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79-397: Hürtgenwald is composed of the villages Bergstein , Brandenberg, Gey, Großhau, Horm, Hürtgen, Kleinhau, Raffelsbrand, Schafberg, Simonskall, Strass, Vossenack and Zerkall (in alphabetical order). Kleinhau with the town hall is not only the administrational center of the community, but has become the commercial center as well (shops and a few supermarkets). In World War II , Hürtgenwald was

158-439: A 25 percent casualty rate. The Germans had also suffered heavy losses with 28,000 casualties—many of these were non-combatants and prisoners of war . The surprise German Ardennes offensive caught Allied forces off guard. The Germans attacked with nearly 30 divisions; including the elite 1st SS , 2nd SS , and the 12th SS Panzer Divisions, with the northernmost point of the battlefront centered on Monschau . They forced

237-677: A lack of fuel. In early February, American forces attacked through the Hürtgen Forest for the final time. On 10 February 1945, the Rur Dam was taken by American forces and the forest itself was not cleared until the 17th when the 82nd Airborne Division reached the Roer river. There is a stone monument with a bronze plaque at the Hürtgen Military Cemetery, dedicated by veterans of the U.S. 4th Infantry Division to

316-525: A large salient in the American lines almost sixty miles (100 km) deep at its maximum extent. However, the Germans never came close to their primary objective, the capture of Antwerp . The Ardennes Offensive came to a complete halt in early January, when German forces in the northern shoulder of the bulge were blocked by a strong American defence, the destruction of bridges by American engineers, and

395-897: A popular tourist destination. The region takes its name from the vast ancient forest known as Arduenna Silva in the Roman Period . Arduenna probably derives from a Gaulish cognate of the Brythonic word ardu- as in the Welsh : ardd ("high") and the Latin arduus ("high", "steep"). The second element is less certain, but may be related to the Celtic element *windo- as in the Welsh wyn / wen ("fair", "blessed"), which tentatively suggests an original meaning of "forest of blessed/fair heights". The Ardennes likely shares this derivation with

474-788: A rapid passage through the Ardennes to attack a relatively lightly defended part of France. The Ardennes became the site of three major battles during the world wars—the Battle of the Ardennes (August 1914) in World War I, and the Battle of France (1940) and the Battle of the Bulge (1944–1945) in World War II. Many of the towns of the region suffered severe damage during the two world wars. Allied generals in World War II believed that

553-619: A result, in 1839, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg ceded the westernmost 63% of its territory (being also the main part of the Ardennes) to the new Kingdom of Belgium , which is now its Luxembourg Province . In the 20th century the Ardennes was widely thought by leading military strategists to be unsuitable for large-scale military operations, due to its difficult terrain and narrow lines of communications. However, in both World War I and World War II , Germany successfully gambled on making

632-479: A return to sanity—or was it still emotion?—made a humanitarian encounter come true. Ardennes The Ardennes ( French : Ardenne [aʁdɛn] ; Dutch : Ardennen [ɑrˈdɛnə(n)] ; German : Ardennen ; Walloon : Årdene [ɑːʀdɛn] ; Luxembourgish : Ardennen [ɑʁˈdænən] ), also known as the Ardennes Forest or Forest of Ardennes ,

711-586: A second phase the Allies wanted to advance to the Rur River as part of Operation Queen . Generalfeldmarschall Walter Model intended to bring the Allied thrust to a standstill. While he interfered less in the day-to-day movements of units than at the Battle of Arnhem , he still kept himself fully informed on the situation, slowing the Allies' progress, inflicting heavy casualties, and taking full advantage of

790-521: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Hill 400, Bergstein Luxembourg The Netherlands Belgium France Britain 1941–1943 1944–1945 Germany Strategic campaigns The Battle of Hürtgen Forest ( German : Schlacht im Hürtgenwald ) was a series of battles fought from 19 September to 16 December 1944, between American and German forces on

869-674: Is a region of extensive forests, rough terrain, rolling hills and ridges primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg , extending into Germany and France . Geologically, the range is a western extension of the Eifel ; both were raised during the Givetian age of the Devonian (382.7 to 387.7 million years ago), as were several other named ranges of the same greater range. The Ardennes proper stretches well into Germany and France (lending its name to

