Rock the Marne

Rock of the Marne covers both the final attack of the German army in July 1918, and the Allied counteroffensive that produced the battle known to Americans as the Second Battle of the Marne. The Germans believed they could launch an offensive on both sides of Reims, which would pinch out an Allied salient and draw in Allied reserves, and thus possibly produce a breakout across the Marne leading to the final drive to Paris. Despite gaining their bridgehead across the Marne, the Germans did not expect the fierce resistance offered by the Allies including the American 3rd infantry division-which earned its honorific name “Rock of the Marne” for its steadfast defense. An even bigger surprise awaited the Germans, however, when the Allies attacked them with crushing power from a wholly unforeseen direction three days later. Refusing at first to relinquish the initiative, the Germans showed why they were masters of defensive warfare in World War 1 as they exacted a fearsome toll in casualties from the attackers including the American 1st and 2nd infantry divisions.