Steel Division 2 News

Nemesis #6.3: Breaching the Gothic Line

Hello commander!

Get ready for the third (and last) option of our current Nemesis DLC vote. With today’s choice, we are going back to the Italian peninsula, focusing our attention on one of the formidable German defenses: the Gothic Line.

In Nemesis: Breaching the Gothic Line we pit the Axis 20. Luftwaffe-Felddivision against the Allied 5th Canadian Armoured Division.

Keep on reading to find out all the juicy details!

[h2]The Gothic Defensive Line[/h2]
A brief history lesson: the Italian front, from the middle part of 1944 onwards, stabilized around the Gothic Line, a set of German defenses bisecting the peninsula, north from Pisa to ways south of Rimini on the Adriatic coast. Like the preceding defensive lines, it would be a tough nut to crack for the Allies. To make matters worse: the massive relocation of supplies and forces towards the troops fighting in France bound the hands of the local Allies.

In the end, the stalemate was only broken in 1945, but that didn’t stop the Allied forces from making local attacks and raids during the latter part of 1944. On the other hand, the Axis forces were understaffed, understrength, and overstretched. Holding on to the defenses was already a big enough task.

[h2]20. Luftwaffe-Felddivision[/h2]
Some of eagle-eyed players might recognize the 20. Luftwaffe-Felddivision from one of our previous Nemesis offerings. Namely, the fourth in the series (won by Nemesis: Storming Toulon). The German division was featured in our Nemesis: Ligurian Standoff option, making it the runner-up and ever-so-slightly didn’t make it in the runners-up vote against Nemesis: Raid on Drvar.

That means that the 20. Luftwaffe-Felddivision that almost got the vote twice and warranted another look! You might read a lot of the historical context and general breakdown of this formation in the previous Nemesis offering.

In brief: the 20. Luftwaffe-Felddivision was formed in Denmark from excess Luftwaffe personnel. Destined for occupation duties, the division was shipped to Italy to combat partisans before finding itself on the frontline at the war’s close. Having had to let go of most of its heavy equipment, securing the flank of the Gothic Line, especially against a seaborne invasion, saw the 20. Luftwaffe-Felddivision be reequipped as an infantry division.

[h2]What will it bring in-game[/h2]
The 20. Luftwaffe-Felddivision, much like our Nemesis: Ligurian Standoff variant, will feature its fair share of Luftwaffe combat troops and special units. This includes:

The formation will deploy several reluctant Luftwaffe mechanics and ground crew turned combat soldiers. This also includes “unreliable” Volksdeutschen dumped by other units into the 20. Luftwaffe-Felddivision. These squads will feature the Disheartened trait and can be considered ill-equipped Lw-Jäger.
A strong cadre of paratrooper NCOs is supplemented by a new influx of cavalry officers and NCOs. This means that part of the Lw-Jäger will be regular squads equipped with more modern equipment, including the MG-42.
Heavier machine guns are available, including Italian pieces and heavy (15mm) fighter plane machine guns used on the ground.
Instead of infantry guns, the 20. Luftwaffe-Felddivision has access to extra FlaK 38mm AA guns used as direct fire support guns. Some will be mounted on captured Italian AS-43 Shariana light trucks.
Anti-tank units are equipped with the PaK 97/38, but the battlegroup can also deploy PaK 40 and Marder tank destroyers.
The division’s artillery is at least partially equipped with Italian captured guns including 75mm mountain guns, 100mm and 149mm howitzers.
As expected, the formation can rely on heavy AA cover, either from its own guns or close-by coastal defenses. This includes Flak 38 20mm, Flak 36 37mm, captured Italian 76mm and 90mm AA, as well as Breda 20mm mounted on trucks.
Armor support comes in the form of captured Italian Semovente 47/32 tank destroyers and Command tanks.

