Liberation of Crimea and Sevastopol in 1944
The period from June 1941 to November 1942 was a period of heavy defensive battles, heroic defense of hero cities, one of which was Sevastopol. The commander of the 11th German Army, General Manstein, chose the right moment, brought in numerous aircraft, and broke through the defenses of the Soviet troops. We had to leave Kerch, and this seriously complicated the situation in Sevastopol, whose defenders were engaged in a tense struggle. After 250 days of legendary defense, the city was abandoned. During the evacuation, many defenders of Sevastopol died or were captured; small groups managed to make their way out of the city and join the partisans. The enemy captured Sevastopol, but not for a moment was the master of the Crimean land. November 1942-1943 was a turning point in the war. On the morning of November 19, 1942, the troops of the southwestern, and on November 20, the troops of the Stalingrad Front launched a decisive offensive. After the victory at Stalingrad, a broad offensive was launched along the entire front from Leningrad to the foothills of the Caucasus. The radical turning point in the war that took place at Stalingrad was completed by the Battle of Kursk. The victory at Kursk in July 1943 marked the beginning of the summer-autumn offensive of Soviet troops in 1943 and further military actions to liberate Crimea and Sevastopol in 1944.
In 1943, the Red Army won a number of major victories. By the end of the year, favorable conditions had developed for the liberation of Crimea.
In April 1944, our troops reached the enemy's barrage in the Sevastopol area.
On May 3, 1944, the commander of the 17th Wehrmacht Army, General Allmendinger, addressed his soldiers: “I received orders to defend every inch of the Sevastopol bridgehead. You understand its meaning. I demand that everyone defend themselves in the full sense of the word, that no one retreat, that they hold every trench, every crater, every trench...”
Liberation of Crimea
By the end of 1943, favorable conditions had developed for the liberation of Crimea. In early November, troops of the North Caucasus Front landed troops on the Kerch Peninsula, and units of the 4th Ukrainian Front broke through the enemy defenses on the Perekop Isthmus and crossed the Sivash. Thus, a large group of Nazi troops in Crimea was cut off from land and blocked from sea.
During this period, the North Caucasus Front was transformed into the Separate Primorsky Army. Preparations for the liberation of Crimea began on the bridgeheads captured by our troops. The liberation of Crimea was entrusted to the 4th Ukrainian Front (commander - Army General F.I. Tolbukhin), the Separate Primorsky Army (commander - Army General A.I. Eremenko), the Black Sea Fleet (commander - Admiral F.S. Oktyabrsky), Azov military flotilla (commander Rear Admiral S.G. Gorshkov) and long-range aviation (commander - Air Marshal A.E. Golovanov). Their actions were coordinated by representatives of the Supreme High Command headquarters, marshals Soviet Union A.M. Vasilevsky and K.E. Voroshilov.
The idea of the operation was to simultaneously strike in the northern part of Crimea and on the Kerch Peninsula, break through the enemy’s defenses and, advancing in general direction to Sevastopol, in cooperation with the Black Sea Fleet and partisans, cut up the enemy group and prevent its evacuation by sea.
On April 8, 1944, the troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front went on the offensive. They delivered the main blow to the south of Sivash and, having broken through the enemy’s defenses, began to pursue him. The 19th Tank Corps was introduced into the breakthrough, which played a significant role in the liberation of Crimea. (commander - Colonel I.A. Potseluev, chief of staff - Colonel I.E. Shavrov)
On April 11, the Separate Coastal Army went on the offensive and liberated Kerch on the same day.
On April 15, the advanced units of the 4th Ukrainian Front, and the next day, units of the Separate Maritime Army reached the enemy's barrage in the Sevastopol area.
On April 18, Balaklava was liberated. On April 18, 1944, the Separate Primorsky Army was renamed Primorskaya and became part of the 4th Ukrainian Front. Lieutenant General K.S. was appointed commander of the army. Miller.
Preparations for the liberation of Sevastopol
Soviet troops failed to break through the enemy’s defenses near Sevastopol on the move. The Sevastopol bridgehead was defended by troops of the 17th Nazi Army, numbering more than 72,000 people. They had 1,500 guns and mortars, 330 anti-tank guns, 2,355 machine guns, 50 tanks and 100 aircraft. Hitler's command demanded to hold Sevastopol at any cost. Soviet troops, having reached the approaches to Sevastopol, began to prepare for an assault on the enemy’s heavily fortified positions. In the main attack zone - in the Sapun-Gora - seashore section, up to 250 guns and mortars were concentrated along 1 km of the front.
Powerful bomb attacks on the enemy were carried out by the 8th Air Army under the command of Hero of the Soviet Union, Lieutenant General of Aviation T.T. Khryukin. During the period of preparation for the decisive battles, from April 17 to May 4, pilots of the 8th Air Army flew 10,318 sorties and destroyed 392 objects, conducted 141 air battles and shot down 84 enemy aircraft. And from May 5 to May 12, during the liberation of Sevastopol, they flew 10,768 sorties and shot down 66 enemy aircraft in 218 air battles.
Lieutenant P.F. Nadezhdin fought heroically in the skies of Sevastopol. During the battle, his plane was shot down. P.F. Nadezhdin directed the burning car towards the accumulation of fascist manpower and equipment. He was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
The crew of the PE-2 aircraft, the commander of the 134th Guards Bomber Aviation Regiment of the 6th Guards Bomber Air Division, Guard Major V.M., showed courage and bravery. Katkova. When approaching the enemy airfield, one aircraft engine caught fire from a shell hit, but the commander continued to lead the group of bombers to the target. After completing the mission on a burning plane, he landed on rough terrain without releasing the landing gear. The impact on the ground jammed the canopy of the pilot and navigator. At the cost of enormous efforts, the shooter - guard radio operator Sergeant D.I. Lone saved the regiment commander and navigator; The crew had barely managed to take cover in the folds of the terrain when the plane’s gas tank exploded. All three were awarded the Order of the Red Banner for this feat.
