On June 1, 1918, the Battle of Belleau Wood begins. The bloody battle saw Allied troops, particularly personnel of the United States Marine Corps, halting and eventually repelling a German offensive which had been part of the larger Spring Offensive, a final attempt by Germany to win the war before American aid and troops could arrive in full force. Men of the 4th Marine Brigade (including the 5th and 6th Marine Regiments and 6th Machine Gun Battalion), as part of the US Army's 2nd Infantry Division of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF), took up positions to halt a German advance that had broken the French lines. Through weeks of heavy fighting, including hand-to-hand fighting in the forests, the Marines captured Belleau Wood on June 26 as the Germans were forced to retreat.
The Battle of Belleau Wood continues to feature prominently in the legacy, history, and culture of the United States Marine Corps. It was here that the term "Devil Dog" originates from the supposed use of the term Teufelhunde by the Germans to describe the ferocity of the Marines they faced, comparing them to hounds from Hell. The quote "Retreat? Hell, we just got here," also originates from the battle as a reaction to warnings to retreat from the battle and provides the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines with its motto of "Retreat, Hell." Sergeant Major Dan Daly, then a First Sergeant, is claimed to have uttered the famous words "Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?" while encouraging his men to advance.
Keywords
male
1,179,230,
fox
245,391,
vulpine
35,944,
this day in history
249,
tdih
244,
marines
46,
wwi
43,
world war one
27,
usmc
15,
united states marine corps
9,
june 1
1,
battle of belleau wood
1,
belleau wood
1
Details
Published:
6 years, 6 months ago
01 Jun 2018 23:47 CEST
Initial: 63f7e402750fcf0552dd47b1786c5e27
Full Size: 70e0e28c5d831d077f3fea0e4f2d2900
Large: 43d5fba58872794a2ac851ff70dee280
Small: b8d797c028c3306742746a9e45dade06
Stats
38 views
10 favorites
4 comments