To sum it up, the 20. Luftwaffe-Felddivision as a battlegroup features:

Mediocre RECON, with only infantry and scout teams present.
Very Good INF tab, with plenty of choice between solid regular infantry and cheaper Disheartened squads, plus some RSI GNR support.
A pretty good SUPPORT tab with a variety of MG squads, including rare heavy guns, as well as the AS.43 20mm.
A weak TANK category, with only one choice of StuG for phases A and B.
An above average AT, offsetting the weak armor selection, featuring PaK 97/38, PaK 40, Marder, Semovente 47/32.
While the ART category is standard, the AA category is very strong, with all types and manner of guns, including the Italian 90mm (which is better in an AT role compared to the FlaK 88mm).
AIR is rather average, with only a few German and Axis RSI planes. With the number of AA guns available, who needs air cover?

[h2]The 5th Canadian Armoured Division[/h2]

The 5th Canadian Armoured Division is, like all Canadian World War II armored divisions, a hybrid of British and American equipment. The main combat vehicles of the formation are the same as a U.S. division, including Sherman M4A4, M5A1 Stuart, half-tracks, etc.

The division follows British lines in specialist variants, armored cars or other vehicles such as the Firefly Ic and Vc, Crusader AA tanks, Universal Carrier, Humber scout cars, 6-pdr, 17-pdr, and 25-pdr towed guns.

The formation also had the usual British organization of one armored brigade and one infantry brigade. Much like any other “British” armored division, it quickly ran out of infantry, an issue acutely felt on the Italian battlefields. It was decided to bolster the formation with another infantry brigade to remedy this issue. As Italy by now was a secondary front, and no outside influx of personnel could be expected, reinforcements were to be found already fighting locally. The new brigade was formed from corps or even army units into new infantry battalions, with the primary source of soldiers coming from the 4th Princess Louise Dragoons and (the favorite source of extraneous soldiers) idle AA gunners, represented in-game by the Disheartened trait.

The 4th Princess Louise Dragoons was a veteran recon regiment, having landed in Italy on the first day of the Allied invasion, on the 1st of September 1943. This regiment had taken part in virtually all the major offensives. Highly motivated and experienced, these armored scouts (using armored cars) were known to operate on foot, even behind enemy lines. Their reputation as skilled foot soldiers let them be converted to infantrymen.

In Steel Division 2 they will be represented as Convertered Scouts, infantrymen without the Recon trait but with the Raider trait instead, as well as with added veterancy and additional captured SMGs. The formation also had its assault engineers laden with heavy equipment. These Assault Troopers will be heavy combat engineers squads.

Another interesting feature was that the 5th Canadian Armoured Division was neither equipped with M8 Greyhound or Stuarts, nor Cromwells or armored cars for reconnaissance duties, but thanks to its armored recon battalion with full-fledged Recon Shermans (only in use by French and South African formations), as well as some jalopied Stuart Recce.

Air support was provided by the same multinational Desert Air Force already feature with the 2nd New Zealand Division, providing a mix of British, Canadian, South African, Greek (and even one Australian) squadrons of Beaufigthers, Hurricanes, Spitfire, etc.

[h2]Nemesis #6 Vote Starting Next Week[/h2]
That’s the third option for our sixth series of the Nemesis DLC. Show time is next week when we will officially open the vote. Let the propaganda campaigns begin!

In case you want to read up on the previous Nemesis options:

Nemesis #6.1: Battle of Tienhaara highlights the critical actions in the summer of 1944 on the Karelian isthmus, detailing the hard-fought delaying action of our Swedish-Finnish friends of the 17. Divisioona against the Soviet

90-ya Strelkovaya Diviziya.
Nemesis #6.2: Siege of Dunkirk shines the spotlight on an overlooked Western European encirclement of Festung Dünkirchen by the Allied Czechoslovakian CIABG. From its investment in September 1944, the Axis garrison held out until the very end of World War II!
Nemesis #6.3: Breaching the Gothic Line, which, as you read about today, details the actions of the Axis 20. Luftwaffe-Felddivision going up against the Allied 5th Canadian Armoured Division on the formidable German defenses in Italy.

[h2]Until next week[/h2]
That’s all done and dusted for Nemesis DLC option three. Let us know what you think!

Be sure to join the Steel Division 2 community on our Steam forums. If you want to keep up to date with the latest Steel Division 2, keep an eye out on our Instagram. Looking for an online game? Visit the Discord server or Reddit page and get involved with the lively Steel Division 2 community!