The ships and aircraft of the Black Sea Fleet were actively operating on sea communications. On April 27, a detachment of torpedo boats, captain lieutenant A.I. Kudersky sank 2 transports with a total displacement of 8,000 tons. In this battle, the unit of Senior Lieutenant A.G. especially distinguished himself. Kananadze. The crews of the submarines S-33, Shch-201, Shch-215 from the brigade of Rear Admiral P.I. achieved no less success in the fight against the enemy. Boltunova. Enormous work to prepare for the upcoming liberation battles was done by engineering units, communications units and the front rear.
Liberation of Sevastopol
According to the plan, it was decided to deliver the main blow to the liberation of Sevastopol in the Sapun-Gora - seashore section by the forces of the Primorsky Army, the 19th Tank Corps and the left flank of the 51st Army, to cut off the retreat routes of the enemy group, and to prevent its evacuation by sea. The troops of the 2nd Guards Army (commander - Guard Lieutenant General G.F. Zakharov) were tasked with liberating the Northern Side.
On May 5 at 12 o'clock the 2nd Guards Army went on the offensive and by the end of the day had advanced 500-700 meters.
Then the fascist command immediately began transferring part of its forces from the Sapun Mountain area to the northern side of Sevastopol.
On May 7, at 10:30 a.m., after an hour and a half of artillery and air preparation, the troops of the Primorsky and 51st armies went on the offensive in the main direction. Bloody battles began along the entire front. They were especially heavy in the area of Sapun Mountain, in the offensive zone of the 77th Infantry Division of Colonel A.P. Radionov and the 32nd Guards Rifle Division Colonel N.K. Zakurinkova. The warriors of these divisions were the first to reach the ridge of Sapun Mountain.
There were many brave girls in the ranks of the liberators: Evgenia Deryugina, Lydia Polonskaya, night bomber commander E.D. Bershanskaya et al.
Thousands of soldiers and commanders showed unprecedented heroism. The enemy fiercely resisted and launched counterattacks several times, but nothing could stop the power of the advance of the Soviet troops.
On May 10, Moscow saluted the liberators of the city. On this day, the Pravda newspaper wrote: “Hello, dear Sevastopol, beloved city of the Soviet people, hero city, hero city! The whole country joyfully welcomes you.”
On May 12, the remnants of the Nazi group were defeated in the area of Cape Khersones. In honor of the complete liberation of Crimea at the Khersones lighthouse, tankers of the Guard Major N.D. Moiseev from the 6th Separate Guards Tank Brigade of the 19th Tank Corps raised a red flag.
The Crimean operation ended in a glorious victory for the Soviet troops. The enemy lost 111,587 soldiers and officers killed and captured, all military equipment and weapons. The enemy's loss at sea from air strikes and ships of the Black Sea Fleet amounted to about 42,000 soldiers and officers. Recognition of the services of the city of Sevastopol to the country during the Great Patriotic War was the awarding of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal in 1965. At the same time, the Black Sea Fleet was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.
Photos of the nature of Crimea
Preparing the operation
Only March 16th The Supreme High Command headquarters ordered the start of an operation to liberate Crimea after the troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front captured the Nikolaev region.
The fascist German command attached great military and political significance. The enemy troops stationed there pinned down significant forces of the Red Army. The Black Sea Fleet, deprived of the possibility of basing on the Crimean coast, experienced great difficulties in conducting operations. The occupation of Crimea was used by Nazi Germany to put pressure on Turkey and keep Romania and Bulgaria in the fascist bloc. Therefore, despite the loss of Ukraine, the 17th Army (Colonel General E. Jenecke) was entrusted with the task of holding Crimea until the last possible opportunity.
This army consisted of 12 divisions (5 German and 7 Romanian), 2 brigades of assault guns and various reinforcement units - a total of about 200 thousand people, up to 3 thousand guns and mortars, over 200 tanks and assault guns. It was supported until 150 aircraft that were based in Crimea, and aviation from airfields in Romania. On the favorable defense lines of the Northern Crimea and on the Kerch Peninsula, the enemy created a powerful defense consisting of 3-4 lines. The main forces of the 17th Army defended in the northern part of Crimea (5 divisions) and on the Kerch Peninsula (4 divisions). 3 divisions defended the coast.
The idea of the Crimean operation was that simultaneous attacks by troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front from the north, from Perekopai and Sivash, and the Separate Primorsky Army from the east, from a bridgehead in the Kerch region, in the general direction of Simferopol, Sevastopol, with the assistance of the Black Sea Fleet, long-range aviation actions and partisans to dismember and destroy the enemy group, to prevent its evacuation from Crimea. The main role in the operation was assigned to the 4th Ukrainian Front (Army General F.I. Tolbukhin), which delivered the main blow from a bridgehead on the southern bank of the Sivash in the direction of Dzhankoy, Simferopol. An auxiliary attack was carried out on the Perekop Isthmus. A separate Primorsky Army (Army General A.I. Eremenko) was supposed to break through the enemy’s defenses on the Kerch Peninsula and deliver the main blow to Simferopol, Sevastopol, and with part of its forces along the southern coast of the Crimean Peninsula.
The main task of the Black Sea Fleet (Admiral F.S. Oktyabrsky) in the operation was to disrupt the enemy’s sea communications with Crimea. The fleet was also involved in assisting ground forces with its aviation, and in the coastal zone with naval artillery fire.
The Azov military flotilla (Rear Admiral S.G. Gorshkov), operationally subordinate to the commander of the Separate Primorsky Army, provided all transportation through the Kerch Strait. Crimean partisans received the task of smashing enemy rear lines, as well as preventing the enemy from destroying cities, ports, industrial enterprises and other objects of the national economy. The coordination of the actions of all forces involved in the operation was carried out by the representative of the Supreme Command Headquarters, Marshal A.M. Vasilevsky.
