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The village of Rocherath-Krinkelt in the Belgian municipality of Bullingen, near the German border, was taken by German forces on 10 May 1940. On 13 September 1944, it was liberated by American troops. From then on, it became the frontline.
Due to it now being on the frontline, on 6 October 1944 the population of the village was evacuated to Malmedy.
When the Battle of the Bulge started on 16 December 1944, Rocherath-Krinkelt village lay exactly in the area of the German troops’ attack. The German 277th Volksgrenadier Division and 12th SS Panzer Division broke through towards Elsenborn and Liège. The village was held by soldiers of the 2nd and 99th US Infantry Divisions, until on 20 December the village was successfully captured by German troops and a new line of defence was formed outside of Elsenborn.
The battle was fought in the woods near Rocherath, and proved costly to both sides. It then shifted to the village of Rocherath-Krinkelt itself. Every street crossing, individual house, and especially the church, were fiercely contested. From the water tower to the church, there remained numerous disabled and burnt-out German Panzer tanks. Rocherath-Krinkelt continued to be largely destroyed by heavy artillery fire until its recapture by US troops on 30 January 1945.
Wahlerscheider Strasse, Krinkelt, 4761