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948-425: Is broken by few roads, tracks, and firebreaks; vehicular movement is restricted. Conditions on the ground became a muddy morass, further impeding vehicular traffic, especially heavy vehicles such as tanks. The German defenders had prepared the area with improvised blockhouses, minefields, barbed wire, and booby-traps, hidden by the mud and snow. There were also numerous concrete bunkers in the area, mostly belonging to

1027-534: Is important in the history of Wallonia because this former mountain is at the origin of the economy, the history, and the geography of Wallonia. "Wallonia presents a wide range of rocks of various ages. Some geological stages internationally recognized were defined from rock sites located in Wallonia: e.g., Frasnian ( Frasnes-lez-Couvin ), Famennian ( Famenne ), Tournaisian ( Tournai ), Visean ( Visé ), Dinantian ( Dinant ), and Namurian ( Namur )". Except for

1106-573: The Ardennes department and the former Champagne-Ardenne region ) and geologically into the Eifel (the eastern extension of the Ardennes Forest into Bitburg-Prüm , Germany); most of it is in the southeast of Wallonia , the southern and more rural part of Belgium (away from the coastal plain but encompassing more than half of the country's total area). The eastern part of the Ardennes forms

1185-562: The Invasion of France . The forest's great size could conceal the armored divisions , and because the French did not suspect that the Germans would make such a risky move, they did not consider a breakthrough there, or considered that it would take at least 15 days for an army to pass through the forest. German forces, primarily under the command of Erich von Manstein , carried out the plan in two days, and managed to slip numerous divisions past

1264-635: The Maginot Line to attack France from the north, and rout the French forces. In May 1940 the German army crossed the Meuse , despite the resistance of the French Army . Under the command of General Heinz Guderian , the German armoured divisions crossed the river at Dinant and at Sedan, France . This was a crucial step in the push towards Paris, and France fell on 25 June 1940 . At the other end of

1343-589: The Western Front during World War II , in the Hürtgen Forest , a 140 km (54 sq mi) 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 is the second longest single battle the U.S. Army has ever fought after the four-day-longer Battle of Bataan . The U.S. commanders' initial goal

1422-534: The 112th Infantry Regiment. On 6 December, the Rangers moved on Bergstein and subsequently took the strategic position of Hill 400 from defending troops from 980th Grenadier Regiment of the 272nd Volksgrenadier Division . Shortly thereafter, on 12 December, the towns of Gey and Strass were taken by American Forces. On the last day of the Hürtgen battle the Germans retook the hill from the 13th Regiment who had replaced

1501-562: The 112th's 2nd Battalion was nearly forced out of the town on November 6 by a fierce German counterattack, but were assisted by engineers in retaking the western part of the town. The Americans across the Kall Valley at Kommerscheidt held on until November 8, when an order to withdraw was given. The positions at Schmidt and the Kall Trail were abandoned. It wasn't until February 1945 that the 82nd Airborne Division permanently captured

1580-649: The 272nd Volksgrenadier Division when General Gerd von Rundstedt launched his counteroffensive in the Monschau area. On December 15 the 2nd battalion, 309th Infantry was annihilated when the 272nd Volksgrenadiers counterattacked and took back Kesternich. The Germans knew that from the heights at Kesternich the Americans could detect the troop buildup for the Ardennes Offensive and place artillery there to fire on advancing German troops. Military actions at

1659-423: The 8th along the northern edge of the forest towards Düren, the 22nd further south in parallel. The open flanks invited infiltration. Similar tactics elsewhere in Hürtgen had "invited disaster". Attacks by the 8th Infantry Regiment on Rother Weh Creek hit heavy resistance and were repulsed with heavy losses. The 22nd failed to take Raven's Hedge ( Rabenheck ), beaten back by heavy machine-gun and artillery fire along

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1738-423: The 9th Infantry Division was unable to eject the Germans from the periphery of the forest, and decided to push through it to the northeast and capture Hürtgen and Kleinhau. The engagement began on September 19, 1944. Repeated probes entered the forest toward their objective, but were beaten back by the terrain and Germans dug into prepared positions. On October 5, the 39th and 60th Infantry Regiments attacked towards

1817-401: The 9th's positions north of Lammersdorf. When Cota received the operations order for the attack he was perplexed and none too happy. It was far too directive and detailed and left little for him, his staff and his regimental commanders to do except execute it. It was basically the same plan that had been given to the 9th Infantry Division and that plan had failed. Hodges dictated that the 28th

