"At 0600hrs on September 12, 1918, accompanied by rain and lightning, the US Army launched its first major offensive of World War I ... Supported by French Colonial troops, the American I, IV, and V Corps burst through the weakened German line at St Mihiel ... Although the operation cost 7,000 American casualties, the battle was heralded as a huge Allied victory. More importantly, it demonstrated to the French and British that the Americans were capable of large-scale, combined-arms operations. Packed with photos, artwork and battle maps, this book explains the entire offensive in detail"--P. [4] of cover.