In the frozen mountains of North Korea, a chilling surprise awaited the United Nations and South Korean forces. Communist Chinese troops, seemingly out of nowhere, launched a massive counterattack, catching the allies off guard. The Battles of the Ch'ongch'on River and Chosin Reservoir would go down in history as one of the bloodiest and most intense fights of the Korean War. As temperatures plummeted and snow fell heavy, the outnumbered UN and South Korean troops found themselves in a desperate fight for survival against an enemy that seemed to appear out of thin air. The battle would test the mettle of both sides, and the outcome would change the course of the war forever.