The Lost Battalion
The Lost Battalion: Film Analysis
In movie The Lost Battalion Major Charles White Wittlesey and his troops lead an attack into the Argonne Forest where they encountered severally bloody battles with the Germans, who outnumbered them and completely surrounded them. He started off with 500 men at the beginning of the campaign and by the end under 200 men were left. This movie shows the obstacles that stood in their way in order to stand their ground against German forces. These obstacles included lack of experience, food and ammunition supply, and communication. These struggles were responsible for the high number of casualties that occurred during this five day blood bath. Experience was a problem for Major Wittlesey , At the beginning of the movie he learns that he is going to need every man he can get to push through these German forces. He gains a great number of inexperienced dough boys fresh out of basic training that have never seen battle before. Having inexperienced soldier slowed down the battalion and cause more deaths than necessary. For example, in the movie Major Wittlesey had to help a soldier during mid battle reload his gun, which could of cost him his own life. Also, another scene showed a curious dough boy peering over a trench and almost getting himself killed. These inexperienced doughboys proved that they are not only a danger to themselves on the battlefield ,but they are also a danger to others. Another struggle Major Wittlesey and his men had to overcome was their lack of food and ammunition. Him and his men were expecting to be reinforced with more men and supplies after chasing the Germans into the Argonne forest. This however, was not the case and after a day or two their supplies began to run out. In order to survive they had to ration their food supply and struggle with a German sniper to obtain water from a near by stream. To obtain more ammunition and food soldiers had to search the rotting corpses of their fallen comrades.
In movie The Lost Battalion Major Charles White Wittlesey and his troops lead an attack into the Argonne Forest where they encountered severally bloody battles with the Germans, who outnumbered them and completely surrounded them. He started off with 500 men at the beginning of the campaign and by the end under 200 men were left. This movie shows the obstacles that stood in their way in order to stand their ground against German forces. These obstacles included lack of experience, food and ammunition supply, and communication. These struggles were responsible for the high number of casualties that occurred during this five day blood bath. Experience was a problem for Major Wittlesey , At the beginning of the movie he learns that he is going to need every man he can get to push through these German forces. He gains a great number of inexperienced dough boys fresh out of basic training that have never seen battle before. Having inexperienced soldier slowed down the battalion and cause more deaths than necessary. For example, in the movie Major Wittlesey had to help a soldier during mid battle reload his gun, which could of cost him his own life. Also, another scene showed a curious dough boy peering over a trench and almost getting himself killed. These inexperienced doughboys proved that they are not only a danger to themselves on the battlefield ,but they are also a danger to others. Another struggle Major Wittlesey and his men had to overcome was their lack of food and ammunition. Him and his men were expecting to be reinforced with more men and supplies after chasing the Germans into the Argonne forest. This however, was not the case and after a day or two their supplies began to run out. In order to survive they had to ration their food supply and struggle with a German sniper to obtain water from a near by stream. To obtain more ammunition and food soldiers had to search the rotting corpses of their fallen comrades.