This, the second of six titles on the 'Battle of the Bulge', describes the Allied plans for the 'big push' into Germany and the lack of intelligence data warning of the impending German offensive. The organisation and composition of US V and XVIII (Airborne) Corps, the units defending the northern sector of the Ardennes, is then detailed down to company level. The impact of the assault on these units and their desperate attempts to stem the tide of the German attack is then examined. As in the companion volume the text is supported by comprehensive order of battle diagrams and full colour maps.