Katyusha's Embrace

Amid the brutal Crimea battles of 1943-44, Ekaterina Mikhailova managed to enlist at the tender age of 15. Affectionately called Katyusha by the troops, she was admired even by the enemy. She safely took water for her injured friends from a contested well, where people were shot daily, as …

1943-08-08

J168

Amid the brutal Crimea battles of 1943-44, Ekaterina Mikhailova managed to enlist at the tender age of 15. Affectionately called Katyusha by the troops, she was admired even by the enemy. She safely took water for her injured friends from a contested well, where people were shot daily, as the Germans let her pass. Some Germans played famous Soviet song titled “Katyusha,” to greet her, the others shouted from the trenches: “Russian marine! Russian Ivan! Show us Katyusha! We won’t fire.” After the battle for Kerch, she fought for the liberation of Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia and celebrated Victory Day, 1945, in the Austrian capital, Vienna. The only Vienna bridge that was not blown up by the retreating Nazi troops was saved by Ekaterina’s battalion. She was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and received the Florence Nightingale Medal.

Kuban, Crimea

The Kuban Bridgehead, also known as the "Goth's head position", was a German position on the Taman Peninsula, Russia, between the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea. Existing from January to October 1943, the bridgehead formed after the Germans were pushed out of the Caucasus. The heavily fortified position was intended as a staging area for the Wehrmacht which was to be used to renew attacks towards the oil wells of the Caucasus. The bridgehead was abandoned when the Red Army breached the Panther–Wotan line, forcing an evacuation of the German forces across the Kerch Strait to Crimea.

Russian

German / Romanian

Scenario Type = Standard