The battle for Aachen was a well fought victory. The American forces used mobility and maneuver to envelope the objective. German forces were sucked in in a futile attempt the relieve the situation.

By contrast the lessons learned at Aachen were lost in the battle that followed. The Huertgen campaign was a monumental cockup.

Ernest Hemmingway described it as "Passchendaele with tree bursts".

In terms of defeat, the Huertgen should be compared with Market Garden. While the latter was a bold move that failed, the former was a poor plan that was doomed to failure. While the latter could not be stopped once put in motion, the former ground on for month after month, achieved little or nothing and cost as much in terms of casualties. Why the American high command continued the campaign in true World War One spirit is a question that should be addressed.

Some good references can be found in "GI Offensive in Europe" by Peter R Mansoor.

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