Show Navigation
All Galleries
Add to Cart
Download
1914 - 2014 The 100th Anniversary of the start of WW1
127 images
Created 4 Apr 2014
Loading (
)...
France St Mihiel Salient-Hattonchate...jpg
France St Mihiel Salient Memorial at...jpg
France St Mihiel Salient Memorial at...jpg
France St Mihiel Salient Memorial at...jpg
France Hill 285 Argonne Forest Memor...jpg
France Chateau-Thierry American Chur...jpg
France St Mihiel Salient Lacroix sur...jpg
France St Mihiel Salient Memorial at...jpg
Somme_Memorial in Hamel _34522BW.jpg
France St Mihiel Salient US-French M...jpg
France WW1 Clermont en Argonne _3600...jpg
France Verdun Town_35586BW.jpg
France St Mihiel Salient Memorial at...jpg
France American Chateau-Thierry Memo...jpg
Belgium Mons_St Symphorien CWGC Ceme...jpg
Cambrai_Beaumetz les Cambrai Cem. _4...jpg
Cambrai_Moeuvres CWGC Cemetery _4747...jpg
France Pennsylvania State Memorial V...jpg
France Argonne-Butte de Vauquois _35...jpg
France Argonne-Butte de Vauquois _35...jpg
France Argonne-Butte de Vauquois _35...jpg
Compiegne Armistice Clearing _47314B...jpg
France St Mihiel Salient Butte de Mo...jpg
France St Mihiel Salient-Hattonchate...jpg
France St Mihiel Salient-Bois d'...jpg
France St Mihiel Salient-Bois d'...jpg
France St Mihiel Salient Bois Brule ...jpg
France Chateau-Thierry Belleau Wood ...jpg
France Belleau Wood-Aisne-Marne-Bois...jpg
France Belleau Wood-Aisne-Marne-Bois...jpg
France Belleau Wood-Aisne-Marne-Bois...jpg
France Argonne Forest 2014 _48489BW.jpg
France Belleau Wood-Aisne-Marne-Bois...jpg
France Argonne-Butte de Vauquois _48...jpg
France Argonne-Butte de Vauquois _48...jpg
France Argonne Forest-the Abri du Kr...jpg
France Belleau Wood-Aisne-Marne Amer...jpg
France Argonne Forest 2014 _48541BW.jpg
France Verdun Battlefield Abri Adalb...jpg
France Verdun Battlefield Fort de Do...jpg
France Verdun Battlefield Destroyed ...jpg
France Reims Defence-Marfaux German ...jpg
Somme_Albert _34246BW.jpg
Somme_Delville Wood _1002000BW.jpg
Somme Lochnagar Crater_La Boisselle ...jpg
Somme_French Soldiers Memorial _4711...jpg
Somme_Auchonvillers Trenches and Cel...jpg
Somme_Auchonvillers _46898BW.jpg
France Verdun Voie Sacree-Sacred Way...jpg
France Verdun Voie Sacree-Sacred Way...jpg
Somme_Guillemont Road CWGC Cemetery ...jpg
France Verdun Battlefield Ouvrage de...jpg
Somme_Pozieres British Cemetery _342...jpg
Somme_Sheffield Memorial Park47XXXBW.jpg
Somme_Munich Trench CWGC Cemetery_47...jpg
France Verdun Battlefield Fort de Va...jpg
Ypres Hill 60_48113BW.jpg
France St Mihiel Salient-US Cemetery...jpg
France Verdun Battlefield Pamart Cas...jpg
France Verdun Cimetiere de Faubourg ...jpg
France Verdun Battlefield Steles des...jpg
France Verdun Battlefield Fort de Va...jpg
France Verdun Battlefield _48720BW.jpg
France Verdun Battlefield Fort de Do...jpg
France Verdun Battlefield _49024BW.jpg
France Verdun Douaumont Cemetery _35...jpg
France Verdun Battlefield Abri 320 _...jpg
France Verdun Battlefield Ouvrage de...jpg
France Verdun Douaumont Cemetery _35...jpg
France Verdun destroyed village of D...jpg
Somme_Thiepval Memorial _34184BW.jpg
Somme Thiepval Memorial 2007BW.jpg
Somme_German Pillbox_Warlencourt_474...jpg
France Verdun Battlefield Fort de Do...jpg
Somme_Munich Trench CWGC Cemetery _3...jpg
Somme_Thiepval _46971_DxOFP.jpg
France Verdun Battlefield Fort de Va...jpg
Somme Lochnagar Crater_La Boisselle ...jpg
Somme_Serre-Hebuterne French Cemeter...jpg
Loos British Cemetery_France_re Buri...jpg
Loos British Cemetery_France_re Buri...jpg
Loos British Cemetery_France_re Buri...jpg
Somme_Serre Road No 2 CWGC Cemetery ...jpg
Somme Newfoundland Memorial Park _46...jpg
Somme_Sheffield Memorial Park _10020...jpg
Vimy Ridge_FranceBW .jpg
Vimy Ridge_France _46662BW.jpg
Somme_Newfoundland Memorial Park_473...jpg
Somme_Waggon Road CWGC Cemetery_3447...jpg
Somme Pozieres Mill _46773BW.jpg
Somme_Connaught CWGC Cemtery _34278B...jpg
Somme_Flatiron Copse Cemetery _4702B...jpg
Somme-Four CemeteriesBW.jpg
France Verdun Battlefield London Tre...jpg
France Verdun Fort de Souville Panor...jpg
Somme_German Cemetery Rancourt _3429...jpg
Ypres_Ireland Peace Park_Messines_47...jpg
Ypres_Langemark German Cemetery _478...jpg
Ypres_Langemark German Cemetery _478...jpg
Ypres Salient_ Largest German Bunker...jpg
Brian Harris the Independent Photographer
Portfolio
About
Contact
Archive
All Galleries
Search
Cart
Lightbox
Client Area
To buy my book -and then the Prime Minister hit me
Buy my book from Amazon
![Saint-Mihiel Salient Battlefield France. Hattonchatel.March 2014<br />
<br />
Hattonchatel a hill top town on the St Mihiel Salient which was heavilly damaged during WW1. Miss Ruth Skinner from Holyoke in Massachusetts in the USA helped to rebuild the hill top town after WW1. The Church is still a ruin.<br />
<br />
Ruth Isabel Skinner (born April 30, 1866) was an American businesswoman. She was a daughter of silk manufacturer William Skinner (1824-1902) and his second wife, the former Sarah Elizabeth Allen (1834-1908). Belle Skinner was a humanitarian and music-lover whose life her brother William memorialized in the construction of the Skinner Hall of Music at Vassar in 1932. She lived most of her life in Wistariahurst in Holyoke, Massachusetts, now an historic site. She renovated and expanded this house to reflect her interests, including adding the music room, where she housed her musical instrument collection, now housed at Yale University.<br />
<br />
After the first world war, Belle Skinner helped rebuild the small town of Hattonchâtel and Château de Hattonchâtel.<br />
<br />
The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a World War I battle fought from 12-15 September 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Force and 48,000 French troops under the command of General John J. Pershing of the United States against German positions. The United States Army Air Service (which later became the United States Air Force) played a significant role in this action.[2][3]<br />
<br />
This battle marked the first use of the terms "D-Day" and "H-Hour" by the Americans.<br />
<br />
The attack at the St. Mihiel Salient was part of a plan by Pershing in which he hoped that the United States would break through the German lines and capture the fortified city of Metz. It was one of the first U.S. solo offensives in World War I and the attack caught the Germans in the process of retreating.[3] This meant that their artillery were out of place and the American attack proved more successful than expected. Their strong blow increased their stature in the eye](https://m.psecn.photoshelter.com/img-get2/I000007Su65N0ujU/fit=180x180/fill=/g=G0000D9AoUsPl0Lo/I000007Su65N0ujU.jpg)
![Saint-Mihiel Salient Battlefield France. Memorial to the Old Men who faught at Flirey. March 2014<br />
The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a World War I battle fought from 12-15 September 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Force and 48,000 French troops under the command of General John J. Pershing of the United States against German positions. The United States Army Air Service (which later became the United States Air Force) played a significant role in this action.[2][3]<br />
<br />
This battle marked the first use of the terms "D-Day" and "H-Hour" by the Americans.<br />
<br />
The attack at the St. Mihiel Salient was part of a plan by Pershing in which he hoped that the United States would break through the German lines and capture the fortified city of Metz. It was one of the first U.S. solo offensives in World War I and the attack caught the Germans in the process of retreating.[3] This meant that their artillery were out of place and the American attack proved more successful than expected. Their strong blow increased their stature in the eyes of the French and British forces, but again demonstrated the critical role of artillery during World War I and the difficulty of supplying the massive World War I armies while they were on the move. The U.S. attack faltered as artillery and food supplies were left behind on the muddy roads.[1] The attack on Metz was not realized, as the Germans refortified their positions and the Americans then turned their efforts to the Meuse-Argonne offensiv](https://m.psecn.photoshelter.com/img-get2/I0000wII.jTrIjsI/fit=180x180/fill=/g=G0000D9AoUsPl0Lo/I0000wII.jTrIjsI.jpg)
![Saint-Mihiel Salient Battlefield France. March 2014<br />
The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a World War I battle fought from 12-15 September 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Force and 48,000 French troops under the command of General John J. Pershing of the United States against German positions. The United States Army Air Service (which later became the United States Air Force) played a significant role in this action.[2][3]<br />
<br />
This battle marked the first use of the terms "D-Day" and "H-Hour" by the Americans.<br />
