Meuse Argonne - The Lost Battalion, Pt 2: The First Day (featuring Robert J. Laplander)

Battles of the First World War Podcast

Mike Cunha

History

4.8 • 812 Ratings

🗓️ 21 June 2021

⏱️ 39 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Having established a perimeter on a steep hillside in the Charlevaux Ravine, a force of some 700 men under US MAJ Charles Whittlesey digs in to await reinforcements and further orders.

Soon realizing they are surrounded, Whittlesey puts out an order: No falling back. The position is to be held at all costs. The Germans put that order to the test on October 3rd, 1918.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Our mission is to hold this position at all costs.
0:05.4	Major Charles Whittlesee Commander, 1st Battalion 308th Infantry Regiment 77th Division, AEF.
0:12.2	Charlevoe Ravine, October 3rd, 1918. Hey folks, welcome to the battles of the First World War podcast.
0:38.3	Episode 72, The Lost Battalion, Part 2, The First Day.
0:47.6	Some quick admin notes before we begin.
0:51.5	Patreon shoutouts to Alex and Brian as the latest patrons to sign up to support the BFWP.
0:59.9	Thank you so very much, gentlemen.
1:03.3	I'll spare you the Patreon pitch this episode, but these two gentlemen do get early access to
1:09.9	episodes as well as some episodes that have not yet been released.
1:14.2	And it all begins with as little as a dollar.
1:18.3	But yes, we'll skip the pitch this time.
1:22.4	PayPal shout out to Johan in the Netherlands.
1:26.5	Thank you, my good sir. Your generosity is also greatly
1:30.8	appreciated. And that appears to be it for this episode. So let's get into the Charlevo
1:39.2	Raville. As the cold and raw dark gave way to yet another gray day on October 3, 1918,
1:51.0	the American soldiers in the Charlevo Raville, did not yet realize that this would be their first full day in what would soon be known as the pocket. Similarly, their commanding officer,
2:04.1	Major Charles Whittlesey, also did not yet know it, though he feared his command could
2:10.7	be surrounded again too far out ahead of friendly troops like this. Over the next five days,
2:17.1	Whittlesey and his men would face an
2:19.4	unimaginable trial that a good number of them would not survive. It was to be an ordeal that would
2:27.6	require a leader of extraordinarily solid and steadfast character. Whittlesy, as we know, would be that man.
2:37.3	So what were the life events, the experiences, and the forces that shaped the man
	...

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