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Hurtgen Forest - Germany
Near Duren, Germany, American Infantrymen, carrying
heavy weapons on their backs, give one another a helping
hand as they climb a steep trail. Co. I. 3rd Bn., 8th Regt,
4th Armored Div., 11/18/44.
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I saw a special on TV about that battle. I remember one old vet saying it took years and years before he could tolerate the smell of Christmas trees, because it reminded him of the hell he went through in the Hurtgen forest.
I hiked the Kall trail a few years back. It was the main effort crossing the steep valley between Vossenack and Scheidt. Narrow 15' wide, steep with a dropoff on the side. I could never imagine how they expected to get tanks down that track..
Patton surveyed that one after the battle and drew the conclusion that the results were entirely due to the commanding officer being remote from the battlefield and out of touch with the terrain. It was something Patton was never guilty of.
Bob