The Lost Battalion

History Through Film

Mr. Clark

• October 2nd, 1918: units of the 77th "Liberty" Division from NY advance into the Argonne Forest in France.

• Soldiers advance into the “pocket”; an area surrounded by hills and dense forests

• soldiers cut-off and surrounded by German forces while in Argonne Forest

• battalion holds out for 5 days refusing to surrender

Argonne Forest, France- Site of Lost Battalion Battle

• it was often blamed on Whittlesey's own overzealousness and inexperience, that the troops of the 308th were left vulnerable to being surrounded by the enemy.

• Their own successful advance, and the inability of the Allied troops on the flanks to advance, had left them in such a position.

FRENCH 308th 307th

Charleveux Mill

• On October 2nd, when the companies, Whittlesey's battalion and other units assigned to the 308th Infantry were first surrounded, they numbered 463 men.

• Parts of other units including some men of the 307th Infantry under the command of Nelson Holderman joined the main group bringing the total trapped to about 550.Nelson Holderman

308th subjected constantly to machine gun and trench mortar attacks by well-supplied German troops

• The runner chain from the 308th to HQ had been broken and the only communication was by use of carrier pigeons.

• Unfortunately, one of the pigeons brought somewhat inaccurate coordinates back to HQ

• These inaccurate coordinates led the artillery to fire on the “Lost Battalion”

• This "friendly fire“ led to numerous casualties as well as demoralization.

Cher Ami• After much

additional suffering, the last pigeon, Cher Ami, was used on October 4th to stop this “friendly fire”

• The 50th Aero Squadron would eventually locate the Lost Battalion

• They would also accomplish history's first air-drop by delivering supplies to the surrounded men on October 6, 1918.

• The 50th flew 15 missions that day, but due to an error in the coordinates stemming back to the carrier pigeon messages, only a fraction of the supplies reached the trapped men.

• Early on October 7th, before the relieving Allied troops arrived, the German Commanding Officer who surrounded the Americans sent a letter to Whittlesey by an American prisoner requesting his battalion's surrender.

• Whittlesey and George McMurtry, his 2nd - in-command, refused to acknowledge this request

• It was widely reported that Whittlesey said "Go to Hell!" immediately upon reading the letter.

Whittlesey and McMurtry

Lost Battalion• The eventual relief occurred when

several runners were able to break through the German lines to the south and lead the advancing troops to the 'Pocket‘ where the 308th was located.

By October 7th, when Whittlesey's troops were rescued, they had been reduced to 194, alive and unwounded (almost 6 days after initial attack).

"Life would be a lot easier if we could choose our

duties and obligations, but we shouldn't. That's why

I'm here." - Major Charles Whittlesey

MAJOR CHARLES

WHITTLESEY

CHARLES WHITE WHITTLESEY

• Charles White Whittlesey

• born January 20, 1884 in Florence, Wisconsin

• Whittlesey attended Pittsfield High School, MA and after graduation entered Williams College in Mass.

• After graduating from Williams, Whittlesey attends Harvard Law School and graduates in 1908.

• Went into law practice in NYC with the firm of Murray, Prentice & Howland from 1908 to 1911.

• When World War I breaks out, despite opposing US involvement in the war, Whittlesey does his duty and volunteers

Marker noting the site of the

battle in the Argonne Forest, France

• received 3 months of training prior to his term of service in Europe

• In Europe, Whittlesey served with the 77th Division, 308th Battalion, Headquarters Company.

• Whittlesey is famous (infamous?) for the “lost battalion” incident during the Battle for the Argonne Forest in 1918

• Following the Battle for the Argonne Forest, Whittlesey was promoted from Major to Lieutenant Colonel

• He was relieved from active duty on October 29, 1918 and returned to U. S.

MAJOR CHARLES WHITTLESEY

• On December 5th, through the issue of Special Orders No. 259 from Headquarters at Fort Dix, NJ, he was honorably discharged from the United States Army.

• The following day, December 6, 1918, he received the Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest award given by the U.S. Army.

• As a national hero, he spoke frequently about his experiences in the War… but Whittlesey was uncomfortable with the attention he received

• he primarily praised the common soldiers and officers with whom he had served

THE LOST BATTALION

• Nov. 24, 1921: Whittlesey booked a passage on the S.S. Toloa, a steamship owned by the United Fruit Co. bound for Havana, Cuba.

• On November 26th, after having stayed up late drinking and talking with other passengers, Whittlesey walked to the rail of the ship and jumped overboard.

CHER AMI

Cher Ami rests in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.

During his service, he flew 12 missions

Whittlesey’s Message

"We are along the road parallel to 276.4."Our own artillery is dropping a barrage directly on us."For heaven's sake, stop it.“

The little bird flew 25 miles in only 25 minutes to deliver his message

Cher Ami was presented a medal called the French Croix de guerre with a palm leaf by the French commander

awarded the Distinguished Service Cross after he returned home to the US

Cher Ami died of his multiple war wounds on June 13, 1919