Liberation of Crimea (1944). Crimean strategic offensive operation. Crimean operation (1944): forces and composition of the parties

16.10.2019

Commanders

Side forces

Crimean offensive - release Crimean peninsula from the Nazi troops in 1944. As a result of the success in the battle for the Dnieper, important bridgeheads were captured on the shores of the Sivash Bay and in the area of the Kerch Strait, and a land blockade began. The highest German military command ordered to defend the Crimea to the last, but despite the desperate enemy resistance, the Soviet troops managed to capture the peninsula. Restoration of Sevastopol as the main naval base of Cherno navy dramatically changed the balance of power in the region.

general information

In early November 1943, the troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front cut off the 17th German Army in the Crimea, depriving land communications with the rest of the forces of Army Group A. The Soviet fleet was faced with the task of intensifying actions to disrupt the enemy's sea lanes. At the time of the start of the operation, the main base of the Black Sea Fleet was the ports of the Caucasus.

Combat map

Plans and forces of the parties

The protection of maritime traffic between the ports of Romania and Sevastopol was a task of paramount importance for the German and Romanian fleets. By the end of 1943, the German group included:

auxiliary cruiser
4 destroyers
3 destroyers
4 minelayers
3 gunboats
28 torpedo boats
14 submarines

more than 100 artillery and landing barges and other small ships. For the transportation of troops and cargo, there were (by March 1944) 18 large transport ships, several tankers, 100 self-propelled landing barges and many small ships with a displacement of over 74 thousand gross tons.

In the conditions of the general superiority of the Soviet fleet, the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief counted on the speedy evacuation of enemy troops. On November 4, 1943, the Black Sea Fleet, commanded by Vice Admiral L. A. Vladimirsky (since March 28, 1944 - Vice Admiral F. S. Oktyabrsky), was instructed to detect evacuation in a timely manner and use all bomber equipment against transports and floating craft. and torpedo aircraft.

By mid-December, it became clear to the Soviet command that the enemy did not intend to evacuate troops from the Crimean Peninsula. With this in mind, the tasks of the Black Sea Fleet have been clarified: to systematically disrupt enemy communications, to strengthen the supply of the Separate Primorsky Army.
By this time, the combat structure of the Black Sea Fleet included:

1 battleship
4 cruisers
6 destroyers
29 submarines
22 patrol ship and minesweeper
3 gunboats
2 minelayers
60 torpedo boats
98 patrol boats and small hunters
97 boats - minesweepers
642 aircraft (including 109 torpedo bombers, bombers and 110 attack aircraft)

fighting

From January to the end of April 1944, the fleet aviation carried out about 70 successful attacks on ships. Several attacks on convoys were carried out by submarines and torpedo boats. The actions of the fleet seriously disrupted enemy transportation to the Crimea. The Soviet fleet attacked the ports of Constanta and Sulina, laid mines in the raids.

While the front line in Ukraine was moving west, the position of the Nazi troops in the Crimea was getting worse and worse. Liberation of the Nikolaev, Odessa area, in which Black Sea Fleet took an active part, made it possible to relocate part of the forces there. On March 31, the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command approved the procedure for subordinating the fleets and setting tasks for them by a special directive. The Black Sea Fleet was withdrawn from the operational subordination of the fronts and was now directly subordinate to the People's Commissariat of the Navy. Developing a plan for the liberation of the Crimea, the Headquarters refused to use amphibious assault. The enemy organized a powerful defense on the peninsula: installed 21 batteries of coastal artillery, 50 new minefields, artillery - anti-aircraft systems and other means.

From April 8 to May 12, the Black Sea Fleet carried out an operation to violate maritime communications enemy between the Crimean peninsula and the ports of Romania. It was necessary for: first of all, preventing the strengthening of the grouping of enemy troops in the Crimea, and secondly, disrupting the evacuation of the defeated 17th German Army. The goals of the operation were achieved by close cooperation between submarines, torpedo boats and aviation. To destroy ships leaving the ports of Crimea, torpedo boats were used in the coastal zone. Away from the bases off the coast of Romania, submarines fought the convoys. In late April - early May, the use of torpedo boats and aviation was hampered by difficult weather conditions, as a result of which the enemy continued to evacuate until recently. During this period, 102 different ships were sunk and more than 60 were damaged.

