Kampfgruppe Niculescu - The Matrix Games version of East Front II

[Best played by the Allies or against human opponent] When Romania changed sides on the 23rd of August, most of its units were fighting the Russians in the East. In contrast, the Germans possesed a total of more than 40.000 troop in the area of Bucharest and the oil fields of Ploiesti. These units, under generals Gerstenberg (head of air defenses of the oil fields) and Stahel (specialist in counterinsurgency operations, who secured the occupation of Italy in 1943) reacted quickly and attempted to secure the capital. While disparate units on both sides fought a confusing battle in Bucharest, Gerstenberg organised an impressive column and attempted to enter Bucharest from the North. The Romanian High Command scrambled to gather as many troops as possible for the defense of Bucharest. Among them the 1st Armored division. Unfortunately, it ran into the soviets and was disarmed by them. This insured that the most important armored group left to the Romanians were elements of the 1st Armored division still in training at Targoviste. These were organised in a kampfgruppe under Gen. Niculescu and rushed to the capital. The group consisted of a platoon of armored recoinassance cars, a platoon of amphibious cars, an armored battalion with a company of TAs and one of T4s, a battalion of 20 TACAM R2s, a battalion of Resita AT guns, a motorised battalion, signal and supply elements. They also captured a platoon of 88mm AA guns. From the 24th they pushed their way towards the capital and on the 26th regrupped NE of Bucharest. In the meantime, Gerstenberg's force had been stalled by the 2nd Calarasi regiment (the kings' personal bodyguard) and a company of Pz38s at the northern entrance to the capital. The arivall of Niculescu's group and of the 9th Infantry division at the East of Bucharest effectively broke the stalemate. The Germans tried to retreat northwards and the Romanians to destroy the isolated groups of resistance. On the 27th Niculescu's group attempted (and eventually succeded) to take the last remaining major resistance point near Bucharest, the German army training school in the Baneasa forest (10 KM North of Bucharest), after a day earlier similar attempts had ended in disaster because of poor coordination with American bombers.