On Sept 1, the two columns reached the junction of the Powder River and Alkai Creek and were jumped by 300 indians, some had rifles. Once repelled, the column continued downstream to the Mizpah River and due to snow and ice cold weather well below zero, had lost 2-300 horses. Being lost, the columns then reversed and traveled upstream and by Sept 4, had left behind many supplies to reduce the load. On the 5th, Crazy Horse and Roman Nose attacked with 1000 indians and 12 rifles. The battle ran three hours. The column artillery did an amazing job of keeping the Indians at bay, but soon ammo for artillery and rifles were rationed. Then food was rationed. Then, Crazy Horse attacked again. When the storm cleared, they had lost 600 horses. Many of the men were in tattered clothes. The Lakotas continued to harass and attack. Had the Indians more rifles, they easily could have finished off the columns. It was a roaming pocket trying to escape.

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During the summer of 1917, the British had pushed the Turkish Army out of Egypt and into the Palestine area. In the first battle of the Gaza, the British missed its easy opportunity to seize Gaza narrowly. The Turks managed to reinforce and hold just as the British resolve dissolved. Both sides prepared for the 2nd Gaza battle, which would be a set piece battle. However, the British sent their tanks in hopes they would unravel the Turkish trenchs and morale. While the Turks made use of the German aircraft which ruled the sky!

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During the summer of 1918, Turkey created its ?Army of Islam? con-sisting of the 5th, 15th Divisions, later the 10th also joined. Having been defeated in Palestine, the Turks looked for easier prey and this was the Trancaucasus-Caspian area of Azerbaijan. This newly formed country asked Turkey for protection from the Bolsheviks, which also wanted the area. The Reds were defeated in late June but they remained in control of Baku until mid July. Turkey, like the British, saw Baku?s worth in its oil and ordered its army to march hundreds of miles to seize it despite Germany?s strong protests (who wanted it also through political means). By the end of July, the Turks were fast approaching Baku. This prompted the British to send Dunsterforce, 1000 men, to Baku, all arrived in the nick of time. The situation for the British was dire from the start. In manpower, the odds were 10 to 1 in favor of the Turks!

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It was April 1986. The Soviets had trained the new Afghanistan army and part of this force totaling 6000 men would debut at Zhawar, a few miles from the Pakistan border. Zhawar was a tough battle then and proved the same for the US 101 Airborne when they took on the Taliban in 2002. Zhawar was then, and remains, an underground complex of 10 tunnels, many 500 ft. long and over 40 caves. Then, the Mujahideen fighters (many turned into Taliban) defended this complex with over 800 well armed and trained men, many with sophisticated weapons, both US and Russian. While the Russians had hoped the Afghan army would prevail, they would support the attack from the air using Su-25s armed with guided bombs into the caves. From the start, things went terribly wrong for the Afghan commandos who dropped from the sky some 15 km from its target DZ, some even landed in Pakistan. Those that dropped had to advance towards the Zhawar complex and found themselves encircled by a cunning foe. Soviet gunships and air support arrived to keep them at bay until reinforcements could arrive. Of the 32 helicopters used, only 8 survived the withering AA fire. Clearly, the Soviets were worried and embarrassed.

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Depicts what many call the most devastating battle after Grozny. Situated at the base of the Black Mountains, this small town of 5000 became for focal point of two desperate military machines. In early March, a weak Russian security force assumed control of the town. The Chechen forces were very close by and desperate. The Russian war machine had been ripping them apart. Taking advantage of the situation, the 500 man force attacked the town and wiped out the Russians. Beginning on the 6th, the Russian military made six attempts to seize the town, all failed. Artillery, airstrikes, T-72 tanks and Buratino's were called in. It was a sledgehammer. The Chechen force withstood this using underground pillboxes in the stone buildings, and by the 12th, the town was in ruin and the Russians still remained along the perimeter. The Chechen force somehow had received reinforcements and now swelled to 1500 hardened armed fighters. They had laid mines. From the 12th to 17th, Russian forces fought and ugly brutal urban battle with a cunning foe.

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For a brief moment of time, the Red Army posed a serious threat to Tsaritsyn when the Dumenko Horse Corps had slipped through a large gap in the patchy front lines between the White Caucasian and Don Armies near the Don river. This large gap allowed Dumenko?s three cavalry brigades and a few armor cars to advance unopposed by any White forces. It was only 40 miles from Tsaritsyn. The steppe was perfect for such an advance, flat as hell, providing no cover but fast transit for the cavalry. While White forces did occupy some of Tsaritsyn, there were none in the White rear areas. The closest forces were the 2nd Kuban Cavalry Corps (6000 men) but over a day away. The British B Flight of the 47th RAF led by Lt. Kinkead appeared overhead with Camel fighters and a few DH 9A bombers, swooping down on its prey, firing machines guns and dropping bombs on their strafing runs. This continued for hours. Could a few aircraft actually stop them?

