Battle of belleau wood during the First World War

PISA BASED QUESTIONS -BATTLE OF BELLEAU WOOD DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR
PREPARED BY VINITA RIKHI

1. MY EXPERIENCE IN THE BATTLE OF BELLEAU WOOD DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR June 1 and June 26, 1918 , the German Aisne offensive Battle BELLEAU WOOD PISA BASED QUESTIONS VINITA RIKHI FIRST WORLD WAR

2. MY EXPERIENCE - n June of 1918, a fierce battle was waged at Belleau Wood, an ancient hunting-reserve of old-growth oaks, surrounded by wheat fields, located about 60 miles outside of Paris. The Germans were launching their spring offensive in an attempt to overwhelm the Allies before they were fortified by fresh American troops who were arriving at a rate of about 250,000 per month. The Battle of Belleau Wood has since achieved near mythic status in U.S. military

3. MY RECRUITMENT – I was recruited in the American Expeditionary Forces called "The Doughboys." Pvt. Albert McArdle of East Boston . early one third of the recruits obtained by the Marine Corps since the United States entered the war were under twenty-one years of age." The article goes on to quote Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels: "The policy of the Marine Corps in admitting boys of eighteen years and over into the ranks is more than justified…by the heroic fighting by the Marines at Chateau-Thierry and Belleau Wood."

4. MY TRAINING - I received ‘13 months good sound training’. [1] In contrast, Herbert Sulzbach, who joined the German army in August 1914, found himself in the front line just four weeks later, after only the most rudimentary training. Still, some common themes emerge, and this article will concentrate on those who joined from 1916 on, after the initial ‘rush to the colours’ had died down and the training system had settled into a groove. New recruits in all armies were first put through three months of basic training. The aim of this course was: to build up physical fitness and confidence; instil discipline and obedience; and teach the fundamental military skills necessary to function in the army. A typical day started with Reveille (a bugle or trumpet call to wake the soldiers and call them to duty) at 5.30 a.m. After tidying up and cleaning their quarters and having a brew, at 6.30 recruits would parade for an hour and a half to work on their fitness. After breakfast at 8, the morning was spent drilling on the parade square, learning, for instance, to march, form fours and about turn . Between 12.15 and 2 p.m. the men took lunch before returning for more drill in the afternoon until 4.15. The unlucky might be detailed off for fatigues or work parties thereafter, but otherwise recruits were off duty, although they might have to spend time cleaning kit and shining boots.

5. ENTRY OF AMERICA IN THE WAR The First Division landed at the ports of the French town of St. Nazaire in late June 1917. The sight of the fresh American soldiers had an amazing effect on French morale. The allied commanders arranged for a grand reception for the Americans on the Fourth of July in Paris. The Second Battalion of the First Division’s 16th Infantry, headed by General John J. Pershing, marched through the streets of Paris on July 4, 1917. Jubilant Parisians assembled at the tomb of the Marquis de Lafayette, who had famously fought in the American Revolution. The arrival of the rest of the American Expeditionary Force started soon after. The Second Division began arriving in small numbers in late August 1917 and were still arriving in the spring of 1918. Americans played a small part in the Battle of Cambrai in 1917 but the majority of American Battles in WW1 were fought in 1918. FIRST WORLD WAR AND AMERICA

6. BELLEAU WOOD FRONT - . The first large-scale battle fought by American soldiers in World War I begins in Belleau Wood, northwest of the Paris-to-Metz road. In late May 1918, the third German offensive of the year penetrated the Western Front to within 45 miles of Paris. U.S. forces under General John J. Pershing helped halt the German advance, and on June 6 Pershing ordered a counteroffensive to drive the Germans out of Belleau Wood. U.S. Marines under General James Harbord led the attack against the four German divisions positioned in the woods and by the end of the first day suffered more than 1,000 casualties

7. WAR FRONT- In early 1918, the German government, freed from fighting a two-front war by the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, chose to launch a massive offensive on the Western Front. This decision was largely motivated by a desire to end the war before the full strength of the United States could be brought into the conflict. Beginning on March 21, the Germans attacked the British Third and Fifth Armies with the goal of splitting the British and French and driving the former into the sea . After driving the British back after making some initial gains, the advance stalled and was ultimately halted at Villers-Bretonneux. As a result of the crisis caused by the German attack, Marshal Ferdinand Foch was appointed Supreme Commander of the Allied Armies and tasked with coordinating all operations in France. An assault to the north around Lys, dubbed Operation Georgette, met a similar fate in April. To aid these offensives a third attack, Operation Blücher– Yorck, was planned for late May in Aisne between Soissons and Rheim

8. n June 1, the Major General Omar Bundy's 2nd Division took up positions south of Belleau Wood near Lucy-le-Bocage with its line extending south opposite Vaux. A composite division, the 2nd consisted of Brigadier General Edward M. Lewis' 3rd Infantry Brigade (9th & 23rd Infantry Regiments) and Brigadier General James Harbord's 4th Marine Brigade (5th & 6th Marine Regiments). In addition to their infantry regiments, each brigade possessed a machine gun battalion. While Harbord's Marines assumed a position near Belleau Wood, Lewis' men held a line to the south below the Paris-Metz Road. As the Marines dug in, a French officer suggested that they withdrawal. To this Captain Lloyd Williams of the 5th Marines famously replied, "Retreat? Hell, we just got here." Two days later elements of the German 347th Division from Army Group Crown Prince occupied the forest. WAR FRONT

