The places where lessons were taught, and at least learned for a time, are on a lattice of little rivers, interwoven by tiny roads and bridges in their distinct valleys mixed like fingers clasped, or the askew headwaters valleys of Montana. Instead of the Big Hole or the Bitter Root Rivers adding eventually to the waters of the Missouri and Columbia, the comparatively sized Meuse and Moselle add to the mighty Rhine. This second largest of Europe’s rivers flows in a generally northwestern direction from the southeastern Alps to border the edges of Switzerland with Austria, Lichtenstein and Germany, then serve as the border between France and Germany to become the Upper, Middle and Lower Rhine of Germany’s Rhineland. At the Dutch city of Nijmegen, the Rhine becomes the Waal River, a 48-mile west-flowing riverine passage for Germany to reach the North Sea at Rotterdam. As the Rhine and Waal angle northwest, the Meuse falls northeasterly through France, Belgium and the Netherlands to just short of Nijmegen where it curves west to the North Sea. The Moselle moves roughly in parallel as it drains parts of France, Luxembourg and Germany into the Middle Rhine at Koblenz in Germany.

Covering less than 60 miles south from Monschau, Germany to Echternach, Luxembourg, and 60 miles west from the Roer River (called the Rur in Germany) south of Monschau to the Meuse River south of Namur, the lattice of Ardennes killing fields is slightly larger than any one of the floors of several Montana valleys. South of Liege and Aachen, the forested Ardennes intersperses tree cover on the deeply wrinkled divide between the Meuse and Moselle. Where there are open fields, the subtly bend enough to frustrate long-range direct artillery fire. In perhaps equal numbers lie ridges and sharp gorges formed in places along the many tributaries feeding the Meuse from the south and east and the Moselle from the north and west. Though miniaturized, the terrain dominates the battlefield with hills high enough to isolate combat engagements and steep-banked little rivers that stop armored vehicles in the absence of bridges.

The rivers of the northernmost system, the Ruhr, flow northwards to the Meuse from the German side of the Belgian-German Border. The streams pass through part of the Eifel Hills and the gorge at Monschau. The largest system, the Ourthe River, also flows north into the Meuse. It heads toward Liege after combining the Western and Eastern Ourthe Rivers just west of Houffalize, thereby draining the Belgian Province of Luxembourg, including Bastogne. The Ourthe also accepts the west-flowing water of the Ambleve River.

The Ambleve begins in the forests along the German-Belgian Border. Along its way past Stavelot, the Ambleve draws water from the tiny Warche River, which flows west from the German-Belgian Border past Bullingen, Butgenbach, Waimes and Malmedy. Another feeder of the Ambleve and Ourthe from the German-Belgian Border is the Salm River, rising close to Belgium’s border with the small country of Luxembourg, and passing through Trois-Ponts.

A third river system, the Sauer (known as the Sure in parts of Belgium and Luxembourg), flows eastwards into the Moselle River from southeastern Belgium. On its way, the Sauer forms the border between Luxembourg and Belgium. After passing Ettelbruck and Diekirch, it forms the border between Luxembourg and Germany. The Sauer’s smaller tributaries in the Ardennes include the Our River, flowing generally southwards, and the Prum River, which flows southwards from the Schnee Eifel Hills on the German side of the border.

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