<br />
The attack at the St. Mihiel Salient was part of a plan by Pershing in which he hoped that the United States would break through the German lines and capture the fortified city of Metz. It was one of the first U.S. solo offensives in World War I and the attack caught the Germans in the process of retreating.[3] This meant that their artillery were out of place and the American attack proved more successful than expected. Their strong blow increased their stature in the eyes of the French and British forces, but again demonstrated the critical role of artillery during World War I and the difficulty of supplying the massive World War I armies while they were on the move. The U.S. attack faltered as artillery and food supplies were left behind on the muddy roads.[1] The attack on Metz was not realized, as the Germans refortified their positions and the Americans then turned their efforts to the Meuse-Argonne offensiv](https://m.psecn.photoshelter.com/img-get2/I0000T5L810dDJi8/fit=180x180/fill=/g=G0000D9AoUsPl0Lo/I0000T5L810dDJi8.jpg)
![Saint-Mihiel Salient Battlefield France. March 2014<br />
The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a World War I battle fought from 12-15 September 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Force and 48,000 French troops under the command of General John J. Pershing of the United States against German positions. The United States Army Air Service (which later became the United States Air Force) played a significant role in this action.[2][3]<br />
<br />
This battle marked the first use of the terms "D-Day" and "H-Hour" by the Americans.<br />
<br />
The attack at the St. Mihiel Salient was part of a plan by Pershing in which he hoped that the United States would break through the German lines and capture the fortified city of Metz. It was one of the first U.S. solo offensives in World War I and the attack caught the Germans in the process of retreating.[3] This meant that their artillery were out of place and the American attack proved more successful than expected. Their strong blow increased their stature in the eyes of the French and British forces, but again demonstrated the critical role of artillery during World War I and the difficulty of supplying the massive World War I armies while they were on the move. The U.S. attack faltered as artillery and food supplies were left behind on the muddy roads.[1] The attack on Metz was not realized, as the Germans refortified their positions and the Americans then turned their efforts to the Meuse-Argonne offensiv](https://m.psecn.photoshelter.com/img-get2/I0000a03ZmapBC0w/fit=180x180/fill=/g=G0000D9AoUsPl0Lo/I0000a03ZmapBC0w.jpg)
![Chateau-Thierry American Church in Chateau-Thierry, France. March 2014<br />
The church built using American funding after WW1 stands in the centre of Chateau-Thierry. Above the door is a depiction of an American and a French Soldier.<br />
<br />
<br />
The memorial is situated upon Hill 204 and commands a wide view of the valley of the Marne River. It is located about 54 miles (87 km) east of Paris, 4.5 miles (7.2 km) southeast of the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial, and 17 miles (27 km) southwest of the Oise-Aisne American Cemetery and Memorial. It commemorates the achievements of United States forces that fought in the region during World War I. In 1918, the 2nd and 3rd United States Infantry Divisions took part in heavy fighting around the area during the Second Battle of the Marne, which took place during the wider German Spring Offensive.[3] The 4th Marine Brigade, which made a name for themselves in the Battle of Belleau Wood, fought as part of the 2nd Infantry Division. The bodies of a number of US servicemen who were killed during the fighting are interred in cemeteries nereby.[1]<br />
<br />
Two stone pylons mark the entrance to the memorial from Highway N-3 which runs from Paris to Château-Thierry.[2] The monument consists of a double colonnade rising above a long terrace,[2] as designed by Paul Philippe Cret.[4] On its west facade are sculptured figures representing the United States and France] The sculptor was the French-American artist Alfred Bottiau.[4] The English inscription reads, "This monument has been erected by the United States of America to commemorate the services of her troops and those of France who fought in this region during the World War. It stands as a lasting symbol of the friendship and cooperation between the French and American Armies." On its east facade is a map showing American military operations that took place in the region and an orientation table pointing out the significant battle sites.](https://m.psecn.photoshelter.com/img-get2/I0000SljtBYNS52E/fit=180x180/fill=/g=G0000D9AoUsPl0Lo/I0000SljtBYNS52E.jpg)
![Saint-Mihiel Salient Battlefield France. French Memorial in town of Lacroix-sur-Meuse March 2014<br />
<br />
Memorial in Lacroix-sur-Meuse, St Mihiel Salient, France.<br />
<br />
The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a World War I battle fought from 12-15 September 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Force and 48,000 French troops under the command of General John J. Pershing of the United States against German positions. The United States Army Air Service (which later became the United States Air Force) played a significant role in this action.[2][3]<br />
<br />
This battle marked the first use of the terms "D-Day" and "H-Hour" by the Americans.<br />
<br />
The attack at the St. Mihiel Salient was part of a plan by Pershing in which he hoped that the United States would break through the German lines and capture the fortified city of Metz. It was one of the first U.S. solo offensives in World War I and the attack caught the Germans in the process of retreating.[3] This meant that their artillery were out of place and the American attack proved more successful than expected. Their strong blow increased their stature in the eyes of the French and British forces, but again demonstrated the critical role of artillery during World War I and the difficulty of supplying the massive World War I armies while they were on the move. The U.S. attack faltered as artillery and food supplies were left behind on the muddy roads.[1] The attack on Metz was not realized, as the Germans refortified their positions and the Americans then turned their efforts to the Meuse-Argonne offensiv](https://m.psecn.photoshelter.com/img-get2/I0000obcP.IOytBc/fit=180x180/fill=/g=G0000D9AoUsPl0Lo/I0000obcP.IOytBc.jpg)
![Saint-Mihiel Salient Battlefield France. French Memorial at Loupmont. March 2014<br />
The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a World War I battle fought from 12-15 September 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Force and 48,000 French troops under the command of General John J. Pershing of the United States against German positions. The United States Army Air Service (which later became the United States Air Force) played a significant role in this action.[2][3]<br />
<br />
This battle marked the first use of the terms "D-Day" and "H-Hour" by the Americans.<br />
<br />
The attack at the St. Mihiel Salient was part of a plan by Pershing in which he hoped that the United States would break through the German lines and capture the fortified city of Metz. It was one of the first U.S. solo offensives in World War I and the attack caught the Germans in the process of retreating.[3] This meant that their artillery were out of place and the American attack proved more successful than expected. Their strong blow increased their stature in the eyes of the French and British forces, but again demonstrated the critical role of artillery during World War I and the difficulty of supplying the massive World War I armies while they were on the move. The U.S. attack faltered as artillery and food supplies were left behind on the muddy roads.[1] The attack on Metz was not realized, as the Germans refortified their positions and the Americans then turned their efforts to the Meuse-Argonne offensiv](https://m.psecn.photoshelter.com/img-get2/I0000SjQ9oHJ7SG0/fit=180x180/fill=/g=G0000D9AoUsPl0Lo/I0000SjQ9oHJ7SG0.jpg)
![Saint-Mihiel Salient Battlefield France. American and French Memorial at Flirey. March 2014<br />
To commemorate the joint actions of french and American soldiers during the St Mihiel offensive.<br />
The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a World War I battle fought from 12-15 September 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Force and 48,000 French troops under the command of General John J. Pershing of the United States against German positions. The United States Army Air Service (which later became the United States Air Force) played a significant role in this action.[2][3]<br />
<br />
This battle marked the first use of the terms "D-Day" and "H-Hour" by the Americans.<br />
