Explore the twists and turns of history as you embark on the Battle of the Bulge trail, which eloquently recounts the decisive moments of the Battle of the Bulge, nestling in the heart of the Libramont-Chevigny commune.&nbsp;Start your adventure by delving into the mysterious depths of the Ardennes forests, where every stone and tree still seems to echo with the echoes of the past. The paths lead you in the footsteps of soldiers, evoking the intensity of the battles that marked these once peaceful places.&nbsp;Whether you're a history buff, a nature lover or just curious and in search of adventure, this excursion promises an unforgettable experience, combining intellectual discovery and sensory wonder.

Belgium 

Maison du Tourisme de la Forêt de Saint-Hubert

En mi-Janvier 1944, les véhicules américains travérsèrent l’Ourthe occidentale sur le pont provisoire au lieu-dit “La Tranchée”. Cette image a été offerte à Monsieur Remy Clément par le veteran Earle R. Hart lors de son retour en 1996.

Paysage enneigé de Remagne 

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The Battle of the Bulge at Libramont-Chevigny

On 2 January 1945, Companies I and K of the 347th Regiment, 87th US Infantry Division, devastated by earlier fighting, assembled under the command of Captain Jennings and attacked Bonnerue. The morning passed relatively smoothly until they reached Serlogne Wood, where they faced the enemy. Isolated and in danger of being cut off from their rear line, the GIs, including Harold E. Allan of I Company, decided to remain in position. On 3 January, after deepening their foxholes, they repelled a German counter-attack. Allan's account described skirmishes, capture of German prisoners and nights spent in difficult conditions.On 4 January, a German patrol approached but was repulsed. On 5 January, a German car fired into their area, causing a small wound to one of the men. On 6 January, a large shell hit their position, killing one soldier and wounding another.On the evening of 6 January they were ordered to evacuate. The 345th Regiment took over. Despite the hardships, the contingent was lucky to lose only one man and to have only two seriously wounded during their stay in Serlogne Wood.The story of Bernie Klemmer, another soldier from the contingent, was also mentioned, highlighting the battles of the winter of 1944-1945 in the region.

Foxholes from Serlogne

At the heart of the Battle of the Bulge, Bonnerue, initially a hamlet of no strategic importance, became the scene of ten days of intense fighting. On 1 January, the American 87th Infantry Division was blocked at Pironpré, forcing a bypass manoeuvre towards Bonnerue. Company L, 347th Regiment, without tank support, attacked across open ground from Jenneville, but the assault failed, leaving many soldiers killed, wounded and taken prisoner.On 2 January, a new attack was launched towards Bonnerue with the support of Sherman tanks, which were quickly destroyed by a German salvo. As the Americans advanced towards the hamlet, they found it surprisingly empty.It was a quiet day in Bonnerue on 3 January. The Americans moved up to the Dermience farm, evacuating the civilian refugees. On 4 January, the GIs occupied Bonnerue, repelling German reconnaissance manoeuvres.On 5 January, German infantry attacked with tanks, but the Americans resisted, driving back the attackers. On 6 January, despite further German attempts, Bonnerue held out thanks to American artillery. During the night, the 3rd Battalion of the 347th Regiment was relieved.On 7 January, C Company took up position at Bonnerue. At around 4pm, the Germans launched a ferocious attack, taking the hamlet despite American shelling. Violent fighting continued throughout the night.On 8 January, German armour reappeared, provoking new confrontations. The Americans, surrounded, surrendered after a fierce struggle. Félicie Philippart's house was destroyed and the civilians were forced to flee.On 9 January, with reduced numbers, no American attempt was made to retake the town. The Germans quietly evacuated Bonnerue over the following days. On 12 January, the inhabitants saw the devastation, Bonnerue reduced to ruins, marking the end of this tragedy. Only two buildings out of eighteen remained standing.

