The Battle of Belleau Wood
June 6th-26th, 1918
The area known as Belleau Wood on the Metz-Paris road was capture by the German 7th army as a responce to the German Aisne-Marne Offensive launched in May. With the refreshing victories at Cantigny and at Chateau-Thierry, U.S. General Bundy and his Second Division was now given the difficult task of capturing Belleau Wood. The Second Division's Marine Corps under the command of General James Guthrie Harbord, were given the task of capturing the wood. Before them layed a very dangerous jounary across an open wheat field covered by German machine gun fire (a controversal fact among historians today). It was because of these open conditions that on the first day, June 6th, resulted in a record of the most amount of casualities in Marine history(untill 1943.) Because the Germans defended the wood so violently, the U.S. Marines took the woods a total of six times from the Germans until they finally were forced out, a process that took 20 days.
By the end of the battle, the U.S. suffered 9,777 casualties(1,811 of which were fatalities) while the accual number of German casualities were unknown 1,600 troops were taken prisoner. It was here where the Americans managed to stop the last majorGerman offensive of the war. In addition to that, the French renamed Belleau Wood(Bois Belleau) to Bois de la Brigade de Marine to honor the Marines who fought to retake it.
By the end of the battle, the U.S. suffered 9,777 casualties(1,811 of which were fatalities) while the accual number of German casualities were unknown 1,600 troops were taken prisoner. It was here where the Americans managed to stop the last majorGerman offensive of the war. In addition to that, the French renamed Belleau Wood(Bois Belleau) to Bois de la Brigade de Marine to honor the Marines who fought to retake it.