AISNE DEFENSIVE, HILL 142, BOURESCHES, AND BOIS DE LA BRIGADE DE
MARINE, IN THE CHATEAU-THIERRY SECTOR.
In order to appreciate understandingly the importance of the early
operations participated in by the Marine Brigade as a unit of the
Second Division it is necessary to remember that in 1918, prior to
the middle of July, the offensive was in the hands of the Imperial
German Staff, and that between March 21, 1918, and July 15, 1918,
the Germans directed no less than five major offensives against the
Allied lines in efforts to bring the war to a successful conclusion
for the Central Powers. American troops assisted in breaking up every
one of these drives, but the Second Division, including the Marines,
opposed only one, that in the Chateau-Thierry sector. It should also
be noted that on March 28, 1918, the American commander in chief
placed all of the American forces at the disposal of Marshal Foch,
who had been agreed upon as commander in chief of the Allied Armies,
to be used as he might decide.
The first offensive (Somme) of the Germans was stopped within a few
miles of Amiens, and the second (Lys) overran Armentieres. In this
second German offensive, which lasted from April 9 to 27, 1918, and
which has been designated by the Americans as a major operation,
there were approximately 500 American troops engaged.
Then late in May, 1918, with startling success, which brought a
corresponding depression to the morale of the Allies, the Germans
launched their third offensive, west of Rheims, crossed the
Chemin-des-Dames, captured Soissons, and the last day of May found
them marching in the direction of Paris down the Marne Valley.
Again the American commander in chief placed every available man at
the disposal of Marshal Foch. It was at this critical time, when
the Allies were facing a grave crisis, that the Second Division,
including the Marine Brigade, together with elements of the Third and
Twenty-eighth Divisions, were thrown into the line and, in blocking
the German advance in the Chateau-Thierry sector, rendered great
assistance in stopping the most dangerous of the German drives.
The first report of the American commander in chief states that “the
Third Division, which had just come from its preliminary training
area, was hurried to the Marne. Its motorized machine gun battalion
preceded the other units and successfully held the bridgehead at the
Marne opposite Chateau-Thierry. The Second Division, in reserve near
Montdidier, was sent by motor trucks and other available transport to
check the progress of the enemy toward Paris.”
The final report of the American commander in chief with reference to
this third German offensive stated in part:
On reaching the Marne that river was used as a defensive flank and
the German advance was directed toward Paris. During the first
days of June something akin to a panic seized the city and it was
estimated that 1,000,000 people left during the spring of 1918. * * *
The Second Division, then in reserve northwest of Paris and
preparing to relieve the First Division, was hastily diverted to
the vicinity of Meaux on May 31, and, early on the morning of
June 1, was deployed across the Chateau-Thierry-Paris road near
Montreuil-aux-Lions in a gap in the French line, where it stopped
the German advance on Paris.
Without minimizing in any way the splendid actions of the
Twenty-sixth Division at Seicheprey and Xivray in April 1918, or
the brilliant exploit of the First Division at Cantigny on May 28,
1918, the fact remains that the Second Division, including the Marine
Brigade, was the first American division to get a chance to play an
important part on the western front, and how well it repelled this
dangerous thrust of the Germans along the Paris-Metz highway is too
well known to be dwelt upon at length in this brief history.
The fighting of the Second Division in the Chateau-Thierry sector
was divided into two parts, one a magnificently stubborn defensive
lasting a week and the other a vicious offensive. The defensive
fighting of the Second Division between May 31 and June 5, 1918,
was part of the major operation called by the Americans the
Aisne defensive. Without discussing at this time the tactical or
strategical significance of the work of the Second Division in the
Aisne defensive, suffice to say that its psychological effect upon
the morale of the Allies was tremendous and has been recognized in
practically every writing worthy of consideration up to the present
date.
The close of the Aisne defensive on June 5, 1918, found the line
of the Second Division well established at that point of the
Marne salient nearest Paris, but not including Hill 142, Bois de
Belleau, Bouresches, or Vaux, and the Germans were in possession of
Chateau-Thierry on the right of the Second Division, and continued to
hold that town until about July 17, 1918.
