Few people know that the American troops learnt tactics and strategies from the Australian troops during WW1. The Australians had already been fighting for nearly 4 years, when the first American troops arrived to join combat in July 1918.
There was much argument as to who was going to control the American troops. The Australians, who were under British officer control for much of the early part of the War, were verifiably enraged by the British officers incompetence, which led to extreme losses in Australian lives from 1914 to early 1918.
It was only when the Australians demanded that Australian troops be led by Australian officers (who they considered vastly more competent than the British officers) .. that General (later Sir) John Monash was appointed as Commander of Australian troops, with direct planning and control of all Australian forces.
General John Monash was a construction engineer in civilian life, but had an outstanding and unique ability to understand that the tactics required to win a war, involved meticulous planning, the combined co-ordination and use of every new development in war .. such as aeroplanes, tanks, and motorised transport .. along with new ground tactics that evolved from hard Australian experience won in earlier battles.
The result was, that it was agreed, that the first American troops would be placed with, and under the control of the Australians, at the Battle of Hamel.
This was done, so the relatively untested Doughboys and their officers could quickly learn the relevant war tactics needed, and the modus operandi of General Monash's tactics.
The Battle of Hamel was an outstanding result for Monash, and the Australian and American troops. Under Monash's plan, the troops were to seize its objective (the town) in 90 minutes, with minimal troop losses .. unlike most British plans, that cared little about troop losses, that had disorganised tactics, and that would make troops walk straight into massed machine guns.
The Battle of Hamel was concluded in precisely 94 minutes, with the objective successfully seized, and with minimal troop losses, due to the careful co-ordination of artillery, aeroplanes, tanks and troops, as per Monash's precise plan.
The American troops proved themselves worthy fighters .. although the Australians were bemused by the risk-taking, gung-ho, attitude of the Americans .. whereby the Australians were a little more circumspect, and would not unnecessarily risk their lives.
General Sir John Monash went on to win all 15 of the major battles he commanded, from July 1918 onwards .. and it was stated that if Monash had been handed full control of WW1 from the outset, the War would have been won unconditionally in half the time, with minimal troop losses.
The war tactics instigated by Monash are still the same tactics used by the Americans and Australians today, in any war. They are proven tactics, and they were earnt with many tens of thousands of mens lives.
WW1 had a massive impact on Australia, with losses running into hundreds of thousands of men. In every little town in Australia, no matter how small, there is a WW1 memorial with a long list of names on it.
The societal devastation of WW1 on Australia, was more severe than any war before or since .. even WW2.
Interesting reading below, for those interested in the relationships between the Doughboys and the Diggers, in WW1 ..
http://www.awm.gov.au/journal/j35/blair.asp