The Art of the Blitzkrieg - The Matrix Games version of East Front II

Maryevka, 160km NE of Rostov: NIGHT [Best played as Allied] In late December 1942, nine Soviet armies raced toward Rostov after punching through the Italian Eighth Army. Stalingrad had been turned into a massive trap for the German Sixth Army and only a decisive response by Field Marshal von Manstein could avert the greater disaster of a general rout by Army Group South. The Soviets had learned well at the hands of the Wehrmacht since June of 1941, and now they attempted to adopt the German's blitzkrieg methods to their own armored operations. But the art of the blitzkrieg was not easily learned. By the 28th the Soviet 24th Tank Corps had captured the critical German supply center at Tatsinskaya only to be cut off and destroyed by the 6th and 11th Panzer Divisions. Next it was the turn of the 25th Tank Corps to break through the covering force of the 6th Panzer. As darkness fell on December 31st, T-34s from the leading 162nd Tank Brigade sped over the snow-covered steppes and across the Bystraya near Maryevka to strike into the rear of Army Detachment Hollidt. But in learning the art of the blitzkrieg, the Russians would also have to learn to deal with bypassed enemy units who refused to give up the fight!