On April 8, 70 years ago, the Crimean strategic war began offensive. 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 bridgehead in the Black Sea theater of military operations, by defeating the 17th German Army of Colonel General E. Eneke, who was holding Crimea.

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 bridgehead in the Black Sea theater of military operations, by defeating the 17th German Army of Colonel General E. Eneke, who was holding 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 bank of the Sivash and on the Kerch Peninsula, but liberated Crimea immediately It didn’t work - there wasn’t enough strength. A large group of German troops continued to remain on the peninsula, relying on deeply echeloned defensive positions. On the Perekop Isthmus and against the bridgehead on Sivash, the defense consisted of three, and on the Kerch Peninsula - of four lines.

The Headquarters of the Supreme High Command (SHC) considered Crimea as a strategically important area, and its liberation as the most important opportunity to return the main base Black Sea Fleet- Sevastopol, which would significantly improve the conditions for basing ships and conducting combat operations at sea. In addition, Crimea covered the Balkan strategic flank of German troops and their important sea communications running along 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 Crimea in their hands, which, in their opinion, was one of the factors in maintaining the support of Turkey and its 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 the event of its retreat, called Operation Adler.

At the beginning of 1944, the German army was reinforced by 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 brigades of assault guns, various reinforcement units and numbered more than 195 thousand people, about 3,600 guns and mortars, 215 tanks and assault guns. It was supported by 148 aircraft.

The Soviet leadership entrusted the task of defeating the enemy's Crimean group and liberating Crimea to the troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front(Commanding General of the Army), which included the 2nd Guards and 51st Armies, the 19th Tank Corps, the 16th and 78th fortified areas, air support was provided by the 8th Air Army and the Black Sea Fleet Air Force; Separate Primorsky Army (commanded by Army General), whose operations were supported by aviation of the 4th Air Army; Black Sea Fleet (commander admiral), whose forces supported the offensive on the coastal flanks and disrupted the enemy's sea communications; Azov military flotilla (commanded by rear admiral), which supported the offensive of the troops of the Separate Primorsky Army.

The balance of forces and means of the parties at 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 (SPG), 1250 aircraft, including the Black Sea Fleet aviation. By April 1944, the Black Sea Fleet and the Azov military flotilla included a battleship, four cruisers, six destroyers, two patrol ships, eight basic 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 Crimean partisan detachments. Created in January 1944, the Crimean partisan forces, numbering almost 4 thousand people, were united into three formations: Southern, Northern and Eastern. Thus, the forces of the USSR significantly exceeded the enemy forces.

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 the Chief of the General Staff of the Red Army, Marshal.

Preparations for the Crimean offensive operation began in February 1944. On February 6, Chief of the General Staff A.M. Vasilevsky and the Military Council of the 4th Ukrainian Front presented their considerations to the Supreme Command Headquarters regarding the conduct of the Crimean operation, which was supposed to begin on February 18-19.

However, the start date of the operation was subsequently postponed several times. So, on February 18, Marshal A.M. Vasilevsky, in accordance with the instructions of the Supreme Command Headquarters, ordered Army General F.I. Tolbukhin, the Crimean operation will begin after the entire coast of the Dnieper up to and including Kherson 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 progress 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 target 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 captured the area of ​​​​the city of Nikolaev and advanced them to Odessa.” However, the front, due to poor meteorological conditions, was able to begin 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, lasting 10-12 days with an average daily rate of advance of 12-15 km. Rate of advance on the 19th tank corps was determined at 30-35 km per day.

The idea of ​​the Crimean operation was to launch a simultaneous strike in the general direction of Simferopol and Sevastopol, with the forces of the troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front from the north - from Perekop and Sivash, and the Separate Primorsky Army from the east - from the Kerch Peninsula, to dismember and destroy the enemy group , preventing her evacuation from Crimea. The main blow was planned to be delivered from a bridgehead on the southern bank of Sivash. If successful, the main group 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 group located there. An auxiliary attack was carried out on the Perekop Isthmus. The separate Primorsky Army was supposed to break through the enemy’s defenses north of Kerch, deliver the main blow to Simferopol, Sevastopol, and with part of its 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 earlier, 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, confirming previous information about the grouping of Wehrmacht troops in the area of ​​Perekop and Sivash. On the day the operation began, at 8:00 am, artillery and aviation preparation began in the zone of the 4th Ukrainian Front for a total duration of 2.5 hours. Immediately after its end, the front troops went on the offensive, striking with the forces of the 51st Army of Lieutenant General from a bridgehead on the southern bank of Sivash. After two days of fierce fighting, thanks to the courage of 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 the Lieutenant General liberated Armyansk. On the morning of April 11, the 19th Tank Corps of the Lieutenant General captured Dzhankoy on the move and successfully advanced to Simferopol. Fearing the threat of encirclement, the enemy abandoned the fortifications on the Perekop Isthmus and began to retreat from the Kerch Peninsula.