1896-568: The Aachen Gap and perceived a potential threat from enemy forces using the Hürtgen Forest as a base. The U.S. 1st Infantry Division arrived in early October, joining elements of the XIX Corps and VII Corps , which had encircled Aachen. Although the 1st Infantry Division called for the surrender of the German garrison in the city, German commander Oberst Gerhard Wilck refused to capitulate until 21 October. The Allies also thought it

1975-444: The Americans were often well-trained but inexperienced. The Hürtgen Forest lay within the area of the U.S. First Army under Hodges. Responsibility fluctuated between the V Corps and VII Corps. At the start, the forest was defended by the German 275th and 353rd Infantry Divisions; understrength but well prepared—5,000 men (1,000 in reserve)—and commanded by Generalleutnant Hans Schmidt . They had little artillery and no tanks. As

2054-414: The Ardennes Offensive, more commonly known as the Battle of the Bulge and as a result further fighting in the Hürtgen ended. The Battle of Hürtgen Forest has been referred to as a stalemate that consumed large amounts of resources on both sides. The Americans suffered 33,000 casualties during the course of the battle which ranged up to 55,000 casualties, included 9,000 non-combat losses and represented

2133-708: The Ardennes and is part of the same geological formation, although they are conventionally regarded as being two distinct areas. The Ardennes are the remnants of a mountain range formed during the Hercynian orogeny ; in France similar formations are the Armorican Massif , the Massif Central , and the Vosges . The low interior of such former mountains often contains coal, plus iron, zinc and other metals in

2212-776: The Ardennes formed part of the Duchy (since 1815, the Grand Duchy) of Luxembourg, a member state of the Holy Roman Empire, which changed hands numerous times between the powerful dynasties of Europe. In 1793 revolutionary France annexed the whole area, together with all other territories west of the Rhine river. In 1815, the Congress of Vienna , which dealt with the political aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars , restored

2291-536: The Germans, but lacked the strength to push on as two of their regiments were committed to the south. Attacks on and around the Höfen-Alzen ridge by the 39th and 60th Infantry Regiments were met with heavy resistance and pushed back. The 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 39th captured Lammersdorf, but could not dislodge enemies entrenched in the woods behind the village; the 3rd Battalion suffered heavy losses attacking Hill 554, near Lammersdorf. In these early engagements,

2370-497: The Germans. The rest of the battalion retreated to Kommerscheidt to join the 112th's 1st Battalion. Realizing the gravity of the situation, eight M4 Shermans of Company A, 707th Tank Battalion attempted to cross the Kall Valley, but only three actually made it across to support the beleaguered 112th. The 116th Panzer Division again attacked with tanks and infantry several times. The American tanks, along with infantry and air support, destroyed five German Panzer IV tanks. At Vossenack,

2449-420: The Germans. At dawn on November 4, a strong German counter-attack by tanks of the 116th Panzer Division and a chance encirclement by troops from the 89th Infantry Division rapidly expelled the 3rd Battalion from Schmidt, and they were unable to counter-attack. The battalion disintegrated after constant shelling and a fierce attack by the 116th Panzer Division and some men inadvertently fled east, to be captured by

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2528-577: The Huertgen. The first was that neither he nor his staff directed subordinate units to conduct patrolling into the Huertgen Forest [...]; the second mistake was tied to the first. Cota had approved the extremely narrow Kall trail to serve as the division's main supply route [...]. Aerial reconnaissance could not confirm the trails condition due to the dense forest covering it but ground patrols would have provided much valuable information, both about

2607-566: The Hürtgen Forest was at Langerwehe-Merode , on the northeastern edge of the forest. Two American companies took the village, but they were later destroyed in a German counter-attack. More than 300 soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division were killed in action on November 29 and 30, 1944. Later, the secret daily report of the Supreme High Command of the German Army ( Oberkommando des Heeres (OKH)) of 27 November, stated that in

2686-565: The Hürtgen battle—has described it as "...a misconceived and basically fruitless battle that should have been avoided." The Hürtgen Forest occupies a rugged area between the Rur River and Aachen. In the autumn and early winter of 1944, the weather was cold, wet, and cloudy, and often prevented air support. Apart from the poor weather, the dense forest and rough terrain also prevented proper use of Allied air superiority, which had great difficulties in spotting any targets. The dense conifer forest

