The Harlem Hellfighters
The American regiment which had to fight more than just the German Army
The First World War produced many famous moments and examples of bravery in the face of untold suffering and insanity. Whilst many soldiers left as heroes and returned adored, a certain division of African American troops were not given such respect.
The 15th New York regiment came to be known as the Harlem Hellfighters for their tough fighting ability. Their story started back in 1913, but they weren’t officially formed up until 1916. By the end of the year, the regiment had recruited famed black musician and composer James Reese Europe- an influential jazz musician based in the city.
This helped with widespread recruitment, and the regiment soon swelled in numbers with soldiers joining from across the city- but many coming from Harlem and Manhattan. When USA entered the First World War, the regiment went down to South Carolina to train.
The fact they would soon head overseas did not make them immune to horrendous racial abuse- the Jim Crow Laws were of course still fully operational at this early stage of the 20th century. Led by William Hayward, a white attorney and former Nebraska National Guard colonel, the regiment arrived in France in December 1917.
However, for the first few months of their time on the Western Front, the 15th were assigned labour work which included constructing trenches and carrying out repairs. It was not until April 1918 that the regiment would see action- but they wouldn’t do so alongside fellow American soldiers. They would fight alongside the French.
Upon arrival in France the leader of US forces John Pershing had insisted American troops not be broken up and distributed to French and British units. This mentality didn’t, apparently, extend to the 369th infantry (the new name of the 15th New York) as these were sent to fight with the French. It is widely understood that racial prejudice from white American troops also played a part.
The French soldiers saw the regiment as fellow soldiers, less concerned about the colour of their skin. The Hellfighters were fully integrated with their European comrades and welcomed with open arms.
Once they did get into the front line of the Western Front, the New Yorkers would see over 190 days of combat- more than any other US regiment in the war. It was once they got to the trenches that they started to earn their fierce reputation and their nickname of ‘Hellfighters’ was born. The Germans called them Höllenkämpfer’ which is their native word for ‘Hellfighter’.
Through the spring, summer and autumn of 1918, the Hellfighters saw action in some of the war’s most infamous battles. They saw action at Second Battle of the Marne, Belleau Wood, Chateau-Thierry and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive- during this last battle the regiment suffered heavy casualties. After they were removed from the frontline, the whole regiment received the French Croix de Guerre for courage and valour.
Soldiers of the regiment were a major part of the Allied offensive towards the end of the war, and they were the first unit to reach the banks of the River Rhine as the Germans were pushed back.
The Harlem Hellfighters volunteered to go and fight a war for a country which wouldn’t even let them fight alongside their countrymen. They fought the longest out of all the American soldiers and 1300 of them never returned home.
Those who did return home were given a heroes welcome with a parade down 5th avenue, but the feeling of respect soon melted away. The USA continued to be plagued by segregation and racial discrimination. The Hellfighters went away to fight and die for a country which viewed them as lesser than their white comrades- something which would be repeated in the wars to come.
