Just about my final day on WW1 sites and finished off with an absolute stunner of a tour through the Meuse-Argonne front which saw the first (and last) great American only offensive on the War. It was launched on 26th September, 1918 as part of the huge 'pincer' attacks that finally breached the Hindenberg line and put the Germans into retreat. It was fought over some tough country - which has already had 3 plus years of heavy fighting to make it even tougher. There are some names in it that will come up again in the next War - Patton and Marshall for example.
It was a bloody affair - the US lost some 117,000 men, 20% more than the Germans. There is the largest US cemetery in Europe as a result (much bigger than the one in Normandy overlooking Omaha beach).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meuse-Argonne_Offensive
The Mountfacon American Memorial, dominating the hillside.
This is the amazing view from the top - left is the Butte de Vaquois and the Argonne forest and hills. I'll post more on the Butte de Vaquois - out of all the things I have seen on the tour this is probably the most incredible.
This is looking down on the ruined Church at Montfaucon. More shots on this below. Like many villages that happened to be along the front line it was obliterated.
This is the same view but from the ground - the tower in the left foreground is rather sinister - because it is actually a German observation post. They fortified the remains of the village. This church was used as HQ by the Crown Prince of Germany (ie the Emperor's son and heir).
Fearsome looking block-house in the same village now surrounded by new growth (well 100 years of growth)
About 5 or 6 miles away from here along the front a certain George Patton made a name for himself liberating Varennes at the head of some tanks and the 35th Division.
This is the Pennsylvania State Memorial at Varennes.
Coming up a special Italian post and later the long post on the astonishing Butte de Vauquois.
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