Exactly 70 years ago, March 16, 1944 Supreme Commander ordered to start the operation of the liberation of the 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, the troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front (commander - General of the Army F.I. Tolbukhin) stormed the German defensive fortifications in heavy battles; On May 9, they completely liberated Sevastopol, and on May 12, the remnants of the enemy troops on Cape Chersonesus laid down.
This significant event I dedicate this photo collection, friends.
1. Shelled facade of the Sevastopol Palace of Pioneers after the liberation of the city. May 1944
2. German minesweeper in the bay of Sevastopol. 1944
3. German attack aircraft Fw.190, destroyed Soviet aviation at the Khersones airfield. 1944
4. Meeting of Soviet partisans and boatmen in the liberated Yalta. 1944
5. The commander of the 7th Romanian mountain corps, General Hugo Schwab (second from left) and the commander of the XXXXIX mountain corps of the Wehrmacht, General Rudolf Konrad (first from the left) at the 37-mm cannon RaK 35/36 in the Crimea. 02/27/1944
6. Meeting of Soviet partisans in the liberated Yalta. 1944
7. The Soviet light cruiser "Red Crimea" enters the Sevastopol Bay. 11/05/1944
8. The commander of the 7th Romanian mountain corps, General Hugo Schwab (second from left) and the commander of the XXXXIX mountain corps of the Wehrmacht, General Rudolf Konrad (center right) pass by a mortar crew during a review in the Crimea. 02/27/1944
9. The Black Sea squadron returns to the liberated Sevastopol. In the foreground is the guards light cruiser Krasny Krym, behind it is the silhouette of the battleship Sevastopol. 11/05/1944
10. Soviet soldiers with a flag on the roof of the destroyed building Panorama "Defense of Sevastopol" in the liberated Sevastopol. 1944
11. Tanks Pz.Kpfw. 2nd Romanian tank regiment in the Crimea. 03.11.1943
12. Romanian General Hugo Schwab and German general Rudolf Conrad in the Crimea. 02/27/1944
13. Romanian gunners fire from an anti-tank gun during a battle in the Crimea. 03/27/1944
14. The commander of the XXXXIX mountain corps of the Wehrmacht, General Rudolf Konrad with Romanian officers at an observation post in the Crimea. 02/27/1944
15. Pilots of the 3rd Squadron of the 6th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment of the Black Sea Fleet Air Force are studying a map of the combat area at the airfield near Yak-9D aircraft. In the background is the aircraft of the Guards 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 Soviet Union Kliment Efremovich Voroshilov, Head 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 Supreme High Command, Marshal of the Soviet Union S.K. Timoshenko, with the command of the North Caucasian Front and the 18th Army, is considering an operation plan to cross the Kerch Strait. From left to right: Marshal of the Soviet Union S.K. Timoshenko, Colonel General K.N. Leselidze, General of the Army I.E. Petrov. 1943
18. The Black Sea squadron returns to the liberated Sevastopol. In the foreground is the guards light cruiser Krasny Krym, behind it is the silhouette of the battleship Sevastopol. 11/05/1944
19. Soviet boat SKA-031 with a destroyed stern, thrown out at low tide in Krotkovo, waiting for repairs. A boat from the 1st Novorossiysk Red Banner division of sea hunters 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 are transporting military equipment and horses across the Sivash. In the foreground is a 45 mm anti-tank gun. December 1943
22. Soviet soldiers ferry on a pontoon a 122-mm howitzer of the 1938 model M-30 across the Sivash Bay (Rotten Sea). November 1943
23. T-34 tanks on the street of the liberated Sevastopol. May 1944
24. Marines at the arch of Primorsky Boulevard in the liberated Sevastopol. May 1944
25. The Black Sea squadron returns to the liberated Sevastopol. In the foreground is the guards light cruiser Krasny Krym, behind it is the silhouette of the battleship Sevastopol. 11/05/1944
26. Partisans who participated in the liberation of the Crimea. The village of Simeiz on the southern coast of the Crimean peninsula. 1944
27. Minesweeper, Lieutenant Ya.S. Shinkarchuk crossed the Sivash thirty-six times and transported 44 guns with shells to the bridgehead. 1943 year.
28. Architectural monument Grafskaya pier in the 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 - Sergey (nickname Button).
32. Self-propelled guns SU-152 of the 1824th heavy self-propelled artillery regiment in Simferopol. 04/13/1944
33. Soviet soldiers cross the Sivash in December 1943.
34. Marine sets the Soviet naval flag in the liberated Sevastopol. May 1944
35. Tank T-34 in the street of the liberated Sevastopol. May 1944
36. Transportation of Soviet equipment during the Kerch-Eltigen landing operation. November 1943
37. Destroyed German equipment on the shores of the Cossack Bay in Sevastopol. May 1944
38. German soldiers killed during the liberation of the Crimea. 1944
39. Transport with German soldiers evacuated from the Crimea, moored in the port of Constanta, Romania. 1944
40. Partisans in Yalta. 1944
41. Armored boats. 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 fighter Messerschmitt Bf.109 abandoned in the Crimea. 1944
48. A Soviet soldier tears off the Nazi swastika from the gates of the metallurgical plant. Voikov in the liberated Kerch. April 1944
49. In the location of the Soviet troops - a unit on the march, washing, dugouts. Crimea. 1944
57. Liberated Sevastopol from a bird's eye view. 1944
58. In the liberated Sevastopol: an announcement at the entrance to Primorsky Boulevard, left over from the German administration. 1944
59. Sevastopol after the liberation from the Nazis. 1944
60. In the liberated Sevastopol. May 1944
61. Fighters of the 2nd Guards Taman Division in the 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. Fighters of the 2nd Guards Taman Division in the battles for the expansion of the bridgehead on the Kerch Peninsula, November 1943. With the defeat of the German troops on the Taman Peninsula, the path to the Kerch Strait opened up, which was used by the guardsmen during the landing to capture the bridgehead in the Crimea still occupied by the Germans . November 1943
63. Landing of the marines in the area of Kerch. 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 fighting 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
On May 9, 1944, 70 years ago, after a general assault, Sevastopol was liberated. By May 12, the remnants of the German 17th Army, which fled to Cape Chersonese, were finally defeated. "Stalin's Third Strike" - Krymskaya offensive, led to full release Crimean peninsula from the Nazis. Having recaptured the Crimea and Sevastopol, the Soviet Union regained control of the Black Sea.
Soviet soldiers salute in honor of the liberation of Sevastopol
General situation before the start of the operation. Previous Operations
1943 The German military-political leadership clung to the Crimea to the last opportunity. The Crimean peninsula was of great military-strategic and political importance. Adolf Hitler demanded to keep the Crimea at any cost. The Crimean peninsula was necessary for Berlin not only for operational reasons (a base for the air and sea fleet, an advanced outpost of ground forces to stabilize the position of the southern flank of the entire front), but also for political ones. The surrender of Crimea could have influenced the position of Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey, and the general situation on the Balkan Peninsula. The loss of Crimea strengthened the capabilities of the Soviet Air Force and the Black Sea Fleet.
On August 13 - September 22, 1943, the troops of the Southwestern Front under the command of General F.I. Tolbukhin, during the Donbass offensive operation, reached the line of the Dnieper and Molochnaya rivers. Conditions appeared for the liberation of Northern Tavria and the Crimean peninsula. September 9 - October 9, 1943, the Novorossiysk-Taman operation was carried out (). During this operation, Soviet troops liberated Novorossiysk, the Taman Peninsula and reached the coast of the Kerch Strait. The successful completion of the operation created favorable opportunities for attacks on the Crimean group of the Wehrmacht from the sea and through the Kerch Strait.
