During the recent Centennial and afterwards, the American Battle Monuments Commission has been turning out a lot of fresh and helpful material on the American effort in the war. One item of which that has just come to my attention is a 2019 brochure on the fighting at Belleau Wood in 1918. It includes a great campaign map (more on that to follow), plus a concise history of the fighting, another map for a walking tour of the battlefield with information on each stop, notable participants in the battle, and additional information on other key sites in the Château-Thierry vicinity. The full pamphlet can be downloaded HERE.
Nonetheless, the "star" of the publication is this map delineating all the major actions of the three-week battle. Besides the main assault on Belleau Wood, it shows the 6 June flank attacks on Hill 142 and Bouresches, the supporting operations of the 2nd Division's 3rd Brigade, and the positions and main attacks of the German forces. I've read several works covering Belleau Wood and visited the battlefield over a dozen times, but this map clarified the conduct of the fighting there in a new way for me. It's a cartographic tour de force.
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(Size: Display = 580px; Download = 1200px)
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Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI tip my hat to the Marines who fought at Belleau!
ReplyDeleteMike, the ABMC now have a permanent guide named Paulette at Belleau Woods. She will take you through the cemetery and is very knowledgeable.
ReplyDeleteWe spent time with her in April on Randy Gaulke's tour.