Forest in the eifel region of western germany. A forest that harbors the dark past. With a legacy still visible in isolated places. From the time when it was dubbed the green help. In the closing stages of the 2nd world war it was the scene of bloody fighting between the u. S. And German Forces. The path to the western allies advance from belgium into germany led straight through the forests around the village of field again. For locals the battle is still a key part of their history. Is to come to market was while riding around here on my bike as a teenager that i really came into contact with the history of the herd conformists its vision and boim and i would suddenly come across ruins among the trees of the park Massive Concrete walls. And when i asked my parents they told me they were the remains of bunkers from the 2nd world war. And once you know what to look for in this wartime landscape you can also see bomb craters trenches and foxholes. Stone slush or. If you really take the time you can find a lot of these world war 2 relics in the hood can forensic. For around 5 months the forest was the scene of successes bitterly fought battles between the american and german armies. Although the americans had more troops and were better equipped their attempt to drive the germans out of the forest was a military disaster. Progress was slow and costly as they became bogged down in the treacherous terrain. It was a nightmare i dont think there can be worst. It was awful it was phrasing. When these damn shells hit the top of the tree and came down in so fragmented it could kill anybody. I was in combat there for 10 days. At the height of the battle. I was trembling for practically the entire 10 days it was since i. Knew i could die of course. And i was terrified. An estimated 25000 american and german soldiers died in the forest. Those who live in the hurt forest it was a miracle. Here i am i dont know how i survived. The forest was a death trap for the u. S. Troops. They called it hurt can forest after the small village that was at the heart of the fighting. In the battle in the hertz going to fall it was one of the longest and deadliest battles on german soil in the west. It left a lot of scars not only on the inhabitants and their descendants but also on the landscape itself in the forest and on local buildings. For the german troops the war was in effect already long lost. I knew zeke you know. Even the young soldiers. Through those who could reflect. Didnt believe in victory. Nish. You just wanted to survive to come home safe and sound in the house or. But nazi war propaganda portrayed a completely different picture never going for im going to go from top 3 or 501 by if you can but look you couldnt find your film and it. Just didnt click of inver quantify that not everyone knew the allies would win the war and this was as we hear everything that happened in the hood going wagner meant just a minimal delay of the inevitable getting food for thought wonder what it wants to buy a guitar and it indirectly contributed to the continuation of the murders in the concentration extermination camps and in the prisons and other places. Until the very last 2nd of the 3rd reich is this was used by the game called. Since d. Day in june 1044 the western allied troops had been advancing from normandy through france and belgium towards germany. In the process liberating paris brussels and antwerp from nazi occupation. We were told through ordered to take the ground that very were wrong. They get away from. How we advance through to win the war we were the ones are going to work and not. On september 11th 944 the 1st us divisions reached the belgian german border near us and. More than 3 months earlier than expected. One day later the 3rd u. S. Armored division crossed into germany near the town of what can. We just went through the town i went on the other side then were going to the real trouble with the 1st. Sight of the seed weed line zeke freightliner was the defensive wall built to secure germanys western border we saw steel gates in the road and dragon steve that was the 1st dragon steve that were doing had seen. Antitank obstacles were known as dragons teeth they accompanied a line of bunkers stretching over 600 kilometers from the dutch border down to switzerland for western allied troops a formidable obstacle. Kind of an all for strong arms when they had no precise idea what to expect at the sick fried lawn. So the closer they got to the actual territory of the 3rd reich the more insecure they became with not because they thought they would still face strongly fortified and have only manned defensive positions. And the norm not the allies had been taken in by the nazi propaganda of the prewar years. Of this one so far of the American Military films excerpts from german propaganda films showing the sacred line is an insurmountable object to explain to its troops what they were up against. In the newest siding. As many as half a 1000000 men work as much as 20 hours a day to build a country 2000 fortified positions on land. A new madrid germans are building sig free line and not very. Were Holding Without would stop most that didnt happen. Because we broke through the free line we took a hell of a lot of crowds will do what we did but we knew that seeing free run. Was a bad place to go to as officials psychologically physically friedland was effective on both sides and what its military value in the actual fighting was very limited. U. S. Troops succeeded in breaking through the antitank barriers near hooking. But on the other side they met with stubborn resistance from german troops who were firmly