Clear and concise, this account of the dramatic days at the end of 1944 is supported by a timeline of events and orders of battle. In December 1944 the German military made their final attempt to end World War II by throwing in all their reserves in a desperate effort to shatter the Allied lines. After breaking through the American-held sector in the Ardennes, two Panzer armies headed for the bridges over the River Meuse. However, a combination of poor planning, bad weather, torturous terrain, and above all, the determined defense of such key towns and villages as Bastogne and St. Vith, delayed the advance. The Allies were able to hold the northern and southern shoulders of the attack, hemming the Germans in. The Bulge had been created, and as the fortunes of battle were reversed, the Allies struck back.