Uncovering the secrets of one of WWII's bloodiest battles: Archaeologists use drones to peer through the dense forest cover of the battlefield of the Battle of the Bulge - revealing previously unknown dugouts, bomb craters and artillery emplacements

Famously, the Battle of the Bulge in the winter of 1944/45 was one of the largest and bloodiest armed conflict of the Second World War. Taking place in densely forested Ardennes region between Belgium and Luxembourg, it was the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during World War II. Researchers have used drone-mounted LiDAR – which emits pulses of light to create 3D models and maps – to'see through' the thick forest canopy. They found nearly 1,000 features within the landscape, including dugouts, bomb craters and even artillery emplacements where troops positioned their guns. Pictured are LiDAR images from the study.