dug in in the bunkers and in the woods. James cullen was wounded in the fighting near the village of aught. I got here. Trying to blow. When i looked i saw a blog pouring out right remarked one. Im not going to die here in a largely german field. Deadly a few weeks later collins parents back home received the news that their son had been wounded in action after being hit by shrapnel he was away from active duty for 2 months. With american troops progressing much faster than expected supply lines were stretched which in particular meant fuel shortages for tanks the advance ground to a halt just behind the german border. That gave German Forces time to rebuild their lines of defense until then the van last had only stationed isolated units in the northern life meanwhile preparations were underway for the fog storm old men and boys the home guard for germanys last ditch defense in a televised address propaganda minister yosef called on his compatriots determination. I would be if you left out the food but if you keep the fire the faster than 50. Feet of it. Youre not going to see the trees can go as usual goebbels was lying of course wooden about he claimed that the enemy was not yet on german soil although they were and he tried to mobilize any remaining forces but by months i was to be said that the german population were all too happy to go along with that they were tired of war and wanted it to be over supplied but they were also terrified of what the allies would do to them if they came and. The americans wanted to advance further into germany and finally see the war ended their aim was to reach the rhine and then we were industrial region but ahead of them plain dense forest almost 10 kilometers wide which blocked their path to health invite. In local villages the war had been all too present for several months especially due to the allied air raids on cities like. The civilians sought refuge in air raid shelters. Rational enough. There were constant air raid illiterates. And one day we came out of the bunker 6. 00 and 6. 00 buildings had burned down during the night the cattle were screaming the pigs were screaming the people were screaming it was awful 4th. In september 944 the villages were evacuated as the invading troops and the frontline came ever closer. And the small guns one morning our parents said we have to leave the artillery shells were landing all around them he lets that we were the last ones left and hotshot my parents said this is too much were going to leave to begin. Instead of going around the forest to the north the american commanders decided to advance eastward right through the middle where they hoped german defenses would be weak but they completely misjudged the terrain with disastrous consequences. The 1st push in october 944. 00 ended after just 3 kilometers. This is about its not as if the forests are alien to americans its always highly problematic for an army to fight and would have to rein in the camp. Was the scanner doesnt even ponce and im filled with wild fun kings cant just drive through forests and over a large tree and for fun. First you have to cut paths through them whats on. The ground was also littered with landmines and the americans ran into a chain of bunkers in the forest this was where the germans had dug themselves and. The americans were able to destroy some of the bunkers but after 10 days the. Losses on both sides were so great that the fighting died down for a while. Shortly afterwards American Forces further north achieved a decisive break through taking out an october 21st after fierce fighting it was the 1st german city to fall into allied hands. But this was a little help to the american soldiers in the nearby her to invite. As the autumn rains began the weather was worsening from one day to the next. The u. S. Troops were literally bogged down plans for a 2nd advance had to be repeatedly to late as one g. I. Later said anyone who says he knows where he been in the forest is lying. On november 2nd the americans attack the village of bossa knock and from there they took the villages of kama shite and schmidt via the car valley but once again they underestimated the difficult terrain some of the hills they had to cross were 150 meters high. Frenzy of on of the in when you reach the top of the hill your mediately experience the phenomenon of looking over the landscape from one plateau to another. But you have no idea how deep and steep the valleys in between are and here those are. The 28th u. S. Infantry division reached the village of smiths relatively quickly but then its supply lines were interrupted. When the design of the fossil record if you look at the fossil and schmidt with the valley in between the only link between them is a footpath that winds down into the valley and then up again on the other side of the unknowns out to be the all for strikes and the force of only conscious life of the americans thought the. Path would be easy enough to drive and walk along with that theyd be able to move the necessary troops vehicles heavy weapons and other supplies alongside us reduce the cost which Everything Else but that was nonsense and. The remains of tank tracks are a stark reminder that the battle for fasa knock and schmidt ended in disaster for the americans the invaders retreated in panic only for german units to cut them off down in the valley tanks crashed down the slopes and many soldiers collapsed from exhaustion. The battle in the car valley which the american subsequently referred to as death valley claimed countless lives on both sides. A few days after the defeat general dwight d. Eisenhower came to the hook