An edition of The AEF Way of War (2006)
The AEF Way of War
The American Army and Combat in World War I
By Mark Ethan Grotelueschen
Publish Date
November 20, 2006
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Language
eng
Pages
398
Description:
Provides the most comprehensive examination of AEF (American Expeditionary Forces) combat doctrine and methods ever published. It shows how AEF combat units actually fought on the Western Front in World War I. It describes how four AEF divisions (the 1st, 2nd, 26th, and 77th) planned and conducted their battles, and how they adapted their doctrine, tactics, and other operational methods during the war. General John Pershing and other AEF leaders promulgated an inadequate pre-war doctrine, with only minor modification, as the official doctrine of the AEF. Many early American attacks suffered from these unrealistic ideas that retained too much faith in the infantry rifleman on the modern battlefield. However, many AEF divisions adjusted their doctrine and operational methods as they fought, preparing more comprehensive attack plans, employing flexible infantry formations and maximizing firepower to seize limited objectives.