Battle of the Kerch Peninsula
Encyclopedia
Battle of the Kerch Peninsula was a World War II
offensive by German and Romanian armies against the Soviet Crimean Front
forces defending the Kerch Peninsula
, in the eastern part of the Crimea
. It was launched on 8 May 1942 and concluded around 18 May 1942 with the near complete destruction of the Soviet defending forces. The Red Army lost over 170,000 men killed or taken prisoner, and three armies (44th, 47th, and 51st) with twenty-one divisions. The operation was one of the battles immediately preceding the German summer offensive (Operation Blau), and its successful conclusion made it possible for the Axis to launch a successful assault on Sevastopol in the following months.
Some groups of Soviet survivors refused to surrender and fought on
for many months, hiding in the catacombs of the quarries. Many of these soldiers were occupying the caves along with many civilians, who had fled the city of Kerch.
, and on 30 December executed another landing near Feodosiya with the 44th and 51st
Armies. The operation was to drive to Sevastopol and relieve the Garrison, now encircled by the German 11th Army. The 46th Infantry Division
under General Hans Graf von Sponeck
was the only division in a position to be able to block the advance. Von Manstein believed it could contain the landing, but the Soviets captured the bridgeheads and defeated the Romanian brigades, Hansen chose to withdraw the XLII Corps from Kerch through the Parpach narrows to avoid being caught and encircled by Soviet forces advancing from the landing zones located at the extreme east (Kerch) and west (Feodosiya) of the peninsula. Manstein diverted XXX Corps to support XLII Corps, forming a new front at Feodosiya. They suceeded in sealing off the Soviet armies in the Kerch peninsula. The Soviet landings had saved Sevastopol and seized the initiative. Casualties were high. The Germans lost 8,595 between 17 and 31 December. The Soviets lost 7,000 killed and another 20,000 as prisoners of war.
To slow the Soviet build-up, Alexander Löhr
's Luftflotte 4
was sent to the region to interdict shipping. The 7500 LT (7,620.4 t) transport Emba was severely damaged on 29 January. Still, the Luftwaffe failed to prevent the transport of 100,000 men and hundreds of artillery pieces to Kerch between 20 January and 11 February. At Sevastopol, 764 ST (693.1 t) of fuel, 1700 ST (1,542.2 t) of supplies to the port. On 13 February, the cruiser Komintern and destroyer Shaumyan brought in 1,034 soldiers and 200 supplies. The cruiser Krasny Krym and destroyer Dzerzhinskiy brought a further 1,075 men in on 14 February. The next day, the minesweeper T410 brought in 650 and evacuated 152. On 17 February, the transport Belostok brought yet more in, some 871 men. The Black Seas Fleet regularly shelled German positions on the coast. The Luftwaffe increased its pressure, dispatching KG 27, KG 55 and KG 100 to bomb ports at Anapa
, Tuapse
and Novorossiksk on the Caucasian Black Sea coast. On 20 February, the 1900 LT (1,930.5 t) transport Kommunist was sunk by KG 100.
Manstein was unwilling to surrender the initiative, and ordered counter-attacks in January 1942 which recaptured Feodosiya. The German 11th Army lacked the strength to destroy the 44th and 51st Army in the Kerch Peninsual and the Stavka reinforced the front with nine rifle divisions. The Stavka created the Crimean Front
under General-Lieutenant Dimitri Kozlov on 28 January to coordinate operations. Kozlov began a series of Soviet offensives in February, March and April were defeated by Hansen's LIV Corps, all with heavy Soviet losses. Petrov's Coastal Army also supported the operations on 26 February, inflicting 1,200 causalties while losing 2,500 in return. A stalemate ensued. The spring thaw arrived in early May, and both sides prepared for the battle that would decide the campaign.
