Toehold on the Dnieper - The Matrix Games version of East Front II

Lyutezh, 25km N of Kiev: NIGHT [Best played as Allied] Although suffering heavy losses, by September 30th the 240th Rifle Division had managed to gain a toehold for the Soviet 38th Army across the Dnieper River north of Kiev at Lyutezh (see "The Blood Red Dnieper" - Svaromye). The enemy response was fierce and the German 13th Corps launched repeated attacks to seal off the Russian bridgehead before it could be expanded. Only the rapid redeployment of armor could stop the steady push of the attacking Axis troops from breaching the perimeter and overrunning the exhausted Russians. After a forced march from south of Kiev, including a nearly submerged crossing of the Desna River, T-34s of the 20th Guards Tank Brigade arrived at Svaromye on October 5th. The situation on the far side of the Dnieper was growing more desperate by the hour for the shattered remnants of the 240th. In the early morning darkness of October 6th, while preparations were made to ferry some of the squat tanks across the river using two large barges, assault regiments from the German 88th and 208th Infantry Divisions began their final attack to punch through the Russian lines.