So by 1111, they had suffered heavy losses, with 1 kia, and a shocking daily causality list of wounded soldiers, without enough replacements being sent to. The huertgen forest was dense, primordial woods of tall fir trees, deep gorges, high ridges, and narrow trails. The largest gorge is cut by the roer river, which rises near the belgiangerman border town of monschau. The germans had carefully augmented its natural obstacles with extensive minefields. The last offensive, united states army in world war ii, washington, d. The bulge provided a hiatus for the wartorn countryside around the forest and the roer river dams. By november 5, nine tank destroyers from the 893rd tank destroyer battalion were able to reach the beleaguered members of the 112th infantry trapped in kommerscheidt. Then, beginning in january, 1945, american forces resumed their offensive and were finally able to break through after one of the bloodiest and, for the u. Former battlefields places of battles of the 9th infantry division men on this page i will keep adding pictures of places where the 9th infantry division has fought. When the infantry company arrived, the men jumped from their halftracks.
The dense conifer forest is broken by few roads, tracks, and firebreaks. At huertgen forest and the bulge, an american soldiers courageous story of world war ii. Isbn 0891416994 oclc 43810800 his dad, the wwii soldier, is resting in flanders fields. Us infantrymen make their way through the hurtgen forest on. The colored route points in this route have a different meaning as with the normal routexperts routes because this was a route with assignments in the context of the mra navigation grand tour 2019. I have adopted the gravesite of john d donaway, buried in henri chapelle. Mired in combat during the battle of hurtgen forest of germany, an american soldier wrote in december 5, 1944. Schlacht im hurtgenwald was a series of fierce battles. Staff group a, section 11, cgsc class 8384, csi battlebook 11a, huertgen forest. Thousands of soldiers were killed in the last battles of world war ii. They did not fully understand exactly how it had changed, nor were they really quite sure what to do about it. After a brief respite, the keystone soldiers made another move northward to the huertgen forest.
Remains of wwii soldier coming home to washington the. Army two m10 tank destroyers advance along a narrow trail through the hrtgen forest. As the allies continue to battle in the hurtgen which wed later find was the largest battle in the european theater in all of wwii, the us 9th army surges forward, capturing more german towns on the road to cologne and duseldorf and sending heavy artillery fire across the roer early in the day after seizing a seven mile. Battle of hurtgen forest wikipedia republished wiki 2. A chilling excerpt from the final book in rick atkinsons liberation trilogy. A victorious american army, having driven through belgium almost unopposed, ran headon into german soldiers on their own home ground, in some of the most rugged country in western germanyand at the beginning of the worst fall and winter weather in decades. Battle of hurtgen forest navigation grand tour 2019 rit 2. The americans were forced to put the 1st, 4th, 8th, 9th, 28th, 78th, and the 83rd infantry divisions, the 505th and the 517th parachute regiments, the 2nd ranger battalion, and the 5th and 7th armored divisions into the forest. Macdonald, the battle of the huertgen forest, 3435 meanwhile, the 47ir, finding empty pillboxes and persistent rumors of german render up and down the line 25 had easily taken zweifall on sept 14 and captured the village of.
The site of one of the bloodiest battlegrounds for u. Jan 23, 2019 the battle of the hurtgen forest was fought in a 50squaremile, triangleshaped area bounded by the towns of aachen, duren, and monschau. In huertgen the dead froze solid, and it was so cold that their faces froze red. John was in cco 22nd inf reg 4th inf div kia 2 december 1944 near grosshau. In addition to the rigors of the forest, the men of the 110th would also have to contend with miserable late. Special operations report battle of the hurtgen forest novdec 44, rg. I still need to visit many places and will add more pictures every time i have new ones. The battles took place from 19 september to 16 december 1944, over. Dec 16, 2019 from the hurtgen forest to the bulge during the winter of 1944, i was front line infantry with the 4th infantry division in the hurtgen forest, germany.
Alums book recounts long overdue search for lost world war ii. Most of the books on the subject concluded that the american commanders made. Hell in hurtgen forest is a simply wonderful piece of work. Now, the tiger demanded to know why these men had been al lowed to. Grotelueschen, mark ethan, the aef way of war, the american army and combat in world.
