The battle caused numerous casualties on both sides. The Hürtgen Forest consisted of thick woodland, bare hilltops and deep gorges. Heavy rain, snowfall and a lack of roads made it extremely difficult to penetrate. The battle proceeded from mid-September 1944 to mid- February 1945, and ended with an Allied victory.

For the American G.I.s, the very name – with it’s first syllable, ‘hurt’– became a byword for injury and death. To this day, hundreds of soldiers on both sides remain unaccounted for, and their remains continue to be found.