(4TH INFANTRY DIVISION) IN THE HURTGEN FOREST,
GERMANY, 16-22 NOVEMBER 1944
(RHINELAND CAMPAIGN)
By Lieutenant Colonel James W. Haley
THE DIVISION SITUATION
The relief of the 4th Infantry Division by the 9th Infantry Division in the area of Büllingen, Belgium was completed on 6 November. The division began moving north to VII Corps zone that night. The movement was classified secret and all divisional insignia were removed from personnel and vehicles. All personnel were informed of the importance of security and instructed not to reveal their organization or destination. At 1500 on 6 November the 12th Regimental Combat Team was attached to the hard-pressed 28th Infantry Division and moved at once to relieve the 109th Infantry just south of the village of Hürtgen. The 8th Regimental Combat Team moved on the night of 7-8 November and went into assembly areas in VII Corps zone about 3500 yards east of the village of Zweifall. (See Map C) The 22nd Regimental Combat Team moved on the night of 8-9 November to complete the move of the Division. 13
The 12th Regimental Combat Team was relieved from attachment to the 28th Division on 10 November and moved to assembly areas in VII Corps zone that night. Once again the "Famous Fourth" was assembled and preparing for the attack. 14
There followed a period of inactivity while waiting for the weather to clear. This period was characterized by the efforts of the troops to keep warm. The assembly areas assigned to the 8th Infantry contained no buildings or shelter of any kind except for an occasional pill box and these were used for regimental and battalion command posts. Log cabins were constructed for protection against the weather and long range artillery, stoves were improvised and the command settled down to waiting for the day when they would once again move to the attack. 15
The mission of the 4th Infantry Division, which was to attack on the right of VII Corps zone, was "to seize the crossings of the Roer River near Düren and to the south of this city and be prepared to assist the advance of the 1st Infantry Division in the capture of Cologne." (See Map B) 16
The plan of attack of the Commanding General, 4th Infantry Division, was to have the three regiments advance abreast, the 8th on the left, the 22nd in the center and the 12th on the right. The initial objective was to cut the Hürtgen-Düren highway. (See Map C) The regiments whose sectors were very narrow were to attack in a column of battalions. 17