The position of German troops on the southern wing of the Soviet-German front continued to deteriorate further. September 26 - November 5, 1943, the Southern Front (from October 20, 1943 - the 4th Ukrainian) carried out the Melitopol offensive operation. October 24-25, 1943 19th tank corps of General I.D. Vasiliev, Guards Kuban Cossack Cavalry Corps of General N.Ya. Kirichenko and rifle units broke through the German defenses. The Red Army was rapidly advancing towards Perekop, Sivash and the lower reaches of the Dnieper. As a result of the Melitopol operation, the Red Army defeated 8 enemy divisions and inflicted heavy damage on 12 divisions. Soviet troops advanced 50-230 km, liberating almost the entire Northern Tavria and reaching the lower reaches of the Dnieper. German troops in the Crimea were cut off from the rest of the troops. By the end of the day on October 31, the advanced units of the 19th Tank Corps and the Cavalry Corps approached the Turkish Wall and broke through it on the move. On November 1, Soviet soldiers fought in the Armyansk region. The blow of the Soviet tankers and cavalry on the Turkish Wall was so sudden that the Nazis did not have time to organize a powerful defense.
The problem of the advanced units was that they did not have enough artillery, ammunition, besides, the rifle units fell behind. The German command, realizing that the Turkish shaft was broken, organized a powerful counterattack. All day there was a stubborn battle. On the night of November 2, the Nazis again occupied the Turkish Wall with a blow from the flanks. The advanced Soviet units were forced to fight surrounded. German attacks followed one after another. Komkor Vasiliev was wounded, but remained in the ranks and continued to lead the troops. On November 3, the units had 6-7 shells per gun and 20-25 rounds per rifle. The situation was critical. The front headquarters ordered to leave the encirclement, but if possible, to hold the bridgehead. Commander of the 19th Panzer Corps Ivan Vasilyev (Decree of the Presidium Supreme Council USSR dated November 3, 1943, Lieutenant General of the tank troops Vasiliev was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union) decided to hold the bridgehead and strike from it (from the south) again to break through the German positions on the rampart. At night, two small assault detachments (each with 100 fighters) made up of tankers, dismounted cavalrymen, sappers, signalmen and drivers broke through the German defenses. So, the bridgehead south of the Turkish Wall, 3.5 km wide and up to 4 km deep, was able to hold.
At the same time, parts of the 10th Rifle Corps, Major General K.P. Neverov forced the Sivash and captured another important bridgehead. The German command, realizing the danger of this breakthrough, sent reinforcements with tanks and artillery into battle. However, the Soviet troops received reinforcements. The bridgehead was retained and expanded to 18 km along the front and 14 km in depth. Thus, the operation ended with the capture of bridgeheads at Perekop and south of Sivash, which played a crucial role during the Crimean operation.
Soviet troops crossing the Sivash
The commander of the 17th Army, General Erwin Gustav Jeneke, fearing a "new Stalingrad", drew up a plan for the evacuation of German troops from the peninsula through Perekop to Ukraine ("Operation Michael"). The evacuation was scheduled for October 29, 1943. However, Hitler banned the operation at the last moment. Hitler proceeded from the strategic and military-political significance of the peninsula. He was supported by the Commander-in-Chief of the Naval Forces, Grand Admiral K. Doenitz. The German Navy needed Crimea to control a significant part of the Black Sea, the loss of the peninsula sharply worsened the capabilities of the German fleet. The admiral promised that in a critical situation, the fleet would evacuate 200,000 troops. 17th Army in 40 days (in bad weather - in 80). However, the naval command was mistaken in their forecasts, in assessing the capabilities of the Navy and Soviet troops. When the need arose, the 17th Army could not be quickly evacuated, which caused its destruction.
October 31 - November 11, 1943, Soviet troops carried out the Kerch-Eltigen landing operation. The Soviet command planned to liberate the Kerch Peninsula. It was not possible to liberate the peninsula, but an important bridgehead was captured and significant enemy forces were attracted to this direction. The German command was forced to transfer troops from the northern (Perekop) direction, where the Nazis planned to launch a strong counterattack on the advancing troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front. The German 17th Army became even more bogged down in the Crimea, now under the threat of attacks from two directions. The Romanian leadership, having lost confidence in the Germans, began to evacuate their troops from the Crimea.
Soldiers of the Separate Primorsky Army attack an enemy stronghold on the territory of a metallurgical plant in Kerch
1944 German forces and defense
The 17th Army of Yeneke (Yeneke) was still a powerful and quite combat-ready grouping. It consisted of up to 200 thousand soldiers, 215 tanks and assault guns and about 360 thousand guns and mortars, 148 aircraft. The headquarters of the 17th Army was in Simferopol.
The army was ordered by Adolf Hitler to stay on the peninsula. In the future, the 17th Army, together with the 6th Army, located in the Nikopol region, was to launch a counterattack on the Red Army and restore land communications cut by the Soviet troops with the rest of the German troops. The 17th Army was to play an important role in disrupting the Soviet offensive on the southern wing Eastern Front. Back in November 1943, the Litzman and Ruderboot plans were developed. They provided for the breakthrough of most of the 17th Army from the Crimea through Perekop to join the 6th Army, which was holding the Nikopol bridgehead, and the evacuation of a smaller part of the army by naval forces.
However, the actions of the Soviet troops thwarted these plans. Parts of the 10th Rifle Corps, which held the bridgehead south of Sivash, improved their tactical position and expanded the bridgehead during several local operations. The troops of the Separate Primorsky Army in the Kerch region also conducted a number of local operations, improving their position and expanding their foothold. The 17th Army found itself in an even more difficult position. As General E. Yeneke noted on January 19, 1944: "... the defense of the Crimea hangs on a" silk thread "...".
The position of the 17th Army was aggravated by the actions of the Crimean partisans. On December 20, 1943, the operational and intelligence departments of the 5th Army Corps recognized the futility of fighting partisan detachments, since: "the complete destruction of large bands in the mountains is possible only with the involvement of very large forces." The command of the 17th Army also recognized the hopelessness of the fight against the partisans. Partisan detachments were supported by an "air bridge" with the USSR. The Germans tried to terrorize, including exterminating the population of the foothill villages, among which the partisans were hiding, to suppress resistance. However, the punitive measures did not produce the expected results. In addition, Crimean Tatars were involved in the fight against the partisans, who massively collaborated with the invaders.
By April 1944, three partisan formations were actively operating in the Crimea, with a total number of up to 4 thousand fighters. The most powerful was the Southern connection of partisans under the command of I. A. Makedonsky. The southern detachment was located in the reserve of the southern coast of Crimea, in the region of Alushta - Bakhchisarai - Yalta. The northern unit under the command of P. R. Yampolsky was stationed in the Zuy forests. The eastern unit under the leadership of V.S. Kuznetsov was based in the Starokrymsky forests. In fact, the Soviet partisans controlled the entire mountain-forest part of the peninsula. Throughout the occupation, they strengthened their positions. Even some invaders passed to them. So, on the side of the partisans, a group of deserted Slovaks fought.
Crimean partisans
On January 22-28, the Separate Primorsky Army conducted another local operation. The offensive did not lead to success, but showed the precarious position of the 17th Army. The German command had to transfer reserves from the northern direction, which thwarted the possibility of a counterattack at Perekop. From January 30 to February 29, 1944, the troops of the 3rd and 4th Ukrainian fronts carried out the Nikopol-Krivoy Rog operation (). The Nikopol bridgehead was liquidated, which finally deprived the Germans of the hope of restoring land communications with the 17th Army encircled in the Crimea. The 4th Ukrainian Front was able to direct all its forces to the liberation of the Crimean Peninsula.
True, in January-February, the 73rd Infantry Division from the 44th Separate Army Corps was airlifted to the Crimea from the south of Ukraine, and in March, the 111th Infantry Division from the 6th Army of Army Group A. The German high command still wanted to keep the Crimea. However, the command of the 17th Army understood that the reinforcements were not able to change the situation, they only prolong the agony. Jeneke and his staff repeatedly reported to the high command about the need for the speedy evacuation of the army.
