The First Use of 'D-Day' and 'H-Hour' by Americans

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  • During World War I, the Americans launched the St. Mihiel offensive, hoping to capture the city of Metz. The attack caught the retreating Germans off guard and proved more successful than expected. This established the stature of the U.S. Army and highlighted the importance of artillery in warfare.
  • The St. Mihiel offensive was the first and only offensive launched solely by the United States Army in World War I. It caught the Germans by surprise and demonstrated the critical role of artillery in warfare.
  • The St. Mihiel offensive was a significant event during World War I, marking the first use of the terms 'D-Day' and 'H-Hour' by the Americans. The attack caught the Germans off guard and showcased the effectiveness of the U.S. Army.
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This battle marked the first use of the terms "D-Day" and "H-Hour" by the Americans. The fighting was depicted in the 1927 film Wings. The attack at the St. Mihiel salient was part of a plan by Pershing in which he hoped that the Americans would break through the German lines and capture the fortified city of Metz. It was the first and only offensive launched solely by the United States Army in World War I, and the attack caught the Germans in the process of retreating. This meant that their artillery was out of place and the American attack, coming up against disorganized German forces, proved more successful than expected. The St. Mihiel attack established the stature of the U.S. Army in the eyes of the French and British forces, and again demonstrated the critical role of artillery during World War I and the difficulty of supplying such massive armies while they were on the move. The U.S. attack faltered as artillery and food supplies were left behind on the muddy roads. The attack on Metz was not realized, as the Germans refortified their positions and the Americans then turned their efforts to the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Saint-Mihiel is a town in the Meuse department in northeastern France. After the end of the 1870–71 Franco-Prussian War, the town was no longer considered important strategically and military installations were not developed. This changed early in World War I with the town inside the battlefront. In 1914, the German command wished to take the Verdun fortifications which formed a strong point in the French lines. A first attempt, at Bois-le-Pretre (Priesterwald in German), failed despite violent fighting. During two more attempts (Battle of Flirey), German troops took Saint-Mihiel and the fort at Camp des Romains, but they were ultimately stopped at Fort de Troyon to the south of Verdun. During the course of the war the front did not change much in this area. Saint-Mihiel formed a salient inside the French lines, blocking communications between Nancy and Verdun. The area near St. Mihiel would know much fighting: • The Crête des Éparges (Les Éparges crest): February–April 1915. • The Bois d'Ailly (Ailly Wood) and the Tranchée de la Soif (Trench of Thirst): isolated behind German lines, Commander d'André's men fight three days without food or water before surrender in May 1915. • Bois Brûlé (The Burned Forest): many casualties when German conquer a redoubt on December 1914. It is here that the sub-officer Jacques Péricard pronounced the famous words: "Debout les morts!" (Dead men, arise!) on 8 April 1915.