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The last viable White counterattack of the Russian Civil War between February 19-25, 1920. General Denikin and his Volunteer Army had been pushed back hundreds of miles by this time, unable to gather resources to enable any sort of counter punch. By the time the White forces indeed had a ?breather?, after crossing the Don river at Rostov, they were far weaker than before. Weather and combat had taken their toll on both sides, but the Whites could ill-afford them. Although Denikin solidified his forces around Bataisk, south of the Don, Red forces were unable to pursue due to losses. Denikin decided it was ?now or never? for the counterattack and pooled all available units, including tanks and air assets, for a hammer blow. The Red forces opposing him were screening forces as the bulk of the 8th Army was still days away from Rostov. Denikin struck with the dash that made his forces famous and quickly recrossed the Don and occupied sections of Rostov, his tanks and cavalry moved further north of Rostov, seizing outlying towns- it was a ?bulge? in Red territory which shocked the 8th Army.

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The area the Australians had taken on July 10th included the coastal ridge from Point 26 up to Point 33 and extended from the coast, south to the railway line. The surrounding terrain was flat and open, offering little or no cover.In such a flat expanse, ridges and rises a mere twenty or thirty yards above sea level give commanding vantage points to their occupants. The height advantage is so slight that one can scarcely ap-preciate it until actually upon the feature. The 26th Brigade began the difficult task of digging in while reinforcements of artillery, anti-tank guns and machine guns were quickly brought in. Rommel now gave his inevitable response; an all out counterattack to retake this vital ground using threadbare units. Over the next five days, holding this salient would prove extremely tough, with some places changing hands several times. At times the shelling on Tel el Eisa itself made it too hot for either side to occupy.

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At Arras on the 21st, the British assembled its 5th and 50th Infantry and his 1st Army Tank Brigade (58 Mark I and only 16 powerful Mark II tanks, under General Sir Harold Franklyn. Historically, this attack, along with some French shocked the Germans. Originally, the attack was to have occurred on the 22nd, when other French units near Cambrai and their 7th Army south of Amiens were to attack. Due to confusion, the British went alone, while the Cambrai attack occurred on the 22nd and almost retook the city. The 7th Army historically was near ready but failed to attack until days later when it did not matter. The ?what if? in this game is a simple one: the planned attack slated for the 22nd with the British and French at Arras, while French units near Cambrai were also part of the attack from Arras instead, and its 7th Army south of Amiens went on the coordinated offensive to cut off the panzer divisions in the 40 mile wide corridor.p> 

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The Battle of Wadi Saluki was a long time coming. The units of the IDF 401st Brigade had been waiting for weeks for orders as they sat taking incoming Hezbollah attacks. Orders had come in twice to proceed and twice were cancelled. The canyon like Saluki is a "gateway to the Litani river", an essential objective in southern Lebanon assigned to the brigade before the cease-fire went into action. On August 11, just before 1500 hours, orders came in, but at this late stage, made no sense to the brigade staff, "why push to the Litani hours before the UN was set to approve a cease-fire? " Regardless, by 2000 hrs. the tanks began to move. Crossing the Saluki meant the troops and 24 Merkava 4 tanks had to climb a steep hill while exposed to attack from Hezbollah armed with Russian Kornet AT missiles. Many within the IDF called it suicide for there was no infantry support, air support or artillery support!

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The threat was and remains real.The Taliban and al-Qaeada are slowing taking over this country with nuclear weapons. Not a good thing. Operation Sherdil (Lion Heart) began in August 2008 and was initially aimed at preventing the imminent fall of Khar, headquarters of Bajaur District, to the Taliban. The military operation was intended to reclaim all of Bajaur from the Taliban and al Qaeda, which amounted to around 3000 terrorists. On August 3rd, a 200-strong force from the paramilitary Frontier Corps were surrounded by 300-400 Taliban fighters, heavy fighting erupted as they tried to break out. After a three-day battle, the Pakistani troops routed back to Khar, and the Taliban seemed victorious. They quickly followed the Pakistani force and began to threaten Khar. Operation Sherdil was later expanded to recapturing all of Bajaur district from the Taliban. This proved to be a tall order and led to a protracted series of battles over two months. Pakistan's resolve came into question (as it still does). By late October, many of the objectives had been reached but not all. Loysam was not retaken until Oct. 25th. Over 2700 terrorists had been killed, yet, Bajaur Agency remained unsettled when the army left. It remains so to this day.