Tanks Pz.Kpfw.38 (t) of the 2nd Romanian tank regiment in the Crimea
Romanian artillerymen fire from a 75 mm anti-tank gun during a battle in the Crimea
By April, the 17th Army had 12 divisions: 5 German and 7 Romanian, 2 assault gun brigades. In the area of Perekop and against the bridgehead on Sivash, the 49th mountain rifle corps (50th, 111th, 336th infantry divisions, 279th brigade of assault guns) and the Romanian cavalry corps (9th cavalry, 10 19th and 19th Infantry Divisions). In total, the Northern group consisted of about 80 thousand soldiers. The headquarters of the group was located in Dzhankoy.
The German defense in the Perekop area consisted of three lanes up to 14 km long and up to 35 km deep. They were occupied by the 50th Infantry Division, reinforced by several separate battalions and units (a total of about 20 thousand bayonets, up to 50 tanks and assault guns and 325 guns and mortars). The main defensive line was up to 4-6 km deep, had three defensive positions with full-profile trenches and long-term firing points. The main center of defense was Armyansk. From the northern direction, the city was covered by a deep anti-tank ditch, minefields and anti-tank guns. The city was prepared for all-round defense, the streets were blocked with barricades, many buildings were turned into strongholds. Communication passages connected Armyansk with the nearest settlements.
The second line of defense took place in the southern part of the Perekop Isthmus between the Karkinit Bay and the Staroe and Krasnoye lakes. The depth of the second line of defense was 6-8 km. Here the Germans built two defensive positions, covered with an anti-tank ditch, minefields and other barriers. The defense was based on the Ishun positions, which closed the exit to the steppe regions of the peninsula. The third line of defense, the construction of which was not completed by the beginning of the offensive of the Red Army, passed along the Chartylyk River. In the intervals between the defense lines there were separate nodes of resistance and strongholds, minefields. Antiamphibious defenses were prepared on the coast of the Karkinitsky Gulf. The command of the 17th Army was expecting the main attack of the Red Army in the Perekop area.
On the southern bank of the Sivash, the Germans built 2-3 defensive lines up to 15-17 km deep. They were occupied by the 336th German and 10th Romanian infantry divisions. Defensive positions passed along the shores of four lakes and had a land length of only 10 km. Due to this, a high density of defense was achieved, saturated with manpower and firing points. In addition, the defense was strengthened by numerous engineering barriers, minefields and pillboxes, bunkers. The 111th German Infantry Division, the 279th Assault Gun Brigade and part of the 9th Romanian Cavalry Division were in reserve at Dzhankoy.
The Kerch direction was defended by the 5th Army Corps: the 73rd, 98th Infantry Divisions, the 191st Brigade of Assault Guns, the Romanian 6th Cavalry Division and the 3rd Mountain Rifle Division. In total, the group consisted of about 60 thousand soldiers. Coastal defense in the area from Feodosia to Sevastopol was assigned to the Romanian 1st Mountain Rifle Corps (1st and 2nd Mountain Rifle Divisions). The same corps was engaged in the fight against partisans. The coast from Sevastopol to Perekop was controlled by two cavalry regiments from the Romanian 9th Cavalry Division. In total, about 60 thousand soldiers were allocated for antiamphibious defense and the fight against partisans. The headquarters of the 17th Army and the Romanian 1st Mountain Rifle Corps were located in Simferopol. In addition, the 17th Army included the 9th Air Force Anti-Aircraft Division, an artillery regiment, three coastal defense artillery regiments, the Krym mountain rifle regiment, a separate Bergman regiment, and other units (security, engineer battalions, etc. .).
There were four lines of defense on the Kerch Peninsula. Their total depth reached 70 kilometers. The main line of defense was based on Kerch and the heights surrounding the city. The second line of defense ran along the Turkish Wall - from Adzhibay to Uzunlar Lake. The third lane went near the settlements of Seven Wells, Kenegez, Adyk, Obekchi and Karasan. The fourth lane covered the Ak-Monai isthmus ("Perpach-position"). In addition, the Germans equipped the rear defense lines on the Evpatoria - Saki - Sarabuz - Karasubazar - Sudak - Feodosia, Alushta - Yalta line. They covered Simferopol. Sevastopol was a powerful defensive node.
Operation plan and Soviet forces
The Headquarters of the Supreme High Command (VGK) considered the Crimean peninsula as a strategically important area. The liberation of the Crimea restored the capabilities of the Black Sea Fleet. Sevastopol was the main base of the Soviet fleet. In addition, the peninsula was an important base for the German fleet and aviation, covering the southern strategic flank of the enemy. Crimea had importance in determining the future of the Balkan Peninsula and influenced the policy of Turkey.
The operation to liberate the Crimea began to prepare in February 1944. On February 6, Chief of the General Staff A.M. Vasilevsky and the Military Council of the 4th Ukrainian Front presented the Headquarters with a plan for the Crimean operation. On February 22, 1944, Joseph Stalin approved the decision to direct the main attack from Sivash. For this, crossings were organized through the Sivash, through which manpower and equipment began to be transferred to the bridgehead. The work took place in difficult conditions. The sea, German air raids and artillery strikes destroyed crossings more than once.
The start date of the operation was postponed several times. From the beginning, this was due to the expectation of the liberation from the Nazis of the coast of the Dnieper to Kherson, then the weather conditions (because of them, the start of the operation was postponed for the period between March 15 and 20). On March 16, the start of the operation was postponed in anticipation of the liberation of Nikolaev and the exit of the Red Army to Odessa. On March 26, the Odessa offensive operation began (). However, even after the release of Nikolaev on March 28, the operation could not be started. The bad ones got in the way weather.
The general plan of the Crimean operation was that the troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front under the command of General of the Army Fyodor Ivanovich Tolbukhin from the north - from Perekop and Sivash, and the Separate Primorskaya Army of General of the Army Andrey Ivanovich Eremenko from the east - from the Kerch Peninsula, delivered a simultaneous blow to general direction to Simferopol and Sevastopol. They were supposed to break through the German defenses, dismember and destroy the German 17th Army, preventing its evacuation from the Crimean Peninsula. The offensive of the ground forces was supported by the Black Sea Fleet under the command of Admiral Philip Sergeyevich Oktyabrsky and the Azov Flotilla under the command of Rear Admiral Sergey Georgievich Gorshkov. The naval forces included a battleship, 4 cruisers, 6 destroyers, 2 patrol boats, 8 base minesweepers, 161 torpedo, patrol and armored boats, 29 submarines and other ships and vessels. From the air, the offensive of the 4th UV was supported by the 8th Air Army under the command of Colonel General of Aviation Timofey Timofeevich Khryukin and the aviation of the Black Sea Fleet. The 4th Air Army under the command of Colonel General of Aviation Konstantin Andreevich Vershinin supported the offensive of the Separate Primorsky Army. In addition, partisans were supposed to hit the Germans from the rear. Marshals of the Soviet Union K. E. Voroshilov and A. M. Vasilevsky were responsible for the coordination of the troops. In total, about 470 thousand people, about 6 thousand guns and mortars, 559 tanks and self-propelled artillery mounts, 1250 aircraft took part in the operation.
