Near the end of World War 2, Germany tires a last-ditch attack on the American held line in the Ardennes region of Belgium. It turns out to be the biggest land battle of the war, both in military power and number of troops. Lt. Col. Daniel Kiley (Henry Fonda) predicted, as an assistant intelligence officer, that they were planning this all along. But his commanders don't believe it could be true, at first. And it is individual soldiers like Kiley and others that reveal how America was able to defeat Germany and win the war with their tenacity and skill. However, German tank commander Col. Martin Hessler (Robert Shaw) is hungry for winning against the Americans. His determination is an individual example of why the war against Germany was so difficult. With the World War as the backdrop, this is a match between two great soldiers for victory.