Huertgen Forest (World War II).

Huertgen Forest, how many men killed are we looking at?
Oh, easily about 50 000.

Well, when the allies entered France and Belgium, everything seemed OK.
But in Germany there was a massive forest.

Actually they could have gone around the forest,
But nope, orders were they have to go right through it.

a reply to: halfoldman
The trouble with "going round" is that it is always dangerous to leave enemy forces behind you, where they can attack your flanks or even your rear.
That factor controlled the shape of the battle of Waterloo. It is the reason why Napoleon spent so much time trying to take Hougoumont.

Hopefully very few today will experience the true horrors of war.

Ike when he saw the concentration camps was so mad he refused to meet any of the surrendering German commanders.

Dad fought in the Battle of the Bulge and some of his worst memories were being shelled in the forest because as the video said the shells hit the top of the trees and would rain death to those down below. Cold mud and death for so many on both sides all because of a few mad crazy men.
youtu.be...

youtu.be...

a reply to: halfoldman

Actually they could have gone around the forest,
But nope, orders were they have to go right through it.

I won't defend the leadership of the Eisenhower-Bradley-Hodges team. They may have had individual strengths, but none of them were, contrary to popular legend, great military leaders. They got the job done is about the best one can say. But ...

two things have to be considered here. One is that "going around" was not an option. To the south was the Ardennes-Eifel forest hill mass, itself poor terrain for breakthrough operations. To the north were the Peel Marshes and the start of the canal-and-poulder-country of the Netherlands. In summary, the terrain in that part of Europe was very well suited to defensive operations.

The other thing that needs to be noted is that in late summer and early fall 1944, the Allied supply situation was not good at all. That did not improve until the Scheldt Estuary was cleared in November 1944, and only then did the supply situation approach 'normal' levels as expected by the offensive doctrine of the day. Heavy artillery had been left behind during the dash across France and Belgium because of transportation and fuel shortfalls. And the combat units, particularly the rifle units, were low on manpower because planners had really underestimated the staggering magnitude of infantry losses in the Normandy campaign.

All that meant the First U.S. Army was primed for failure when it attempted to push into the Hürtgen Forest. For the part of the Germans, they were desperate to hold that terrain because the space behind the Eifel was needed to amass the force they planned to use in the Ardennes. Top planners believed the winning route in an invasion of Germany was across the north German plain to Berlin, so First Army fed division after division into the Hürtgen while the Germans threw whatever they could spare into the battle as well. Result was a lot of losses on both sides.

Cheers

a reply to: halfoldman

Totally amazing watch halfoldman thanks so much for posting it oh dear what's wrong with the human beings plus loved the final speech from the camera guy

Awesome man thanks for posting

a reply to: halfoldman

They done a Mans job that's for sure.

But if they did not meet them in Huertgen forest they would simply have had to face the Germans in urban warfare which is/was about just as dangerous as fighting in the forests where they did i suppose.