Chief of Staff of the 4th Ukrainian Front, Lieutenant General Sergei Semenovich Biryuzov, member of the State Defense Committee, 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
The 4th UV dealt the main blow. It consisted of: 51st Army, 2nd guards army and 19th Panzer Corps. The main blow from the Sivash bridgehead was delivered by the 51st Army under the command of the Hero of the Soviet Union, Lieutenant General Yakov Grigorievich Kreizer and the reinforced 19th Tank Corps under the command of the Hero of the Soviet Union, Lieutenant General of the Tank Forces Ivan Dmitrievich Vasiliev. Ivan Vasiliev will be wounded during reconnaissance, so his deputy I. A. Potseluev will lead the offensive of the corps. They received the task of advancing in the direction of Dzhankoy - Simferopol - Sevastopol. In the event of a breakthrough of the German defense and the capture of Dzhankoy, the main grouping of the 4th UV went to the rear of the German positions at Perekop. She could also develop an offensive on Simferopol and in the rear of the enemy's Kerch grouping. The 2nd Guards Army under the command of Lieutenant General Georgy Fedorovich Zakharov delivered an auxiliary strike on the Perekop Isthmus and was supposed to advance in the direction of Evpatoria - Sevastopol. Zakharov's army was also supposed to clear the western coast of Crimea from the Nazis. A separate Primorsky army received the task of breaking through the German defenses at Kerch and advancing in the direction of Vladislavovka and Feodosia. In the future, part of the forces of the Primorsky Army was to advance in the direction of Simferopol - Sevastopol, the other part - along the coast, from Feodosia to Sudak, Alushta, Yalta and Sevastopol.
The Black Sea Fleet received the task of disrupting enemy sea communications. Submarines and torpedo boats were to attack enemy ships on the near and far approaches to Sevastopol. Aviation (more than 400 aircraft) was supposed to operate throughout the German sea lanes - from Sevastopol to Romania. Large surface ships did not participate in the operation. The headquarters ordered them to be saved for future naval operations. The actions of the Black Sea Fleet were coordinated by the representative of the Headquarters - the Commander-in-Chief of the Naval Forces of the USSR People's Commissar of the Navy Admiral N.G. Kuznetsov. The Azov Flotilla transported troops and cargo across the Kerch Strait and supported the offensive of the Separate Primorsky Army from the sea.
Long-range aviation under the command of Air Marshal A.E. Golovanov (more than 500 aircraft) was supposed to paralyze the work of railway junctions and ports, strike at important enemy targets, sink German ships and ships with massive night attacks. Long-range aviation was supposed to strike at the most important Romanian ports of Galati and Constanta.
The Crimean partisans were given the task of disrupting the movement of Germans on the roads, interrupting wire communications, organizing attacks on enemy headquarters and command posts, preventing the Nazis from destroying cities and towns during their retreat, and preventing the destruction and theft of the population. They also had to destroy the Yalta port.
To be continued…
On April 8, 70 years ago, the Crimean strategic offensive operation began. It went down in history as one of the most important offensive operations of the Great Patriotic War. Its goal was the liberation of the Crimean peninsula, an important strategic foothold in the Black Sea theater of operations, by defeating the 17th German Army, Colonel General E. Eneke, who held the Crimea.
P.P. Sokolov-Skalya. The liberation of Sevastopol by the Soviet army. May 1944
On April 8, 70 years ago, the Crimean strategic offensive operation began. It went down in history as one of the most important offensive operations of the Great Patriotic War. Its goal was the liberation of the Crimean peninsula, an important strategic foothold in the Black Sea theater of operations, by defeating the 17th German Army, Colonel General E. Eneke, who held the Crimea.
As a result of the Melitopol (September 26 - November 5, 1943) and (October 31 - November 11, 1943) Soviet troops broke through the fortifications of the Turkish Wall on the Perekop Isthmus, captured bridgeheads on the southern coast of the Sivash and on the Kerch Peninsula, but immediately liberated Crimea failed - there was not enough strength. A large grouping of German troops continued to remain on the peninsula, relying on defensive positions in depth. On the Perekop Isthmus and against the bridgehead on the Sivash, the defense consisted of three, and on the Kerch Peninsula - of four lanes.
The Headquarters of the Supreme High Command (VGK) considered the Crimea as a strategically important area, and its liberation as the most important opportunity for the return of the main base of the Black Sea Fleet - Sevastopol, which would significantly improve the conditions for basing ships and conducting military operations at sea. In addition, the Crimea covered the Balkan strategic flank of the German troops and their important sea lanes, going through the Black Sea straits to the western coast of the Black Sea. Therefore, the German leadership also attached great military and political importance to keeping the Crimea in their hands, which, in their opinion, was one of the factors for maintaining support for Turkey and the allies in the Balkans. In this regard, the command of the 17th Army was obliged to hold the peninsula to the last. Despite this, the German command developed a detailed plan in case of their retreat, which was called Operation Adler. 
At the beginning of 1944, the German army was reinforced with two divisions: at the end of January 1944, the 73rd Infantry Division was delivered to the peninsula by sea, and at the beginning of March, the 111th Infantry Division. By April, the army had 12 divisions: 5 German and 7 Romanian, 2 assault gun brigades, various reinforcement units and numbered more than 195 thousand people, about 3600 guns and mortars, 215 tanks and assault guns. She was supported by 148 aircraft.
The Soviet leadership entrusted the task of defeating the Crimean enemy grouping and liberating Crimea to the troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front (commander General of the Army), which included the 2nd Guards and 51st Armies, the 19th Tank Corps, the 16th and 78th th fortified areas, aviation support was provided by the aviation of the 8th Air Army and the Air Force of the Black Sea Fleet; A separate Primorsky Army (commander General of the Army), whose operations were provided by the aviation of the 4th Air Army; the Black Sea Fleet (commander admiral), whose forces supported the offensive on the coastal flanks and disrupted the enemy's sea communications; Azov military flotilla (commander Rear Admiral), which supported the offensive of the troops of the Separate Primorsky Army.
The ratio of forces and means of the parties to the beginning
Crimean strategic offensive operation
In total, the Soviet strike force consisted of about 470 thousand people, 5982 guns and mortars, 559 tanks and self-propelled guns (ACS), 1250 aircraft, including the aviation of the Black Sea Fleet. By April 1944, the Black Sea Fleet and the Azov Flotilla included a battleship, four cruisers, six destroyers, two patrol ships, eight base minesweepers, 47 torpedo and 80 patrol boats, 34 armored boats, 29 submarines, three gunboats and other auxiliary vessels. In addition, the troops were supported by the Crimean partisan detachments. Created in January 1944, the partisan forces of the Crimea, numbering almost 4 thousand people, were combined into three formations: Southern, Northern and Eastern. Thus, the forces of the USSR significantly exceeded the forces of the enemy.
| The ratio of forces and means of the troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front and the Separate Primorsky Army to the troops of the 17th German Army opposing them | |
| Divisions (estimated) | 2,6: 1 |
| Total People | 2,4: 1 |
| Guns and mortars | 1,7: 1 |
| Tanks and self-propelled guns | 2,6: 1 |
| combat aircraft | 4,2: 1 |
The actions of the troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front and the Separate Primorsky Army were coordinated by representatives of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command Marshal and Chief of the General Staff of the Red Army Marshal.
Preparations for the Crimean offensive began in February 1944. On February 6, Chief of the General Staff A.M. Vasilevsky and the Military Council of the 4th Ukrainian Front submitted to the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command their views on the conduct of the Crimean operation, which was supposed to begin on February 18-19.
However, in the future, the start date of the operation was repeatedly postponed. So, on February 18, Marshal A.M. Vasilevsky, in accordance with the instructions of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command, ordered Army General F.I. Tolbukhin to begin the Crimean operation after the entire coast of the Dnieper up to Kherson, inclusive, is liberated from the enemy. Despite this, the Headquarters, in its further instructions, demanded that the operation begin no later than March 1, regardless of the course of the operation to liberate the Right-Bank Dnieper from the enemy. A.M. Vasilevsky reported to Headquarters that, given the weather conditions, the Crimean operation could only begin between March 15 and 20. The Headquarters agreed with the scheduled date, but on March 16 the front received new instructions that the Crimean operation "begin after the troops of the left wing of the 3rd Ukrainian Front have captured the area of the city of Nikolaev and advance them to Odessa." However, due to bad meteorological conditions, the front was able to start the operation only on April 8, 1944.
