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Overview -
• World War I was a crucial time in the history of the USMC, which was transformed from a small organization of naval security detachments and "colonial infantry” to an elite land combat force
• 1918 marks the centenary of Belleau Wood, the best known United States Marine Corps action of World War I
• Based upon a range of sources, including French archival materials, this is a uniquely balanced account of Marine units and the units that supported them in World War I
"Retreat, hell! We just got here!” The words of Captain Lloyd Williams at Belleau Wood in June 1918 entered United States Marine Corps legend, and the Marine Brigade's actions there—along with the censor's failure to take out the name of the Brigade in the battle reports—made the Corps famous. The Marines went to war as part of the American Expeditionary Force, bitterly resented by the Army and General Pershing. The Army tried to use them solely as labor troops and replacements, but the German spring offensive of 1918 forced the issue. The French begged Pershing to commit his partially trained men, and two untested American divisions, supported by British and French units, were thrown into the path of five German divisions. Three horrific weeks later, the Marines held the entirety of Belleau Wood. The Marines then fought in the almost forgotten Blanc Mont Ridge Offensive in October, as well as in every well-known AEF action until the end of the war. This book will look at all the operations of the Marine Corps in World War I, cover the activities of both ground and air units, and consider the units that supported the Marine Brigade. It will examine how, during the war years, the Marine Corps changed from a small organization of naval security detachments to an elite land combat force.
REVIEWS
All and all, the book is a good, balanced and detailed account of the marine Corps in the Great War, Recommended.
Stand to!
There is much here to tempt both the wargamer and the military historian.
Miniature Wargames - Chris Jarvis
If you have an interest in the activities of the USMC then this would be a welcome addition to your library, even if your interest is only passing there is more than enough to keep you dipping in and out.
Army Rumour Service
We simply don't know enough about the US Marine Corps's contribution to the First World War. Authors Gilbert and Cansiere set the records straight with an amazingly detailed account of the American Expeditionary Force at Belleau Wood in 1918.
Books Monthly
