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September 14, 1944 – December 16, 1944 · World War II

Battle of Hürtgen Forest

3 Medals of Honor were earned in the Battle of Hürtgen Forest (September 14, 1944 – December 16, 1944). Result: German victory.

3Medals of Honor
2posthumous
German victoryresult
Date
September 14, 1944 – December 16, 1944
Location
North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Result
German victory
Part of
World War II
Conflict
World War II

About the battle

The Battle of Hürtgen Forest (German: Schlacht im Hürtgenwald) was a series of battles fought from 19 September to 16 December 1944, between American and German forces on the Western Front during World War II, in the Hürtgen Forest, a 140 km2 (54 mi2) area about 5 km (3.1 mi) east of the Belgian–German border. Lasting 88 days, it was the longest battle on German ground during World War II and it is the second longest single battle the U.S. Army has ever fought after the three-month-long Battle of Bataan. The U.S. commanders' initial goal was to pin down German forces in the area to keep them from reinforcing the front lines farther north in the Battle of Aachen, where the US forces were fighting against the Siegfried Line network of fortified industrial towns and villages speckled with pillboxes, tank traps, and minefields.

From the Wikipedia article “Battle of Hürtgen Forest”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Result, date and location from the article’s infobox and Wikidata.

Medal of Honor recipients (3)

Where it happened

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.