The Lost Battalion. People and poultry (6 photos) Bashny.Net

October 2, 1918 of the 77th Infantry Division of the US Army were advancing in the Argonne Forest (Operation, during which the events described occurred, called the Meuse-Argonne offensive). The emblem of the division later became the Statue of Liberty as the 77th was formed in New York City. Division official nickname "Statue of Liberty". There were also informal, but Russian readers, they will not say anything.





Moreover, she was recruited originally from Queens and Long Island, as a result of its fighters spoke several languages ​​and dialects. 77 I became the first division, formed of recruits specifically to send to France, where she was in April 1918, the seventh of 42 American divisions.
October 2 at the left flank of the advancing French units, and on the right - the US. Mixed battalion of parts 308 and 307 infantry regiments and 306 machine-gun battalion commander of the 33-year Major Charles White Uaytlisi. Uaytlisi was not a professional soldier. Until 1917 he worked as a lawyer, but joined the army when the United States entered World War II.
At first attack went without problems. Battalion broke a few kilometers of the best German line. At this time the French arrived and then departed. Uaytlisi not received reports of this and, suspecting nothing, led a battalion forward. At some point it became clear that the battalion cut off from their own and surrounded by the Germans on a group of small hills, with no food, water, and with a limited amount of ammunition.



Immediately began a fierce German counterattacks, which were repulsed. However, in the morning of October 3 554 people who went on the attack, survived a little more than 200 people, many of whom were injured. Uaytlisi started to send to their original positions connected, but none of them was able to break through the German patrols. There was only one method of communication: send reports to the pigeons. October 4th pigeon flew to the US positions and delivered a report containing the coordinates of the battalion. Erroneous coordinates. The artillery barrage began keeping, which was supposed to relieve the battalion attacks the Germans, but the shells began to fall on the US position. Uaytlisi ordered to run more pigeons, but the Germans shoot them. Finally, was launched last pigeon named Cher Ami. This pigeon was grown in Britain, the US granted signalers and trained by US army pigeon. The Germans spotted Cher Ami, began to shoot at him. Dove fell to the ground, but then took off again. For 25 minutes, he flew 25 miles and delivered to the headquarters of the division the following message:
"We are along the road, along the height of 276, 4. Our artillery firing directly at us. For God's sake, stop the fire!



The fire was stopped, but the pressure of the Germans continued. October 7 Germans sent to the defending blinded by the wound of an American soldier with a white flag and the message:
"The suffering of your wounded soldiers could be heard on the German positions. We appeal to your humane feelings, to cease them. White flag, exhibited one of your soldiers, show us that you agree with these conditions. Please consider ordinary Lowell R. Hollingshida [presenter] as a noble man. He - a real soldier. We envy you. The German commander. & Quot; Uaytlisi replied: "Go to hell" and ordered the white flag to break into strips and spread them signals for planes, just in case it is decided to provide him with the air. However, the same night the Allies drove the Germans from the hills and unlock the Lost Battalion.
197 people were killed, missing and captured 150. 194 people came out of the environment. Different sources are different numbers.



Charles White Uaytlisi was promoted to lieutenant colonel and was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Already in December 1918, he returned home and together with his deputy, Captain George S. McMurtry became one of the first three were awarded the highest order of the United States. In 1919, he and some of his former subordinates played himself in the movie "Lost Battalion»

Uaytlisi returned to his original profession and worked as a lawyer of one of the firms on Wall Street. However, it literally jerked participation in various parades and events honored. He complained to friends that are not able to bear it. In November 1921 he was one of those who carried the coffin with the remains of the Unknown Soldier. A few days later, November 26, 1921 Uaytlisi boarded a steamship company "United Fruit", which was heading to Havana.



In 23 15 he was in good spirits left the salon ship's captain, who invited a national hero for dinner. More Charlpa White Uaytlisi no one has ever seen, nor alive nor dead. His loss found only at 8 am. Judging by the fact that Uaytlisi left a detailed will, and sent letters to some friends, he committed suicide, probably throw overboard.
Pigeon Cher Ami was wounded in the chest, lost an eye and his right foot was dangling on the flap of skin. Army doctors saved the bird, but they had to amputate the leg, which replaced the wooden prosthesis.



Once life Cher Ami was out of danger, it was shipped to the United States by ship, and escorted him out of France personally General Pershing. Dove was awarded the medal of the French Military Cross with oak leaves, but not for the rescue of the Lost Battalion, and 12 messages delivered during the battle of Verdun, and the Gold Medal of the American Society of homing pigeons. June 13, 1919 pigeon died. Of its carcass to make a scarecrow, which is stored at the Smithsonian Institution.

Before World War II about Cher Ami knew literally every child in the United States, about blue composed poems and wrote books. And it immortalized on a monument Lost Battalion.