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>This battle marked the first use of the terms "D-Day" and "H-Hour" by the Americans. The fighting was depicted in the 1927 film Wings. ⇒この戦いは、米国軍によって「Dの日」や「Hの時間」という言葉が初めて使われたことを示している。戦いは1927年の映画「翼」に描かれた。 >The attack at the St. Mihiel salient was part of a plan by Pershing in which he hoped that the Americans would break through the German lines and capture the fortified city of Metz. It was the first and only offensive launched solely by the United States Army in World War I, and the attack caught the Germans in the process of retreating. This meant that their artillery was out of place and the American attack, coming up against disorganized German forces, proved more successful than expected. The St. Mihiel attack established the stature of the U.S. Army in the eyes of the French and British forces, and again demonstrated the critical role of artillery during World War I and the difficulty of supplying such massive armies while they were on the move. ⇒サン=ミエル突出部への攻撃は、米国軍がドイツ軍戦線を突破し、メッツ要塞都市を奪取することを望んで立てたパーシング計画の一部であった。それは第一次世界大戦で米国方面軍が単独で開始した初めてにして唯一の攻撃であり、攻撃はドイツ軍が撤退する過程中に当たった。これは、彼らの砲撃が不調であったことを意味し、ドイツ軍の混乱に対抗する米国軍の攻撃は、予想以上の成功を収めた。サン=ミエルの攻撃は、フランス軍と英国軍の目から見て米国軍の地位が確立され、また、第一次世界大戦中の砲兵の重要な役割と、そのような巨大軍隊への移動中の供給の難しさが再び示された。 >The U.S. attack faltered as artillery and food supplies were left behind on the muddy roads. The attack on Metz was not realized, as the Germans refortified their positions and the Americans then turned their efforts to the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Saint-Mihiel is a town in the Meuse department in northeastern France. After the end of the 1870–71 Franco-Prussian War, the town was no longer considered important strategically and military installations were not developed. This changed early in World War I with the town inside the battlefront. ⇒米国軍の攻撃は、砲兵砲撃の部局がひるみがちになり、供給食糧は泥だらけの道に残された。ドイツ軍が陣地を再強化したので、メッツに対する攻撃は実現しなかったが、その後米国軍は戦闘の矛先をミューズ=アルゴンヌ攻撃に転換した。サン=ミエルは、フランス北東部のムーズ県の町である。1870-71年の普仏戦争の終結後、町はもはや戦略的に重要とは見なされず、軍事施設は開発されなかった。これが第一次世界大戦初期には、戦場の前線のただ中の町と変わった。 > In 1914, the German command wished to take the Verdun fortifications which formed a strong point in the French lines. A first attempt, at Bois-le-Pretre (Priesterwald in German), failed despite violent fighting. During two more attempts (Battle of Flirey), German troops took Saint-Mihiel and the fort at Camp des Romains, but they were ultimately stopped at Fort de Troyon to the south of Verdun.  During the course of the war the front did not change much in this area. Saint-Mihiel formed a salient inside the French lines, blocking communications between Nancy and Verdun. The area near St. Mihiel would know much fighting: ⇒1914年、ドイツ軍は、フランス戦線の強固な地点を形成するヴェルダンの要塞を狙った。ボワ・ル・プレトル(司祭の森、ドイツ語:Priesterwald)に対する最初の攻撃は、激しい戦いにもかかわらず、失敗した。さらに2回の襲撃(フリレイの戦い)の間に、ドイツ軍隊はサン=ミエルとロメーン野営地の要塞を奪取したが、最終的にはヴェルダンの南に向かうトロヨンの要塞で停止した。  戦争の経過中、この地域の前線はあまり変化しなかった。サン=ミエルはフランス軍戦線の中に突出部を形成して、ナンシーとヴェルダンの間の通信を妨げていた。サン=ミエル近辺の地域は、以下のように、多くの戦いを見ることになる。 > •The Crête des Éparges (Les Éparges crest): February–April 1915.  •The Bois d'Ailly (Ailly Wood) and the Tranchée de la Soif (Trench of Thirst): isolated behind German lines, Commander d'André's men fight three days without food or water before surrender in May 1915.  •Bois Brûlé (The Burned Forest): many casualties when German conquer a redoubt on December 1914. It is here that the sub-officer Jacques Péricard pronounced the famous words: "Debout les morts!" (Dead men, arise!) on 8 April 1915. ⇒・「クレト・デ・ゼパージ(エパージ諸峰)〔の戦い〕」:1915年2月-4月。  •「ボワ・デリー(エリー森林)とトレシェー・ド・ラ・ソワフ(渇きの塹壕)〔の戦い〕」:1915年5月、ドイツ軍の戦線の後方で孤立した指揮官アンドレ麾下の兵士は、降伏する前に食糧や水なしで3日間戦った。  •「ボワ・ブリュレ(炎上の森)〔の戦い〕」:1914年12月、ドイツ軍がある一つの砦を征服した際に、多くの犠牲者があった。1915年4月8日、ジャック・ペリカール副将校が有名な言葉を発した。「死せる兵士よ、立て!」。

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