Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Second Battle of the Marne July 18 to August 6, 1918: Began 100 Years Ago


The previous post mentioned this battle as the Aisne-Marne Offensive.

This was the last major German offensive on the Western Front during World War I.  The attack failed when an Allied counterattack, supported by several hundred tanks, overwhelmed the Germans on their right flank, inflicting many casualties.

The German defeat marked the beginning of the relentless Allied advance that resulting in the Armistice with  Germany about 100 days later.

There were, on the Allied side, 44 French, 8 American, 4 British and 2 Italian divisions,408 heavy guns, 360 field batteries and 346 tanks,

German strength:  52 divisions, 609 heavy guns and 1,047 field batteries

CASUALTIES:

France:  95,165 dead or wounded
Britain:  16,552 dead or wounded
USA:  12,00 dead or wounded
Italy:  9,00 dead or wounded

GERMAN CASUALTIES:

139,000 dead or wounded, 29,367 captured, 793 guns lost

Some Jawdropping Numbers.  --DaCoot

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