The Marines secure the division's exposed left flank and continue toward the Meuse while the neighboring 80th Division fails to maintain the same pace. German forces are retreating, but machine-gun positions on the far bank still make a river crossing dangerous. Senior officers know an armistice is near and loathe spending lives in the war's final days, yet higher headquarters continues to demand attacks. Four infantry battalions cancel one planned crossing, while two Marine battalions attempt another and suffer losses widely regarded as needless. During the final eleven days, the Fourth Marine Brigade loses 277 killed and 1,263 wounded. Its total Western Front dead reach 41 officers and 1,114 enlisted men, while the brigade's advance covers sixty-one kilometers.
Notable Point · 15:41-17:27
The Marine advance reaches the Meuse at heavy cost
The Second Division presses toward the Meuse as the German position collapses, but late-war attacks still produce severe Marine casualties.