Battle of Aachen
1944 CE.
Shown on the map at 50.776°, 6.083°.
The Battle of Aachen was a battle of World War II, fought by American and German forces in and around Aachen, Germany, between 12 September and 21 October 1944. The city had been incorporated into the Siegfried Line, the main defensive network on Germany's western border; the Allies had hoped to capture it quickly and advance into the industrialized Ruhr basin. Although most of Aachen's civilian population was evacuated before the battle began, much of the city was destroyed and both sides suffered heavy losses during the battle. It was one of the largest urban battles fought by U.S. forces in World War II, and is considered one of the toughest urban encounters in the entire war. As a result, Aachen became the first city on internationally recognized German soil to be captured by the Allies. Despite their eventual surrender, German defence of the city was robust and significantly disrupted Allied plans for further advance into the country.
Text from the Wikipedia article Battle of Aachen, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.