See you on the battlefield, commander.

Nemesis #6.3: Breaching the Gothic Line

The formation will deploy several reluctant Luftwaffe mechanics and ground crew turned combat soldiers. This also includes “unreliable” Volksdeutschen dumped by other units into the 20. Luftwaffe-Felddivision. These squads will feature the Disheartened trait and can be considered ill-equipped Lw-Jäger.
A strong cadre of paratrooper NCOs is supplemented by a new influx of cavalry officers and NCOs. This means that part of the Lw-Jäger will be regular squads equipped with more modern equipment, including the MG-42.
Heavier machine guns are available, including Italian pieces and heavy (15mm) fighter plane machine guns used on the ground.
Instead of infantry guns, the 20. Luftwaffe-Felddivision has access to extra FlaK 38mm AA guns used as direct fire support guns. Some will be mounted on captured Italian AS-43 Shariana light trucks.
Anti-tank units are equipped with the PaK 97/38, but the battlegroup can also deploy PaK 40 and Marder tank destroyers.
The division’s artillery is at least partially equipped with Italian captured guns including 75mm mountain guns, 100mm and 149mm howitzers.
As expected, the formation can rely on heavy AA cover, either from its own guns or close-by coastal defenses. This includes Flak 38 20mm, Flak 36 37mm, captured Italian 76mm and 90mm AA, as well as Breda 20mm mounted on trucks.
Armor support comes in the form of captured Italian Semovente 47/32 tank destroyers and Command tanks.

To sum it up, the 20. Luftwaffe-Felddivision as a battlegroup features:

Mediocre RECON, with only infantry and scout teams present.
Very Good INF tab, with plenty of choice between solid regular infantry and cheaper Disheartened squads, plus some RSI GNR support.
A pretty good SUPPORT tab with a variety of MG squads, including rare heavy guns, as well as the AS.43 20mm.
A weak TANK category, with only one choice of StuG for phases A and B.
An above average AT, offsetting the weak armor selection, featuring PaK 97/38, PaK 40, Marder, Semovente 47/32.
While the ART category is standard, the AA category is very strong, with all types and manner of guns, including the Italian 90mm (which is better in an AT role compared to the FlaK 88mm).
AIR is rather average, with only a few German and Axis RSI planes. With the number of AA guns available, who needs air cover?

[h2]The 5th Canadian Armoured Division[/h2]

Nemesis #6.1: Battle of Tienhaara highlights the critical actions in the summer of 1944 on the Karelian isthmus, detailing the hard-fought delaying action of our Swedish-Finnish friends of the 17. Divisioona against the Soviet

Nemesis #6.2: Siege of Dunkirk

Hello commander!

We are back at it with another deep dive into the next Nemesis DLC for Steel Division 2. This week, we’ll look at two divisions from an interesting (and long-running) World War II battle with our Nemesis: Siege of Dunkirk proposal.

Let’s find out all the juicy details!

[h2]A rather long affair[/h2] Nemesis: Siege of Dunkirk focuses on an operation that began in 1944 but only finished two days after the official conclusion of World War II in Europe. This is the siege by the Allied Free Czechs and Slovaks of the German garrison in the fortified French port city of Dunkirk.

The two divisions featured in this Nemesis DLC are the unique Allied CIABG formation, (standing for the Czechoslovakian Independent Armoured Brigade Group) and the Axis Festung Dünkirchen.

[h2]Some historical context[/h2]
After the Battle of Normandy and the subsequent Allied breakout, the First Canadian Army was allocated the objective to clear the Channel coast and capture its critical ports. With shattered German formations retreating hastily in early September, Hitler designated the ones that remained in German hands to be Festung cities. They were prepared to be defended to the last man at all costs.

(source: http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/)

Dieppe and Le Havre were captured first. The Allies couldn’t count themselves lucky: the Dieppe port was too small, and Le Havre was so thoroughly demolished that repairing it would take a long time. That left Boulogne, Calais and Dunkirk. The first two-port cities were again seized, including nearby coastal batteries, but only after heavy fighting and with severe damage to the port facilities.

