Battle of Aachen

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Battle of Aachen

A GI machine gun crew (2d Battalion, 26th Infantry) in action against the German Wehrmacht in the streets of Aachen, Germany 15 October 1944

Date	October 1 – 22, 1944
Location	Aachen, Germany
Result	American victory

Combatants

Commanders

Strength

100,000 soldiers

12,000 soldiers

Casualties

2,000 dead,
3,000 wounded

5,500 dead or wounded,
5,600 captured

Siegfried Line Campaign
Moerbrugge - Market Garden - Nancy - Hurtgen Forest - Crucifix Hill - Aachen - Scheldt - Metz - Queen

Western Front (World War II)
France - The Netherlands - Dunkirk - Britain - Dieppe - Villefranche-de-Rouergue - Normandy - Dragoon - Siegfried Line - Market Garden - Aintree - Scheldt - Hurtgen Forest - Aachen - Bulge - Colmar Pocket - Plunder

The Battle of Aachen was a battle in Aachen, Germany that took place in October 1944 in World War II. At the time of this battle, there were only about 20,000 civilians living there, the remainder of some 160,000 inhabitants (1939 census) that had been evacuated by the German commander Gerhard von Schwerin to protect them from Allied attacks. When von Schwerin contemplated surrender to protect the city's artifacts from air raids, Hitler had him removed. Hitler then sent about 5,000 Volkssturm to defend the city, commanded by Gerhard Wilck.

The American commanders decided to besiege the city, and cut it off from supply and other essentials. However, the Germans had a different view. The city was important in German history, being the birthplace and coronation site of Charlemagne, and the home of the Holy Roman Empire (later called Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation), or what Hitler deemed the "First Reich". Moreover, this was the first major German city to face invasion, so Hitler ordered that the city be held at all costs.

Meanwhile, the US Ninth Army had been maneuvering north and south of the city, but eventually realized the Aachen garrison was a potential threat. The commanders decided to take the city directly. However, within the city they faced murderous urban warfare, advantageous to the Germans who were on their own ground and knew the city well. The American troops in the hardest fighting included the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the 26th Infantry Regiment of the 1st Division, supported by the U.S. 745th Tank Battalion. From the north, the 30th Division attacked.

The procession of German prisoners captured with the fall of Aachen marching through the ruined city streets.

However, the 30th Division took more than 2,000 casualties in a matter of days, and elements of the 29th Division were forced to join the fight. Eventually, the city was taken at a cost of 5,000 casualties on both sides, with an additional 5,600 Germans taken prisoner. Franz Oppenhoff was appointed by the Allies as the new Mayor of Aachen, but he was soon shot by Werwolf partisans spreading terror among the Germans desiring to collaborate with the Allies.