BS: Belleau Wood

Subject: BS: Belleau Wood June 1918
From: robomatic
Date: 31 May 18 - 09:21 PM

June 1 will be the 100th anniversary of the start of the Battle of Belleau Wood. This was possibly the first clash at arms between U.S. Americans and Germans since the colonists fought the Hessians during the American War of Independence. It was brutal yet, by the horrid standards of World War I, brief.

There must be some organized commemorations at hand, but I'm not aware of them just now.

Subject: RE: BS: Belleau Wood
From: Rapparee
Date: 31 May 18 - 10:57 PM

The US forces involved included the 2nd and 3rd Infantry Divisions and the 5th and 6th Marine Regiments, as well as the 6th (Army) Machine Gun Battalion. French and UK units were also involved, but you were talking about the US involvement.

It was a brutal, ugly, nasty fight that lasted about three weeks, short by WW1 standards. US forces suffered 1,811 killed and 7,966 wounded, again few casualties by WW1 standards.

This was also the battle were a Marine officer approaching the front, told by a French officer to go back, replied, "Retreat, hell! We just got here."