What was belleau wood

The Marines attacked into Belleau Wood on June 6. The Germans were trapped in an operational box of their own making. At that point a real attack on Paris was a geographical and logistical impossibility, something Allied commander-in-chief Foch recognized only too well. That operation failed. With Operation Marneschutz-Reims July 15—18 they sought to pinch out Reims in the east with a massive double envelopment.

In the end the exaggerated claims fort of Belleau Wood simply do not stand the strategic significance of the battle up to close analysis. The fight was a tightly contained tactical action in a secondary sector of a very wide front, and the results had only a limited influence on the sweeping operations of May—June When the 4th Marine Brigade attacked into Belleau Wood on June 6, the battle raged across about a mile-and-a-half of the mile-wide front.

Belleau Wood was not an insignificant or pointless battle, however. While the German th Division was not an elite attack force, it was performing the role for which it had been organized, trained and equipped. Conventional tactical wisdom dictates a minimum of a three-to-one superiority to attack and carry an entrenched and defended position.

The Marines did not have anything close to that ratio, and their woefully inadequate fire support only increased the odds against them. The Marines also lacked combat experience going into the battle, while the th had been in almost continuous combat since March Overcoming tremendous odds they persevered and won, in turn drawing the attention of the German General Staff. The Germans had assumed the raw American forces would need many months of experience before they approached anything close to combat effectiveness.

But in just the second major U. The Battle of Belleau Wood also convinced even the most optimistic general staff officers that the strategic clock was fast running out for Germany. Originally published in the March issue of Military History. To subscribe, click here. Your Marine Corps. By David T. Sunday, Jun Danish Wikipedia. The 2nd Division also contained the 2nd Field Artillery Brigade and other organic units like the 2nd Regiment of Engineers.

The area of operation included a forested area Belleau Wood proper on high ground running approximately one mile north to south and between one-quarter and one-half mile east to west. To the west of the wood lay Hill under German control. A wheat field lay to the southeast of the wood. The 60 buildings in the village of Bouresches sat to the north across yards of wheat. By June 4, more than 2, German soldiers with at least 30 machine guns had ensconced themselves in Belleau Wood, and another Germans with at least six machine guns held Bouresches.

German machine gun fire from the wood could sweep much of the wheat field. Looking to the north and east from their lines of departure, the marines faced two difficult obstacles: either advance from tree to tree in close quarter fighting or make a perilous march across the open field of green wheat that rose barely above knee-level. In the first few days of June, the 4th Marine Brigade dug into a defensive line just to the southwest of the wheat field and Belleau Wood.

The battalions in the 5th Marine Regiment established themselves on the left, and those in the 6th Marine Regiment on the right. Retreating French soldiers warned them of coming German attacks, urging the marines to withdraw. It was here that Capt. The marines then prepared their own plans to assault those German positions. The marines embraced the goal of fire superiority because they placed so much emphasis on rifle marksmanship.

John J. Pershing who commanded the AEF. He expected fast-moving American infantry units to make aggressive attacks against German positions over open ground, overwhelm them, and drive into the interior behind enemy lines. The American tactics ran counter to French doctrine as well as hard- experiences in the trenches, which called for a rolling artillery barrage to soften enemy positions and clear the path for infantry units to follow.

Pershing naively assumed that the AEF could succeed in battle using uniquely American tactics, despite nearly four years of bloody fighting that pointed to the decisive advantages that machine guns and fortified positions afforded defenders against attackers. From Reims travel via toll autoroute A Once in the village of Belleau, take the first road on your left to Bouresches and then follow the Belleau Wood signs.

The journey takes about one hour. No bus transportation is available. Travel via Public Transportation: Public transportation to the cemetery is not available. Memorial Day—the federal holiday in which we honor our veterans and remember those who died while in the armed services—originated in the aftermath of the Civil War.

Breadcrumb Home Belleau Wood. He alone prevented the dozen Germans from going any further by killing two of them with his bayonet. The others quickly fled. During the multi-week campaign, the Marines suffered heavy losses, but dealt out ass-kickings in kind. Like much of World War I, the Battle of Belleau Wood was slow-moving and brutal, but the Americans finally claimed victory after attacking six separate times.

On Jun. Check out the Marines video below to watch the footage from an immensely important time in military history. This is how astronauts pee in space. Pound for pound, these were the deadliest boats of World War II. WATM is made in Hollywood by veterans. It's military life presented like never before. Check it out at We Are the Mighty.

Whether you're looking for news and entertainment, thinking of joining the military or keeping up with military life and benefits, Military. Subscribe to the Military.