America's Stalingrad: Battle of Aachen | Animated History

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Sources:
Battle of the Bulge / Battle of Germany. Directed by Don Horan. A&E Television Networks, 1983.

DiMarco, Louis A.. Concrete Hell : Urban Warfare from Stalingrad to Iraq. London: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2012.

Felton, Mark. Aachen 1944 - America's Mini Stalingrad. 2019.

Kingseed, Cole. From Omaha Beach to Dawson's Ridge : The Combat Journal of Captain Joe Dawson. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 2013

The Big Picture: Battlefields of Yesterday. Films On Demand. 2008.

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[TheArmchairHistorian]

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[nocturnalrecluse]

I had a great uncle who fought in that battle. He ended up shooting a pregnant woman before she could shoot him as he was ordered to clear a basement where she was ordered to defend. The incident haunted him for life. My grandmother used to tell me how he would break down and sob every time her mother used to ask him to fetch something from the basement (post-war). They are all gone now. I miss them so much.

[martynhladyk]

My Grandfather had fought in this battle. He was part of the 9th Infantry Division. He never talked about it and would jump up whenever he hears a car breaks down. I couldn't imagine what carnage he must of went through and survived this ordeal. He was captured by the Vichy-French in Morrocco and escaped during a sand dune in North Africa and was picked up by the British in 1942. In 1943, he participated in Sicily and Italy. Then in he was on 2nd wave on D-Day in Utah Beach, Normandy. And realising he also went through this battle in October 1944. In Memory of Staff Sergent Martin J. Lunde 1913-2000.

[jasondouglas]

You should make a video on the other American Stalingrad the battle of Manila. It was the only major urban battle of the Pacific war and it was very interesting seeing the fight happening in a very American looking city.

[Mr_M_History]

You have no idea how much guys like us look up to the Armchair Historian, absolute king!

[Metalbirne]

I was born in aachen and I know the stories my now dead grandma told me about the siege of aachen. She told me that one time allied bombers flew over the city and didn't drop bombs but flyers. She said the message on the flyers read "Aachen im Loch, wir kriegen dich doch!" which translates (trying to keep to rhyme) to "Aachen in the hole, we will swallow you whole!". Very strange feeling I had while watching the video because I know every city and location named in it personally.

[quincyantares]

Fun Fact : The Germans never considered Battle of Aachen "The Stalingrad In the West". That Distinction Belongs to the Battle of Falaise Gap during Normandy Campaign when when 80, 000-100, 000 German Troops Captured during Encirclement in The Falaise Gap prompting the surviving German troops and the Generals called the disaster "The Stalingrad in the West".

[danielnavarro]

Another "Stalingrad" is the Canadian involvement in the Battle of Ortona. This was fought in December of 1943 and showed the Canadians how brutal the Italian Campaign would be.

[noahconnor]

I’m always blown away at how well you construct your videos, people like you keep the love and interest of history alive. The history channel blows.

[supercraftemperor]

As someone who lives near Aachen and visits it often (I live in Heerlen, The Netherlands), it's sad to hear that a lot of the city has been shelled. Though the Dom still stands and is incredibly interesting with it's history of the city and Charlemagne. Oh and if you're nearby at christmas, don't forget to visit the christmas market. It's a load of fun!

[Bärchenland]

I went to university in Aachen. On my way home i would regularly buy food for a homeless guy and chat with him. He told me one day, that he was the sole survivor of the execution of 8 boys of the Hitlerjugend by Waffen-SS. All not even in puberty at the time. The firing squad only wounded him and took off. Messed him up for life.

[randommapping]

I'm from Aachen (Stolberg), my great grandparents always used to tell me about bombs being dropped and that they had to hide in a little house with a basement in the woods.

[VikingVic]

My grandfather was a mechanic and a wrecker driver for the Big Red One. He had some interesting stories about the French Farmers going to the American camps and giving up Nazis hiding in their Barns.

[Blckmnk]

The scars of WW2 are still visibe in teh region here. Right next to the Aachen cathedral, a smaller church still has bullet holes in its pillars, both outside and inside the church. I am currently living in Aachen, near the cathedral, while my father was born in '39 and lived in Übach-Palenberg, so he had experienced the fights as a child. Also, I was super impressed by how good you pronounced the names of towns and cities. Most non-native german speakers really struggle with our pronounciation.

[gunsbeersmemes]

One of the best movie quotes, to describe German fanaticism, is from Saving Private Ryan. "They just...didn't want to give up those 88s"

[jacobjones]

70% of the american men were replacements most of whome had only ever been given basic training. The american tankers were arriving to their new units without ever driving a car before let alone a tank. Their commanders or more trained units would have to teach them combat before missions

[ElBandito]

Battle of Hürtgen Forest was also a nightmare. It really Hürt the Allies.

[johnnybadboy]

4:49 Wow, you really nailed the Aachen skyline! You could've just thrown in a stock picture of a German city, but you drew Aachen! I love the detail!

[TR-qsqc]

Sad fate for such a long established city.
Such as history, time, and current events...
Thanks for your work.

[robvoncken]

I live pretty close to Aachen, its still a beatifull place. I remember my dad said they would go up on hill near ubach over Worms at night and watch Aachen get plastered. They were very merry about it