The entire operation of the 4th Ukrainian Front was planned to a depth of up to 170 km for a duration of 10-12 days with an average daily advance rate of 12-15 km. The rate of advance of the 19th Panzer Corps was determined at 30-35 km per day.
The idea of the Crimean operation was to use the troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front from the north - from Perekop and Sivash, and the Separate Primorskaya Army from the east - from the Kerch Peninsula, to deliver a simultaneous blow in the general direction to Simferopol and Sevastopol, to dismember and destroy the enemy grouping , preventing her evacuation from the Crimea. It was planned to strike the main blow from the bridgehead on the southern bank of the Sivash. If successful, the main grouping of the front went to the rear of the enemy's Perekop positions, and the capture of Dzhankoy opened up freedom of action towards Simferopol and the Kerch Peninsula to the rear of the enemy grouping located there. An auxiliary blow was delivered on the Perekop Isthmus. A separate Primorsky army was supposed to break through the enemy defenses north of Kerch, deliver the main blow to Simferopol, Sevastopol, and part of the forces along the southern coast of the Crimean peninsula.
On April 8, 1944, the troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front went on the offensive. Five days before, heavy artillery destroyed a significant part of the enemy's long-term structures. On the evening of April 7, reconnaissance in force was carried out, which confirmed the previous information about the grouping of Wehrmacht troops in the area of Perekop and Sivash. On the day the operation began at 8:00 in the zone of the 4th Ukrainian Front, artillery and aviation preparation began with a total duration of 2.5 hours. Immediately after its completion, the troops of the front went on the offensive, striking with the forces of the 51st army of the lieutenant general from the bridgehead on the southern bank of the Sivash. After two days of fierce fighting, thanks to the courage of the Soviet soldiers, the enemy's defenses were broken through. The 51st Army reached the flank of the German Perekop group, and the 2nd Guards Army of Lieutenant General liberated Armyansk. On the morning of April 11, Lieutenant General's 19th Tank Corps captured Dzhankoy on the move and successfully advanced on Simferopol. Fearing the threat of encirclement, the enemy left the fortifications on the Perekop Isthmus and began to withdraw from the Kerch Peninsula.
The troops of the Separate Primorsky Army, having launched an offensive on the night of April 11, in the morning captured the fortress city of Kerch, a fortified enemy resistance center on east coast Crimea. In all directions, the pursuit of enemy troops retreating to Sevastopol began. The 2nd Guards Army developed an offensive along the western coast towards Evpatoria. The 51st Army, using the success of the 19th Panzer Corps, rushed across the steppes to Simferopol. A separate Primorsky army advanced through Karasubazar (Belogorsk) and Feodosia to Sevastopol. As a result, Evpatoria, Simferopol and Feodosia were liberated on April 13, Bakhchisaray, Alushta, Yalta on April 14-15.
The German troops continued their retreat. Aviation of the 8th and 4th air armies delivered massive strikes against the retreating enemy troops and communication centers. The forces of the Black Sea Fleet sank its ships and transports with evacuated troops. From attacks on sea convoys and single ships, the enemy lost 8,100 soldiers and officers.
Crimean strategic offensive operation April 8 - May 12, 1944The Crimean partisans and underground fighters fought courageously. Crimean partisan formations received the task of destroying the rear, nodes and lines of communication of the enemy, destroying railways, arrange blockages and ambushes on mountain roads, disrupt the work of the Yalta port and thereby prevent the withdrawal of German-Romanian troops to it and other places of loading for evacuation to Romania. The partisans were also entrusted with the task of preventing the enemy from destroying cities, industrial and transport enterprises.
Women partisans who participated in the liberation of the Crimea,
Simeiz, 1944,
On April 15-16, Soviet troops reached Sevastopol and began preparations for the assault on the city. In accordance with the decision of the commander of the troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front, approved by the representative of the Supreme Command Headquarters, Marshal A.M. Vasilevsky, it was planned to deliver the main blow from the Balaklava region with formations and units of the left flank of the 51st and the center of the Primorskaya Army, which became part of the 4th Ukrainian Front on April 18. They had to break through the enemy defenses in the area of Sapun Mountain and the heights northeast locality Karan with the task of cutting it off from the bays located west of Sevastopol. In the opinion of the front command, the defeat of the enemy on Sapun Gora, with all the difficulty of its assault, should have made it possible to quickly violate the stability of the German defense. The auxiliary strike was planned in the zone of the 2nd Guards Army and, in order to divert the attention of the enemy, was planned two days earlier than the main strike. The army was to break through the enemy defenses in the area southeast of Belbek with the forces of the 13th Guards and 55th Rifle Corps and develop an offensive on the Mekenzievy mountains and the eastern shore of the North Bay in order to press the German group to the sea and destroy it.
On April 19 and 23, the front troops made two attempts to break through the main defensive line of the Sevastopol fortified region, but they ended in failure. A new regrouping and training of troops was required, as well as the supply of ammunition and fuel to them. On May 5, the assault on the fortifications of the city began - the 2nd Guards Army went on the offensive, which forced the enemy to transfer troops to Sevastopol from other directions.
On May 7 at 10:30, with the massive support of the entire aviation of the front, Soviet troops began a general assault on the Sevastopol fortified area. The troops of the main shock group of the front broke through the enemy defenses on a 9-kilometer sector and captured Sapun Mountain in the course of fierce battles. On May 9, front troops from the north, east and southeast broke into Sevastopol and liberated the city. The remnants of the German 17th Army, pursued by the 19th Panzer Corps, retreated to Cape Khersones, where they were finally defeated. On the cape, 21 thousand enemy soldiers and officers were taken prisoner, a large amount of equipment and weapons were captured.
Combat report of the headquarters of the 4th Ukrainian Front on the capture of the city and the sea fortress of Sevastopol
Soviet tanks on Frunze Street (now - Nakhimov Avenue)
in the days of the liberation of the city from the German invaders. May 1944
The Crimean offensive operation ended. If in 1941-1942. It took the German troops 250 days to capture the heroically defended Sevastopol, but in 1944 it took only 35 days for the Soviet troops to crack the powerful fortifications in the Crimea and clear almost the entire peninsula of the enemy.
Already by May 15, 1944, reports began to arrive at the headquarters of the 4th Ukrainian Front about military parades held in military units and formations dedicated to the final defeat of the group of German troops in the Crimea.
Combat reports from the headquarters of the Primorsky Army to the headquarters of the 4th Ukrainian Front on holding military parades in military units and formations.