unit KG 26. On 1/2 March 1942, it damaged the 2434 LT (2,473.1 t) steamer Fabritsius which was damaged but written off. The 4629 LT (4,703.3 t) oil tanker Kuybyshev was damaged on 3 March south of Kerch, which deprived the defenders of much fuel. It was withdrawn the port of Novorossiysk where it was crippled by Ju 88
s of KG 51 on 13 March. On 18 March, KG 51 Ju 88s sank the 3689 LT (3,748.2 t) transport Georgiy Dimitrov. Further damage was done on 23 March when nine Ju 88s of KG 51 sank the minelayers Ostrovskiy and GS-13 and a motor torpedo boat in Tuapse harbour. They also damaged two submarines (S-33 and D-5). That evening, He 111s of KG 27 claimed one 5000 LT (5,080.3 t) and two 2000 LT (2,032.1 t) ships sunk. Soviet records recorded the loss of the 2960 LT (3,007.5 t) steamer V.Chapayev, with the loss of 16 crew and 86 soldiers. KG 51 returned to Tuapse on 24 March and sank the transports Yalta and Neva. On 2 April, the Kuybyshev was intercepted and sunk. So great was the loss of the ship that Soviet land forces were ordered to cease all offensive operations and conserve its supplies. In the eight-week air offensive, from early February to the end of March, the Black Sea Transport Fleet had been reduced from 43200 LT (43,893.4 t) of shipping to just 27400 LT (27,839.8 t). Six transports had been lost and six were under repair. On 17 April, the 4125 LT (4,191.2 t) steamer Svanetiya was sunk by KG 26 while trying to bring in supplies to Sevastopol. Some 535 men were lost. Worse was to follow. On 19 April, the tanker I. Stalin was damaged along with three other transports. On 21 April, KG 55 damaged the minesweeper Komintern and sank a transport ship. By this time the Black Sea Fleets ability to supply the Soviet forces in Sevastopol was severely curtailed.
For the defence of the peninsula, the Soviets had three armies. The 51st protecting the north (three rifle and two tank brigades and eight rifle divisions) and the 44th Army in the south (five rifle divisions and two tank brigades). The 47th Army was kept in reserve (four rifle and one cavalry division). Kozlov did not expect a major attack as he outnumbered the Germans two to one, Moreover, on the southern front, he had swampy terrain which made it an unfavourable place for offensive operations.
The German offensive had no option but to break through the Soviet lines head-on. To do this, it needed exceptionally strong air support. Fliegerkorps VIII
under the command of Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen was sent to support the assault. The unit was the best equipped close air support
corps in the Luftwaffe. To bolster its strength, it was given the experienced KG 55 medium bomber wing.
Trappenjagd began at 04:15 on 8 May. Fliegerkorps VIII operating under Luftflotte 4, began operations against lines of communication and against Soviet airfields. Within hours, Ju 87s of StG 77 had knocked out most of the Soviet 44th Army's communications. The airfields were also virtually destroyed and 57 of the 401 Soviet aircraft in the area were shot down in just 2,100 sorties. Having knocked out the army's Headquarters, the Soviets could not organise a counter offensive and the 44th Army collapsed into a retreat when von Manstein launched the ground attack.
Von Manstein had five infantry divisions, one Panzer Division
(22nd Panzer Division), and two and a half Romanian Divisions against 19 Soviet divisions and four armoured brigades at Kerch. He committed his units in the south against the 44th Army. The 902nd Assault Boat Command of the 436th Regiment, 132nd German Infantry Division, landed behind the Soviet lines and helped unbuckle the Soviet second lines. The artillery bombardment lasted only 10 minutes, and within three and a half hours of the assault being launched, the 44th Army collapsed. On the first day, XXX Corps, attacking with the 28th, 50th and 132nd Divisions had broken through in the south. At a cost of 104 killed and 284 wounded, they captured 4,514 Soviet soldiers. Kozlov did not appreciate the significance of the German breakthrough and failed to release reserves for a counter attack. On 9 May, von Manstein committed the 22nd Panzer Division, which swung north and trapped the 51st Army against the Sea of Azov
. Soviet morale and organisation collapsed, and a stampede to the rear areas began. Once this happened, the eight divisions of the 51st Army surrendered releasing XXX Corps to pursue the fragments of retreating Soviet forces to Marfovka, barely eight miles from Kerch.
