ONE OF THE LAST GREAT BATTLES OF WORLD WAR I WAS FOUGHT IN THE ARGONNE FOREST AND IT IS THERE THE 77TH DIVISION BECAME KNOWN AS THE "LOST BATTALION"

THE BATTLE FOR THE ARGONNE FOREST

Between, September 26, 1918 and October 3, 1918, the "First Army" advanced through most of the southern Meuse-Argonne region where they captured enemy strong points, seized the first two German defense lines, and then stalled just before the third line. Failure of tank support, a difficult supply situation, and the inexperience of American troops all contributed to checking its advance.  The inexperienced divisions were replaced by veteran units and between October 4th and 31st, the "First Army" slowly ground its way through the third German line.  The enemy was forced to throw in reserves, drawn from other parts of the front, aiding the Allied advances elsewhere. In the face of a stubborn defense, American gains were limited and casualties were severe, especially as a result of the newly devised enemy tactic of attacking frontline troops with airplanes. The "First Army Air Unit" retaliated with bombing raids which broke up German preparations for counterattacks; by the end of October the enemy had been cleared from the Argonne and "First Army Troops" had penetrated the Germans main positions. Two notable incidents of this phase of the campaign were the fight of the "Lost Battalion" of the 77th Division (2-7 October), and the feat of Corp. Alvin C. York later promoted to Sgt. who single-handedly killed 15 Germans and captured 132 on 8 October.  

THE LOST BATTALION

During WWI, radio communication was at its worst. Many Battalions relied on carrier pigeons to communicate with their comrades and allies. The 77th Division was no exception. Not having many in their supplies, they used these birds sparingly and only when they felt their radio might give their position to the enemy. Beginning on October 2nd 1918, the 77th Division forged their way to take the Argonne Forest. As German troops surrounded our brave fighting men, the radioman was killed and his radio rendered irreparable. They sent out a pigeon to inform General Command of their position and needs but their bird was shot by the enemy and never reached its destination. Hours passed turning the bleak nights into dismal days. Major Whittlesey, while watching his brave soldiers die, one by one, found it difficult to understand why the allied forces never came to offer help and supplies. The 77th Division, facing grenades, bullets and mustard gas, fought valiantly during the first three days.  By the afternoon of the third day, the German Storm Troopers, armed with their gas tanks and flamethrowers, entered the forest. Our young brave soldiers were hungry and exhausted but continued to advance forwarded and fight with every ounce of energy they could find. While walking in a straight line, the "German Storm Troopers", having the capability of reaching farther than 20-feet, emitted flames whenever they saw an American soldier.  More young men were burned and incinerated then ever imaginable. The men who were not killed or wounded charged the Storm Troopers with a fierce determination that caught the German soldiers off guard. Those that weren't killed by the Americans, quickly abandoned their positions and headed back to their base.

Meanwhile, General Command had no idea where the 77th Division was or even if they still existed as a result of no means of communicating with them.  All they knew for sure was the general location of the German troops and they decided to bomb the area. What they didn’t realize was that their site location wasn’t quite accurate their bombs were falling several feet from the targeted area. The US bombs were falling on the 77th Division.

Major Whittlesey knew he had to alert his commanding officers of the dreadful situation he and his battalion were in and so, he sent out the last carrier pigeon they had in their coop.

Cher Ami, still a baby bird, was always considered the least reliable pigeon in the coop because she was so young and inexperienced.  However, the Major had no choice but to send Cher Ami. As Cher Ami took flight, the Germans fired relentlessly at the little bird hoping to bring her down and let the American military kill their own. However, Cher Ami must have understood. Sustaining a broken wing, having one leg shot completely off her little body and flying with one bullet in her tiny chest, Cher Ami completed her mission and arrived at the General Command Post with the position of her beloved men. After lying in trenches with their dead comrades, on the 4th day of the Battle of the Argonne Forest, 194 United States battle-weary soldiers, loving named The Lost Battalion, walked out of the forest. Cher Ami, the courageous little pigeon who gave her life to save her beloved men, has been stuffed, preserved and holds a place of honor in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C. 

return to William Burns Losty's History page

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