Hurtgen Forest

Deep in the Hurtgen forest, in Germany, American infantrymen move across a bridge.

U.S. National Archives, photos/signal corps archive/49538093176-U.S. Signal Corps

As you continue walking to your right, you will see the engraved name Hurtgen Forest. This was the site of intense fighting between American and German forces from September 19 to December 19, 1944, in a region straddling the border of Belgium and Germany. 

The forest’s dense, rugged terrain made it an unfavorable battleground—yet it became the longest single battle ever fought by the U.S. Army and the longest battle on German soil during the war. 

The campaign’s focal point was the Battle of Aachen, where German forces defended a network of fortified towns, pillboxes, tank traps, and minefields. The Americans sought to break through the Siegfried Line, Germany’s defensive barrier, before advancing deeper into the country. 

The Hurtgen Forest battle ultimately became the deadliest forest engagement of World War II. It also served as a staging ground for German forces preparing their final Western European offensive—the infamous Battle of the Bulge.