[h2]A stalemate[/h2]
Dunkirk’s fate was different. The Allies reached the outskirts of the French city in early September, but the Commonwealth forces needed to storm the garrison were redirected to liberate Antwerp, in nearby Belgium. The larger port of the Flemish city further north was deemed more suitable for the Allied needs, with Dunkirk’s port already being destroyed. A costly and bloody assault on Dunkirk was unnecessary and not worth it; instead, the decision to siege was enacted.

Allied forces around Dunkirk contained the Germans held within. They also tried to curtail the garrison’s supply through coastal waters, either by the Luftwaffe or through fast E-boats operating from the still-occupied Netherlands.

The fighting spirit of Festung Dünkirchen needs to be highlighted as the German forces launched one of the last successful operations in World War II. This can be attributed to its commander, Admiral Frisius, who maintained high morale among the garrison troops. He did so by combining iron disciple, aggressive sorties, and even amphibious raids, thus keeping a level of initiative.

Ready to take the war to the Allies, Operation Blücher saw the Germans push back the Allied perimeter by some 15 kilometers, destroying almost completely two French companies. The Allies themselves destroyed several bridges in order to stop the break-out. Victorious, the Germans settled into their new positions and held them until the very end of the war.

[h2]Festung Dünkirchen[/h2]
As always, we begin with our Axis battlegroup: the hard-fighting garrison troops of Festung Dünkirchen. This amalgamated division was made up of the recently created second-rate 226. Infanterie-Division. Various remnants of Wehrmacht formations mauled in Normandy supplemented the garrison, as well as Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe personnel making up a quarter of the total forces available.

Like other Festungs (such as Festung Toulon, featured in Nemesis: Storming of Toulon), the garrison of Festung Dünkirchen is well supplied with artillery and AA units. This includes the heavy Flak 105mm and even new Flak 28(p), the ubiquitous Bofors captured from Poland in 1939, and Flak 31M(r) (Soviet 85mm AA guns). Of course, the ever-present Flak 20mm and Flak 88mm can also be deployed. Other pieces include K30(t) 76,5mm (Czech. vz.30) and K418(f) 155mm (French GPF) howitzers.

The garrison can count on well-trained and aggressive infantry, who launched daring raids on the Allied lines until the very end of the siege. Wehrmacht and Kriegsmarine raiding parties will represent these. The soldiers were well-equipped, having access to a large weapon depot with plenty of Panzerfaust, Panzerschreck and explosives.

There were some armored units available, though the number of tanks the garrison could deploy fluctuated heavily during the siege. Regardless, some were always serviceable, which results in a pair of phase-locked Panzer IV and StuG, as well as a few Marders. Festung Dünkirchen even has access to one remaining, and hard-working, Jagdpanther.

Coastal batteries and forts surrounded Dunkirk, which could also turn their guns to fire inland. As such, Festung Dünkirchen can count on heavy off-map support from 164mm and 194mm pieces.
This firepower, as well as a powerful Flak, might compensate for this battlegroup’s terrible lack of air cover!

[h2]CIABG[/h2]
The Czechoslovakian Independent Armoured Brigade Group or CIABG are Free Czech and Slovak forces. They were exiled first to France (where they formed a foreign division in the French Army in 1940) and then, after the fall of France, to the United Kingdom before being shipped to Palestine. After combat in North Africa, all free Czechs and Slovaks fighting in Allied territories were regrouped to form the CIABG.

Landing in France a week after Nazi Germany’s defeat at the Falaise pocket, the brigade formed part of the First Canadian Army. The CIABG was detailed to relieve the original wave of Canadian and British troops invested around Dunkirk. And for the rest of the war, they never left.

[h2]An unusual formation[/h2]
As a brigade, the CIABG had an unusual structure with lots of tanks but little infantry - also not the most obvious choice in the slogging, rather a static fight that characterized Dunkirk. In terms of total armor, most of the tanks were Cromwell, including 95mm CS variants. These can be found to perform a variety of roles, from recon to command. A handful of Fireflies, Stuart light tanks and Crusader AA tanks are also available. The formation also had access to a British tank regiment bringing Churchills.

