Battle of Saint-Mihiel

Battle of Saint-Mihiel, first engagement of World War I in which United States forces fought independently. The battle occurred in the town of Saint-Mihiel, in Meuse Department, France, southeast of Verdun. After their victory at Château-Thierry, during the Second Battle of the Marne, on July 18, 1918, U.S. troops under General John J. Pershing prepared to attack the Saint-Mihiel salient, a position held by the Germans since September 1914.

The attack opened on September 12, 1918, during the evacuation of the area by the Germans. The U.S. troops captured Saint-Mihiel and cut off the retreating Germans on the first day of battle. Two American regiments took more than 16,000 prisoners, suffering themselves fewer than 7500 casualties during the operations.