Because the USA entered World War One relatively late, it wasn’t until June sixth, nineteen ninety eight that the USA’s army saw its first major battle in the Belleau Woods. The German army had advanced to within forty five miles of Paris, to repel this threat to the french leadership, the USA marines were given the task of attacking German defenses in the Belleau Woods. Before they could do this however, they had to cross a four mile stretch of wheat fields, in which German machine gunners and snipers had taken up defensive positions. The tactic used at the battle of Belleau called for the use of five waves of infantry, the theory was that if the first three fell on the enemy’s defenses, the fourth would make it to the enemy’s trench. Unsurprisingly, this strategy caused massive casualties and was promptly abandoned by the USA’s army Captain Thompson noted that it was, “unadapted for open warfare.” The USA death toll did however decreased when the marines reached the woods, where they engaged the German defenders in hand to hand combat. By July first, the woods were in allied hands.