Battle of Belleau Wood

Overview

The Battle of Belleau Wood was a major battle that occurred during the German spring offensive in World War I, near the Marne River in France. The battle was fought by the U.S. 2nd and 3rd Divisions along with French and British forces against an assortment of German units including elements from the 237th, 10th, 197th, 87th, and 28th Divisions.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Belleau Wood was fought during the German spring offensive of World War I near the Marne River in France. U.S. 2nd and 3rd Divisions, alongside French and British forces, engaged multiple German divisions including elements of the 237th, 10th, 197th, 87th, and 28th. Combined casualties exceeded 19,000, with the United States sustaining 9,777 and Germany approximately 10,000. The engagement marked a significant test of American combat capability in the war's decisive year, placing U.S. forces directly in the path of Germany's offensive drive toward Paris. The battle demonstrated that American divisions could absorb and inflict heavy losses alongside Allied partners during a critical phase of the spring offensive.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (5)