Shared headstone of Otto Waldow, replacement reservist, and Hans Jobst, infantryman, in the Belleau German Cemetery, Belleau, France, died June 25, 1918, possibly during the final American assault to seize Belleau Wood, a battle begun on June 6.

Otto Waldow, Ersatz-Reservist, †25.6.1918

Hans Jobst, Musketier, †25.6.1918

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Tuesday, June 25, 1918

"Clearly this had been all along a job for the artillery. On June 25 the northern fringe of Belleau Wood was shelled for fourteen hours. In the late afternoon the marines advanced again behind a rolling barrage. 'Come on you sonsofbitches do you expect to live forever?' the sergeants yelled. This time the losses weren't too heavy.

They found the great trees blasted to splinters, the German defenders stunned and helpless. By 9:30 that night Belleau Wood really was in American hands. Two hundred and fifty German prisoners and many machineguns. The Germans fell back on a defensive line along Clignon brook, and gave little more trouble in that sector."

Quotation Context

The American assault by U.S Marines and Army infantry to take Belleau Wood began on June 6, 1918 against well-entrenched German defenders. The battle continued for three weeks. The Marine casualties were 113 officers and 5,598 men killed, wounded and missing; the Army 9th and 23rd Infantry lost 65 officers and 3,496 men.

Source

Mr. Wilson's War by John Dos Passos, page 343, copyright © 1962, 2013 by John Dos Passos, publisher: Skyhorse Publishing

Tags

1918-06-25, 1918, June, Belleau Wood, marines, US Marines, Otto Waldow