By the beginning of the Crimean operation (April 8 - May 12, 1944), the 4th Ukrainian Front and the Separate Primorsky Army had 470 thousand personnel, 6 thousand guns and mortars, about 600 tanks and self-propelled guns. They were supported from the air by the 4th (Colonel General of Aviation K.A. Vershinin) and 8th (Lieutenant General of Aviation T.T. Khryukin) air armies, numbering 1,250 aircraft.
The preparation for the operation took place exclusively difficult conditions. Large regroupings of troops were carried out in muddy conditions, with no roads. Through Sivash, formations and units were transported to the bridgehead along two 2-km dams and bridges built by sappers under artillery fire and enemy bombing, often in a storm.
The small bridgehead was completely open and was shot right through by enemy artillery. Nevertheless, by the beginning of the operation, the Soviet command managed to secretly deploy and entrench large forces of troops on it, including a lot of artillery and a tank corps.
As part of the 4th Ukrainian Front, two armies deployed for the offensive: the 2nd Guards (Lieutenant General G.F. Zakharov) on the Perekop Isthmus and the 51st (Lieutenant General Ya.G. Kreiser) on the Sivash bridgehead. The front troops were supported by the 8th Air Army and part of the Black Sea Fleet aviation. Taking into account the positional nature of the enemy’s defense, the front command created breakthrough areas high densities artillery, reaching 122-183 guns and mortars on 1 km of front. The Separate Primorsky Army had approximately the same density of artillery.
Meanwhile, passions were heating up in the enemy camp. For several months now, the commanders of the army groups in Ukraine, Field Marshals Manstein Kleist, and the Chief of the General Staff of the Wehrmacht Ground Forces, Colonel General K. Zeitzler, realizing the doom of the 17th Army, suggested that Hitler leave Crimea and evacuate the troops from there, but the Fuhrer rejected all of them out of hand every time arguments. “Abandonment of Crimea,” he declared to his military leaders, “will mean Turkey, and then Bulgaria and Romania, leaving us.”
Thus, he made it clear to the military leaders that the issue of Crimea is an area of higher politics where generals should not meddle. At the end of March, the Romanian dictator Marshal I. Antonescu demanded that Hitler evacuate Romanian troops from Crimea while Odessa was still in their hands. But even here the Fuhrer remained adamant. Moreover, he ordered to strengthen the troops defending Crimea. So the 17th Army could only wait for its fate to be decided. And the denouement was not long in coming...
Offensive
Having completed all prepared activities, Soviet troops went on the offensive. On April 8, the 4th Ukrainian Front began an assault on powerful enemy fortifications. This was preceded by a two-day artillery bombardment of enemy defenses on the Perekop Isthmus. By concentrating heavy artillery here, including 203 mm caliber guns, the Soviet command sought to create the impression among the enemy that the main blow would be delivered here. However, despite the powerful 150-minute artillery preparation, the successes of the first day of the operation turned out to be quite modest: the troops of the 2nd Guards Army managed to capture only two trenches of the first position of the enemy’s main defense line, and in the main direction - in the zone of the 51st Army - infantry was only able to break into the first trench.
The front troops were forced to “gnaw through” enemy defenses for three days, overcoming trench after trench, position after position. Only by the evening of April 10 did both armies complete the breakthrough of the enemy’s defenses. On the morning of April 11, the front commander brought the 19th Tank Corps (Lieutenant General I.D. Vasiliev) into the breakthrough, which on the same day immediately captured Dzhankoy - a powerful stronghold in the enemy’s defense and an important road junction. By advancing part of its forces to the rear of the Ishun positions, the 51st Army forced the enemy, under the threat of losing escape routes, to hastily abandon the fortifications on the Perekop Isthmus and begin a retreat along the entire front. The troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front began pursuit: the 2nd Guards Army along the western coast of Crimea to Yevpatoria, and the 51st in the central part of the peninsula to Simferopol.
The entry of the 4th Ukrainian Front into the Dzhankoy area jeopardized the retreat routes of the enemy’s Kerch group and thereby created favorable conditions for the offensive of the Separate Primorsky Army. Fearing encirclement, the enemy decided to withdraw troops from the Kerch Peninsula. Having discovered preparations for withdrawal, the Separate Primorsky Army went on the offensive on the night of April 11. Its main forces bypassed Kerch from the north, and the 16th Rifle Corps (Major General K.I. Provalov) liberated the city after heavy street fighting. The 18 units and formations that most distinguished themselves during the liberation of Kerch were given the honorary name of Kerch.
On the morning of April 11, army troops began pursuing the enemy. Strong forward detachments were brought forward, created both in the army and in each corps. Aviation of the 4th Air Army crushed the retreating enemy columns with massive air strikes. On April 12, units of the Separate Primorsky Army on the move broke through the enemy’s defenses at the Ak-Monay positions that blocked the exit from the Kerch Peninsula, and the next day in the Karasubazar area (60 km west of Feodosia) united with the advanced detachments of the 4th Ukrainian Front.
Part of the army pursued the enemy along the Primorskoye Highway. The forward detachments and the 19th Tank Corps acted quickly, thwarting all the enemy’s attempts to gain a foothold on positions advantageous for defense. The defeated formations of the 17th German Army hastily retreated to Sevastopol. On April 13, Soviet troops liberated the cities of Yevpatoria, Simferopol and Feodosia.
The partisans worked closely with the regular troops of the Red Army. They set up ambushes on mountain roads, assisted troops in capturing cities with attacks from the rear, supplied the Soviet command with intelligence data, and saved many resorts, cities and historical monuments from destruction.
The aviation of the Black Sea Fleet (Lieutenant General of Aviation V.V. Ermachenkov) was active. She struck at concentrations of watercraft in ports, sank transports on the open sea, depriving the enemy of the last opportunity for salvation.
On April 15-16, the Soviet armies reached the approaches to Sevastopol, where they were stopped by organized enemy defenses on the outer perimeter of the former Sevastopol defensive region. Preparations began for the assault on the heavily fortified line. The remnants of the 17th Army numbering 72 thousand people, more than 1.8 thousand guns and mortars, up to 50 tanks and assault guns were “locked” in Sevastopol, occupying defenses on a front of 35 km and a depth of 10 to 16 km.
