First Over There: The Attack on Cantigny, America's First Battle of World War I
The riveting true story of America's first modern military battle, its first military victory during World War One, and its first steps onto the world stage

At first light on Tuesday, May 28th, 1918, waves of American riflemen from the U.S. Army's 1st Division climbed from their trenches, charged across the shell-scarred French dirt of no-man's-land, and captured the hilltop village of Cantigny from the grip of the German Army. Those who survived the enemy machine-gun fire and hand-to-hand fighting held on for the next two days and nights in shallow foxholes under the sting of mustard gas and crushing steel of artillery fire.

Thirteen months after the United States entered World War I, these 3,500 soldiers became the first "doughboys" to enter the fight. The operation, the first American attack ever supported by tanks, airplanes, and modern artillery, was ordered by the leader of America's forces in Europe, General John "Black Jack" Pershing, and planned by a young staff officer, Lieutenant Colonel George C. Marshall, who would fill the lead role in World War II twenty-six years later.

Drawing on the letters, diaries, and reports by the men themselves, Matthew J. Davenport's First Over There tells the inspiring, untold story of these soldiers and their journey to victory on the Western Front in the Battle of Cantigny. The first American battle of the "war to end all wars" would mark not only its first victory abroad, but the birth of its modern Army.

1120204899
First Over There: The Attack on Cantigny, America's First Battle of World War I
The riveting true story of America's first modern military battle, its first military victory during World War One, and its first steps onto the world stage

At first light on Tuesday, May 28th, 1918, waves of American riflemen from the U.S. Army's 1st Division climbed from their trenches, charged across the shell-scarred French dirt of no-man's-land, and captured the hilltop village of Cantigny from the grip of the German Army. Those who survived the enemy machine-gun fire and hand-to-hand fighting held on for the next two days and nights in shallow foxholes under the sting of mustard gas and crushing steel of artillery fire.

Thirteen months after the United States entered World War I, these 3,500 soldiers became the first "doughboys" to enter the fight. The operation, the first American attack ever supported by tanks, airplanes, and modern artillery, was ordered by the leader of America's forces in Europe, General John "Black Jack" Pershing, and planned by a young staff officer, Lieutenant Colonel George C. Marshall, who would fill the lead role in World War II twenty-six years later.

Drawing on the letters, diaries, and reports by the men themselves, Matthew J. Davenport's First Over There tells the inspiring, untold story of these soldiers and their journey to victory on the Western Front in the Battle of Cantigny. The first American battle of the "war to end all wars" would mark not only its first victory abroad, but the birth of its modern Army.

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First Over There: The Attack on Cantigny, America's First Battle of World War I

First Over There: The Attack on Cantigny, America's First Battle of World War I

by Matthew J. Davenport
First Over There: The Attack on Cantigny, America's First Battle of World War I

First Over There: The Attack on Cantigny, America's First Battle of World War I

by Matthew J. Davenport

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Overview

The riveting true story of America's first modern military battle, its first military victory during World War One, and its first steps onto the world stage

At first light on Tuesday, May 28th, 1918, waves of American riflemen from the U.S. Army's 1st Division climbed from their trenches, charged across the shell-scarred French dirt of no-man's-land, and captured the hilltop village of Cantigny from the grip of the German Army. Those who survived the enemy machine-gun fire and hand-to-hand fighting held on for the next two days and nights in shallow foxholes under the sting of mustard gas and crushing steel of artillery fire.

Thirteen months after the United States entered World War I, these 3,500 soldiers became the first "doughboys" to enter the fight. The operation, the first American attack ever supported by tanks, airplanes, and modern artillery, was ordered by the leader of America's forces in Europe, General John "Black Jack" Pershing, and planned by a young staff officer, Lieutenant Colonel George C. Marshall, who would fill the lead role in World War II twenty-six years later.

Drawing on the letters, diaries, and reports by the men themselves, Matthew J. Davenport's First Over There tells the inspiring, untold story of these soldiers and their journey to victory on the Western Front in the Battle of Cantigny. The first American battle of the "war to end all wars" would mark not only its first victory abroad, but the birth of its modern Army.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781250843494
Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date: 05/12/2015
Pages: 384
Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.85(d)

About the Author

Matthew J. Davenport's first book, First Over There, a finalist for the 2015 Guggenheim-Lehrman Prize in Military History, was acclaimed as “a brilliant work for every library” by Library Journal and was heralded by Pulitzer-Prize winning historian James McPherson as "military history at its best." Davenport has been a contributing writer for the Wall Street Journal Book Review and salon.com and is a member of the Authors Guild. A native of Missouri and a former prosecutor, he practices law in North Carolina where he lives with his wife and two sons.

Table of Contents

Author's Note ix

US Army Ranks and Unit Structure, 1917-1918 xi

Map: The Western Front xv

Map: American and German Lines Around Cantigny xv

Prelude: A Speech 1

Chapter 1 Let 'em Come 15

Map: German Raid On Company E 27

Chapter 2 The Advance Guard 33

Chapter 3 Must Not Fail 49

Chapter 4 Adventure of War 69

Chapter 5 Life and Death 87

Chapter 6 Marshall's First Plan 103

Map: The Infantry Plan of Attack 108

Map: Original Artillery Map Depicting Timetable for Creeping Barrage 109

Map: Location of Strongpoints & Path of Tank Attack

Chapter 7 A Hellish Clamor 125

Chapter 8 Zero Hour 143

Chapter 9 Second Wave 163

Chapter 10 We Took the Hill 177

Chapter 11 A Pack of Bumblebees 191

Map: Progress of the Infantry During First Hours 204

Chapter 12 Ignore the Bullets 207

Chapter 13 Half Crazy, Temporarily Insane 221

Chapter 14 The World Is Watching 237

Chapter 15 Novelty of Silence 247

Chapter 16 Final Determined Effort 263

Map: New American Lines Around Cantigny 271

Epilogue: Until We Meet Again 281

Acknowledgments 293

Notes 299

Selected Bibliography 337

Index 347

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