In comparison, the brigade’s infantry strength was in dire straights, with only a single (reduced!) infantry battalion available. Unlike the rest of the formation’s equipment, the soldiers were equipped with Thompson SMGs instead of Stens.

To compensate for this dramatic lack of infantry, the CIABG was given the recently reformed French 110e Régiment d’Infanterie, which were actually enlisted FFI partisans. Half-dressed in civilian clothes and equipped with German captured small arms and some British, these French forces will be the mainstay of the CIABG’s infantry. The French were part of Forces Françaises de l’Ouest, a force at the bottom of the priority list for new equipment. So destitute were they that some local commanders loaded fishing boats with wine bottles and sent them to the UK to trade them for whatever military materiel they could find.

Additional troops come from British Converted Gunners, hailing from AA, artillery, and even surplus RAF ground crew. A few Czech riflemen will be veterans, while FFI-turned-soldiers will come veterancy-locked. French and Czech soldiers got along well and even formed mixed assault patrols. These will be featured as heavy assault/recon squads. The French also provide reformed Fusiliers-Marins as scouts.

Additional support comes as 17-pdr and 25-pdr artillery guns, Bofors AA and a recon squadron featuring Humber Scout Car and the unusual new Humberette Scout Car. Some French World War 1-era guns, captured by the Germans in 1940 and used as the K418 (f), were in turn recaptured by the CIABG and recrewed by the French during the siege. The Czech, likewise, had a passion for reusing seized equipment from the enemy. They ended up shelling the Dunkirk garrison with a Flak 88mm gun, a few Flakvierling and the K418(f).

Canadian heavy AA guns, such as the QF 3,7-inch (94mm) heavy dual-purpose AA guns (introduced with the South African division in the Tribute to the Liberation of Italy expansion) and the new heavy British (siege) howitzer BL 7.2-inch (182,5mm) will also be featured as attachements.

[h2]The Nemesis DLC[/h2]
Our Nemesis DLC community vote presents one option of two new divisions (with new units and weapons) each week. When we have finished our run, you get one vote to choose between one of the three options. The Eugen team will then design, develop, test, and implement the chosen Nemesis option, to be released in the future. We hope Nemesis #6’s ballot and results will be concluded before the end of July!

Don’t forget to check out the latest Nemesis DLC for Steel Division 2: Nemesis: Raid on Drvar.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1833830/Steel_Division_2__Nemesis_5__Raid_on_Drvar/

[h2]Until next week[/h2]
That’s all done and dusted for Nemesis DLC option two. Let us know what you think!

Be sure to join the Steel Division 2 community on our Steam forums. If you want to keep up to date with the latest Steel Division 2, keep an eye out on our Instagram. Looking for an online game? Visit the Discord server or Reddit page and get involved with the lively Steel Division 2 community!

See you on the battlefield, commander.

Nemesis Vote is Back!

Hello commander!

Strap in, as today’s DevBlog will be a long, but exciting read! After the release of Nemesis: Raid on Drvar, we quickly realized that our latest Nemesis DLC was as popular as the previous ones. That’s why, after internal deliberation, we have decided to bring back the Nemesis community vote!

Today, we’ll kick off with our first new offering: Nemesis: Battle of Tienhaara.

Keep reading to find out more!

[h2]A Glorious Return[/h2]
The Nemesis DLC community vote. What does that mean? In the coming weeks, we’ll be detailing two new battlegroups, one from each side. After we have finished, we open the vote, and you can decide which Nemesis groupings you would like to play next in Steel Division 2. Then we’ll develop these divisions (which might take some time). The historical origins of these pairs will always have a basis in a special or unusual battle or operation in World War II.

So, to break it down, we present one option of two divisions each week. In the end, you get one vote to choose between one of the three options. We hope the vote and results of this latest round of Nemesis can happen before the end of July!

