Military Snapshot - Crossing the Ourthe River One Half-track at a Time

During the Battle of the Bulge, Houffalize, Belgium proved to be a strategic location. Specifically, Generals Montgomery and Patton met up there, Montgomery coming from the north and Patton from the south, in their counter-attack against the German forces remaining in the area. In this photo, a U.S. Army half-track crosses a temporary bridge over the Ourthe in the war-torn Belgian city of Houffalize, January 1945. Photo courtesy of Associated Press, from Voices of the Bulge: Untold Stories from Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge by Martin King and Michael Collins.