By early December 1944, it seemed unlikely that the Germans would attack. On 16 December, that illusion was shattered when the might of German Sixth Panzer Army smashed into the thinly-held U.S. lines in the Ardennes forest. In the central sector, the Germans approached the town of Bastogne on 19 December, defended by the veteran 101st Airborne Division. What followed was an epic seven-day struggle. On 26 December, the siege was broken by the arrival of the 4th Armored Division.