Velikiye Luki Citadel

[Feldwebel Crin]

Continued from this thread, in the mod forums. I liked the idea very much.

Just to provide a bit more information, the garrison of Velikiye Luki was a regiment led by Colonel von Sass. The unit was a part of the 83rd Infantry Division, the commander General Scherer, the then famous defender of Kholm a year earlier. The defenses were a series of strongpoints made in the more sturdy buildings of the city, as well as factories. The Citadel was a medieval Russian fortress, mainly constructed of earth but very strudy, resisting all of the Soviet bombardments.

After the strongpoints were finally overtaken by Russian soldiers, the wedge was driven between von Sass's command post and the Citadel. The old fortress held out longer with less forces, and German forces dug entrenchments into the walls of the Citadel. Eventually, after von Sass surrendered and the relief drive reached its maximum point, the remaining Germans decided to break out towards the source of the noise of fighting, from the thrust. Although many were slaughtered in the open, some reached the salient. Casualty rates for von Sass's force reached 99 percent dead and captured.

Although the breakout would not be a great scenario (it was just a glorified shooting gallery), the Russian attack on the rearguard left in the Citadel or on the main force before the breakout would. That would stick out, fighting in the old medieval walls, the concentrated firepower of the barrage. The objectives could be parts of the walls, the underground galleries, etc. A nice touch would also be dead Russians piled in the arched entranceway (there was only one way in or out). I think this could be a great and original map.