Battle of Huertgen Forest (World War II) war movies

Battle of Huertgen Forest 19 September 1944

Battle of Huertgen Forest wasn’t a single battle, but rather series of attacks made by American troops to break through German defence lines in Huertgen Forest. Allies were trying to reach the Ruhr Dam that was vital for German industry in the Ruhr area, but also they were hoping to destroy the dam and thus flood the industrial areas. For Germans the area was important because of the upcoming counter-offensive known later as Battle of the Bulge.

The battle was very unusual for World War 2 - Germans have prepared their positions in dense forest, where there is practically no way to use tanks, even off-road vehicles had problems, not to mention transporting heavy artillery. During autumn and winter of 1944 the ground in the area was wet, full of mud or light snow. What is more during many of the days there were no conditions for air strikes, so for several weeks Americans were able only to attack using their infantry.

Since Germans well prepared their line of defence most of the American attacks were not only unsuccessful, but also they were causing much losses among the troops. Well hidden machine gun nests, minefields, booby traps, barbed wires, coverage from artillery and the dense forest made the efforts of Americans completely fruitless. What is more during that time US Army lost almost 25% of the troops involved.

The battle stopped when Germans finished their preparations for Ardennes offensive - when Battle of the Bulge has started Americans had to retreat and build up their defensive positions. During 4 months Americans lost 33,000 men, while Germans about 28,000. And all of them died in battle that was quickly forgotten and did not made much difference in whole outcome of the war.

When Trumpets Fade 1998

Movie depicts the the battle of Hürtgen Forest, where well prepared Germans were repelling attacks from Americans.