The evacuation of German-Romanian troops that had begun by order of Hitler was stopped. They were instructed to pin down the enemy's forces until the last possible opportunity and inflict as many losses on him as possible. General E. Jenecke, who did not believe in the possibility of holding Sevastopol, was removed from command of the 17th Army. Hitler appointed Infantry General K. Allmendinger as its new commander.
On April 18, the Separate Primorsky Army was renamed the Primorsky Army (Lieutenant General K.S. Melnik) and included in the 4th Ukrainian Front. On April 19, Soviet troops tried to capture the Sevastopol positions, but were unsuccessful. The front command did everything necessary to avoid heavy losses when breaking through the Sevastopol fortifications and ensure success was achieved as soon as possible.
The enemy's defense consisted of three lines. The most strongly fortified was Sapun Mountain, which dominated the surrounding area.
During the preparatory period, artillery methodically destroyed the enemy's long-term defensive structures. The enemy defenses were subjected to massive air strikes. In addition to the front aviation and the Black Sea Fleet, three corps and a long-range aviation division, which consisted of over 500 aircraft, were involved for these purposes.
From April 19 to May 5, front-line and naval aviation alone carried out 8.2 thousand sorties. As the day of the assault approached, the force of fire strikes against the enemy continuously increased. In the last six days, preliminary air preparation for the offensive was carried out, during which over 2 thousand tons of fragmentation and high-explosive bombs and about 24 thousand anti-tank bombs fell on the enemy. Preparations for the assault on Sevastopol lasted 12 days.
After preparing for the assault, Soviet troops liberated Sevastopol. The city that the Germans stormed for 250 days and nights (10/30/41-07/02/42), using over 2 thousand guns and mortars, including 56 batteries of heavy artillery, one battery of super-heavy 615-mm mortars and an 800-mm Dora cannon ", the length of the trunk was 30 meters. There was no such massive use of artillery by the Germans in any other operation of the Second World War.
On May 5, the troops of the 2nd Guards Army were the first to go on the offensive. They launched an auxiliary attack from the north. Their persistent attacks were supported by the entire power of artillery and the main aviation forces of the front. As a result, the opposing enemy was not only firmly pinned down, but the enemy command had to strengthen its left flank. On May 7, after a 90-minute artillery preparation and with the support of all front aviation in the Sapun-Gora, Karan sector, the troops of the Primorsky Army and the left-flank formations of the 51st Army launched the assault, delivering the main blow. The most brutal battles took place over Sapun Mountain, which was the key to the enemy defense of Sevastopol.
Units of the 10th (Major General K.P. Neverov), 11th Guards (Major General S.E. Rozhdestvensky) and 63rd (Major General P.K. Koshevoy - future Marshal of the Soviet Union) fought here. rifle corps. In the end, the enemy could not withstand the powerful onslaught of Soviet soldiers and retreated. On the same day, the victorious red banner soared over Sapun Mountain. Having broken three defensive lines one after another, troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front broke into the city from the north, east and southeast on May 9 and cleared it of the enemy by evening.
The remnants of the defeated 17th Army (about 30 thousand people) fled to Cape Chersonese. To pursue them, the front commander allocated the 19th Tank Corps, which quickly advanced to the defensive line covering this cape, but was unable to advance further. Hoping to escape by sea, the Nazis stubbornly defended their positions. However, the Black Sea Fleet, artillery and aviation from the front disrupted their evacuation. Having pulled up their forces, the front troops broke through the last defensive line of the enemy on Crimean soil and on May 12 completed their defeat. At Cape Chersonesos, 21 thousand enemy soldiers and officers were captured, a large number of weapons and military equipment.
End of operation
The Crimean operation ended in the complete defeat of the 17th German Army. Its losses on land amounted to 100 thousand people, including about 62 thousand prisoners. In addition, a large number of German and Romanian soldiers and officers died at sea during the evacuation. Thus, according to the German side, from May 3 to May 13 alone, 42 thousand people died at sea. The Germans managed to evacuate several tens of thousands of people by sea and by air. The 17th Army lost all its military equipment. The Black Sea Fleet and aviation sank many enemy ships during the operation. The operation in Crimea was distinguished by well-organized interaction between ground forces, aviation and navy, which largely predetermined the achievement of decisive success. Our aviation carried out more than 36 thousand sorties, of which up to 60% were to support troops. In 599 air battles, Soviet pilots shot down 297 enemy aircraft. About 200 enemy aircraft were destroyed and damaged at airfields.
In the battles for the liberation of Crimea, Soviet troops showed massive heroism, high offensive spirit and combat activity, which were created and supported by effective political and educational work. If in 1941-1942 it took fascist German troops 250 days to capture Sevastopol, then in 1944 the Red Army broke through powerful enemy fortifications in Crimea in 35 days, and the assault on Sevastopol took only 3 days. The Motherland highly appreciated the courage and bravery of its soldiers. Moscow, on behalf of the Motherland, saluted seven times the valiant army and naval forces that liberated Crimea. Many units and formations were given the honorary names of Perekop, Sivash, Kerch, Feodosia, Simferopol and Sevastopol. Only the honorary name of Sevastopol was assigned to 118 units and formations that distinguished themselves during the liberation of the city. Many units, ships and formations were awarded orders. Thousands of soldiers and officers of the army and navy were awarded orders and medals, and 126 of the most courageous were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
Having liberated Crimea, Soviet troops returned an economically and strategically important area to the country. The Black Sea Fleet received its main base - Sevastopol. The enemy lost a critical strategic position on the southern flank of the Eastern Front. Conditions improved for the Soviet offensive in the Balkans.
During the Crimean operation, Soviet troops lost about 85 thousand people (including 18 thousand irretrievable losses), over 500 guns and mortars, more than 170 tanks and self-propelled guns, about 180 aircraft.
