The Kerch-Feodosia landing operation became one of the largest offensives of the Red Army at the initial stage of the Great Patriotic War. It took place in difficult conditions.
As a result of the failure of the operation, the problems of the Soviet army and navy were exposed, which made it possible to avoid mistakes in the future. Until the Allied landings in Normandy, the Kerch-Theodosian landing operation was considered one of the most ambitious.
Background
The occupation of Crimea began in 1941. By the beginning of autumn, the Wehrmacht captured almost the entire territory of the Ukrainian SSR. After the fall of Kiev, the hope of a counteroffensive disappeared. Since the "cauldron" turned out to be a large part of the combat-ready armies of the entire front. The retreat to the East began. In September, the Germans were already on the outskirts of Crimea. The importance of the peninsula was well understood by both sides. Firstly, he provided control over most of the Black Sea. Especially because of the wavering Turkey. Which, although supported by the Third Reich, did not enter the war.
Also, the peninsula was a good air base. It was from him that Soviet bombers flew, which inflicted strategic airstrikes on Romanian oil wells. Therefore, on September 26, the Wehrmacht went on the offensive on the isthmus. In less than a month, the peninsula was almost completely captured. Soviet units retreated to Taman. Only Sevastopol remained, whose heroic defense was still ongoing. At this time, the Kerch-Feodosia landing operation was born at the Headquarters of the Supreme Command.
Training
As a result of withdrawal from the Crimea, Sevastopol became the only place of resistance. The city held a heroic defense, despite a complete blockade from the land and only partial supply by sea. The Germans made several assaults, but all of them were unsuccessful. Therefore, the commander of Army Group Manstein decided to launch a siege. Almost all armies were required to surround the huge agglomeration. At the same time, only one Wehrmacht division defended the Kerch crossing.
The Kerch-Feodosia landing operation was developed by General Kozlov. Two armies were involved for its implementation. Within two weeks, under the leadership of General Kozlov, possible landing paths were developed. Due to the lack of reserves, an entire army was withdrawn from the border with Iran. As a result, the Kerch-Theodosian landing operation was scheduled for December twenty-sixth. The plan involved a simultaneous strike on Feodosia and the Strait. Soviet troops were supposed to drive the Germans out of the city, and then surround the entire enemy group. The command counted on a quick victory, since the main forces of the Germans were concentrated near Sevastopol. At the same time, Kerch covered only a small garrison of Germans and several Romanian armies. Even at that time, the Headquarters knew that the Romanian formations were extremely unstable to massive attacks and could not conduct a long defense.
If successful, the Red Army could destroy the enemy group in the peninsula. This would allow unhindered transport of new units on the coast from Taman. After that, Soviet troops could quickly move west and strike the rear of the German troops besieging Sevastopol. According to Kozlov’s plan, after the city’s release, a large-scale offensive in the Crimea could be launched.
First strike
The Kerch-Theodosian landing operation of 1941-1942 began on December twenty-sixth. The “auxiliary” blow was delivered first. He not only fettered the forces of the enemy, but distracted his attention from the main goal - Theodosius. With the support of the Black Sea Fleet, Soviet troops secretly approached the coast. After the artillery bombardment, the landing began.
Landing took place in extremely difficult conditions. The coast was unsuitable for mooring ships and barges. Also, the Germans managed to start shelling the attackers. Therefore, the soldiers had to jump into the water as soon as the depth was sufficient to go. That is, on a cold December day, the Red Army men walked up their throats in icy water. As a result of this, there were large sanitary losses due to hypothermia. But after a few days the temperature dropped even more, and the strait froze. Therefore, the rest of the 51st Army was already advancing on ice.
The Kerch-Theodosian landing operation 1941-1942 in the main direction began on the twenty-ninth. Unlike the landing in Kerch, the landing in Feodosia took place directly in the port. Soldiers landed and immediately rushed into battle. In total, about 40 thousand people were landed in both directions on the first day. The German garrison of the city was three thousand people. Their resistance was suppressed by the end of the day. After the landing in Feodosia, the Nazis faced the threat of complete encirclement. In Kerch, only one German division and Romanian mountain shooters held the line.
Retreat
The Headquarters almost immediately learned about the results that the Kerch-Feodosia landing operation brought. The forces of the parties in the Kerch region were unequal. Soviet troops were several times superior to German in numbers. Therefore, General von Schponek decided to start a retreat to the west. The order began to be executed instantly. The Nazis retreated to avoid joining the two landing armies. However, the commander of the Crimean front Manstein categorically forbade any retreat. He feared that in the event of a retreat, Soviet troops would be able to catch up with the German and Romanian armies and destroy them.
