| German Prisoners of War captured by the United States 82nd Airborne Division. While the exploits of the 101st Airborne Division in the Ardennes Offensive are more well known, the 82nd Airborne Division also saw heavy combat with elements of various Schutzstaffel (SS) units. At the village of Rahier on December 17-21, 1944, the 82nd Airborne Division engaged the 1st Panzer Grenadier Regiment of the 1st SS Panzer Division. When the engagement ended, 14 flak guns, 6 halftracks, 4 trucks, 4 105 millimeter (4.1 inch) field artillery pieces, and 1 Panzer IV tank had been put out of action. The fierceness of the battle can be attested to by the fact that of the Nazi forces, only 31 were taken prisoner – half of them wounded. This SS Battalion was the same 1 that had been responsible for the infamous massacre of American prisoners at Malmedy. | |
| Image Filename | wwii0320.jpg |
| Image Size | 649.55 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 2928 x 2403 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | United States Army Signal Corps |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | January 1, 1945 |
| Location | |
| City | |
| State or Province | |
| Country | Belgium |
| Archive | National Archives and Records Administration |
| Record Number | NLR-PHOCO-A-6654(51) |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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