BATTLEFIELD SERIES Part 8 "You'd look around but you couldn't see far because the forest was so dark. Sometimes you'd hear the wounded yelling for a medic. One way or another, you either froze to death, you got sick or you got blown to bits...It was brutal."
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What came to be known as the 'Death Factory', the Battle of the Hurtgen Forest bared some of the most brutal fighting of WWII. A grinding battle of attrition, it became the site of great heroism, futile tragedy, and largely forgotten.
From Sept 1944 to Feb 1945, American and German forces fought over the wooded hills on the border between Belgium and Germany.
The attack was originally launched to guard the flank of VIII Corps’ advance into Germany. Though outnumbered, the Germans had a string of defensive positions in the form of concrete bunkers, barbed wire, minefields, and tank obstacles, all part of Germany’s defensive Siegfried Line. Despite this, the American commanders were confident that they could break through.
Tree cover prevented air support, rough terrain prevented tanks, so the fighting was largely done by the infantry itself.
Within a few days, the fighting had turned into a slow grind. Snipers, mines, pillboxes, and tree burst artillery wreaked havoc amongst the Allied soldiers.
The generals were determined to have their breakthrough, and kept launching offensives against German positions with little success.
The fighting became so brutal, that the two sides called truces to retrieve the dead and wounded.
Endless rain turned the ground to mud. Snow followed with the arrival of winter. Living in cold, wet foxholes, many succumbed to trench foot and disease.
The forest was eventually cleared but at a high price. During 6 months of fighting, the Americans sent 8 infantry divisions, 2 armored divisions, and several smaller units. Rifle companies suffered 50% casualties. Two regiments suffered 100%. In total, nearly 30,000 Americans were killed or wounded.
Because it wasn’t a success, the press didn’t draw attention to the battle and swept the story aside.
It was one of the most costly and unproductive American operations of the war and the longest single battle of the US Army to date.