"The U.S. 42nd "Rainbow" Division's 117th Ammunition Train and its Ordnance Detachment: Ahr River during World War I. Occupation zone following the Armistice.
A chronological breakdown of the unit's timeline explains their whereabouts and activities:
1. Fierce WWI Combat Operations
During active fighting in the summer and fall of 1918 (France), the 117th Ammunition Train and the Ordnance Detachment supported the 42nd Division in bloody, heavily contested engagements. Their major campaigns included:
- The Champagne-Marne Defensive (July 1918)
- The Aisne-Marne Offensive (Ourcq River) (Late July 1918)
- The St. Mihiel Offensive (September 1918)
- The Meuse-Argonne Offensive (October–November 1918)
2. The Post-Armistice Advance (November 1918)
After the Armistice went into effect on November 11, 1918, the 42nd Division was selected to serve as part of the Army of Occupation in the German Rhineland.
- The March to the Rhine: The 117th Ammunition Train, organized into motor and animal-drawn battalions, was heavily tasked with keeping combat units supplied with necessary ammunition and logistical support as they advanced eastward.
- The Ahr Sector: The division marched through Luxembourg and the heavily rugged Ardennes into the German Rhineland. The Ahr River valley was crossed or temporarily patrolled as the Allies moved toward the Rhine River, which the 42nd Division officially reached in December 1918.
- Historical Resources:
To explore the exact movements, supply operations, and primary sources of these units, the following archives are excellent starting points:
- Harry S. Truman Library & Museum: Holds the official, detailed maps charting the exact routes taken by the Motor Battalion of the 117th Ammunition Train.
- Rainbow Division Veterans Foundation: Provides broader historical context, rosters, and digitized historical unit records for the Ordnance Detachment and 117th Ammunition Train". (unconfirmed online information)