** Strangers in a Strange Land - The Matrix Games version of East Front II

[This scenario is intended to be played with the Blitzkrieg EFII expansion pack installed] Location : Central Caucasia. Strange things happen in war, but this had to be the strangest! After rampaging through the northern Caucasus, the Germans were reaching the mountain ranges of central and southern Caucasus. The men and machines were weary to go into the mountains, but they had no other choice! With 6. Army poised at Stalingrad, the rich oilfields of Groznyy were a tempting target. So far, the germans had met scattered resistance on the plains, but as they ventured further south, the wear and tear of their machines was taking it's toll! The two panzer divisions which started out now two months ago could field about half their tank strength and the accompanying infantry divisions were not better off. Still Armeegruppe A dediced to exploit the initial gains and go for the passes through the mountain ranges. Marukh pass was an obvious target as it would give them access to the southern coastal regions and better terrain! Of course the Soviets knew this too! Since all the major combat formations were either engaged or scattered, a series of brigades were either rushed to the scene or formed in the rear. One of these brigades was the 36th Marine brigade, made up of ex-crewmen of the Black Sea Fleet and mountain troops which were raised in the region. So for the Germans it was quite peculiar to see marines defending the mountain pass they were aiming for! Their surprise got even bigger when they saw them being supported by British lend-lease tanks! But be that as it may, time was not in their favour! A quickly formed battlegroup of 24th Panzer and mountain troops was streaming towards Marukh pass. If they didn't capture it quickly, the Soviets were bound to pour more troops in the area and eliminate their chances to get through these blasted mountains!