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Defense of Lembitu
By Timo Immonen (2006)
Situation
By OKW orders, an SS‐Panzerkorps is holding a bridgehead over Narwa river, outside of town of
Narwa in northern Estonia. The bridgehead is to be used for eventual counter‐offensive towards
Leningrad.
A narrow coastal strip west of town of Narwa, with a highway, is still occupied by Germans, and
connects the bridgehead to the rest of the German line in Estonia.
Soviet troops have infiltrated over the Narwa river along a swampy area thought to be impassable,
and push the frontline protecting Narwa corridor northwards. It now runs approximately along the
Narwa‐ Waivara rail line.
Defense against the threat created by the Soviet infiltration are elements of the 61st Infantry
Division, Feldherrnhalle Division and attached units of the 502 Schwere Abteilung. Leutnant Otto
Carius is commanding the Tiger detachment of 502nd in the area.
German mission
Enemy assault must be contained within our lines. Any break north, towards seacoast, immediately
risks encirclement of our SS‐Panzerkorps defending Narwa bridgehead.
Soviet mission
German aggressors must be punished for their stubborn occupation of Narwa bridgehead. We must
overrun defenses here as quickly as possible, advance north, and cut supply lines of Germans in
Narwa region. Bypassing resistance is our primary objective.
Aftermath
Soviet barrage created some panic and unauthorized withdrawals in German line. Strongpoints
near eastern rail crossing were abandoned or destroyed. Soviet armor started to roll over the
railway embankment and fan out to the plain of Lembitu.
Otto Carius, leading his two Tigers, arrived at scene when the first T‐34s were already north of
Lembitu. Carius engaged AT‐guns at railway embankment, while the other Tiger concentrated on
Soviet armor pushing past shattered defenses.
After destroying several AT‐guns, Carius engaged each Soviet tank crossing the rail line, while
hosing the Soviet infantry with machine‐gun fire.
After all Soviet tanks in the plain were destroyed; battalion strength Soviet infantry began
retreating from the plain, but occupied several strongpoints north of the rail line.
Tigers repulsed several additional attempts by Soviet tanks to force the crossing. Only late in the
afternoon did the German artillery smashed the Soviet attack formations assembling behind the
railway embankment, bringing the day’s fighting to an end.
Hastily created battlegroups of German infantry tried to recapture strongpoints and form a line
during the evening, while Tigers took turns resupplying at regimental HQ.
Design notes
This scenario is based almost solely on book “Tigers in the mud” by Otto Carius, published in
Stackpole Military History Series. Composition of Soviet infantry battalion is based on web sources.
Scale of the scenario is based on assumption that 1 basic infantry figure (Mosin‐Nagant, PPSh‐41,
Mauser Kar, Wehrmacht Veteran Infantrymen, etc.) represents a weak platoon. Specialist Soldier
units represent one or several squads/weapons.
Vehicles represent one vehicle each, except Sturmoviks and Katyushas which represent unspecified
initial barrage effect. Soviet follow up tank formations are not represented, even though they
historically staged additional attack when the first wave failed.
This scenario is as historically accurate as possible with only one source, and existing AAM units.