Hürtgen Forest 1944 (1)The first part of a detailed study of one of the longest, and most brutal, tactical operations of World War II. In September 1944, the Allied High Command continued to press eastwards towards the Rhine, the thrust being spearheaded by Courtney Hodges' US First Army. Their proposed line of advance was through a wooded area south of Aachen, known locally as the Hrtgenwald or Hrtgen Forest. Opposing them were the German forces under the overall command