![]() ![]() Allied reinforcements finally arrived and forced the enemy to retreat on October 8. The Americans were later offered a chance to surrender, but Whittlesey held his ground and fought on against increasingly grim odds. At one point, their own troops began accidentally shelling their position, but Whittlesey launched a carrier pigeon and managed to stop the barrage of friendly fire. Despite being low on food, water and ammunition, they spent the next five days dodging sniper fire and repelling wave after wave of German attacks. Whittlesey’s nearly 600-strong force dug in and established a makeshift defensive line. But due to poor communication, his unit crossed the rough terrain too swiftly and was soon cut off and enveloped by German forces. On October 2, 1918, the bookish and bespectacled Whittlesey led his men into hostile territory as part of a coordinated offensive in the Argonne Forest. forces pinned down in the Argonne Forest (Credit: Getty Images)Īn attorney by trade, Major Charles Whittlesey later made his name as the uncompromising commander of the so-called “Lost Battalion,” an American unit that became stuck behind German lines. He later received the Distinguished Service Cross in 2003. Both he and Roberts were later given the Croix de Guerre-one of France’s highest military honors-but Johnson’s heroic stand went unrewarded in the United States until 1996, when he was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart. When the dust cleared, Johnson had inflicted at least a dozen casualties on the Germans and suffered 21 wounds from gunfire and bayonets. When Johnson saw that the Germans were trying to take Roberts prisoner, he drew his one remaining weapon-a bolo knife-and slashed and stabbed several men until the raiding party finally fell back. Despite being shot several times, he returned fire until his weapon jammed, and then used it as a club and fought hand to hand until it broke into pieces. Both men had soon been wounded-Roberts so severely that he was unable to stand or shoot-but Johnson held fast and fought back with hand grenades and his rifle. the duo was attacked by a detachment of some 20 German troops. On May 14, 1918, Johnson and another “Hellfighter” named Needham Roberts were serving sentry duty in the Argonne Forest. He later worked to introduce new schools to his mountain community. Shunning the spotlight, the reluctant soldier returned to his home in Tennessee after the war and took up farming. For his efforts, he was awarded the Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Service Cross and several other citations for bravery. All told, York and his men captured 132 enemy soldiers, and he may have singlehandedly killed around 20 German troops. He had soon forced the remaining Germans to surrender, and later claimed even more prisoners on his way back to the American lines. When six of the enemy tried to charge York with bayonets, he drew his. REAL WAR HEROES CRACKNine of the Americans were quickly wounded or killed, but York-a crack shot from his days as a turkey hunter-escaped unscathed and began picking off the German gunners with his rifle. He and around 17 other Americans had just captured troops from a German regiment when they found themselves under heavy fire from enemy machine guns. He became even more famous than when he was alive.York would make his name on Octoin a famous incident during the Meuse-Argonne offensive. But his skeleton was donated to the Royal United Services Institute. His skin, with its crowned ‘N’ brand, was lost. Following his death in 1831, his remains were preserved. He is said to have carried Napoleon over 3,500 miles (5,600km) from Paris to Moscow and back is claimed to be the rearing horse in Jacques-Louis David’s portraits of Napoleon crossing the Alps and is reputed to have been the Emperor’s mount at the Battle of Waterloo (1815), even though Napoleon probably commanded the battle from his carriage.Īfter Waterloo, Marengo was taken by the British and became a popular attraction. Many of the stories about Marengo are probably myth. This was ideal for the Emperor, who was a poor rider. Napoleon’s mounts were trained to be fearless, obedient, and to remain calm on the battlefield. He was purchased in Egypt in 1799 and named after the French victory at Marengo the following year. ![]() Marengo was one of Napoleon Bonaparte’s 150 small grey Arab horses. ![]()
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