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The attack by British and French armor sent shock waves down the German High Command as their vaunted SS troops fled when their antitank guns failed to penetrate the British tank armor of the Matildas. Rommel?s panzers were no more effective and it was only when Rommel ordered his 88mm AA guns to be used at antitank weapons was the British attack halted. However, the British two tank battalions and two infantry battalions, along with several French tank companies proved quite dangerous for several hours as nothing seemed to halt them. Rommel, himself, lost his cool and told his superiors he was under attack by division. The British armor continue to advance as shells bounced off their thick armor and it was in a desperation that Rommel ordered his four 88mm AA guns to level their barrels and fire in anti-tank mode. By the time this had occurred, the damage was done and the German High Command instructed its panzer spearhead to halt.

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It would be the first of several battles that were truly nasty dogfights as both sides were nearing their own breaking points for different reasons. Dogfight 2 would resume Rommel?s attempt on August 30th to break through to the Nile. Both sides by the end of June were in dismal shape. Both bloodied by vicious battles from Gazala, Matruh etc. Rommel felt that the momentum was with him, that he could pull off yet another Gazala. This time, crushing the British. For the British, their back was now against the wall. It had to be where the British drew the line in the sand and there would be no further rear movement. Failure here was not an option for them as Egypt would fall.Rommel?s DAK panzers had only 55 AFVs. The Italians had around 70 AFVs by some accounts. Combat effectives in his units ranged from 600 to 1600 men. Equally, the British armor units had been trashed by panzers. Although they had more tanks overall, most were non-operational and being repaired far to the rear. Their armor brigades averaged between 60-100 AFVs. By August, 1942, Rommel was fast approaching a turning point and he feared his luck might run out. Thus, once he secured promises of adequate fuel supplies that would be delivered by the Italian Navy and Luftwaffe, this Fox planned for a knock-out blow that some call Gazala II in strategy. A wide sweeping ride though sands of the desert during the night, a ride some 40 miles in the moonlight to rear of the British forces at Alam Halfa. Rommel chose the night to hide his movements, his intelligence indicated the mines were nil and no British forces were so far south. The Italian armor divisions, the Littorio and Ariete, with over 150 M13 tanks (its 47mm gun could knock out most of the British tanks) would help seal the flanks of the 15th and 21st Panzer Divisions (with over 100 tanks) along with the 90th Division. Rommel was banking on the British performance at Gazala, which showed when cut off, the British acted in a confused state.p> 

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WW1 had barely ended when the Allies began to interfere with the Russian Civil War in 1918. France, eager to continue flexing its military muscele, sent troops to colonize and control the Ukraine region while disarming the German troops there. The local population welcomed them to some degree thinking the French and Greek troops were sent to liberate them from the Red menace. Armed with tanks, aircraft and armor cars, the French sent the Greeks out to remote areas to secure it. However, the Red followers had secured vast amounts of weapons from the Germans, much to the dislike of the French, and were more than eager to fight. By March 1919, the Ukraine was on fire. The French and Greek troops were greatly disliked by all Russians after their true intentions had been revealed to the general public. This further emboldened the Red forces who were outnumbering the Allies. In the coming weeks, numerous battles were fought until the last bastion at Odessa.

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The German 5th Panzer Corps' drove the Belgian and French screening forces through the Ardennes forest, then sought to cross the Meuse River near Dinant. A breakthrough here, as well as further south at Sedan, would split the Allied forces in two. A protracted and bloody battle was not in the German war plans...speed was of the essence...the blitzkrieg depended on it...Hitler demanded it! The French forces, caught off balance by the sudden attack, were initially aided by the terrain but not for long. Rommel was a determined foe and the Meuse River was looked upon as only a temporary delay. It proved a little more than that and provided the vital time for the French armor division to move into the area despite harrassing Ju-87 dive bombers and a lack of fuel and organization. Paul Rohrbaugh returns to FFG with this riveting game!

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WW1 had barely ended when the Allies began to interfere with the Russian Civil War in 1918. France, eager to continue flexing its military muscele, sent troops to colonize and control the Ukraine region while disarming the German troops there. The local population welcomed them to some degree thinking the French and Greek troops were sent to liberate them from the Red menace. Armed with tanks, aircraft and armor cars, the French sent the Greeks out to remote areas to secure it. However, the Red followers had secured vast amounts of weapons from the Germans, much to the dislike of the French, and were more than eager to fight. By March 1919, the Ukraine was on fire. The French and Greek troops were greatly disliked by all Russians after their true intentions had been revealed to the general public. This further emboldened the Red forces who were outnumbering the Allies. In the coming weeks, numerous battles were fought until the last bastion at Odessa.

