A Brutal Arctic Standoff
On January 19, 1919, at 45 degrees below zero, Lieutenant Harry Mead’s 47-man platoon faced the Bolshevik Red Army near Ust Padenga, Russia. Artillery and relentless attacks forced them to retreat through snow-covered villages. By the day’s end, 25 soldiers were dead, and 15 injured. The attack marked one of the deadliest days for the 339th U.S. Army regiment, also known as the Polar Bear Expedition.
A Mission Without Clarity
In 1918, President Woodrow Wilson sent 13,000 American troops to Russia during the chaotic Russian Civil War. The mission aimed to guard Allied arms caches, assist anti-Bolshevik forces, and reopen the Eastern Front after Russia exited World War I. Ambiguous goals left troops in a complex web of alliances and conflicts.
A Forgotten Campaign
The Polar Bears, mostly Michigan men, endured bitter cold and constant skirmishes under British command. Meanwhile, U.S. troops in Siberia faced shifting threats, including hostile White Russian forces backed by Japan. By 1920, the missions failed to achieve lasting objectives. Over 400 American soldiers lost their lives.
In January 1919, American troops found themselves locked in a little-known chapter of U.S. military history—the Polar Bear Expedition. Sent to Russia during its brutal civil war, they faced freezing temperatures, unclear objectives, and relentless Bolshevik attacks, asking: why… pic.twitter.com/jXKiSoT8hh
— Detective Tiger's Stories (@TigerDetective) January 3, 2025