9. The adversaries clashed in bitter hand-to-hand combat with knives, rifle butts, bayonets, and trench shovels. As Marine officers and NCOs fell dead or wounded, junior officers and enlisted men took their places. The most determined counterattack on June 13 came when elements of three Germans divisions attempted to reclaim their old positions. Then, the French Army’s artillery finally unleashed a 14-hour long heavy bombardment that allowed marines in 2/5, 3/5, and 3/6 to dislodge the remaining Germans from the northern end of Belleau Wood on June 26 .

10. AFTERMATH- In the fighting around Belleau Wood, American forces suffered 1,811 killed and 7,966 wounded and missing. German casualties are unknown though 1,600 were captured. The Battle of Belleau Wood and the Battle of Chateau-Thierry showed the United States' allies that it was fully committed fighting the war and was willing to do whatever was required to achieve victory but the Marines fighting ability and classified them as elite "storm troopers."

11. LEGACY- The Battle of Bois de Belleau, or Belleau Wood. This was a battle that exemplified the Marine Corps' core values of honor, courage, and commitment. It was a battle that catapulted the Marine Corps to worldwide prominence. And it was a battle that helped turn the tide of "The Great War" (as WWI was then known) in favor of the Allies. The Battle of Belleau Wood was a landmark event in Marine Corps history. Prior to the battle, the United States Marine Corps was a little known, unproven commodity. After three weeks of displaying the courage, determination, and win-at-all-costs attitude that has become synonymous with the Marine Corps in the years since, that all changed, and the Marines have since been known as--arguably-- the most formidable fighting force in the world.

12. Poem on Belleau Wood Battle Oh the snow flakes fell in silence Q- Keeping in mind the rhythmic beauty of the poem, draw inference of the Belleau wood battle Over Belleau Wood that night For a Christmas truce had been declared By both sides of the fight As we laid there in our trenches The silence broke in two By a German soldier singing A song that we all knew Though I did not know the language The song was Silent Night Then I heard my buddy whisper "All is calm, all is bright" Then the fear and doubt surrounded me Cause I'd die if I was wrong But I stood up in my trench And I began to sing along Then across the frozen battlefield Another's voice joined in Until one by one each man became A singer of the hymn Then I thought that I was dreaming For right there in my sight Stood the German soldier Neath the falling flakes of white And he raised his hand and smiled at me As if he seemed to say Here's hoping we both live to see Us find a better way

13. PISA BASED QUESTIONS 1. With reference to the text describe how The Battle of Belleau Wood was a major battle during WWI? ‘ The use of the US marines changed the tide of the war for the allies’.Draw inference from the lines based on this line The Allied forces in this battle were the Americans, French, and the British Empire, against the Germans. Is the statement applicable to the fact? Justify giving evidence from the source. Some of the technology used the the battle were tanks, machine guns, and artilery cannons. The historical context of the battle is the US used the marines which canged the tides of the war a) TICK THE APPROPRIATE i. Who amongst the following fought the battle of Belleau Wood? Austria America England India ii. When was this battle fought? A. 1948 B. 1914 C. 1918 D. 1910 iii. Battle of Belleau was the part of

14. First world war Second world war Cold war Proxy war b) Complete the following The Battle of Belleau Wood was fought between …………………………… The main German attack was repulsed on June 4 and ……….forces began offensive operations on June 6 It was fought against …………………..near Château Thierry. With …………..support to offset the heavy automatic fire they were taking, the team continued to advance in small group. MEMORY GAME Name the countries who were the part of battle of Belleau Wood ...... ........ ........

15. B. How this war moved ? C. NAME THE TWO OPPOSING COUNTRIES. D. Name the two alliances that participated in the first world war and write the name of their allies also. ....... ...... ...... .............. .............

16. i. E. GLOSSARY WORLD WAR ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ii. iii. Trenches ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. Marines ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. iv. Alliances ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. F. On the outline map of the Europe mark the Belleau Wood ................ ................ ...... .................... ...................... ......

17. G. Identify the Belleau Wood on the map of France

18. H. PREPARE THE TIME LINE OF FIRST WORLD WAR WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE BALLEAU WOOD

19. I. CREATE THIS IN A STORY FORM MY CREATIVITY

20. IMAGINE YOURSELF AS ONE OF THE SOLDIER AND WRITE YOUR EXPERIENCES INTERPRET SUMMARY OF THE TEXT IN 30 WORDS The Battle of Belleau wood took place on June I 1918 and lasted for twenty-six days. It the Marine Corps' bloodiest battle to that date, fought against the Germans near Château Thierry, France. Assigned to clear a woodland and take the town of Boursches, a team of Marines began the battle by advancing. With poor artillery support to offset the heavy automatic fire they were taking, the team continued to advance in small groups, engaging in hand-to-hand combat, and continued to press on until the woods had been cleared and the Germans had been defeated. The Marines suffered 5,200 casualties, more than half their strength .