The start of the Huertgen Forest battle
by Rainer Monnartz
Sep. 19, 1944 (Tuesday)
With their attack on a broad front strategy, the Americans launch the historic battle of the Huertgen Forest, which is to take months.
The term Huertgen Forest (Hürtgenwald) first arose among the American soldiers and was the name that caught on. Perhaps they used the name Huertgen because of the village of Hürtgen which sounded like "hurt" with a German ending. Or they used it as the epitome for the absurd and dreadfully high losses. Today in Germany, the term Hürtgenwald stands for a municipality of diffirent villages and towns along the federal route B 399.
The Americans mean by "Huertgen Forest" the forest-rich area between the Stolberg-corridor and Monschau-corridor.
The US offensive consists of three spearheads:- Setting off from Lammersdorf, the strategically important points of Paustenbacher height (Hill 554 near Lammersdorf) as well as the ridge east towards Rollesbroich must be taken. From where the Kalltal-Dam and Kallbrück present further targets.
- From Zweifall through the Wehebach valley (Rote- and Weiße-Wehe creeks) with the objective of the village of Hürtgen.
- From Zweifall through the Hasselbach-/Gieschbach valley along today's L 24 road to Todtenbruch/Raffelsbrand (Deadman's Moor) near the junction at the Jägerhaus (forestry house).
The American advance at Paustenbach quickly gets stuck. Here the pillboxes of the West Wall are contrary to the defenses in the Aachen area not only in better condition, but also fully combatable and sufficiently equipped with weapons and ammunition. Violent fighting takes place around these pillboxes.
The German leadership attaches importance to moving its line of defense as far west as possible.
In essence, the mobility and firepower of the American armored units and artillery, as well as the capability of their Air Force are to be restrained. The dense forest of the Huertgen Forest offers the possibility of flanking the attacking forces or encircling them.
During their assault in the dense forest, the Americans are faced with unfamiliar difficulties. How to conduct a forest fight is completely new to them. For that kind of warfare the troops have not been well trained or equipped. Air Force support proves to be very difficult. For combat reconnaissance and screening missions, small recce patrols have to be sent out. The mountainous and wooded terrain often limits radio communications. Wire communications are frequently cut by artillery fire or can be tapped. It also takes much to time to locate and repair the broken wires. Therefore mainly messengers on foot or (motor) cycle are used as a safe way to deliver messages.
Sep. 20, 1944 (Wednesday)
The American attack in the direction of Hürtgen and Paustenbacher height makes slow progress.
The battalions advancing from Zweifall in the Gieschbach valley gain some initial success. Here most of the pillboxes are not occupied, therefore the objective is reached quickly. Before nightfall the spearhead of armor and infantry reach the edge of Deadman's Moor (Todtenbruch).
Fighting takes place in the streets of Stolberg.
Sep. 21, 1944 (Tursday)
End of the first battle for Aachen; the second battle takes place from October 2 until October 20.
Second assault of the Germans towards Schevenhütte is repulsed by American troops, inflicting heavy losses during house-to-house fighting.
Sep. 22, 1944 (Friday)
After the surprise withdrawal of the Americans out of Konzen and Imgenbroich on the ridge behind it and towards Mützenich, the Germans are in full control of the Monschau corridor. Besides a few skirmishes with recce patrols, the sector remains calm.
In the area of Schevenhütte, the Germans conduct energetic counter-attacks in order to halt a further U.S. advance towards the Wehebach valley. They actually stop the attack.
In order to strengthen their forces in Schevenhütte, the Americans break off their attack on Hürtgen. At Deadman's Moor, the American soldiers, inexperienced in forest fighting, suffer heavy losses as they fruitlessly try to knock out the well fortified pillboxes. Some of the pillboxes change owner a couple of times, however in the long run they remain in German hands.
In Stolberg the fight settles down to fixed-position warfare. Up to 11.16.1944, the main-combat line runs practically through the middle of the city.
Sep. 23, 1944 (Saturday)
By sending an assault gun brigade and the retraction of infantry units from the area around Losheim, the Germans strengthen their defense at Schevenhütte.
Heavy fighting continues in the area of Deadman's Moor.
German Armed Forces report: . . .
The supreme command of the armed forces announces:
.... strong enemy attacks in the region south-east of Aachen were pushed back after heavy fighting ....
12 tanks and armored reconnaissance vehicles were destroyed and several cannons were captured
Sep. 25, 1944 (Monday)
In order to reach Hürtgen, the Americans try to advance east over the Weiße Wehe.
Americans and Germans suffer high losses. The attack comes to a halt.
Embittered fights aimed at cutting off the road leading from Düren to the south towards Germeter. After high losses on both sides the American attack stalls.
Sep. 26, 1944 (Tuesday)
In the combat zone of Hürtgenwald, the Americans reach the Jägerhaus (Forestry House) at today's B 399 road between Germeter and Lammersdorf. They make an attempt to advance towards Kalltal but little terrain is obtained.
The American 9 Inf. Div. which is fixed in the swampy forest area of Todtenbruchs (Deadman's Moor), tries to link up with the other elements at the Jägerhaus. This only succeeds 3 days later.
Sep. 28, 1944 (Tursday)
There is some renewed action on the Hürtgenwald front.
The Americans strengthen their efforts to capture the Paustenbacher height near Lammersdorf.
Since September 19 Paustenbacher height is being attacked daily with increasing losses.
On this day the frontline stretches from:
south of Stolberg, north of Mausbach to a short distance from Gressenich, east of Schevenhütte to the south through the Wehebach valley towards Lammersdorf, further west towards Konzen and south towards Imgenbroich.
Monschau, Höfen, Alzen und Kalterherberg are already occupied by the Americans.
Sep. 29, 1944 (Friday)
A successful day for the Americans in the Hürtgenwald.
The contested link between Todtenbruch and the Jägerhaus is established.
Only a little later the Americans finally break through the last resistance of the German pillbox crews on the Paustenbacher height.
The surviving Germans are taken prisoner. Now not only Rollesbroich is in sight but also the road towards Simmerarth lies open for the Americans. The Americans are still able to enter Simmerath before darkness falls. However the Americans consider their forces too weak to hold this town, and pull out.
Due to this error the fights extended until February 1945 and many soldiers died.
The supreme command of the German Army Group B draws the balance:
Since the beginning of the invasion on D-Day, the German armed forces in the West lost 600,000 men (K.I.A., M.I.A., W.I.A. and POW's).
Oct. 01, 1944 (Sunday)
In the Wehebach valley and the area of Todtenbruch / Raffelsbrand, the Germans have used these past uneventful days for the reinforcement of their positions. Provisional foxholes have been topped with tree trunks and developed in to reinforced earth bunkers linked by trenches. In addition, the Germans have made extensive use of barbed wire, tree trunks and above all mines for the protection of their positions. All this makes the forest almost impenetrable.
Oct. 02, 1944 (Monday)
10.02 - 10.21.1944 Enclosure battle and conquest of Aachen (2nd Aachen battle).
In the Huertgen Forest, the period from 2.10 up to 5.10.1944 is one of relative peace.
Oct. 04, 1944 (Wednessday)
The 9th Inf. Div. again takes the initiative. First reconnaissance patrols are sent out, followed by strong artillery preparation fire on the area of Germeter / Vossenack. The objective, on the one hand, is Germeter, on the other hand the pillbox speckled area at "Oschenkopf" Hill, at the point where the L160 road from Rollesbroich / Kallbrück intersects with road #B399.
It is the goal of the Americans to cut off the main German supply line between Düren and the front.
German to English translation made by Scorpio and Christine Greenthaner.