) were devastating to Soviet infantry. German bombers also attacked shipping evacuating personnel from Kerch. The 1048 LT (1,064.8 t) Chernomorets was sunk the same day. By this time, the air battle was won by the Luftwaffe. Despite the withdrawal of some Geschwader to support the German 6th Army at the Second Battle of Kharkov
, the Luftwaffe had destroyed Soviet aerial opposition and enabled the German Army to make deep penetrations, capturing 29,000 Soviet men, 220 guns and around 170 tanks.
In 12 days, the VVS Crimean Front had lost 417 aircraft. The Luftwaffe assisted the final defeat of Soviet ground forces on 20 May, when Kerch finally fell. Some 116,045 Soviet soldiers were evacuated by sea. However, 162,282 were left behind, killed or captured. The Germans claimed to have taken 170,000 prisoners, but this number included a large number of civilians. German casualties amounted to only 3,397 casualties in XXX and XLII Corps, including 600 dead. They expended 6230 ST (5,651.8 t) of ammunition, losing nine artillery pieces, three assault guns and eight tanks. In exchange, von Manstein had destroyed three Soviet armies. Although forced to return some Luftwaffe units and the 22nd Panzer Division for Operation Blue, he could now concentrate his forces for an attack on Sevastopol
.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
offensive by German and Romanian armies against the Soviet Crimean Front
Crimean Front
The Crimean Front was one of the Soviet Army fronts of World War II. It was commanded throughout its existence by Dmitr Timofeyevich Kozlov and was made up of the Soviet 44th, 47th and 51st Armies...
forces defending the Kerch Peninsula
Kerch Peninsula
The Kerch Peninsula is a major and prominent geographic feature located at the eastern portion of Crimea. Stretching towards the Taman peninsula, it is reminiscent of an isthmus between two neighboring seas: Azov Sea and Black Sea...
, in the eastern part of the Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
. It was launched on 8 May 1942 and concluded around 18 May 1942 with the near complete destruction of the Soviet defending forces. The Red Army lost over 170,000 men killed or taken prisoner, and three armies (44th, 47th, and 51st) with twenty-one divisions. The operation was one of the battles immediately preceding the German summer offensive (Operation Blau), and its successful conclusion made it possible for the Axis to launch a successful assault on Sevastopol in the following months.
Some groups of Soviet survivors refused to surrender and fought on
Defense of the Adzhimushkay quarry
The Defense of the Adzhimushkay quarry , was an action on the Eastern Front in World War II that occurred between May and October 1942.- History :...
for many months, hiding in the catacombs of the quarries. Many of these soldiers were occupying the caves along with many civilians, who had fled the city of Kerch.
Soviet landings on Kerch and German counter-attack
On 26 December 1941, the Soviets landed on KerchKerch
Kerch is a city on the Kerch Peninsula of eastern Crimea, an important industrial, transport and tourist centre of Ukraine. Kerch, founded 2600 years ago, is considered as one of the most ancient cities in Ukraine.-Ancient times:...
, and on 30 December executed another landing near Feodosiya with the 44th and 51st
51st Army (Soviet Union)
The 51st Army was a field army of the Red Army that saw action against the Germans in World War II on both the southern and northern sectors of the front. In particular, it was involved in the Crimean debacle of May 1942, and the final cutting-off of German forces in the Courland area next to the...
Armies. The operation was to drive to Sevastopol and relieve the Garrison, now encircled by the German 11th Army. The 46th Infantry Division
German 46th Infantry Division
The 46th Infantry Division was a division of the German army from 1938 until 1945. It was formed in the latter part of 1938, and was constituted of recruits from the Sudetenland.-History:...
under General Hans Graf von Sponeck
Hans Graf von Sponeck
Hans Graf von Sponeck or Hans Emil Otto Graf Sponeck was a German General-Leutnant during World War II who was imprisoned for disobeying orders and later executed. He was the father of Hans von Sponeck....
was the only division in a position to be able to block the advance. Von Manstein believed it could contain the landing, but the Soviets captured the bridgeheads and defeated the Romanian brigades, Hansen chose to withdraw the XLII Corps from Kerch through the Parpach narrows to avoid being caught and encircled by Soviet forces advancing from the landing zones located at the extreme east (Kerch) and west (Feodosiya) of the peninsula. Manstein diverted XXX Corps to support XLII Corps, forming a new front at Feodosiya. They suceeded in sealing off the Soviet armies in the Kerch peninsula. The Soviet landings had saved Sevastopol and seized the initiative. Casualties were high. The Germans lost 8,595 between 17 and 31 December. The Soviets lost 7,000 killed and another 20,000 as prisoners of war.