The significance of the Crimean operation
The offensive of the Red Army in the winter and spring of 1944 on the southern wing of the strategic front played a decisive role in disrupting the calculations Nazi Germany to stabilize the Eastern Front and prolong the war. In Right Bank Ukraine and Crimea, from the end of December 1943 to mid-May 1944, 99 enemy divisions and 2 brigades were defeated, of which 22 divisions and 1 brigade were completely destroyed, 8 divisions and 1 brigade were disbanded due to heavy losses, 8 divisions were lost up to 2/3 and 61 divisions - up to 1/2 of their strength. The defeat of the enemy's main strategic grouping and the split of its front into two parts in the Carpathian region not only radically changed the situation on the southern wing of the Soviet-German front, but also undermined the stability of the Wehrmacht's defense on the Eastern Front as a whole, as well as in other theaters of military operations.
Outstanding victories in Right Bank Ukraine and Crimea once again demonstrated the high level of military art of the Red Army and the massive heroism of the Soviet troops. For military exploits on the battlefields during the Dnieper-Carpathian and Crimean strategic operations 662 particularly distinguished units and formations were awarded honorary titles in honor of the cities they liberated and crossing water obstacles, and 528 were awarded orders.
With a successful offensive in the southwestern direction, the troops of the Ukrainian fronts created an advantageous situation for the deployment of offensive operations in other strategic directions of the Soviet-German front. At the same time, the plans of the Wehrmacht High Command to accumulate forces to repel the landing of Allied troops in Western Europe. The weakening of the grouping of fascist German troops in the West due to the transfer of large forces to Ukraine undoubtedly contributed to the success of the Allied landing operation in Normandy, which began a month after the end of the battles in Right Bank Ukraine.
The entry of the Red Army to the southwestern border of the USSR and the transfer of hostilities to the territory of Romania sharply aggravated the military-political situation of the allied forces. Nazi Germany states and radically changed the situation in South-Eastern Europe. The ruling circles of Nazi Germany's satellite countries intensified their search for ways out of the fascist bloc, and the liberation struggle of the peoples of European countries occupied and dependent on the Third Reich intensified significantly.
Monument to the Black Sea people in Sevastopol
Commanders
Strengths of the parties
Crimean offensive operation- liberation of the Crimean peninsula from Nazi troops in 1944. As a result of success in the battle for the Dnieper, important bridgeheads were captured on the shores of Sivash Bay and in the Kerch Strait area, and a land blockade began. The highest German military command ordered the defense of Crimea to the last, but despite desperate enemy resistance, Soviet troops managed to capture the peninsula. The restoration of Sevastopol as the main naval base of the Black Sea Fleet dramatically changed the balance of power in the region.
general information
In early November 1943, troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front cut off the German 17th Army in the Crimea, depriving them of land communications with the rest of Army Group A. The Soviet fleet was faced with the task of intensifying efforts to disrupt the enemy’s sea communications. At the start of the operation, the main base of the Black Sea Fleet was the ports of the Caucasus.
Combat map
Plans and strengths of the parties
The protection of maritime transport between the ports of Romania and Sevastopol was a task of paramount importance for the German and Romanian fleets. By the end of 1943, the German group included:
- auxiliary cruiser
- 4 destroyers
- 3 destroyers
- 4 minelayers
- 3 gunboats
- 28 torpedo boats
- 14 submarines
more than 100 artillery and landing barges and other small ships. For the transport of troops and cargo there were (by March 1944) 18 large transport vessels
, several tankers, 100 self-propelled landing barges and many small vessels with a displacement of over 74 thousand gross tons.In conditions of the general superiority of the Soviet fleet, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief Headquarters counted on the rapid evacuation of enemy troops. The Black Sea Fleet, commanded by Vice Admiral L.A. Vladimirsky (from March 28, 1944 - Vice Admiral F.S. Oktyabrsky), was given instructions on November 4, 1943 to promptly detect the evacuation and use the entire bomber force against transport and floating assets. and torpedo bombing aircraft.
By mid-December, it became clear to the Soviet command that the enemy did not intend to evacuate troops from the Crimean Peninsula. Taking this into account, the tasks of the Black Sea Fleet have been clarified: systematically disrupt enemy communications, strengthen the supply of the Separate Primorsky Army.
- By this time, the combat strength of the Black Sea Fleet included:
- 1 battleship
- 4 cruisers
- 6 destroyers
- 29 submarines
- 3 gunboats
- 22 patrol ships and minesweepers
- 2 minelayers
- 60 torpedo boats
- 97 minesweeper boats
- 642 aircraft (including 109 torpedo bombers, bombers and 110 attack aircraft)
Fighting
From January to the end of April 1944, fleet aviation carried out about 70 successful attacks on ships. Several attacks on convoys were carried out by submarines and torpedo boats. The fleet's actions seriously disrupted enemy transportation to the Crimea. The Soviet fleet attacked the ports of Constanta and Sulina, and laid mines in roadsteads.
While the front line in Ukraine was moving west, the position of the Nazi troops in Crimea was getting worse and worse. Liberation of the Nikolaev, Odessa region, in which the Black Sea Fleet took Active participation, made it possible to relocate part of the forces there. On March 31, the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command, by a special directive, approved the procedure for subordinating the fleets and assigning tasks to them. The Black Sea Fleet was withdrawn from the operational subordination of the fronts and was now directly subordinate to the People's Commissariat of the Navy. While developing a plan for the liberation of Crimea, the Headquarters refused to use amphibious assault. The enemy organized a powerful defense on the peninsula: installed 21 coastal artillery batteries, 50 new minefields, artillery and anti-aircraft systems and other means.
