July 3, 1942 the heroic defense of the Crimean peninsula, had resulted in huge losses to the Red Army ended the retreat of our troops.In Sovinformburo marked "selfless courage, rage in the fight with the enemy defenders and dedication."The first years of the war were given to us is not easy, even believe in the reality of what is happening out not at all - it seemed a terrible dream.The brighter, but at the same time tragic, it entered the history of the country's stoic defense of Sevastopol in 1941-1942. heroism and courage of everyone who was involved in the events of those days, is immense.
rent Odessa, Crimea but keep
by 12 September 1941, the Germans came close to Crimea.The peninsula was of strategic importance both for us and for the invaders.It offers a direct air route in the oil-producing point of Romania, which supplied fuel Wehrmacht troops.With the loss of these ways, our air deprived of the possibility of bombing the Germans to destroy the stocks of fuel, and they, in turn, can receive not only the Romanian oil, but Soviet - opened the way for them to the Caucasus, to our inventory.At the headquarters of the Red Army understood the importance of free aviation warring sides, so it was decided to transfer the Crimea additional parts, withdrawing them from the Odessa.Thus, for the salvation of the peninsula had to sacrifice the whole city.The Battle of Sevastopol, which it was necessary to deter any forces, carried out with the water, air and land.
the end of September under the Germans were Kiev and most of the Ukraine, Smolensk, all approaches to Leningrad, on the situation of the besieged who thought it was terrible.Besides the proximity of the enemy army and its too frisky promotion of inland talked about the long and difficult war.By September, in the battles of Uman and Kiev were routed divisions Southwestern Front, now in Crimea came the Great War.Defense of Sevastopol became the last line on the peninsula successful defense which could let a little, but keep an offensive breakthrough of the German army.
In the Perekop Isthmus
only land route through which you can get to the Crimea - Perekop Isthmus.Against formed in August, 51-th separate Army, which was entrusted with the defense of the peninsula, made the 11th Army of the Wehrmacht.Soviet troops commanded by Colonel-General f.Kuznetsov, German - Commander Erich von Manstein.To the credit of the enemy, it is worth noting that in the enemy's side played one of the most talented commanders of Hitler.Unfortunately, on both sides of the front, sometimes against each other, we fought quite decent people who could compete in professionalism in peace, if they had not made mortal enemies of the Great Patriotic War.Sevastopol and Crimea protection in this regard can serve as an indicator of the competence of military commanders of the opposing armies.
The 51th Separate Army consisted of three infantry divisions: 276-I under the command of Major-General Igor Savinov, I-156, commanded by Major-General P. V.Chernyaev and 106th, locatedsubordinate Colonel AN Pervushina.Savinov had to defend Chongarsky Peninsula and Arabat Spit.Before Chernyaev task was to hold the last position directly Perekop and division Pervushina stretched along the southern shore of the Sivash 70 km, it had to be on his section of the front block the road of the German army on the way to Sevastopol.1941 became indicative of the Soviet Army, not only in defense of the Crimea, but also in the degree of preparation for the war in general.
In the battles for Perekop
Besides shooting, part of the 51th Army entered and cavalry divisions, they also had three 48-th under the command of Major-General DI Averkina, 42th Colonel. V. Glagolev and 40th Colonel FF Kudyurova.All three units of the 51st Army, plus the 271 th Infantry Division under the command of Colonel M. Titov had to restrain the tank attack on the Perekop Isthmus and not let the enemy deep into the peninsula, which has been brewing battle for Sevastopol.Four Crimean division: 172 th, 184 th, 320 th and 321 th - guarded the coast.They were commanded, respectively, colonels IG Toroptsev VN Abramov, M. Vinogradov and IM Aliyev.
From September 24, the Germans went on the offensive.Two infantry divisions, supported by artillery and aircraft, attempted to break through the Isthmus of Perekop.By 26 September, they stormed the Turkish shaft and captured the city of Armyansk.Left to defend the city two rifle and one cavalry division, commander of Task Force organized by Lieutenant-General PI baht for the German army did not create special barriers - so powerful was their offensive.By 30 September, Soviet troops left their previous positions and retreated.
The departure to the Taman Peninsula
fix on Ishun positions, to October 18, when the 11th German army launched a new offensive, the 9th Rifle Corps and a number of individual units of the Black Sea Fleet regrouped and prepared to meet adequately the impact of the opponent.Of course, the forces are not equal. Leaders defense of Sevastopol understood that without reinforcements to contain the offensive of the German army, they can not, but along the entire front of fierce battles, and to throw a position Ishun additional units there was no way.
