The Battle of Belleau Wood and America’s baptism of fire in WWI

The Battle of Belleau Wood occurred as part of the larger German Spring Offensive in 1918.

After years of stalemate on the Western Front, the Germans sought to break the deadlock and achieve a decisive victory before American forces could fully arrive in Europe.

On March 21, 1918, the Germans launched a series of attacks, known as Operation Michael, which were aimed at driving a wedge between the French and British armies.

By May, the Germans had reached the Aisne River, advancing within striking distance of Paris. 

Belleau Wood lay along the path of the German advance toward Paris, and its capture would allow the Germans to continue pushing south.

The German high command believed that capturing the French capital would force the Allies to sue for peace.

General Erich Ludendorff, who was directing the Spring Offensive, saw the opportunity to strike at a vulnerable part of the Allied line.  

The area around Belleau Wood, including the nearby towns of Château-Thierry and Vaux, had already seen intense fighting.

Holding the wood was essential as, from this position, the Germans could outflank the Allies or reinforce their lines.

Moreover, the railway lines and roads near Belleau connected major supply routes that kept the Allied war effort alive.

Losing control of this area would have disrupted crucial transportation links and made it harder to move troops and supplies. 

The French, desperate to prevent the fall of Paris, turned to the Americans for reinforcements.

The entrance of the United States into World War I in 1917 had provided fresh troops and resources to the beleaguered Allies, but American forces were still in the process of arriving and organizing.

By the time the Germans launched their offensive, the Americans had only begun to deploy significant numbers of troops.

The U.S. Marine Corps, which had been stationed nearby, was sent to Belleau Wood in early June to block the German advance. 

At the time, the Marines were a relatively small and untested force on the global stage.

They were under the command of Major General James Harbord. He and the 4th Marine Brigade were assigned the daunting task of halting the German advance, despite being clearly outnumbered. 

The Battle of Belleau Wood began on June 1, 1918, when German forces pushed toward Paris.

They had already occupied Belleau Wood and had dug deep defensive positions.

Regardless, the Marines moved in to confront the German positions. When Captain Williams and his Marines arrived, they encountered French troops who were retreating from the area.

They urged the Americans to fall back as well. Williams reportedly replied, "Retreat, hell! We just got here!". 

Then, on June 6, the Marines launched a direct assault across an open wheat field in front of the wood.

Unfortunately, they quickly suffered heavy casualties as German machine guns mowed down advancing American troops.

By the end of the day, the U.S. forces had suffered over 1,000 casualties, including many officers.

However, the Americans slowly gained ground through days of intense fighting, often relying on hand-to-hand combat in the dark, twisted forest.

The Germans who fought them even began to refer to the Marines as ‘Teufelhunden’, or ‘Devil Dogs’. 

Among the chaos, acts of remarkable bravery stood out. In one account, as the Marines charged into heavy machine gun fire across open fields to reach the entrenched German positions.

Gunnery Sergeant Dan Daly, a two-time Medal of Honor recipient, famously rallied his men by shouting, “Come on ... do you want to live forever?”

His words apparently inspired those around him to push forward against impossible odds.

This kind of courage was repeated by many others, such as Lieutenant Weedon Osborne, who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his valiant attempt to rescue a wounded comrade under intense fire. 

The battle stretched on for nearly three weeks, with each side exchanging control of the wood multiple times.

The Marines attacked the Germans in small, brutal skirmishes, clearing one section of the forest at a time.

By June 11, U.S. forces had gained control of much of the wood, though the fighting remained fierce.

On June 26, after heavy losses on both sides, the Marines finally cleared the last pockets of German resistance.

The battle officially ended with the U.S. forces securing Belleau Wood. By its completion, the Americans had suffered over 9,000 casualties, including nearly 2,000 killed.

In comparison, the Germans lost an estimated 10,000 men in the fight. 

Prior to the United States' entry into World War I, the United States had not yet proven itself as a dominant global military force.

Its army was relatively small, and the idea of America projecting power on European soil was still uncertain.

However, this battle showed the world that American soldiers, though new to the conflict, could hold their own against seasoned European armies. 

The report of the victory also created a sense of national pride and confidence in the U.S. military’s ability to perform on the world stage.

Until then, the U.S. had largely followed a policy of isolationism, but the battle's success led to a new understanding of the nation’s potential as a global military power.

As a result, American commanders and politicians recognized the potential for the U.S. military to be a decisive force in international affairs.

The Marines, in particular, built the reputation of the United States as a formidable military power.

Consequently, Belleau Wood shifted how both Americans and their allies saw the U.S. military—no longer an auxiliary force, but one capable of influencing the outcome of major global conflicts.