From April 8 to May 12, the Black Sea Fleet carried out an operation to disrupt enemy sea communications between the Crimean Peninsula and the ports of Romania. It was necessary for: first of all, to prevent the strengthening of the group of enemy troops in the Crimea, and secondly, to disrupt the evacuation of the defeated 17th German Army. The objectives of the operation were achieved through close interaction between submarines, torpedo boats and aircraft. To destroy ships leaving the ports of Crimea, torpedo boats were used in the coastal zone. Far from the bases off the coast of Romania, submarines fought against the convoys. At the end of April - early May, the use of torpedo boats and aircraft was hampered by complex weather conditions, as a result of this, the enemy continued to evacuate until recently. During this period, 102 different ships were sunk and more than 60 damaged.
Aviation and torpedo boats operated successfully in the days before the assault on Sevastopol and during the battles for the city. Former chief of staff of the commander of the German naval forces on the Black Sea, G. Conradi: “On the night of May 11, panic began on the piers. Places on the ships were taken with a fight. The ships rolled away without finishing loading, since otherwise they could sink.” . The last to approach Cape Chersonesus was an enemy convoy consisting of large transports Totila, Teja and several landing barges. Having received up to 9 thousand people, the ships headed for Constanta at dawn. But aviation soon sank Totila, while Teja, with strong security, was moving at full speed to the southwest. Around noon, a torpedo hit the ship and it sank. From both transports, Conradi claims, about 400 people survived (about 8,000 died).
Simultaneously with active operations on enemy communications, the Black Sea Fleet was solving the problem of its own defense. Soviet ships were still threatened by submarines, to combat which a plan was developed and successfully implemented:
- Aircraft attacked the submarine base in Constanta
- In the middle part of the sea, planes searched for boats on their route to the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus
- Certain sections of coastal communications were covered by minefields
- Ships and planes guarded transport during the sea crossing
As a result, communications between Soviet ports were not interrupted for a single day.
After the liberation of Crimea and the northern coast of the Black Sea from Perekop to Odessa, the fleet faced new tasks:
- disruption of communications and destruction of enemy vehicles,
- creating a threat to the enemy's coast
- preventing the Danube from being used as a defensive means
Results
The rapid advance of the Soviet ground forces and the active actions of the Black Sea Fleet thwarted the intentions of the fascist German command to systematically carry out the evacuation of troops in the Crimea. The enemy was surprised by the rapid introduction of rocket launchers into the Navy. Their development, as well as the established interaction between boats with jet weapons and conventional torpedo boats, led to an increase in the efficiency of the fleet. Large losses during evacuation, especially at last stage, made a grave impression on the enemy. For the disaster that befell them, the army leadership brought charges against the naval command, and the latter cited the fact that the fleet was given impossible tasks.
Consequences
In the period from January to May, the USSR Navy carried out important combat missions at sea theaters to assist ground forces in the offensive, disrupt supplies and evacuate enemy troops blocked from land. The growth of the Soviet economy, which made it possible to constantly increase the strength of the fleets and improve weapons, was decisive for the accomplishment of the assigned tasks. The German command sought to retain the coastal bridgeheads at all costs, allocating for this purpose a significant number of naval forces and aviation. Active actions The Soviet fleets played their role in thwarting these enemy attempts and, in general, the defensive strategy of the enemy military command.
After the liberation of Crimea and such large bases, like Nikolaev and Odessa, the situation on the Black Sea radically changed. Now fighting forces The fleet was given the opportunity to support the military actions of the Soviet troops to liberate Romania.
Gallery
Literature
- Grechko, A.A.; Arbatov, G.A.; Ustinov, D.F. and etc. History of the Second World War. 1939-1945 in 12 volumes. - M.: Military Publishing House, 1973 - 1982. - 6100 p.
Start the operation to liberate Crimea. The Crimean operation itself was carried out from April 8 to May 12, 1944 by the forces of the 4th Ukrainian Front and the Separate Primorsky Army in cooperation with the Black Sea Fleet and the Azov Military Flotilla.
On May 5-7, 1944, troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front (commander - Army General F.I. Tolbukhin) stormed German defensive fortifications in heavy battles; On May 9, they completely liberated Sevastopol, and on May 12, the remnants of enemy troops at Cape Chersonese laid down their arms.
________________________________________ _____________
I dedicate this photo collection to this significant event, friends.
1. The facade of the Sevastopol Palace of Pioneers damaged by shells after the liberation of the city. May 1944
2. German minesweeper in the bay of Sevastopol. 1944
3. German attack aircraft Fw.190, destroyed by Soviet aviation at the Kherson airfield. 1944
4. Meeting of Soviet partisans and boat sailors in liberated Yalta. 1944
5. The commander of the 7th Romanian Mountain Corps, General Hugo Schwab (second from left), and the commander of the XXXXIX Wehrmacht Mountain Corps, General Rudolf Conrad (first from left), at the 37-mm RaK 35/36 cannon in Crimea. 02/27/1944
6. Meeting of Soviet partisans in liberated Yalta. 1944
7. The Soviet light cruiser "Red Crimea" enters Sevastopol Bay. 05.11.1944
8. The commander of the 7th Romanian Mountain Corps, General Hugo Schwab (second from left), and the commander of the XXXXIX Wehrmacht Mountain Corps, General Rudolf Conrad (center right) pass by a mortar crew during a review in the Crimea. 02/27/1944
9. The Black Sea squadron returns to liberated Sevastopol. In the foreground is the guards light cruiser "Red Crimea", behind it the silhouette of the battleship "Sevastopol" is visible. 05.11.1944
10. Soviet soldiers with a flag on the roof of the destroyed Panorama building "Defense of Sevastopol" in liberated Sevastopol. 1944
11. Tanks Pz.Kpfw. 2nd Romanian Tank Regiment in Crimea. 03.11.1943
12. Romanian General Hugo Schwab and German General Rudolf Conrad in Crimea. 02/27/1944
