UNIT VII: 1918IV. The War at Sea:A. January 20: The two German Battleships attached to the Turkish Navy attempt to sail out

into the Aegean Sea to cause havoc. Both strike mines. One sinks and one has to be towed away.

B. February 5: the Tuscania becomes the first American troopship to be torpedoed by a U-boat. Hundreds of Soldiers drown including many of the Michigan men from the 32nd Infantry Division (Red Arrow.) Much equipment goes to the bottom with it.

C. April 23: An amphibious assault on the channel submarine bases takes place including an attempt to block the channel ports by sinking obsolete ships in the entrances.

D. June 9: Austrian Battleship Szent Istvan is sunk by torpedoes from small Italian torpedo boats. The same force sank another battleship the previous year in its harbor. The rescue ship films it.

E. October 29: On the suggestion by their admiral (Franz von Hipper) that they should conduct one last “Death Ride” as the war starts to go badly, the sailors of the German Navy Base at Kiel decide to mutiny instead and take over the base on November 4. Their actions cause uprisings across Germany and begin the collapse of the government.

ZEEBRUGGE

UNIT VII: 1918V. The Americans Turn the Tide.A. June 2-4: U.S. 3rd Division attacks at Chateau-Thierry (near the Marne River) to

push back a bulge in the new German lines. B. By now both sides (Allies and Germans) have lost c. 124,000 men each since

March. C. Ludendorff plans a 4th attack.D. June 6: The U.S. 2nd Division attacks Belleau Wood to spoil the German plan.

The Marines are attached to this Division and attack without artillery support. They are outnumbered 4 to 1.

E. When warned by the French to retreat the Marine response was “Hell, we just got here!” They counterattack head on and lose approximately 80 to 90 percent of their troops in killed, wounded and captured.

F. This is where the Marines gain the nickname “Devil Dogs.”G. They do not stop the German advance….Dang.

UNIT VII: 1918V. The Americans Turn the Tide. (cont’d)H. June 3-13: The German 4th Offensive begins and they gain five more miles on the first day. The Allies counterattack with three French and Two American Divisions and the attack stalls. They have stopped the Germans at the cost of 35,000 men (many Americans.) I. General Ludendorff begins planning the 5th Attack. J. June 15-22: The Battle of the Plave River erupts along the Italian and Austrian front lines in Italy. The Italians lose c. 40,000 men and 150,000 Austrians lost.K. July 15-17: The 5th Attack begins on the Western Front. Germans push toward Chateau-Thierry counting on weak American response.L. Instead the Americans begin counterattacks almost immediately.M. It is worth noting that the Germans have by now lost about 300,000 men they cannot replace. The Americans are arriving at a rate of 300,000 men per month.

UNIT VII: 1918V. The Americans Turn the Tide. (cont’d)N. July 18: The Second Battle of the Marne. Americans, British and French counterattacks stop the German offensive. The Spearhead of the attack are the 1st and 2nd US Infantry Divisions. They capture 8,000 men and 145 cannon. They suffer over 5,000 casualties.O. Three more American Division s attach to the French Army and fight at Chateau-Thierry. P. July 20: Ludendorff calls off the attack and begins to assess whether the German Army can attempt one more offensive.Q. Aug 2-6: The Battle of Soissons. The Americans and allies push forward again and the Germans decide they cannot advance anywhere for now, and must stay on the defensive until they figure something out. In the meantime they have lost 168,000 men. R. Aug. 4: American Ace Frank Luke is shot down by the Germans, survives, refuses to surrender to some Germans who have come to pick him up, and is shot.S. Aug. 8-12: The Battle of Amiens. Known as the “Black Day of the German Army.” An allied tank assault (400) along a 15 mile front almost achieves a breakthrough of the German lines. The lines are pushed back 10 miles. Alarmingly, the German high command notices that some units are simply surrendering, 33,000 prisoners are taken. They suffer 40,000 casualties. Allies recapture a massive area but also suffer 40,000 casualties.

UNIT VII: 1918V. The Americans Turn the Tide. (cont’d)T. Aug. 21: The Americans and British attack again and the Germans retreat again.U. Aug. 30: So many American Divisions have arrived that Pershing is finally in command of the American First Army. The Army moves into attack at St. Mihiel.V. Aug. 30- Sept 2: The Germans begin moving back to the Hindenburg Line as a final defense. The attack goes forward on the 3rd, just as the Germans have evacuated, and the American attack pushes all the way up to the Hindenburg Line.W. Sept 3: General Ludendorff cracks, he is convinced the war is lost and begins pulling troops out and backing away from the Allies.X. Sept 12-16 the AEF 1st Army and French attack at St. Mihiel along with 600 ground attack planes. The attack devastates this part of the Hindenburg Line. The salient is cut off and 15,000 POW’s are captured, along with 250 artillery pieces . Y. Sept 26-Oct 3: Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Massive American Offensive by First Army AEF. The Americans are still making simple mistakes. The Americans have suffered 100,000 casualties. Z. October 4: General Ludendorff asks for an armistice and the German government begins to collapse from the inside out. Two days later Prince Max of Baden, the German Chancellor, contacts President Wilson and asks for terms.

UNIT VII: 1918

V. The Armistice and the Peace Treaty

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VI. The Outcomes and Changes Created by the War.

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VI. The Legacy of the War in the United States and elsewhere.