<br />
The attack at the St. Mihiel Salient was part of a plan by Pershing in which he hoped that the United States would break through the German lines and capture the fortified city of Metz. It was one of the first U.S. solo offensives in World War I and the attack caught the Germans in the process of retreating.[3] This meant that their artillery were out of place and the American attack proved more successful than expected. Their strong blow increased their stature in the eyes of the French and British forces, but again demonstrated the critical role of artillery during World War I and the difficulty of supplying the massive World War I armies while they were on the move. The U.S. attack faltered as artillery and food supplies were left behind on the muddy roads.[1] The attack on Metz was not realized, as the Germans refortified their positions and the Americans then turned their efforts to the Meuse-Argonne offensiv](https://m.psecn.photoshelter.com/img-get2/I0000Nx1OxAgImPw/fit=180x180/fill=/g=G0000D9AoUsPl0Lo/I0000Nx1OxAgImPw.jpg)
![Saint-Mihiel Salient Battlefield France. French memorial at Richemont. March 2014<br />
The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a World War I battle fought from 12-15 September 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Force and 48,000 French troops under the command of General John J. Pershing of the United States against German positions. The United States Army Air Service (which later became the United States Air Force) played a significant role in this action.[2][3]<br />
<br />
This battle marked the first use of the terms "D-Day" and "H-Hour" by the Americans.<br />
<br />
The attack at the St. Mihiel Salient was part of a plan by Pershing in which he hoped that the United States would break through the German lines and capture the fortified city of Metz. It was one of the first U.S. solo offensives in World War I and the attack caught the Germans in the process of retreating.[3] This meant that their artillery were out of place and the American attack proved more successful than expected. Their strong blow increased their stature in the eyes of the French and British forces, but again demonstrated the critical role of artillery during World War I and the difficulty of supplying the massive World War I armies while they were on the move. The U.S. attack faltered as artillery and food supplies were left behind on the muddy roads.[1] The attack on Metz was not realized, as the Germans refortified their positions and the Americans then turned their efforts to the Meuse-Argonne offensiv](https://m.psecn.photoshelter.com/img-get2/I00001WvXhYeTr4M/fit=180x180/fill=/g=G0000D9AoUsPl0Lo/I00001WvXhYeTr4M.jpg)
![Chateau-Thierry American Memorial, Chateau-Thierry, France. March 2014<br />
A teenager uses the wall of the Memorial to play football in the early evening.<br />
<br />
The memorial is situated upon Hill 204 and commands a wide view of the valley of the Marne River. It is located about 54 miles (87 km) east of Paris, 4.5 miles (7.2 km) southeast of the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial, and 17 miles (27 km) southwest of the Oise-Aisne American Cemetery and Memorial. It commemorates the achievements of United States forces that fought in the region during World War I. In 1918, the 2nd and 3rd United States Infantry Divisions took part in heavy fighting around the area during the Second Battle of the Marne, which took place during the wider German Spring Offensive.[3] The 4th Marine Brigade, which made a name for themselves in the Battle of Belleau Wood, fought as part of the 2nd Infantry Division. The bodies of a number of US servicemen who were killed during the fighting are interred in cemeteries nereby.[1]<br />
<br />
Two stone pylons mark the entrance to the memorial from Highway N-3 which runs from Paris to Château-Thierry.[2] The monument consists of a double colonnade rising above a long terrace,[2] as designed by Paul Philippe Cret.[4] On its west facade are sculptured figures representing the United States and France] The sculptor was the French-American artist Alfred Bottiau.[4] The English inscription reads, "This monument has been erected by the United States of America to commemorate the services of her troops and those of France who fought in this region during the World War. It stands as a lasting symbol of the friendship and cooperation between the French and American Armies." On its east facade is a map showing American military operations that took place in the region and an orientation table pointing out the significant battle sites.](https://m.psecn.photoshelter.com/img-get2/I0000_XaJA7s1s2w/fit=180x180/fill=/g=G0000D9AoUsPl0Lo/I0000_XaJA7s1s2w.jpg)
![Compiegne Forest, Armistice Clearing, Picardy,France. February 2014<br />
The forest of Compiègne was the site of the Armistice between the Allies and Germany which ended World War I on 11 November 1918.[31] The French commander-in-chief Marshal Foch convened the armistice talks deep in the forest beside the tiny village of Rethondes,[32]:261 with an eye towards secrecy because he wanted to shield the meeting from intrusive journalists,[33] as well as spare the German delegation any hostile demonstrations by French locals.[34]<br />
Armistice of 1940<br />
<br />
During World War II, a second treaty was signed in the forest, this time arranging an armistice between France and Nazi Germany (22 June 1940).[35] With an unmistakable desire to humiliate his defeated enemy,[34] German dictator Adolf Hitler gave orders that the surrender should be received in exactly the same spot, even the same railway car, where the Germans had surrendered in 1918.[34]<br />
<br />
Images of the armistices<br />
<br />
Ferdinand Foch outside the armistice train.<br />
<br />
The Great War concludes, 11 November 1918.<br />
<br />
The second Treaty of Compiègne, 22 June 1940.<br />
<br />
Hitler observing the statue of Marshal Foch.<br />
<br />
Armistice Clearing<br />
Main article: Glade of the Armistice<br />
A memorial slab marks the location of the original railcar at Armistice Clearing.<br />
<br />
A memorial site called Clairière de l'Armistice ("Glade of the Armistice", or "Armistice Clearing") covers the historic treaty area. Additions include a statue of Marshal Foch and the large Alsace-Lorraine Memorial, which depicts an Allied sword pinning down an Imperial German eagle. A famous memorial tablet placed at the precise location of the cease-fire signing reads (in French), Here on the eleventh of November 1918 succumbed the criminal pride of the German Reich... vanquished by the free peoples which it tried to enslave.[36]:50 The original tablet was destroyed by the Nazis, but a new one was emplaced after the war.[37]<br />
<br />
For the 1918 meeting, the French had specifically assem](https://m.psecn.photoshelter.com/img-get2/I0000anbe8jZFBcE/fit=180x180/fill=/g=G0000D9AoUsPl0Lo/I0000anbe8jZFBcE.jpg)
![Saint-Mihiel Salient Battlefield France. Butte de Montsec US Memorial. March 2014<br />
The Butte de Montsec US Memorial to the 550,000 American Troops who served in the US First Army and were involved in the St Mihiel offensive in September 12-16 , 1918.<br />
The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a World War I battle fought from 12-15 September 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Force and 48,000 French troops under the command of General John J. Pershing of the United States against German positions. The United States Army Air Service (which later became the United States Air Force) played a significant role in this action.[2][3]<br />
<br />
This battle marked the first use of the terms "D-Day" and "H-Hour" by the Americans.<br />
<br />
The attack at the St. Mihiel Salient was part of a plan by Pershing in which he hoped that the United States would break through the German lines and capture the fortified city of Metz. It was one of the first U.S. solo offensives in World War I and the attack caught the Germans in the process of retreating.[3] This meant that their artillery were out of place and the American attack proved more successful than expected. Their strong blow increased their stature in the eyes of the French and British forces, but again demonstrated the critical role of artillery during World War I and the difficulty of supplying the massive World War I armies while they were on the move. The U.S. attack faltered as artillery and food supplies were left behind on the muddy roads.[1] The attack on Metz was not realized, as the Germans refortified their positions and the Americans then turned their efforts to the Meuse-Argonne offensiv](https://m.psecn.photoshelter.com/img-get2/I0000mtTSqLHh73c/fit=180x180/fill=/g=G0000D9AoUsPl0Lo/I0000mtTSqLHh73c.jpg)
![Saint-Mihiel Salient Battlefield France. Hattonchatel.March 2014<br />
