bigpigeon.us webpage WWII-Germany > The ETO > War of Attrition, © 2023 by Robert A. Christiansen, updated by RAC 31 Dec 2022.
ETO ground operations from mid-September to mid-December 1944 consisted of lengthy and hard-fought battles with modest gains.
Links to Big Pigeon's The ETO > War of Attrition subpages:
Because of the extent and length of the War of Attrition, this submodule is divided into sections for The Netherlands, Germany, and France.
The Situation in the ETO, Mid-September 1944
After the precipitate withdrawal of German forces from most of France and Belgium in the late summer of 1944, an early end to World War II in Europe seemed possible.

​Unfortunately, this was not the case. 
  • Allied  supply needs outstripped supply line capabilities.​
  • The German Army reorganized behind the Siegfried Line, also known as the West Wall, a line of fortifications and obstacles shown in red on the accompanying map.
  • German surrender was impossible due to the degree of control exercised by Adolph Hitler.​

Thus the Western Front in the fall of 1944 became a war of attrition, with numerous Allied attacks, several Allied defeats, and a few German counterattacks. Casualties were heavy and gains far less than during the late summer.
The ETO - 15 Sep 1944
The Allied Front, 15 September 1944
Summary of ETO Gains, Mid-September - Mid-December 1944
In the northern sector, Allied gains in the southern Netherlands resulted from:
  • Market Garden, where the British Second Army, supported by Allied parachute units, attempted an end run around German fortifications.
  • The October offensive by the Canadian First Army to clear the sea approaches to Antwerp.
  • Extending Allied positions east to the Maas/Meuse river.
In the middle sector, the US First Army's partial penetration of the Siegfried Line resulted in:
  • The capture of Aachen.
  • The horrendous battles in the nearby Hürtgen Forest.
  • The bloody advance to the west bank of the Roer River east of Aachen by the US First and Ninth Armies.
Further to the south, the US Third Army:
  • Eventually captured the fortress complex of Metz.
  • Liberated most of the remainder of Lorraine.
  • Began attacking the Siegfried Line, which ran in a northwesterly direction along the Saar River in this area.
Still further south, the US Seventh and French First Armies:
  • Liberated southeastern Lorraine and most of Alsace, with the notable exception of a German salient called the Colmar Pocket.
ETO Gains - Fall 1944
ETO Gains - Fall 1944
Shown on the following maps are the Allied gains from September 15 to December 15 of 1944. 
ETO Changes, Sep - Nov '44
ETO Changes, Mid-September - Mid-November 1944
Scalable Version
ETO Changes, Nov-Dec '44
ETO Changes, Mid-November - Mid-December 1944
Scalable Version
Looking ahead: Unlike the earlier battles of attrition in Normandy in June and July of 1944, which ended with an Allied breakthrough and the liberation of France and Belgium, the autumn of 1944 ended badly for the Allies as the German army staged massive counteroffensives. To add to the misery, many troops had not received suitable winter clothing.
Sources for Big Pigeon's The ETO > War of Attrition webpage:
Major Sources:
  • None at this time.
​Sources for webpage images: (C/O = courtesy of)