Valor Friday

The Second Battle of Vailele is a largely forgotten battle in the largely forgotten Second Samoan Civil War. The war occurred in 1898-1899 when Great Britain and the US fought Germany over control of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific. The result of the conflict saw the US being given control over the eastern Samoan island (which is still a US territory today, American Samoa) while Germany took the western island (which is now the independent country of Samoa). Even at the time, the events of the far off Samoan war were overshadowed by the Spanish-American War (21 April-13 August 1898).

The US and Britain fought on the side of Malietoa Tanumafili I (the malietoa being roughly akin to a war chief) against the forces of Mata’afa Iosefo and his German allies. It was a proxy war in the leadup to World War I. Mata’afa Iosefo was elected King of Samoa after the dead of the former king, Malietoa Laupepa, bypassing his son Tanumafili. Thus sparking the war, which the great powers joined into.

The first battle of the war was in March 1898. By the following March, the British and Americans had sent three cruisers and a corvette (with their accompanying Marine detachments) to the small island.

The American and Brit forces landed at Apia. Occupying most of the city, the enemy forces attacked, and the naval fleet bombarded the enemy positions. This drove them back to Vailele. The combined Allied forces followed.

On 1 April, 500 Marines, 260 sailors, and 600 Samoans left Apia for a landward approach to Vailele. This was the more treacherous route, as it left them without naval gunfire support, but was probably chosen as it was the less likely path for the same reason.

The combined force was under the command of Royal Navy Lieutenant Angel Hope Freeman of HMS Tauranga, a decorated officer with combat experience in the Middle East. The American half was under command of US Navy Lieutenant Philip Lansdale. It might seem unusual today for a naval line officer to be commanding troops in ground combat, but this was somewhat common prior to World War I. As recently as the Invasion of Vera Cruz, US Navy officers led combat operations ashore, consisting of Marines and ad-hoc naval infatry from their ship’s company of sailors.

Lansdale was a 41 year-old graduate of the US Naval Academy. After his commissioning in 1881 he served in the Asiatic, North Atlantic, and with the Mediterranean and Pacific Squadrons before being made executive officer of USS Philadelphia (C-4).

As the Allied troops arrived at the plantation, the one ship of the fleet that had been bombarding the area ceased their shelling. Just then, 900 enemy Samoans spring an ambush. Another 1300 warriors (a combined force of riflemen and men armed with clubs) provided support. Many of the loyalist Samoans fled, those remaining were used to reinforce the front line.

Returning fire, the American forces erected a Colt machine gun. While they were doing that, an enemy sniper hiding in a tree shot Lieutenant Freeman and another beheaded him. Lieutenant Lansdale took command as they were taking fire from a fort to the front and the ambushing forces from both the rear and the left flank.

The machine gun, the first gas-operated machine gun to enter service, jammed after just a few shots. As Lansdale attempted to fix the gun, he was shot. The bullet ripped into his leg, shattering the bone. As he fell to the ground he sounded retreat and ordered his men to leave him and save themselves.

As the Americans retreated, this left Lansdale exposed and under heavy enemy fire. Lansdale’s friend and fellow US Navy officer, Ensign John Monaghan, grabbed a rifle and with the help of two enlisted volunteers, ran to the aid of their commander. Monaghan was a week past his 26th birthday and a fellow graduate of the Naval Academy.

Picking up the severely wounded lieutenant, the men moved back towards the relative safety of friendly lines. Along the way, one of the would-be rescuers, Seaman Norman Edsall, was shot and killed. Edsall, for his bravery, would have two Navy ships named in his honor, USS Edsall (DD-219) from 1920 to 1942 (sunk in action against the Japanese) and USS Edsall (DE-129), the lead ship of her class in service from 1943 to 1946. Edsall was 25 years old and from Kentucky.

Once more, Lansdale ordered his men to leave him and retreat. They waited for reinforcements that never came. Lansdale pleaded with his friend, “Monny, you leave me now, I cannot go any further.”

Ensign Monaghan remained. So did US Marine Private Henry Hulbert. With only the one rifle between the two officers, the three men held out to the last. After the battle, Monaghan was found dead at Lansdale’s side. He’d refused to abandon his friend right up to the very end. Only when both Monaghan and Lansdale had perished by enemy fire did Hulbert retire.

