Agony at Arnautovo

Russian troops launched a surprise sortie against the village of Arnautovo which was held by the Italian Valchiese Battalion of the 6th Alpini Regiment and some divisional artillery. To add to the dismay of the Italian defenders, they were also beset by Russian partisans coming from the southwest. …

1943-01-24

AP023

Russian troops launched a surprise sortie against the village of Arnautovo which was held by the Italian Valchiese Battalion of the 6th Alpini Regiment and some divisional artillery. To add to the dismay of the Italian defenders, they were also beset by Russian partisans coming from the southwest. The Italian artillery gunners had to use direct fire in their desperate attempt to stave off the Russian attack.

Arnautovo, Russia

The Battle of Nikolayevka was the breakout of Italian forces in January 1943, as a small part of the larger Battle of Stalingrad. The breakout involved the Mountain Corps of the Italian 8th Army near the village of Nikolayevka (now Livenka, Belgorod Oblast, in Russia). The Alpini positions on the river Don before the Soviet advances during operations Uranus, Mars and Saturn and their line of retreat in red. On December 16, 1942, Soviet forces launched Operation Little Saturn aimed at the Italian 8th Army. The Soviet plan was to force the River Don, encircle and destroy the Italian 8th Army along the Don, then push towards Rostov-on-Don and thus cut off Army Group A fighting in the Caucasus. On December 16 General Vasily Kuznetsov's 1st Guards Army and General Dmitri Lelyushenko's 3rd Guards Army attacked the units of the Italian 8th Army, which were quickly destroyed, in three days the Red Army had opened a gap in the Axis front 45 km (28 mi) deep and 150 km (93 mi) wide and destroyed two of the Italian Army's Corps (2nd and 35th). The Soviet armored columns now rapidly advanced south towards the Black Sea.

Russian / Partisan

Italian

Scenario Type = Standard