Hell in a Dark Wood

Some parts of WWII history are often "forgotten", such as the period between the liberation of Paris.... and the battle of the Bulge. How did the US Army endup in the Hell that was the Hurtgen Forest and what inept senior leadership blundered in their operational planning and produce a static bloodbath of so many fine divisions at the peak of their abilities. Most know the story - but this article is well worth a read!
"Suddenly, rounds from German howitzers whooshed downward and slammed into the ground, causing it to shake like an earthquake. For the next half hour, the Germans pummeled the town with their heavy artillery. When the big guns stopped, the American riflemen heard the clanking of tanks. The woods were soon alive with German infantry. The deadly krump of mortars and the chatter of machine guns filled the air.

GIs armed with bazookas tried in vain to stop PzKpfw.IV and PzKpfw.V Panther tanks. Their shells bounced harmlessly off the steel monsters. The tanks roamed at will through the town, hunting Americans in houses or in foxholes. “The tanks … had smashed through the two forward company positions and broke them all to hell,” said Captain Guy T. Piercey, commander of a weapons company. “The situation was bad.”"