Looking west from the hill top town of Hattochatel across the St Mihiel Salient to the US Memorial on the Butte de Montsec. A high speed TGV train can be seen on the rail line from Paris to eastern France.<br />
<br />
Hattonchatel a hill top town on the St Mihiel Salient which was heavilly damaged during WW1. Miss Ruth Skinner from Holyoke in Massachusetts in the USA helped to rebuild the hill top town after WW1. The Church is still a ruin.<br />
<br />
Ruth Isabel Skinner (born April 30, 1866) was an American businesswoman. She was a daughter of silk manufacturer William Skinner (1824-1902) and his second wife, the former Sarah Elizabeth Allen (1834-1908). Belle Skinner was a humanitarian and music-lover whose life her brother William memorialized in the construction of the Skinner Hall of Music at Vassar in 1932. She lived most of her life in Wistariahurst in Holyoke, Massachusetts, now an historic site. She renovated and expanded this house to reflect her interests, including adding the music room, where she housed her musical instrument collection, now housed at Yale University.<br />
<br />
After the first world war, Belle Skinner helped rebuild the small town of Hattonchâtel and Château de Hattonchâtel.<br />
<br />
The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a World War I battle fought from 12-15 September 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Force and 48,000 French troops under the command of General John J. Pershing of the United States against German positions. The United States Army Air Service (which later became the United States Air Force) played a significant role in this action.[2][3]<br />
<br />
This battle marked the first use of the terms "D-Day" and "H-Hour" by the Americans.<br />
<br />
The attack at the St. Mihiel Salient was part of a plan by Pershing in which he hoped that the United States would break through the German lines and capture the fortified city of Metz. It was one of the first U.S. solo offensives in World War I and the attack caught the](https://m.psecn.photoshelter.com/img-get2/I0000NlJCJ3Wo1Qk/fit=180x180/fill=/g=G0000D9AoUsPl0Lo/I0000NlJCJ3Wo1Qk.jpg)
![Saint-Mihiel Salient Battlefield France. March 2014<br />
The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a World War I battle fought from 12-15 September 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Force and 48,000 French troops under the command of General John J. Pershing of the United States against German positions. The United States Army Air Service (which later became the United States Air Force) played a significant role in this action.[2][3]<br />
<br />
This battle marked the first use of the terms "D-Day" and "H-Hour" by the Americans.<br />
<br />
The attack at the St. Mihiel Salient was part of a plan by Pershing in which he hoped that the United States would break through the German lines and capture the fortified city of Metz. It was one of the first U.S. solo offensives in World War I and the attack caught the Germans in the process of retreating.[3] This meant that their artillery were out of place and the American attack proved more successful than expected. Their strong blow increased their stature in the eyes of the French and British forces, but again demonstrated the critical role of artillery during World War I and the difficulty of supplying the massive World War I armies while they were on the move. The U.S. attack faltered as artillery and food supplies were left behind on the muddy roads.[1] The attack on Metz was not realized, as the Germans refortified their positions and the Americans then turned their efforts to the Meuse-Argonne offensiv](https://m.psecn.photoshelter.com/img-get2/I0000rp7gmvhVr_s/fit=180x180/fill=/g=G0000D9AoUsPl0Lo/I0000rp7gmvhVr_s.jpg)
![Saint-Mihiel Salient Battlefield France. March 2014<br />
The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a World War I battle fought from 12-15 September 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Force and 48,000 French troops under the command of General John J. Pershing of the United States against German positions. The United States Army Air Service (which later became the United States Air Force) played a significant role in this action.[2][3]<br />
<br />
This battle marked the first use of the terms "D-Day" and "H-Hour" by the Americans.<br />
<br />
The attack at the St. Mihiel Salient was part of a plan by Pershing in which he hoped that the United States would break through the German lines and capture the fortified city of Metz. It was one of the first U.S. solo offensives in World War I and the attack caught the Germans in the process of retreating.[3] This meant that their artillery were out of place and the American attack proved more successful than expected. Their strong blow increased their stature in the eyes of the French and British forces, but again demonstrated the critical role of artillery during World War I and the difficulty of supplying the massive World War I armies while they were on the move. The U.S. attack faltered as artillery and food supplies were left behind on the muddy roads.[1] The attack on Metz was not realized, as the Germans refortified their positions and the Americans then turned their efforts to the Meuse-Argonne offensiv](https://m.psecn.photoshelter.com/img-get2/I0000Qy9jkPp20h8/fit=180x180/fill=/g=G0000D9AoUsPl0Lo/I0000Qy9jkPp20h8.jpg)
![Saint-Mihiel Salient Battlefield France. March 2014<br />
The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a World War I battle fought from 12-15 September 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Force and 48,000 French troops under the command of General John J. Pershing of the United States against German positions. The United States Army Air Service (which later became the United States Air Force) played a significant role in this action.[2][3]<br />
<br />
This battle marked the first use of the terms "D-Day" and "H-Hour" by the Americans.<br />
<br />
The attack at the St. Mihiel Salient was part of a plan by Pershing in which he hoped that the United States would break through the German lines and capture the fortified city of Metz. It was one of the first U.S. solo offensives in World War I and the attack caught the Germans in the process of retreating.[3] This meant that their artillery were out of place and the American attack proved more successful than expected. Their strong blow increased their stature in the eyes of the French and British forces, but again demonstrated the critical role of artillery during World War I and the difficulty of supplying the massive World War I armies while they were on the move. The U.S. attack faltered as artillery and food supplies were left behind on the muddy roads.[1] The attack on Metz was not realized, as the Germans refortified their positions and the Americans then turned their efforts to the Meuse-Argonne offensiv](https://m.psecn.photoshelter.com/img-get2/I0000yUC5pnzucIY/fit=180x180/fill=/g=G0000D9AoUsPl0Lo/I0000yUC5pnzucIY.jpg)
![Battle of Belleau Wood WW1,north of Chateau-Thierry only 60 miles from Paris, France. March 2014<br />
<br />
The Battle of Belleau Wood (1–26 June 1918) occurred during the German 1918 Spring Offensive in World War I, near the Marne River in France. The battle was fought between the U.S. Second (under the command of Major General Omar Bundy) and Third Divisions and an assortment of German units including elements from the 237th, 10th, 197th, 87th, and 28th Divisions.[2] The battle has become a deep part of the lore of the United States Marine Corps.<br />
In March 1918, with nearly 50 additional divisions freed by the Russian surrender on the Eastern Front, the German Army launched a series of attacks on the Western Front, hoping to defeat the Allies before U.S. forces could be fully deployed. A third offensive launched in May against the French between Soissons and Reims, known as the Third Battle of the Aisne, saw the Germans reach the north bank of the Marne river at Château-Thierry, 95 kilometres (59 mi) from Paris, on 27 May. On 31 May, the 3rd Division held the German advance at Château-Thierry and the German advance turned right towards Vaux and Belleau Wood.[3]<br />
<br />
On 1 June, Château-Thierry and Vaux fell, and German troops moved into Belleau Wood. The U.S. 2nd Division—which included a brigade of U.S. Marines—was brought up along the Paris-Metz highway. The 9th Infantry Regiment was placed between the highway and the Marne, while the 6th Marine Regiment was deployed to their left. The 5th Marines and 23rd Infantry regiments were placed in reserve.[4]<br />
Battle<br />
<br />
On the evening of 1 June, German forces punched a hole in the French lines to the left of the Marines' position. In response, the U.S. reserve—consisting of the 23rd Infantry regiment, the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, and an element of the 6th Machine Gun Battalion—conducted a forced march over 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) to plug the gap in the line, which they achieved by dawn. By the night of 2 June, the U.S. forc](https://m.psecn.photoshelter.com/img-get2/I00002TeUpovBreI/fit=180x180/fill=/g=G0000D9AoUsPl0Lo/I00002TeUpovBreI.jpg)
