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Battle Of Hurtgen ForestBattle of Hurtgen Forest (German: Schlacht im Hrtgenwald) is name given to series of fierce battles fought between the Americans and the Germans during World War II in the Hrtgen forest (or Huertgen forest), afterwards known to both Americans and Germans simply as the Huertgenwald (Hrtgenwald). The battles took place between September 19, 1944 and February 10, 1945, in a strategically insignificant corridor of barely 50 square miles (129 km²) on the Belgian-German border. The American High Command was flush with success after the breakout at Normandy and hoped they could quickly break through and push further into Germany. Multiple divisions were sent in, only to be wrecked and replaced by still more divisions. Even with armor, air, and artillery support, all advantages held by the Americans were nullified by the forest terrain. Despite smaller numbers, the Germans were able to delay the stronger American force thanks to the difficult terrain and good defensive positions. It was the perfect battleground for an over-stretched German army. If taken quickly, the Germans could have easily flooded the entire Hrtgen Valley from the surrounding dams, delaying American advances. The Germans were heavily entrenched in the forest and inflicted heavy casualities in the longest single battle the American Army has ever fought in its history. The Germans inflicted well over 24,000 casualties on American forces during the battle. The Americans suffered an additional 9,000 casualties due to fatigue, illness, and friendly fire. Up to 12,000 German lives were also claimed. Despite this, Hrtgenwald is largely forgotten as the Battle of the Bulge, which began shortly afterwards, took its limelight away. Some of the units fighting in the Hrtgen Forest also fought at Omaha Beach and they said that the Hrtgen was a much bloodier fight than Omaha beach. Ernest Hemingway described the battle as "Passchendaele with tree bursts"1 which is an appropriate epitaph. Notes - Tree bursts is a technique of using artillery shells that burst in the treetops causing hot metal shrapnel and wood fragments to rain down. Since American soldiers had been trained to fall prone upon artillery fire this technique proved particulary deadly until American G.I.s learned instead to "hug-a-tree" during bombardment.
References - The Battle of Hurtgen Forest by Charles Whiting, 274 pp. (Orion Books, New York, 1989; Volume 4 in "The West Wall Series", Combined Publishing, 2000)
- A Dark and Bloody Ground: The Hurtgen Forest and the Roer River Dams, 1944-1945 by Edward G. Miller, in the "Military History Series" Volume 39. Texas A&M University Press. 250 pp.
- The Bloody Forest: Battle for Hurtgen September 1944 - January 1945 by Gerald Astor, 379 pp. (Presidio Press, 2000)
External links Hurtgen Forest
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