The 6th Machine Gun Battalion was a

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions ...

of the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through c ...

which served during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

. Along with the

5th Fifth is the ordinal form of the number five. Fifth or The Fifth may refer to: * Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as in the expression "pleading the Fifth" * Fifth column, a political term * Fifth disease, a contagious rash tha ...

and

6th Marine Regiment The 6th Marine Regiment (also referred to as "6th Marines") is an infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The regiment falls under the command of the 2nd Marine Division of the ...

s, the battalion was part of the 4th Marine Brigade. After being formed in 1917, the battalion supported the Marine regiments by detaching

machine gun A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifles ...

companies A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of people, whether natural, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specific, declared go ...

to operate with the regimental battalions along the

Western Front Western Front or West Front may refer to: Military frontiers * Western Front (World War I), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (World War II), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (Russian Empire), a maj ...

and to provide

fire support Fire support is defined by the United States Department of Defense as " Fires that directly support land, maritime, amphibious, and special operations forces to engage enemy forces, combat formations, and facilities in pursuit of tactical and ope ...

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

1st Machine Gun Battalion USMC Quantico VA Sept 1917

The 6th Machine Gun Battalion was formed as the 1st Machine Gun Battalion on 17 August 1917 at

Marine Corps Base Quantico Marine Corps Base Quantico (commonly abbreviated MCB Quantico) is a United States Marine Corps installation located near Triangle, Virginia, covering nearly of southern Prince William County, Virginia, northern Stafford County, and southeas ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

, under the command of Major Edward B. Cole. When the battalion was formed, it consisted of the Headquarters, 77th, and 81st Companies. Provision was made to add two more companies at a later date. Each company (excluding the HQ) was issued 16 Lewis Guns and 33 hand carts apiece.. Between 27 August 1917 and 7 December 1917, the battalion undertook extensive training at Quantico which included weapon familiarization, pillbox construction, fire discipline and trench warfare doctrine. In addition, the 12th and 20th Companies and an Aviation Detachment were also attached to the battalion at this time and it was re-designated as a "provisional battalion". On 14 December 1917, the battalion embarked on the USS ''DeKalb'' and set sail for

St. Nazaire Saint-Nazaire (; ; Gallo: ''Saint-Nazère/Saint-Nazaer'') is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France, in traditional Brittany. The town has a major harbour on the right bank of the Loire estuary, near the Atlantic Oce ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

Arrival in France

The USS ''DeKalb'' arrived at St. Nazaire on 28 December 1917. The unit then moved to the Bourmount Training Area at

Haute-Marne Haute-Marne (; English: Upper Marne) is a department in the Grand Est region of Northeastern France. Named after the river Marne, its prefecture is Chaumont. In 2019, it had a population of 172,512.Hotchkiss M1914 Machine Guns. Around this time the 12th and 20th Companies were detached from the battalion and sent to the 5th Marine Regiment.. 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. After two months of intense training,. 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..

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.. 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:.. * 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 covering and harassing fire during both defensive and offensive operations. They also assisted the 5th and 6th Marine Regiments in their respective drives through Belleau Wood.. On 10 June, the battalion's commanding officer, Major Cole, was mortally wounded and command temporarily passed to Captain Harlan E. Major. Captain George H. Osterhout took over on 11 June; however, he remained in command only until 21 June, when Major Littleton Waller officially took over. The aggressiveness of the men of the 4th Marine Brigade during both the offensive and defensive phases of the

Battle of Belleau Wood The Battle of Belleau Wood (1–26 June 1918) occurred during the German spring offensive in World War I, near the Marne River in France. The battle was fought between the U.S. 2nd (under the command of Major General Omar Bundy) and 3rd Divisi ...

resulted in them being held in high esteem by the Germans serving in the trenches opposite them. In recognition of 4th Marine Brigade achievements during the fighting, the woods were later renamed the "Bois de la Brigade de Marine". In addition, the legend of the

getting their nickname "

Devil Dog Devil Dog is a nickname for a United States Marine coined during World War I. History Multiple publications of the United States Marine Corps claim that the nickname "Teufel Hunden"—"Devil Dogs" in English—was bestowed upon the ...

s" came about as a result of this battle. In recognition of their many battle accomplishments, the Marines of the 5th and 6th Marine Regiments, and 6th Machine Gun Battalion were awarded the

French Croix de Guerre The ''Croix de Guerre'' (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first aw ...

three times. As a result, these units were authorized to wear the fourragère of the Croix de Guerre; it also subsequently became a part of the unit's patch. The fourragère thereafter became a part of the uniform of these units, and all members of the 5th and 6th Marine Regiments are now authorized to wear it while serving with those regiments..