![Battle of Belleau Wood WW1,north of Chateau-Thierry only 60 miles from Paris, France. March 2014<br />
Captured German guns in the cratered Belleau Wood, now named 'Bois de la Brigade de Marine' after the US 4th Marine Brigade. Now a permanent memorial site.<br />
<br />
The Battle of Belleau Wood (1–26 June 1918) occurred during the German 1918 Spring Offensive in World War I, near the Marne River in France. The battle was fought between the U.S. Second (under the command of Major General Omar Bundy) and Third Divisions and an assortment of German units including elements from the 237th, 10th, 197th, 87th, and 28th Divisions.[2] The battle has become a deep part of the lore of the United States Marine Corps.<br />
In March 1918, with nearly 50 additional divisions freed by the Russian surrender on the Eastern Front, the German Army launched a series of attacks on the Western Front, hoping to defeat the Allies before U.S. forces could be fully deployed. A third offensive launched in May against the French between Soissons and Reims, known as the Third Battle of the Aisne, saw the Germans reach the north bank of the Marne river at Château-Thierry, 95 kilometres (59 mi) from Paris, on 27 May. On 31 May, the 3rd Division held the German advance at Château-Thierry and the German advance turned right towards Vaux and Belleau Wood.[3]<br />
<br />
On 1 June, Château-Thierry and Vaux fell, and German troops moved into Belleau Wood. The U.S. 2nd Division—which included a brigade of U.S. Marines—was brought up along the Paris-Metz highway. The 9th Infantry Regiment was placed between the highway and the Marne, while the 6th Marine Regiment was deployed to their left. The 5th Marines and 23rd Infantry regiments were placed in reserve.[4]<br />
Battle<br />
<br />
On the evening of 1 June, German forces punched a hole in the French lines to the left of the Marines' position. In response, the U.S. reserve—consisting of the 23rd Infantry regiment, the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, and an element of the 6th Machine Gun Bat](https://m.psecn.photoshelter.com/img-get2/I0000EZELNr9UtHc/fit=180x180/fill=/g=G0000D9AoUsPl0Lo/I0000EZELNr9UtHc.jpg)
![Battle of Belleau Wood WW1,north of Chateau-Thierry only 60 miles from Paris, France. March 2014<br />
Captured German guns in the cratered Belleau Wood, now named 'Bois de la Brigade de Marine' after the US 4th Marine Brigade. Now a permanent memorial site.<br />
<br />
The Battle of Belleau Wood (1–26 June 1918) occurred during the German 1918 Spring Offensive in World War I, near the Marne River in France. The battle was fought between the U.S. Second (under the command of Major General Omar Bundy) and Third Divisions and an assortment of German units including elements from the 237th, 10th, 197th, 87th, and 28th Divisions.[2] The battle has become a deep part of the lore of the United States Marine Corps.<br />
In March 1918, with nearly 50 additional divisions freed by the Russian surrender on the Eastern Front, the German Army launched a series of attacks on the Western Front, hoping to defeat the Allies before U.S. forces could be fully deployed. A third offensive launched in May against the French between Soissons and Reims, known as the Third Battle of the Aisne, saw the Germans reach the north bank of the Marne river at Château-Thierry, 95 kilometres (59 mi) from Paris, on 27 May. On 31 May, the 3rd Division held the German advance at Château-Thierry and the German advance turned right towards Vaux and Belleau Wood.[3]<br />
<br />
On 1 June, Château-Thierry and Vaux fell, and German troops moved into Belleau Wood. The U.S. 2nd Division—which included a brigade of U.S. Marines—was brought up along the Paris-Metz highway. The 9th Infantry Regiment was placed between the highway and the Marne, while the 6th Marine Regiment was deployed to their left. The 5th Marines and 23rd Infantry regiments were placed in reserve.[4]<br />
Battle<br />
<br />
On the evening of 1 June, German forces punched a hole in the French lines to the left of the Marines' position. In response, the U.S. reserve—consisting of the 23rd Infantry regiment, the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, and an element of the 6th Machine Gun Bat](https://m.psecn.photoshelter.com/img-get2/I0000JCvbwZVN8f0/fit=180x180/fill=/g=G0000D9AoUsPl0Lo/I0000JCvbwZVN8f0.jpg)
![Battle of Belleau Wood WW1,north of Chateau-Thierry only 60 miles from Paris, France. March 2014<br />
Captured German guns in the cratered Belleau Wood, now named 'Bois de la Brigade de Marine' after the US 4th Marine Brigade. Now a permanent memorial site.<br />
<br />
The Battle of Belleau Wood (1–26 June 1918) occurred during the German 1918 Spring Offensive in World War I, near the Marne River in France. The battle was fought between the U.S. Second (under the command of Major General Omar Bundy) and Third Divisions and an assortment of German units including elements from the 237th, 10th, 197th, 87th, and 28th Divisions.[2] The battle has become a deep part of the lore of the United States Marine Corps.<br />
In March 1918, with nearly 50 additional divisions freed by the Russian surrender on the Eastern Front, the German Army launched a series of attacks on the Western Front, hoping to defeat the Allies before U.S. forces could be fully deployed. A third offensive launched in May against the French between Soissons and Reims, known as the Third Battle of the Aisne, saw the Germans reach the north bank of the Marne river at Château-Thierry, 95 kilometres (59 mi) from Paris, on 27 May. On 31 May, the 3rd Division held the German advance at Château-Thierry and the German advance turned right towards Vaux and Belleau Wood.[3]<br />
<br />
On 1 June, Château-Thierry and Vaux fell, and German troops moved into Belleau Wood. The U.S. 2nd Division—which included a brigade of U.S. Marines—was brought up along the Paris-Metz highway. The 9th Infantry Regiment was placed between the highway and the Marne, while the 6th Marine Regiment was deployed to their left. The 5th Marines and 23rd Infantry regiments were placed in reserve.[4]<br />
Battle<br />
<br />
On the evening of 1 June, German forces punched a hole in the French lines to the left of the Marines' position. In response, the U.S. reserve—consisting of the 23rd Infantry regiment, the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, and an element of the 6th Machine Gun Bat](https://m.psecn.photoshelter.com/img-get2/I0000iWA5xwdYoiw/fit=180x180/fill=/g=G0000D9AoUsPl0Lo/I0000iWA5xwdYoiw.jpg)
![Battle of Belleau Wood WW1,north of Chateau-Thierry only 60 miles from Paris, France. March 2014<br />
Captured German guns in the cratered Belleau Wood, now named 'Bois de la Brigade de Marine' after the US 4th Marine Brigade. Now a permanent memorial site.<br />
<br />
The Battle of Belleau Wood (1–26 June 1918) occurred during the German 1918 Spring Offensive in World War I, near the Marne River in France. The battle was fought between the U.S. Second (under the command of Major General Omar Bundy) and Third Divisions and an assortment of German units including elements from the 237th, 10th, 197th, 87th, and 28th Divisions.[2] The battle has become a deep part of the lore of the United States Marine Corps.<br />
In March 1918, with nearly 50 additional divisions freed by the Russian surrender on the Eastern Front, the German Army launched a series of attacks on the Western Front, hoping to defeat the Allies before U.S. forces could be fully deployed. A third offensive launched in May against the French between Soissons and Reims, known as the Third Battle of the Aisne, saw the Germans reach the north bank of the Marne river at Château-Thierry, 95 kilometres (59 mi) from Paris, on 27 May. On 31 May, the 3rd Division held the German advance at Château-Thierry and the German advance turned right towards Vaux and Belleau Wood.[3]<br />
<br />
On 1 June, Château-Thierry and Vaux fell, and German troops moved into Belleau Wood. The U.S. 2nd Division—which included a brigade of U.S. Marines—was brought up along the Paris-Metz highway. The 9th Infantry Regiment was placed between the highway and the Marne, while the 6th Marine Regiment was deployed to their left. The 5th Marines and 23rd Infantry regiments were placed in reserve.[4]<br />
Battle<br />
<br />
On the evening of 1 June, German forces punched a hole in the French lines to the left of the Marines' position. In response, the U.S. reserve—consisting of the 23rd Infantry regiment, the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, and an element of the 6th Machine Gun Bat](https://m.psecn.photoshelter.com/img-get2/I0000M.vbyhrfboU/fit=180x180/fill=/g=G0000D9AoUsPl0Lo/I0000M.vbyhrfboU.jpg)
