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THE USA IN WW1 Background.
By 1918 the armed forces of the European participants in WW1 were essentially exhausted. The stalemate of attritional trench warfare begun on the Western front at the end of 1914 had continued to wear down the armies of both the Central Powers and the allies of the Entente that faced them. However, a number of developments in 1917 dramatically changed the face of the war.
On April 6 1917, in response to the German policy of unrestricted U-boat warfare, America declared war on Germany. The German high command knew that this meant the inevitable defeat of German ambitions in the West once American forces reached France in large numbers.
When war was declared the American army was small with only 53,000 men of the 98,000 strong Regular Army stationed in the USA and 27,000 National Guardsmen. It lacked any recent operational experience although it’s mobilisation to hunt the mexican revolutionary bandit Pancho Villa in 1916 enabled it to grow quickly. The need to expand the army and the slow build up of American troops in France led the American Commander, General Pershing, to believe he would not be fully effective until 1919 at the earliest. , General Pershing insisted that American forces would remain under American Command and not be committed until fully trained. Lacking support weapons of their own the AEF had to borrow British and French tanks and French machine guns and artillery in order to operate effectively. 
French Renault light tanks in use by the AEF. On the Eastern Front the armies of Russia had virtually collapsed following the Russian revolution. The fall of the Kerensky revolutionary Government followed by the signing of the peace treaty between the Central Powers and the new Bolshevik Soviet government saw the withdrawal of Russia from the conflict and the release of some 60 Central Powers divisions for deployment elsewhere.
As a result in the Spring of 1918 the Central Powers were able to unleash a series of offensives on the Western Front designed to win the war before American forces reached France in numbers large enough to influence to outcome desired by Germany. At the very least the Germans wanted to gain enough territory to bargain for a better peace.
Sometimes called the Kaiserschlacht this series of linked attacks consisted firstly of an attack on the Somme on 21st March, the second in the North (The Lys offensive) on the 9th of April and the third on the Aisne between 27 May and the 4 June. Fought using new small unit tactics devised by General Hutier and with co-ordinated air and artillery support these attacks gained considerable success and swept the Germans towards Paris, taking Albert, Montdidier, Soissons and Chateau Thierry..
The allied response to these attacks was to form a single command under the French. At the same time, recognising the urgency of the situation, Pershing put his troops at the disposal of the new Allied Command. The first US Division of the American Expeditionary Force to reach combat readiness was, oddly enough, the 1st Inf. Div which it’s commander, Major General Robert L Bullard, formally reported to Marchal Foch as ready for combat on April 12th 1918.
On April 20th the 1st Div entered the line and assumed command of the area between French IX Corps (45 Div) and French VI Corps (162 Div). Opposite the small village of Cantigny'
AEF FIRST OFFENSIVE OPERATION At 0645 hrs on 28th May 1918 the three Bns of the 28th Inf Regt, with the support of French artillery and tanks, leave their trenches and, within 30 minutes, take Cantigny and hold it in the face of 48 hours of ferocious counter attacks by the Germans. The Americans counted between 275 and 300 dead within their lines after the action and believed that up to 775 were killed in the six or seven counter attacks over the 48 hours after the assault on Cantigny. CANTIGNY 28 MAY 1918 The 28th Inf Regt go over the top, 0645 hrs 28th May 1918 The Attack 
Men of "B" Bn 28th Inf Regt advance on Cantigny with French Schneider tank support.
The 28th Infantry Regt remained holding Cantigny until the night of the 31st May/1st June when the sector was handed over to the 16th Inf Regt. During this time the 28th Regt had lost a total 1,603 casualties of which 199 were killed.
The 1st Division monument outside Cantigny today. Postscript
The AEF action at Cantigny was undoubtedly undertaken for a political as well as a military purpose but it is a mistake to underestimate the achievement of the 28th Inf Regt and the 1st Div of the AEF. Cantigny was well supported and the Germans made an error of judgement in assuming the AEF would not attack but the AEF troops not only took Cantigny they then held it against determined German resistance. The Germans were not poor quality troops, as is sometimes said, and were battle hardened. At Cantigny they learned not underestimate the Americans who may not have been experienced but learned quickly and went on learning at Bellaeu Wood, Chateau Thierry and the Argonne. Anyone visiting Cantigny today who thinks that the AEF 1st Division monument was easily earned would be making a very big mistake indeed.
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