On Christmas morning, December 25, 1944, the bodies of German soldiers killed by American machine gun crossfire littered the shell-pocked field northwest of Bastogne.

　　On Christmas morning, December 25, 1944, the bodies of German soldiers killed by American machine gun crossfire littered the shell-pocked field northwest of Bastogne. Most of the German infantry participating in the attack were shot dead in close formation while advancing behind German Mark IV tanks. Other German soldiers who charged aboard the tanks were shot dead and fell from the decks. The Americans soon destroyed the German Mark IV tanks. During the harsh winter of 1944-1945, a month-long battle over Bastogne—a town with a peacetime population of 4,000 and only seven roads—claimed the lives of 23,000 American and 25,000 German soldiers.

　　The Battle of Bastogne took place in Bastogne, Belgium, and was part of the Battle of the Bulge during World War II. The German offensive aimed to reach Antwerp. Before Allied forces could regroup and utilize air superiority, German mechanized units had to seize control of the roads in eastern Belgium. All seven major roads in the Ardennes converged on the small town of Bastogne. Control of this crossroads was essential for the German attack. The encirclement lasted from December 20 to 27, 1944, and the trapped American forces were relieved by units of Patton's Third Army.

　　The German army attempted to break through the Allied front lines during the Battle of the Bulge, which lasted from December 16, 1944, to January 25, 1945. On December 17, American airborne troops rushed to the Bastogne area. They halted the German advance and defended the main access roads into the town. Meanwhile, German armored units invaded and captured Bastogne from the north and south, encircling the town and its garrison. While the peak of the attack stalled at Dinant, the German high command concentrated its main forces on capturing Bastogne. For about three weeks thereafter, Bastogne remained encircled. Residents took refuge in basements and shelters. Isolated from their rear bases, the American soldiers held their ground against extremely fierce attacks. On December 27, General Patton's tanks arrived, liberating the town and resuming the offensive into the German heartland.