To slow the Soviet build-up, Alexander Löhr
Alexander Löhr
Alexander Löhr was an Austrian Air Force commander during the 1930s and, after the "Political Union of Germany and Austria" , he was a German Air Force commander...
's Luftflotte 4
Luftflotte 4
Luftflotte 4 was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It was formed on March 18, 1939 from Luftwaffenkommando Österreich in Vienna. The Luftflotte was redesignated on April 21, 1945 to Luftwaffenkommando 4, and became subordinated to Luftflotte 6. It was the...
was sent to the region to interdict shipping. The 7500 LT (7,620.4 t) transport Emba was severely damaged on 29 January. Still, the Luftwaffe failed to prevent the transport of 100,000 men and hundreds of artillery pieces to Kerch between 20 January and 11 February. At Sevastopol, 764 ST (693.1 t) of fuel, 1700 ST (1,542.2 t) of supplies to the port. On 13 February, the cruiser Komintern and destroyer Shaumyan brought in 1,034 soldiers and 200 supplies. The cruiser Krasny Krym and destroyer Dzerzhinskiy brought a further 1,075 men in on 14 February. The next day, the minesweeper T410 brought in 650 and evacuated 152. On 17 February, the transport Belostok brought yet more in, some 871 men. The Black Seas Fleet regularly shelled German positions on the coast. The Luftwaffe increased its pressure, dispatching KG 27, KG 55 and KG 100 to bomb ports at Anapa
Anapa
Anapa is a town in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, located on the northern coast of the Black Sea near the Sea of Azov. It was originally a seaport for the Natkhuay tribe of the Adyghe people. Population: The town boasts a number of sanatoria and hotels...
, Tuapse
Tuapse
Tuapse is a town in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, situated on the northeast shore of the Black Sea, south of Gelendzhik and north of Sochi. It serves as the administrative center of Tuapsinsky District, although administratively it is separate from it...
and Novorossiksk on the Caucasian Black Sea coast. On 20 February, the 1900 LT (1,930.5 t) transport Kommunist was sunk by KG 100.
Manstein was unwilling to surrender the initiative, and ordered counter-attacks in January 1942 which recaptured Feodosiya. The German 11th Army lacked the strength to destroy the 44th and 51st Army in the Kerch Peninsual and the Stavka reinforced the front with nine rifle divisions. The Stavka created the Crimean Front
Crimean Front
The Crimean Front was one of the Soviet Army fronts of World War II. It was commanded throughout its existence by Dmitr Timofeyevich Kozlov and was made up of the Soviet 44th, 47th and 51st Armies...
under General-Lieutenant Dimitri Kozlov on 28 January to coordinate operations. Kozlov began a series of Soviet offensives in February, March and April were defeated by Hansen's LIV Corps, all with heavy Soviet losses. Petrov's Coastal Army also supported the operations on 26 February, inflicting 1,200 causalties while losing 2,500 in return. A stalemate ensued. The spring thaw arrived in early May, and both sides prepared for the battle that would decide the campaign.
Luftwaffe operations
Meanwhile, the Luftwaffe had flown in the specialist torpedo bomberTorpedo bomber
A torpedo bomber is a bomber aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes which could also carry out conventional bombings. Torpedo bombers existed almost exclusively prior to and during World War II when they were an important element in many famous battles, notably the...
unit KG 26. On 1/2 March 1942, it damaged the 2434 LT (2,473.1 t) steamer Fabritsius which was damaged but written off. The 4629 LT (4,703.3 t) oil tanker Kuybyshev was damaged on 3 March south of Kerch, which deprived the defenders of much fuel. It was withdrawn the port of Novorossiysk where it was crippled by Ju 88
Junkers Ju 88
The Junkers Ju 88 was a World War II German Luftwaffe twin-engine, multi-role aircraft. Designed by Hugo Junkers' company through the services of two American aviation engineers in the mid-1930s, it suffered from a number of technical problems during the later stages of its development and early...