Aviation and torpedo boats successfully operated in the days before the storming of Sevastopol, and during the battles for the city. former boss of the headquarters of the commander of the German naval forces on the Black Sea, G. Konradi: "On the night of May 11, panic began on the berths. Places on the ships were taken with a fight. The ships fell off without completing loading, otherwise they could sink." The last enemy convoy approached Cape Khersones, consisting of large transports Totila, Teja and several landing barges. Having received up to 9 thousand people, the ships headed for Constanta at dawn. But aircraft soon sank Totila, while Teja, with strong guards, was heading southwest at full speed. Around noon, a torpedo hit the ship and it sank. From both transports, Konradi claims, about 400 people survived (about 8,000 died).

Simultaneously with active operations on enemy communications, the Black Sea Fleet was solving the problem of its own defense. Soviet ships were still threatened by submarines, to combat which a plan was developed and successfully implemented:

Aircraft attacked the submarine base in Konstanz
In the middle part of the sea, aircraft searched for boats on their way to Black Sea coast Caucasus
Separate sections of coastal communications covered minefields
Ships and planes guarded transports at the sea crossing

As a result, communications between Soviet ports were not interrupted for a single day.

After the liberation of the Crimea and the northern coast of the Black Sea from Perekop to Odessa, the fleet faced new tasks:

disruption of communications and destruction Vehicle adversary,
creating a threat to the enemy's coast
prevention of the use of the Danube as a defensive means

Results

The swift advance of the Soviet ground forces and the active actions of the Black Sea Fleet frustrated the intentions of the Nazi command to systematically carry out the evacuation of troops in the Crimea. A surprise for the enemy was the rapid introduction of rocket launchers into the Navy. Their development, as well as the well-established interaction between boats with rocket weapons and conventional torpedo boats, led to an increase in the efficiency of the fleet. Large losses during the evacuation, especially at the last stage, made a heavy impression on the enemy. For the catastrophe that befell them, the army leadership charged the naval command, and the latter referred to the fact that the fleet had been given impossible tasks.

Effects

During the period from January to May, the USSR Navy solved important combat missions at sea theaters to assist the ground forces in the offensive, disrupt supplies and evacuate enemy troops blockaded from land. Of decisive importance for the fulfillment of the tasks assigned was the growth of the Soviet economy, which made it possible to constantly increase the strength of the fleets and improve their weapons. The German command sought to keep the coastal bridgeheads at all costs, allocating a significant amount of naval forces and aviation for this. The active actions of the Soviet fleets played their part in frustrating these attempts by the enemy and, in general, the defensive strategy of the enemy military command.

After the liberation of the Crimea and such large bases as Nikolaev and Odessa, the situation on the Black Sea changed radically. Now fighting forces fleets were able to support military operations Soviet troops for the liberation of Romania.

Gallery

Literature

Grechko, A.A.; Arbatov, G.A.; Ustinov, D.F. and etc. History of the Second World War. 1939-1945 in 12 volumes. - M.: Military Publishing, 1973 - 1982. - 6100 p.

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 blow" - the Crimean offensive operation, led to the complete liberation of the 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 had a huge military-strategic and political significance. 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 ground forces allowing to stabilize the position of the southern flank of the entire front), but from 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 Kerch Strait.

Position German troops on the southern wing of the Soviet-German front continued to deteriorate further. September 26 - November 5, 1943 southern front(from October 20, 1943 - 4th Ukrainian) conducted 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. Nov. 1 soviet soldiers fought in the area of Armyansk. 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 Tank Corps Ivan Vasiliev (By Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of November 3, 1943, Lieutenant General tank troops Vasiliev was awarded the title of Hero 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 critical situation fleet evacuates 200,000 17th Army in 40 days (with bad weather- for 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 Soviet offensive on the southern wing of the 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, to fight the partisans attracted Crimean Tatars 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 bunkers, 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, artillery regiment, three artillery regiments of coastal defense, mountain rifle regiment "Crimea", separate regiment"Bergman" 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 was important in determining the future of the Balkan Peninsula and influenced Turkish policy.

