| Battle Of Aachen |
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The Battle of Aachen was a battle in World War II that took place in October 1944 in the German city of Aachen . At the time of this battle ( 1944 ), 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 cities 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 of Charlemagne , and the home of the Holy Roman Empire , 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, they realized the Aachen garrison was a potential threat. The commanders decided, after all, to take the city directly. However, within the city, they faced murderous Urban Warfare , which was 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 745th Tank Battalion. From the north, the 30th Division attacked. However, the 30th Division took over 2,000 casualties in a matter of days, and elements of the 29th Division were forced to come and help. Eventually, the city was taken at a cost of 5,000 casualties on both sides, with an additional 5,600 prisoners on the German side. EXTERNAL LINKS |
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