Chapter XVIII.

CASUALTIES.


During the period of the World War the Marine Corps personnel suffered casualties in actual battle in France with the American Expeditionary Forces (Second Division and Aviation); in Aviation while operating as part of the naval service in France; and in the West Indies in operations against the bandits of Santo Domingo.

MARINE CORPS CASUALTIES.

Marine Corps deaths in the American Expeditionary Forces, as obtained from Marine Corps records on January 14, 1920, are divided as follows:

Character. Officers. Enlisted
men.
Total.
Killed in action 45 1,420 1,465
Died of wounds received in action 30 961 991
Died of accident 3 24 27
Died of disease 14 255 269
Other causes 1 11 12
Total 93 2,671 2,764

The following is a summary of the casualties sustained by the Fourth Brigade of Marines from March 15 to November 11, 1918, as published in General Orders, No. 66, Second Division, American Expeditionary Forces, dated July 2, 1919:

Fourth Brigade casualties.

(Part 1 of 2) Off. = Officers.

Killed. Died of
wounds.
Missing. Wounded
severely.
Off. Men. Off. Men. Off. Men. Off. Men.
Toulon sector (Verdun),
Mar. 15–May 13
.. 12 2 44 .. .. .. 16
Aisne defensive and
Chateau-Thierry sector,
May 31–July 9, 1918
25 724 9 304 .. 33 3 322
Aisne-Marne offensive,
July 18–25, 1918
10 156 5 104 .. 66 9 250
Marbache sector,
Aug. 9–22
.. 1 .. 1 .. .. .. 2
St. Mihiel offensive,
Sept. 12–Sept. 16
3 57 .. 86 .. 11 3 124
Meuse-Argonne (Champagne),
Oct. 1–Oct. 10
9 320 8 155 .. 31 23 380
Meuse-Argonne offensive,
Nov. 1–11
8 189 1 59 .. 20 7 222
Total 55 1,459 25 753 .. 161 45 1,316

(Part 2 of 2) Off. = Officers. undet’d. = undetermined.

Wounded,
slightly.
Wounded,
degree
undet’d.
Gassed. Total.
Off. Men. Off. Men. Off. Men. Off. Men.
Toulon sector (Verdun),
Mar. 15–May 13
6 46 .. 89 4 287 12 494
Aisne defensive and
Chateau-Thierry sector,
May 31–July 9, 1918
20 656 46 2,123 9 436 112 4,598
Aisne-Marne offensive,
July 18–25, 1918
20 489 30 911 2 39 76 2,015
Marbache sector,
Aug. 9–22
.. 8 .. 3 .. .. .. 15
St. Mihiel offensive,
Sept. 12–Sept. 16
6 334 4 287 .. 4 16 903
Meuse-Argonne (Champagne),
Oct. 1–Oct. 10
43 862 6 480 6 141 95 2,369
Meuse-Argonne offensive,
Nov. 1–11
20 467 6 206 3 55 45 1,218
Total 115 2,862 92 4,099 24 962 356 11,612

AVIATION CASUALTIES.

The following table shows the casualties sustained by the Marine Aviation forces between April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1918:

Character. Officers. Enlisted
men.
Total.
Killed in action 2 .. 2
Died of wounds received in action 1 .. 1
Died of accident 6 6 12
Died of disease 1 25 26
Died of other causes 1 .. 1
Wounded in action 2 3 5
Total 13 34 47

TOTAL MARINE CORPS DEATHS.

From April 6, 1917, to September 10, 1919, 131 officers and 3,489 enlisted men died, a total of 3,620 Marine Corps deaths from all causes.

CASUALTIES IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC.

During the period between April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1918, one officer was wounded in action, four enlisted men were killed in action, and thirteen wounded in action, in the Dominican Republic in operations against bandits.

LOST ON THE CYCLOPS.

Two Marines died when the Cyclops was lost at sea.

CASUALTIES OF NAVAL PERSONNEL.

Of the 60 naval medical officers, 12 naval dental officers, and 500 enlisted men of the Medical Corps of the Navy serving with the Marines in the American Expeditionary Force, 1 commissioned officer, and 12 enlisted men were killed; 8 commissioned officers and 101 enlisted men were wounded or gassed.