Springing the Trap - Operation Fredericus

On 12 May, the Russians struck first. After an hour of artillery bombardment began, the ground offensive began, meeting tough German defense from the start. By the end of the first day, the deepest penetration achieved by Soviet troops was merely 10 kilometers On 15 and 16 May, Russian offensives restarted, meeting the same stiff resistance that had frustrated them in the first few days. To the south, however, Soviet troops were able to penetrate deeper into German lines.On 17 May, the German 3rd Panzer Corps and 46th Army Corps commanded by von Bock, supported by aircraft, arrived, enabling the Germans to launch Operation Fridericus, pushing back the Soviet Barvenkovo bridgehead. On 19 May, General Paulus launched a general offensive to the north as Bock's troops advanced in the south, thus attempting to surround the Soviets in the Izyum salient. On 20 May, the nearly surrounded Soviet forces mounted counteroffensives, but none of the attempts were successful in breaking through the German lines. The Soviets achieved some small victories on 21 and 22 May, but by 24 May, they were surrounded near Kharkov.Springing the Trap is an expansion and extension of John Theissen's other game Baiting the Bear. This expands the area of play to the south, greatly enhancing the game experience.