From the battles of the Marne

The German Military Cemetery at Belleau was established in March 1922 as a concentration cemetery by the French military authorities.

8 630 German soldiers lie within its walls, a telling reminder of the cost in human life to the German Army in the fighting for the area. Casting a glance over to the left and you can see the American cemetery, within a few hundred metres, with its sweeping curve of white crosses.

Here in the German Cemetery the soldiers often lie with one headstone between four men giving an overall smaller feel than its neighbour (which actually holds only a quarter of the number of dead).

The soldiers have been brought in from smaller locations between the Chemin des Dames and the Marne.

70 of the deceased date from the 1st Battle of the Marne in September 1914, but the vast majority were killed during the 2nd Battle of the Marne in 1918 and the counter attacks by the Americans within the vicinity.

By the end of the battle in August 1918 the German army had used more than 100 divisions: firstly in their initial massive assault and afterwards in the fighting retreat to the Aisne and their original starting lines.

Of the soldiers lying here 4 308 have identified graves (22 are Unknown Soldiers - Unbekant) the remaining 4 322 (Of whom only 487 have been identified) lie in two mass graves to the rear of the cemetery.

Within view of the cemetery and often within sound of its chapel bells is the American Cemetery.

American Aisne/Marne Cemetery

For a short narrative on the fighting in and around Belleau Wood please see here

Belleau Wood