Holiday Trenchout!
The Tartar Ditch
Perekop Isthmus, Crimea
September 26th, 1941Ordered by Hitler to swiftly capture the Crimea, and then jump across the Kerch Straits, and thereby enter into the Kuban region, 11th Army found itself with a tough task indeed. The Perekop Isthmus, five miles wide and devoid of any cover, had been fortified by the Soviets in preparation for the coming German assault. Soviet defenses were in line with an old ditch, dug across the entire Isthmus, known as the Tartar Ditch. Roughly 500 years old, this ditch was 40 to 50 feet high and deep, so was in itself a challenging position. The Soviet 51st Independent Army deployed two infantry divisions to hold the defenses, supported by tanks and a cavalry division in reserve. Despite the strong defenses, Soviet forces were still in disarray from the German invasion, and would be slow to react to any German moves.
German forces prepared well for the attack, even bringing up super-heavy howitzer and mortar units for the attack. Air support was made available, and special ammunition moved up to help minimize the dangers inherent with a lack of defensive cover. Once ready, German forces unleashed a massive bombardment and hammered away at the defenses. When these were worn down, the Germans launched their main assault on the 26th, their aim to breach the ditch and break into more open ground, giving them access to the Crimea and the Soviet fortress of Sevastopol.
We have made this seemingly difficult scenario available for all in the Free Scenarios folder on the PANZERKORPHQ Yahoo! Group or visit panzerkorps.com.
Although designed for the divisional-level WWII rules Panzer Korps, the scenario can be modified and played with smaller scale rules.
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