Here is the huertgen forest, the roer plain, aachen, and the largest airborne attack of the war. A company, battalion, or regiment fighting alone and often unaided was more the rule than the exception. The book provides an insight into command decisions at both local and staff levels and the lessons that can be drawn from one of the bloodiest battles of world. Brown the staff ride gave the attendees unique insight into the struggles and challenges faced long ago on this same terrain.
Dday for the battle of hurtgen forest was november 2, 1944, hhour was 0900. In spite of the many difficulties by 1250a, november 7, 1944 the regiment had completely relieved the 109th inf regt in the sector of the hurtgen forest 1,000 meters west of hurtgen 040355 running generally south to germeter 027336. At 0530 on december 16, 1944, 2000 artillery shells exploded from the german side of the our river, landing on the sleepy american held luxembourg towns just across the river, signaling the beginning of the battle of the bulge, the greatest battle ever fought by the american army. From the hurtgen forest to the bulge battle of the bulge. After hammering away in assaults which destroyed or captured 153 pillboxes and bunkers, the division moved north toward the siegfried line, clearing the monschau forest of german forces. Draper, theodore, the 84th infantry division in the battle for germany new york.
Macdonald, the battle of the huertgen forest, 65 104 margry, the battle of the hurtgen forest, 24 105 mansoor, the g. Hurtgen forest and the end of world war ii dw documentary. It was the longest battle on german ground during world war ii and is. Staff retraces footsteps in hurtgen forest fort carson. Kall gorge, simonskall, vossenack, raffelsbrand, germeter, kommerscheidt and schmidt. More than 24,000 americans lost their lives and there were another 9,000 casualties from trench foot, disease and combat exhaustion. The period also eventually may be regarded as one of the most instructive of the entire war in europe. The triumph of american infantry divisions, 19411945, 190 106 neillands, the battle for the rhine, the battle of the bulge and the ardennes campaign, 1944, 250251 107 charles b. The 12th infantry troops then marched on foot up to the front. It was one of the most fierce and bloody battles of world war ii. Once in europe, the author takes you through a very wellresearched series of operations that petes unit, company b, 112th infantry regiment, 28th infantry division use to attempt to capture the hurtgen forest from the germans. Doc victory has many fathers, but defeat is an orphan.
Some of the units of the division can trace their lineage to benjamin franklins battalion, the pennsylvania associators 17471777. Victory has many fathers, but defeat is an orphan jandrew. An article by the son of an american soldier who died in the battle of hurtgen forest. Hemingway, masculinity champion and suspected antisemite. The forest is crisscrossed with deep draws and gorges filled with oldgrowth conifers, dense forest litter and spongy soil. Chart organization usarmy regiment cd 2 1 page pdf. Armyhistory us army center of military history army. First, hell is a thoroughly researched study of the battle of the hurtgen forest. Apr 26, 2011 the battle had lasted ninety days and involved nine american divisions and their supporting units. Hurtgen forest in october 1944 suffered, in thomas.
Feb 09, 2019 the war in any theater, an operation called the battle for hurtgen forest. The huertgen forest battle history for the 109th begins on 10281944, with the first full engagement with the enemy on 1, without air support or flanks of reinforcements to pull from. Flowing north and east to the rhine river, the roer marks the southern and eastern boundaries of the hurtgen. The battle of hurtgen forest was the longest battle on german ground during world war ii, and is the longest single battle the u. The few roads and trails that bisected the forest were covered by artillery in depth. Dec 19, 2020 the 28th smashed into the hurtgen forest, 2 november 1944, and in the savage seesaw battle which followed, vossenack and schmidt changed hands several times.
