Osprey Order of Battle 5 : The Ardennes Offensive : US V Corps and US XVIII (Airborne) Corps : Northern Sector

This book 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 book the text is supported by comprehensive order of battle diagrams and full colour maps. The present situation is to be regarded as one of opportunity for us and not one of disaster. There will be only cheerful faces at this conference table.' So spoke Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander, in his address to the emergency meeting on the German Ardennes offensive. Hitler had no respect for the American fighting man: he believed a blitzkrieg assault backed by special units would quickly crack the American line in the Ardennes. In the pre-dawn light of December 16, shells and rockets began to land on American positions, as Dietrich's 6th Panzer Armee began its push into the Northern Sector. Yet the stubborn defence on the Elsenborn Ridge and across the front by green US GIs brought the blitzkrieg attack to a grinding halt. It was a sign that, for Dietrich, all was not to go according to plan. Text by Bruce Quarrie.