The Lost (and Found) Battalion, who ended the Great War, by being very hard headed!

There is a curious thing that happens in wartime. It is called a focusing engagement, and usually happens by accident, and determines not only the outcome of the battle involved; but often the outcome of the entire war. When it happens, a disproportionate amount a resources are committed; usually with little thought to the larger picture. Often the ones forced from the field on one of the unplanned engagements; has lost the momentum, and often has lost the war too. There can be more than one focusing engagement, but there is Always at least one!

Here is one such engagement:

https://www.army.mil/article/13322/monument_unveils_legend_of_lost_battalion

When the USA Entered the Great War (Before we were advanced enough to begin numbering them) we were a third rate world power, and the Kaiser laughed when he heard we were coming! When we got “over there”, the French and British wanted to place our troops under their control, and basically use our troops to reinforce their weakened forces. General Pershing said NO; and demanded a section of the front! The Allies assigned the Ardene Forrest to the “Big Red One” under General Pershing; knowing that it was not passable thus far in the War. They intended to claim incompetence on the Big Red One; and use it as an excuse to split up the division for replacements.

Then they planned an attack to make Pershing look bad. The French attacked on good terrain on on side, and the British attacked on good ground on the other. We were tasked with taking a hill through the center of the impassible Ardene Forrest. The French and the British were beaten back; but the Big Red One crashed through to their target hill, and set up a perimeter to hold and wait for relief.

General Pershing was FURIOUS with our allies for their total lack of support! He ordered the Big Red One to attack and relieve these surrounded Men! Up to this time, the hostilities would cease at sundown, and the combatants would rest and eat etc; but Pershing ordered continual attacks to reach his cut off men. They called them “The Lost Battalion”; and they even made a movie of that same name.

Enter the focusing Engagement! The Germans could NOT allow a Battalion of enemy soldiers to remain in their rear, so they moved all their reserves for an entire section of the line, to attack the hill. The Lost Battalion beat them back several times, with no support! They asked the commander to surrender, and he told them to get off his hill! The Germans got mad and pulled their entire reserve, and attacked again, this time with flame throwers. The Lost Battalion drove them back down the hill, again! All the while, Pershing was coming HARD to relieve them, with everything he could bring to bear! The Big Red One drained the entire front of supplies and reserves, and then blasted through to our Lost Battalion! Less than 200 MEN remained to walk out when relieved!

In My Humble Opinion; Every one of them was at least eight feet tall!

In a few weeks, the Germans were forced due to a total lack of reserves of any kind; to sue for peace. The Lost Battalion, and the Big Red One, had broken their backs; and forced an end to the Great War, just by Being hard headed!