Pershing's aim had always been to fight the Germans with an independent American Army (the AEF, the American Expeditionary Forces) instead of dividing his divisions between the allies. When the Germans launched the first attack of their Spring Offensives on 21 March 1918, he was still far away from the creation of this independent army. During the first three months of 1918 only a few divisions could be considered as available for immediate action. On 26 March 1918 Foch was selected as the Supreme Allied Commander. Two days later, to solve immediate allied manpower problems and to check the German assault, General Pershing temporarily placed all American forces at the disposal of Supremo Foch. It was agreed that the availability of American troops would only last so long as was needed to check the German advance. This book deals with three lesser known battles fought by five divisions of the AEF that took place in the Champagne/Marne Region between the City of Reims and the Argonne Forest. The narrative includes actions of the 2nd, 36th, 42nd, 92nd and the 93rd Divisions. The latter two were made up of African-American troops. The five tours are ideal for visitors who have a few hours to spare coming from or going to the St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne and Verdun battlefields from one of Paris's airports. They cover a lesser known area and each tour will not take more than a few hours. The starting points are all situated a little north of the A4, the Paris-Metz motorway. The tours also bridge the gap between the better known Chemin des Dames and Meuse-Argonne battlefields. AUTHOR: Maarten Otte is a long time resident in France, now living in Montfaucon, which is the location of the striking American Expeditionary Forces national memorial to the men who fought on the Western Front. Growing up in the Netherlands with a fascination with both the the Great War and the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, some twelve years ago he settled in the Argonne, where he has developed his interest in both wars, particularly the role of the United States. He has already written three books in the Battleground Europe series on the American Expeditionary Forces in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive and St Mihiel; there are others in preparation, along with a book on the winners of the Medal of Honour in France during the war. Maarten has also produced a book in the series on the Battle of Sedan, 1870. He now splits his time between writing on the wars, conducting guided tours of the AEF's battlefields and assisting his wife in running their B&B, which has recently moved from Nantillois to nearby Montfaucon en Argonne. He has built up a most impressive private museum, largely dedicated to the AEF; a number of the artefacts in it were found on the local battlefields. 250 b/w illustrations, 39 maps
