Some of the most brutally intense infantry combat in World War II occurred within Germany's Hrtgen Forest. Focusing on the bitterly fought battle between the American 22d Infantry Regiment and elements of the German LXXIV Korps around Grosshau, Rush chronicles small-unit combat at its most extreme and shows why, despite enormous losses, the Americans persevered in the Hurtgenwald "meat grinder," a battle similar to two punch-drunk fighters staggering to survive the round. On 16 November 1944, the 22d Infantry entered the Hurtgen Forest as part of the U.S. Army's drive to cross the Roer River. During the next eighteen days, the 22d suffered more than 2,800 casualties—or about 86 percent of its normal strength of about 3,250 officers and men. After three days of fighting, the regiment had lost all three battalion commanders. After seven days, rifle company strengths stood at 50 percent and by battle's end each had suffered nearly 140 percent casualties.

Foreword / John F. Ruggles. 1. Introduction -- pt. I. The Environment. 2. Terrain and Weather in the Hurtgen Forest. 3. The 4th Infantry Division and Its 22d Infantry Regiment: An Organizational History. 4. The LXXIV Korps and Its Subordinate Divisions: An Organizational History. 5. The American Soldier: Induction, Training, and Leadership Within the 22d Infantry Regiment. 6. The German Soldier: Induction, Training, and Leadership Within the LXXIV Korps -- pt. II. The Hurtgenwald. 7. Preliminaries to the Hurtgen Forest. 8. Into the Forest: The First Days (16-19 November). 9. Into the Forest: Toward Grosshau (20-24 November). 10. Grosshau: Battle for a Village (25-29 November). 11. Gey: To the Edge of the Woods (30 November-4 December). 12. The Aftermath of Hurtgen -- pt. III. Analysis. 13. Organizational Effectiveness. 14. What Kept the Soldier Fighting? 15. Conclusion -- Afterword / Earl W. Edwards.