First battle for Schmidt

Hürtgen Forest is a rugged area between the Ruhr and Aachen. The German defenders had numerous bunkers in the area, mostly belonging to the deep defences of the Siegfried Line. The dense forest allowed infiltration and flanking attacks, and it …

1944-10-06

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Hürtgen Forest is a rugged area between the Ruhr and Aachen. The German defenders had numerous bunkers in the area, mostly belonging to the deep defences of the Siegfried Line. The dense forest allowed infiltration and flanking attacks, and it was sometimes difficult to establish a front line or to be confident that an area had been cleared of the enemy. The Germans units were hastily filled up with untrained boys and old men, often unfit for normal military service. Transportation was also a problem as most supplies had to be manhandled to the front line. Nonetheless German defenders had the advantage of their commanders, who had been fighting for years and had learned the necessary tactics for fighting efficiently in winter and forested areas, whereas the Americans were often well-trained but inexperienced.

Germeter, 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

American

German

Game Type: Standard

Board Type: Countryside

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