The First Battle
by Rainer Monnartz
Oct. 6, 1944 (Friday)
At morning, the Americans in the Wehebach valley launch their for days prepared attack on the Hürtgen - Germeter area.
In spite of their numerical minority the defending Germans in the dense forest have the advantage, whereby the digging work of the past days pays off. After sustaining heavy losses, the U.S. attack comes to a halt on eastern slopes of the Wehebach valley. Also the parallel assault of the Americans from Deadman's Moor (Todtenbruch) in the upper Wehebach valley doesn't gain much terrain. Attack of the Americans from Lammersdorf toward the east and/or northeast.
Oct. 7, 1944 (Saturday)
The fights in the Huertgen Forest continue without tank support. Emerging from the upper Wehebach valley, the Americans can close in on Germeter but are repulsed later on. For the Americans the day ends without much successes.
Oct. 8, 1944 (Sunday)
In the Wehebach valley, just in front of Germeter, the Americans fight their way to free-up several supply roads, so that tanks immediately can intervene.
Oct. 9, 1944 (Monday)
Above the Wehebach valley, Richelskaul and great parts of Germeter and Wittscheidtfalls in American hands.
Oct. 10, 1944 (Tuesday)
German attack on Vossenack/ Germeter/ Wittscheidt.The municipality of Germeter remains in American hands.
Oct. 11, 1944 (Wednessday)
There is little movement in the Huertgen Forest; only in the vicinity of Peterberg (a hill between Todtenbruch and the Kall gorge, which is littered with pillboxes) heavy fighting takes place. For the time being, the Germans defend themselves successfully.
Oct. 12, 1944 (Thursday)
During the night of 10.11, the 275. Div (GE) "Regiment Wegelein" is sent in to support. Their leadership consists of proven experienced front officers and sergeants. The crews consist of officer- and NCO pupils in the age of 18 years.
Direction of attack: between Höhenstraße Monschau-Hürtgen and the valley of the Weissen Wehe.
At 07.00 o'clock, after a short artillery preparation, the Regiment commence their first attack, later in the afternoon followed by their their second attack. The attacks are repelled by the Americans. The Regiment loses 500 men, and the regiment commander Colonel Wegelein is killed.
The attack has effects on the Americans. For the time being it's not possible to launch an attack against Vossenack and Schmidt (because of the danger of a German flank attack).
Oct. 13, 1944 (Friday)
The attack of the Regiment Wegelein is stopped. Americans regain lost area.
Fierce fights in the area Raffelsbrand, Kevelaerberg and Peterberg.
Oct. 14, 1944 (Saterday)
There is still furious fighting going on against pillboxes in Germeter. The Americans use their famous tankdozers to push sand and dirt into the openings of the pillboxes.
Oct. 15, 1944 (Sunday)
After laborious fightings and suffering heavy losses, the Americans can take the hard contested Peterberg mountain, which is situated close to today's B 399 road between Todtenbruch and Kalltal.
Oct. 16, 1944 (Monday)
Aachen is finally enclosed.
For some days, the fights around Raffelsbrand/Germeter die down. The Germans maintained ground in Wittscheidt. The Americans did not succeed in breaking through to Vossenack. Both sides suffer enormous losses.
Oct. 17, 1944 (Tuesday)
German Armed Forces report: . . .
.... the heavy material battle around Aachen increased yesterday to a new high point.
With two new infantries and one armored division, supported by low flying attack planes,
the Americans tried to complete the enclosure of the city.
They succeeded in narrowing the connection to Aachen, but not to cut it off.
Thirty Americans ran over to our side...."
Oct. 18, 1944 (Wednessday)
Order for the formation of the Volkssturms. All men at the age between 16 and 60 years must register themselves. Untrained and and completely insufficiently equipped, they are sent into fight.
Eisenhower, Bradley & Montgomery confer in Brussels and discuss the best invasion route into Germany, after the conquest of Aachen.
At this meeting, the Allied leaders discuss the strategy of advancing on a broad front, "the Broad Front Strategy", and the build up along the Rhine River before launching the final thrust into the heart of Germany.
It is decided that Allied forces close up along the west side of the Rhine from the Reichswald to south of Bonn in November 1944 in order to then cross the Rhein in the spring of 1945.
Although the encirclement of Aachen takes place on 10.16.1944, the German armed forces report laconic mention:
German Armed Forces report: . . .
The supreme command of the armed forces announces:
.... in the material battle for Aachen, after a bloody 15 days struggle, the superior American and English* infantry and armored troops, succeeded to combine their pinch movement southeast of Würselen and penetrated from the southeast to the outskirts of the city.
