Hürtgenwald battlefield tour

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Although the 5-month battle for the so-called "Hürtgenwald (Huertgen-forest) caused the highest toll in losses for the US-army in WWII, not much is known about those fightings.

Some days ago I had 2 days to spent in that area, so I took the chance to visit it for the first time - enjoy my 33 pics:

Nov. 4 1944: To leave the already bloody rolling countryside of the Hürtgenwald, and to reach the "Rhein-Ebene", the flat open area leading to the Rhein-river, the 112th US-Inf.-Div. started their attack on the small village "Schmidt" with its important crossraods. They were supported by 5 M4 "Shermans", the 1st platton of company "Alpha", 707th tank battalion. The leading tank was commanded by second lieutenant Raymond E. Fleig.

They decided to take the direct "road", which instead was only a better forest-raod, in some areas not more than a foothpath. Also, on their bad maps the deep ravine of the "Kall-Tal" (Kall-river valley) was not marked.

1) The attack started on the south-east edge of the village "Vossenack", at "Stumms´s Krüzche" (Stumm´s cross) erected in 1880. The cross was totally destroyed during the fierce battles, today the shrapnell damaged basement is built-in a new monument:

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2) The start of the so-called "Kall-trail", the village of "Kommerscheidt", suburb of "Schmidt", the objective, is visible on the skyline:

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3) A knocked out M10 tank-destoyer besides the "Kall-trail". It was not meant to reach "Schmidt", but used as artillerie, together with some 5 or 6 others.

According to a german veteran, they stop so clearly visible in the open field, that all went up within hours, knocked out by german artillery, located at "Kommerscheid" - "Look, another one is burning":

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3) - now:

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4) The descend starts:

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5) reaching the woods, the trail was so steep, there was no turning back (view back):

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6) Here the leading M4 "Sherman" hit a mine and lost its tracks. The following M4s used 2nd Ltn. Fleig´s wreck as an ancor, and with winches and steel ropes they were able to pass the road-block. Later it was pushed from the trail to the valley on the left.

Note the scar on the tree in the foreground, caused by one of the M4s:

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7) 2 foxholes besides the trail:

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8) another view of the foxholes, with the steep trail in the background:

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9) Hard to imagine, Fleig´s M4 (he took over the leading tank) came down that way - only one made it that far, he will reach "Kommerscheidt", but was pushed back by the germans:

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10) Before the attack, this rock blocks the trail, it was only passable by foot:

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11) American pioneers had blown the rock, the blown pieces are still visible beneath the track:

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12) A few meters down, looking back to the rock (the tracks are from M4´s which had taken part in later attacks):

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12) Now - the earty path on the left is leading to a first aid post, which becomes famous by the painting "A time for healing", wich could be seen in the national gallery in Pennsylvania.

All but one M4 track have long gone, more later...

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13) Reaching the base of the valley, a "local" guarding the important "Kall-Brücke":