![Battle of Belleau Wood ( bois de Brigade de Marine ) WW1, Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial,Belleau France. March 2014<br />
Seen here: A new water sprinkling system being test in the cemetery.<br />
<br />
The Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial is a 42-acre (17 ha) World War I cemetery in Belleau, Northern France. It is at the foot of the hill where the Battle of Belleau Wood was fought, with many American fatalities. The cemetery also contains burials from the Battle of Château-Thierry, later that summer. There are 2,288 burials in the cemetery, 251 of which contain unknown remains.<br />
The names of 1,060 soldiers missing in action are inscribed on the Chapel's walls.<br />
<br />
<br />
The Battle of Belleau Wood (1–26 June 1918) occurred during the German 1918 Spring Offensive in World War I, near the Marne River in France. The battle was fought between the U.S. Second (under the command of Major General Omar Bundy) and Third Divisions and an assortment of German units including elements from the 237th, 10th, 197th, 87th, and 28th Divisions.[2] The battle has become a deep part of the lore of the United States Marine Corps.<br />
In March 1918, with nearly 50 additional divisions freed by the Russian surrender on the Eastern Front, the German Army launched a series of attacks on the Western Front, hoping to defeat the Allies before U.S. forces could be fully deployed. A third offensive launched in May against the French between Soissons and Reims, known as the Third Battle of the Aisne, saw the Germans reach the north bank of the Marne river at Château-Thierry, 95 kilometres (59 mi) from Paris, on 27 May. On 31 May, the 3rd Division held the German advance at Château-Thierry and the German advance turned right towards Vaux and Belleau Wood.[3]<br />
<br />
On 1 June, Château-Thierry and Vaux fell, and German troops moved into Belleau Wood. The U.S. 2nd Division—which included a brigade of U.S. Marines—was brought up along the Paris-Metz highway. The 9th Infantry Regiment was placed between](https://m.psecn.photoshelter.com/img-get2/I0000nOVuzC66DyM/fit=180x180/fill=/g=G0000D9AoUsPl0Lo/I0000nOVuzC66DyM.jpg)
![Verdun WW1 Battlefield site, Verdun-sur-Meuse, France. March 2014<br />
Seen here :<br />
The remains of Fort Douaumont on the Verdun Battlefield.<br />
Fort Douaumont (French Fort de Douaumont) was the largest and highest fort on the ring of 19 large defensive forts protecting the city of Verdun, France since the 1890s. However, by 1915 the French General Staff had concluded that even the best-protected forts of Verdun could not resist bombardments from the German 420 mm (16 in) Gamma guns. These newly deployed giant howitzers had easily taken several large Belgian forts out of action in August 1914. As a result, Fort Douaumont and other Verdun forts, being judged ineffective, had been partly disarmed and left virtually undefended since 1915. Consequently, on 25 February 1916, Fort Douaumont was entered and occupied without a fight by a small German raiding party comprising only 19 officers and 79 men. The easy fall of Fort Douaumont, only three days after the beginning of the Battle of Verdun, produced a deep shock in the French Army's command structure. It set the stage for the rest of a battle which lasted nine months, at enormous human costs. Douaumont was finally recaptured by three infantry divisions of the French Second Army, during the First Offensive Battle of Verdun on 24 October 1916. This event brought closure to the Battle of Verdun in 1916.[1]<br />
<br />
The Battle of Verdun lasted 9 months, 3 weeks and 6 days between 21 February and 20 december 1916. It was the longest and one of the most costly battles in human history; recent estimates increase the number of casualties to 976,000.<br />
<br />
Caption information below from wikipedia:<br />
The Battle of Verdun (Bataille de Verdun0, was fought from 21 February – 18 December 1916 during the First World War on the Western Front between the German and French armies, on hills north of Verdun-sur-Meuse in north-eastern France. The German Fifth Army attacked the defences of the Région Fortifiée de Verdun (RFV) and the Second Army on the right b](https://m.psecn.photoshelter.com/img-get2/I0000SeKxSuwnOcM/fit=180x180/fill=/g=G0000D9AoUsPl0Lo/I0000SeKxSuwnOcM.jpg)
![Somme WW1 Battlefield, July 1st-November 1916, France. Delville Wood-South African Memorial. February 2014<br />
Caption information from Wikipedia:<br />
The Battle of Delville Wood 14 July – 3 September, was an engagement in the 1916 Battle of the Somme in the First World War. It took place between the armies of the German Empire and allied British and empire forces. Delville Wood[Note 1] is to the north east of the town of Longueval in the département of the Somme in northern France. After the two weeks of carnage from the commencement of the Somme Offensive, it became evident that a breakthrough of either the Allied or German line was most unlikely and the offensive had evolved to the capture of small prominent towns, woods or features which offered either side tactical advantages from which to direct artillery fire or to launch further attacks.<br />
<br />
Delville Wood was one such feature, making it important to German and Allied forces. As part of a large offensive starting on 14 July, General Douglas Haig, Commander of the British Expeditionary Force intended to secure the British right flank, while the centre advanced to capture the higher lying areas of High Wood in the centre of his line. Delville Wood was a battle to secure this right flank. The battle achieved this objective and is considered a tactical Allied victory. However, it was one of the bloodiest confrontations of the Somme, with both sides incurring large casualties. This tactical victory needs to be measured against the losses sustained as well as the fact that the British advance to the north had made only marginal gains by the end of the battle.<br />
<br />
The battle is of particular importance to South Africa, as it was the first major engagement entered into on the Western Front by the South African 1st Infantry Brigade, which also contained a contingent of Southern Rhodesians. The casualties sustained by this Brigade were of catastrophic proportions, comparable to those encountered by Allied battalions on the first](https://m.psecn.photoshelter.com/img-get2/I0000mUCDrxidqhA/fit=180x180/fill=/g=G0000D9AoUsPl0Lo/I0000mUCDrxidqhA.jpg)
![Somme WW1 Battlefield, July 1st-November 1916, France. Sheffield Memorial Park. February 2014<br />
Seen Here: Memorial to Private Albert Bull of the 12th Yorks and Lancs who died on this spot on 1st of July ( the first day of the Somme battle ) and buried here until 1928, he was discovered and re buried in Serre Road No 2 Cemetery nearby. <br />
<br />
Sheffield Memorial Park on the Somme where there are many commemoration plaques and memorials to the 'Pals Brigades'; Groups of men who lived in the same street or worked together, signed up into the army together and died together as they attacked the fortified German positions at Serre on the northern flank of the Somme Battlefield. <br />
<br />
Caption information below from Wikipedia:<br />
<br />
Several of these battalions suffered heavy casualties during the Somme offensives of 1916. One of the most notable was the 11th (Service) Battalion (Accrington) East Lancashire Regiment, better known as the Accrington Pals. The Accrington Pals were ordered to attack Serre, the most northerly part of the main assault, on the opening day of the battle. The Accrington Pals were accompanied by Pals battalions drawn from Sheffield, Leeds, Barnsley and Bradford.[2] Of an estimated 700 Accrington Pals who took part in the attack, 235 were killed and 350 wounded within the space of twenty minutes.[3] Despite repeated attempts, Serre was not taken until February 1917, at which time the German forces had evacuated to the Hindenburg Line.](https://m.psecn.photoshelter.com/img-get2/I0000R9RKAFGGDqY/fit=180x180/fill=/g=G0000D9AoUsPl0Lo/I0000R9RKAFGGDqY.jpg)
![Verdun WW1 Battlefield site, Verdun-sur-Meuse, France. March 2014<br />
Seen here:<br />
The Remains of Fort de Vaux on the Verdun Battlefield.<br />
<br />
Fort Vaux, located in Vaux-Devant-Damloup, Meuse, France, was built in 1881–1884 at a cost of 1,500,000 Francs, built to house 150 men. it became the second Fort to fall in the Battle of Verdun. The first fort to fall had been Fort Douaumont which was virtually undefended and had been captured by a small German raiding party in February 1916. Fort de Vaux, on the other hand, was fully garrisoned when it was attacked on June 2 by German assault troops. The fort had been modernized before 1914 with additional reinforced concrete top protection, like at Fort Douaumont and thus did resist a German heavy artillery preparation which had included shelling by 16 inch howitzers. The superstructure of the fort had been heavily damaged but the deep interior corridors and stations remained intact and can still be seen in their original condition today. One of the fort's side bunkers ("Casemate de Bourges") is still equipped with its 75mm cannon.<br />
