Hürtgenwald battlefield tour

[Gran Sasso]

I wonder what is the status of wartime items there,i mean lots of unexploded ammunition must be around those forrests.

Although I was not searching for stuff, I found the remains of an Wehrmacht ankle boot (and some splinters):

[Gran Sasso]

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[Willi Z.]

Will add a few photos which are different from those Patrick posted.

Here is the German veteran who took us on a tour of the entire area. He has focused for several decades on taking US Army officers on "staff rides."

[Willi Z.]

Here is the book the veteran wrote.

[Willi Z.]

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[Willi Z.]

Many of the bunkers still had their original camo paint.

[Willi Z.]

Trenchline.

[Ralph P]

Hey Willi - I am ready for some more pictures...

[Willi Z.]

One of the objectives of the campaign; the Schwammenauel Dam to the south of Schmidt.

[Willi Z.]

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[Den]

Thanks for sharing, and to think that I live about 35 km's away from the Hurtgenwald and never been there, but I made myself a promise to visit the 'wald' next spring.

reg. Den

[matthias_AC]

yeah, its really great there... in summer i always pass a lot of time there, riding my motor-bike.... beautiful landscape with exciting, but also sad history (perhaps a little bit too exciting, i often go hunting in the huertgenwald and have to argue about dozens of visitors not using the right path)!

there are still lying dead soldier, germans and americans, sometimes in our local newspaper i read about one being found (what of course makes me happy).

[Bobwirtz]

Well done Gran Sasso !! Another area i wanted to visted but ran out of time. Interesting area history wise and magnificent scenery , interesting battle in that it is not spoken about very often considering the amount of KIA approx 24,000 American troops dead & wounded one of WWII savage conflicts, the largely forgotten Battle of the Hurtgen Forest which was dubbed "The Death Factory" !! , a must see area next time round also a movie was done regarding this conflict called "When Trumpets Fade" but dont get to excited, movie was very average! Thanks for sharing Gran Sasso

There were many US Generals who should have been hung for this whole thing. These casualties didn't have to happen... the Allied forces should have bypassed this forest and pinched it off, trapping the German units inside. That's why it was covered up and not talked about until many years later when these generals died of old age!

Bob

[Chet Sowersby]

Patrick,
Your thread is almost eleven years old now and it is still a thread well worth viewing.

Chet

[John A.]

Sehr schönes!

Gran Sasso,

Wonderful thread!! Thank you very much for sharing this with us!
I would love to visit this area someday!
John