invites to meet his troops on the ground and assess the situation neither the allied Supreme Commander nor his officers had expected so many casualties. The mood was despondent. The autumn of 1904 remained unusually wet and cold and the terrain became more and more impassable every day the americans hopes for a quick victory were fading. Because. They had already spent 2 months in the field confides the forests they had hoped to cross in just a few days. In mid november 1944 and the americans launched a 3rd offensive this time they try to advance by going further north passing through the villages of klein now and also home and then heading east. During the fighting a 22 year old Italian American from pennsylvania arrived in the hood can buy it in his youth he had hoped to become a photographer. We were there i would say amounts amount that in a war its a long time for the german artillery. Or since it just never stopped they really does. Thank you heartily if you know the days follow the same pattern. Began with heavy artillery fire from the americans. Who ponce are you then tanks were deployed sherman tanks which advanced on a broad front lines of 100. And then of course you could hear the shells and machine guns. On certain issues. That was the actual moment you realized there were other people nearby who were shooting at you. On the mention of you know to shes power for bake was sent to the hut converts with other young recruits in mid december to lay antitank mines. The u. S. Forces were constantly getting reinforced with more men and more vehicles and equipment but they were not prepared for the extreme weather conditions in the i phone. Whenever they got stuck in the forest they dug in. But fox holes offered little protection against the german actually and the cold onset of winter. In it would rain some time all the snow would melt and the fox 4 was always filled with water. 3 i was fortunate. To have this camera with me and i if you look at my pictures i have hundreds and hundreds of pictures of officers i didnt take those because i like that i took them to make them happy so that they would give me free them to take more pictures here now i tricked all of them. Are you for little boys. Rule on both the germans and the americans spent most of their nights in their fox holes in the woods poorly protected from the cold and wet with makeshift tarpaulin shelters. By transform the nature or around me into a dark room i would ask 3 of my best friends to let me use the metal part. Of the helmet and those became the trays for my darkroom at night i would mix my. Chemicals most g. I. s were all asleep i was working because the darkroom was only the night the the earth was the dark room you see. Tony the car out took hundreds of photos in the herd can bite although he waited over 50 years before publishing a selection of them. All i want to take with photographs photographs or graphs thats why i am here to they otherwise have already gotten killed a long time ago. Some of the fiercest fighting took place in a valley west of klein help them in the heart of the forest. In mid november author Ernest Hemingway was witness to the bloody battles there in his later novel across the river and into the trees based on his experiences he wrote it was a place where it was extremely difficult for a man to stay alive even if all he did was be there. In December Tony vaccaro also photographed his comrades preparing for the christmas season. Gift packages with canned food from home arrived for soldiers who had long since perished they began to give you this food. Jr eyes to the local people to the german. On december 16th 1944100 miles further south in the our den the germans launched a final surprise offensive once again the allies were hard pressed in this likewise heavily forested region and had to bring in reinforcements at short notice to stem the german advance many from the help invite. Grander than on the route you can even during the battle of the bolts the responding here but both of them are in the allies were very busy with the offensive further south are narcopolis 2 for this little 3 year as one of that meant there was a period of 2 or 3 weeks without any major combat with. Then the war returned to the hook invites in the course of january 945. 00 the americans managed to advance in the face of weakening german resistance the defeat in the our den counteroffensive had cost the defenders their last reserves. I particularly remember the 1st time i saw the americans. As prisoners of war and. Even i was amazed at how well fed they were. And they were clean and tidy including their uniforms. While we were a license ridin dirty rubble. Once the americans reached the rural not to be confused with a more famous similar sounding valley further north their way to the rhine and cologne was finally clear. The germans tried to blow up the dams to flood the valley and halt the u. S. Advance. But by now the end of the war seemed to be fast approaching. In february 945 u. S. Troops liberated soviet prisoners of war and forced laborers in the unknown spiner concentration camp. Many were also held under in human conditions at a 2nd camp near field can violate. Over 2000 inmates of these camps were later buried at the soviet war cemetery in xin a hot most of them had died of hunger and now treatment. Most of the towns and villages in the health can buy were barely recognizable after the fighting. The allied troops pushed on and within a few weeks had conquered the rhineland and the industrial ruler valley as they had vance towards berlin. The evacuated residents now hoped to be able to return to their