In case you were wondering: the next Steel Division 2 expansion, the Romanian-Hungarian focused Battle of Turda, still has priority in our development schedule. Nothing changes there. We are launching this new Nemesis DLC vote now, so we can start putting the first pieces together during the “slow” month of August.

[h2]The Battle of Tienhaara[/h2]
Let’s circle back a bit. In our second full-blown expansion, Steel Division 2: The Fate of Finland we focused on the Soviet attack on Axis ally Finland. The Battle of Tienherra is an integral part of this, but we only alluded to it. This encounter began a few days before our Army General Karelia scenario - and the results are directly connected to the opening situation of this campaign.

The Soviet offensive against Finland opened up on June 10th, 1944, and quickly reached the city of Vyborg, which fell on June 20th. Finland’s defenses were crumbling, and if the Soviet juggernaut had kept on rolling, they would have broken through the undermanned VKT line. This was Finland’s last defensive belt. However, as the Soviets took too much time to reorganize (and celebrate the capture of Vyborg), the window of opportunity (luckily for the Finns) was closed rapidly.

This delay in regrouping was more significant than you think.

The Soviets tried to exploit the fall of Vyborg and push forward immediately. However, they were stopped dead in their tracks by a rearguard detachment of die-hard Finnish soldiers. They repelled everything the Soviets threw at them during a three-day battle for the crossroads at Tienhaara.

Preventing the Soviets from advancing and establishing a bridgehead north of Vyborg, this rearguard detachment allowed the rest of the Finnish army to pour defenders into the VKT line, reorganize, and later stop the second stage of the Soviet strategic offensive - as depicted in the “Fate of a Nation” Army General campaign.

[h2]The 17. Divisioona[/h2]
For the Axis, Nemesis: Battle of Tienhaara features the 17. Divisioona. They will be represented as they were during the two consecutive battles fought over five days for Vyborg and the northern outskirts. As with any Finnish infantry division, the 17. Divisioona had three infantry regiments. Only two will be involved in the Battle of Tienherra.

A Swedish Connection
Of the regiments taking part, the most committed to the battle was the 61st Infantry Regiment. Most interesting is that its men and officers didn’t speak Finnish, not as their native language at least, as this regiment recruited exclusively among Swedish-speaking Finns. This formation also included no small number of Swedish volunteers. The 61st Infantry Regiment went down in Finnish history books as the Sextiettan, meaning “61” in Swedish.

If you have played the Karelian Army General campaign, you might remember this regiment with its Swedish BARs, dialogue, and unusual Fanatical trait (which refers to the staunch defense at the Battle of Tienhaara a few days before). As such, the Sextiettan units (riflemen, commander, MG, mortar, etc.) form the core of the 17. Divisioona and will all be speaking Swedish and carry the Fanatical trait.

A Lack of Discipline
Not all defenders of Tienhaara were forged in the same fire. While the Sextiettan regiment was later honored for their combat performance, another formation became (in)famous for its conduct during the battle. The 20th Infantry Brigade was a completely green outfit left in charge of the defense of Vyborg. Quickly ending up on the frontline, the brigade was taken by surprise. Unprepared and inexperienced, many of its soldiers did the obvious: they threw their weapons and ran. Vyborg, the stronghold of Karelia, fell within a day.

These terrorized troops were put back in the line at gunpoint. They bolstered the 17. Divisioona’s strength. In-game, they will be composed of Disheartened recruits, lacking veterancy, led by command squads with the Discipline trait.

Other units
Anti-tank units include the ubiquitous captured Soviet 45mm and refurbished French 75mm PaK 97/38, but also some of the rare PaK 40 available to the Finnish army.

Vyborg’s defenders were reinforced by the vanguard of the Panssaridivisioona (Finland’s sole armored division) with its Separate Armor Company … bringing the BT-42. Also, a few StuGs will be present as late reinforcement.

The formation can also count on many AA guns, which formed the anti-air defenses of Vyborg. Mobile batteries were pulled out in a hurry, adding their guns to the division’s defense. Alongside the 20mm and 40mm Bofors, you will also be able to find the heavier 76 ltK/34 V, known as the Vickers 76mm, firing both AA and AP rounds.

