Piercing the Bulge - The Matrix Games version of East Front II

Barvenkovo, 130km SSE of Kharkov: [Best played as Axis] Disaster seemed eminent for the Germans as the Soviet 1942 spring offensive to encircle Kharkov continued its westward drive from the Izyum Bulge. In a bold move, Field-Marshal von Bock decided to counterattack from the south on 17 May with von Kleist's Armeegruppe, poised to attack before the beginning of the Russian offensive as part of Operation Fridericus. By the end of the 18th the 16th Panzer Division had captured Izyum and tightened the noose around the throat of the Russian 6th and 57th Armies. But the main blow of the new Operation Fridericus was to be dealt by the 3rd Motorized Corps attacking from the south of the bulge and spearheaded by the 14th Panzer Division. As the sun rose on the 19th the 36th Panzer and 103rd Motorized Regiments smashed through a light screen of cavalry and struck the flank of the unsuspecting 1143rd/341 Rifle Regiment and T-34s from the 130th Tank Brigade at Barvenkovo.