Effectiveness of the U.S. Army Signal Corps in Support of the American Expeditionary Force Division and Below Maneuver Units During World War I

The entry of the United States into World War I in April 1917 found the U.S. Army and Signal Corps totally unprepared for operations on the Western Front. This research effort proves conclusively that the U.S. Army Signal Corps overcame this unpreparedness and was ultimately effective in support of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) division and below maneuver units during World War I. This conclusion was validated by studying the organization, doctrine, training, and technology used by Signal Corps division level units prior to the declaration of war through the immediate post-World War I period. The 1st and 2d Infantry Division signal units are studied during the battle of Soissons (July 1918) and the Meuse-Argonne (October 1918) in order to evaluate their effectiveness in support of division maneuver elements. The U.S. Army Signal Corps provided relatively dynamic signal support at division level by the time the Armistice ended hostilities on 11 November 1918. The progression of signal support within the 1st and 2d Infantry Divisions clearly shows the growth and development of signal organization, doctrine, training, and technology as applied to an AEF infantry division.