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The first T-72 and Merkava tank battles occurred in the final stages and hours of the Peace for Galilee Israeli offensive of 1982. These tank battles were the largest of the war and occurred as both sides sought to position themselves before the ceasefire at noon. They began at 10 a.m. as the Israeli Merkava tanks moved deep into the Bekaa Valley from their 77th battalion and the 409th Anti-tank (TOWs on Jeeps) swept far to the north until both collided with the fresh Syrian T-72 tanks of the 82nd Brigade, 3rd Armor Division. Both tanks were the top of the line AFVs in the world but had yet been tested under real battle conditions. The Soviet T-72 was capable of engaging with enemy AFVs over two miles away,the Merkava, had been designed to survive in combat and loaded with high technology. As the battle played out from long distances, it became evident that the old generation of Israeli tanks (Centurion, M-60)would no longer prevail against the mightly T-72. The Merkava was entirely a different matter!

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A young Joseph Stalin, then a Commissar, was in charge of saving the city for Lenin and Trotsky. In the weeks prior, it had seemed like a Red victory. The White forces had been sent reeling backwards under the weight of the 10th Army (35,000 men, 10,000 cavalry, 240 artillery guns, Armor Car Detachment 34). Then, Wrangel, a tactician, counterattacked the Red flanks with cavalry trapping thousands forcing the Reds to retreat disorderly. By May 18th, the 10th Army was in shambles losing 15000 men and 55 guns. Many of the Red soldiers defected, others just fled but Wrangel pressed on and was stopped by terrain and a vast distance to Tsaritsyn of 200 miles. White cavalry continued on like a Panzer Division devouring Red troops. The only Red force that checked Wrangel was Budyonny, who at the end of May, counterattacked with his 10,000 men and decimated WrangelÃ?Â?s only infantry division, his 6th. WrangelÃ?Â?s cavalry saved them from complete destruction and forced the Red cavalry to pull back. By early June, the Red defenses along the Esau Askai River were breached by the Whites forcing the Reds to their Tsaritysn defenses. On June 14, the White cavalry attacked and reached the suburbs of Tsaritsyn. Due to numerous Red armor trains laden with artillery which pummeled the Whites, further advances were impossible. The Reds regrouped during a lull and struck on the 17th, pushing the tired and weakened White troops back some 15 miles from the city. Mamontov struck the Reds from the north putting a check on Red advances. The long awaited reinforcements for Wrangel began to arrive by the 26th, more infantry, the British 47th Squadron, British MkV and Whippet tanks, artillery, armor trains, and armor cars. The stage was set.

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In June 1944, the Russian High Command decided to knock Finland out of the war with an offensive designed to ultimately reach Helsinki. On paper, the Red force allocations seemed to guarantee victory by 4 to 1 and more. Hundreds of tanks, artillery and aircraft were opposed by weak Finnish forces, many of them at only 50% strength. Only a few Finnish divisions opposed over 15 Red divisions at full strength.The Finns were clearly worried and rightly so, as when the Red offensive began in late June, one Finnish defensive line crumbled after another! The only equalizer was the terrain mostly of forests and lakes. The few key roads channeled any offensive plans. By the 28th of June, the Finns had already sounded the SOS call to the Germans for help. Hitler sent in the Luftwaffe, StG 303, and hundreds of Panzerfausts and Panzerschrecks. The Red steamroller stalled, started and inched closely to Ihantala, the last Finn defenses. When July arrived, Ihantala was threatened. The Finns were close to collapse-but would they?

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Ever since the mock Iranian attack with four Fast Attack Craft upon USN ships sailing though the Straits of Hormuz in January 2008, the USN had been on alert. While American intelligence, in theory, could predict the technological level of the Iranian weaponry, and their own wargames showed USN vulnerabilities, there was always the chance element. The USN had always been on a heightened alert when traversing the Straits, especially when they knew the Iranians had at least 70 anti-ship missiles within range. Not to mention their capability of launching ASMs from aircraft platforms. Not to mention, their Chinese FACs with ASMs. The threat had always been real. The USN continued to have confidence, perhaps wrongly, that their superiority in higher technology could and would keep their ships out of harmÃ?Â?s way.Iran had decided to attack using Ã?Â?swarmÃ?Â? tactics. The USN had itself used such tactics in their own wargames with devastating results. It was found out that using swarm tactics greatly increased the likelihood of Iranian success, even when only Fast Attack Craft were used. That was then. Now, apply the same tactics with ASMs and the scenario was even more horrific. The USN would not make a preemptive strike, that would be political suicide on the world stage. Iraq was still combative as ever. All the USN could do was remain vigilant at all times while moving through the Straits and into the Persian Gulf. If Iran attacked, they would have to make it count as AmericaÃ?Â?s response would literally demolish the Iranian forces in and around the Straits.