Such was the plan of the Soviet leadership. The defeat of the Kerch garrison would lead to a shortage of German forces.
Before the Red Army, the road to Sevastopol would be open. However, the landing did not swiftly advance. Instead of a quick jerk to the west, the forty-fourth army moved towards Kerch to meet with the fifty-first army. This delay allowed the Germans to gain a foothold in the new line of defense near Sivash. There were pulled up reserves and heavy weapons. In Berlin, they immediately began to take retaliatory measures as soon as they learned that the Kerch-Feodosia landing operation had begun. The 1st stage allowed the Soviet troops to gain a foothold on the coast. However, the heaviest part was ahead.
Difficult position
After the defeat of the Germans in Feodosia and Kerch, the Red Army units were extremely exhausted. This is due primarily to the extreme conditions of landing. Icy water, low air temperature and other bad effects on the health of the fighters. There were no hospitals at the occupied bridgeheads. Therefore, wounded soldiers could only rely on first aid. After that they were delivered to Kerch and from there, across the sea, to the mainland. The seriously wounded could not always overcome such a long way.
Also failed to establish a crossing due to the constant attacks of German aircraft. Air defense equipment was not delivered on time. Therefore, in fact, the aircraft did not meet any resistance. As a result, many warships were severely damaged.
Kerch-Feodosia landing operation: 2nd stage
In less than a week, the Red Army recaptured the entire coast. Fascist resistance was suppressed quite quickly. Due to insecurity in the Romanian units, the Wehrmacht introduced German cadre officers into their composition. The defense along Sivash was strengthened by a reserve infantry regiment.
The main strike direction for the Soviet troops was the railway, which provided the 11th Wehrmacht army. Taking into account the weakness of the Nazi troops, the High Command ordered the advance immediately to the west. According to the plan, Kozlov was to go behind the Germans besieging Sevastopol and defeat them. After this, it was planned to launch another large-scale offensive and liberate the whole Crimea. However, the general hesitated too long. He believed that there were still not enough resources to throw. It would seem that the successful Kerch-Feodosia landing operation of the Soviet troops brought fierce disappointment. The Nazis counterattacked.
The following month, forty-two, a new large-scale offensive was being prepared. An additional corps was planted in Sudak to support him. Ammunition and replenishment arrived over the sea and ice. However, one of the best generals of the Third Reich was ahead of Kozlov. In mid-January, the Nazis unexpectedly launched their offensive. The main blow came at a poorly fortified front line at the junction of two armies. Three days later, the Germans reached their starting positions. By the end of January 18, Theodosius fell. Recently landed in Sudak, the landing exerted desperate resistance. For almost two weeks, the Red Army fought heroically and almost completely lost their lives in battle. Cargo ships with supplies were destroyed. After the loss of the only port, Soviet troops could be transported to Kerch only on ice.
Preparing for a new attack
After that, the command created a separate front in the Crimea.
It included the army already operating on the peninsula and new formations. Fighters of the forty-seventh army were withdrawn from the Iranian border. Command sent a significant amount of equipment. A special commissioner was sent from Stavka. Preparations for the offensive began. It was scheduled for late February. The goal was to group the enemy at Sevastopol, in fact, to destroy it, and the Kerch-Theodosia landing operation was developed. The Crimean front was strengthened by artillery regiments and heavy tanks throughout the month.
On February 27, the offensive began. It was planned to concentrate the main blow in Kerch. However, the weather prevented the plans. The thaw began, and heavy rains poured. Slag and dirt prevented the advance of heavy equipment. Tanks, especially heavy ones, could not keep up with the infantry. As a result, the Germans managed to withstand the attack of the Red Army. Only in one sector of the front was it possible to break through the line of defense. The Romanian army could not stand the onslaught. Nevertheless, the Soviet troops failed to develop initial success. Manstein understood that a breakthrough threatened the release of the Red Army on the flank of his armies. Therefore, he sent the last reserves to hold the line, and this yielded results. Stubborn fights continued until March 3rd. But it was not possible to advance seriously.
The Kerch-Feodosia landing operation of the Crimean Front troops continued in mid-March. Eight rifle divisions, with the support of two tank brigades, launched an offensive. At the same time, from the besieged Sevastopol, the Primorsky Army hit. But they failed to break through to their own. The Germans repelled ten attacks per day. But the Nazis did not manage to break through the defense. Separate compounds achieved some success, but could not hold their positions. After that, the front stabilized and the intensity of hostilities decreased.
