The Lost Battalion and the Meuse-Argonne, 1918

This volume, with exhaustive on-site research, details America’s last major offensive of World War I, the Battle of the Meuse-Argonne, which took place from September 26 through November 11, 1918. It examines the movements and countermovements that comprised the still unequaled conflict of the Argonne Forest. The main focus of the work is the five-day isolation and besiegement of the so-called “Lost Battalion.” From October 2 to 5, Major Charles Whittlesey and 554 men were cut off from all other U.S. units and attacked by German forces in an area known as “The Pocket.” Written with a view toward bringing this legendary tale to a more personal level, the work creates a vivid picture of the men who lived, fought and died in the final, all-consuming battle of World War I.

Micheal Clodfelter is an active member of Vietnam Veterans Against the War and the author of several books on military history. A researcher and consultant for the Dupuy Institute of Military History, he lives in Lawrence, Kansas.

Micheal Clodfelter
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 256
Bibliographic Info: 37 photos, maps, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2012 [2007]
pISBN: 978-0-7864-6908-6
eISBN: 978-0-7864-9176-6
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      vii

Preface      1

Prologue      5

1. The War and the Battle      13

2. The Major and the Division      23

3. The Offensive I      46

4. The Battalion      90

5. The Offensive II      164

6. The Veterans      198

7. Myth and Memory      211

Chapter Notes      231

Bibliography      235

Index      241

“this excellent book has received a ‘WOW!’ rating and will make an excellent addition to your library”—The Lone Star.