World War I Staff Ride

4-6 MAY 2013 - One of the most memorable professional experiences I've had since I've been in Europe was the World War I staff ride I took with the European Command's Basic Strategic Art Program (BSAP) graduates. Organized by the former BSAP Director, LTC Moore and led by one of the current BSAP instructors, Dr. Michael Matheny we visited many of the great battlefields of World War I. Here Dr. Matheny is giving an explanation regarding the battles that occurred near Chateau-Thierry, France.

 

The Battle of the Somme was one of the largest of World War I, in which more than 1,000,000 men were wounded or killed, making it one of humanity's bloodiest battles. The Thievpal Memorial honors the 72,191 British soldiers who were never recovered during the Battle of the Somme from 1915-1918. While we were there visiting, bus loads of British school groups were there on a field trip to learn about the battle and remember the sacrifices of an earlier generation. It was inspiring to watch and listen to the British tour guides teach these kids about what had happened here and why it was important for them to remember.

 This is what greets you as you walk into the visitor center at the Thievpal Memorial. It's overwhelming to see all of these faces and then walk out to the memorial and see the names of each and every one of the 72,191 names of these soldiers inscribed on the memorial's walls.

This is the view atop the Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial in France dedicated to the commemoration of Dominion of Newfoundland forces members who were killed during World War I. The 74-acre (299,000 m²) preserved battlefield park encompasses the grounds over which the Newfoundland Regiment made their unsuccessful attack on 1 July 1916 during the first day of the Battle of the Somme. Here is a short version of their story. At 8:45 a.m. the Newfoundland Regiment and 1st Battalion of the Essex Regiment received orders to move forward. The Newfoundland Regiment was situated at St. John's Road, a support trench 250 yards (230 m) behind the British forward line and out of sight of the enemy. Movement forward through the communication trenches was not possible because they were congested with dead and wounded men and under shell fire. Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Lovell Hadow, the battalion commander, decided to move immediately into attack formation and advance across the surface, which involved first navigating through the British barbed wire defences. As they breasted the skyline behind the British first line, they were effectively the only troops moving on the battlefield and clearly visible to the German defenders. Subjected to the full force of the 119th (Reserve) Infantry Regiment, most of the Newfoundland Regiment who had started forward were dead, dying or wounded within 15 to 20 minutes of leaving St. John's Road trench. Most reached no further than the Danger Tree, a skeleton of a tree that lay in No Man's Land that was being utilized as a landmark. So far as can be ascertained, 22 officers and 758 other ranks were directly involved in the advance. Of these, all the officers and slightly under 658 other ranks became casualties. Of the 780 men who went forward only about 110 survived unscathed, of whom only 68 were available for roll call the following day. For all intents and purposes the Newfoundland Regiment had been wiped out, the unit as a whole having suffered a casualty rate of approximately 80%. The only unit to suffer greater casualties during the attack was the 10th Battalion of the West Yorkshire Regiment, attacking west of Fricourt village.

For a Marine, there are few places which are more sacred ground than the battlefield at Belleau Wood, France. It was because of the ferocious fighting of the Marines here that the Germans started to call the Marines "Devil Dogs". A name to which Marines refer to themselves to this very day. Our group is seen here at the main monument at the memorial. One of the most memorable experiences of the staff ride occurred here the morning we arrived and were walking the battlefield. The bells from the nearby Belleau Wood American Military Cemetery started chiming the tune "America the Beautiful". Listening to the sweet sounds of those bells pealing through the trees brought tears to my eyes.

Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness
And every gain divine!
Here is a short history of the battle.

At 17:00 on 6 June, the 3rd Battalion 5th Marines (3/5)—commanded by Major Benjamin S. Berry, and the 3rd Battalion 6th Marines (3/6)—commanded by Maj. Tyler M. Meyer, on their right—advanced from the west into Belleau Wood as part of the second phase of the Allied offensive. Again, the Marines had to advance through a waist-high wheat field into murderous machine gun fire. One of the most famous quotations in Marine Corps legend came during the initial step-off for the battle when Gunnery Sergeant Dan Daly, a recipient of two Medals of Honor who had served in the Philippines, Santo Domingo, Haiti, Peking and Vera Cruz, prompted his men of the 73rd Machine Gun company forward with the words: "Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?"
The first waves of Marines—advancing in well-disciplined lines—were slaughtered; Major Berry was wounded in the forearm during the advance. On his right, the Marines of Major Meyer's 3/6 Battalion swept into the southern end of Belleau Wood and encountered heavy machine gun fire, sharpshooters and barbed wire. Marines and German infantrymen were soon engaged in heavy hand-to-hand fighting. The casualties sustained on this day were the highest in Marine Corps history to that time. Some 31 officers and 1,056 men of the Marine brigade were casualties. However, the Marines now had a foothold in Belleau Wood.

In preparation for the 100th anniversary of the beginning of World War I, the British government has begun an aggressive effort to ensure their cemeteries are in pristine condition. This one located near the Somme Battlefield was indeed impressive.

 The chapel at the American Military Cemetery at Belleau Wood was full of intricate detail like these soldiers atop the columns of the building. It's always impressive to me to see how we remember our history.

Montfaucon is the American Memorial to the Battle of the Meuse-Argonne. The battle was fought from September 26, 1918, until the Armistice on November 11, a total of 47 days. The battle was the largest in United States military history, involving 1.2 million American soldiers, and was one of a series of Allied attacks known as the Hundred Days Offensive, which brought the war to an end. The Meuse-Argonne was the principle engagement of the American Expeditionary Forces during the First World War. Of the more than 53,000 American combat-related deaths of the First World War, the overwhelming majority of them took place in just 47 days of fighting.

 The stained glass windows inside the chapel show the American division patches of WWI. Some of them are the same today as they were back in WWI, while others are very different.

Our last stop on our trip was at Verdun. Dr. Matheny is seen here walking inside the large memorial there. To the French, Verdun in a word summarizes the horror, sacrifice and victory associated with WWI.

The cost in lives and suffering at Verdun is hard to imagine. A total of 714,231 casualties, 377,231 French and 337,000 German, an average of 70,000 casualties for each month of the battle (21 February – 18 December 1916). It was the longest and one of the most costly battles in human history. Under the Verdun memorial is a collection of bones of unknown soldiers recovered from the battlefield over the years. It really makes the whole experience at Verdun haunting.