On December 17 , 1944 , during the Battle of the Bulge , soldiers from the '' Waffen-SS '' gunned down 80 American prisoners at the Baugnez crossroads near the town of Malmedy . When news of the killings spread among American forces , it aroused great anger among front line troops . One American unit issued orders : " No SS troops or paratroopers will be taken prisoners but will be shot on sight . " Because of this background , the killings could be considered an act of reprisal . At Chenogne , the prisoners of war killed were members of the '' Führerbegleitbrigade '' and 3rd Panzergrenadier Division , not SS
gunned down 80 American prisoners
Malmedy massacre
Chenogne massacre