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Sinyavino Offensive covers the "crossfire" offensive conducted by the Soviet forces in August, 1942. Crossfire, for it was a daring offensive from two opposite directions focused on a single objective: to free the isolated forces and people of Leningrad before the Germans conducted their own operation to seize the city! The bottleneck area held by German forces was no more than a few miles wide and defended by no more than three divisions. From the East, the Soviets would toss a total of 14 divisions and 100 tanks to smash the Nazi. From the West, across the Neva River, another 2-3 divisions and a tank brigade would conduct an amphibious assault. The battle would last over 30 days and desperate for both sides. At first, Red forces seriously broke through, forcing Hitler to cancel his own offensive to seize Leningrad and divert General Mainstein's forces to save the impending disaster. The battle was also the debut for Germany's new AFV, the Tiger tank!

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RAMPAGE!covers the last great cavalry offensive of the 20th century with over 8000 Cossacks, a few armor cars, a few MkV and aircraft. On August 10th, Mamontov struck and ripped through the porous Red lines for Tambov, the key Red supply base for the Southern Front. The Reds were taken by surprise and even Trotsky and Lenin complimented on its execution and how pathetic their own Red soldiers were. Within six days, the Whites were near Tambov. Some sources say up to 10,000 defected to Mamontov. Denikin had directed Mamontov to destroy the key railroad centers, but he and his men were too busy looting, causing mayhem and raping, which turned their welcome sour. Success continued as the Reds tossed in men and aircraft trying find and destroy the fast moving Whites. By mid-Sept, many of Mamontov's men had returned to their homes with stolen loot or had been killed. The remaining core now faced being encirclement near Voronezh as Red forces finally had arrived in force. Denikin order the Kuban Corps to attack from the south hoping such an attack would allow Mamontov to escape. The last week saw White success turn into a fight to survive!

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PARE LOS FACISTS (Stop the Facists) is a simulation on the critical battle also known as the Battle for the La Coruna Road that took place from Jan. 3 to 16th, 1937. In this particular phase of this Nationalist offensive (planned by the German advisors and their Blitzkrieg tech-nique) it was the first time the German Panzers met the Russian T26B tanks. Although their numbers were small, both altered their doctrines because of them. The goal for the Nationalists was to cutoff Madrid by seizing all roads to the west and the city water supply (just off the north map edge). It was also hoped that other Nationalists troops would be able to cutoff Madrid from the north and east. This game simulates the last phase of the Facists offensive. Weeks earlier, Phases 1 and 2 had proven successful. The Republicans were quite frail by the time this game begins. Had it not been for the Russian tanks and aircraft and International Brigades, the Spanish front would have collapsed and Madrid wouldÃ?Â?ve been in real danger. In a sense, it was an Ã?Â?outsiders battleÃ?Â?. The Moroccans, Germans, Italians and Spanish propelled the Nationalists, while the Russians and Internationals (French, American, British, Czech, German) desperately tried to save Madrid.

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On Dec.3, 1933, the largest and bloodiest battle of South America's only war began. General Kundt, the commander of the Bolivian Army, who had suffered defeats against the wily Paraguayans earlier that year at Nanawa, despite his use of tanks, would now receive a near death blow. The Bolivian overconfidence in their superiority over their foe would place his 9th, 4th and 7th Divisions into a pocket that would become their coffin. For Kundt, who had been warned by his field generals about a major Paraguayan build up, refused to listen to their own reconnaissance reports. The Paraguayans had massed without much secrecy 5-6 Divisions, all aimed at the Bolivian 4th and 9th Divisions. The massive buildup could hardly not be noticed, yet, the Bolivan's did nothing. Numerous gaps remained in their lines at critical junctions, units were shifted to beef up the weak 9th Division so it could hold Alihuata at all costs. Their flanks were dangling with no troops covering them as their were not enough. The battle opened up with Paraguay's largest artillery and air bombardments to date, yet there was no massive breakthrough. However, the numerous Paraguayan cavalry storming from the unprotected flanks would cut off the Bolivans. Cutting them off was easy. The real battle for the 9th and 4th Divisions in the pocket was the hard part.

