The Battle of Aachen was a World War II battle, fought between American and German forces in and around Aachen, Germany, between 12 September and 21 October 1944. The city had been included in the Siegfried Line, the main defensive network on Germany's western border; The Allies hoped to seize it quickly and advance into the industrialized Ruhr Basin. Although most of Aachen's civilian population was evacuated before the fighting began, much of the city was destroyed and both sides suffered heav