America’s Biggest Battle
Probably most people would name the Battle of the Bulge in late 1944 and early 1945 as America’s greatest battle. The Bulge, however, is only the second biggest battle in American history. America’s biggest battle occurred a generation earlier, only about 60 miles southeast of where the Bulge unfolded, the Battle of the Meuse-Argonne, in 1918.
Battles Compared
Meuse-Argonne The Bulge
Sep 26-Nov 11, ‘18 Dec 16, ‘44-Jan 16, ‘45
Days 47 32
US * 1.26 million 1.0 million
Enemy 0.47 million 0.5 million
US Loses
Dead 26,277 (559/day) c. 10,275 (321/day)
Wound 95,786 c. 47,500
Missing c. 5,000** c. 23,000***
* Figures exclude Allied troops.
** Some captured, most later declared kia.
*** Mostly captured, some later declared kia.
During the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, the average daily number of American battle deaths, 559, exceeded the daily average of battle deaths suffered by the French Army during the 302 day Battle of Verdun (Feb. 21-Dec. 19, 1916), about 530.
The primacy of the Meuse-Argonne extends even to materiél expended; nearly 2,500 American and French artillery pieces expended four million rounds in support of the offensive. This came to nearly 50,000 a day, the greatest barrage in American history.
"These things must be done delicately-- or you hurt the spell." - The Wicked Witch of the West.
"We've got the torpedo damage temporarily shored up, the fires out and soon will have the ship back on an even keel. But I would suggest, sir, that if you have to take any more torpedoes, you take 'em on the starboard side." Pops Healy, DCA USS Lexington.