In October 1918,
Major Charles Whittlesey is ordered by
Major General Robert Alexander to lead roughly 550 soldiers of the
United States Army's
77th Infantry Division into the
Argonne forest to repel a
German advance. Alexander has little faith in Whittlesey, whom he considers an "overeducated New York lawyer". Alexander considers Whittlesey's men, largely immigrants and poor
working class men from the
Lower East Side of
New York City, to be "
acceptable losses". Whittlesey's officers include
Captain George McMurty, a veteran of the
Rough Riders, and James Leak, an inexperienced lieutenant from
Texas. Whittlesey's battalion fights through the German line, expecting to join American and
French forces on their flanks and unaware they've been forced back, leaving the battalion surrounded. Riflemen commanded by
Captain Nelson Holderman join them and none of the runners sent to contact headquarters return. Whittlesey uses
carrier pigeons to communicate with Alexander, who orders the battalion to push on despite their insecure flanks. American artillery kills several men via
friendly fire before Whittlesey is able to contact headquarters by
pigeon to request they cease fire. The barrage lifts and the Germans attack the disoriented Americans who repel them in fierce
close-quarters combat. The Americans hold the line through several days of counter-attacks despite severe shortages, forcing them to reuse medical supplies and forage food from dead soldiers. The Germans
capture Lieutenant Leak and a wounded soldier, and use them to negotiate Whittlesey's surrender. Leak receives good treatment from an English-speaking German officer who tries to convince him there is no shame in
surrender. Leak assures the German his New York
gangsters will never give up. The other American captive takes Whittlesey a message from the Germans urging surrender to save lives. Whittlesey responds by throwing the
white flag back towards the Germans. An American airplane flies over their position and the men of the 77th try to get the pilot's attention as the Germans begin firing. The pilot is mortally wounded, but pinpoints the location on his map and returns to the airfield. After six days, reinforcements finally arrive at the American lines and the Germans retreat five days later. Major General Alexander arrives to congratulate Whittlesey who is furious about the debacle. Alexander reveals that the battalion's stand enabled American forces to break through the entire German line. Whittlesey refuses Alexander's offers to return to headquarters in his car, opting to stay with his men. Only 197 of the 550 American troops survived the battle. World War I ends just three weeks later. Whittlesey is awarded the
Medal of Honor for his actions, and the "
Lost Battalion" gains iconic status. ==Cast==