The troops of the Separate Primorsky Army, having launched an offensive on the night of April 11, captured the fortified city of Kerch in the morning - a fortified center of enemy resistance on the eastern coast of Crimea. The pursuit of enemy troops retreating to Sevastopol began in all directions. The 2nd Guards Army developed an offensive along the western coast towards Yevpatoria. The 51st Army, using the success of the 19th Tank Corps, rushed across the steppes to Simferopol. A separate Primorsky army advanced through Karasubazar (Belogorsk) and Feodosia to Sevastopol. As a result, Yevpatoria, Simferopol and Feodosia were liberated on April 13, and Bakhchisarai, Alushta, and Yalta on April 14-15.

German troops continued to retreat. Aviation of the 8th and 4th Air Armies carried out massive attacks on retreating enemy troops and communications centers. The forces of the Black Sea Fleet sank its ships and transports with evacuated troops. The enemy lost 8,100 soldiers and officers from attacks on sea convoys and single ships.

Crimean partisans and underground fighters fought courageously. Crimean partisan formations received tasks to destroy enemy rear lines, nodes and communication lines, to destroy 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 loading points 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 4th Ukrainian Front, approved by the representative of the Supreme Command Headquarters, Marshal A.M. Vasilevsky, the main blow was planned to be delivered from the Balaklava area by formations and units of the left flank of the 51st and the center of the Primorsky Army, which on April 18 became part of the 4th Ukrainian Front. They had to break through the enemy’s defenses in the area of ​​Sapun Mountain and the heights northeast of the settlement of Karan with the task of cutting it off from the bays located west of Sevastopol. According to the front command, the defeat of the enemy on Sapun Mountain, despite the difficulty of its assault, should have allowed the stability of the German defense to be quickly disrupted. The auxiliary strike was planned in the zone of the 2nd Guards Army and, in order to divert the enemy’s attention, was planned two days before the main strike. The army had to break through the enemy’s defenses in the area southeast of Belbek with the forces of the 13th Guards and 55th Rifle Corps and develop an offensive on the Mekenzi Mountains and the eastern shore of the Northern Bay in order to press the German group to the sea and destroy it.

On April 19 and 23, 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, supplying them with ammunition and fuel was required. On May 5, the assault on the city’s fortifications 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 massive support from all front aviation, Soviet troops began a general assault on the Sevastopol fortified area. The troops of the front's main strike group broke through the enemy defenses along a 9-kilometer stretch and captured Sapun Mountain during 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 Tank Corps, retreated to Cape Khersones, where they were completely defeated. At the cape, 21 thousand enemy soldiers and officers were captured, and a large amount of equipment and weapons were captured.

Combat report from the headquarters of the 4th Ukrainian Front on the capture of the city and sea fortress of Sevastopol

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 is over. If in 1941-1942. It took German troops 250 days to capture the heroically defended Sevastopol, then in 1944. Soviet troops It turned out that only 35 days were enough to break through the powerful fortifications in Crimea and clear almost the entire peninsula of the enemy.

Already by May 15, 1944, the headquarters of the 4th Ukrainian Front began to receive reports 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 the conduct of military parades in military units and formations.

Fireworks in liberated Sevastopol. May 1944 Photo by E. Khaldei

The objectives of the operation were achieved. Soviet troops broke through the deeply echeloned defenses on the Perekop Isthmus, the Kerch Peninsula, in the Sevastopol region and defeated the 17th Field Army of the Wehrmacht. Its losses on land alone amounted to 100 thousand people, including over 61,580 people captured. During the Crimean operation, Soviet troops and naval forces lost 17,754 people killed and 67,065 people wounded.

The victory in Crimea returned an important economic region to the country. In general, a territory covering an area of ​​about 26 thousand square meters was liberated. km. During the years of occupation, the Nazi invaders caused enormous damage to Crimea: more than 300 industrial enterprises were put out of action, livestock was almost completely exterminated, cities and resorts were severely destroyed - Sevastopol, Kerch, Feodosia and Yevpatoria were especially affected. Thus, at the time of liberation, 3 thousand inhabitants remained in Sevastopol out of 109 thousand people in the city on the eve of the war. Only 6% of the housing stock in the city survived.

Considering the progress and assessing 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 interaction between strike groupings of troops, aviation and naval forces, the decisive dismemberment and defeat of the main enemy forces (Sivash direction), the capture of key defensive positions in a short time (storming of Sevastopol). Mobile groups (advanced detachments) of armies were skillfully used to develop the offensive. They quickly penetrated into the operational depth of the enemy's defense, preventing his retreating troops from gaining a foothold on intermediate lines and in defense areas, which ensured a high rate of attack.

For heroism and skillful actions, 160 formations and units were given the honorary names of Evpatoria, Kerch, Perekop, Sevastopol, Sivash, Simferopol, Feodosia and Yalta. 56 formations, units and ships were awarded orders. 238 soldiers awarded the title of Hero Soviet Union, thousands of participants in the battles for Crimea were awarded orders and medals.

As a result of the Crimean operation, the last large enemy bridgehead that threatened the rear of the fronts operating in 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 offensive in the Balkans.

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* The Great Patriotic War is not classified. Book of losses. Latest reference publication / G.F. Krivosheev, V.M. Andronikov, P.D. Burikov, V.V. Gurkin. - M.: Veche, 2010. P. 143.