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On October 11th, the WhiteÃ?Â?s struck in a sudden assault with a force of around 20,000 men. The attack was well executed, with night attacks and manoeuvres to turn the flanks of the defending Red army. Yudenich also had six MK V British tanks that caused panic whenever they appeared. Night attacks were very effective. The WhiteÃ?Â?s devastating blow threw the Seventh army completely off its balance, and it began to roll them back with little resistance, abandoning their arms and supplies. Lenin concluded fighting YudenichÃ?Â?s army with the latest technical devices was useless unless at the cost of denuding and weakening other Red fronts. Lenin wanted to abandon Petrograd! Trotsky arrived at the Petrograd front just before Gatchina fell finding total confusion of the Red Staff. Panic was too rampant. On the 20th, Yudenich advanced as far as Krasnoye Syelo. His scouts on horseback could see the gilded dome of St. IsaacÃ?Â?s cathedral from the hill! The Finnish radio prematurely reported the occupation of Petro-grad. All through Europe and the rest of the world the news spread that the Red Petrograd had fallen. October 21 was a critical day. Red troops had fallen back to their last defense on the Pulkovo heights ( about 15 miles from the city center). Red men and women armed with small arms began their Ã?Â?Heroic FrenzyÃ?Â? making a firm stand on Pulkovo Heights (75m). It was the turning point that caught both sides off guard.

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Blow by Blow simulates the largest use of tanks since WW2. The Pakistani 1st Armor DivisionÃ?Â?s bold plan to cut off the entire Indian 11th Corps by severing the Grand Trunk Road in the Jullundhur area. Both the Indian and Pakistani had planned offensive operations to begin around the same time. India was to secure Pakistani territory up to Ichhogil Canal, which in this area was about 4 km from the Indian border, destroy the bridge over Ichhogil Canal over road at Khem Karan-Kasur, and to occupy a defensive sector to contain a possible Pakistani offensive. This was accomplished to some extent in the early days of September, 1965. Pakistan's 1st Armored Division was the best equipped division and far superior to any armor formation the Indians had. Armed with over 200 M-48 tanks. The Pakistanis planned to be "like Rommel" with a daring 100 mile advance!

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Operation Westindien simulates the devastating effects of the German U-boats in the Caribbean from Feb. 16 to March 16. While Operation Paukenschlag (an upcoming ATO game) began along the US East Coast at the same time (equally devastating), a handful of U-boats, Group Neuland, were ordered to deploy in the Caribbean to destroy the Allied oil fields and refineries! Unknown to most today, in 1942, the oil refineries at Aruba, Curacao, and Trinidad were vital in refining the oil arriving from Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela. Canada heavily relied on this oil, the US and England, also needed this oil for aviation fuel. The handful of U-boats assigned for this mission had been ordered to sink ships and shell oil refineries between Aruba, Lake Maracaibo (with its vast oil fields) and Trinidad. The Allied forces were totally unprepared for this. Using B-18 and A-20 bombers, a few Destroyers, Dutch ASW ships, locating and sinking Group Neuland, proved difficult. The U-boats shelled the refineries and sunk a half million tons.

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The Bridge at Remagen played a critical role in the waning months of WW2 as the American forces fast approached the insurmountable Rhine River. It is a dramatic setting, which was well captured in the movie, The Bridge at Remagen. With the German army is disarray and weakened, the US 9th Armored Division was ordered to probe in the direction of Remagen, the site of the Ludendorff Bridge. As the unit did so, it met with very light resistance. As it continued, much to American surprise, the bridge had yet to be demolished! Operation Loralie, the codeword to destroy this key crossing and been fumbled. Fumbled badly by the Germans. Confusion reigned on the German side and the Americans seized the bridge. Now what? That was the question both foes were asking. Thus, the bitter battle began. GermanyÃ?Â?s Ã?Â?wonder weaponsÃ?Â? were all directed at the bridge, from V-2 Rockets (which came close), jet bombers, massive Jagdtiger, Jagdpanther, Tiger II tanks and even SS Frogmen, all took their turn at sending the bridge to the bottom of the Rhine. The 9th, 11th and Lehr Panzer Divisions attempted to destroy the American bridgehead but were low of fuel. Luck was on the US side and could have changed in an instant. This is captured very well in the game.

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On October 14, 1920 at 0430, the last White offensive of the Russian Civil War erupted. It was extraordinary for it was only the second time Mk V, Whippets and FT-17 tanks would mass and attack with air support (the first time was in 1919 near Kharkov). It was a precursor to the more famous Kursk battle of WW2 but on a much smaller scale. General Wrangel put blind faith in his armor troops. They were well trained by the British and by allowed his army to bust out of the Crimea in June. The small town of Kakhovka (also spelled Kahovka)on the Dnepr River was tactically nil in value, however, the Reds occupied it and after two White attacks to oust them in September had failed, Wrangel wanted a showdown. His army was outnumbered by at least 2 to 1 in all aspects, yet, he felt confident his tanks with DH9A bombers in support could shatter the Red defenses. The Reds had developed a set piece battle: three trench lines in depth, mines, barb wire, antitank units made up of Mk V and FT-17, artillery in direct fire mode, and a small number of the American made Maklen 37mm AA guns. The Maklen could easily pierce any armor at long ranges. The mass of tanks on the horizon appeared daunting to the Red soldiers in their trenches, which had no antitank capabilities to defend with. Would they flee as they had in the past? The next six hours would decide the fate of the RCW!