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 Vierzy () is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Population See also *Communes of the Aisne department The following is a list of the 799 communes in the French department of Aisne. The communes ...

and Tigny was over..

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: * 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 Carrefour () is a French multinational retail and wholesaling corporation headquartered in Massy, France. The eighth-largest retailer in the world by revenue, it operates a chain of hypermarkets, groceries stores and convenience stores, whic ...

to Camp Bois-l'Évêque.. 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..

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 Bois may refer to: * Bois, Charente-Maritime, France * Bois, West Virginia, United States * Bois d'Arc, Texas, United States * Les Bois, Switzerland * Landskrona BoIS, a Swedish professional football club * Tranås BoIS, a Swedish sports club ...

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..

Meuse–Argonne, Champagne (Blanc Mont): 1–10 October 1918

The 6th Machine Gun Battalion was reassembled at Bois de Minorville on 16 September 1918.. On 27 September 1918, the battalion moved up to a camp just north of Suippes.. On 1 October 1918, the companies of the battalion were detached to their respective Marine regiments as follows:. * 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

Somme-Py Sommepy-Tahure () is a commune in the Marne department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a ge ...

in a night attack. After successfully making this advance, the 6th Machine Gun Battalion's companies laid down a heavy suppressing fire as both the 4th Marine Brigade and French 4th Army stormed Blanc Mont ridge.. The companies stayed in place until relieved on 10 October 1918. The battalion was then reconstituted and moved to Camp Marchand.. During its time at Marchand, command of the battalion passed to Major Matthew H. Kingman.

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

Meuse River The Meuse ( , , , ; wa, Moûze ) or Maas ( , ; li, Maos or ) is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a ...

. At this time, the companies were concentrated together and they went into battle as a formed unit. As the Germans were pushed back, the battalion advanced along with those of the 5th and 6th Marine Regiments toward the Meuse River. When the Meuse was reached at Mouzon, Ardennes, pontoon bridges were erected to make a crossing. Before they could cross the river, the

armistice An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from the ...

brought an end to the fighting..

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 The Occupation of the Rhineland from 1 December 1918 until 30 June 1930 was a consequence of the collapse of the Imperial German Army in 1918, after which Germany's provisional government was obliged to agree to the terms of the 1918 armis ...

. After marching through

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

and

Luxembourg Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...

, the brigade reached the German frontier on 25 November 1918 and subsequently crossed over into

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

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 Koblenz (; Moselle Franconian: ''Kowelenz''), spelled Coblenz before 1926, is a German city on the banks of the Rhine and the Moselle, a multi-nation tributary. Koblenz was established as a Roman military post by Drusus around 8 B.C. Its nam ...

.. On 5 July 1919, the order to transfer the Marine units to the Services of Supply branch for transport back to the United States was given. Ten days later, the last of the Marines boarded trains which took them to ports from where they would join transports that were to take them across the Atlantic. The 6th Machine Gun Battalion embarked aboard the ''Santa Paula'' and arrived in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

on 5 August 1919.. 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. The following day, 13 August 1919, the 6th Machine Gun Battalion was deactivated while at Quantico..

Awards

The 6th Machine Gun Battalion was awarded the following awards:

Casualty lists

The battalion suffered the following casualties, which are listed per battle..

Commanding officers

The following officers served as

commanding officer The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitu ...

of the 6th Machine Gun Battalion: * 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

* Victor Bleasdale * Harold D. Campbell * James F. Moriarty

References

;Bibliography * * *

External links

* {{cite web , url=http://www.monongahelabooks.com/sonsofsixth.html , author=Omanson, B.J. , title=History & Lore of the 6th Machine Gun Battalion , publisher=Monongahela Books , access-date=20 February 2012 Battalions of the United States Marine Corps Inactive units of the United States Marine Corps Military units and formations established in 1917 Military units and formations disestablished in 1919 United States Marine Corps in World War I