13. Romanian artillerymen fire from an anti-tank gun during a battle in Crimea. 03/27/1944
14. The commander of the XXXXIX Mountain Corps of the Wehrmacht, General Rudolf Conrad, with Romanian officers at an observation post in Crimea. 02/27/1944
15. Pilots of the 3rd squadron of the 6th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment of the Black Sea Fleet Air Force study a map of the combat area at the airfield near Yak-9D aircraft. In the background is the plane of Guard Lieutenant V.I. Voronov (tail number “31”). Saki airfield, Crimea. April-May 1944
16. Chief of Staff of the 4th Ukrainian Front, Lieutenant General Sergei Semenovich Biryuzov, member State Committee Defense Marshal of the Soviet Union Kliment Efremovich Voroshilov, Chief of the General Staff Marshal of the Soviet Union Alexander Mikhailovich Vasilevsky at the command post of the 4th Ukrainian Front. April 1944
17. Representative of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command, Marshal of the Soviet Union S.K. Tymoshenko with the command of the North Caucasus Front and the 18th Army is considering the plan for the operation to cross the Kerch Strait. From left to right: Marshal of the Soviet Union S.K. Timoshenko, Colonel General K.N. Leselidze, Army General I.E. Petrov. 1943
18. The Black Sea squadron returns to liberated Sevastopol. In the foreground is the guards light cruiser "Red Crimea", behind it the silhouette of the battleship "Sevastopol" is visible. 05.11.1944
19. Soviet boat SKA-031 with a destroyed stern, abandoned at low tide in Krotkovo, awaiting repairs. A boat from the 1st Novorossiysk Red Banner Sea Hunter Division of the Black Sea Fleet. 1944
20. Armored boat of the Azov military flotilla in the Kerch Strait. Kerch-Eltingen landing operation. December 1943
21. Soviet troops transport military equipment and horses through Sivash. In the foreground is a 45 mm anti-tank gun. December 1943
22. Soviet soldiers transport a 122-mm M-30 model 1938 howitzer on a pontoon across the Sivash Bay (Rotten Sea). November 1943
23. T-34 tanks on the street of liberated Sevastopol. May 1944
24. Marine soldiers at the arch of Primorsky Boulevard in liberated Sevastopol. May 1944
25. The Black Sea squadron returns to liberated Sevastopol. In the foreground is the guards light cruiser "Red Crimea", behind it the silhouette of the battleship "Sevastopol" is visible. 05.11.1944
26. Partisans who participated in the liberation of Crimea. The village of Simeiz on the southern coast of the Crimean Peninsula. 1944
27. Sapper, Lieutenant Ya.S. Shinkarchuk crossed Sivash thirty-six times and transported 44 guns with shells to the bridgehead. 1943.
28. Architectural monument Grafskaya pier in liberated Sevastopol. 1944
29. Fireworks at the grave of fellow pilots who died near Sevastopol on April 24, 1944. 05/14/1944
30. Armored boats of the Black Sea Fleet are landing Soviet troops on the Crimean coast of the Kerch Strait on the bridgehead near Yenikale during the Kerch-Eltigen landing operation. November 1943
31. The crew of the Pe-2 dive bomber “For the Great Stalin” of the 40th Bomber Aviation Regiment of the Black Sea Fleet after completing a combat mission. Crimea, May 1944. From left to right: crew commander Nikolai Ivanovich Goryachkin, navigator - Yuri Vasilyevich Tsyplenkov, gunner-radio operator - Sergei (nickname Knopka).
32. Self-propelled gun SU-152 of the 1824th heavy self-propelled artillery regiment in Simferopol. 04/13/1944
33. Soviet soldiers cross Sivash in December 1943.
34. A Marine installs the Soviet naval flag in liberated Sevastopol. May 1944
35. T-34 tank on the street of liberated Sevastopol. May 1944
36. Transportation of Soviet equipment during the Kerch-Eltigen landing operation. November 1943
37. Destroyed German technology on the shore of Cossack Bay in Sevastopol. May 1944
38. German soldiers killed during the liberation of Crimea. 1944
39. Transport with German soldiers evacuated from Crimea docks in the port of Constanta, Romania. 1944
41. Armored boat. The Crimean coast of the Kerch Strait, most likely a bridgehead near Yenikale. Kerch-Eltigen landing operation. Late 1943
42. Yak-9D fighters over Sevastopol. May 1944
43. Yak-9D fighters over Sevastopol. May 1944
44. Yak-9D fighters, 3rd squadron of the 6th GvIAP of the Black Sea Fleet Air Force. May 1944
45. Liberated Sevastopol. May 1944
46. Yak-9D fighters over Sevastopol.
47. Soviet soldiers pose on a German Messerschmitt Bf.109 fighter abandoned in the Crimea. 1944
48. A Soviet soldier tears off a Nazi swastika from the gates of the metallurgical plant named after. Voykova in liberated Kerch. April 1944
49. At the location of the Soviet troops there is a unit on the march, washing, dugouts. Crimea. 1944
50. Crew of a Soviet regimental gun at a firing position in Crimea.
51. Soviet marines install the ship's jack on the very high point Kerch - Mount Mithridates. Crimea. April 1944
52. In liberated Sevastopol, view of the Southern Bay. 1944
53. Soviet soldiers salute in honor of the liberation of Sevastopol. May 1944
54. Captured German sailors near Kerch. 1944
55. Captured German sailors near Kerch.
56. Crew of the Soviet 37-mm automatic anti-aircraft gun model 1939 61-K on the Istorichesky Boulevard in Sevastopol. In the foreground is a rangefinder with a one-meter stereoscopic rangefinder ZDN. 1944
57. Liberated Sevastopol from a bird's eye view. 1944
58. In liberated Sevastopol: an announcement at the entrance to Primorsky Boulevard, left over from the German administration. 1944
59. Sevastopol after liberation from the Nazis. 1944
60. In liberated Sevastopol. May 1944
61. Soldiers of the 2nd Guards Taman Division in liberated Kerch. Soviet troops began crossing the Kerch Strait following the Germans fleeing the Taman Peninsula on October 31, 1943. On April 11, 1944, Kerch was finally liberated as a result of a landing operation. April 1944
62. Soldiers of the 2nd Guards Taman Division in the battles to expand the bridgehead on the Kerch Peninsula, November 1943. With defeat German troops On the Taman Peninsula, the path to the Kerch Strait opened, which the guards took advantage of when landing to seize a bridgehead in the Crimea still occupied by the Germans. November 1943
63. Marine landing in the Kerch area. On October 31, 1943, Soviet troops began crossing the Kerch Strait. As a result of the landing operation on April 11, 1944, Kerch was finally liberated. The severity and fierceness of the battles during the defense and liberation of Kerch is evidenced by the fact that for these battles 146 people were awarded the high title of Hero of the Soviet Union, and 21 military units and formations were awarded the honorary title “Kerch”. November 1943
All photos are clickable.