Anna Tsepkalova,
Research Institute employee
military history of the Military Academy of the General Staff
Armed Forces of the Russian Federation,
Candidate of Historical Sciences

The Crimean offensive operation of 1944 is considered one of the most important campaigns during the Great Patriotic War. It started on April 8th. Let us consider further how the liberation of Crimea from the fascist invaders took place.

The situation on the peninsula

On September 26 - November 5, 1943, the Melitopol landing operations took place, and on October 31 - November 11 of the same year, the Kerch-Eltegen landing operations took place. Soviet troops managed to break through the fortifications on the Perekop Isthmus. Bridgeheads were captured on and in the southern part of Sivash. However, there were not enough forces to completely liberate Crimea. The peninsula was occupied by a fairly large enemy group, relying on layered defense. On the Perekop Isthmus and opposite the bridgehead on Sivash, the enemy positions consisted of three, and on the Kerch Peninsula - four lines.

Positions of the parties

Having expelled the enemy from the peninsula, the USSR Black Sea Fleet could regain its key strategic base. This would improve the conditions for deploying ships and conducting battles. In addition, the Crimean Peninsula covered the strategic Balkan flank of the Germans, their main communications passing through the straits to the western part of the coast. In this regard, the German leadership, in turn, attached great importance to retaining the territory. They believed that this would preserve the support of Turkey and the Balkan allies. The leadership of the 17th Army, based on the peninsula, was tasked with holding the area to the last. However, the enemy command developed a detailed plan "Adler" in case of retreat.

Balance of power

By the beginning of 1944, the German army was reinforced with two divisions. By the end of January, the 73rd, and by the beginning of March, the 111th infantry units arrived on the peninsula. In April, the enemy troops consisted of 12 divisions. Among them were 7 Romanian and 5 German. In addition, the forces included 2 assault brigades, different reinforcements. In general, the number of troops was more than 195 thousand people. The units had about 3,600 mortars and guns, 215 tanks. The army was supported from the air by 148 aircraft. The 4th Ukrainian Front was to play a key role in the battles on the Soviet side. The command of the troops was carried out by Gen. Tolbukhin. The troops included:

1. 51st and 2nd Guards Armies.
2. 78th and 16th fortified areas.
3. 19th Tank Corps.

Also, the 4th Ukrainian Front was supported by the 8th Air Army. The troops included a separate brigade under the command of Eremenko. Its actions were also supported by air support. Ships were involved in the battles. They were commanded by Oktyabrsky Philipp Sergeevich. His forces were supposed to support the offensive and disrupt enemy communications. In addition, the Azov military flotilla was present as part of the Soviet troops. It was commanded by Rear Admiral Gorshkov. His forces supported the advance of the Separate Maritime Army.

The total number of the Soviet group was about 470 thousand people. The troops had about 6 thousand mortars and guns, 559 self-propelled guns and tanks at their disposal. From the sea, the infantry was supported by 4 cruisers, 1 battleship and 2 patrol ships, 6 destroyers, 8 base minesweepers, 80 patrol and 47 torpedo boats, 29 submarines, 34 armored boats, 3 gunboats and other auxiliary vessels.

Active support for the Soviet Army was provided by the Crimean partisans, whose detachments were formed at the beginning of 1944. Their total number was about 4 thousand people. The detachments united into the Eastern, Northern and Southern formations. The USSR forces had a significant superiority over the enemy army. The actions of the Soviet troops were also coordinated by Voroshilov.

Problems with timing

The liberation of Crimea in 1944 was supposed to begin in February, on the 18th-19th. On February 6, the battle plan was presented. However, the start of the campaign was subsequently postponed several times. At the same time, battles took place on the coast of the Dnieper. The command headquarters sent Vasilevsky instructions to begin the offensive no earlier than the liberation of the territories up to Kherson.

Subsequently another order was given. In particular, Vasilevsky received instructions to begin the operation no later than March 1, regardless of how the liberation of the Dnieper coast would proceed. However, the head of the troops reported to Headquarters that, taking into account weather conditions, the battles would have to be postponed until mid-March. The High Command agreed with this deadline. However, already on March 16, Vasilevsky received new instructions, according to which the operation had to begin after the capture of the Nikolaev region and advance to Odessa. But after this, due to meteorological conditions, the battles had to be postponed until April 8.

The liberation of Crimea in 1944 was supposed to be carried out by a breakthrough 170 km deep. It was planned to capture enemy positions in 10-12 days. At the same time, the average daily rate of advance for the infantry was supposed to be 12-15 km, for the tank corps - 30-35 km. The command's plan was to simultaneously launch attacks from the north - from Sivash and Perekop, and from the east - from the Kerch Peninsula. Carrying out the liberation of Sevastopol and Simferopol, it was planned to split and eliminate the enemy group, preventing its retreat from the peninsula. The main blow was supposed to be delivered from a bridgehead in the southern part of Sivash. If the action was successful, the main forces reached three Perekop enemy positions. Having captured Dzhankoy, Soviet troops were able to advance to Simferopol and the Kerch Peninsula behind German lines. An auxiliary attack was planned on the Perekop Isthmus. The Separate Primorsky Army was tasked with breaking through the defenses of the invaders north of Kerch. Its part was supposed to attack along the southern coast of the peninsula. The main forces were aimed at the liberation of Sevastopol and Simferopol.

