Rare WWI AEF 1917 France Metz Ordinance Artillery Marker Trench Map Relic for Sale

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Rare WWI AEF 1917 France Metz Ordinance Artillery Marker Trench Map Relic For Sale

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Rare WWI AEF 1917 France Metz Ordinance Artillery Marker Trench Map Relic :
$605.00

*1917 dated AEF Ordinance Map of the France Metz area gridded for artillery firing coordinates*

This map is in very good condition and was used by the British against the Germans to mark objective points and guide artillery firing positions. The square grids on the map mark as a value of 1,000 yards with sub squares measuring at 500 yards in an A,B,C,D clockwise order. These squares with coordinate directions are explained in the bottom left of the map and would have been used extensively to fire on enemy positions.

These maps are printed on cloth and many did not survive the length of the war due to the wet and muddy conditions of the trenches. This map is in very good condition with common signs of use and wear.

Battle of Saint-Mihiel

TheBattle of Saint-Mihielwas a majorWorld War Ibattle fought from 12–15 September 1918, involving theAmerican Expeditionary Forces(AEF) and 110,000Frenchtroops under the command ofGeneralJohn J. Pershingof theUnited StatesagainstGermanpositions. TheU.S. Army Air Serviceplayed a significant role in this action.

This battle marked the first use of the terms"D-Day"and "H-Hour" by the Americans.

The attack at the Saint-Mihielsalientwas part of a plan by Pershing in which he hoped that the Americans would break through the German lines and capture the fortified city ofMetz. It was the first and only offensive launched solely by theUnited States Armyin World War I, and the attack caught the Germans in the process of retreating.[6]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 Saint-Mihiel attack established the stature of the U.S. Army in the eyes of theFrenchandBritishforces, and again demonstrated the critical role ofartillery during World War Iand thedifficulty 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.[7]The attack on Metz was not realized, as the Supreme Allied CommanderFerdinand Fochordered the American troops to march towardsSedanandMézières, which would lead to theMeuse-Argonne Offensive.