At the end of July 1942, the 8th Italian Army unleashed an attack to establish a crossing point at the Don river at Serafimovic. Bersaglieri troops of the 3rd Celere Division, with assistance of the German 578th Regiment, moved in under artilley support. The Russians opened up with machine guns and mortars, but the troops moved swiftly, using covering fire and pure bravery to overrun Russian defensive positions. Support vehicles followed in their wake, and the Russian units retreated. They later came back to try to recapture this critical area - this time with tanks.