Liberation of Crimea 1944: the beginning of the battles

Five days before the attack, heavy artillery strikes destroyed many long-term enemy structures. On the evening of April 7, combat reconnaissance was carried out. She confirmed the information the Soviet command had about the enemy group. On April 8, aviation and artillery preparations began. In total it took 2.5 hours. The liberation of Crimea in 1944 began with attacks by the 51st Army under the command of Lieutenant General Kreiser. The attack was carried out from a bridgehead in the southern part of Sivash. Fierce fighting raged for two days. As a result, Soviet troops managed to break through the German defenses. The 51st Army invaded the flank of the Perekop group. At the same time, Zakharov’s 2nd Guards Division entered Armyansk. On the morning of April 11, the 19th was captured by Dzhankoy.

Under the command of Vasilyev, the unit successfully approached Simferopol. The Germans, escaping from encirclement, left the fortifications of the Perekop Isthmus and began to retreat from the Kerch Peninsula. On the night of 11.04, the attack was launched by the Separate Primorsky Army. By morning, the troops captured Kerch, a fortified defensive hub in the eastern part of the peninsula. The pursuit of the Germans, who were retreating to Sevastopol, began in all directions. The attack of the 2nd Guards developed along the western part of the coast. army towards Evpatoria. The 51st Army, taking advantage of the successful actions of the 19th Corps, began advancing through the steppe strip towards Simferopol. The forces of the Separate Army marched through Belogorsk (Karasubazar) and Feodosia to Sevastopol. On April 13, Soviet troops liberated Feodosia, Simferopol, Evpatoria, and on the 14-15th - Yalta, Bakhchisarai, Alushta.

Meanwhile, the Germans continued to retreat. Aviation of the 4th and 8th armies launched powerful attacks on German troops and communication centers. Oktyabrsky Philip Sergeevich, commanding Soviet ships, gave instructions to sink ships with evacuated invaders.

Partisans

Crimean underground fighters showed exceptional heroism and courage in battle. The partisan formations were faced with the task of destroying nodes, communication lines, and enemy rear lines, setting up ambushes and blockages at mountain crossings, destroying railroad tracks, and disrupting the work of the port in Yalta, preventing the German-Romanian troops from advancing to it and evacuating. The underground also had to prevent the enemy from destroying transport and industrial enterprises and cities.

Assault on Sevastopol: preparation

On April 15-16, the Soviet Army began preparations for the attack. The main attack was expected to come from the Balaklava area. Units and formations of the center of the Separate and left flank of the 51st Army were to participate in its application. Soviet troops needed to break through the enemy’s defenses in the Sapun Mountain area and at a height northeast of Karan. Thus, the enemy group would be cut off from the bays located west of Sevastopol. The command believed that the defeat of the enemy on Sapun Mountain, despite all the difficulties that accompanied the assault, would make it possible to disrupt the stability of the enemy’s defensive positions. In the zone of the 2nd Guards. The army was planning to launch an auxiliary strike. To divert the attention of the invaders, it was supposed to be 2 days earlier than the main assault. The Soviet command set the troops the task of breaking through the defenses southeast of Belbek with units of the 55th Rifle and 13th Guards Corps. The army had to develop an offensive on the eastern part of the Northern Bay in order to push the enemy group to the water and destroy it.

Fighting

On April 19 and 23, two attempts were made to break through the main defensive positions of the Sevastopol region. However, the Soviet troops failed. The command decided to regroup forces, prepare the army, and wait for fuel and ammunition to arrive.

The assault began on May 5. Forces of the 2nd Guards. The armies went on the offensive, forcing the enemy to transfer groups from other directions. At 10:30 on May 7, the general assault began with powerful air support. The troops of the main Soviet group were able to break through the enemy defenses in a 9-kilometer area. During fierce battles, the troops captured Sapun Mountain. On May 9, Soviet soldiers broke into Sevastopol from the southeast, east and north, liberating the city. The remaining forces of the enemy's 17th Army, pursued by the 19th Corps, retreated to where they were completely destroyed. 21 thousand enemy officers and soldiers were captured. Soviet troops captured enemy equipment and weapons.

Completion of fights

In 1941-1942. It took the enemy 250 days to capture Sevastopol, whose inhabitants heroically defended its walls; Soviet troops needed only 35 days to liberate it. Already by May 15, headquarters began to receive information about parades held in formations and military units dedicated to the expulsion of the enemy from the peninsula.

Conclusion

The liberation of Crimea in 1944 made it possible to return the most important economic and strategic region to the Soviet country. These were the main goals of the fighting that were achieved. At the end of the battle, a reward project was created for participation in expelling the enemy from the territory of the peninsula. However, the medal for Crimea was never established at that time.