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 of the coast of the Dnieper from the Nazis 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. Bad weather interfered.

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. Maritime forces consisted of 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.

Chief of Staff of the 4th Ukrainian Front, Lieutenant General Sergei Semenovich Biryuzov, member State Committee Defense Marshal of the Soviet Union Kliment Efremovich Voroshilov, Chief 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: the 51st Army, the 2nd Guards Army and the 19th Tank 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.

Crimean partisans were given the task of disrupting German traffic on the roads, interrupting wire communications, organizing attacks on headquarters and command posts the enemy, to prevent the Nazis from destroying cities and towns during the retreat, to prevent the destruction and theft of the population. They also had to destroy the Yalta port.

To be continued…

The Crimean operation is an offensive operation of the troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front (commander General of the Army F. I. Tolbukhin) and the Separate Primorsky Army (General of the Army A. I. Eremenko) in cooperation with the Black Sea Fleet (Admiral F. S. Oktyabrsky) and the Azov Military flotilla (Rear Admiral S. G. Gorshkov) April 8 - May 12 in order to liberate the Crimea from Nazi troops during the Great Patriotic War 1941/45. As a result of the Melitopol operation September 26 - November 5, 1943 and the Kerch-Eltigen landing operation On October 31 - November 11, 1943, Soviet troops broke through the fortifications of the Turkish Wall on the Perekop Isthmus and captured bridgeheads on the southern coast of the Sivash and on the Kerch Peninsula, but they failed to liberate Crimea at that time due to lack of forces. The 17th German Army was blockaded and, relying on defensive positions in depth, continued to hold the Crimea. In April 1944, it included 5 German and 7 Romanian divisions (about 200 thousand people, about 3600 guns and mortars, over 200 tanks and assault guns, 150 aircraft).

Soviet troops consisted of 30 rifle divisions, 2 brigades marines, 2 fortified areas (a total of about 400 thousand people, about 6000 guns and mortars, 559 tanks and self-propelled guns, 1250 aircraft).

On April 8, the troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front, supported by the aviation of the 8th Air Army and the aviation of the Black Sea Fleet, went on the offensive, the 2nd Guards Army captured Armyansk, and the 51st Army went to the flank of the enemy's Perekop grouping, which began to retreat. On the night of April 11, the Separate Primorsky Army went on the offensive with the support of the aviation of the 4th Air Army and the aviation of the Black Sea Fleet and captured the city of Kerch in the morning. The 19th Tank Corps, introduced in the zone of the 51st Army, captured Dzhankoy, which forced the Kerch enemy grouping to begin a hasty retreat to the west. Developing the offensive, the Soviet troops reached Sevastopol on April 15-16 ...

Great Soviet Encyclopedia

THIS WAS OUR TASK FOR MAY 9

I would like to dwell on the Crimean operation, because, in my opinion, it is not covered enough ...

If you look at the maps of the hostilities of 1855, 1920, 1942 and 1944, it is easy to see that in all four cases the defense of Sevastopol was built in approximately the same way. This is explained by the most important role played here by the natural factor: the location of the mountains, the presence of the sea, the nature of the terrain. And now the enemy clung to points that were advantageous in terms of protecting the city. The new commander, Almendinger, burst out with a special appeal to the search: “The Führer entrusted me with the command of the 17th Army ... I received an order to protect every inch of the Sevastopol bridgehead. I demand that everyone be on the defensive in the full sense of the word; so that no one retreats and holds every trench, every funnel and every trench. In the event of a breakthrough of enemy tanks, the infantry must remain in their positions and destroy the tanks as if cutting edge, and in the depth of defense powerful anti-tank weapons... The honor of the army depends on the protection of every meter of the territory entrusted to us. Germany expects us to do our duty. Long live the Fuhrer!