s of KG 51 on 13 March. On 18 March, KG 51 Ju 88s sank the 3689 LT (3,748.2 t) transport Georgiy Dimitrov. Further damage was done on 23 March when nine Ju 88s of KG 51 sank the minelayers Ostrovskiy and GS-13 and a motor torpedo boat in Tuapse harbour. They also damaged two submarines (S-33 and D-5). That evening, He 111s of KG 27 claimed one 5000 LT (5,080.3 t) and two 2000 LT (2,032.1 t) ships sunk. Soviet records recorded the loss of the 2960 LT (3,007.5 t) steamer V.Chapayev, with the loss of 16 crew and 86 soldiers. KG 51 returned to Tuapse on 24 March and sank the transports Yalta and Neva. On 2 April, the Kuybyshev was intercepted and sunk. So great was the loss of the ship that Soviet land forces were ordered to cease all offensive operations and conserve its supplies. In the eight-week air offensive, from early February to the end of March, the Black Sea Transport Fleet had been reduced from 43200 LT (43,893.4 t) of shipping to just 27400 LT (27,839.8 t). Six transports had been lost and six were under repair. On 17 April, the 4125 LT (4,191.2 t) steamer Svanetiya was sunk by KG 26 while trying to bring in supplies to Sevastopol. Some 535 men were lost. Worse was to follow. On 19 April, the tanker I. Stalin was damaged along with three other transports. On 21 April, KG 55 damaged the minesweeper Komintern and sank a transport ship. By this time the Black Sea Fleets ability to supply the Soviet forces in Sevastopol was severely curtailed.
Unternehmen Trappenjagd
On 8 May, the Germans intended to launch operation Trappenjagd (Bustard Hunt). Prior to the offensive, the Luftwaffe had succeeded in applying severe pressure to the Soviet supply lines. By late April food and other resources were virtually exhausted. Everything, including firewood had to be brought in by sea. Luftflotte 4 had strangled these supply lines and the Soviet armies near Kerch were compromised. The Stavka asked Stalin to consider the evacuation of the Kerch region. Stalin refused, and on 21 April ordered preparations for an offensive to liberate the Crimea. On 6 May, he changed his mind and issued Order No. 170357, which ordered all forces to assume a defensive posture. He also refused to send more reinforcements. Mixed in with this order, was a limited offensive operation against German lines to improve the defenders' tactical positions. Instead of preparing for a defence against the impending German offensive, the Soviets were preparing for an attack.For the defence of the peninsula, the Soviets had three armies. The 51st protecting the north (three rifle and two tank brigades and eight rifle divisions) and the 44th Army in the south (five rifle divisions and two tank brigades). The 47th Army was kept in reserve (four rifle and one cavalry division). Kozlov did not expect a major attack as he outnumbered the Germans two to one, Moreover, on the southern front, he had swampy terrain which made it an unfavourable place for offensive operations.
The German offensive had no option but to break through the Soviet lines head-on. To do this, it needed exceptionally strong air support. Fliegerkorps VIII
8th Air Corps (Germany)
VIII. FliegerkorpsFor more details see Luftwaffe Organization was formed 19 July 1939 in Oppeln as Fliegerführer z.b.V. The abbreviation z.b.V. is German and stands for zur besonderen Verwendung . Fliegerführer z.b.V was renamed to VIII. Fliegerkorps on 10 November 1939...
under the command of Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen was sent to support the assault. The unit was the best equipped close air support
Close air support
In military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces.The determining factor for CAS is...
corps in the Luftwaffe. To bolster its strength, it was given the experienced KG 55 medium bomber wing.
Trappenjagd began at 04:15 on 8 May. Fliegerkorps VIII operating under Luftflotte 4, began operations against lines of communication and against Soviet airfields. Within hours, Ju 87s of StG 77 had knocked out most of the Soviet 44th Army's communications. The airfields were also virtually destroyed and 57 of the 401 Soviet aircraft in the area were shot down in just 2,100 sorties. Having knocked out the army's Headquarters, the Soviets could not organise a counter offensive and the 44th Army collapsed into a retreat when von Manstein launched the ground attack.
