Garand Picture of the Day #110 - Respite in the Hürtgen

[mojalajab]

Mark asked me to post today's picture as he is out of town on business. Enjoy.

In the Hürtgen Forest, four exhausted soldiers take a break from the action. November 18, 1944.

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[Mark in Rochester]

Mojalajab Thank you for the coverage

Mark

[hammer51]

This picture was used on the inside cover of Charles Whiting's book "The
Battle of Hurtgen Forest". This battle was a very long, costly one for both
our troops as well as the Germans. Gen. James Gavin, 82nd Airborne CG
said of this battle, "For us the Hurtgen was one of the most costly, most
unproductive, and most ill-advised battles that our army has ever fought."
I wonder what the outcome would have been if we had bypassed that patch
of woods.
Thanks for posting this picture.

[Bruce Koligian]

Charles MacDonald mentioned in "The Battle of the Huertgen Forest" that the Germans did indeed suffer terrible casualties but were obtusely pleased with the knowledge that we would squander so many casulaties in such a futile battle. General Gavin was correct. I visited Monshau last December and was amazed at the ruggedness of the terrain. It made that of the Ardennes (a truly horrible place!) almost look tame. Then again, hindsight is 20-20, and what if this battle, started on the same day as Market Garden, had succeeded? BK

[Bob Womack]

I seem to remember an account of Patton visiting this site on his way by a little later and being in a rage. His superiors used to get apoplectic about Patton being to close to the front. However, after looking at the single path and the bypass road that would have added only about 30 miles to the drive he knew that this was clearly a case of the commanding officer being too far to the rear and commanding from a map.

Bob

[George Sr.]

Patton had his share of mistakes too, namely Metz.

[Louis of PA]

Mark asked me to post today's picture as he is out of town on business. Enjoy.

In the Hürtgen Forest, four exhausted soldiers take a break from the action. November 18, 1944.

We too wore galoshes and hated them; they scrubbed the polish off of our boots requiring another lengthy session to prepare for inspections.

[PeteDavis]

Hell.

[MontaukTrl]

My grandfather participated in the Hurtgen Forest Battle. Just about every time he told a story about it he teared up a little, and he didn't do that about any other action he saw. (He was at Utah Beach on June 6 and served all the way through).

[mojalajab]

My grandfather participated in the Hurtgen Forest Battle. Just about every time he told a story about it he teared up a little, and he didn't do that about any other action he saw. (He was at Utah Beach on June 6 and served all the way through).

Ernest Hemingway compared the Hurtgen forest to the British Offensive in Paschendale during World War I. Many of the opposing German generals also compared the battle to those of 1917-18 and von Gersdorf said it was more horrendous than any he experienced on the Russian Front. What unit was your grandfather in?