Divisional artillery was made up of old WW1 British 84mm and French 155mm guns. The main artillery support of the 17. Divisioona came from further back (and flying above). Corps, and even army, artillery was brought to bear in support during the Battle of Tienhaara. This includes guns of all origins and calibers, from WWI British BL-8 203mm super-heavy howitzers to modern captured Soviet M-10 152mm or German 210mm Mörser.

The German Luftwaffe detachment Gefechtsverband Kuhlmey (Detachment Kuhlmey) was especially active and will be featured in support of 17. Divisioona with its fighters and fighter bombers.

[h2]90-ya Strelkovaya Diviziya[/h2]
Our Allied, and thus, Soviet counterpart is the 90-ya Strelkovaya Diviziya or the 90th Rifle Division. Going into the attack at the Battle of Tienherra, this infantry division was supported by a heavy tank regiment. Unusually so, they fielded some surviving KV-1 and lend-lease Churchill tanks, as well as an heavy assault gun regiment with the formidable ISU-152 and SU-152.

The 90-ya Strelkovaya Div. has its origins in the Karelian isthmus, formed in the 1930s in the region before participating in the Winter War. After this conflict, the formation was sent to Leningrad and afterward to annex the Baltic States. It was here that the 90-ya Strelkovaya Div. found itself under German guns at the beginning of Operation Barbarossa in 1941.

It was a devastating battle, with the long retreat beginning soon after, leading the Soviets back to Leningrad. The formation helped defend the perimeter during the Siege of Leningrad until 1944. Detached once again to the Finnish front, it fought to break through successive Finnish defenses, helping to capture Vyborg.

Some heavy units
At the spearhead of the Soviet offensive, and pursuing the routing garrison of Vyborg, the 90-ya Strelkovaya Div. could also count on its share of heavy artillery support, including mobile units such as the SU-76 and BM-13 MLRS.

Advancing rapidly, it outran some of its supply lines. The 90-ya Strelkovy Div. took to equipping its forces with the looted remnants and equipment from the Finns in Vyborg. This included small arms (especially SMGs) to towed guns (PaK 40, howitzers, etc.).

Another feature of the division is that it's commanding general, Nikolay Grigorevich Lyashchenko, previously commanded the 73rd Naval Infantry Brigade during the Siege of Leningrad. When the latter brigade was dissolved due to excessive losses, Lyashchenko was put in command of the 90-ya Strelkovaya Div.. He brought an entire recon company of veteran sailors with him!

90-ya Strelkovaya Div. can count on a large amount of infantry, including specialized assault and recon infantry), as well as artillery. Armored firepower is brought to bear by older but well-protected tanks and assault guns.

[h2]Nemesis: Raid on Drvar[/h2]
Don’t forget to check out the latest Nemesis DLC for Steel Division 2: Nemesis: Raid on Drvar.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1833830/Steel_Division_2__Nemesis_5__Raid_on_Drvar/

Nemesis: Raid on Drvar takes the player into one of World War II's most unusual airborne operations: the ambitious Axis air assault to neutralize Yugoslav partisan leader Tito in the spring of 1944. Nemesis: Raid on Drvar gives you the command of two unique battlegroups in skirmish or online multiplayer: the Axis air assault troops of Unternehmen Rösselsprung and the partisans of the Yugoslav NOV.

[h2]Until next week[/h2]
That’s it for our new Nemesis deep dive this week. Let us know what you think. Until next week!

Be sure to join the Steel Division 2 community on our Steam forums. If you want to keep up to date with the latest Steel Division 2, keep an eye out on our Instagram. Looking for an online game? Visit the Discord server or Reddit page and get involved with the lively Steel Division 2 community!

See you on the battlefield, commander.

New Map Preview: Oarba

Hello commander!

We hope you are well. Coming in hot on the heels of the recent release of Nemesis: Raid on Drvar, we got some exciting new things to show you.

As you know, we are busy at work on the next expansion for Steel Division 2, Steel Division 2: Battle of Turda. With this DLC, we will also feature a new map.

Let’s look at our new environment: Oarba. This map will be available for free to all owners of Steel Division 2!

