On this day in Military History - 21 October 1944

COL Sam Russell — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 07:36:11 -0400

Aachen becomes the first German city to surrender to allied forces.

On 13 October, troops of the 26th Infantry Regiment, part of Major General Clarence R. Huebner's 1st Infantry Division, assaulted the city proper. The fighting was bitter, with the U.S. infantry accompanied by tanks and self-propelled artillery to knock out German armor and reduce strong points. Fighting was house-to-house. Infantry blasted holes in the outer walls of buildings with bazookas and then cleared resistance room by room with small arms and hand grenades. Many Schutzstaffel (SS) troops died at their posts rather than surrender. When German troops west of Aachen tried to relieve the siege in hastily organized counterattacks, American artillery beat them back. Aachen was now completely surrounded, and gradually the German defensive position shrank to a small section of the western part of the city. Colonel Gerhard Wilck's efforts to break out of the city on 18 and 19 October failed, and he surrendered Aachen on 21 October.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sygzZKvQPy4

Battle For Aachen (1944)

Item title reads - Battle for Aachen. Germany. L/S of Aachen, various shots of guns firing and explosions in distance, dive bombers fire on the city. Sherman...

Response by PO3 Shaun Taylor made Oct 21 at 2014 11:33 AM

PO3 Shaun Taylor — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 11:33:39 -0400

Nice history lessen. Never even knew about this battle until today. I did like the video as well.