Stand Fast

As the Americans advanced across the plains of Germany, the badly outnumbered Germans could not hope to hold a continuous line. Rather than expose themselves, the Wehrmacht troops turned each town or clump of buildings into a small strongpoint. Early …

1944-12-10

302

As the Americans advanced across the plains of Germany, the badly outnumbered Germans could not hope to hold a continuous line. Rather than expose themselves, the Wehrmacht troops turned each town or clump of buildings into a small strongpoint. Early attempts by the Americans to bypass these outposts caused supply troops, trying to follow the lead units, undue casualties. Therefore, after regrouping their forces, headquarters decided to change tactics and attack key points before advancing through the open plain.

Obergeich, Germany

The Battle of Hürtgen Forest was a series of fierce battles fought from 19 September to 16 December 1944, between American and German forces on the Western Front during World War II, in the Hürtgen Forest, a 140 km2 (54 sq mi) area about 5 km (3.1 mi) east of the Belgian–German border. It was the longest battle on German ground during World War II and is the longest single battle the U.S. Army has ever fought. The U.S. commanders' initial goal was to pin down German forces in the area to keep them from reinforcing the front lines farther north in the Battle of Aachen, where the US forces were fighting against the Siegfried Line network of fortified industrial towns and villages speckled with pillboxes, tank traps, and minefields. A secondary objective may have been to outflank the front line. The Americans' initial tactical objectives were to take Schmidt and clear Monschau. In a second phase the Allies wanted to advance to the Rur River as part of Operation Queen.

Wikipedia: Battle of Hürtgen Forest

German

American