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By 1938, the Second Sino-Japanese war was not going well for the Chinese. Since July 7, 1937, the Japanese conquered huge swathes of Northern and Eastern China and were steadily pushing deeper into China. With the conquest of Shanghai, Beijing, and Nanjing in 1937, Jiang Jie Shi (Chang Kai Shek) had moved his headquarters to Wu Han. The Japanese seeing an opportunity struck to capture the impor-tant rail junction of Xuzhou endangering Wu Han and forcing a Chinese capitulation. On January 26, 1938, the Japanese launched their offensive towards Xuzhou and by the evening of March 24, 1938, the Japanese 10th division (with around 25,000 men and around 100 tanks and armored cars) had reached the Taierzhuang area. The stage was set what ended up being a massive battle for a small stoned town, which would exchange hands many times. It was the Samurai Stalingrad!

Designed by Terence Co. Graphics\Development by Perry Moore.

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It was the grand finale, at least for Denikin as his White Army attempted to fall back and evacuate at Novorissk, March 1920. The British had finally felt compelled to overtly show their support as the Red Bolsheviks tried to cut them off. The British landed an infantry battalion to thwart the enemy, while British battleships, aircraft carriers, tanks tried to pause the Red steamroller that seemed to be everywhere. Failing to evacuate would, in effect, end the Russian Civil War. A successful evacuation would allow Wrangel to continue on until November. Outnumbered by 2 to 1, the White and British forces carefully fell back. One bad step might allow the Reds to cut them off into one large pocket. It was a near thing.

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The burden fell upon the 76th Panzer Corps now armed with some of GermanyÃ?Â?s most advanced tanks: Tigers, Brummbar, Elephants, Na-shorns, and Panther. Fischfang (Fish Trap) depicts the German operation starting on February 16th, 1944 to destroy the Allied invasion landing at Anzio. Of all the operations to smash the Allies back into the sea (10 miles away), Fischfang was the most destructive and determined. To the Gods above, the opposing foes cancelled each other out. The Germans had their strength in armor and numbers, while the Americans had determination and overwhelming airpower and artillery! To add more suspense into the fray, the Gods tossed in the great equalizer in battles-weather. Rain and sun caused havoc for both sides in different ways, it smiled on both sides at different times. Thus, Fischfang deteriorated into a powerful WW1-like slugfest with massive losses for all parties. Luck was on the American side and reluctance played havoc on the German. After four horrendous days, the Germans had reached the Flyover, several miles from where they had started-exhausted-but unknowing to them, the Americans were at their end also. Then, it stopped. Fischfang was over. It was a near thing. Who knows how it would've played out had the Germans continued to push even another 12 hrs or had sent in the 26th Panzer Division days earlier.

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It was barbaric. The thought that "German" tribes would dare to impede mighty Rome's advance into modern day Germany! It was and remains the classic example of David vs. Goliath, of deception and ruse from Rome's own favorite son, the 27 year old German born Arminius. Arminius would be the ultimate traitor and led the unsuspecting Roman army (20,000 men)to a wicked narrow. On one side, an impassable moor. On the other, a heavily wooded hill. Along the only path through the narrows, there was the hidden 5-7 ft wall. Behind this wall and camouflaged in the moor, some 15,000 Germans waited. Waited for Arminius' order. Waves and waves of frenzied German men attacked the totally unsuspecting Roman legions who thought they were moving through "friendly" territory. They were butchered. Slaughtered. Decapitated. Massacred. Only a handful would escape. Rome would be in shock for years. Germany would never be Rome's!

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The Koltov Corridor simulates yet another disaster for the German Army in 1944. This time, in July, from the 13th to 23rd, the German front at the Koltov area shattered from the weight of the Russian 3rd and 4th Tank armies breaking through a narrow 3-4 km gap in the German lines. As the 8th and 1st Panzer Divisions counterattacked, Russian aircraft filled the skies and wrecked carnage upon the 8th Panzer. The division was rendered null and void! Further north, a large German pocket had been created, which attempted to breakout. This scenario had already happened many times before and it played out once again with no less desperateness from each side. As German forces were tossed into the relief effort, tossed into the Russian meatgrinder that smashed the skulls of men, the front shattered like glass. Pieces of metal and flesh became a stench no survivor would ever forget. It was a morbid smell. The Germans tossed in their already weak 16th Pz and 20th PG Divisions to stall the devouring enemy. But, they could barely hold their positions and became food as the two massive Russian tank armies streaked for the Vistula River!

