Editing Siegfried Line campaign (section)

====Hürtgen Forest====
{{main|Battle of Hürtgen Forest}}
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-J28303, Hürtgenwald, schweres Infanteriegeschütz.jpg|thumb|German troops defending the Hürtgen in November 1944.]]

[[Hürtgen Forest]] was seen as a possible location for incursions into the American flank, and the river dams in the area were a threat to the Allied advance downstream, so the Allies launched an assault to clear the area of German resistance on 19 September 1944. German defence was more stubborn than expected and the terrain was highly favourable to defence, largely negating the American advantages of numbers and quality of troops. The battle—expected to last a few weeks—continued until February 1945 and cost 33,000 casualties (from all causes).

The value of the battle has been disputed. Modern historians argue that the outcome was not worth the foreseeable losses, and in any case, the American tactics played into German hands.<ref>Weigley (1981), pp. 364–369</ref>