Battle of Hürtgen Forest

Overview

The Battle of Hürtgen Forest was a series of 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 mi2) area about 5 km (3.1 mi) east of the Belgian–German border. Lasting 88 days, it was the longest battle on German ground during World War II and it is the second longest single battle the U.S. Army has ever fought after the three-month-long Battle of Bataan.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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)