2765-543: The Kall Trail and Schmidt. A German regimental doctor, Hauptmann Günter Stüttgen , negotiated an unofficial ceasefire with the Americans at the Kall Bridge from 7–12 November, in order to attend to the wounded of both sides, numbering in the thousands. The lives of many American soldiers were saved by German medics. The second phase was part of Operation Queen , the Allied thrust to the Rur River. In this phase,

2844-426: The Rangers. The U.S. Army would not seize Hill 400 again until February 1945. From 1–12 December, the 309th, 310th and 311th Infantry Regiments of the 78th Infantry Division ("Lightning") relieved elements of the 1st Infantry Division in the line in the vicinity of Entenpfuhl. On 13 December, these regiments smashed into Simmerath, Witzerath, and Bikerath, Germany, and were fighting the Battle of Kesternich against

2923-517: The Rur river or wrest control of its dams from the Germans. The battle was so costly that it has been described as an Allied "defeat of the first magnitude," with specific credit given to Model. The Germans fiercely defended the area because it served as a staging area for the 1944 winter offensive Wacht am Rhein (known in English-speaking countries as the Battle of the Bulge ), and because

3002-576: The Siegfried Line up to 15 December alone brought death, injury or captivity to more than 250,000 soldiers from both sides. The First and Ninth U.S. Army suffered 57,039 battle casualties (dead, wounded, captured, missing in action); 71,654 non-battle casualties, i.e. accidents, diseases such as pneumonia , trench foot , frostbite , and trauma . German Armed Forces are presumed to be 12,000 dead, 95,000 captured (documented), and an unknown number of wounded. On 16 December 1944, German forces began

3081-493: The Tournaisian, all these rocks are within the Ardennes geological area. The Ardennes includes the greatest part of Belgium's Luxembourg Province (not to be confused with the neighbouring Grand Duchy of Luxembourg), the south of Namur Province , and Liège Province , plus a very small part of Hainaut Province , as well as the northernmost third of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, called " Éislek " ( German : Oesling ) and

3160-537: The U.S. 4th Infantry Division was to clear the northern half of the forest between Schevenhütte and Hürtgen, capture Hürtgen, and advance to the Rur south of Düren. From 10 November, this would be VII Corps′ responsibility and it was part of the main VII Corps effort to reach the Rur. The 4th Division was now fully committed to the Hürtgen, although its 12th Infantry Regiment was already mauled from its action at Schmidt, leaving just two fully effective regiments to achieve

3239-689: The battle of Hürtgen Forest less well remembered. The overall cost of the Siegfried Line campaign in American personnel was close to 140,000. By mid-September 1944, the Allied pursuit of the German army after the landings at Normandy was slowing down due to extended supply lines and increasing German resistance. The next strategic objective was to move up to the Rhine River along its entire length and prepare to cross it. Courtney Hodges ′ First Army experienced hard resistance pushing through

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3318-418: The battle progressed, German reinforcements were added. American expectations that these troops were weak and ready to withdraw were overly optimistic. The 9th Infantry Division's ultimate objective were the Rur River crossings at Düren . On September 16, 1944, an attack by the 47th Infantry Regiment captured Schevenhütte , on the northern fringes of the forest, with few casualties. The division had surprised

3397-517: The battle, it proved necessary to blast tank routes through the forest. Transportation was similarly limited by the lack of routes: at critical times, it proved difficult to reinforce or supply front-line units or to evacuate the dead and wounded. The Germans were hampered by much the same difficulties, worsened because their divisions had already taken heavy losses on the retreat through France and were hastily filled up with untrained boys and old men, often unfit for normal military service. Transportation

3476-685: The boggy moors of the High Fens region of south-eastern Belgium . The region is typified by steep-sided valleys carved by swift-flowing rivers, the most prominent of which is the Meuse . Its most populous cities are Verviers in Belgium and Charleville-Mézières in France, both exceeding 50,000 inhabitants. The Ardennes is otherwise relatively sparsely populated, with few of the towns exceeding 10,000 inhabitants. (Exceptions include Belgium's Eupen and Bastogne .) The Eifel range in Germany adjoins

