It came - as the dying German officer had predicted.Īt 2 o'clock on the morning of June 13th it was launched by the Germans along the whole front. The Marines, who for days had been fighting only on their sheer nerve, who had been worn out from nights of sleeplessness, from lack of rations, from terrific shell and machine-gun fire, straightened their lines and prepared for the attack. In more than one case companies lost every officer, leaving a Sergeant and sometimes a Corporal to command, and the advance continued.Īfter thirteen days in this inferno of fire a captured German officer told with his dying breath of a fresh division of Germans that was about to be thrown into the battle to attempt to wrest from the Marines that part of the wood they had gained. Without water, without food, without rest, they went forward - and forward every time to victory.Ĭompanies had been so torn and lacerated by losses that they were hardly platoons, but they held their lines and advanced them. Time after time officers seeing their lines cut to pieces, seeing their men so dog tired that they even fell asleep under shellfire, hearing their wounded calling for the water they were unable to supply, seeing men fight on after they had been wounded and until they dropped unconscious time after time officers seeing these things, believing that the very limit of human endurance had been reached, would send back messages to their post command that their men were exhausted.īut in answer to this would come the word that the line must hold, and, if possible, those lines must attack. The heroism and doggedness of that battle are unparalleled. Fighting day and night without relief, without sleep, often without water, and for days without hot rations, the Marines met and defeated the best divisions that Germany could throw into the line.
In all the history of the Marine Corps there is no such battle as that one in Belleau Wood. the biggest battle since Appomattox and the most considerable engagement American troops had ever had with a foreign enemy." The battle was such a hard-won success it led General Pershing to say, "The deadliest weapon in the world is a Marine and his rifle!" and that "the Battle of Belleau Wood was for the U.S. Advancing against well-emplaced German machine gun positions and suffering heavy losses, the Marines managed to push the Germans back and take their objectives. The battle lasted a month and was fought often times with bayonets. After years of deadlock, Germany launched their last desperate spring offensive, annihilating the British 5th Army and getting within 40 miles of Paris. Russia had the Bolshevik revolution and left the war, freeing fifty German divisions to move from the Eastern Front and turn against France. Taking place in June of 1918, the Battle of Belleau Wood was strategically important. The conduct of the Sixth and Fifth Marines here made the Corps legendary. The Battalion participated in numerous battles, but the one that is most remembered was the battle of Belleau Wood. The First Battalion Sixth Marines was formed 11 July 1917 and was quickly deployed to France between September and October of that year. When WWI began the Marine Corps was expanded in order to support the American Expeditionary Force being sent to support the Allied Powers under General Pershing. Its mission was limited to providing ships detachments and was considered by many as an anachronism of the days of sail. The Corps was a small and underappreciated force before the eruption of World War I. The history of 1/6 Hard is closely tied with the history of the United States Marine Corps.
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