**Zelechow Melee - The Matrix Games version of East Front II

Vistula River Region near Lubeski, 70km S of Warsaw: [Best played against Human opponent or as Axis. EFII Game Version 1.03] To play this scenario the PB#1 expansion disk must be installed. As the Russians sought to expand their bridgehead across the Vistula south of Warsaw and move deeper into Poland, a surprise of the worst kind awaited them. On August 5, 1944, the Hermann Goering Division moving down from Warsaw, drove hard into the advancing Soviet 8th Guards Army. But despite six separate assaults the Germans could not penetrate the enemy's lines and get to the Vistula river bridgeheads. On the next day the "Hermann Goering" Panzer Regiment, equipped with the newest armor, including the King Tiger, was brought up to the line. Quickly the antitank weaponry of the screening infantry units was overrun but still the line was not broken. Seeing the futility in future frontal assaults, the HG began to shift south. In the meantime further south of the HG, elements of the 16th Panzer drove for Lubeski and pushed aside a Soviet Infantry-Anti-Tank force positioned there. With this move the Soviet 8th Gds left flank was threatened. But the 16th Panzer did not press its attack due to a shortage of infantry to screen the flanks of the advance. Instead, with their immediate objective complete, the 16th was to hold in wait for the HG Division elements and with the HG's arrival, continue their advance towards Radom. This gave the Soviets some 7 precious hours to regroup. Rushing to the Zelechow Bridgehead to stabalize the situation were elements of the reinforced 6th Guards Tank Corps equipped with some of the Russian's new heavy model JS-II's and JS-IIm tanks. In the attrition battle that soon followed, some of the best Soviet tanks stalked the Tiger's and Panthers in a wild melee on the north shoulder of the bridgehead. The Soviet's, in an attempt to deny further Nazi movement southward were determined to stand and fight!