3555-517: The deep defenses of the Siegfried Line , which were also centers of resistance. 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 small numbers of routes and clearings in the forest had also allowed German machine gun, mortar, and artillery teams to pre-range their weapons and fire accurately. The American advantage in numbers (as high as 5:1), armor, mobility, and air support

3634-544: The divisional objectives. U.S. VII Corps was opposed by German forces, mainly from the LXXXI Corps, consisting of three understrength divisions. In the Hürtgen, there was the 275th Infantry Division—6,500 men with 150 artillery pieces. They were well dug-in and prepared. The abstract of a U.S. report describes what happened: The VII (U.S.) Corps, First Army attacked 16 November 1944, with 1st Inf Div, 4th Inf Div, 104th Inf Div, and CCR 5th AD to clear Huertgen Forest and

3713-454: The enemy and the trail. The third mistake was his decision not to use armor to support his infantry. Believing that the forest would not allow access and the required road network to support tanks, he kept all but two of his tank companies and all of his tank destroyer units in the rear to augment his division artillery. Had he discussed this with the commander of 9th Infantry Division, he would have learned that tanks could operate in many areas of

3792-455: The fire-breaks. After three days, there were 300 casualties, including numerous officers and NCOs . By 18 November, tanks were deemed essential, so engineers blasted tank routes through the forest. Communications and logistics remained a problem, so the next day the attack paused to allow re-supply and evacuation of the wounded. German reinforcements arrived from 344th and 353rd Infantry Divisions and resistance stiffened further. Responsibility

3871-496: The forest and with some training and prior coordination they could provide valuable support to the infantry." The attack by the 28th Division started on 2 November; the defenders were expecting it and were ready. The U.S. 109th Infantry Regiment , assigned to capture the woods north of Germeter, was impeded after 300 yards (270 m) by an unexpected minefield (the "Wild Pig"), pinned down by mortar and artillery fire and harassed by local counterattacks . Just one mile (1.6 km)

3950-474: The fortifications the Germans called the Westwall , better known to the Allies as the Siegfried Line. The Hürtgen Forest cost the U.S. First Army at least 33,000 killed and wounded, including both combat and non-combat losses, with upper estimates at 55,000; German casualties were 28,000. The city of Aachen in the north eventually fell on 22 October at high cost to the U.S. Ninth Army , but they failed to cross

4029-470: The harsh climate of the Ardennes limits the scope for agriculture ; arable and dairy farming in cleared areas form the mainstay of the agricultural economy. The region is rich in timber and minerals, and Liège and the city of Namur are both major industrial centres. The extensive forests have an abundant population of wild game . The scenic beauty of the region and its wide variety of outdoor activities, including hunting, cycling, walking and canoeing, make it

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4108-536: The horrors of war. It was officially dedicated on the 60th anniversary of the ceasefire on the Kall Bridge, November 7, 2004. It was created by Michael Pohlmann, who commented: I didn't want to create a monument to heroes, no theatrical representation, no pathos, but wanted to appear more unassumingly with a frugal shape, hewn in stone, dignifying the actual place of the incident. A place perhaps, at which once everything may have started rationally, then however, became more and more irrational and totally out of control until

4187-535: The magic bay horse which, according to legend, jumped from the top of the rock to the other bank of the Meuse. On their pillaging raids in the years 881 and 882 , the Vikings used the old Roman roads in the Ardennes and attacked the abbeys of Malmedy and Stavelot and destroyed Prüm Abbey in the Eifel . The strategic position of the Ardennes has made it a battleground for European powers for many centuries. Much of

4266-599: The main part of the French Ardennes department . Before the 19th century industrialization, the first furnaces in these four Belgian provinces (all in the Wallonia region) and in the French Ardennes used charcoal for fuel, made from harvesting the Ardennes forest. This industry was also in the extreme south of present-day Luxembourg Province (which until 1839 was part of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg), in

4345-440: The memory of Friedrich Lengfeld (29 September 1921 – 12 November 1944), a German lieutenant. Lengfeld died on 12 November 1944, of severe wounds sustained while helping a wounded American soldier out of the "Wild Sow" (" Wilde Sau ") minefield. It is the only such memorial for a German soldier placed by his erstwhile opponents in a German military cemetery. A memorial sculpture on Kall Bridge recalls that moment of humanity amidst