<br />
The defense of Fort Vaux was marked by the heroism and endurance of the garrison, including Major Sylvain-Eugene Raynal. Under his command, the besieged French garrison fended off repeated German assaults, including fighting underground from barricades inside the invaded corridors of the fort, which was the first major engagement to happen completely inside a fort during World War I. What was left of the French garrison finally gave up after it had run out of drinkable water (some of which was poisoned), ammunition, medical supplies and food. Raynal sent several messages to his commanding officers via homing pigeons (including the famous Vaillant[verification needed]), requesting relief for his soldiers. During his last communications, Major Raynal penned the phrase "This is my last pigeon."<br />
<br />
After the capture of Fort Vaux on June 7, the Crown Prince of the German ruling family, the Hohenzollerns, prese](https://m.psecn.photoshelter.com/img-get2/I0000ttjTvSpyhBI/fit=180x180/fill=/g=G0000D9AoUsPl0Lo/I0000ttjTvSpyhBI.jpg)
![St Mihiel American Cemetery and Memorial, Thiaucourt,Saint-Mihiel Salient Battlefield France. March 2014<br />
The cemetery, 40.5 acres (16.4 ha) in extent, contains the graves of 4,153 of American military dead from World War I. The majority of these died in the offensive that resulted in the reduction of the St. Mihiel salient that threatened Paris. The burial area is divided by Linden alignment trees and paths into four equal plots. At the center is a large sundial surmounted by an American eagle.<br />
The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a World War I battle fought from 12-15 September 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Force and 48,000 French troops under the command of General John J. Pershing of the United States against German positions. The United States Army Air Service (which later became the United States Air Force) played a significant role in this action.[2][3]<br />
<br />
This battle marked the first use of the terms "D-Day" and "H-Hour" by the Americans.<br />
<br />
The attack at the St. Mihiel Salient was part of a plan by Pershing in which he hoped that the United States would break through the German lines and capture the fortified city of Metz. It was one of the first U.S. solo offensives in World War I and the attack caught the Germans in the process of retreating.[3] This meant that their artillery were out of place and the American attack proved more successful than expected. Their strong blow increased their stature in the eyes of the French and British forces, but again demonstrated the critical role of artillery during World War I and the difficulty of supplying the massive World War I armies while they were on the move. The U.S. attack faltered as artillery and food supplies were left behind on the muddy roads.[1] The attack on Metz was not realized, as the Germans refortified their positions and the Americans then turned their efforts to the Meuse-Argonne offensiv](https://m.psecn.photoshelter.com/img-get2/I0000wVEMPPfwkqg/fit=180x180/fill=/g=G0000D9AoUsPl0Lo/I0000wVEMPPfwkqg.jpg)
![Verdun WW1 Battlefield site, Verdun-sur-Meuse, France. March 2014<br />
Seen here:<br />
The Remains of Fort de Vaux on the Verdun Battlefield.<br />
<br />
Fort Vaux, located in Vaux-Devant-Damloup, Meuse, France, was built in 1881–1884 at a cost of 1,500,000 Francs, built to house 150 men. it became the second Fort to fall in the Battle of Verdun. The first fort to fall had been Fort Douaumont which was virtually undefended and had been captured by a small German raiding party in February 1916. Fort de Vaux, on the other hand, was fully garrisoned when it was attacked on June 2 by German assault troops. The fort had been modernized before 1914 with additional reinforced concrete top protection, like at Fort Douaumont and thus did resist a German heavy artillery preparation which had included shelling by 16 inch howitzers. The superstructure of the fort had been heavily damaged but the deep interior corridors and stations remained intact and can still be seen in their original condition today. One of the fort's side bunkers ("Casemate de Bourges") is still equipped with its 75mm cannon.<br />
<br />
The defense of Fort Vaux was marked by the heroism and endurance of the garrison, including Major Sylvain-Eugene Raynal. Under his command, the besieged French garrison fended off repeated German assaults, including fighting underground from barricades inside the invaded corridors of the fort, which was the first major engagement to happen completely inside a fort during World War I. What was left of the French garrison finally gave up after it had run out of drinkable water (some of which was poisoned), ammunition, medical supplies and food. Raynal sent several messages to his commanding officers via homing pigeons (including the famous Vaillant[verification needed]), requesting relief for his soldiers. During his last communications, Major Raynal penned the phrase "This is my last pigeon."<br />
<br />
After the capture of Fort Vaux on June 7, the Crown Prince of the German ruling family, the Hohenzollerns, prese](https://m.psecn.photoshelter.com/img-get2/I0000TExCKrhyQxQ/fit=180x180/fill=/g=G0000D9AoUsPl0Lo/I0000TExCKrhyQxQ.jpg)
![Verdun WW1 Battlefield site, Verdun-sur-Meuse, France. March 2014<br />
Seen here :<br />
The remains of Fort Douaumont on the Verdun Battlefield.<br />
Fort Douaumont (French Fort de Douaumont) was the largest and highest fort on the ring of 19 large defensive forts protecting the city of Verdun, France since the 1890s. However, by 1915 the French General Staff had concluded that even the best-protected forts of Verdun could not resist bombardments from the German 420 mm (16 in) Gamma guns. These newly deployed giant howitzers had easily taken several large Belgian forts out of action in August 1914. As a result, Fort Douaumont and other Verdun forts, being judged ineffective, had been partly disarmed and left virtually undefended since 1915. Consequently, on 25 February 1916, Fort Douaumont was entered and occupied without a fight by a small German raiding party comprising only 19 officers and 79 men. The easy fall of Fort Douaumont, only three days after the beginning of the Battle of Verdun, produced a deep shock in the French Army's command structure. It set the stage for the rest of a battle which lasted nine months, at enormous human costs. Douaumont was finally recaptured by three infantry divisions of the French Second Army, during the First Offensive Battle of Verdun on 24 October 1916. This event brought closure to the Battle of Verdun in 1916.[1]<br />
<br />
The Battle of Verdun lasted 9 months, 3 weeks and 6 days between 21 February and 20 december 1916. It was the longest and one of the most costly battles in human history; recent estimates increase the number of casualties to 976,000.<br />
<br />
Caption information below from wikipedia:<br />
The Battle of Verdun (Bataille de Verdun0, was fought from 21 February – 18 December 1916 during the First World War on the Western Front between the German and French armies, on hills north of Verdun-sur-Meuse in north-eastern France. The German Fifth Army attacked the defences of the Région Fortifiée de Verdun (RFV) and the Second Army on the right b](https://m.psecn.photoshelter.com/img-get2/I0000OQDy4OhiX0k/fit=180x180/fill=/g=G0000D9AoUsPl0Lo/I0000OQDy4OhiX0k.jpg)
![Verdun WW1 Battlefield site, Verdun-sur-Meuse, France. March 2014<br />
Seen here :<br />
The shell cratered remains of Fort Douaumont on the Verdun Battlefield.<br />
Fort Douaumont (French Fort de Douaumont) was the largest and highest fort on the ring of 19 large defensive forts protecting the city of Verdun, France since the 1890s. However, by 1915 the French General Staff had concluded that even the best-protected forts of Verdun could not resist bombardments from the German 420 mm (16 in) Gamma guns. These newly deployed giant howitzers had easily taken several large Belgian forts out of action in August 1914. As a result, Fort Douaumont and other Verdun forts, being judged ineffective, had been partly disarmed and left virtually undefended since 1915. Consequently, on 25 February 1916, Fort Douaumont was entered and occupied without a fight by a small German raiding party comprising only 19 officers and 79 men. The easy fall of Fort Douaumont, only three days after the beginning of the Battle of Verdun, produced a deep shock in the French Army's command structure. It set the stage for the rest of a battle which lasted nine months, at enormous human costs. Douaumont was finally recaptured by three infantry divisions of the French Second Army, during the First Offensive Battle of Verdun on 24 October 1916. This event brought closure to the Battle of Verdun in 1916.[1]<br />