ALL MY PHOTO ALBUMS
In 1903, the French writer L. Boussenard, the author of famous adventure novels, argued: “The masters of the Crimea will always be the rulers of the Black Sea.” 40 years later, representatives of the military command of the USSR and Germany agreed with his opinion. The Crimean offensive operation of 1944 was designed to provide the Soviet fleet with unambiguous dominance in the local waters and finally turn the tide of the war in favor of the anti-Hitler coalition.
Preliminary schedule
The situation that developed in Crimea at the beginning of 1944 was somewhat reminiscent of the situation in which he found himself. The forces of the aggressive bloc were blocked from land as a result of the USSR’s successful conduct of two landing operations– Melitopol and Kerch-Etilgen at the end of 1943. But they had reliable fortification systems and were numerous, about 200 thousand people in total:
- 17th Army,
- several mountain rifle and cavalry corps and divisions,
- 215 tanks,
- more than 3,500 pieces of artillery.
True, almost half of the personnel represented Romanian units, and Romanian leader Antonescu protested against their use in Taurida and even demanded evacuation. The Odessa operation put an end to these demands - it became simply impossible to withdraw the Romanians from Crimea.
Disposition of forces before the start of the Crimean operation
Some German soldiers also suggested that Hitler leave Crimea. But he resisted, saying that then Romania, Bulgaria, etc. would inevitably fall away from Germany. In this he was absolutely right.
The Union troops were in a much better position than in 1920. By the beginning of the year, they already had bridgeheads in the Kerch region and on the southern shore of the Rotten Sea, and also crossed the. Important had naval capabilities - the Black Sea Fleet and the Azov flotilla operated from the sea coast.
They all had a significant advantage over the enemy in the number of soldiers who had the appropriate attitude - during the year the Red Army won significant victories. The Union sought to return Crimea as an ideal base for the Black Sea Flotilla - then it would really be possible to control the Black Sea region. Ideology also played a role - the Nazis should have “remembered” the 255 days of the Second Sevastopol Defense.
Strategic plans
The leadership of the operation was entrusted to experienced commanders. The main force was to be the 4th Ukrainian Front (under the command of General F.I. Tolbukhin) and the Primorsky Army (with General A.I. Eremenko). Troops, guardsmen and a tank corps also took part. General management and control from the headquarters was carried out by marshals K.E. Voroshilov and A.M. Vasilevsky.
Initially, the start of the operation was planned for mid-February. But then it was postponed several times - both for tactical and natural reasons. First, it was decided to finally gain a foothold on the right bank of the Dnieper region (the Odessa operation can also be considered a part of this idea). Then a storm and prolonged heavy rains interfered, preventing the crossing of troops.
The balance of power of Nazi Germany The last option for launching the offensive was a new date - April 8. By this time, Odessa was almost over: the “pearl by the sea” was taken by the Red Army on the 9th, therefore, enemy units were completely blocked in Crimea.
Wide grip
The beginning of the operation also resembled the actions of M.V. Frunze in 1920. After a powerful artillery barrage, on 8.04 the Fourth Ukrainian Front went on the offensive simultaneously from the Sivash bridgehead and on Perekop. On the 11th, the coastal army attacked and took the city on the same day.
In a week (from April 8 to April 16), our troops also liberated Armyansk and Evpatoria and Simferopol, and Dzhankoy, Belogorsk, and Sudak, and reached Sevastopol. The last city on the list required three assaults. Attempts made on April 19 and 23 did not produce tangible results, bringing only minor success. The greatest difficulty was the capture, from where the Germans were firing artillery.
The final assault was scheduled for May 5th. By this time, the USSR could already afford to regroup its troops, since a significant part of the combat missions in Crimea had already been resolved. The 2nd Guards Army went to the forefront of the attack - such detachments did not retreat. But still, the final liberation of the “pride of Russian sailors” took 4 days. The remnants of the Nazis retreated to the Chersonesus region. They were promised evacuation, but the attack aircraft of the Land of the Soviets thwarted all plans - instead of saving the Nazis, the Black Sea became the grave for 42 thousand of them.
The Crimean partisans made a huge contribution to the success of the offensive. They cut communication channels and lines of communication, obtained intelligence information, and prevented the destruction of enterprises and infrastructure. One of the formations liberated the city of Old Crimea; the partisan scouts did not give it up, although the Nazis, when attempting a counteroffensive, captured one city block and killed everyone they found there - almost 600 people. On May 12, 1944, the Crimean operation ended with the unconditional victory of the Soviet troops.
Further, to the west!
The results of the operation were impressive. In general, the aggressor's losses in Crimea are estimated at 140,000 irretrievable losses (killed and captured). Despite the fierce resistance of the enemy, the losses of the Red Army soldiers were noticeably less - about 40 thousand killed and less than 70 thousand wounded. The entire operation took 35 days. At one time, one resisted the enemy for more than 250 days.
Hitler was not mistaken - Germany’s authority among the allies fell sharply after the defeat in Crimea. The Red Army, on the contrary, once again has proven its strength. Now safe rear areas and a reliable base for the fleet opened up opportunities for further advancement - to the Balkans, beyond the Danube, to the west. It’s symbolic - the day of liberation of Sevastopol is celebrated on May 9! So convincingly the Crimean operation predicted the Great Victory over fascism and Nazism!
Loading...