German offensive
By the end of March, Soviet troops had lost one hundred and ten thousand people since the Kerch-Feodosia landing operation began. The 3rd stage began with the German offensive.
It was planned carefully and for a long time. As a result of the unsuccessful attack of the Red Army, a front ledge (the so-called arc) was formed in the place where the Romanian division was defeated. The main forces of the Soviet army concentrated here. While in the south only three divisions occupied defense.
Manstein decided to make a maneuver, striking precisely to the south. For this, significant reinforcements were sent to the Crimea. The tank division, consisting of one hundred and eighty vehicles, arrived at the outskirts of Sevastopol. The Germans conducted a thorough reconnaissance and identified weaknesses in the defense of the Soviet troops. To support the planned offensive, the Nazis intended to use aircraft. For this, by personal order of Hitler, an air corps was sent to the peninsula. Also, the planes arrived from Romania. However, the pilots of all the cars were exclusively Germans.
Soviet troops were too close to the front. Many eyewitnesses of those events recall this. According to historians, it was the inept command of Kozlov and Mehlis that led to the subsequent tragedy. Instead of leaving divisions in the rear, wherever they were outside the zone of shelling, they were constantly driven forward.
Fatal defeat
The offensive began on the seventh of May. The land attack was preceded by air training. The Luftwaffe struck at previously explored targets. As a result, Soviet troops suffered losses in many directions. The headquarters of one of the armies was destroyed. As a result of this, the command passed to Colonel Kotov.
The next day, an infantry offensive began. With the support of heavy tanks, the Germans broke through the front seven kilometers in depth. A sudden blow in this area could not be repelled. Also in the rear of the Red Army troops landed. Its number was small, but a sudden attack from the sea caused a panic in the ranks of Soviet soldiers. By the ninth of May, Manstein had brought his own division into battle. The Germans managed to finally break through the front and defeat almost the entire southern group. Immediately after this, the Wehrmacht began to turn northward, threatening the remaining forces of the Crimean Front with a blow to the flank.
I take into account the catastrophic situation; on the night of May 10, Stalin had a personal conversation with Kozlov. It was decided to withdraw to a new line of defense. But the army left after the German air raid without the commander could no longer advance. A new blow was delivered in the direction of the Cimmerian Wall, which was assigned the role of a new line of defense. The Kerch-Feodosia landing operation of the Soviet troops failed. German airborne landing finally helped break through the defenses. On May 14, the evacuation of the Red Army from the Crimea began. A day later, the Germans began the assault on Kerch. The garrison of the city fought until it was left without ammunition, after which the defenders of the city went into a quarry.
Kerch-Feodosia landing operation: results
Landing in Kerch initially brought success. A new front was formed, an opportunity appeared for one of the first large-scale offensives. However, the inept command of the troops led to tragic consequences. For several months of heavy fighting, the Germans managed to not only maintain their positions, but also go on the offensive. As a result, the Wehrmacht launched a strategically thought-out blow that led to the defeat that ended the Kerch-Feodosia landing operation. Briefly, the battles are described in the diaries of Kozlov and Manstein.
Despite the failure of the operation, it became a harbinger of an already victorious offensive on the peninsula in forty-fourth.
Second attack
Two years after the tragic defeat, a new landing in the Kerch port landed. 1944 was the year of the liberation of Crimea. When planning an attack on the peninsula, the command considered all the details of the first operation. The Azov fleet was involved in delivering troops. The landing was to seize the bridgehead for a further large-scale offensive.
A large-scale offensive operation was being prepared at this time. Therefore, strikes were carried out from two directions. On the twenty-second of January, about one and a half thousand Red Army men boarded the ships and went to Kerch. To cover up the upcoming operation, Soviet artillery began a massive shelling of the coast. At the same time, the greatest fire was delivered not at the landing site in order to disorient the enemy. Also, several boats made an imitation of a landing.
Closer to the night of January twenty-second, the troops landed in the port of Kerch. The 1944th was far from being as cold as the 42nd, so the Marines did not suffer significant losses from hypothermia. Immediately after the landing, the paratroopers rushed into battle and achieved significant success. A significant part of the city was captured. However, the army advancing on the other hand was not able to break through the German defenses. Therefore, the paratroopers had to break through to their own. During the battles, one of the battalions managed to capture 170 German soldiers. After a few days, having suffered significant losses, the Marines broke through the encirclement and connected with the advancing units. In fact, the Kerch-Feodosia landing operation of 1941-1942 was repeated, only much more successfully.