But already on the first day of the assault on the Sevastopol fortified region, the enemy suffered a major defeat, was forced to leave the main defensive line and withdraw troops to the inner bypass. To liquidate the defense on it and finally liberate Sevastopol - that was our task for May 9th. The fighting did not stop at night. Our bomber aviation was especially active. We decided to resume the general attack at 8 am on May 9th. From the commander of the 2nd Guards Zakharov, we demanded to eliminate the enemy on the northern side of the city in a day and go to the coast of the Northern Bay along its entire length; with the left-flank corps, strike at the Ship Side and take it. The commander of the Primorsky Army, Melnik, was ordered to take control of the night infantry operations Nameless height southwest of state farm No. 10 and ensure the entry into battle of the 19th tank corps.

Exactly at 8 o'clock the 4th Ukrainian resumed the general assault on Sevastopol. The battles for the city continued all day, and by the end of it, our troops reached the defensive line prepared in advance by the enemy from Streletskaya Bay to the sea. Ahead lay the last strip of Crimea, which still belonged to the Nazis, from Omega to Cape Khersones.

On the morning of May 10, the order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief followed: “To Marshal of the Soviet Union Vasilevsky. Army General Tolbukhin. The troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front, with the support of massive air and artillery strikes, as a result of three days of offensive battles, broke through the heavily fortified long-term defense of the Germans, consisting of three strips of reinforced concrete defensive structures, and a few hours ago they stormed the fortress and the most important naval base on the Black Sea - the city of Sevastopol. Thus, the last center of German resistance in the Crimea was liquidated and the Crimea was completely cleared of the Nazi invaders. Further, all the troops that distinguished themselves in the battles for Sevastopol were listed, which were presented for the assignment of the name of Sevastopol and for awarding orders.

On May 10, the capital of the Motherland saluted the valiant troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front, who liberated Sevastopol.

35 DAYS

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, captured a large number of technology and weapons.

On May 12, 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.

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.

As a result of the Crimean operation, the last major enemy bridgehead 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.

The complete defeat of the German troops in the Crimea and the liberation of the peninsula.

In the autumn of 1943, Soviet troops, having broken through the fortifications on the Perekop Isthmus, captured a bridgehead on the southern coast of the Sivash Bay, and also expanded the bridgehead in the Kerch region. In the Crimea, it was blocked, but the 17th German army (commander - Colonel General Erwin Yeneke, from May 1 - General Karl Almendinger) was preparing to defend itself, consisting of five German and seven Romanian divisions, a total of about 200 thousand people, more than three and a half thousand guns and mortars, 215 tanks and assault guns, about 150 aircraft. By holding the Crimea, the enemy created a threat to the rear of the Soviet troops on the right-bank Ukraine, while covering their own Balkan strategic flank and sea communications from the straits to the ports west coast Black Sea and up the Danube.

The Crimean operation was entrusted to the troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front (General of the Army Fedor Tolbukhin) and the Separate Primorsky Army (General of the Army Andrey Eremenko) in cooperation with the Black Sea Fleet (Admiral Philip Oktyabrsky) and the Azov Flotilla (Rear Admiral Sergey Gorshkov). The ground operational group included 30 rifle divisions and two brigades of marines (470 thousand people, about six thousand guns and mortars, 559 tanks and self-propelled guns, 1250 aircraft).

The Black Sea Fleet and the Azov Flotilla included a battleship, four cruisers, six destroyers, 47 torpedo and 80 patrol boats, and 29 submarines. Organized partisan forces in the Crimea united 4 thousand people.

The operation was coordinated by the Chief of the General Staff of the Red Army, Marshal of the Soviet Union Alexander Vasilevsky.
Initially, the operation was planned to begin on February 18-19, but in the future, the deadline was repeatedly postponed - both in order to link the offensive in the Crimea with active operations in the direction of Kherson-Nikolaev-Odessa, and because of the weather.

