Combat· World War I
Aisne Defensive / Les Mares Farm
The Aisne Defensive was the emergency stand the Marines made as the Germans drove toward Paris in their spring push.
Before the larger fight in the nearby woods began, the 4th Marine Brigade was rushed into the line to help block the advance. At a position near Les Mares Farm, Marines dug in and held their ground against German attacks, refusing to fall back when French units around them were retreating. Holding this line helped stop the German momentum and set the stage for the brigade's better-known fighting in the same area soon after. The action showed the Marines' willingness to stand firm under pressure and is closely tied to the events that immediately followed it. It is best understood as the opening phase of the larger battle in that sector rather than a separate fight on its own.
Podcast episodes on World War I
Record no. 540