Battle of Blanc Mont Ridge

The Battle of Blanc Mont Ridge (3 October to 27 October 1918) occurred during World War I, northeast of Reims, in Champagne, France. The US Army's 2nd Infantry Division and the 36th Infantry Division alongside the French Fourth Army opposed the Imperial German Army's 200th and 213th divisions, along with portions of six additional German divisions. The German defense had four main lines of defense. The first line was located south of the village of Sommepy. The second line was one kilometer north of the village. Both of these lines were overrun quickly by the advancing French on the 26th of September 1918 before the attack on Blanc Mont Ridge. The third line was between Blanc Mont and Médéah Farm. These defenses were the hardest to attack because of their position. The fourth line was about 4 kilometers north of Blanc Mont. Blanc Mont was an important strategic location as it was the highest point in the Champagne Region, and if it fell, so would much of the surrounding area. On October 2, the combined forces of the French and American divisions both attacked from the left and the right with the goal of taking Blanc Mont. They faced heavy resistance from the German troops, but eventually were able to capture Blanc Mont. The result of this battle was the expulsion of the Imperial German Army from the Champagne Region.