Battle of Aachen
1944 major conflict of World War II / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Battle of Aachen was a major battle of Second World War. It was fought by American and German forces in and around Aachen, Germany, between 2–21 October 1944. The city was part of the Siegfried Line, the main defence line on Germany's western border. The Allies had hoped to capture it quickly and move into the Ruhr area.
Quick Facts Date, Location ...
Battle of Aachen | |||||||
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Part of World War II | |||||||
GI M1919 machine gun crew in action against German defenders in the streets of Aachen on 15 October 1944 | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
United States | Nazi Germany | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Leland Hobbs Clarence R. Huebner Courtney Hodges | Gerhard Wilck | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
100,000 soldiers |
13,000 soldiers 5,000 Volkssturm | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
5,000 casualties[1] |
5,000 casualties 5,600 prisoners[1] |
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Most of Aachen's civilian population was moved out before the battle began. Much of the city was destroyed and both sides had heavy losses. It was one of the largest urban battles fought by U.S. forces in World War II.
It was the first city in Germany to be captured by the Allies. The battle ended with a German surrender, but their defense slowed down Allied plans to advance into Germany.[2]