The fascist German command attached great military and political importance to the retention of Crimea. The enemy troops stationed there pinned down significant forces of the Red Army. The Black Sea Fleet, deprived of the possibility of basing on the Crimean coast, experienced great difficulties in conducting operations. The occupation of Crimea was used by Nazi Germany to put pressure on Turkey and keep Romania and Bulgaria in the fascist bloc. Therefore, despite the loss of Ukraine, the 17th Army (Colonel General E. Jenecke) was entrusted with the task of holding Crimea until last chance.

Erwin Jenecke

This army consisted of 12 divisions (5 German and 7 Romanian), 2 brigades of assault guns and various reinforcement units - in total about 200 thousand people, up to 3 thousand guns and mortars, over 200 tanks and assault guns. It was supported until 150 aircraft that were based in Crimea, and aviation from airfields in Romania. On the favorable defense lines of the Northern Crimea and on the Kerch Peninsula, the enemy created a powerful defense consisting of 3-4 lines. The main forces of the 17th Army defended in the northern part of Crimea (5 divisions) and on the Kerch Peninsula (4 divisions). 3 divisions defended the coast.

The idea was that by simultaneous strikes by troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front from the north, from and, and the Separate Primorsky Army from the east, from a bridgehead in the Kerch region, in the general direction, with the assistance of long-range aviation and partisans, to dismember and destroy the group enemy, to prevent its evacuation from Crimea. The main role in the operation was assigned to the 4th Ukrainian Front (Army General), which delivered the main blow from a bridgehead on the southern bank of the Sivash in the direction of Simferopol. An auxiliary attack was carried out on the Perekop Isthmus. A separate Primorsky Army (Army General) was supposed to break through the enemy’s defenses on the Kerch Peninsula and deliver the main blow to Simferopol, Sevastopol, and with part of its forces along the southern coast of the Crimean Peninsula.

F.I. Tolbukhin A.I. Eremenko

The main task of the Black Sea Fleet (admiral) in the operation was to disrupt the enemy’s sea communications with Crimea. The fleet was also involved in assisting the ground forces with its aviation, and in the coastal zone with naval artillery fire.

F.S. Otyabrsky

The Azov military flotilla (rear admiral), operationally subordinate to the commander of the Separate Primorsky Army, provided all transportation through the Kerch Strait. Crimean partisans received the task of smashing the enemy’s rear, as well as preventing the enemy from destroying cities, ports, industrial enterprises and other national economic facilities. The coordination of the actions of all forces involved in the operation was carried out by a representative of the Supreme Command Headquarters, Marshal.

By the beginning of the Crimean operation (April 8 - May 12, 1944), the 4th Ukrainian Front and the Separate Primorsky Army had 470 thousand personnel, 6 thousand guns and mortars, about 600 tanks and self-propelled guns. They were supported from the air by the 4th (Colonel General of Aviation) and 8th (Lieutenant General of Aviation T.T. Khryukin) air armies, numbering 1,250 aircraft.

Preparations for the operation took place under extremely difficult conditions. Large regroupings of troops were carried out in muddy conditions, with no roads. Through Sivash, formations and units were transported to the bridgehead along two 2-km dams and bridges built by sappers under artillery fire and enemy bombing, often in a storm

The small bridgehead was completely open and was shot right through by enemy artillery. Nevertheless, by the beginning of the operation, the Soviet command managed to secretly deploy and entrench large forces of troops on it, including a lot of artillery and a tank corps.

As part of the 4th Ukrainian Front, two armies deployed for the offensive: the 2nd Guards (lieutenant general) on the Perekop Isthmus and the 51st (lieutenant general) on the Sivash bridgehead. The front troops were supported by the 8th Air Army and part of the Black Sea Fleet aviation. Taking into account the positional nature of the enemy’s defense, the front command created high densities of artillery in the breakthrough areas, reaching 122-183 guns and mortars per 1 km of the front. The Separate Primorsky Army had approximately the same density of artillery.

Meanwhile, passions were heating up in the enemy camp. For several months now, the commanders of army groups in Ukraine, field marshals and Kleist, chief of the general staff ground forces Wehrmacht Colonel General K. Zeitzler, realizing the doom of the 17th Army, suggested that Hitler leave Crimea and evacuate troops from there, but the Fuhrer each time rejected all their arguments out of hand. “Abandonment of Crimea,” he declared to his military leaders, “will mean Turkey, and then Bulgaria and Romania, leaving us.”

Erich von Manstein (left) and A. Hitler

Thus, he made it clear to the military leaders that the issue of Crimea is an area of ​​higher politics where generals should not meddle. At the end of March, the Romanian dictator Marshal I. Antonescu demanded that Hitler evacuate Romanian troops from Crimea while Odessa was still in their hands. But even here the Fuhrer remained adamant. Moreover, he ordered to strengthen the troops defending Crimea. So the 17th Army could only wait for its fate to be decided. And the denouement was not long in coming...

