Bombing of La Roche-en-Ardenne

American forces had already liberated the town of La Roche-en-Ardenne in September 1944. The two bridges in the town had been destroyed by German troops on 8 September, to slow the advance of the American units. A plaque recalling this event is located on the other bridge, to the northern end of the town.

Months later, on 16 December 1944, German forces launched their Ardennes offensive, resulting in the American soldiers withdrawing from the town. Later that month, in response, American troops slowly began to push the German forces back. As the German troops withdrew from the town, the US soldiers used an American pontoon bridge that had been setup following the destruction of the town's two original bridges. This allowed them to move German equipment across the river.

As the weather conditions improved, the US Army Air Force, specifically the US 9th Air Force, was able to conduct bombing raids. The town was targeted by these raids and was also hit by heavy German artillery fire as the German units withdrew. The town was severely damaged by the bombings, which resulted in the deaths of 114 civilians. Many of the town’s buildings were destroyed.

A small memorial plaque to the victims can be found outside the Musee de la Bataille des Ardennes. The plaque remembers those civilians killed during the Battle of the Bulge in La Roche-en-Ardennes.