The Malmedy Massacre occurred on December 17, 1944, during World War II, when a group of American prisoners of war was killed by German soldiers near the town of Malmedy, Belgium. This event took place during the Battle of the Bulge, a major German offensive aimed at splitting the Allied forces. The massacre involved the execution of 84 American soldiers from the 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion. After being captured, they were lined up and shot, which violated the rules of war. The incident became a significant point of contention and was later used as evidence of German war crimes during the post-war trials.