Offensive

Having completed all the prepared measures, the Soviet troops went on the offensive. On April 8, he began to storm powerful enemy fortifications. This was preceded by a two-day artillery bombardment of enemy defenses on the Perekop Isthmus. By concentrating heavy artillery here, including 203 mm caliber guns, the Soviet command sought to create the impression among the enemy that the main blow would be delivered here. However, despite the powerful 150-minute artillery preparation, the successes of the first day of the operation turned out to be quite modest: the troops of the 2nd Guards Army managed to capture only two trenches of the first position of the enemy’s main defense line, and in the main direction - in the zone of the 51st Army - infantry was only able to break into the first trench.

The front troops were forced to “gnaw through” enemy defenses for three days, overcoming trench after trench, position after position. Only by the evening of April 10 did both armies complete the breakthrough of the enemy’s defenses. On the morning of April 11, the front commander brought the 19th Tank Corps (Lieutenant General) into the breakthrough, which on the same day immediately captured Dzhankoy - a powerful stronghold in the enemy’s defense and an important road junction. The advance of part of the forces to the rear of the Ishun positions forced the enemy, under the threat of losing escape routes, to hastily abandon the fortifications on the Perekop Isthmus and begin a retreat along the entire front. The troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front began pursuit: the 2nd Guards Army along the western coast of Crimea to Yevpatoria, and the 51st in the central part of the peninsula to Simferopol.

The entry of the 4th Ukrainian Front into the Dzhankoy area threatened the retreat routes of the enemy’s Kerch group and thereby created favorable conditions for the offensive of the Separate Primorsky Army. Fearing encirclement, the enemy decided to withdraw troops from the Kerch Peninsula. Having discovered preparations for withdrawal, on the night of April 11 she went on the offensive. Its main forces bypassed Kerch from the north, and (Major General K.I. Provalov) liberated the city after heavy street fighting. The 18 units and formations that most distinguished themselves during the liberation of Kerch were given the honorary name Kerch.

On the morning of April 11, army troops began pursuing the enemy. Strong forward detachments were brought forward, created both in the army and in each corps. Aviation of the 4th Air Army crushed the retreating enemy columns with massive air strikes. On April 12, units of the Separate Primorsky Army immediately broke through the enemy’s defenses in positions blocking the exit from the Kerch Peninsula, and the next day in the area (60 km west of Feodosia) they linked up with the advanced detachments of the 4th Ukrainian Front.

Part of the army pursued the enemy along the Primorskoye Highway. The forward detachments acted quickly, thwarting all the enemy’s attempts to gain a foothold on lines advantageous for defense. The defeated formations of the 17th German Army hastily retreated to Sevastopol. On April 13, Soviet troops liberated the cities of Simferopol and.

The partisans worked closely with the regular troops of the Red Army. They set up ambushes on mountain roads, assisted troops in capturing cities with attacks from the rear, supplied the Soviet command with intelligence data, and saved many resorts, cities and historical monuments from destruction.

The aviation of the Black Sea Fleet (Lieutenant General of Aviation V.V. Ermachenkov) was active. She struck at concentrations of watercraft in ports, sank transports on the open sea, depriving the enemy of the last opportunity for salvation.

On April 15-16, the Soviet armies reached the approaches to Sevastopol, where they were stopped by organized enemy defenses on the outer perimeter of the former Sevastopol defensive region. Preparations began for the assault on the heavily fortified line. The remnants of the 17th Army numbering 72 thousand people, more than 1.8 thousand guns and mortars, up to 50 tanks and assault guns were “locked” in Sevastopol, occupying defenses on a front of 35 km and a depth of 10 to 16 km.

The evacuation of German-Romanian troops that had begun by order of Hitler was stopped. They were instructed to pin down the enemy's forces until the last possible opportunity and inflict on him as many losses as possible. General E. Jenecke, who did not believe in the possibility of holding Sevastopol, was removed from command of the 17th Army. Hitler appointed Infantry General K. Allmendinger as its new commander.

Karl Allmendinger

On April 18, the Separate Primorsky Army was renamed (Lieutenant General) and included in the 4th Ukrainian Front. On April 19, Soviet troops tried to capture the Sevastopol positions, but were unsuccessful. The front command did everything necessary to avoid heavy losses when breaking through the Sevastopol fortifications and ensure success was achieved as soon as possible.

The enemy's defense consisted of three lines. It was most strongly fortified, dominating the surrounding area.

During the preparatory period, artillery methodically destroyed the enemy's long-term defensive structures. The enemy defenses were subjected to massive air strikes. In addition to the front aviation and the Black Sea Fleet, three corps and a long-range aviation division, which consisted of over 500 aircraft, were involved for these purposes.

From April 19 to May 5, front-line and naval aviation alone carried out 8.2 thousand sorties. As the day of the assault approached, the force of fire strikes against the enemy continuously increased. In the last six days, preliminary air preparation for the offensive was carried out, during which over 2 thousand tons of fragmentation and high-explosive bombs and about 24 thousand anti-tank bombs fell on the enemy. Preparations for the assault on Sevastopol lasted 12 days.

After preparing for the assault, Soviet troops liberated Sevastopol. The city that the Germans stormed for 250 days and nights (10/30/41—07/02/42), using over 2 thousand guns and mortars, including 56 batteries of heavy artillery, one battery of super-heavy 615-mm mortars and an 800-mm Dora cannon ", the length of the trunk was 30 meters. There was no such massive use of artillery by the Germans in any other operation of the Second World War.

