american firepower and of course the Ripple Effect from there. It was successful. That was a black eye. I think the german troops were rated third on a scale of four. It is still not too long of a distance. Army. As part of the 18th thank you very much for coming. How long did it take you to do the research for the book . How long did it take for the editing to be published . Matthew the research took four years. I started writing after about three years. You dont know what you need to know until you start writing. When i started writing, i got three years into research and i had gone through archives coast to coast. Ihad all the documents and said i have enough, i will write it. I started to write and that is hard. I got to the second sentence and i said i dont know what the weather was like. I dont know when sunrise was. As you write, you start to realize you need more research. The editing is awful. I finished the manuscript in about a year and the editing took about a year. It was arduous. Editors are not really human. Collects when the americans were being bombarded by the germans, did they still have the artillery to support their own artillery support . Hould mark support matthew they did, they had groupings in these different commanders. Remaineder french guns with the americans. Problem was counter battery fire requires longer ranged weapons and bigger caliber. 40s tens, the two the 155s did not have the range. I think a lot of it the oflure in that first hour destroying some of the positions , north and south. The american artillery was able to respond to german infantry movement and i cover that in the book. I am over here. Rehearsalested in the and the actual battle. From the Soldiers Point of view, where there any documentation from the Soldiers Point of view . Did it help them . Did it introduce them to something unknown . Itthe best way to summarize they said the rehearsal was absolutely helpful. It was almost like muscle memory when they went into battle. It was such a fixed plan, their descriptions of the rehearsal were very interesting. They actually allowed war correspondents embedded to cover with the agreement they could not report on it until after the battle, obviously. The soldiers were told they were theg into the battle on 24th. They did not learn jj was not until 2, 3 days later. So many of them, lieutenant newhall in particular, said we felt the bombardment leading up i wouldhour, i thought be a pile of nerves. And because of the rehearsal, my men and i knew what we were expecting. We knew what we had to do. We were just going to do it. Of course he is understating things. It was absolutely helpful. It was essential, especially being able to work in liaison with the tanks and the flamethrower crews, because they had never done that before. Matt. Thank you very much. Great presentation. [applause] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2017] bookshelf, from the bestknown and history writers of
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