villages. A movie when the americans passed through one of them asked us where we were from we said we were from schmidt he said he had fought there and we shouldnt go back there because the whole place was in ruins and the village had been mined but we said were going home and he would be in the house in the house. The fighting in the hurt in forest was over but the war had left a trail of destruction a ravaged landscape whose scars are still visible today. American soldiers began clearing the mines that were buried everywhere german prisoners of war were forced to help them. But they could only remove a small number of the deadly devices of that again and again wed hear this huge bang and another person flew through the air so many people lost their lives feel or feel that while those who claim a smidgen and one little girl had been playing with a hand grenade she thought it had perfume inside yet and yet the hand grenades had rings on them and when you pulled them you had to throw them away very quickly and. The girls hand was blown off. And the guns and thomas picked anoxic a very central aspect of the postwar experiences of People Living in the i thought it was that they actually had to rebuild their lives on a former battlefield and then cannot leave mccombs and children died because they played with munitions that it was dangerous to plow and cultivate the fields decided that this is a syndicate i want. The it took decades to clear the most severely affected parts of the forest of ordinance debris and the dead whod been left there would give us none of us an important. It would take the forest decades to recover. At the same time here by towns had been destroyed by air raids. In september 1945 almost returned home from the war. Even. After being the mobilized me and another guy all right and do not a Freight Train from barn at the beginning of september to throw from born crime and endure we looked at each other and i said martin is this really doing so mouthy since we were sure he said theres the sign post the last letter and that shield was a bit lopsided but it said doohan through. On their body and then we looked across the whole town it was one big pile of rubble and a missile salonen and soused some of you couldnt see a single building Still Standing near were snatched on those with orcon and the really depressing thing was this eerie silence here. He continued to his home village of course how unflawed. It had been almost completely destroyed during the fighting the locals resorted to scavenging amongst the wrecked american tanks. Cross the armory chrono some guy or hires the americans left behind lots of canned food that. Is are going to beef those canned corn beef was one of the main means of and here there were also soups and other kinds of meat on the fries hog noddys or. This is our corner but these tins of corn beef were big enough to make a huge part of soup for a large family. As hard are sometimes so temporarily they helped us to get more or less enough to eat. Almost right. In the 1st summer after the large parts of the woods that had survived the fighting would suddenly catch fire during the fighting the americans had used phosphorous in their ammunition which ignited very easily in the heat. Built by our home territory in my skin and didnt want to take the shock failed under lets increase facet feasible at the store this year fun in south africa unfolded and all about him calling him. On a leave of eason its not hard to make stuff up i dont give in he have a meta meaning for. And eduction means with the title is not yet its my got enough enough im still stunned i meet the safety thats going to end of beat up again about so much. About you he doesnt even factor our Council Meeting so long as i have failed understand many of the top and bottom are not long and hes taking this greatest via. The locals repeatedly found the bodies of dead soldiers in the forest i know youre there for her serves my bird myself and i dont need to explain what half rotten dead people look like on those. We have to take a deep breath mentally to when you do Something Like that. Smart. The 1st war cemetery in the area was built in force in iraq several years after the war. Many of the dead were recovered by former german army captain yule ios and us ones who dedicated the rest of his life to searching the forest for fallen soldiers. If you mention. Shove a 1000. 00 in the thought of before. You start the you go bargain by use its its is a pretty harsh and bites its you respond to my guns fairly mature mom most i would obvious really like if i get drunk on the under varying bit of that so its one would almost say again. That under the sense of when you bought your lips the events of fintan is seen as well by using. The war cemetery in force and became the last resting place for around 2300 dead soldiers and a Meeting Place for veterans and relatives of the german fallen. Another war cemetery was set up a few kilometers away in neighboring health and in 1982. Nearly 3000 soldiers are buried there many of them in an large brains. Since the americans did not want their soldiers buried in germany the former enemy many were laid to rest in the netherlands luxembourg or belgium at the Military Cemetery of all the schapelle for example. It was not until 4 decades after the battle that the 1st group of American Veterans returning to the help get to the place where they had fought as young men their body would be using understand why it became the murky as they call it or. The whole battle itself like like the man said this morning it was it was futile it was foolish but the fact remains it was done