On May 5, the troops of the 2nd Guards Army were the first to go on the offensive. They launched an auxiliary attack from the north. Their persistent attacks were supported by the entire power of artillery and the main forces of the front's aviation. As a result, the opposing enemy was not only firmly pinned down, but the enemy command had to strengthen its left flank. On May 7, after a 90-minute artillery preparation and with the support of all front aviation in the Sapun-Gora, Karan sector, the troops of the Primorsky Army and the left-flank formations of the 51st Army launched the assault, delivering the main blow. The most brutal battles took place over Sapun Mountain, which was the key to the enemy defense of Sevastopol.

Assault on Sapun Mountain

Units of the 10th (Major General K.P. Neverov), 11th Guards (Major General S.E. Rozhdestvensky) and 63rd (Major General P.K. Koshevoy - future Marshal of the Soviet Union) fought here. rifle corps. In the end, the enemy could not withstand the powerful onslaught of Soviet soldiers and retreated. On the same day, the victorious red banner soared over Sapun Mountain. Having broken three defensive lines one after another, troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front broke into the city from the north, east and southeast on May 9 and cleared it of the enemy by evening.

Train Station in the Sevastopol

The remnants of the defeated 17th Army (about 30 thousand people) fled to the cape. To pursue them, the front commander allocated the 19th Tank Corps, which quickly advanced to the defensive line covering this cape, but was unable to advance further. Hoping to escape by sea, the Nazis stubbornly defended their positions. However, the Black Sea Fleet, artillery and aviation from the front disrupted their evacuation. Having pulled up their forces, the front troops broke through the last defensive line of the enemy on Crimean soil and on May 12 completed their defeat. At Cape Chersonesos, 21 thousand enemy soldiers and officers were captured, and a large amount of weapons and military equipment was captured.

End of operation

The Crimean operation ended in the complete defeat of the 17th German Army. Its losses on land amounted to 100 thousand people, including about 62 thousand prisoners. In addition, a large number of German and Romanian soldiers and officers died at sea during the evacuation. Thus, according to the German side, from May 3 to May 13 alone, 42 thousand people died at sea. The Germans managed to evacuate several tens of thousands of people by sea and by air. The 17th Army lost all its military equipment. The Black Sea Fleet and aviation sank many enemy ships during the operation. The operation in Crimea was distinguished by well-organized interaction between ground forces, aviation and navy, which largely predetermined the achievement of decisive success. Our aviation carried out more than 36 thousand sorties, of which up to 60% were to support troops. In 599 air battles, Soviet pilots shot down 297 enemy aircraft. About 200 enemy aircraft were destroyed and damaged at airfields.

In the battles for the liberation of Crimea, Soviet troops showed massive heroism, high offensive spirit and combat activity, which were created and supported by effective political and educational work. If in 1941-1942 it took fascist German troops 250 days to capture Sevastopol, then in 1944 the Red Army broke through powerful enemy fortifications in Crimea in 35 days, and the assault on Sevastopol took only 3 days. The Motherland highly appreciated the courage and bravery of its soldiers. Moscow, on behalf of the Motherland, saluted seven times the valiant army and naval forces that liberated Crimea. Many units and formations were given the honorary names of Perekop, Sivash, Kerch, Feodosia, Simferopol and Sevastopol. Only the honorary name of Sevastopol was assigned to 118 units and formations that distinguished themselves during the liberation of the city. Many units, ships and formations were awarded orders. Thousands of soldiers and officers of the army and navy were awarded orders and medals, and 126 of the most courageous were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Having liberated Crimea, Soviet troops returned an economically and strategically important area to the country. The Black Sea Fleet received its main base - Sevastopol. The enemy lost a critical strategic position on the southern flank of the Eastern Front. Conditions improved for the Soviet offensive in the Balkans.

Return of the Black Sea Fleet to Sevastopol

During the Crimean operation, Soviet troops lost about 85 thousand people (including 18 thousand irretrievable losses), over 500 guns and mortars, more than 170 tanks and self-propelled guns, about 180 aircraft.

The significance of the Crimean operation

The Red Army's offensive in the winter and spring of 1944 on the southern wing of the strategic front played a decisive role in disrupting Nazi Germany's plans to stabilize the Eastern Front and prolong the war. In Right Bank Ukraine and Crimea, from the end of December 1943 to mid-May 1944, 99 enemy divisions and 2 brigades were defeated, of which 22 divisions and 1 brigade were completely destroyed, 8 divisions and 1 brigade were disbanded due to heavy losses, 8 divisions were lost up to 2/3 and 61 divisions - up to 1/2 of their strength. The defeat of the enemy’s main strategic grouping and the split of its front into two parts in the Carpathian region not only radically changed the situation on the southern wing of the Soviet-German front, but also undermined the stability of the Wehrmacht’s defense on the Eastern Front as a whole, as well as in other theaters of military operations.