On June 6, 1918, the Second Division snatched the initiative from the
Germans and started an offensive on its front which did not end until
July 1, 1918. The Marine Brigade captured Hill 142 and Bouresches
on June 6, 1918, and in the words of Gen. Pershing, “sturdily held
its ground against the enemy’s best guard divisions,” and completely
cleared Bois de Belleau of the enemy on June 26, 1918, a major of
Marines sending in his famous message: “Woods now U. S. Marine Corps’
entirely.” The American commander in chief in his first report
calls this fighting “the battle of Belleau Wood” and states, “our
men proved their superiority, and gained a strong tactical position
with far greater loss to the enemy than to ourselves.” In his final
report he states: “The enemy having been halted, the Second Division
commenced a series of vigorous attacks on June 4, which resulted in
the capture of Belleau Woods [on June 26] after very severe fighting.
The village of Bouresches was taken soon after [on June 6] and on
July 1 Vaux was captured. In these operations the Second Division met
with most desperate resistance by Germany’s best troops.” On July
1, 1918, the Third Brigade captured Vaux. The Artillery, Engineers,
and the other elements of the Second Division assisted materially in
these successes, while the Seventh regiment of the Third Division was
in Belleau Wood for a few days about the middle of June.
During these 31 days of constant fighting, the last 26 of which has
been defined by general headquarters of the American Expeditionary
Forces as a “local engagement,” the Second Division suffered
1,811 battle deaths (of which approximately 1,062 were Marines)
and suffered additional casualties amounting to 7,252 (of which
approximately 3,615 were Marines). It was that fighting and those
9,063 casualties that first made the name Chateau-Thierry famous.
The achievements of the Fourth Brigade of Marines in the
Chateau-Thierry sector was twice recognized by the French. The first,
which changed the name of the Bois de Belleau, was a beautiful
tribute spontaneously made to the successes and to the losses of
the Fourth Brigade of Marines, and shows the deep effect that the
retaking of Belleau Wood and other near-by positions from the
Germans had on the feelings of the French and the morale of the
Allies. Official maps were immediately modified to conform with
the provisions of the order, the _plan directeur_ used in later
operations bearing the name “Bois de la Brigade de Marine.” The
French also used this new name in their orders, as illustrated by an
ordre général dated August 9, 1918, signed by the commanding general
of the Sixth French Army, reading in part as follows:
Avant la grande offensive du 18 Juillet, les troupes américaines
faisant partie de la VIe Armée française se sont distinguées en
enlevant à l’ennemi le Bois de la Brigade De Marine et le village
de Vaux, en arretant son offensive sur la Marine et à Fossoy.
The order changing the name of Bois de Belleau reads as follows:
VIº ARMÉE, ETAT-MAJOR,
_au Q. G. A., le 30 Juin, 1918_.
6930/2.]
ORDRE.
En raison de la brillante conduite de la 4éme Brigade de la 2éme D.
U. S. qui a enlevé de haute lutte Bouresches et le point d’appui
important du Bois de Belleau, défendu avec acharnement par un
adversaire nombreux, le général commandant la VIº Armée décide que
dorénavant, dans toutes les piéces officielles, le Bois de Belleau
portera le nom de “Bois de la Brigade de Marine.”
_Le Général de Division Degoutte,
Commandant la VIº Armée._
(Signed) DEGOUTTE
A. M. le GÉNÉRAL CDT. la 4ME BRIGADE de
MARINE. s/c. de M. le Général Cdt. la 2me D. U. S.
The second recognition by the French of the Marines’ work in the
Chateau-Thierry sector were citations of the Fourth Brigade, Fifth
and Sixth Regiments, and the Sixth Machine Gun Battalion of Marines,
in French army orders, that of the brigade, the others being
identical, reading as follows:
Après approbation du général commandant en chef les forces
expéditionnaires américaines en France, le général commandant en
chef les armées françaises du nord et du nord-est, cite à l’Ordre
de l’Armée:
“4º _Brigade Americaine_ sous les ordres du Général de Brigade
James G. Harbord, comprenant: Le 5e Regiment de Marine, sous les
ordres du Colonel Wendell C. Neville, le 6e régiment de Marine,
sous les ordres du Colonel Albertus W. Catlin, le 6e Bataillion de
mitrailleuses, sous les ordres du Commandant Edward B. Cole:
“A été jetée en pleine bataille, sur un front violemment attaqué
par l’ennemi. S’est affirmée aussitôt comme une unité de tout
premier order. Dés son entrée en ligne, a brisé, en liaison avec
les troupes françaises, une violente attaque ennemie sur un point
important de la position et entrepris ensuite à son compte une
série d’opérations offensives. Au cours de ces opérations, grace
au courage brillant, à la vigueur, à l’allant, à la ténacité de
ses hommes qui ne se sont laissés rebuter ni par les fatigues, ni
par les pertes; grace à l’activité et à énergie de ses officiers;
grace enfin à l’action personnelle de son chef, le Général J.
