The Blue Volkhov - The Matrix Games version of East Front II

Novgorod, 170km SSE of Leningrad: [Best played as Axis] The Spanish "Blue Division" entered Russia as part of the Fascists' "Crusade Against Bolshevism", but also as a good will gesture by Franco's government - sort of a "thank you" to Hitler for Germany's aid during the Spanish Civil War. After arriving in Germany, the Spaniards were mustered into the 250th Infantry Division, part of Army Group North. Organized very similarly to a German infantry division, the Iberians were also armed with weapons and equipment of German manufacture. The fighting spirit of these Falangist volunteers however, was just as high if not higher than that of their more tightly drilled German counterparts. In October the Spaniards entered the line along the Volkhov River north of Novgorod, relieving a German division. Several days of boredom passed, and then came the October rains and the ground turned to ankle-deep mire. Finally the "Blue Division" received orders to move out, ostensibly to "probe" the Russians on the opposite bank of the river. Early on the 19th, Escobedo's 2nd Company (II/269) managed to cross the 250-meter wide river undetected and establish a small bridghead on the eastern banks of the Volkhov, putting to rout a superior number of Russians. At 1900 hours the 2nd Battalion of the 848th Rifle Regiment finally organized a counterattack in an attempt to eliminate the Spanish bridgehead. Meanwhile, the 848's 3rd Battalion was moving up to reinforce the attack.