to satisfy the whims of a few or their superior officers and well we thought it had to be done well i didnt enjoy it at the time i dont mind being here now because. None of you fellows are wearing uniforms so. Its ok so far as thats concerned but. It was it was pretty different. Frame of the floor there is a commemorative events sometimes brought together american and german veterans former enemies. That set off their father. The battle also left its legacy in the forest itself. Over the subsequent years bomb disposal experts have frequently been called in to remove bombs hand grenades and other ordnance. The dangers that lurk here will continue to affect future generations in the region. Even now 75 years after the battle the war is still present in the ground of the health can forest. This is an area that has obviously not been like so many areas and there has been bought because you feel if nation is moved here you might still unearthing or nade by scratching away the top soil. Sometimes these things dont look like munitions at all the for example theres a german grenade that looks like a cigar but about the same size. But if it goes off youre a goner. In the 1st decades after the war hundreds of tons of ordinance were found in the forest every year. This footage from 1904 shows the yield of a search lasting 2 weeks. You have to imagine that here by now i mean in a single day in a single attack only the americans fired about 12000 grenades not fun at but 1st 1000. 1000 not 1250. 00 given the typical assumption that 15 percent of these are dogs then we have to assume that there are about 1500. 00 dogs in an area of 3 and a half to 4 hectors that. For a number of years now historical researchers have been studying the herd convert using the latest scientific methods theyve been able to reconstruct the course of the battle in places where this wasnt previously possible. Women here do divide could be to get and when you walk through the woods here. Of the battle at every turn when back in all the open spaces however all the former battlefield has been completely cleared for a comeback of vision other words we always see half of the battlefield as this is and we can see that here we are and in the chinese of im not. Were standing in what appears to be a completely level green field with nothing to indicate that were on a former battlefield. But in fact were in the middle of a highly fortified section of the german 2nd line of defense with. Many local people have kept the memory of the battle alive in addition to the german dead thousands of americans who had been sent to europe to end the nazi terror perished here although this is by no means clear everywhere. The most dangerous time its a march to take the memorial stones for american or german soldiers for example. The way they are treated on equal terms is actually quite questionable to god and. It ought to be made clear that the americans were fighting for something very different than the german soldiers but you find them dotted around the landscape without any commentary on. The forest is still frequented by people foraging around for relics of the battle and even today the area is a popular site among war enthusiastic but many locals are annoyed by these groups of individuals in american uniforms repeatedly reenacting scenes from the battle. In the. Much new town here will be simply its kind of like replaying the war. Some people even to go trenches here its. So they dont leave this commemorative landscape as it were. That there isnt its lot of course they dont shoot each other with live ammunition but people still find it fascinating. I take a critical view because there were so many fatalities here whether its fun or not is beside the point. Today there are now signs for walkers and hikers in various places telling the story of the battle of the hurt can forest they also remind us of its importance for the western allies advance through germany but the help get invites will probably never be a normal forest again certainly not now some 75 years after the battle. I went back to the hercules forest. Maybe 10 years ago i cried like a baby because i suddenly remember my best friend got killed in her trip chorused it was ugly ugly for mankind to to have a war its the trouble that mankind makes is that he thinks hes italian hes german hes spanish we were all young. And this video. Paradise is our earth. Beyond. Europe. What unites. Them and what divides. The world looks driving force. What binds the continent together. To answers and stories about once each. Spotlight on people. In some. 30 minutes on d w. Illusions of influence. Our perception our thinking and our actions. Were willing to change attractive appearances and to follow suit easily fail to see the danger of what happens when the bubble. Its time for clarity made in germany. 90 minutes on to. Assist in the arms. Are always a symbol of a long conflict in the philippines between the muslims and the christian population. Instructors occupied the city center in 2017 president due to his response was. This is not the kind of freedom that we. Did morrow we become a way to islamist terror. An exclusive report from a destroyed city. In the sights of fire starts may 20th on d. W. This is news and these are our top stories germany has announced a further easing of coronavirus lockdown measures zoos religious services playgrounds and museums will be allowed to reopen soon under certain conditions but large gatherings remain banned until the end of august. Germany has banned the iran backed Hezbollah Group and declared it a terrorist organization the move is in addition to a 2013 e. U