CENTRAL CITY, STALINGRAD, RUSSIA, 14 SEPT 1942.//The Germans
made their big push to reach the Volga on the 14th of September.
In response, the Russians sped up their timetable to bring reinforcements
across the river. The 13th Guards Rifle Division was ordered
to cross immediately, even though thousands of soldiers were
without rifles. This would still not be fast enough to save
the area around Railroad Station #1. Instead, the units that
held the line in the vicinity of the Station were ordered to
fight to the last man. /A critical tactical location had been
identified in the Central City - with hundreds of derelict and
damaged rail cars scattered up and down the line, the Railroad
Crossing just south of Station #1 was one of the only places
that wheeled & tracked vehicles could get across the tracks. Whichever
side held that crossing, controlled the supply bridgehead to
the downtown area. Soviet Major Khopka was tasked with holding
the area until more substantial forces could move up from the
Volga Ferry Landings. Khopka appealed to General Chuikov that
he had less than 100 men and only 1 operational tank left to
hold out with; Chuikov responded to "rally the men around the
tank and hold the crossing. If you don't hold out, I'll have
you shot." //Meanwhile, the Germans had quickly recognized the
importance of the railroad crossing and were en-route to wrest
it from Russian hands... Khopka was killed in action, along with
over half his men, but all throughout the city those defiant
stands by Russian Soldiers managed to hold the line until the
13th Guards could join the battle and stabilize the situation.
// The German will get VPs from capturing the railroad crossing
in hex 4,6 as well as exiting units off the east map edge.
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