[h2]A historical setting[/h2]
Measuring 27km², Oarba is a 2vs2 map inspired by the actual battlefields of the battle of Oarba de Mureș, which took place from September 17th to October 5th, 1944.

As part of this battle, Romanian territorial forces and their Soviet reinforcements were thrown at Turda, held by the Hungarians, while the Axis' left flank was secured by the Germans at Oarba. With the main Allied counter-offensive happening at Turda, the Romanian Motomechanized Corps was thrown in a secondary attack at Oarba.
More information about this battle can be found in our DevBlog on the Romanian 9. Infanterie division.

Historically, the map was fought over from south to north - from downhill by the river to the top of the hill. However, we have decided to situate the battlefield from east to west, giving it a great symmetry in environment and topology.

Oarba is structured around a waterway that runs along its length, making the control of the bridges across the river of great importance. In the center of the river (the Mureș), an island formed by a loop can prove a useful shortcut for your attacks. Or a stronghold if properly defended, or even a deadly enemy firing position if ignored. While the left edge of the map is pretty clear and "tank friendly," on our right border, we have a slow climb on a gently rising slope covered with small woods and farms.

We designed Oarba to accommodate a variety of playstyles. For instance, you'll have to fight uphill infantry battles to control the high ground on one side, while on the opposite end of the map, you’ll encounter perfect terrain for your massed armored assaults.

We can't wait to see what strategies you'll use on our Steel Division 2’s new battlefield!

[h2]Some more reading on Battle of Turda[/h2]
If you are wondering what the new Steel Division 2 expansion, Battle of Turda, will exactly contain, look no further!

One new Army General campaign centered on the Battle of Turda, Transylvania, pitting Axis Hungary versus Allied Romania.
Six new divisions.
- Of which three will be Romanian, now siding with the Allies, including the Divizia 9 Infanterie, the Divizia 8 Cavalerie Motorizata and the Corpul 6 Teritorial.
- And two will be Hungarian, with one German. This includes the Hungarian 2. Páncéloshadosztály (2nd Armored Division) and 25. Hadosztály (25th Infantry Division). The Germans are represented with the Sperrverband von Kessel.
Mixed divisions, with units from various nations, such as Romanian-Soviet or Hungarian-German.
One new map. This is the 2vs2 Oarba battlefield.
2 Aces: the Hungarian tank commander Lieutenant Ervin Tarczay and Romanian fighter ace, Captain Dan Vizanti.

[h2]Missed Nemesis: Raid on Drvar?[/h2]
If you can’t wait to get playing with Steel Division2, be sure to check out our latest DLC, the Nemesis: Raid on Drvar[ mini-expansion.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1833830/Steel_Division_2__Nemesis_5__Raid_on_Drvar/

Nemesis: Raid on Drvar takes the player into one of World War II's most unusual airborne operations: the ambitious Axis air assault to neutralize Yugoslav partisan leader Tito in the spring of 1944.

Nemesis: Raid on Drvar gives you the command of two unique battlegroups in skirmish or online multiplayer: the Axis airborne troops of Unternehmen Rösselsprung and the partisans of the Yugoslav NOV. New units include fanatical SS-Fs-Jäger and SS Gebirgsjäger, Croatian Domobran, partisan Snajper, or British SOE special forces.

Other new vehicles and planes are the homemade Yugoslav Partop infantry mortar, M.28 heavy AA gun, Aufk. Panzer II F or the L35 tankette. The sky is filled with Croatian-operated BH-33E-SHS biplanes, pre-war Yugoslav IK-2 fighters, the Ca.310bis Libeccio bombers, or Allied-flown tank killer Hurricane Mk IV Vickers and South African Ventura GR.V bombers.

[h2]Until next week[/h2]
That’s all! We’ll be back soon with more Steel Division 2 news.

Be sure to join the Steel Division 2 community on our Steam forums. If you want to keep up to date with the latest Steel Division 2, keep an eye out on our Instagram. Looking for an online game? Visit the Discord server or Reddit page and get involved with the lively Steel Division 2 community!

See you on the battlefield, commander.