Screenshots from all Close Combat versions.
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Orlovo Gorge map 2
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The German 8th Army had been hard pressed by the advancing Soviet forces of Konev's 2nd Ukranian Front ever since withdrawing from Kharkov in August. Crossing the Dnieper River gave little respite to the battered German divisions who had been bled white during the long retreat. The GrossDeutschland Division had been the fire brigade for 8th Army, acting as a corset rod to stiffen the German front.By November, the division, as part of LII Korps had been in the line for 60 days without rest and the Grenadier and Fusulier regiments were down to 250 men while the Panzer regiment had less than 50 tanks. Tank crews were being employed as infantry. On November 26, the division was holding the line between the 9th Panzer and 16th Panzergrenadier Divisions northeast of Krivoi Rog along the Orlovo Gorge or balka that made up the main defensive line or HKL. the line was being thinly held by the 2 infantry regiments while the divisions only tanks, the 18 Tigers of III Abtielung under Major Gomille, were held in reserve. All of the divisions other units had been dispersed to other divisions.
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