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PanzerAceOttoCariusCampaignDefenseofLembitu
ByTimoImmonen(2006)Situation
ByOKWorders,anSSPanzerkorpsisholdingabridgeheadoverNarwariver,outsideoftownof
NarwainnorthernEstonia.Thebridgeheadistobeusedforeventualcounteroffensivetowards
Leningrad.
AnarrowcoastalstripwestoftownofNarwa,withahighway,isstilloccupiedbyGermans,and
connects
the
bridgehead
to
the
rest
of
the
German
line
in
Estonia.
SoviettroopshaveinfiltratedovertheNarwariveralongaswampyareathoughttobeimpassable,
andpushthefrontlineprotectingNarwacorridornorthwards.Itnowrunsapproximatelyalongthe
Narwa Waivararailline.
DefenseagainstthethreatcreatedbytheSovietinfiltrationareelementsofthe61stInfantry
Division,FeldherrnhalleDivisionandattachedunitsofthe502SchwereAbteilung.LeutnantOtto
CariusiscommandingtheTigerdetachmentof502nd
inthearea.
GermanmissionEnemyassaultmustbecontainedwithinourlines.Anybreaknorth,towardsseacoast,immediately
risksencirclementofourSSPanzerkorpsdefendingNarwabridgehead.
SovietmissionGermanaggressorsmustbepunishedfortheirstubbornoccupationofNarwabridgehead.Wemust
overrundefenseshereasquicklyaspossible,advancenorth,andcutsupplylinesofGermansin
Narwaregion.Bypassingresistanceisourprimaryobjective.
AftermathSovietbarragecreatedsomepanicandunauthorizedwithdrawalsinGermanline.Strongpoints
neareasternrailcrossingwereabandonedordestroyed.Sovietarmorstartedtorolloverthe
railwayembankmentandfanouttotheplainofLembitu.
OttoCarius,leadinghistwoTigers,arrivedatscenewhenthefirstT34swerealreadynorthof
Lembitu.CariusengagedATgunsatrailwayembankment,whiletheotherTigerconcentratedon
Sovietarmorpushingpastshattereddefenses.
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AfterdestroyingseveralATguns,CariusengagedeachSoviettankcrossingtherailline,while
hosingtheSovietinfantrywithmachinegunfire.
AfterallSoviettanksintheplainweredestroyed;battalionstrengthSovietinfantrybegan
retreatingfromtheplain,butoccupiedseveralstrongpointsnorthoftherailline.
TigersrepulsedseveraladditionalattemptsbySoviettankstoforcethecrossing.Onlylateinthe
afternoondidtheGermanartillerysmashedtheSovietattackformationsassemblingbehindthe
railwayembankment,bringingthedaysfightingtoanend.
HastilycreatedbattlegroupsofGermaninfantrytriedtorecapturestrongpointsandformaline
duringtheevening,whileTigerstookturnsresupplyingatregimentalHQ.
DesignnotesThis
scenario
is
based
almost
solely
on
book
Tigers
in
the
mud
by
Otto
Carius,
published
in
StackpoleMilitaryHistorySeries.CompositionofSovietinfantrybattalionisbasedonwebsources.
Scaleofthescenarioisbasedonassumptionthat1basicinfantryfigure(MosinNagant,PPSh41,
MauserKar,WehrmachtVeteranInfantrymen,etc.)representsaweakplatoon.SpecialistSoldier
unitsrepresentoneorseveralsquads/weapons.
Vehiclesrepresentonevehicleeach,exceptSturmoviksandKatyushaswhichrepresentunspecified
initialbarrageeffect.Sovietfollowuptankformationsarenotrepresented,eventhoughthey
historicallystagedadditionalattackwhenthefirstwavefailed.
Thisscenarioisashistoricallyaccurateaspossiblewithonlyonesource,andexistingAAMunits.
