Devil Dog

History

Multiple publications of the United States Marine Corps claim that the nickname "Teufel Hunden"—"Devil Dogs" in English—was bestowed upon the Marines by German soldiers at the Battle of Belleau Wood in June 1918. However, on April 14, 1918, six weeks before that battle began, hundreds of U.S. newspapers ran a fanciful, unsigned wire service report that stated:

In its place the Teutons have handed the sea soldiers one with far more meaning. They call the American scrappers "teufel hunden," which, in English, means "devil dogs."}}

The American press immediately seized upon the new term, and it was quickly used on a Marine Corps recruiting poster by Charles Buckles Falls in July 1918, showing an American bulldog chasing a German dachshund wearing a pickelhaube.

The veracity of the German origin of the term, however, was questioned as early as 1921 when journalist H. L. Mencken wrote that the term was the invention of an American war correspondent. In 2016, Robert V. Aquilina of the United States Marine Corps History Division stated that the term was likely first used by the Marines themselves and that there is no evidence of German use or origin of the term. Similarly, Patrick Mooney of the National Museum of the Marine Corps wrote that "We have no proof that it came from German troops...There is no written document in German that says that the Marines are Devil Dogs or any correct spelling or language component of 'Devil Dog' in German." Further, when asked about the term by Stars and Stripes, Lt. Col. Heiner Bröckermann of the German Military History Research Institute said that he had "never heard anyone using the word 'Teufelshund' or 'Teufelshunde' in Germany." Nevertheless, "Devil Dog" has become firmly entrenched in the lore of the United States Marine Corps.

Notes

References

References

1. Simmons, Edwin H.. (2018). "The Legacy of Belleau Wood: 100 Years of Making Marines and Winning Battles". Marine Corps History Division.
2. Wright, Evan. (2004). "Generation Kill: Devil Dogs, Iceman, Captain America, and the New Face of American War". G. P. Putnam's Sons.
3. "German Myth 13: Teufelshunde – Devil Dogs and the Marines". Dotdash.
4. United States Marine Corps. (2010). "U.S. Marine Guidebook". Skyhorse.
5. "6th Marine Regiment > Units > 1st Battalion > History". United States Marine Corps.
6. {{cite letter. Robert B.. Neller. (2018-11-10). link
7. Price, Will. (2006-05-28). "Remembering the Battle of Belleau Wood". United States Marine Corps.
8. Hanks, Nathan. (2016-11-30). "Marines Maintain Warrior Spirit Through MCMAP". United States Marine Corps.
9. (1918-04-14). "Essay in Marine Nomenclature". [[The New York Herald]].
10. (1918-04-14). "'Devil Dogs', Foe Calls Marines". [[The Detroit Free Press]].
11. (1918-04-14). "Germans Call 'em Teufel Hunden: Recruiters Report a New Nickname for Marines". [[The Boston Daily Globe]].
12. (1918-04-14). "'Devil Dogs' New Name for U.S. Marine Corps". [[The Brooklyn Daily Eagle]].
13. . (1918-05-11). ["Glass Sights"](https://www.google.com/books/edition/Shooting_and_Fishing/to4wAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA132&printsec=frontcover).
14. Sturkey, Marion F.. (2003). "Warrior Culture of the U.S. Marines". Heritage Press International.
15. . (1918-07-20). "Teufel Hund Posters at Marine Office". *[[The Bulletin (Bend)*.
16. Donald, Graeme. (2009). "Loose Cannons: 101 Myths, Mishaps and Misadventures of Military History". Osprey.
17. Mencken, H. L.. (1921). "The American Language: An Inquiry into the Development of English in the United States". Alfred A. Knopf.
18. Schehl, Matthew L.. (2016-06-14). "This photo of Gen. Neller drinking from the devil dog fountain will motivate you".
19. Schogol, Jeff. (2011-01-04). "Did Marines, not German soldiers, coin the phrase 'Devil Dogs'?". [[Stars and Stripes (newspaper).