Entitled: Au bois belleau. Sketch shows an American soldier strangling a soldier at Belleau Wood battle during World War I by Lucien Jonas. The Battle of Belleau Wood occurred during the German 1918 Spring Offensive in World War I, near the Marne River in France. The battle was fought between the U.S. Second and Third Divisions and an assortment of German units including elements from the 237th, 10th, 197th, 87th, and 28th Divisions. The battle has become a deep part of the lore of the United States Marine Corps. The woods were attacked by the Marines a total of six times before they could successfully expel the Germans. They fought off parts of five divisions of Germans, often reduced to using only their bayonets or fists in hand-to-hand combat. U.S. forces suffered 9,777 casualties, included 1,811 killed. There is no clear information on the number of Germans killed, although 1,600 Germans were taken prisoner