Pershing was an arrogant man whose one acievement was keeping the AEF together.

He believed that the American male was superior to his European counterpart because a sense of adventure running strong in their families genes had drawn them to the North American frontiers !

He believed that inborn marksmanship and fieldcraft combined with an American knowledge of open warfare is what would split the German front wide open.

He, and his higher command poo-pooed effiminate European things like artillery and machine guns...

The AEF could have learned from the mistakes of the French and British without having to make them themselves... but did not.

The 2nd Divisions actions at Belleau Wood, then a few weeks later at the village of Vaux showed how succesful a division could be when they shook of Pershings arrogance and incorporated tactics used by their allies....

http://www.kaiserscross.com/257543/284222.html


Another red herring is the losses suffered by the US troops attached to other armies/divisions....