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It was the final curtain of a very long standing war spanning 30 years. Nobody would have ever guessed that it would end at Xuan Loc, let alone with the South Vietnamese 18th Division, known to be an unreliable unit. Yet, it was here at the small town that the division stood and the world watched in amazement the defiant, heroic last stand from April 9 to 21. The NVA really had not planned for such a battle, they too, were surprised for their Spring Offensive was steamrolling everywhere and now focusing on Saigon with huge forces. For the NVA 4th Corps with three divisions, they had been meeting little resistance as they traveled down Highway 1 and Highway 20. The ARVN 18th had already repulsed the NVA in mid-March but now had fallen back into their final defensive positions in and around Xuan Loc. Then the miracle began.

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i cobre o horror e carnificina da famosa ofensiva de Kursk. Uma pequena e insignificate esta�������������������������������§�������������������������������£o de trem em Ponyri, tornou-se o ponto focal de ambos os lados. Os Alem�������������������������������£es tinha penetrado a primeira linha defensiva e estavam agora frente a segunda linha em Ponyri. Com ordens de ficar e lutar, barrando qualquer avan�������������������������������§o Alem�������������������������������£o e sem pensar em recuo, estava a 307a. Divis�������������������������������£o Russa, com apoio de uma divis�������������������������������£o de artilharia completa e numerosas brigadas de tanques. Todo este poderio estava ali entrincheirado, esperando o inimigo. Os Alem�������������������������������£es atacaram as linhas utilizando-se da 18a. Panzer mais duas divis�������������������������������µes de infantaria, apoiadas pelos novos blindados Elefante e Brummbar e uma brigada completa de canh�������������������������������µes de assalto. O que se sucedeu foi nada mais que uma carnificina e um massacre de homens e blindados, lutando por uma pequena esta�������������������������������§�������������������������������£o de trens e seus arredores durante tr�������������������������������ªs dias. O progresso Alem�������������������������������£o realizado podia ser medido em metros, confrontado pelos Russos. Os Alem�������������������������������£es come�������������������������������§aram a sentir que as coisas estavam mudando em toda a Batalha de Kursk, jogaram as suas reservas, representada pela 10 Divis�������������������������������£o dos PanzerGrenadier, perto de uma brecha da retaguarda Russa, que atrav�������������������������������©s dela poderia alcan�������������������������������§ar a terceira linha de defesa. Os Russos em contra-partida jogaram suas reservas blindadas, inclu�������������������������������­ndo seus "devoradores de feras", na batalha. No fim do trceiro dia de luta, 10000 homens tinham perdido a vida, por um pequenino peda�������������������������������§o de terra.

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S & G covers the horror and carnage that the Kursk offensive is so famous for. The small, insignificant railroad station at Ponyri became the focal point of both sides. The Germans had pierced the first line of defense and now were on the second line at Ponyri. Ordered to stand and die-let no German pass-was the Russian 307th Division supported by a full artillery division and numerous tank brigades. All dug in and waiting. The Germans assaulted the lines using the 18th Panzer and two infantry divisions supported by the new Elephant and Brummbar tanks plus a full assault gun brigade. What ensued was none other than slaughter and carnage of men and tanks for the small railroad station and its environs for the next three days. The Germans made progress measured in yards only to be checkmated by the Russians. The Germans, sensing the tide was turning for the whole Kursk Offensive, tossed in their reserves, the 10th PG division, nearly breaking the Russian back, which would have allowed them to reach the third defensive line. However, the Russians tossed in their reserve tank units including their "beast eaters". By the end of the third day, 10,000 men had lost their lives for a very little piece of real estate.

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The 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment was composed mainly of conscript soldiers. The Viet Cong D445 Local Force Battalion had dominance in this area but the Australians were increasing their activity. Most contacts with the Viet Cong were small squads and so Australian doctrine was to carry light loads and attack aggressively. The local Viet Cong commander, Colonel Nguyen Than Hong, aimed to make a large attack on 6th Bn causing a politically unacceptable loss, hoping to cause its withdrawal. The Viet Cong 275 Regiment moved south intending to attack. The VC continually formed assault waves and moved forward but were decimated by artillery fire. The soldiers of D Company showed excellent discipline holding their line and repulsing any VC that got through the artillery barrage. D Company were supported by 24 105mm and 155mm guns from Australian, New Zealand artillery units and the US 2/35 Battalion, which fired deeper into VC positions. Over 3,000 rounds of artillery were fired. The Australian A Battery fired rounds every 15 seconds for three hours. The VC were decimated with over 500 killed and 750 wounded. Australian loses were 18 killed and 24 wounded.

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