The ordeal and triumph of an american infantry regiment. The division was officially established in 1879 and was later redesignated as the 28th division in 1917, after the. The first american unit involved in the hurtgen forest battle was the 9th infantry division. Early in the morning of september 14th, 1944, elements of the 9th infantry division, supported by the 746th tank battalion started their advance across the belgian german border at the villages of roetgen and monschau. Battle for the hurtgen forest the worst of the worst. Annotated by respected ww2 expert and 8th infantry division historian jonathan gawne, it follows a platoon leader from the fight at dinard, through the siege of. Lomell, hurtgen forest, ardennes, battle of the bulge to ve day. Mar 21, 2018 battle of hurtgen forest battle of hurtgen forest diposting oleh kema fatwa 04. The battle of the bulge interrupted the hurtgen forest battles but did not end them. In his book over the river and into the trees, he wrote. Us troops who fought in the hurtgen forest nicknamed it the death factory. Battle of hurtgen forrest photo and video archive war.
It was the longest battle on german ground during world war ii, and is the longest single battle the u. The battle of the hurtgen forest lasted from september to 10 february, roughly five months. He had been seen weeping by the road as trucks passed carrying wounded soldiers from the front. A flourishing resort since the 1500sthe german travelguide publisher karl baedeker had called it the oldest european wateringplace of any importancespa reached its zenith in the 18th century with visits by peter the great and other potentates keen to promenade beneath the elms or. Battle of hurtgen forest project gutenberg selfpublishing. The 28th infantry division keystone is a unit of the army national guard and is the oldest divisionsized unit in the department of defense. The 28th suffered excessive casualties that autumn in the costly and illconceived battle of the hurtgen forest in late in late september. Schlacht im hurtgenwald 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 hurtgen forest, a 140 km 2 54 sq mi area about 5 km 3. This book has multiple layers to provide material for a diverse set of readers and students of wwii history. May 04, 2019 ernest hemingway was a war reporter at the battle of huertgen forest and saw the psychological collapse of his friend, regimental commander colonel charles t. The small dirt road was the main supply route for the ivy division during the battle of hurtgen forest in 1944. Members of the 4th infantry division staff participated in a staff ride feb.
Jan 11, 2021 23 karel margry, the battle of the hurtgen forest, after the battle, may 1991. We suffered heavy losses from constant shelling and mortar attacks. The hurtgen forest and the roer river dams, 19441945, 209211. The road to the front led straight and muddy brown between the billowing greenery of the broken topless firs, and in the jeeps that were coming back they were bringing the still living. Major general cota and the battle of the huertgen forest. May 19, 2017 mired in combat during the battle of hurtgen forest of germany, an american soldier wrote in december 5, 1944. First army set up its winter headquarters in the belgian town of spa. Fight for schmidt and kommerscheidt by autumn of 1944 some allied commanders began to realize that the situation on the battlefield had changed.
The combat divisions were immediately redeployed to resume the offensive into germany, and the 82nd airborne, which i commanded, was ordered into the huertgen forest, a densely wooded area astride the siegfried line, just inside the german border. Isbn 0891416994 oclc 43810800 an article by the son of an american soldier who died in the battle of hurtgen forest. Vii corps proposed to pass between aachen and the huertgen forest, encircle the city with an assist from xix corps on the north, and be on its way via dueren to cologne. Having been preoccupied with the battle of the bulge, the allies had paid little attention to the huertgen forest for the past several months. His dad, the wwii soldier, is resting in flanders fields. As he took me through the combat and the near impossible situation in the forest, i become completely engrossed. Schlacht im hurtgenwald is the name given to the series of fierce battles fought between u. Schlacht im hurtgenwald was a series of fierce battles fought from 19 september 1944 to 10 february 1945 between u. The dense woods negated the advantages the americans enjoyed in mobility, firepower, and technology when fighting in open terrain. Battle of hurtgen forest a company, 22nd infantry regiment. The battle of the bulge came to an end in the closing days of january, 1945. The units of the 4th division involved in the battle for the huertgen forest were the 8th infantry regiment, 22nd.
The battle was so costly that it has been described as an allied defeat of the first magnitude, with specific credit personally assigned to nazi generalfeldmarschall walter. Oct 05, 2008 seattle nearly 64 years after he went missing in action in germanys huertgen forest, the scene of the fiercest, longestrunning battle in u. The battle of the hurtgen forest axis history forum. It was the longest battle on german ground during world war ii.
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