During their Spring offensive, the German 82nd Reserve Division captured the crucial crossroads town of Catigny. The newly arrived 1st US Infantry Division was rushed to the front and its 28th Regiment, nicknamed the Black Lions, was ordered to retake and hold the town. Although the Americans quickly took the town from the disorganized and ill-prepared defenders, the Black Lions had to then endure days of increasingly desperate and violent counter-attacks that decimated the ranks of both sides. The outcome of the battle would be a telling indicator of America’s new role in the Great War. —description from the publisher