<br />
The Battle of Verdun lasted 9 months, 3 weeks and 6 days between 21 February and 20 december 1916. It was the longest and one of the most costly battles in human history; recent estimates increase the number of casualties to 976,000.<br />
<br />
Caption information below from wikipedia:<br />
The Battle of Verdun (Bataille de Verdun0, was fought from 21 February – 18 December 1916 during the First World War on the Western Front between the German and French armies, on hills north of Verdun-sur-Meuse in north-eastern France. The German Fifth Army attacked the defences of the Région Fortifiée de Verdun (RFV) and the Second Army](https://m.psecn.photoshelter.com/img-get2/I0000LpF9PuSebn4/fit=180x180/fill=/g=G0000D9AoUsPl0Lo/I0000LpF9PuSebn4.jpg)
![Verdun WW1 Battlefield site, Verdun-sur-Meuse, France. March 2014<br />
Seen here:<br />
The Remains of Fort de Vaux on the Verdun Battlefield.<br />
<br />
Fort Vaux, located in Vaux-Devant-Damloup, Meuse, France, was built in 1881–1884 at a cost of 1,500,000 Francs, built to house 150 men. it became the second Fort to fall in the Battle of Verdun. The first fort to fall had been Fort Douaumont which was virtually undefended and had been captured by a small German raiding party in February 1916. Fort de Vaux, on the other hand, was fully garrisoned when it was attacked on June 2 by German assault troops. The fort had been modernized before 1914 with additional reinforced concrete top protection, like at Fort Douaumont and thus did resist a German heavy artillery preparation which had included shelling by 16 inch howitzers. The superstructure of the fort had been heavily damaged but the deep interior corridors and stations remained intact and can still be seen in their original condition today. One of the fort's side bunkers ("Casemate de Bourges") is still equipped with its 75mm cannon.<br />
<br />
The defense of Fort Vaux was marked by the heroism and endurance of the garrison, including Major Sylvain-Eugene Raynal. Under his command, the besieged French garrison fended off repeated German assaults, including fighting underground from barricades inside the invaded corridors of the fort, which was the first major engagement to happen completely inside a fort during World War I. What was left of the French garrison finally gave up after it had run out of drinkable water (some of which was poisoned), ammunition, medical supplies and food. Raynal sent several messages to his commanding officers via homing pigeons (including the famous Vaillant[verification needed]), requesting relief for his soldiers. During his last communications, Major Raynal penned the phrase "This is my last pigeon."<br />
<br />
After the capture of Fort Vaux on June 7, the Crown Prince of the German ruling family, the Hohenzollerns, prese](https://m.psecn.photoshelter.com/img-get2/I0000BpHr90PE0rY/fit=180x180/fill=/g=G0000D9AoUsPl0Lo/I0000BpHr90PE0rY.jpg)
![Somme WW1 Battlefield, July 1st-November 1916, France. Sheffield Memorial Park. February 2014<br />
Seen Here: In memory of the Chorley Pals 'Y' Company.<br />
<br />
Sheffield Memorial Park on the Somme where there are many commemoration plaques and memorials to the 'Pals Brigades'; Groups of men who lived in the same street or worked together, signed up into the army together and died together as they attacked the fortified German positions at Serre on the northern flank of the Somme Battlefield. <br />
<br />
Caption information below from Wikipedia:<br />
<br />
Several of these battalions suffered heavy casualties during the Somme offensives of 1916. One of the most notable was the 11th (Service) Battalion (Accrington) East Lancashire Regiment, better known as the Accrington Pals. The Accrington Pals were ordered to attack Serre, the most northerly part of the main assault, on the opening day of the battle. The Accrington Pals were accompanied by Pals battalions drawn from Sheffield, Leeds, Barnsley and Bradford.[2] Of an estimated 700 Accrington Pals who took part in the attack, 235 were killed and 350 wounded within the space of twenty minutes.[3] Despite repeated attempts, Serre was not taken until February 1917, at which time the German forces had evacuated to the Hindenburg Line.](https://m.psecn.photoshelter.com/img-get2/I0000Uzddza903KU/fit=180x180/fill=/g=G0000D9AoUsPl0Lo/I0000Uzddza903KU.jpg)
![Ypres-Ieper WW1 Battlefield, 1914-1918, Belgium. Langemark German Cemetery, Langemark,Ypres_Ieper, Belgium. February 2014<br />
The German Cemetery at Langemark, names of the young students and schoolboys carved into the wooden walls of the entrance to the cemetery.<br />
The German war cemetery of Langemark (formerly spelt 'Langemarck') is near the village of Langemark, part of the municipality of Langemark-Poelkapelle, in the Belgian province of West Flanders. More than 44,000 soldiers are buried here. The village was the scene of the first gas attacks by the German army, marking the beginning of the Second Battle of Ypres in April 1915.<br />
<br />
During the First Battle of Ypres (1914) in World War I, inexperienced German infantry suffered severe casualties when they made a futile frontal attack on allied positions near Langemark and were checked by experienced French infantry and British riflemen. Contrary to popular myth, only fifteen percent of the German soldiers involved in the Battle of Langemark were schoolboys and students. Legend has it that the German infantry sang the first stanza of what later (1919) became their national anthem "Deutschland, Deutschland über alles", as they charged.<br />
<br />
The cemetery, which evolved from a small group of graves from 1915, has seen numerous changes and extensions. It was dedicated in 1932. Today, visitors find a mass grave near the entrance. This comrades' grave contains 24,917 servicemen, including the Ace Werner Voss.[3] Between the oak trees, next to this mass grave, are another 10,143 soldiers (including 2 British soldiers killed in 1918). The 3,000 school students who were killed during the First Battle of Ypres are buried in a third part of the cemetery. At the rear of the cemetery is a sculpture of four mourning figures by Professor Emil Krieger. The group was added in 1956, and is said to stand guard over the fallen. The cemetery is maintained by the German War Graves Commission, the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge.](https://m.psecn.photoshelter.com/img-get2/I0000yyTkqcDdkXA/fit=180x180/fill=/g=G0000D9AoUsPl0Lo/I0000yyTkqcDdkXA.jpg)
![Ypres-Ieper WW1 Battlefield, 1914-1918, Belgium. Langemark German Cemetery, Langemark,Ypres_Ieper, Belgium. February 2014<br />
The German Cemetery at Langemark, sculpture of four mourning figures by Professor Emil Krieger.<br />
The German war cemetery of Langemark (formerly spelt 'Langemarck') is near the village of Langemark, part of the municipality of Langemark-Poelkapelle, in the Belgian province of West Flanders. More than 44,000 soldiers are buried here. The village was the scene of the first gas attacks by the German army, marking the beginning of the Second Battle of Ypres in April 1915.<br />
<br />
During the First Battle of Ypres (1914) in World War I, inexperienced German infantry suffered severe casualties when they made a futile frontal attack on allied positions near Langemark and were checked by experienced French infantry and British riflemen. Contrary to popular myth, only fifteen percent of the German soldiers involved in the Battle of Langemark were schoolboys and students. Legend has it that the German infantry sang the first stanza of what later (1919) became their national anthem "Deutschland, Deutschland über alles", as they charged.<br />
<br />
The cemetery, which evolved from a small group of graves from 1915, has seen numerous changes and extensions. It was dedicated in 1932. Today, visitors find a mass grave near the entrance. This comrades' grave contains 24,917 servicemen, including the Ace Werner Voss.[3] Between the oak trees, next to this mass grave, are another 10,143 soldiers (including 2 British soldiers killed in 1918). The 3,000 school students who were killed during the First Battle of Ypres are buried in a third part of the cemetery. At the rear of the cemetery is a sculpture of four mourning figures by Professor Emil Krieger. The group was added in 1956, and is said to stand guard over the fallen. The cemetery is maintained by the German War Graves Commission, the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge.](https://m.psecn.photoshelter.com/img-get2/I0000ySQ3aRZE5CY/fit=180x180/fill=/g=G0000D9AoUsPl0Lo/I0000ySQ3aRZE5CY.jpg)