4424-486: The mountains commanded access to the Rur Dam at the head of the Rur Reservoir (Rurstausee). The Allies failed to capture the area after several heavy setbacks, and the Germans successfully held the region until they launched their last-ditch offensive into the Ardennes . This was launched on 16 December and ended the Hürtgen offensive. The Battle of the Bulge gained widespread press and public attention, leaving

4503-417: The neighboring ridge by the afternoon. The 112th was then halted by strong defenses and difficult terrain. The 1st and 3rd Battalions of the 112th moved across the Kall Valley and captured Kommerscheidt and Schmidt, respectively, on 3 November. The German supply route to Monschau was cut, but American supply, reinforcement, and evacuation were very limited as the Kall Trail had poor terrain and was infiltrated by

4582-497: The northernmost third of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, also called " Éislek " ( German : Oesling ). On the southeast the Eifel region continues into the German state of the Rhineland-Palatinate . The trees and rivers of the Ardennes provided the charcoal industry assets that enabled the great industrial period of Wallonia in the 18th and 19th centuries, when it was arguably the second great industrial region of

4661-626: The numerous Arden place names in Britain, including the Forest of Arden . The modern Ardennes region covers a greatly diminished area from the forest recorded in Roman times. A song about Charlemagne, the Old French 12th-century chanson de geste Quatre Fils Aymon , mentions many of Wallonia's rivers, villages and other places. In Dinant the rock named Bayard takes its name for Bayard ,

4740-406: The old Langerwehe penetration area, the U.S. Army ( enemy ) won terrain. Elements of the 8th and the 28th Infantry Divisions then advanced on Brandenberg. The 28th Division—just like the 9th before it (and the 4th Infantry Division, which would relieve the 28th)—also took heavy casualties during its stay in the Hürtgen Forest. On 14 November, the 2nd Ranger Battalion arrived to relieve elements of

4819-400: The path of First Army to the Rur River. After heavy fighting, primarily by the 4th Infantry Division, VII Corps' attack ground to a halt. V Corps was committed on 21 November 1944. Attacking with 8th Inf Div, and CCR 5th AD, the V Corps managed to capture Huertgen after stiff fighting on 28 November 1944. The attack started on 16 November. The two infantry regiments attacked in parallel columns:

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4898-540: The previous geographical situation, with most of the Ardennes becoming part of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. After the revolution of 1830 , which resulted in the establishment of the Kingdom of Belgium, the political future of the Ardennes became a matter of much dispute between Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, as well as involving the contemporary great powers of France , Prussia , and Great Britain . As

4977-674: The region called Gaume . The most important part of the Walloon steel industry, using coal, was built around the coal mines, mainly in the region around the cities of Liège , Charleroi, La Louvière , the Borinage , and further in the Walloon Brabant (in Tubize ). Wallonia became the second industrial power area of the world (after Great Britain) in proportion to its territory and to its population (see further). The rugged terrain and

5056-443: The region was impenetrable to massed vehicular traffic and especially armor, so the area was effectively "all but undefended" during the war. The German Army twice used this region to invade northern France and southern Belgium, via Luxembourg in the Battle of France and the later Battle of the Bulge . The military strategists of Nazi Germany in 1939 and 1940 selected the forest as the primary route of their mechanized forces in

5135-443: The river Sambre; Liège Province along the river Meuse. The region the Ardennes are part of has been uplifted further in the last few hundred thousand years by a mantle plume , as measured from the present elevation of old river terraces, with the largest amount of uplift concentrated in the east, where the Ardennes connect with the Eifel, where the same mantle plume is also responsible for volcanic activity. This geological region

5214-425: The sub-soil. This geologic fact explains the greatest part of the geography of Wallonia and its history. In the North and West of the Ardennes lie the valleys of the Sambre and Meuse rivers, forming an arc ( Sillon industriel ) going across the most industrial provinces of Wallonia , for example Hainaut Province , along the river Haine (the etymology of Hainaut); the Borinage , the Centre and Charleroi along

5293-419: The theater of the Battle of Hürtgen Forest , a major battle. Two large war graves (one in Hürtgen, one in Vossenack) are places to commemorate those who fell. Nowadays, the pleasing landscape of forested hills, lakes and rivers attracts a lot of people from nearby densely populated areas, e.g. from the Cologne area and the Ruhr Area , for recreational reasons. This Düren district location article

