Battle of Hürtgen Forest

Significance

The Battle of Hürtgen Forest, fought over 88 days in a 140 square kilometer area east of the Belgian–German border, stands as the longest battle on German ground during World War II and the second longest single battle in U.S. Army history, after the Battle of Bataan. Involving 120,000 American troops against 80,000 German defenders under Walter Model, the campaign produced approximately 33,000 U.S. casualties against roughly 28,000 German casualties — an attrition rate that reflected the grinding, inconclusive nature of the fighting. The scale of American losses relative to tactical gains made Hürtgen a contested chapter in the Allied advance into Germany during the final months of the war on the Western Front.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (3)