The Battle of Bonnerue

The Americans led assaults on the crossroads but were repulsed several times before the German retreat on 10 January 1945. The abduction of Quatre-Bras, a crossroad known by veterans as ‘The Bloody Crossroad’, cost the lives of many American soldiers. The few houses in the vicinity were also destroyed.At the end of December 1944, the road from Morhet to Saint-Hubert became a strategic route for the Panzer Lehr Division engaged in the German counter-attack in the Ardennes. Having bypassed Bastogne to the south, this division had to defend the Pironpré crossroads, in particular, right up to the last cartridge. Initially, German armoured vehicles had bypassed the sector via Moircy, taking the latter on 22 December after the battle in which Company C of the 35th American Engineer Battalion had held out valiantly.Following the battle of Moircy, the Germans dug in at Bonnerue and Pironpré, stationing six Panther tanks and infantry near the vicinal tram station. On Monday 1 January 1945, the 87th US Infantry Division (3) resumed the offensive in difficult weather conditions. The 3rd Battalion of the 347th Regiment advanced from Jenneville, but was forced to withdraw under German fire.After this failure, the American command opted for a bypass through the Canton and an attack on the hamlet of Bonnerue. The fierce fighting lasted ten days (5). Although the Americans conquered a portion of Erimont Wood, the attacks on Pironpré failed.German opposition intensified at Bonnerue, making it impossible to take Quatre-Bras from the rear. Attacks towards the Haies de Tillet were also unsuccessful despite the bravery of the GIs. The American soldiers were exposed and suffered heavy losses from Panther tanks, mortars and machine guns.The fighting at Pironpré eased on 7 and 8 January when the battalions of the 347th Regiment were relieved by those of the 345th. On 9 January, the Americans stepped up their attacks, making some progress. On 10 January, the Germans evacuated Pironpré under orders to retreat.Early on the morning of 11 January, Company E of the 345th Regiment occupied the crossroads. The recapture of Quatre-Bras cost many American soldiers their lives and wounds, and the Pironpré crossroads became known to veterans as ‘The Bloody Crossroads’.On 12 January, nothing stopped the Americans from reaching Ortheuville, and on 13 January they joined forces with the British. On 15 January, the entire division was transferred to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, continuing the fighting in Germany as far as Marienberg, on the Czech border.

The Bloody Crossroads

The Germans' return to Moircy in December 1944 was a critical period marked by the surprise offensive known as the “Offensive von Rundstedt”. The village, initially liberated in early September, was confronted by a column of German armour from the Panzer Lher Division, which had bypassed Bastogne to the south.On 24 December, Allied aircraft attacked a German column moving towards Vesqueville, hitting a house inhabited by the Camille Clément-Irène Devahif family. Over the following days, the bombardments continued, and the Germans massively invaded the village with tanks set up in various places.The story took a turn with the arrival of the 87th American Infantry Division, withdrawn from the Saar front on 23 December. After a difficult journey to the Belgian Ardennes, the American troops landed near Luchy on 29 December.On 30 December, despite the snow slowing operations, Company A of the 1st Battalion, 345th Regiment, attacked Moircy. The Germans, well entrenched, defended their positions with mortars, machine guns and tanks. After fierce fighting, the Americans regained control of the village, but a German counter-attack came after nightfall.Sergeant William P. Tayman distinguished himself by his heroism in directing the American artillery from a house, driving back the enemy. The village was finally liberated on 31 December, but American losses were heavy.During the fighting, the civilian population of Moircy lived in terror. Young men had fled earlier, and the inhabitants took refuge in cellars to escape reprisals and the dangers of war. Civilians were herded together in precarious conditions during the fighting, living in anguish under the thunder of shells and the glow of fires.It was a miracle that the village suffered no civilian casualties, despite the considerable damage. Residents emerged from their shelters after the fighting to see the disaster and the smoking ruins. Paula Fourny described the tragedy, highlighting the loss of houses, furniture, souvenirs and photos.Overall, Moircy was the scene of an intense battle between American and German forces, leaving the village devastated but finally liberated at the end of 1944.

The Battle of Moircy

On 5 January 1945, at 1.06pm, in the skies over Europe, an American B-17 bomber, valiantly taking off from the British base at Great Ashfield, embarked on a crucial bombing mission aimed at the German town of Heilbronn. The chill in the air and the hum of the engines revealed the magnitude of the task ahead for the crew of Lieutenant Carl Hamilton, co-pilot Lieutenant James W. Smith, navigator Lieutenant John R. Jones, bombardier Sergeant Walter B.Jones, radio operator and gunner Sergeant Charles D. Terry, back gunner Sergeant Robert L. Johnson, and belly gunner Sergeant George W. Reed.However, a few minutes before reaching its objective, fate decided otherwise. The fearsome German D.C.A. fire hit the aircraft, forcing it to turn around. As it inexorably lost altitude, another burst of enemy fire targeted it near the German-Belgian border.&nbsp;In a dangerous ballet with the capricious weather, the plane, engulfed in fog, began a precipitous descent. It crash-landed in a snow-covered meadow near Bonnerue, Belgium. Miraculously, the seven crew members emerged unscathed from this unexpected ordeal.The aircraft, although scarred by three hits to its engines, became the subject of a frenzy of activity by local residents. Fuel was recovered, and parts of the aircraft were carefully dismantled.Today, a humble stake marks the site of this forced landing, a reminder of the B-17's incredible fate.This incursion into enemy territory, followed by the miraculous landing, bears witness to the heroic challenges faced by bomber pilots during the Second World War. These perilous missions were marked by moments of intense danger, when luck and bravery combined in an aerial dance over the battlefields.