Fireworks in the liberated Sevastopol. May 1944. Photo by E. Khaldei
The goals of the operation were achieved. Soviet troops broke through the defense in depth on the Isthmus of Perekop, the Kerch Peninsula, in the region of Sevastopol and defeated the 17th field army of the Wehrmacht. Its losses on land alone amounted to 100 thousand people, including over 61,580 prisoners. Soviet troops and fleet forces during the Crimean operation lost 17,754 people killed and 67,065 people wounded.
|
Combat composition, the number of Soviet troops and casualties * |
||||||
| Name of associations and terms of their participation in operation |
Combat squad and |
Loss of life in operation |
||||
| amount connections |
number | irrevocable | sanitary | Total | average daily | |
| 4th Ukrainian Front (all period) |
sd - 18, tk - 1, otbr - 2, UR - 2 |
278 400 | 13 332 | 50 498 | 63 830 | 1 824 |
| Separate seaside and 4th Air Army (all period) |
sd - 12, sbr - 2, selection - 1 |
143 500 | 4 196 | 16 305 | 20 501 | 586 |
| Black Sea Fleet and Azov military flotilla (all period) |
- | 40 500 | 226 | 262 | 488 | 14 |
| Total: | Divisions - 30, buildings - 1, brigades - 5, UR - 2 |
462 400 | 17 754 3,8% |
67 065 | 84 819 | 2 423 |
|
List of abbreviations: otbr - a separate tank brigade, sbr - rifle brigade, sd - rifle division, tk - tank corps, UR - fortified area. |
||||||
The victory in the Crimea returned an important economic region to the country. In general, the territory was liberated, occupying an area of about 26 thousand square meters. km. During the years of occupation, the Nazi invaders inflicted enormous damage on Crimea: more than 300 industrial enterprises were put out of action, the livestock was almost completely exterminated, cities and resorts were badly destroyed - Sevastopol, Kerch, Feodosia and Evpatoria were especially affected. So, in Sevastopol, by the time of liberation, there were 3 thousand inhabitants out of the 109 thousand people available in the city on the eve of the war. Only 6% of the housing stock survived in the city.
Considering the course and evaluating the results of the Crimean operation, it is clear that its successful completion was predetermined by the skillful choice by the Soviet command of the directions of the main attacks, good organization interaction of strike groupings of troops, aviation and navy forces, decisive dismemberment and defeat of the main enemy forces (Sivash direction), capture of key defensive positions in a short time (storming of Sevastopol). The mobile groups (vanguard detachments) of the armies were skillfully used to develop the offensive. They quickly penetrated into the operational depth of the enemy's defense, preventing the withdrawing troops from gaining a foothold on intermediate lines and in defense areas, which ensured a high rate of advance.
For heroism and skillful actions, 160 formations and units were awarded the honorary names of Evpatoria, Kerch, Perekop, Sevastopol, Sivash, Simferopol, Feodosia and Yalta. 56 formations, units and ships were awarded orders. 238 soldiers were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, thousands of participants in the battles for the Crimea were awarded orders and medals.
As a result of the Crimean operation, the last major enemy foothold that threatened the rear of the fronts operating in the Right-Bank Ukraine was eliminated. Within five days, the main base of the Black Sea Fleet, Sevastopol, was liberated and favorable conditions for a further offensive in the Balkans.
________________________________________________________________
*
Great Patriotic War without the stamp of secrecy. The book of losses. The latest reference edition / G.F. Krivosheev, V.M. Andronikov, P.D. Burikov, V.V. Gurkin. - M.: Veche, 2010. S. 143.
Anna Tsepkalova,
employee of the Research Institute
military history of the Military Academy of the General Staff
Armed Forces Russian Federation,
Candidate of Historical Sciences
P.P. Sokolov-Skalya. The liberation of Sevastopol by the Soviet army. May 1944
On April 8, 70 years ago, the Crimean strategic offensive operation began. It went down in history as one of the most important offensive operations of the Great Patriotic War. Its goal was the liberation of the Crimean peninsula, an important strategic foothold in the Black Sea theater of operations, by defeating the 17th German Army, Colonel General E. Eneke, who held the Crimea.
As a result of the Melitopol (September 26 - November 5, 1943) and (October 31 - November 11, 1943) Soviet troops broke through the fortifications of the Turkish Wall on the Perekop Isthmus, captured bridgeheads on the southern coast of the Sivash and on the Kerch Peninsula, but immediately liberated Crimea failed - there was not enough strength. A large grouping of German troops continued to remain on the peninsula, relying on defensive positions in depth. On the Perekop Isthmus and against the bridgehead on the Sivash, the defense consisted of three, and on the Kerch Peninsula - of four lanes.
The Headquarters of the Supreme High Command (VGK) considered the Crimea as a strategically important area, and its liberation as the most important opportunity for the return of the main base of the Black Sea Fleet - Sevastopol, which would significantly improve the conditions for basing ships and conducting military operations at sea. In addition, the Crimea covered the Balkan strategic flank of the German troops and their important sea lanes, going through the Black Sea straits to the western coast of the Black Sea. Therefore, the German leadership also attached great military and political importance to keeping the Crimea in their hands, which, in their opinion, was one of the factors for maintaining support for Turkey and the allies in the Balkans. In this regard, the command of the 17th Army was obliged to hold the peninsula to the last.
At the beginning of 1944, the German army was reinforced with two divisions: at the end of January 1944, the 73rd Infantry Division was delivered to the peninsula by sea, and at the beginning of March, the 111th Infantry Division. By April, the army had 12 divisions: 5 German and 7 Romanian, 2 assault gun brigades, various reinforcement units and numbered more than 195 thousand people, about 3600 guns and mortars, 215 tanks and assault guns. She was supported by 148 aircraft.
The Soviet leadership entrusted the task of defeating the Crimean enemy grouping and liberating Crimea to the troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front (commander General of the Army), which included the 2nd Guards and 51st Armies, the 19th Tank Corps, the 16th and 78th th fortified areas, aviation support was provided by the aviation of the 8th Air Army and the Air Force of the Black Sea Fleet; A separate Primorsky Army (commander General of the Army), whose operations were provided by the aviation of the 4th Air Army; the Black Sea Fleet (commander admiral), whose forces supported the offensive on the coastal flanks and disrupted the enemy's sea communications; Azov military flotilla (commander Rear Admiral), which supported the offensive of the troops of the Separate Primorsky Army.
In total, the Soviet strike force consisted of about 470 thousand people, 5982 guns and mortars, 559 tanks and self-propelled guns (ACS), 1250 aircraft, including the aviation of the Black Sea Fleet. By April 1944, the Black Sea Fleet and the Azov Flotilla included a battleship, four cruisers, six destroyers, two patrol ships, eight base minesweepers, 47 torpedo and 80 patrol boats, 34 armored boats, 29 submarines, three gunboats and other auxiliary vessels. In addition, the troops were supported by the Crimean partisan detachments. Created in January 1944, the partisan forces of the Crimea, numbering almost 4 thousand people, were combined into three formations: Southern, Northern and Eastern. Thus, the forces of the USSR significantly exceeded the forces of the enemy.
The ratio of forces and means of the parties to the beginning of the Crimean strategic offensive operation
| Forces and means |
Troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front and the Separate Primorsky Army |
Troops of the 17th German Army |
| Divisions (estimated) | 2,6 | 1 |
| Total People | 2,4 | 1 |
| Guns and mortars | 1,7 | 1 |
| Tanks and self-propelled guns | 2,6 | 1 |
| combat aircraft | 4,2 | 1 |
The actions of the troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front and the Separate Primorsky Army were coordinated by representatives of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command Marshal and Chief of the General Staff of the Red Army Marshal.
Preparations for the Crimean offensive began in February 1944. On February 6, Chief of the General Staff A.M. Vasilevsky and the Military Council of the 4th Ukrainian Front submitted to the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command their views on the conduct of the Crimean operation, which was supposed to begin on February 18-19.
However, in the future, the start date of the operation was repeatedly postponed. So, on February 18, Marshal A.M. Vasilevsky, in accordance with the instructions of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command, ordered Army General F.I. Tolbukhin to begin the Crimean operation after the entire coast of the Dnieper up to Kherson, inclusive, is liberated from the enemy. Despite this, the Headquarters, in its further instructions, demanded that the operation begin no later than March 1, regardless of the course of the operation to liberate the Right-Bank Dnieper from the enemy. A.M. Vasilevsky reported to Headquarters that, given the weather conditions, the Crimean operation could only begin between March 15 and 20. The Headquarters agreed with the scheduled date, but on March 16 the front received new instructions that the Crimean operation "begin after the troops of the left wing of the 3rd Ukrainian Front have captured the area of the city of Nikolaev and advance them to Odessa." However, due to bad meteorological conditions, the front was able to start the operation only on April 8, 1944.