The idea was to use the forces of the 4th Ukrainian Front from the north (from Perekop and Sivash) and the Separate Primorsky Army from the east (from Kerch) to deliver a simultaneous blow in a general direction to Simferopol and Sevastopol, dismember and destroy the enemy grouping, preventing its evacuation .

On the morning of April 8 (after five days of artillery preparation), units of the 51st Army of the 4th Ukrainian Front struck from a bridgehead on the southern bank of the Sivash and two days later broke through the enemy’s defenses, reaching the flank of the German group on Perekop. At the same time, the 2nd Guards Army liberated Armyansk, and on the morning of April 11, the 19th Tank Corps, introduced into the breach, captured Dzhankoy on the move and moved to Simferopol. Fearing encirclement, the enemy left the fortifications on Perekop, and also began to withdraw from the Kerch Peninsula. The troops of the Separate Primorsky Army, having launched an offensive on the night of April 11, captured Kerch in the morning.

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, moved across the steppe to Simferopol. A separate Primorsky army advanced through Feodosia to Sevastopol. On April 13, Evpatoria, Simferopol and Feodosia were liberated, on April 14-15 - Bakhchisarai, Alushta and Yalta, and on April 15-16 troops from three sides entered the Sevastopol region.

According to the plan for the assault on the Sevastopol fortified area, units of the 51st Army and the Primorsky Army, which became part of the 4th Ukrainian Front, struck from the southeast, from Balaklava to the Sapun Mountain area with the task of cutting off the enemy from the bays west of Sevastopol. An auxiliary strike from the north in the zone of the 2nd Guards Army in the direction of the Northern Bay was aimed at pressing the German grouping to the sea.

On May 5, after two unsuccessful attempts to break through and regroup, the 2nd Guards Army went on the offensive. On May 7, with the support of the entire aviation of the front, a decisive assault began. The strike forces broke through the enemy defenses in a nine-kilometer section and captured Sapun Mountain. On May 9, troops from the north, east and southeast broke into Sevastopol.

The remnants of the German 17th Army, pursued by the 19th Panzer Corps, withdrew to Cape Khersones, where they were finally defeated. More than 20,000 enemy soldiers and officers were taken prisoner on the cape alone, and in general, during the 35 days of the operation, the losses of the 17th Army exceeded 140,000 people. Soviet troops and fleet forces lost almost 18 thousand killed and 67 thousand wounded.

In honor of the liberation of Sevastopol in Moscow on May 10, a salute was fired with 24 artillery salvoes from 324 guns.

As a result of the Crimean operation, 160 formations and units received the honorary names of Evpatoria, Kerch, Perekop, Sevastopol, Sivash, Simferopol, Feodosia and Yalta.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources

Liberation of Crimea and Sevastopol in 1944

The period from June 1941 to November 1942 was a period of heavy defensive battles, the heroic defense of hero cities, one of which was the Sevastopol ball. Commander of the 11th by the German army General Manstein, having correctly chosen the moment, having brought into action numerous aircraft, broke through the defenses of the Soviet troops. I had to leave Kerch, and this seriously complicated the situation in Sevastopol, whose defenders waged a tense struggle. After 250 days of legendary defense, the city was abandoned. During the evacuation, many defenders of Sevastopol died or were captured, small groups managed to break out of the city and join the partisans. The enemy captured Sevastopol, but not for a moment was the master of the Crimean land. November 1942-1943 was a turning point in the course of the war. On the morning of November 19, 1942, the troops of the southwestern, and on November 20, the troops of the Stalingrad Front, launched a decisive offensive. After the victory at Stalingrad, a broad offensive was launched along the entire front from Leningrad to the foothills of the Caucasus. The radical turning point in the war, which took place near Stalingrad, was completed by the battle on Kursk Bulge. The victory near Kursk in July 1943 marked the beginning of the summer - autumn offensive of the Soviet troops in 1943 and further military operations to liberate the Crimea and Sevastopol in 1944.

