100 years ago today

[Erickn]

Mai 1918 (28) Pour le Me'rite and (6) Oakleaves were granted. All 6 OL and 24 PLM went to the Army, 1 PLM to the Navy and 3 PLM to the Air Service.
100 years ago today on 2 Juni OberLt. Hermann Wilhelm Goering was granted Orden Pour le Me'rite following the awards Zaehring Lion w/ Swords, Friedrich Order, HOH w/ Swords Third Klasse.
google images

[soldon]

The French and British had no fresh troops to bar the way, it was to fall to the Americans to stop the advance, which they did at Chateau-Thierry with the help of machine-gun battalions. Feldpostkarte showing German troops taking cover.

[Erickn]

Hi Soldon,
Yes, 100 years ago today, 3 Juni 1918, already over 98,000 casualties suffered by the French and another 29,000 by the British Allied forces during the Third Battle of Aisne, the German forces out ran their supplies. Once again problems with troop fatigue, supplies and reserves, they were running out of steam. Now for the first time was the appearance of American troops in large numbers. The American 3rd Division set up defense of Château Thierry on 1 June and launched a counter-attack forcing the Germans back across the Marne. The German advance was now halted at the Marne.

[soldon]

Although the Americans continued fighting in Belleau Wood for a further 18 days
By the 6th June 1918 the big German effort towards the Marne had been halted at the end of the first week, with the help of American machine gun battalions and the arrival of the marines at Lucy-le-Bocage. As Erickn points out, the campaign in the region 27th May - 6th June had cost the allies dear - over 98,000 French, 28,700 British, 474 Americans, this figure grew by the time they took Belleau Wood to nearly 10,000, the Germans suffered similar casualties over 130,000. This was the last of the spring offensives, although Ludendorff's attacks were not finished yet.

A couple of American postcards from WW1.

[Erickn]

Noyon-Montdidier 9.-14. VI. 1918

100 years ago on 9 June 1918 the Fourth German Drive, Battle of Noyon-Montdidier began. Another Ludendorff offensive that was designed to straighten out the angles of fortifications created from the Third Battle of Aisne. Plan was to straighten the line and potentially threaten Paris which Ludendorff’s forces had recently became within 56 miles of resulting from the Third Battle of Aisne. The line was stabilized on 4 June by the French and supported by the Americans.

Allocated for the attack General Max von Boehn’s Seventh Army, south of the Oise along the Aisne and General Oskar von Hutier’s Eighteenth Army holding the line north of the Oise River from Montdidier to Noyon.

German deserters leaked details of the impending attack to the French and ten minutes before the Germans were to initiate their preparatory barrage, the French began a counter barrage. The Germans managed to attack the French along the line from Noyon to Montdidier on 9 and 10 June achieving some progress but, not on the same scale as previous offensives.

100 years ago today 10 Juni, General Max von Boehn’s Seventh Army attacked the French Tenth Army from the east without much success. Boehn’s Seventh and Hutier’s Eighteenth planned to link up at Compiègne, only von Hutier made any progress.
L. Boehn, R. Hutier
google images

[Erickn]

9,-14, vi, 1918

EK I from my personal collection presents commemorative dates of the Noyon-Montdidier Offensive 9,-14,VI. 1918

[Erickn]

June 1918

100 years ago in June 1918, (30) PLM and (4) OL granted to the Army. (7) PLM granted to the Air Service.

[Wilhelm]

100 years ago today, July 21, 1918, the battle of Nauset Beach, Cape Cod, Mass. USA took place. It lasted less than one hour. The U 156, a U Kreuzer, under the command of Lt. Commander Richard Feldt, surfaced and began shelling the tug boat Perth Amboy and it's 4 barges. Several rounds went long, striking the shore. Hundreds of vacationers came out to watch. Two different seaplanes attacked the U Boat but their bombs failed to explode. The barges were sunk and the tug was heavily damaged. The U Boat dived and escaped after shooting at both planes and missing.

[soldon]

"The Black Day og the German Army"

8th August 1918 referred to by Ludendorff as “the black day of the German Army” the Western allies had attacked on the Somme Front – Five German divisions were broken, official German reports estimated their losses were about 30,000. It showed the German High Command beyond any doubt, the decline in their army's fighting powers. German soldiers were demoralized, mass surrenders took place, often to individual Allied soldiers or tanks.
Here’s a couple of photos from a German soldier's Eduard Husser military pass who fought that day on the Somme front and survived the day’s fighting.

[soldon]

10th August 1918 the allies continued pushing eastwards, fighting took place around the Roman Road (Römerstrasse) which lasted two days. Reserve Feldartillerie Regiment Nr.19 a unit that fought there, included the fighting in their battle honours, shown on this regimental plate. A militärpass belonged to Martin Oswald, a artilleryman with 1st Bavarian Füßartillerie Regiment shows he also fought in the battle of Römerstrasse. More I’ve not been able to find out, if any member has more information, I’d be grateful to hear it.

[Wilhelm]

100 years ago this week, Oct 2-7,1918, the saga of the "Loat Battalion" began. As part of the Meuse Argonne Offensive, some 550 men of the 77th division, under the command of Maj. Charles Whittlesey began their attack in the middle of the allied line. They were cut off but did not retreat as other units did. The Germans hit them with heavy fire and close assaults. The Americans held, short of ammunition, food and medical supplies. The Germans were shocked by their tenacity. Numerous awards for valor, would be awarded. When they were relieved, less than 200 men walked out. Tough, tough men.

[Brian L.]

Henry Nicholas John Gunther (June 6, 1895 – November 11, 1918) was an American soldier and technically the last soldier of any of the belligerents to be killed during World War I. He was killed at 10:59 am, one minute before the Armistice was to take effect at 11 am.

Private George Lawrence Price (December 15, 1892 – November 11, 1918) was a Canadian soldier traditionally recognized as the last soldier of the British Empire to be killed (10:58 am) during the First World War.

But, shortly after 11 am, the final German was killed - a Leutnant Tomas who was shot by American troops who had not heard of the ceasefire when he walked towards them to tell them they could billet in the buildings his men had been using as they had vacated them.

[Wilhelm]

So, here we are. The Great War, The War to End all Wars, came to an end 100 years ago today. The peace would last less than 21 years. Then the war would be re-named again. World War One.

[Wilhelm]

It was 100 years ago today that the imperial German Navy actually ended their war. The High Seas Fleet, 74 ships had been interned at Scapa Flow in Scotland since November. Admiral Ludwig von Reuter, aboard the Emden, sent out the order to scuttle the fleet rather than hand it over to the enemy. In all 52 ships went to the bottom. A sad day indeed for the Germans.

[Wilhelm]

It was 100 years ago today that the Great War officially came to an end. June 28, 1919. The Treaty of Versailles was signed. It was 5 years to the day since the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The Treaty set in motion many ominous future events. Germany was forced to take all blame for the war and starting it. This was not true. Germany was forced to give up all of her colonies around the world. Parts of Germany were ceded to other nations. Germany's military was reduced to 100,000 men. Germany was forced to pay massive reparations. The German people were subjected to mass poverty in the upcoming years. Anger was deep. Legend has it, that as the German delegation filed out of the rail car, a lowly Leutnant was the last to leave, as he closed the door he had a message for the allies. Not sure which language he spoke in, he told them, "We'll see you in 20 years!"