Battle was 5 days, during which Soviet troops drove the enemy even further into the peninsula.Not saved position and profit Maritime Army.Manstein, with its fresh forces, threw to the front two infantry divisions, that on October 28, and broke through the defenses.Red Army units were forced to withdraw under Sevastopol.The city's history has replenished with new, the most tragic of all the years of its existence pages.
It was not easy and near Kerch, which also withdrew our troops.All the mountainous terrain in the area served as a battlefield.All attempts by the Red Army to gain a foothold on the Kerch Peninsula were unsuccessful - 42th German Army Corps of three divisions defeated the main forces of our 51th Army, and 16 November at the Taman Peninsula were evacuated her surviving battalions.Future of Sevastopol and Kerch have known the full force of the Wehrmacht.In order to break through to the southern coast of Crimea, the German army has replenished the 54th Army Corps, which consisted of two infantry divisions and a motorized brigade, and the 30th Army Corps, also consisting of two infantry divisions.
On the approaches to Sevastopol
obstruction power at the beginning of the war represented the Sevastopol Defense Region (COP), which is perhaps the most fortified place of the European territory.These included several dozen gun emplacements, fortified pillboxes, minefields, forts, armed with large caliber artillery, or, as they were called in those days, bronebashennye battery (BB).Defense of Sevastopol in 1941-1942 lasted for several months, largely due to the very fortified defensive area.
Throughout November 41st battles were fought on the distant outskirts of the city.The defense held the infantry Black Sea Fleet, as the ground troops of the 51st Army by the time on the peninsula is almost gone - they were evacuated.Helped separate anti-aircraft infantry, artillery and training units and shore batteries.Scattered along the coast remains of Soviet divisions also joined the ranks of the defenders of the city, but they were negligible.So we can safely say that the heroic defense of Sevastopol in 1941-1942. carried out exclusively by the Black Sea.
Soviet grouping by November there were about 20 thousand sailors.But the rate in chief knew how important it is to keep this last frontier of the Crimea and Sevastopol garrison was reinforced with units of the Maritime Army, previously defended Odessa, commanded by Major-General Petrov.
threw reinforcements by sea, since no other way was no more.Defensive garrison managed to replenish 36,000th manpower, several hundred guns, tens of tons of ammunition, tanks and other weapons.From 9 to 11 November Wehrmacht managed to completely surround Sevastopol from land, and in the next 10 days in several places drive a wedge into the defensive line.Then, in the clashes there was a pause.
united front
of Sevastopol and Kerch in those difficult days of the war for the country received their immortality price loss of thousands of defenders who had the strength to resist a powerful enemy army.After a brief lull, resumed fighting in the Crimea with special mercilessness in the first days of January 1942.In occupied at the time the Romanians Yevpatoriya rebellion broke out, organized by the local population and ripened to his partisan connections.January 5 were transferred to the city landed on the coast of the Black Sea Fleet.
first battle victory brought a small joint Soviet troops - Romanian garrison was driven out of the city.But the superiority of the defense was short-lived: January 7, pulling the reserves, the Germans defeated the parachute part.Many of our soldiers were captured.Lost was a weapon.At the turn of Alushta - Sebastopol, which has long held a defensive army, also now hosts the Germans.From now on, all hopes were on the coast, where for a long time carried out reliably defense of Sevastopol.Days of silence was virtually no shelling of the city were constantly.
Under the blows of the Luftwaffe
of the city, in addition to artillery, Manstein threw his strike force - the Luftwaffe.Army Group "South", consisting of two air corps, which numbered about 750 planes, and supported the German navy.To fully capture the Crimean peninsula Hitler spared neither technology nor the manpower.Fifth Air Corps Luftwaffe was thrown at Sevastopol just in the early winter of 1941, and as early as May 42 th this deadly technique could provide a ground operation, which was held by Manstein, tangible support.Defense of Sevastopol 1941-1942 years, despite the resilience and courage of the Black Sea sailors, lasted very long after the city bumped enemy aircraft.The more that just spring this sector of the front was moved and eighth Air Corps, commanded by W. von Rihtgoffen.Hitler appointed one of his best generals to the most complex and important ground operations.
Heroes of Sevastopol defense, survivors and survivors of the brutal battles, shared memories of incessant bombing of the city.Every day, the Luftwaffe dropped to Sevastopol ton high-explosive bombs.Up to 600 flights daily fixed our military.Total has been reset more than two and a half thousand tons of bombs, including large-- up to a thousand kilograms each.
entire German power - to storm the city
conquerors paid tribute artillery fort Sevastopol.So long resist at times superior forces of the opponent could only be in the presence of permanent defense facilities, which are just in the Crimea were.To destroy them, the Germans had to use large-caliber artillery siege.Over two hundred cells, which consisted of heavy guns, Manstein arranged through a length of 22 kilometers.In addition to heavy howitzers of 300 mm and 350 mm, were applied and super heavy siege guns to 800 mm.