In 1943, the Red Army won a number of major victories. By the end of the year, favorable conditions had developed for the liberation of Crimea.

In April 1944, our troops reached the enemy's barriers in the Sevastopol area.

On May 3, 1944, the commander of the 17th Wehrmacht Army, General Almendinger, addressed his soldiers: “I received an order to defend every inch of the Sevastopol bridgehead. You understand its meaning. I demand that everyone defends in the full sense of the word, that no one retreats, that he would hold every trench, every funnel, every trench ... "

Liberation of Crimea

By the end of 1943, favorable conditions had developed for the liberation of the Crimea. In early November, the troops of the North Caucasian Front landed troops on the Kerch Peninsula, and units of the 4th Ukrainian Front broke through the enemy defenses on the Perekop Isthmus and forced the Sivash. Thus, large group Nazi troops in the Crimea was cut off from land and blocked from the sea.

During this period, the North Caucasian Front was transformed into a Separate Primorsky Army. On the bridgeheads captured by our troops, preparations began for the liberation of the Crimea. The liberation of Crimea was entrusted to the 4th Ukrainian Front (commander - Army General F.I. Tolbukhin), the Separate Primorsky Army (commander - Army General A.I. Eremenko), the Black Sea Fleet (commander - Admiral F.S. Oktyabrsky), Azov military flotilla (commander Rear Admiral S.G. Gorshkov) and long-range aviation (commander - Air Marshal A.E. Golovanov). Their actions were coordinated by representatives of the headquarters of the Supreme High Command, Marshals of the Soviet Union A.M. Vasilevsky and K.E. Voroshilov.

The idea of the operation was to simultaneously strike in the northern part of the Crimea and on the Kerch Peninsula, break through the enemy defenses and, advancing in the general direction to Sevastopol, in cooperation with the Black Sea Fleet and partisans, cut the enemy grouping, prevent its evacuation by sea.

On April 8, 1944, the troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front went on the offensive. They delivered the main blow south of Sivash and, breaking through the enemy’s defenses, began his pursuit. The 19th Panzer Corps was introduced into the gap, which played a significant role in the liberation of the Crimea. (commander - colonel I.A. Potseluev, chief of staff - colonel I.E. Shavrov)

On April 11, the Separate Primorsky Army went on the offensive, liberating Kerch on the same day.

On April 15, the advanced units of the 4th Ukrainian Front, and the next day, units of the Separate Primorsky Army, reached the enemy's obstacle zone in the Sevastopol region.

On April 18, Balaklava was liberated. On April 18, 1944, the Separate Primorskaya Army was renamed Primorskaya and became part of the 4th Ukrainian Front. Lieutenant General K.S. was appointed commander of the army. Miller.

Preparations for the liberation of Sevastopol

The Soviet troops failed to break through the enemy defenses near Sevastopol on the move. The Sevastopol bridgehead was defended by the troops of the 17th Nazi Army, numbering more than 72,000 people. They had 1500 guns and mortars, 330 anti-tank guns, 2355 machine guns, 50 tanks and 100 aircraft. The Nazi command demanded to keep Sevastopol at any cost. Soviet troops, reaching the approaches of Sevastopol, began to prepare for the assault on the heavily fortified positions of the enemy. In the zone of the main strike - in the Sapun Mountain section - the seashore was concentrated on 1 km of the front up to 250 guns and mortars.

Powerful bombing attacks on the enemy were delivered by the 8th Air Army under the command of the Hero of the Soviet Union, Lieutenant General of Aviation T.T. Khryukin. During the period of preparation for decisive battles, from April 17 to May 4, the pilots of the 8th Air Army made 10318 sorties and destroyed 392 objects, conducted 141 air battles and shot down 84 enemy aircraft. And from May 5 to May 12, during the liberation of Sevastopol, they made 10,768 sorties and shot down 66 enemy aircraft in 218 air battles.

