A Lost Battalion

Advancing through the Foret Dominiale De Champ, the 1st Battalion of the 141st Regiment were cut off on a forested hilltop overlooking La Houssiere. Destruction of an entire American Battalion would be a major propaganda coup for the Nazis, and …

1944-10-30

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Advancing through the Foret Dominiale De Champ, the 1st Battalion of the 141st Regiment were cut off on a forested hilltop overlooking La Houssiere. Destruction of an entire American Battalion would be a major propaganda coup for the Nazis, and Hitler ordered that relief attempts should be blocked. Pounded by German artillery and infantry attack from the 933rd Grenadier Regiment, they were short of water and only resupplied by air drop or supply-filled artillery shells. The Japanese Americans of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team (motto ‘Go For Broke’) led the eff ort to rescue them, and after nearly a week of the siege, Pfc Matsuji “Mutt” Sakumoto arrived at the perimeter of the defenses and asked ‘Do you guys need any cigarettes?’. The ‘Nisei’ had lost 800 men in order to rescue 211 T-Patchers.

La Houssiere, France

"The Lost Battalion" refers to theist Battalion, 14ist Infantry, which was surrounded by German forces in the Vosges Mountains on 24 October 1944.

Wikipedia: Lost Battalion (Europe, World War II)

German

American