The Battle of Belleau Wood Commences. The German assault at Marigny and Lucy. June 3, 1918.

 Pvt Lee Roy Todd, USMC, of Pike County, Georgia who was killed in action on June 3, 1918.  One of the Many Marine Corps casualties of the Battle of Belleau Wood.   Note Pvt. Todd's distinctive Marine Corps cut service coat, which was a darker green (and more of a true green) than the Army's, and the globe and anchor device on his M1911 campaign hate which show him to be a Marine.  He's wearing a highly faded set of canvas leggings.

On this day, the Germans having taken Belleau Wood, but having been arrested in their advance by the 2nd and 3d U.S. Divisions, launched an assault on the towns of Marigny and Lucy from the Wood.

 James Harbord, U.S. Army.  He wasn't impressed with his French instructions.

This event made it plane that the US did not intend to fight in France the same way that the Western Allies had.  The advance took the Germans through farm fields occupied by the Marine Corps Brigade assigned to the 2nd Division. The French had ordered the brigade to withdraw from this position and dig a trench line to their rear.  General James Harbord, U.S. Army, flat out disregarded the order and in fact countermanded it, ordering the Marines to hold in place. They accordingly dug shallow fighting pits, a long established U.S. practice.

The Germans advanced through the Marine held grain fields on this day. The Marines did not open fire until the Germans were within 100 yards and basically mowed the Germans down.  The survivors withdrew back to the Wood and then dug defensive positions at Hill 204 running just east of Vaux to Le Thiolet on the Paris-Metz Highway and north through Belleau Wood to Torcy.

At this point the Marines positioned themselves to attack the German positions.  French retreating forces urged (but not ordered) them to withdraw.  Upon hearing the request, Marine Captain Lloyd Williams uttered the famous words "Retreat, hell!  We just got here."