Lieutenant P.F. Nadezhdin fought heroically in the sky of Sevastopol. In battle, his plane was shot down. P.F. Nadezhdin sent a burning car to the accumulation of manpower and equipment of the Nazis. He was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Courage and courage was shown by the crew of the PE-2 aircraft, the commander of the 134th Guards Bomber Aviation Regiment of the 6th Guards Bomber Aviation Division, Major V.M. Katkova. When approaching the enemy airfield, one aircraft engine caught fire from a shell hit, but the commander continued to lead a group of bombers to the target. After completing the mission on a burning plane, he landed on rough terrain without extending the landing gear. The cockpit canopy of the pilot and navigator jammed from hitting the ground. At the cost of huge efforts of the shooter - the radio operator of the guard, Sergeant D.I. Lone saved the commander and navigator of the regiment; as soon as the crew managed to take cover in the folds of the terrain, the gas tank of the aircraft exploded. All three were awarded the Orders of the Red Banner for this feat.

Ships and aircraft of the Black Sea Fleet actively operated on sea lanes. On April 27, a detachment of torpedo boats captain lieutenant A.I. Kudersky sank 2 transports with a total displacement of 8000 tons. In this battle, the link of senior lieutenant A.G. Kananadze. No less success in the fight against the enemy was achieved by the crews of the S-33, Shch-201, Shch-215 submarines from the brigade of Rear Admiral P.I. Boltunov. Enormous work in preparation for the upcoming liberation battles was done by engineering units, communications units and the rear of the front.

Liberation of Sevastopol

According to the plan, it was decided to deliver the main blow to the liberation of Sevastopol in the Sapun-gora-seashore sector by the forces of the Primorsky Army, the 19th Tank Corps and the left flank of the 51st Army, cut off the retreat of the enemy grouping, and prevent its evacuation by sea. The troops of the 2nd Guards Army (commander - Guard Lieutenant General G.F. Zakharov) were tasked with liberating the North Side.

On May 5, at 12 o'clock, the 2nd Guards Army went on the offensive and by the end of the day advanced 500-700 meters forward.

Then the fascist command immediately began the transfer of part of its forces from the Sapun Mountain region to the northern side of Sevastopol.

On May 7, at 10:30, after an hour and a half of artillery and aviation preparation, the troops of the Primorsky and 51st armies went on the offensive in the main direction. Bloody battles began along the entire front. They were especially heavy in the Sapun Mountain area, in the offensive zone of the 77th rifle division Colonel A.P. Radionov and the 32nd Guards Rifle Division, Colonel N.K. Zakurinkov. The warriors of these divisions were the first to reach the crest of the Sapun Mountain.

There were many brave girls in the ranks of the liberators: Evgenia Deryugina, Lidia Polonskaya, commander of night bombers E.D. Bershanskaya and others.

Thousands of fighters and commanders showed unprecedented heroism. The enemy fiercely resisted, repeatedly launched counterattacks, but nothing could stop the power of the offensive of the Soviet troops.

On May 10, Moscow saluted the liberators of the city. On that day, the Pravda newspaper wrote: “Hello, dear Sevastopol, beloved city of the Soviet people, hero city, hero city! The whole country greets you joyfully."

On May 12, in the area of Cape Chersonese, the remnants of the Nazi group were defeated. In honor of the complete liberation of the Crimea at the Chersonesos Lighthouse, the tankers of the Guard Major N.D. Moiseev from the 6th separate guards tank brigade The 19th Panzer Corps raised the red flag.

The Crimean operation ended with a glorious victory for the Soviet troops. The enemy lost 111587 soldiers and officers killed and captured, all military equipment and weapons. The loss of the enemy at sea from air strikes and ships of the Black Sea Fleet amounted to about 42,000 soldiers and officers. In recognition of the merits of the city of Sevastopol to the country during the Great Patriotic War, it was awarded in 1965 with the Order of Lenin and a medal Golden Star. Then the Black Sea Fleet was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.

Photos of the nature of Crimea