6th Machine Gun Battalion (United States Marine Corps)
6th Machine Gun Battalion | |
---|---|
Active | 17 August 1917 – 13 August 1919 |
Country | United States of America |
Branch | United States Marine Corps |
Type | Infantry Battalion |
Role | Fire support |
Part of | 4th Marine Brigade |
Engagements | World War I
|
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Edward B. Cole Littleton W. T. Waller Jr. Matthew H. Kingman |
The 6th Machine Gun Battalion was a battalion of the United States Marine Corps which served during World War I. Along with the 5th and 6th Marine Regiments, the battalion was part of the 4th Marine Brigade. After being formed in 1917, the battalion supported the Marine regiments by detaching machine gun companies to operate with the regimental battalions along the Western Front and to provide fire support to them during the fighting. In addition to this role, the battalion was sometimes employed as a complete unit with all its companies being concentrated together to ensure that maximum firepower was applied to various points along the front line in support of Allied attacks and also to defend against German assaults. The battalion also supported the operations of the 2nd Infantry Division. After the war, the unit undertook occupation duties in Germany before returning to the United States in mid-1919 where it was subsequently deactivated.
History
Formation
The 6th Machine Gun Battalion was formed as the 1st Machine Gun Battalion on 17 August 1917 at
Arrival in France
The USS DeKalb arrived at St. Nazaire on 28 December 1917. The unit then moved to the Bourmount Training Area at
The battalion then began a program of battle preparation and, as a part of this process, on 20 January 1918 they were redesignated the 6th Machine Gun Battalion. The 15th and 23rd Companies were detached from the 5th Marine Regiment and assigned permanently to the 6th Machine Gun Battalion.[4] After two months of intense training,[5] in March the battalion was committed to the fighting against the Germans. Over the course of the nine months that remained in the war, it would take part in all of the major battles that US forces were involved in along the Western Front.[6]
Toulon Sector, Verdun: 15 March – 13 May 1918
On 15 March, the 6th Machine Gun Battalion moved up to the Department of the Meuse, in the Verdun Sector, with the purpose of relieving the machine gun companies that were deployed in support of the 6th Marine Regiment at that time. This was the battalion's first experience of the front and although they were not involved in any major conflict at this time, it helped to prepare them for their later engagements by enabling them to learn about how the war was fought on the Western Front.[7] The battalion was not deployed as a complete unit at this time though. Instead, it was split up and its individual companies were attached to the various battalions of the 5th and 6th Marine Regiments. The disposition of the battalion's companies at this time was as follows:[8][9]
- 15th Company with the 3rd Battalion, Sixth Marines;
- 23rd Company with the 2nd Battalion, Fifth Marines;
- 77th Company with the 3rd Battalion, Fifth Marines;
- 81st Company with the 2nd Battalion, Sixth Marines.
Aisne Defensive, Château–Thierry Sector: 31 May – 9 July 1918
In late May, the 6th Machine Gun Battalion was deployed to support the defensive operations in the Chateau–Thierry Sector. During this time they were employed as a complete unit in order to provide concentrated fire support at key points along the Allied line. The 77th and 81st Companies were assigned to the right flank while the 15th and 23rd Companies were assigned to the left. Their job was to lay down
The aggressiveness of the men of the 4th Marine Brigade during both the offensive and defensive phases of the
Aisne–Marne Offensive (Soisson): 18–19 July 1918
In mid-July the companies of the 6th Machine Gun Battalion were ordered into reserve in preparation to support the 5th and 6th Marine Regiments and the offensive they would be conducting. As the offensive unfolded, the individual companies were assigned to various Marine battalions until the offensive toward Vierzy and Tigny was over.[12]
Marbache Sector: 9–16 August 1918
In August, after a brief rest, the 6th Machine Gun Battalion's companies were again parceled out to the various battalions of the 5th and 6th Marine Regiments. Their dispositions during this time were as follows:[12]
- 15th Company with the 3rd Battalion, Sixth Marines;
- 23rd Company with the 2nd Battalion, Fifth Marines;
- 77th Company with the 3rd Battalion, Fifth Marines;
- 81st Company with the 2nd Battalion, Sixth Marines.
This operation consisted mainly of a series of marches from Carrefour de la Croix to Camp Bois-l'Évêque.[13] The battalion arrived at Camp Bois de L' Eveque on 18 August 1918. Their time at the camp was used to go through intensive training to further familiarize the Marines with their machine guns.[14]
St. Mihiel Offensive: 12–16 September 1918
Through a series of marches, the 6th Machine Gun Battalion moved from Camp Bois de L' Eveque to Bois des Hayes arriving on 8 September 1918. This camp was in close vicinity to the front line. The time spent at the camp was used to prepare ammunition and supply dumps, conduct a reconnaissance of the area, and set up firing positions for the upcoming offensive around Saint-Mihiel. The battalion went into battle on 12 September 1918. During the fighting, the 6th Machine Gun Battalion's companies were again assigned to their respective battalions within the two Marine regiments. The 6th Machine Gun Battalion's job was to lay down suppressive fire and to establish a defensive position until the respective Marine regimental battalions arrived.[15]
Meuse–Argonne, Champagne (Blanc Mont): 1–10 October 1918
The 6th Machine Gun Battalion was reassembled at Bois de Minorville on 16 September 1918.[16] On 27 September 1918, the battalion moved up to a camp just north of Suippes.[17] On 1 October 1918, the companies of the battalion were detached to their respective Marine regiments as follows:[18]
- 15th Company with the 3rd Battalion, Sixth Marines;
- 23rd Company with the 2nd Battalion, Fifth Marines;
- 77th Company with the 3rd Battalion, Fifth Marines;
- 81st Company with the 2nd Battalion, Sixth Marines.