The B-17's surprising landing

During the Battle of the Ardennes, the village of Remagne was the scene of intense fighting between 24 December 1944 and 2 January 1945. Many houses were badly damaged. On 24 December, American aircraft attacked an enemy column passing through the village. In the church, violent explosions caused extensive damage, with plaster falling from walls and ceilings, creating a terrifying atmosphere. Around the church, gunfire damaged the Marchand farm building.&nbsp;On 25 December, the area around the Remagne mill was bombed by the Allies, setting fire to the stables and the main building. During this period, the mill was the scene of fighting, with a German tank that had been hit catching fire near the mill. The building with the wheel was partially destroyed by American artillery, forcing the family to flee.On 26 December, fighting broke out around the mill and the bridge over the Ourthe was destroyed.On 27 December, B Troop and soldiers of the 253rd Battalion attacked Remagne. However, aware of their limitations, the Americans would only attack if the village was defended by fewer than 300 Germans with tanks. Enemy anti-tank guns were positioned, and although reinforcements were sent in, the attack stalled.On 28 December, fighting persisted, but the Americans found it difficult to advance in the face of German resistance. They reported the destruction of an enemy tank.On 29 December, another attempt was made, but the Cavaliers reported heavy fire and the American tanks attacked Remagne.On 31 December, the 87th Division took over, capturing Remagne on 1 January. On 2 January, civilians began to move out cautiously. Witnesses reported corpses in the village for several days.The Battle of the Bulge left scars in Remagne. The church was partially rebuilt, and the mill was badly damaged. The fighting was intense, with significant losses on the American side.The capture of Remagne was the result of persistent efforts, marking the end of fighting in the area. The war-scarred village slowly recovered from the tragic events of this historic battle.

The fighting at Remagne and the damage suffered

On 11 January 1945, Company A of the 312th U.S. Engineers suffered a heavy loss at Libramont. While receiving instructions at Marcel Moreau's house, an accidental explosion destroyed the house and surrounding buildings. The Legros bank and the Picard hardware store were also damaged. The explosion, attributed to the inability of mine explosives to withstand the cold, killed 16 soldiers and injured 13 others. Five victims lie in Hamm American Cemetery. 26 civilians, rescued by an officer from the 549th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion, were also injured.On 24 December 1944, a skirmish broke out in the Rue des Alliés. In the barracks coveted by the Germans, soldiers wearing American and German uniforms questioned young girls about the American presence in Libramont. When they were discovered, a firefight broke out near the Union Coopérative. American reinforcements repelled the disguised German soldiers, leaving one dead and two prisoners. Three Germans escaped in a jeep, leaving a vehicle and a dead body behind.The incident on 11 January 1945 was the result of speculation about the resistance of explosives to intense cold. Warnings from army chemists had not reached the troops, with HQ assuming that the war would be over before winter. It was later discovered that, during the winter of 44-45, many lorries loaded with mines exploded in Europe as a result of spontaneous combustion or crystallisation of the explosive by the cold.Despite the tragedy, the memory of these events lives on in Libramont, reminding us of the sacrifice of the soldiers and the unexpected consequences of the war in this small community.

Explosion of a mine depot

The German counter-offensive in the Ardennes in December 1944, known as Operation Wacht am Rhein, had major consequences for Libramont. The Germans mobilised 20 divisions and 250,000 men to surprise the Americans and break through the Ardennes towards the Meuse and the port of Antwerp. The American troops in Libramont were outnumbered, with only 83,000 men facing the enemy. From 16 December, American convoys passed through the town on their way to Houffalize. But on 22 December, most of the GIs left Libramont, leaving an oppressive calm. On 23 December, squadrons of heavy Dakotas flew over the region after supplying the garrison at Bastogne. An American fighter plane crashed not far from the Neufchâteau road during a skirmish. During the night, a German plane strafed military targets near the rue des Alliés, where there was a barracks with a large food and fuel depot.On 26 December, Libramont railway station was attacked twice by German bombers. Two bombs hit St Joseph's school, which served as an aid and command post for the Americans. Ten American soldiers were killed and 21 wounded. Two other bombs destroyed several buildings in the Grand-rue, killing two civilians who had taken refuge in their cellar.On 27 December, a bomb dropped by an enemy aircraft damaged the Etienne house on Avenue de Houffalize, near the clinic. The Union Coopérative building, which housed a large industrial bakery, was also heavily damaged in the bombing raids.The consequences of the German counter-offensive in the Ardennes on Libramont were tragic, with loss of life among American soldiers and civilians. The town suffered air attacks and destruction in several districts. This difficult moment in Libramont's history is still commemorated today.