#Monument
Plaque of the 84th Infantry Division and 2nd Armoured Division
In the centre of the village of Dochamps stands a large monument in memory of the civilian and military victims of the two world wars. The plaque on the left-hand side is dedicated to the 84th Infantry Division and the 2nd Armoured Division, two American army units that liberated the village on 7 January 1945.
By December 1944, fighting was raging in the region. Hitler had launched a final offensive, hoping to regain control of the port of Antwerp by crossing the Ardennes as quickly as in 1940. After advancing along the Ourthe valley and taking control of La Roche-en-Ardenne, the 116th Armoured Division headed for Hotton.
The headquarters of the 3rd US Armoured Division were in the area and General Maurice Rose sent out various task forces to counter the German attacks. On the heights of Dochamps and Samrée, multiple attempts to contain the assaults were in vain. Many homes were damaged or destroyed. American soldiers lost several Sherman tanks around the village.
On 3 January 1945, the Allied counter-offensive was launched in a coordinated fashion. The localities in the region were gradually liberated and on 7 January, Dochamps was the last village in the commune of Manhay to regain its freedom. It owes its liberation to the 2nd Armoured Division and the 84th American Infantry Division, units that advanced along the right bank of the Ourthe and then liberated the La Roche-en-Ardenne and Houffalize sectors.