Cover art for Hurtgen Forest 1944 (1)
Published
Osprey Publishing, July 2025
ISBN
9781472862297
Format
Softcover, 96 pages
Dimensions
24.6cm × 18.4cm × 1cm

Hurtgen Forest 1944 (1) The US First Army's Route to the Rhine

Not yet released
Due July 29, 2025.
Fast $7.95 flat-rate shipping!
Only pay $7.95 per order within Australia, including end-to-end parcel tracking.
100% encrypted and secure
We adhere to industry best practice and never store credit card details.
Talk to real people
Contact us seven days a week – our staff are here to help.

The first part of a detailed study of one of the longest, and most brutal, tactical operations of World War II.

In September 1944, the Allied High Command continued to press eastwards towards the Rhine, the thrust being spearheaded by Courtney Hodges' US First Army, whose proposed line of advance was through a wooded area south of Aachen, known locally as the Hurtgenwald - or Hurtgen Forest. On the opposing side, the German forces under the overall command of Walter Model would do all they could to defend the Reich, but also maintain a staging post for the forthcoming Battle of the Bulge.

Fought in brutal terrain - heavily wooded, riven with razor sharp ridgelines and precipitous cliffs, and with a woefully inadequate road network - and in all elements, the Battle of Hurtgen Forest was a grinding and protracted encounter where gains were measured in feet and yards and not miles. This study explores the first phase of this bloody battle, including the 'Aachen Question' facing the Allies. Featuring stunning artwork, detailed maps and diagrams, and period images, this book provides a gripping narrative of the infamous clash in the Hurtgen Forest, concluding with an assessment of the situation in November 1944, and the preparations for the next phase of operations.

Related books