Devil Dogs: Fighting Marines of World War I. . - Net Assessment - book review

Aerospace Power Journal, Summer, 2002 by Rick A. Capt. Spyker

Devil Dogs: Fighting Marines of World War I by George B. Clark. Presidio Press (http://www.presidiopress.com), P.O. Box 1764, Novato, California 94948, 1999, 463 pages, $24.95.

George Clark's Devil Dogs provides a thorough retelling of the role of the Marine Corps in the Great War. The author, a military historian and former marine, begins with a concise description of events leading up to American involvement in the war and the Marines' effort to live up to the motto First to Fight. Maj Gen George Barnett, commandant, led the corps in a crash expansion program, establishing new training centers at Paris Island, South Carolina (the spelling officially changed to "Parris" in 1919), and the village of Quantico, Virginia. By June 1917, the first unit--the 5th Marine Regiment--was ready for overseas service. The core of the 4th Marine Brigade, this regiment served with distinction throughout the war.

At first, Army leadership opposed active participation by the corps in the growing American Expeditionary Force (AEF). Gen John J. Pershing, AEF commander, and other AEF officers feared that the Marine Corps would be unable to provide resupply or replacements as it suffered losses in battle. Pershing grudgingly accepted the corps on the condition that it be aligned with Army units. Thus, the 4th Brigade was assigned as one of three infantry brigades in the Army's 2d Infantry Division, which went into battle in June 1918 at Verdun, France. Although considered a relatively quiet zone, Verdun was the scene of some hard fighting for the soldiers and marines of the 2d Division. The infusion of fresh American troops on the front lines had an immediate and telling impact on the resolve of their German opponents. American marksmanship, far superior to that of the war-weary French troops, had an especially demoralizing effect on the "Boche." One German soldier, found dead in the fortifications facing the Americans, la mented in an unposted letter, "The Americans are savages. They kill everything that moves."

The author goes on to describe the Battle of Belleau Wood, perhaps the best-known Marine Corps action prior to World War II, devoting a full 145 pages to this epic confrontation. Although I commend Clark's attention to detail, his insistence on documenting minor unit actions (often at the platoon and squadron levels) sometimes makes it difficult to follow the overall flow of the battle. Maps complement the narrative, but the book could use more of them, with more details.

The author then follows the 4th Brigade through the battles of Soissons and Blanc Mont, the Saint-Mihiel offensive, the Meuse River campaign, and occupation duty in defeated Germany. An illuminating final chapter provides valuable information on the "other" marines (not in the 4th Brigade) who served in France during World War I. Here Clark briefly describes the activities of Marine aviators, women marines, and marines who served directly with the US Army in staff and command positions. He also examines the experiences of the 5th Marine Brigade, which arrived in France in September 1918--too late to see combat.

Making extensive use of unit histories, as well as letters and diaries of the marines and soldiers involved, Clark paints a nuanced picture of life (and death) on a World War I battlefield. Indeed, he is at his best in recounting the daily brutality of combat in the trenches and no-man's-lands. Although some details may be lost by the time the reader turns the final page, in the end the payoff makes the effort worthwhile. An outstanding read, well organized and thorough, Devil Dogs is an important and essential contribution to military history.