How many men were rescued in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in October 1918?
Lost Battalion (World War I) The Lost Battalion is the name given to nine companies of the United States 77th Division, roughly 554 men, 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 and approximately 150 missing or taken prisoner before 194 remaining men were rescued. They were led by Major Charles White Whittlesey. On 2 October, the division quickly advanced into the Argonne, under the belief that French forces were supporting the left flank and two American units including the 92nd Division were supporting the right flank. Unknown to Whittlesey's unit, the French advance had been stalled. Without this knowledge, the Americans had moved beyond the rest of the Allied line and found themselves completely cut off and surrounded by German forces. For the next six days, suffering heavy losses, the men of the division were forced to fight off several attacks by the Germans.
Archie A. Peck Archie A. Peck (November 22, 1894 – September 15, 1978) was a soldier in the United States Army who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during World War I. While serving as a private foot soldier in the US 77th Division during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, his unit ended up with several others behind German lines, in what was later known as "the Lost Battalion". This was the bloodiest battle of the war involving US troops. Peck acted gallantly in the surrounding unit, saving two wounded men under machine gun fire.