The Professionals


Pirot, Yugoslavia, April 9th, 1941: On April 8th, the Wehrmacht erupted across the Yugoslavian borders.
Von Kliest's armor, striking along the River Nisava out of Bulgaria, swiftly drove a wedge between the 
enemy "Troplica" and "Drina" divisions. The Yugoslavs repeatedly performed individual acts of heroism 
- attacking the panzers with grenades and molotov cocktails - but collectively the Yugoslavian army 
was outclassed and scattered, its actions haphazard and disorganized. However, along the Nisava, the 
wooden bridges were invariably in flames that first day when German troops reached them. Desperate for
bridges to link his divided command, von Kleist formed an armored advance detachment consisting of a 
battalion of the 15th Panzer Regiment and two battalions of the 23rd Infantry Regiment. He ordered his 
ad hoc battle group to fan out ahead of the main force and seize bridges along the river. Early the next 
morning after driving through the darkness, an element under command of Major Teege reached Pirot to find
the bridge there still standing. With infantry dismounted from the tanks, he swept forward to capture it.

Game Length: 9 Turns

For the Germans to win they must neutralize the threat coming from the college as they capture the bridge.
For the Yugoslavs to win they must defend the bridge at all costs.

Germans: Squads, LMG's, AFV's
Yugoslavs: Squads (actually HS to match their stats), MMG's, DC's (in place of molotov coctails)

Boards: #6, #7, #11

Aftermath: The bridge lay just beyond the grounds of the Vardar Tactical Training College, a military school
of some repute. As the armor entered the grounds of the college, the lead tank was hit by shells from a pair 
of Italian-made AT guns manned by students. The tank blew up, blocking the gateway. Despite the courage of the 
infantry, who overran the enemy guns in the face of muderous fite, the Germans were unable to dislodge the
cadets from the main building. A stalemate developed as the cadets - armed with a variety of weapons - defended
the road to the bridge with surprising fanaticism. But they themselves were pinned down by the Germans, who 
had surrounded the school buildings. It was not until the early afternoon, when more armor and another German 
infantry battalion arrived to launch an assault from the north, that the surviving students surrendered. Teege's
exhausted men could finally reach the water, and they had - throughout the contest - managed to keep the bridge
intact. The proffesionals, though bloodied, had taught the students a lesson in tactics.

Source: ASL Annual '90, SL Scenario A5, The Professionals
   