Forbidding place is a scene of one of the fiercest, bloodiest and least known battles of world war ii. Welcome to war stories. Im oliver north, coming to you from the huertgen forest in germany. These densely wooded hills are quiet now, but from september of 1944 until february of 1945, they thundered with artillery, mortar, machine gun, and tank fire. American generals that hoped for a quick push into germanys industrial heartland, but battle hardened troops were determined to hold their ground. For five months, tens of thousands of american and german soldiers battled each other and harsh terrain and bitter cold that claimed combatants on both sides. With shells bursting in these trees above, well prepared and tenacious german defenders turned the american offensive into a nightmare. For every yard gained, this was the deadliest campaign in the european theater. Stay with us and meet the men, both american and german, who fought to the death in this dark and frightening forest. Its s