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

Without this knowledge, the units that would become known as the Lost Battalion moved beyond the rest of the Allied line and found themselves surrounded by German forces.

For the next six days, suffering heavy losses, the men of the Lost Battalion and the American units desperate to relieve them would fight an intense battle in the Argonne Forest.

Attempts to resupply the battalion by airdrop failed, with all the supplies going off target, either getting lost in the woods or falling into German hands.

As every runner dispatched by Whittlesey either became lost or ran into German patrols, carrier pigeons became the only method of communicating with headquarters.

In an infamous incident on 4 October, inaccurate coordinates were delivered by one of the pigeons and the unit was subjected to friendly fire.

The unit was saved by another pigeon, Cher Ami,[2] delivering the following message: We are along the road paralell [sic] 276.4. our artillery is dropping a barrage directly on us.

[4] Most of the enlisted men were recent immigrants or were poor working class from the streets of New York City fighting from a young age for food.

Charles Whittlesey, an East Coast lawyer, was assigned as a battalion commander in the 77th upon completion of his officer's training.

All of these companies belonged to the 154th Infantry Brigade of the 77th Division and with a strength of approximately 545 men was a battalion-sized force.

The next battle line, which was about 1 mile (2 km) in depth, had turned back all omm Allied attacks over the last four years.

The Germans also placed barbed wire at the bottom of rivers and small streams to prevent any troop movement across these areas.

Whoever gives such a command is a traitor and it is the duty of any officer or man who is loyal to his country and who hears such an order given to shoot the offender upon the spot.

The securing of the mill was imperative to seize control of the road and a rail line that ran parallel to the north of it.

At around this same moment the French experienced a massive counterattack by the Germans and were forced to fall back, exposing the left flank of the 308th.

The hill sloped steeply from the front of the pocket, making it difficult for Germans to bomb the battalion from that direction.

Holderman tried to lead an assault out through the back of the pocket, but failed to break out, incurring heavy casualties in the process.

"A shell exploded directly below the bird, killing five of our men and stunning the pigeon so that it fluttered to the ground midway between the spring...and the bridge we crossed to get into the Pocket.

"[citation needed] The pigeon managed to take flight again and despite being severely wounded, successfully delivered the message: "We are along the road parallel to 276.4.

The pigeon was tended to by army medics, and was considered a hero of the 77th Division for helping to save the lives of the 194 survivors.

The same memoir states that Whittlesey wrote in his official Operations Report in capital letters, "No reply to the demand to surrender seemed necessary.

"[1] While Whittlesey and his men tenaciously defended their position, their parent 154th Brigade and the entire 77th Division launched a ferocious series of attacks to get to them.

Meanwhile, Pershing ordered Liggett reinforced by the 1st Infantry Division "The Big Red One" which had received some replacements and some rest after St Mihiel.

(p343)[clarification needed] The Germans also sent an elite battalion of "Stormtroopers" reinforced with flamethrowers to aid the infantry attacking Whittlesey.

The powerful American attacks started to push the Germans back and the 77th Division began trying to infiltrate troops into the pocket.

Private Abraham Krotoshinsky undertook this mission and skillfully left the pocket by a circuitous route to the north which ultimately led to an infiltrating company of the 307th Infantry.

Krotoshinsky acted as a guide to lead this group to help rescue the trapped company and establish a route for further fresh troops to come into the pocket.

Former Major League Baseball player, and Captain in the 77th Division, Eddie Grant, was killed in one of the subsequent missions in search of the battalion.

Brigadier General Billy Mitchell wrote after the rescue that the Germans had managed to prevent supplies being air-dropped to the battalion.

[16] Swedish power metal band Sabaton wrote the song "The Lost Battalion" for their 2016 album The Last Stand.