Amerikanernest: The Lost Battalion, Argonne Forest 1918

Amerikanernest tells the true story of two men whose lives became peculiarly connected through a German mine in Washington State and an infamous World War One battle in France.At the turn of the 20th century, the German military-industrial complex understood the strategic value of tungsten ore decades before competitors. Germany established a global program to mine the ore, ship it to Essen, and use it at Krupp foundries to quintuple artillery and capital ship production for the Imperial German Army and Navy. One of these German mines was located outside Spokane Washington. The high-quality tungsten mined in Spokane had a significant impact on Imperial Germany's ability to sustain military operations between 1914 and 1918.Private William Martin from Spokane and Oberleutnant Fritz Prinz from Cassel Germany share an an improbable connection through the city of Spokane, tungsten ore mining, and the perilous Argonne Forest in France. They lived and worked within blocks of each other in Spokane between 1910 and 1914, and they later fought on opposing sides during the Great War. In 1918, they would come face-to-face on a tiny, forested battlefield the Americans called 'the pocket, ' and the Germans called 'Amerikanernest' (American Nest). The epic five-day battle and the beleaguered Lost Battalion's stubborn refusal to surrender would become US Army legend.Martin's and Prinz's wars were different, each man's journey reflecting the trials and tribulations of their nation's trajectory through the war years. Through Prinz, we witness Imperial Germany's advanced awareness of strategic war materials. Martin's experiences reflect the US Army's chaotic growth and rush to get millions of Doughboys to France in the war's closing months. Martin's journey draws attention to US gaps in military and geopolitical spheres, indicative of a nation that was not yet fully developed as a 20th-century Great Power. Other enlisted Doughboys besides Martin, who are not usually the focus of Lost Battalion research, play prominent roles. Notably, Private Sigurd Lima from Gjesdal, Norway; Sergeant Michael Greally from Longford, Ireland; Corporal James Dolan from Leitrim, Ireland; Private Gustave Dahlgren from Dalsland, Sweden; and Private Oscar Potter from Cheney, Washington all play essential roles. Their narratives add critical insight into the nature of the American Expeditionary Force.Amerikanernest recollects the service and sacrifice of actual Great War soldiers, till now mostly obscured by time. The work also builds the context for viewing the war through the lens of national strategy, Germany's race for strategic materials to sustain a long war, and American's race to build an Army from the ground up.★★★★★★★★★