Battle of the Mons pocket

Battle of the Mons pocket
Part of the Western Front of World War II
Date31 August – 5 September 1944
Location
Vicinity of Mons, Belgium
Result Allied victory
Belligerents
 United States
 Belgium
 Germany
Commanders and leaders
Courtney Hodges
J. Lawton Collins
Erich Straube
Units involved
First United States Army
Belgian resistance
Army Task Group Straube
Strength
~70,000
Casualties and losses
~89 killed 3,500 killed
25,000 captured

The battle of the Mons pocket was an engagement fought between Allied and German forces during late August and early September 1944. It formed part of the final stages of the rapid Allied advance across France and Belgium. During the battle United States Army forces, assisted by the Belgian Resistance, encircled a large number of retreating German Army and Waffen-SS troops near the town of Mons in Belgium. The German forces were disorganised and unable to counter the Allied forces. Around 3,500 Germans were killed and 25,000 made prisoners of war. Allied casualties were light.