The embittered fight continues...."
* Note: English infantry and armored troops were not involved in the battle for Aachen
Oct. 21, 1944 (Saturday)
The fight for Aachen has ended. The first city on German soil is lost.
Thereby the American forces for the employment in the Huertgenwald, bound in the fight for Aachen, become available.
German Armed Forces report: . . .
The supreme command of the armed forces announces:
".... after 19 days of bloody struggle and enormous material employment in the narrowest space, the courageous however encircled defenders of Aachen, also made yesterday strong attacks aigainst the northern part of the city, which for the last couple of weeks have suffered extensive destruction by American artillery fire and air raids.
Still embittered fighting is going on, man against man, around several individual building blocks.
Since 10 October, 25 tanks of the enemy are destroyed..."
| OKW/WFst/Op.(H)/West | In Staff |
| 10.21.1944 | Iia |
| 13:00 | IC |
| KTB | |
| Ia (Entw.) | |
| KR-Blitz
Last radio transmission from Aachen. Time: 11:30 "After fierce house to house, man to man fighting, Kampfgruppe (Battle group) Aachen fired his last ammunition. Water and food supply are used up. We defenders of the German emperor city are comitted in the final struggle. Radio device prepared for blow-up. We express our believe in the imperturbable faith of our right and our final victory of our loved German homeland..." 11:38 End of last radio transmission. |
|
| Nr.8701/UK geheim (secret) | OB.west röm.1a |
Excerpt of the last radio transmission from Aachen, 10.21.1944. Source: Bundesarchiv Koblenz
Oct. 22, 1944 (Sunday)
In the Huertgen Forest calm prevails before the storm.
German sentries observe continuous troop movements from the area Wahlerscheid, Alzen and Rohren in thedirection north. These are preparing measures for a planned American offensive at the beginning of November towards Vossenack and Germeter.
Oct. 23, 1944 (Monday)
German Armed Forces report: . . .
The supreme command of the armed forces announces:
....the resistance in Aachen was crushed by hostile supremacy....
Oct. 25, 1944 (Wednessday)
Americans and Germans make preparations for the battle around Vossenack and Schmidt.
For reinforcement into the north Eifel, the Germans can shift only an in Brandenburgstationed and refreshed VGD (Volks-Grenadier Division). On the other hand the Americanscan exchange their decimated 9th Inf. Div. with engineers, assault gun and tank units as well as artillery of the 28th Infantry Division. Major General Norman D. Cota is the commander of this division. The divisional headquarter of the 28 Th. Inf. Div. is set up in Rott.
- Vossenack and Schmidt
- the fortifications of the Siegfried Line in the area of Strauch/Steckenborn and
- the support of the southerly positioned units at the
Siegfried Line at Simmerath and Kesternich
Schmidt is considered as a strategic objective in the fight for the Eifel dams. Surprisingly, the Americans do not consider the possibility of cutting off the German troops on the west bank of the Rur. In order to prevent a German flank attack at their planned breakthrough across the Rhine plain to Cologne and Düsseldorf, the Americans launch the Hürtgenwald-Offensive, which is often considered nonsensical.
Regarding the long planned German Ardennes offensive (Battle of the Bulge), according to the German view, the defense of the north Eifel is strategically important, in order to prevent an American flank attack from the north.
Oct. 26, 1944 (Thursday)
Similarly as at the end of September, the German defenders use the relatively calm days of the last weeks of October, in order to further reinforce their defense positions, e.g. by reinforcement of shelters and road blocks, such as barbed wire entanglements or mine fields.
Oct. 28, 1944 (Saturday)
The German reconnaissance notices enormous American troop movements between Lammersdorf and Zweifall, this intensifies the activity of reconnaissance- and assault units along the whole length of the main front line. This is on American side always the preparation for a large attack.
Oct. 29, 1944 (Sunday)
Vossenack comes under heavy American artillery fire.
The intensified activities of the Americans continue.
Oct. 30, 1944 (Monday)
The planned attack on 10/30 on Vossenack and Schmidt is finally postponed until 11.2. The extreme rainfalls of October has transformed the battle field into a desert of mud. To make things worse the temperatures also drops to freezing point.The main reason for shifting the attack date lies in the fact that the Americans can't depend onclose air-support during this bad weather.
Nov. 1, 1944 (Wednessday)
The preparations for the attack on Vossenack and Schmidt are carried out energetically.
German to English translation made by Scorpio and Christine Greenthaner.