Outstanding victories in Right Bank Ukraine and Crimea once again demonstrated the high level of military art of the Red Army and the massive heroism of the Soviet troops. For military exploits on the battlefields during the Dnieper-Carpathian and Crimean strategic operations, 662 particularly distinguished units and formations were awarded honorary titles in honor of the cities they liberated and crossing water barriers, and 528 were awarded orders.

With a successful offensive in the southwestern direction, the troops of the Ukrainian fronts created an advantageous situation for the deployment of offensive operations in other strategic directions of the Soviet-German front. At the same time, the plans of the Wehrmacht High Command to accumulate forces to repel the landing of Allied troops in Western Europe. The weakening of the fascist German forces in the West due to the transfer of large forces to Ukraine undoubtedly contributed to the success of the Allied landing operation in Normandy, which began a month after the end of the battles in Right Bank Ukraine.

The entry of the Red Army to the southwestern border of the USSR and the transfer of hostilities to the territory of Romania sharply aggravated the military-political situation of the allied forces. Nazi Germany states and radically changed the situation in South-Eastern Europe. The ruling circles of the satellite countries of Nazi Germany intensified their search for ways out of the fascist bloc, and the liberation struggle of the peoples occupied and dependent on the Third Reich in European countries intensified significantly.

Monument to the Black Sea people in Sevastopol

The Crimean offensive operation, the task of which was to liberate Crimea from the Wehrmacht, began 75 years ago, on April 8, 1944. It ended 35 days later: on May 12, the 4th Ukrainian Front and the Separate Primorsky Army completely defeated the German 17th Army. The German Fuhrer called Crimea “the second Stalingrad” - the Germans also ingloriously and hastily abandoned this land.

For A. Hitler it was very important to maintain control over Crimea for as long as possible. The peninsula is the center of sea and air communications on the Black Sea, and in addition, its capture by the Red Army created the conditions for an attack on Romania and Bulgaria. The Fuhrer was afraid that his satellites might turn away from Germany. Therefore, fierce battles were fought for Crimea. Before 1944, the Red Army had already tried (unsuccessfully) to liberate the peninsula. The Kerch-Feodosia landing operation (December 26, 1941 - May 15, 1942) ended in a tragic retreat. 13 thousand Red Army soldiers did not have time to escape and took refuge in the mines of the Adzhimushkai quarries near Kerch.

Adzhimushkay quarries (lifeglobe.net)

For months they held the line against the Germans, who poisoned them with gases, blew up their tunnels, and deprived them of water (Soviet soldiers found places in the adits where water dripped from the vaults). Documents recently published by the Ministry of Defense (previously classified or inaccessible) reflect the course of military operations in Sevastopol, Simferopol, Sudak, Yalta and Kerch. There is also a diary of the Adzhimushka political instructor of the 83rd motorized rifle brigade, Alexander Sarikov, who went to hell. On May 25, 1942, he wrote: “The Bolsheviks do not recognize difficulties. They strangle, kill, not a drop of water, but life must go on as usual and no one has the right to whine”; “The Krauts started gassing again […]. I can’t breathe, my gas mask also fails, and chlorine starts leaking out. Today, more than ever, they are strangling people more intensely - throwing checkers and grenades at every exit. Again, tearing screams calling for help. Victims, victims. Death is so close, but I still don’t want to die, right here in this ready-made grave. After all, this is the death of a ferret, which is choked with smoke, as a pest of garden crops, and we are people...” The Germans took the quarries only on October 30, 1942. They captured only 48 people out of 13 thousand, and Sarikov and all the others died.

Statement of water consumption in quarries (june-22.mil.ru)

Copy of Sarikov's diary (june-22.mil.ru)

When the Red Army was approaching Crimea, on December 27, 1943, Hitler told his generals: “We are obliged to defend Crimea, this second Stalingrad, as long as this is generally permissible... I consider the biggest misfortune to be the loss of Crimea.” But by April 1944, the troops of General F.I. Tolbukhin (4th Ukrainian) and A.I. Eremenko (Otdelnaya Primorskaya) had already occupied bridgeheads in the north and east of Crimea. According to the plan of the Red Army, during the operation it was necessary to deliver powerful blows in the direction of Sevastopol, crush and destroy the 17th Army of the Wehrmacht (Colonel General E. Eneke), and prevent it from evacuating. The Germans prepared 3-4 lines of defense and long-term powerful fortifications of Sevastopol (the Red Army did not have these in 1941-42, but it defended the city for 250 days). Eneke had 5 German and 7 Romanian divisions here (in total more than 195 thousand people, 3,600 guns and mortars, 215 tanks and assault guns, 148 aircraft). But Soviet group Crimea had more: 470 thousand people, 5982 guns and mortars, 559 tanks and self-propelled guns, 1250 aircraft.

Crimean offensive operation. (scoopnest.com)

The well-prepared operation progressed successfully from the very beginning. Five days before it began, heavy artillery smashed the German fortifications. And on April 8, the Germans were forced to flee. On April 11, the Red Army liberated Kerch, on the 12th - Feodosia, on April 13 - Yevpatoria and Simferopol, on April 14-15 - