Historical Background: 31th of July 1942. While German 6.Armee advanced towards Stalingrad, XVII.Armee Korps which kept the left flank of the offensive, ordered to the 3rd Italian Motorized Division to reduce the Soviet bridgehead on Serafimovitch in a loop of Don river. Russian troops were 304th Rifle Division and 652nd Armored Battalion equipped with T-34/76 and BT-7 tanks.In front of them, Italians were only two regiments of "Bersaglieri" (motorized infantry) with antitank guns and an artillery regiment for the support. On the 31st of July, the Bersaglieri attacked in a ground easy for the defense because of numerous hills. Russian tanks used this ground cut y valleys to counter-attack suddenly then disappear behind hills. But Bersaglieri advanced gradually and destroyed the tanks with their antitank guns. Hills were seized one by one and the city of Serafimovitch was captured on 1st of August. Italians needed two days more to definitively cleared the woods in the loop of the Don river of the last Russian soldiers. For the 3rd Italian Motorized Division, the mission was fulfilled. It was not before November 1942 that the Soviet Army attacked the 3rd Romanian Army in this sector and then surrounded the 6.Armee in Stalingrad. The stage is set, the battle lines are drawn, and you are in command. The rest is history.
Briefing: Axis player [Italy] : 5 command cards, you move first. Allied player [Soviet Union] : 5 command cards.
Conditions of Victory: 6 medals. Serafimovitch is a temporary medal objective for the Axis player and hill 207 is a temporary medal objective for the Allied player.
Special Rules: - Use "Red Army" rules (Nation 2). - Use "Royal Italian Army" rules (Nation 6). - Don river is impassable except by the bridge (Terrain 8). - Use "Specialized Units" rules for the Axis unit with elite badge (Troop 2).
Scenario Bibliography: - Magazine "batailles & blindés" n°18.
Warning: Please note that this scenario was not approved by Richard Borg or Days of Wonder, so you have to check yourself about playability, potential gaming issues, etc.
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