**Castello Fatato - The Matrix Games version of East Front II

[Meshkov, Russia.] [H2H] [HISB] [GD-Ivan the Big] [EA-Any; VV-No] [CS 2.02] NIGHT ACTION! The Italian 8th Army had been in full retreat since the prior morning in the face of the Soviet winter offensive aimed at encircling the German 6th Army at Stalingrad. Germany's allies had been cut to ribbons under the pressure of the Soviet offensive. The 3rd Bersaglieri Regiment, with most of it's organic transport destroyed, was ordered to grab what weapons the men could carry and lead the Italian retreat to Meshkov. Late in the afternoon of the 20th, forward elements of the 3rd Bersaglieri saw a "fairy castle" the cathedral of Meshkov dominating the skyline. As evening settled in, the Italians moved towards the town and were hit with a hail of fire at about 500 meters. Only then they realized the Russians had beaten them to the town. In the next hour a wild melee took place as wave after wave of Italian troops tried to capture the cathedral as machine gun and mortar rounds fell around them. After an hour of combat the Italians were thrown back in retreat. They would surrender next morning to more Soviet troops operating in the area.