The operation called for the Marine regiments to advance on the
Meuse River Campaign: 1–11 November 1918
The 6th Machine Gun Battalion's final battle came in early November when it took part in the fighting along the
Post World War I and deactivation
After the armistice was signed, the 6th Machine Gun Battalion along with the rest of the 4th Marine Brigade, was allocated to perform occupation duties as part of the Allied occupation of the Rhineland. After marching through Belgium and Luxembourg, the brigade reached the German frontier on 25 November 1918 and subsequently crossed over into Germany on 1 December 1918. On 10 December 1918, the 4th Marine Brigade headquartered at Heddesdorf where they were assigned the task of controlling the area around Coblenz.[22]
On 5 July 1919, the order to transfer the Marine units to the
Three days later, the battalion took part in the parade in New York City. They were then transferred to Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. On 12 August 1919, they participated in a parade in Washington, D.C.[23] The following day, 13 August 1919, the 6th Machine Gun Battalion was deactivated while at Quantico.[24]
Awards
The 6th Machine Gun Battalion was awarded the following awards:
World War I Victory Medal with one silver star.[25] | |
Army of Occupation of Germany Medal.[26] | |
French Croix de Guerre with two palms and one Gilt star. All members of the 6th Machine Gun Battalion are authorized to wear the Fourragère of the Croix de Guerre.[11]
|
Casualty lists
The battalion suffered the following casualties, which are listed per battle.[27]
Killed | Wounded | Missing | |
---|---|---|---|
Verdun Sector | 1 | 9 | 0 |
Chateau–Thierry | 40 | 175 | 1 |
Soissons Sector | 17 | 75 | 3 |
St. Mihiel Sector | 6 | 47 | 0 |
Champagne Sector | 37 | 110 | 4 |
Argonne Sector | 23 | 90 | 1 |
Marbache Sector | 0 | 2 | 0 |
TOTALS | 124 | 508 | 9 |
Commanding officers
The following officers served as commanding officer of the 6th Machine Gun Battalion:[1]
- Major Edward B. Cole: 17 August 1917 – 10 June 1918;
- Captain Harlan E. Major: 10 – 11 June 1918;
- Captain George H. Osterhout: 11 – 21 June 1918;
- Major Littleton W. T. Waller Jr.: 21 June – 24 October 1918;
- Major Matthew H. Kingman: 24 October 1918 – deactivation.
Notable members
References
- ^ Curtis & Long 1919, p. 5.
- ^ Curtis & Long 1919, p. 6.
- ^ a b Curtis & Long 1919, p. 7.
- ^ Curtis & Long 1919, p. 8.
- ^ Clark 1999, pp. 433–444.
- ^ Curtis & Long 1919, pp. 9–11.
- ^ Curtis & Long 1919, p. 9.
- ^ Clark 2010, p. 118.
- ^ Curtis & Long 1919, pp. 13–18.
- ^ a b Clark 1999, pp. 205–207.
- ^ a b Curtis & Long 1919, pp. 25–28.
- ^ Curtis & Long 1919, pp. 32–34.
- ^ Curtis & Long 1919, p. 34.
- ^ Curtis & Long 1919, pp. 34–38.
- ^ Curtis & Long 1919, p. 38.
- ^ Curtis & Long 1919, pp. 40–41.
- ^ Curtis & Long 1919, p. 41.
- ^ Clark 1999, pp. 288–337.
- ^ Curtis & Long 1919, pp. 41–44.
- ^ Curtis & Long 1919, pp. 51–55.
- ^ Clark 1999, p. 383.
- ^ a b Clark 1999, p. 387.
- ^ Clark 1999, p. 388.
- ^ "578.54 World War I Victory Medal". U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved 16 March 2012.
- ^ "578.53 Army of Occupation of Germany Medal". U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved 16 March 2012.
- ^ Curtis & Long 1919, pp. 107–110.
- Bibliography
- Clark, George B. (2010). Battle History of the United States Marine Corps, 1775–1945. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-4598-1.
- Clark, George B. (1999). Devil Dogs: Fighting Marines of World War I. Novato, CA: Presidio Press. ISBN 0-89141-653-6.
- Curtis, T. J.; Long, Lothar R. (1919). History of the Sixth Machine Gun Battalion, Fourth Brigade, U.S. Marines, Second Division and Its Participation in the Great War. Germany: Neuweid on the Rhine. OCLC 11237160.
External links
- Omanson, B.J. "History & Lore of the 6th Machine Gun Battalion". Monongahela Books. Retrieved 20 February 2012.