The Dark Woods

The American 9th Infantry Division was the first unit to move into the unknown of the Hurtgen Forest. Poor weather had curtailed effective aerial reconnaissance, and the almost jungle like nature of the forest itself prevented combat units from locating …

1944-09-14

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The American 9th Infantry Division was the first unit to move into the unknown of the Hurtgen Forest. Poor weather had curtailed effective aerial reconnaissance, and the almost jungle like nature of the forest itself prevented combat units from locating friend or foe alike. On September 14th, the 47th Infantry Regiment had bivouacked just southeast of Zweifall, Germany. With orders to advance further into Germany the next day, battalion Commander W. W. Tanner sent out company sized reconnaissance patrols out into the dark woods.

Hurtgen Forest, 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