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Battle of Hurtgen Forest (German: Schlacht im Hürtgenwald) is name given to series of fierce battles fought between the Americans and the Germans during World War II in the Hürtgen forest (or Huertgen forest), afterwards known to both Americans and Germans simply as the Huertgenwald (Hürtgenwald). 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 Hürtgen Valley from the surrounding dams, delaying American advances. The Germans were heavily entrenched in the forest and inflicted heavy casualities in the longest 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, Hürtgenwald is largely forgotten as the Battle of the Bulge took its limelight away.
Some of the troops fighting in the Hürtgen Forest also fought at Omaha Beach and they said that the Hürtgen was a much bloodier fight than Omaha beach. Ernest Hemingway described the battle as "Passchendaele with tree bursts" which is an appropriate epitaph.
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.
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