The entire operation of the 4th Ukrainian Front was planned to a depth of up to 170 km for a duration of 10-12 days with an average daily advance rate of 12-15 km. The rate of advance of the 19th Panzer Corps was determined at 30-35 km per day.
The idea of the Crimean operation was to use the troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front from the north - from Perekop and Sivash, and the Separate Primorskaya Army from the east - from the Kerch Peninsula, to deliver a simultaneous blow in the general direction to Simferopol and Sevastopol, to dismember and destroy the enemy grouping , preventing her evacuation from the Crimea. It was planned to strike the main blow from the bridgehead on the southern bank of the Sivash. If successful, the main grouping of the front went to the rear of the enemy's Perekop positions, and the capture of Dzhankoy opened up freedom of action towards Simferopol and the Kerch Peninsula to the rear of the enemy grouping located there. An auxiliary blow was delivered on the Perekop Isthmus. A separate Primorsky army was supposed to break through the enemy defenses north of Kerch, deliver the main blow to Simferopol, Sevastopol, and part of the forces along the southern coast of the Crimean peninsula.
On April 8, 1944, the troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front went on the offensive. Five days before, heavy artillery destroyed a significant part of the enemy's long-term structures. On the evening of April 7, reconnaissance in force was carried out, which confirmed the previous information about the grouping of Wehrmacht troops in the area of Perekop and Sivash. On the day the operation began at 8:00 in the zone of the 4th Ukrainian Front, artillery and aviation preparation began with a total duration of 2.5 hours. Immediately after its completion, the troops of the front went on the offensive, striking with the forces of the 51st army of the lieutenant general from the bridgehead on the southern bank of the Sivash. After two days of fierce fighting, thanks to the courage of the Soviet soldiers, the enemy's defenses were broken through. The 51st Army reached the flank of the German Perekop group, and the 2nd Guards Army of Lieutenant General liberated Armyansk. On the morning of April 11, Lieutenant General's 19th Tank Corps captured Dzhankoy on the move and successfully advanced on Simferopol. Fearing the threat of encirclement, the enemy left the fortifications on the Perekop Isthmus and began to withdraw from the Kerch Peninsula.
The troops of the Separate Primorsky Army, having launched an offensive on the night of April 11, in the morning captured the fortress city of Kerch, a fortified enemy resistance center on the eastern coast of Crimea. In all directions, the pursuit of enemy troops retreating to Sevastopol began. The 2nd Guards Army developed an offensive along the western coast towards Evpatoria. The 51st Army, using the success of the 19th Panzer Corps, rushed across the steppes to Simferopol. A separate Primorsky army advanced through Karasubazar (Belogorsk) and Feodosia to Sevastopol. As a result, Evpatoria, Simferopol and Feodosia were liberated on April 13, Bakhchisaray, Alushta, Yalta on April 14-15.
The German troops continued their retreat. Aviation of the 8th and 4th air armies delivered massive strikes against the retreating enemy troops and communication centers. The forces of the Black Sea Fleet sank its ships and transports with evacuated troops. From attacks on sea convoys and single ships, the enemy lost 8,100 soldiers and officers.
Crimean strategic offensive operation April 8 - May 12, 1944
The Crimean partisans and underground fighters fought courageously. Crimean partisan formations were given the task of destroying the rear, nodes and communication lines of the enemy, destroying railways, setting up blockages and ambushes on mountain roads, disrupting the work of the Yalta port and thereby preventing the withdrawal of German-Romanian troops to it and other places of loading for evacuation to Romania . The partisans were also entrusted with the task of preventing the enemy from destroying cities, industrial and transport enterprises.
On April 15-16, Soviet troops reached Sevastopol and began preparations for the assault on the city. In accordance with the decision of the commander of the troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front, approved by the representative of the Supreme Command Headquarters, Marshal A.M. Vasilevsky, it was planned to deliver the main blow from the Balaklava region with formations and units of the left flank of the 51st and the center of the Primorskaya Army, which became part of the 4th Ukrainian Front on April 18. They were to break through the enemy defenses in the Sapun Mountain area and the heights northeast of the Karan settlement with the task of cutting it off from the bays located west of Sevastopol. In the opinion of the front command, the defeat of the enemy on Sapun Gora, with all the difficulty of its assault, should have made it possible to quickly violate the stability of the German defense. The auxiliary strike was planned in the zone of the 2nd Guards Army and, in order to divert the attention of the enemy, was planned two days earlier than the main strike. The army was to break through the enemy defenses in the area southeast of Belbek with the forces of the 13th Guards and 55th Rifle Corps and develop an offensive on the Mekenzievy mountains and the eastern shore of the North Bay in order to press the German group to the sea and destroy it.
On April 19 and 23, the front troops made two attempts to break through the main defensive line of the Sevastopol fortified region, but they ended in failure. A new regrouping and training of troops was required, as well as the supply of ammunition and fuel to them. On May 5, the assault on the fortifications of the city began - the 2nd Guards Army went on the offensive, which forced the enemy to transfer troops to Sevastopol from other directions.
On May 7 at 10:30, with the massive support of the entire aviation of the front, Soviet troops began a general assault on the Sevastopol fortified area. The troops of the main shock group of the front broke through the enemy defenses on a 9-kilometer sector and captured Sapun Mountain in the course of fierce battles. On May 9, front troops from the north, east and southeast broke into Sevastopol and liberated the city. The remnants of the German 17th Army, pursued by the 19th Panzer Corps, retreated to Cape Khersones, where they were finally defeated. On the cape, 21 thousand enemy soldiers and officers were taken prisoner, a large amount of equipment and weapons were captured.
Soviet tanks on Frunze Street (now Nakhimov Avenue) during the days of the city's liberation from German invaders. May 1944
The Crimean offensive operation ended. If in 1941-1942. It took the German troops 250 days to capture the heroically defended Sevastopol, but in 1944 it took only 35 days for the Soviet troops to crack the powerful fortifications in the Crimea and clear almost the entire peninsula of the enemy.
Fireworks in the liberated Sevastopol. May 1944. Photo by E. Khaldei
The goals of the operation were achieved. Soviet troops broke through the defense in depth on the Isthmus of Perekop, the Kerch Peninsula, in the region of Sevastopol and defeated the 17th field army of the Wehrmacht. Its losses on land alone amounted to 100 thousand people, including over 61,580 prisoners. Soviet troops and fleet forces during the Crimean operation lost 17,754 people killed and 67,065 people wounded.
Combat composition, the number of Soviet troops and casualties *
Name of associations and terms of their participation in operation |
Combat squad and |
Loss of life in operation |
||||
| amount connections |
number | irrevocable | sanitary | Total | average daily | |
| 4th Ukrainian Front (all period) |
sd - 18, tk - 1, otbr - 2, UR - 2 |
278 400 |
13 332 |
50 498 |
63830 |
1 824 |
| Separate seaside and 4th Air Army (all period) |
sd - 12, sbr -2, selection - 1 |
|||||
| Black Sea Fleet and Azov military flotilla (all period) |
||||||
Total |
Divisions-30, buildings-1, brigades-5, UR - 2 |
462 400 |
17 754 3,8% |
67 065 |
84819 |
2 423 |
List of abbreviations: otbr - a separate tank brigade, sbr - rifle brigade, sd - rifle division, tk - tank corps, UR - fortified area.
The victory in the Crimea returned an important economic region to the country. In general, the territory was liberated, occupying an area of about 26 thousand square meters. km. During the years of occupation, the Nazi invaders inflicted enormous damage on Crimea: more than 300 industrial enterprises were put out of action, the livestock was almost completely exterminated, cities and resorts were badly destroyed - Sevastopol, Kerch, Feodosia and Evpatoria were especially affected. So, in Sevastopol, by the time of liberation, there were 3 thousand inhabitants out of the 109 thousand people available in the city on the eve of the war. Only 6% of the housing stock survived in the city.
