See If You Can Guess the Date of These Headlines from the Seattle Daily Times

Help Bar Deadly Influenza from Seattle

CHURCHES, SCHOOLS CLOSED

Epidemic Puts Ban on All Public Assemblies

Seattle to Make Fight on the Disease

Police Ordered to Close Public Places

Guess the Date of These Headlines.

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Here's some more front page headlines to give you a clue:


Only One-Half of City's Quota for Loan Subscribed

Blast Shatters Dozens of Towns in New Jersey

New Wage Scale in Shipyards to Run from August 1

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These might help even some more:

Americans and French Smash Foe

U.S. Troops Smash Huns in Argonne

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The date of the newspaper is October 5, 1918.  The so-called Spanish Flu Pandemic was going on as well as World War I.  Today we have the COVID-19 Pandemic and Black Lives Matter.

--Cooter

WW I Ending-- Part 4: Collapse of Austria Hungary, Armistice With Turkey and Mutiny in Germany

OCTOBER 24, 1918

In Italy, Allies crush the Austrian-Hungarian Army which has 30,000 killed and 400,000 captured.

OCTOBER 29, 1918

Czechs declare independence from Austria.  Two days later Slovakia does likewise.

OCTOBER 30, 1918

Turkey signs armistice with Allies, becoming the second Central Powers member to quit the war.

NOVEMBER 1, 1918

After pausing to regroup and resupply, Allied  armies continue the attack against the Germans.  U.S. armies advance on the Meuse River.

NOVEMBER 3, 1918

Mutiny strikes the German Navy at the ports of Kiel and Wilhelnshaven as sailors refuse to put to sea for one final battle with the British Navy.  Uprisings begin in German cities and there is a fear that this could turn into a Bolshevik uprising both with the German government and Allies.  This causes a real sense of urgency to the armistice negotiations.

--Cooter

Another WW I Hero Pigeon, President Wilson-- Part 2

President Wilson was born in France and first assigned to the U.S. Army's newly-formed Tank Corps, delivering messages to tank battalions commanded by Col. George S. Patton in the Battle of Saint-Mihiel.

Soon afterwards, the pigeon was assigned to an infantry unit operating  near Grandpre during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in 1918.

On the morning of October 5, his unit came under fire and Wilson was dispatched with a message that the unit needed artillery support.  During his 25-mile flight to headquarters, German soldiers spotted him and  began firing.  Wilson was hit several times, losing a leg and getting a wound in the chest, but he managed to deliver the message in a record 25 minutes.

He survived his wounds and was retired and sent to the U.S. Army Signal Corps Breeding and Training Center at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, where he would live another eleven years.

--Cootgeon

Cher Ami the Pigeon-- Part 2: Made It To Headquarters

Cher Ami was dispatched with a note written on onion paper, in a canister on her left leg which read:  "We are along the road parallel to 276.4.  Our own artillery is dropping a barrage directly upon us.  For heavens sake stop it."

As Cher Ami tried to fly back home, the Germans saw her rising and  opened fire on her.  After several seconds she was shot down, but was able to rise again and take flight.  She arrived back at her loft at division headquarters 25 miles to the rear in just 25 minutes.  This helped save lives in the Lost Battalion.

She had been shot through the breast, blinded in one eye and had a leg hanging only by a tendon.

--Cooter

The Lost Battalion's Cher Ami-- Part 1: A Very Famous Pigeon

Back on October 6, I mentioned this pigeon saving the men of the Lost Battalion at one point.

From Wikipedia.

Cher Ami is French for "dear friend" in the masculine. who had been donated by pigeon fanciers in Britain to the U.S. Army Signal Corps for use in France.  She is most famous for delivering a message from an encircled battalion despite receiving serious injuries during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in 1918.

On Oct. 3, Major Whittlesey and his battalion (later known as "The Lost Battalion") were trapped and surrounded by German troops.  He sent runners out to alert Allies of his predicament, but every one of them was captured.  Then, he started calling for help via pigeons which he had along with him.

The first two pigeons were shot down and the third got through, but had the wrong coordinates of the battalion which caused the Allies to open a bombardment on them.

