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Maarten Otte
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Belleau Wood and Vaux: 1 to 26 June & July 1918 Kindle Edition

by Maarten Otte (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.0 out of 5 stars 5 ratings
Profusely illustrated by contemporary photographs and numerous maps, the narrative supplemented by a number of first hand accounts; the whole is supported by several walking and car tours.

The Battle of Belleau Wood has a prominent place in the history of the United States Marine Corps; it took place between 6 and 27 June 1918 (sometimes considered to be 1-26 June). However, when on 6 June 1918 the marines launched their attack on the wood, the biggest German threat here was nearly over.

Its significance to the Corps is underlined by the presence not only of a monument to the 4th (Marine) Brigade of the US 2nd Division but also by a preserved part of the wood, which is situated to the rear of the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery. The fighting here marks the first major battle by the USMC in Europe.

The battle came – although the participants were unaware of this – at the end of the the third great German offensive of Spring 1918, the Blucher-York Offensive, also known as the 3rd Battle of the Aisne, which was launched on 27 May and officially ended on 4 June. Like its predecessors that Spring, an offensive which had started with startling territorial gains had almost ground to a halt by the time that the 2nd Division, and thus the marines, were called in to assist the French Sixth Army in holding the line and in retaking, where possible, crucial positions.

What started out as preventing the Germans from breaking through the French lines and pushing on to Paris ended in a three-weeks long slogging match in and around Belleau Wood. It was on French General Duchêne’s instigation that the woods were attacked; but in reality the marines could have just held the line and been satisfied with that. As it was, they were flung into action with little time to prepare. The fighting in Belleau Wood was extremely brutal and involved several attacks and counter-attacks; neither side was willing to yield an inch of the terrain of a feature that had local strategic significance, particularly to the Germans. Although the offensive locally here came to an end and the initial German threat in the area was nearly overcome, the focal point of the fighting moved to Villers Cotterêts, twenty-five kilometres north-east of Belleau. The Americans were not quite finished when Belleau Wood was finally captured, as the nearby village of Vaux was taken by an army brigade of the 2nd Division in a text book attack on 1 July.

The USMC has always had a good ‘publicity machine’ and Belleau Wood was certainly well known to the wider American public in the war years, particularly as it was an early action by a formation of the AEF. Although largely forgotten since the Second World War – the memory perhaps kept alive by the unusual preserved remnant of the battlefield, Belleau Wood’s reputation has been enhanced by increased interest in the war since the turn of the century. Nowadays, the battle is sometimes called a ‘pivotal event in the First World War and an iconic battle in US Marine Corps history’ by several American authors, which some of their European counterparts might regard as somewhat exaggerated.

This is the latest in a series of Battleground books by Maarten Otte on the American Expeditionary Forces. The AEF’s performance in the war is relatively little known, not least in the USA; Belleau Wood is one of the few engagements that still carries some resonance. It is fortunate that so many of the AEF’s actions took place in parts of France that have seen little development and are in agricultural or wooded country, which means that traces of their fighting are relatively plentiful.
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  1. Print length
    211 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Pen & Sword Military
  4. Publication date
    July 31, 2023
  5. File size
    27.8 MB
  6. Page Flip
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  7. Word Wise
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  8. Enhanced typesetting
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Maarten Otte is a long time resident of the Argonne. Growing up in the Netherlands with a fascination with the Great War, particularly the role of the United States. He has published books on Nantillois in 1918 and on US Medal of Honor winners. --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Review

"You get a good feel for the grinding battle within the woods, which featured units getting lost during the attack and several false claims of capturing the woods."
Historical Miniatures Gaming Society

“Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, [this book] is a seminal and unreservedly recommended core contribution to personal, community, and college/university library World War I military history collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists."
Midwest Book Review --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0D8C1V9HB
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Pen & Sword Military (July 31, 2023)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 31, 2023
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 27.8 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 211 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.0 out of 5 stars 5 ratings

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Maarten Otte

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Heather
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent guide for Belleau Wood
    Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2023
    I spent 4 days using this book to tour the American battlefields at Belleau Wood. This book is excellent. The author located many places to add rich color and deepen the experience. The book has an excellent first part with great explanantions of the 1918 battles and a second part with walking and driving tours. The gps coordinates that are included allow you to navigate easily between points. The walks are very interesting and practically organized. The author also includes non battlefield things if they are very close, some were phenomenal. The included maps and photos add much detail and interest. Highly recommend this book for anyone looking to visit the American Belleau Wood battlefields, it is indispensible even for a one day visit.
    One person found this helpful
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  • EEMueller
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent guide to visiting area of Belleau Wood
    Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2023
    Maarten Otte's latest book is an excellent guide if you are planning a visit to the area of Chateau Thierry and Belleau Wood. While not an academic study, it does give excellent descriptions of the fighting that occurred, as well as well-designed and easily followed driving and walking tours. GPS coordinates are provided. The maps are easy to intrepret, and the then-and-now photos really add to the experience. If you're headed to this part of France, I recommend taking this handy guide along.
    2 people found this helpful
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