From Germany secretly, especially for a breakthrough in the direction of Sebastopol, was delivered to a total mass of a weapon over a thousand tons.Its located in the rocks not far from Bakhchisarai.Against such a power it was not possible to survive.Participants of defense of Sevastopol was told that such a deafening roar, and the destructive force had no weapon.
long time German troops were unable to storm the city - prevented the guerrillas, the weather and the lack of clearly developed plan of attack.But by the spring of 1942, everything was ready.For summer storm 11th Army Germans increased by six new buildings: the 54th, 30th, 42nd, Romanian 7th, 8th and Romanian and 8th air.As can be seen from the description of buildings, and they had troops on the ground and the air.
The ring of fire
on the Kerch Peninsula placed 42th and 7th Corps, they would be used for ground operations and enter into the battle only to replace the broken divisions.4th mining and 46th Infantry were to embark on the last stage of the battle, so that the enemy had four divisions with a relatively fresh forces for the final capture of the city.So in the end it came - under intense pressure from the German divisions and several days over the defense of Sevastopol.World War II lasted only a year ahead were three, and the loss of Soviet troops in the Crimean only one part of the front were tremendous.But give superior enemy forces, no one thought - to stand up to the last.We understand that the decisive battle would be fatal for the majority, but a fate for himself seen.
to large losses and preparing the Wehrmacht.The command of the 11th Army, except for hidden on the outskirts of Sevastopol reserve request from the headquarters of three additional infantry and a few anti-aircraft artillery regiments.Division Three self-propelled units, a separate tank battalion redeployed battery and super-heavy guns waiting in the wings.
Many years later, the Second World War when the researchers summed up battle that went down in history as the Defense of Sevastopol in 1941-1942, it became clear that such a massive use of air and artillery Hitler used throughout World War II.
As to the ratio of manpower, at the beginning of the defense, according to experts, it was almost equal to that on the one that the other side of the front.But by the summer of 1942, the numerical superiority of the German army was undisputed.The decisive assault on Sevastopol began on 7 June but almost a month, Soviet troops kept the defense.
final assault
Almost the entire first week was quiet not stubborn confrontation.Well protected in the pillboxes and forts, the Black Sea sailors provided lethal resistance - Wehrmacht soldiers were killed on the outskirts of Sevastopol lot.
decisive battle that changed the course of the confrontation, occurred June 17 in the southern sector.The Germans have taken the position, known in history as the "Eagle's Nest", and came to the foot of the mountain-breather.By the time the fort "Stalin", which kept the defense on the north side, had already been captured by German soldiers.In their hands was Mekenzievyh and height.By evening, a few forts passed to advance, among them the "Maxim Gorky-1" as it is called by the Germans, with a BB-30 battery.All North Bay could now freely under constant bombardment by German artillery.With the loss of battery BB-30 defenders lost touch with regular Red Army, located on the other side of the front.It became impossible delivery of ammunition and reinforcements.But the inner ring of Defense was still dangerous for the Germans.
Southern coast of North Bay has been strengthened quite stormed it in stride, without tactical training, Manstein did not dare.He made a bet on the surprise factor, to avoid too much loss.In the night from 28th to 29th June at virtually silent inflatable boats advance units of the 30th Corps approached undetected to the bay and began the assault.By the evening of June 30 was captured Malakoff.
The defenders were running out of ammunition and food, we decided to evacuate at a rate higher and senior commanders of the defense forces of Sevastopol, as well as party activists city.It's about saving the sailors, soldiers, including the wounded, as well as lower officers did not go ...
Scary casualty figures
evacuation plan succeeded in using aircraft, submarines and light boats, which are in an active Black Sea Fleet.There were evacuated from the peninsula about 700 senior management of troops, aircraft delivered in the Caucasus is still about two hundred people.Several thousand sailors were able to break out in the light courts.Since July 1, the defense of Sevastopol was practically abandoned.Some borders are still heard the sound of gunfire, but they were local.Left commander of the Maritime Army staff moved to Cape Khersones, where for three days as stubbornly resisted the enemy.In the unequal fight killed thousands of defenders of the Crimea, and the rest were captured.Institutions in the memory of those events Medal for the Defense of Sevastopol received a few survivors.