Monaghan was posthumously commended in the official record of the battle thusly;

The men were not in sufficient numbers to hold out any longer, and they were forced along by a fire which it was impossible to withstand. Ensign Monaghan did stand. He stood steadfast by his wounded superior and friend—one rifle against many, one brave man against a score of [Indigenous islanders]. He knew he was doomed. He could not yield. He died in heroic performance of duty.

This reads like a Medal of Honor citation, which Monaghan surely earned in my opinion, but Naval Service officers were ineligible for that award until 1915. The Navy Cross and other valor awards wouldn’t be created until World War I. At the time, that glowing commendation in the after actions report was the highest honor that could be afforded a naval officer.

Two ships have been named in honor of Monaghan. USS Monaghan (DD-32) was in service from 1911, served in World War I, and ended her career in 1934 after having served with the Coast Guard for her final ten years. USS Monaghan (DD-354) was in service from 1935. She was an active combatant at Pearl Harbor (ramming, depth charging, and sinking a Japanese midget sub), steamed for Wake Island before the garrison there fell, and participated in the Battle of Midway. After that, she served in the Aleutian Islands Campaign and then served escort duty throughout the Pacific.

Private Hulbert was awarded the Medal of Honor (one of two awarded for actions during the Second Samoan Civil War) for his bravery under fire.

Of the 560 American sailors and Marines at the battle, 300 were killed and another 40 were wounded. That’s more than a 60% casualty rate with more than 53% of the force dying in action.
The British lost 160 men killed out of British 260 troops engaged. Another 60 were wounded. That’s 61% KIA and almost 85% overall casualties.

Samoan Allied casualties were high as well. Up to 400 loyalist Samoans were killed and 160 wounded. While enemy Samoan casualties were about 410 killed and 240 injured out of a force of 3,000.

The war would end soon after the battle with the partitioning of the Samoan Islands. Hulbert remained in the Marines. He was much older than normal for a private, having enlisted in 1898 at the age of 31.

In 1917, Hulbert had risen the enlisted ranks to the highest level. He was a sergeant major serving on the staff of the Commandant of the Marine Corps, Major General George Barnett. Hulbert was second on the list of 20 enlisted Marines selected to become the first Marine Corps warrant officers. He was promoted to the new rank of Marine Gunner in March of that year, despite being a few months past the maximum promotion age of 50.

April 1917 saw the United States enter World War I. US Marines, as they often are, were at the forefront of our troops. When the Fifth Marine Regiment was organized in France, Gunner Hulbert volunteered immediately for overseas service. In light of his past record, this request was honored.

Hulbert was noted as being energetic, physically more than capable, and a strong source of leadership to the men, and an excellent example for the young commissioned officers he served alongside.

Gunner Hulbert, on 6 June 1918, distinguished himself in action again. He received both the Navy Cross and the Army’s Distinguished Service Cross (co-equal awards and both the second highest awards for combat gallantry of their respective services) for bravery that day. Repeatedly exposing himself to fire, he ensured the delivery of much needed supplies to beleaguered troops.

Hulbert received recommendations for commissioning from his company commander, his battalion commander, his battalion adjutant, and his regimental commander.

Hulbert’s actions also drew the attention of the American Expeditionary Force commanding general, John Pershing. General Pershing recommended Hulbert for immediate commission to the rank of captain. Hulbert was also cited with a Silver Citation Star for this time period. The Silver Citation Star became the Silver Star medal in 1932.

Hulbert was promoted to second lieutenant and soon to first lieutenant. He received another Silver Citation Star for actions during the battle Somme near Py, France from 1 to 4 October. These were the closing days of the war. As armistice negotiations were on-going, the Allies were pushing hard to get the Germans back on their side of the Rhine.

Unfortunately, it would be Lieutenant Hulbert’s final battle. He was killed in action at the Battle of Blanc Mont Ridge, a bloody conflict that saw 7,800 Allied casualties. Unfortunately, all of Hulbert’s WWI awards were conferred posthumously. At the time of his death, the Navy Department had approved, but not yet conferred, his promotion to the rank of captain.

Hulbert might be the only US serviceman to have received valor awards as an enlisted man, a warrant, and a commissioned officer.

Category: Historical, Marines, Medal of Honor, Navy, Valor, We Remember