Harbord, la 4e brigade a vu ses efforts couronnés de succés.
En intime liaison l’un avec l’autre, ses deux régiments et son
bataillon de mitrailleuses ont réalisé, après douze jours de lutte
incessante (du 2 au 13 Juin 1918) dans un terrain trés difficile,
une progression variant entre 1,500 à 2,000 métres, sur un front de
4 kilométres, capturant un nombreux matériel, faisant plus de 500
prisonniers, infligeant à l’ennemi des pertes considérables et lui
enlevant deux points d’appui de premiére importance—le village de
Bouresches et le bois organisé de Belleau.”
Au Grand Quartier Général, le 22 octobre, 1918.
_Le Général Commandant en Chef._
Signé: PETAIN
(Ordre No. 10.805 “D.”)
In addition to the above-described instances, French civilian
sentiment expressed itself in the following letter from the mayor of
Meaux and Resolution from the assembled mayors of the Meaux District
(Arrondissement). This letter and the resolutions were published on
July 10, 1918, in General Orders No. 43, of the Second Division “as
indicating the appreciation of the efforts of the Second Division by
the French inhabitants for our share in stemming the recent German
advance in this sector.”
MEAUX, _June 26, 1918_.
GENERAL: On behalf of all the Mayors of the Meaux District
(Arrondissement), assembled yesterday in congress at the city hall,
I have the honor to send you herewith a copy of the resolution they
have taken in order to pay homage to the gallantry displayed by the
troops under your command and to the effectiveness of the help they
rendered us.
The civilian population of this part of the country will never
forget that the beginning of this month of June, when their homes
were threatened by the invader, the Second American Division
victoriously stepped forth and succeeded in saving them from
impending danger.
I am personally happy to be able to convey to you this modest token
of their thankfulness and I am, General,
Yours, respectfully,
(Signed) G. LUGOL,
_Mayor of Meaux, Député de Seine et Marne_.
_Voted in a Congress of the Mayors of Meaux District on the 25th of
June, 1918._
The mayors of the Meaux district, who were eye-witnesses to the
generous and efficacious deeds of the American Army in stopping the
enemy advance, send to this Army the heart-felt expression of their
admiration and gratefulness.
(Signed) G. LUGOL,
_President of the Committee_.
MEAUX, _June 25, 1918_.
During the first attack on Belleau Wood on June 6, 1918, Col.
Albertus W. Catlin was severely wounded and was relieved in command
of the Sixth Regiment by Lieut. Col. Harry Lee, who continued in
command until the regiment was demobilized in August, 1919.
When Maj. Edward B. Cole was mortally wounded on June 10, 1918,
he was relieved in command of the Sixth Machine Gun Battalion of
Marines by Capt. Harlan E. Major. On June 11, 1918, Captain Major was
relieved by Capt. George H. Osterhout, who retained command until
relieved by Maj. Littleton W. T. Waller, jr., on June 21, 1918.
During the fighting in the Chateau-Thierry sector the headquarters of
the Fourth Brigade was successively at Montreuil-aux-Lions, (in an
automobile for one-half hour on the way to the front lines), Issonge
farmhouse, and La Loge farmhouse. After being relieved by elements
of the Twenty-sixth Division during the night of July 5-6, 1918, the
brigade moved to an area in rear of the lines and occupied what was
known as the Line of Defense or Army Line, with headquarters at
Nanteuil-sur-Marne. The brigade remained there until July 16, 1918.
During the time the above-described fighting was going on the
Germans were frustrated in their fourth 1918 drive (Noyon-Montdidier
defensive) between June 9 and 15, 1918, and of course being busy in
the vicinity of Bois de Belleau, the Marines had no opportunity of
engaging in it.
Having been blocked in the Marne salient, the Germans attacked for
the fifth time in 1918 on July 15, and as events turned out it
was the last, for from the time of its failure they were on the
defensive. The Allied troops including many Americans held this
attack, called by the Americans the Champagne-Marne defensive, which
was on a large scale, and the grand initiative passed from the
Germans to the Allies on July 18, 1918, when Marshal Foch launched
his initial major offensive, termed by the Americans the Aisne-Marne.
In this magnificent and gigantic operation the Marine Brigade and
other elements of the Second Division played leading parts in the
vicinity of Soissons.
General headquarters, American Expeditionary Forces, on May 28,
1919, credited the Second Division units with participation in the
major operation of Champagne-Marne defensive, but on June 2, 1919,
rescinded this credit.