Von Manstein had five infantry divisions, one Panzer Division
Panzer Division
A panzer division was an armored division in the army and air force branches of the Wehrmacht as well as the Waffen-SS of Nazi Germany during World War II....
(22nd Panzer Division), and two and a half Romanian Divisions against 19 Soviet divisions and four armoured brigades at Kerch. He committed his units in the south against the 44th Army. The 902nd Assault Boat Command of the 436th Regiment, 132nd German Infantry Division, landed behind the Soviet lines and helped unbuckle the Soviet second lines. The artillery bombardment lasted only 10 minutes, and within three and a half hours of the assault being launched, the 44th Army collapsed. On the first day, XXX Corps, attacking with the 28th, 50th and 132nd Divisions had broken through in the south. At a cost of 104 killed and 284 wounded, they captured 4,514 Soviet soldiers. Kozlov did not appreciate the significance of the German breakthrough and failed to release reserves for a counter attack. On 9 May, von Manstein committed the 22nd Panzer Division, which swung north and trapped the 51st Army against the Sea of Azov
Sea of Azov
The Sea of Azov , known in Classical Antiquity as Lake Maeotis, is a sea on the south of Eastern Europe. It is linked by the narrow Strait of Kerch to the Black Sea to the south and is bounded on the north by Ukraine mainland, on the east by Russia, and on the west by the Ukraine's Crimean...
. Soviet morale and organisation collapsed, and a stampede to the rear areas began. Once this happened, the eight divisions of the 51st Army surrendered releasing XXX Corps to pursue the fragments of retreating Soviet forces to Marfovka, barely eight miles from Kerch.
Aftermath
The speed of the advance was rapid. The 132nd Infantry Division overran several airfields, capturing 30 Soviet aircraft on the ground. On 10 May, Fliegerkorps VIII launched KG 55's He 111s against the Soviet forces. The large and slow He 111s made easy targets for ground fire, and eight were lost. However, the anti-personnel bombs (SD-2Butterfly Bomb
A Butterfly Bomb, or was a German 2 kilogram anti-personnel submunition used by the Luftwaffe during the Second World War. It was so named because the thin cylindrical metal outer shell which hinged open when the bomblet deployed gave it the superficial appearance of a large butterfly...
) were devastating to Soviet infantry. German bombers also attacked shipping evacuating personnel from Kerch. The 1048 LT (1,064.8 t) Chernomorets was sunk the same day. By this time, the air battle was won by the Luftwaffe. Despite the withdrawal of some Geschwader to support the German 6th Army at the Second Battle of Kharkov
Second Battle of Kharkov
The Second Battle of Kharkov, so named by Wilhelm Keitel, was an Axis counter-offensive against the Red Army Izium bridgehead offensive conducted from 12 May to 28 May 1942, on the Eastern Front during World War II. Its objective was to eliminate the Izium bridgehead over Seversky Donets, or the...
, the Luftwaffe had destroyed Soviet aerial opposition and enabled the German Army to make deep penetrations, capturing 29,000 Soviet men, 220 guns and around 170 tanks.
In 12 days, the VVS Crimean Front had lost 417 aircraft. The Luftwaffe assisted the final defeat of Soviet ground forces on 20 May, when Kerch finally fell. Some 116,045 Soviet soldiers were evacuated by sea. However, 162,282 were left behind, killed or captured. The Germans claimed to have taken 170,000 prisoners, but this number included a large number of civilians. German casualties amounted to only 3,397 casualties in XXX and XLII Corps, including 600 dead. They expended 6230 ST (5,651.8 t) of ammunition, losing nine artillery pieces, three assault guns and eight tanks. In exchange, von Manstein had destroyed three Soviet armies. Although forced to return some Luftwaffe units and the 22nd Panzer Division for Operation Blue, he could now concentrate his forces for an attack on Sevastopol
Sevastopol
Sevastopol is a city on rights of administrative division of Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451 . Sevastopol is the second largest port in Ukraine, after the Port of Odessa....
.