Research Paper on "Lost Battalion WWI by Thomas Johnson Fletcher Pratt and Edward Coffman"

Research Paper 4 pages (1375 words) Sources: 1 Style: MLA

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Lost Battalion WWI by Thomas Johnson, Fletcher Pratt and Edward Coffman

Review of the Lost Battalion by Thomas Johnson, Fletcher Pratt and Edward Coffman

They were probably not the first men to become truly lost in the Argonne Forest, but during those fateful days from October 2 to October 7, 1918, the men of the so-called "Lost Battalion" did become the most famous to do so, if only for fives day, thereby earning them a place in history books that helps keep the memory of this costly and important battle from World War I alive today. Indeed, these men were not "lost" in terms of their physical whereabouts being unknown, but rather related to whether they could be saved at all. Given the number of American troops involved in the Argonne-Meuse battle and the fog of war that surrounded World War I battlefields in general and this one in particular, it is little wonder that the Lost Battalion was lost in the fashion it was, but the truly miraculous aspect of the encounter was that there were not far more of them placed in this untenable predicament. This paper provides a review of the book, The Lost Battalion, the story of the men from the American First Army who became lost in the Argonne Forest from October 2 to October 7, 1918. A summary of the research and important findings about the book are presented in the conclusion.

Review and Discussion

In the Lost Battalion, the authors preface their day-by-day first-hand accounts of the events from October 2 to October 7, 1918 with an introduction that provides the historical context in which the Lost Battalion's experiences took place. According to Coffman, "On 26 September 1918, the American First Army launched a massive assault along a front of some twenty miles, stretching from the depths of the Argonne Forest to the Meuse River. During the next six weeks, Gen. John J. Pershing pushed more men into the battle, and casualties mounted to more than 120,000" (v). General Pershing's intention in expending these numbers of troops and taking such large numbers of casualties was to break throughout the massive emplacements the German's had installed over time and finally end the stalemate that existed on the battlefield. In this regard, Coffman notes that, "The number of men involved -- more than a million -- and the heavy losses made this battle even greater than the major American actions that would follow in World War II" (v).

The Lost Battalion's saga began on October 2, 1918, when newly promoted Major Charles W. Whittlesey received orders to lead his exhausted and under-strength battalion into battle. Despite the major's protests, he followed the orders to attack when his objections were overruled. According to the authors, "This is the first publication of the important fact that Major Whittlesey himself advised against the attack that transformed his command into the 'Lost Battalion.' He advised against it not once but twice; not only on the morning of October 2 but on the night previous. Both times Colonel Stacey made the same reply, that he agreed with Major Whittlesey but that he had his orders to attack from higher authority" (Johnson, Pratt and Coffman 289). As a result, and based on orders to ignore the security on his flanks, Major Whittlesey led his battalion to an advanced position that would place them beyond American assistance and help ensure their place in the history books as well. According to Coffman, "They advanced and found a valley in the Argonne that took them beyond the German lines" (v).

After positioning his men along the slope that was their objective, the battalion commander radioed his position and waited for reinforcements, new orders - and supplies which always seemed to be just out of reach. Indeed, his men were woefully undersupplied, having only the provisions and ammunition they carried with them into battle, and the German commanders had apparently taken far more notice of them than their American counterparts. For example, recognizing the strategic position occupied by them, German troops surrounded the Lost Battalion and prevented relief efforts by the 77th… READ MORE

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