This is when Cher Ami flew her famous mission.

--Cooter

Charles Whittlesey and the "Lost Battalion"-- Part 2: A Plea For A Surrender From the Germans

Charles Whittlesey commanded a battalion of troops numbering 554.  Supporting units on their flanks  failed to keep up and these men found themselves surrounded by Germans.  The following days were perilous for Whittlesey and his men, who were called the "Lost Battalion" by journalists.

Without food or water, they were assaulted time and again by the Germans.

On October 7, the German commander sent a message written in English by way of a blindfolded American they had captured.  It read:

"The suffering of your wounded men can be heard over here in the German lines, and we are appealing to your humane sentiments to stop.   A white flag shown by one of your men will tell us that you agree with these conditions.  Please treat Private Lowell  R. Hollingshead [the bearer]  as an honorable man.  He is quite a soldier.  We envy you.

The German commanding officer."

--Cooter

Major Charles White Whittlesey, Cmdr. of the "Lost Batallion"-- Part 1

From Wikipedia.

Jan. 20, 1884--  Presumed dead Nov. 26, 1921.

United States Army officer and recipient of the Medal of Honor.  Led the "Lost Battalion" during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in World War I.

Born in Florence, Wisconsin.  Grew up in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.  Law degree from Harvard Law School.  Established a law firm.

One month after the U.S. entered World War I, he took leave from his partnership and entered the Army as a captain in the 308th Infantry Regiment.  Promoted to major by September 1917.

On the morning of October 2, 1918, his division, the 77th, ordered to move forward against heavily fortified German lines as part of the massive Meuse-Argonne Offensive.

--Cooter

WW I October 8, 1918: Sergeant York's Accomplishment

From the April 2017 VFW Magazine.

This date 100 years ago.

OCTOBER 8, 1918

Sergeant Alvin York, of G Company, 328th Infantry Regiment, 82nd Division, is responsible for the deaths of nine of the 25 Germans killed and captures 132 more single-handedly in the Argonne Forest.

He becomes a huge American hero.

--Cooter

WW I's "Lost Battalion"-- Part 2: Became Surrounded By German Troops

On 2 October 1918, they launched an attack into the Argonne under belief that French forces were supporting their left flank and two American units were on their right.  Units of the 77th, including Whittlesey's 1-308th were making significant headway.

Unknown to them, the units on either flank had gotten stalled.  They men who would become known as the "Lost Battalion" continued and soon found themselves surrounded by German troops.

Over the next six days, they and the Allied troops trying to get to them would fight a horrific battle in the Argonne.

There were heavy losses all around.

World War I's "Lost Battalion"-- Part 1: A Really Bad Situation

Yesterday I posted about "The Lost Battalion" and what happened to it 100 years ago.

From Wikipedia.

"The Lost Battalion" is the name given to nine companies of the United States' 77th Division, roughly 554 men, who became isolated by German forces during World War I after an American attack in the Argonne Forest in October 1918.

Roughly 197 were killed in action, another 150 missing and 194 finally rescued.

They were led by Major Charles White Whittlessey, who was given the Medal of Honor for his actions.

--Cooter

WW I Sep. 26-Nov.11: Meuse-Argonne Offensive

SEPTEMBER 26-NOVEMBER 11, 1918

THE MEUSE-ARGONNE OFFENSIVE

Up until then, the largest U.S. field army (1st and 2nd Armies)  ever assembled -- more than 1.2 million men in 23 divisions (or elements of).

The first phase of the offensive ended October 3; Phase 2 October 30.  The final phase was the first eleven days of November.

Sedan is captured.

U.S. casualties:  26,277 KIA and 95,786 WIA in 47 days.

Th End Is Near.  --Cooter

The Rainbow Division-- Part 3: World War I

In 1918, the Rainbow Division participated in four major operations:  Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, Battle of Saint Mihel and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.

In total, the division saw 264 days of combat in France.

During this time, they suffered 14,683 casualties:  2,058 killed in action and 12,625 wounded in action.

Commanders included Major General W.A. Mann, Brigadier general Charles T. Menoher, Major General Charles D. Rhodes and Brigadier General Douglas MacArthur.

--Cooter