5372-432: The town of Schmidt while the 47th held a defensive position. The Monschau -Düren road was quickly cut, but both regiments were slowed by defenses and suffered significant casualties: The 60th's 2nd Battalion was reduced to a third after the first day. The 39th was halted at the Weisser Weh Creek; there were problems with narrow paths, air bursts in trees, and fire breaks which were blocked or enfiladed . Evacuation and supply

5451-428: The war, the Ardennes area came to prominence again during the Battle of the Bulge . The German Army, which had been forced to retreat for some time, launched a surprise attack in December 1944 in an attempt to recapture Antwerp and to drive a wedge between the advancing British and American forces in northern France. After a fierce battle the Allied forces blocked the German advance on the river Meuse at Dinant. In

5530-470: The world. The greater region maintained an industrial eminence into the 20th century, after coal replaced charcoal in metallurgy . The strategic position of the Ardennes has made it a battleground for European powers for centuries; it was the site of major battles during both World Wars. Much of the Ardennes is covered in dense forests, with the hills averaging around 350–400 m (1,150–1,310 ft) in height but rising to over 694 m (2,277 ft) in

5609-429: Was also a problem, because of the difficult roads and the lack of trucks and fuel; most supplies had to be manhandled to the front line. Nonetheless, despite increasing numbers of replacements lacking experience, German defenders had the advantage in that their commanders and many of their soldiers had been fighting for years and had learned the necessary tactics for fighting efficiently in winter and forested areas, whereas

5688-530: Was deployed to protect the northern flank, another to attack Germeter, and the third to capture Schmidt, the main objective. The area had terrible terrain with the Kall Trail running along a deep river ravine. The terrain was not suited to tanks, despite the need for armor to support the infantry. "It was during the final days of preparation before the attack that Cota made three crucial mistakes that would have far reaching effects on his division's assault into

5767-421: Was difficult or impossible. By 16 October, 3,000 yd (2,700 m) had been gained at the cost of 4,500 casualties. The U.S. 28th Infantry Division —a Pennsylvania National Guard unit—arrived the same day to relieve the battered 9th. Cota established his division command post in the village of Rott on 25 October and began coordination with the V Corps staff for future operations as his units began to occupy

5846-634: Was gained after two days, after which the 109th dug in and endured casualties. This initial attack was nearly all the ground the 109th would take during the battle. The U.S. 110th Infantry Regiment had to clear the woods next to the Kall River, capture Simonskall, and maintain a supply route for the advance on Schmidt: Again, these were very difficult tasks due to weather, prepared defenses, determined defenders, and terrain. The weather prevented tactical air support until 5 November. The U.S. 112th Infantry Regiment , attacking from Germeter, took Vossenack and

5925-505: Was necessary to remove the threat posed by the Rur Dam. The stored water could be released by the Germans, swamping any forces operating downstream. In the view of the American commanders, Omar Bradley , Hodges, and J. Lawton Collins , the direct route to the dam was through the forest. Some military historians are no longer convinced by these arguments. Charles B. MacDonald —a U.S. Army historian and former company commander who served in

6004-482: Was returned to V Corps and, on 21 November, 8th Division attacked the Weisser Weh Valley, continuing toward Hürtgen. The 121st Infantry Regiment hit heavy defenses immediately. Despite armored support from the 10th Tank Battalion, daily advances were less than 600 yd (550 m). Hürtgen was taken on 29 November and the battle continued to Kleinhau, 1 mi (1.6 km) north. The final action in

6083-564: Was thus greatly reduced by weather and terrain. In the forest, relatively small numbers of determined and prepared defenders could be highly effective. To exacerbate matters, as the American divisions took casualties, inexperienced replacements had to be fed directly into combat. The densely forested terrain also limited the use of tanks and provided cover for German anti-tank teams equipped with Panzerfaust shaped-charge grenade launchers. The Allies made improvised rocket launchers, using rocket tubes from aircraft and spare Jeep trailers. Later in

6162-420: Was to capture Vossenack and the treeline facing the village of Huertgen. Gerow directed that an entire regiment would assault Huertgen to the north; a second regiment would attack and capture Schmidt in the center and a third regiment attack south towards Rafflesbrand. The 28th Division was reinforced with the attached 707th Tank Battalion, tracked M29 Weasel transport and air support. Of its three regiments, one

6241-449: 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. The Americans' initial tactical objectives were to take the village of Schmidt and clear Monschau . In

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