Considering the course and evaluating the results of the Crimean operation, it is clear that its successful completion was predetermined by the skillful choice by the Soviet command of the directions of the main attacks, the good organization of the interaction of strike groups of troops, aviation and navy forces, the decisive dismemberment and defeat of the main enemy forces (the Sivash direction), mastery of key defensive positions in a short time (storming of Sevastopol). The mobile groups (forward detachments) of the armies were skillfully used to develop the offensive. They quickly penetrated into the operational depth of the enemy's defense, preventing the withdrawing troops from gaining a foothold on intermediate lines and in defense areas, which ensured a high rate of advance.
For heroism and skillful actions, 160 formations and units were awarded the honorary names of Evpatoria, Kerch, Perekop, Sevastopol, Sivash, Simferopol, Feodosia and Yalta. 56 formations, units and ships were awarded orders. 238 soldiers were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, thousands of participants in the battles for the Crimea were awarded orders and medals.
As a result of the Crimean operation, the last major enemy foothold that threatened the rear of the fronts operating in the Right-Bank Ukraine was eliminated. Within five days, the main base of the Black Sea Fleet, Sevastopol, was liberated and favorable conditions were created for a further attack on the Balkans.
________________________________________________________________
*
Great Patriotic War without the stamp of secrecy. The book of losses. The latest reference edition /G.F. Krivosheev, V.M. Andronikov, P.D. Burikov, V.V. Gurkin. - M.: Veche, 2010. S. 143.
Anna Tsepkalova,
employee of the Research Institute
military history of the Military Academy of the General Staff
Armed Forces of the Russian Federation,
Candidate of Historical Sciences
Exactly 70 years ago, on March 16, 1944, the headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief ordered the start of the Crimea liberation operation. 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 - General of the Army F.I. Tolbukhin) stormed the German defensive fortifications in heavy battles; On May 9, they completely liberated Sevastopol, and on May 12, the remnants of the enemy troops on Cape Chersonese laid down their arms.
________________________________________ _____________
I dedicate this photo collection to this significant event, friends.
1. Shelled facade of the Sevastopol Palace of Pioneers 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 aircraft at the Kherson airfield. 1944
4. Meeting of Soviet partisans and boatmen in the liberated Yalta. 1944
5. The commander of the 7th Romanian mountain corps, General Hugo Schwab (second from left) and the commander of the XXXXIX mountain corps of the Wehrmacht, General Rudolf Konrad (first from the left) at the 37-mm cannon RaK 35/36 in the Crimea. 02/27/1944
6. Meeting of Soviet partisans in the liberated Yalta. 1944
7. The Soviet light cruiser "Red Crimea" enters the Sevastopol Bay. 11/05/1944
8. The commander of the 7th Romanian mountain corps, General Hugo Schwab (second from left) and the commander of the XXXXIX mountain corps of the Wehrmacht, General Rudolf Konrad (center right) pass by a mortar crew during a review in the Crimea. 02/27/1944
9. The Black Sea squadron returns to the liberated Sevastopol. In the foreground is the guards light cruiser Krasny Krym, behind it is the silhouette of the battleship Sevastopol. 11/05/1944
10. Soviet soldiers with a flag on the roof of the destroyed building Panorama "Defense of Sevastopol" in the liberated Sevastopol. 1944
11. Tanks Pz.Kpfw. 2nd Romanian tank regiment in the Crimea. 03.11.1943
12. Romanian General Hugo Schwab and German General Rudolf Konrad in the Crimea. 02/27/1944
13. Romanian gunners fire from an anti-tank gun during a battle in the Crimea. 03/27/1944
14. The commander of the XXXXIX mountain corps of the Wehrmacht, General Rudolf Konrad with Romanian officers at an observation post in the Crimea. 02/27/1944
15. Pilots of the 3rd Squadron of the 6th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment of the Black Sea Fleet Air Force are studying a map of the combat area at the airfield near Yak-9D aircraft. In the background - the plane of the 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 of the State Defense Committee 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. Timoshenko, with the command of the North Caucasian Front and the 18th Army, is considering an operation plan to cross the Kerch Strait. From left to right: Marshal of the Soviet Union S.K. Timoshenko, Colonel General K.N. Leselidze, General of the Army I.E. Petrov. 1943
18. The Black Sea squadron returns to the liberated Sevastopol. In the foreground is the guards light cruiser Krasny Krym, behind it is the silhouette of the battleship Sevastopol. 11/05/1944
19. Soviet boat SKA-031 with a destroyed stern, thrown out at low tide in Krotkovo, waiting for repairs. A boat from the 1st Novorossiysk Red Banner division of sea hunters 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 the Sivash. In the foreground is a 45 mm anti-tank gun. December 1943
22. Soviet soldiers ferry on a pontoon a 122-mm howitzer of the 1938 model M-30 across the Sivash Bay (Rotten Sea). November 1943
23. T-34 tanks on the street of the liberated Sevastopol. May 1944
24. Marines at the arch of Primorsky Boulevard in the liberated Sevastopol. May 1944
25. The Black Sea squadron returns to the liberated Sevastopol. In the foreground is the guards light cruiser Krasny Krym, behind it is the silhouette of the battleship Sevastopol. 11/05/1944
26. Partisans who participated in the liberation of the Crimea. The village of Simeiz on the southern coast of the Crimean peninsula. 1944
27. Minesweeper, Lieutenant Ya.S. Shinkarchuk crossed the Sivash thirty-six times and transported 44 guns with shells to the bridgehead. 1943 year.
28. Architectural monument Grafskaya pier in the 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 carry out the landing of Soviet troops on the Crimean coast of the Kerch Strait to 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 - Sergey (nickname Button).
32. Self-propelled guns SU-152 of the 1824th heavy self-propelled artillery regiment in Simferopol. 04/13/1944
33. Soviet soldiers cross the Sivash in December 1943.
34. Marine sets the Soviet naval flag in the liberated Sevastopol. May 1944
35. Tank T-34 in the street of the liberated Sevastopol. May 1944
36. Transportation of Soviet equipment during the Kerch-Eltigen landing operation. November 1943
37. Destroyed German equipment on the shores of the Cossack Bay in Sevastopol. May 1944
38. German soldiers killed during the liberation of the Crimea. 1944
39. Transport with German soldiers evacuated from the Crimea, moored in the port of Constanta, Romania. 1944
40. Partisans in Yalta. 1944
41. Armored boats. 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 fighter Messerschmitt Bf.109 abandoned in the Crimea. 1944
48. A Soviet soldier tears off the Nazi swastika from the gates of the metallurgical plant. Voikov in the liberated Kerch. April 1944
49. In the location of the Soviet troops - a unit on the march, washing, dugouts. Crimea. 1944
50. Calculation of the Soviet regimental gun at the firing position in the Crimea.
51. Soviet marines install a ship's guis on the very high point Kerch - Mount Mithridates. Crimea. April 1944
57. Liberated Sevastopol from a bird's eye view. 1944
58. In the liberated Sevastopol: an announcement at the entrance to Primorsky Boulevard, left over from the German administration. 1944
59. Sevastopol after the liberation from the Nazis. 1944
60. In the liberated Sevastopol. May 1944
61. Fighters of the 2nd Guards Taman Division in the 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. Fighters of the 2nd Guards Taman Division in the battles for the expansion of the bridgehead on the Kerch Peninsula, November 1943. With the defeat of the German troops on the Taman Peninsula, the path to the Kerch Strait opened up, which was used by the guardsmen during the landing to capture the bridgehead in the Crimea still occupied by the Germans . November 1943
63. Landing of the marines in the area of Kerch. 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 fighting 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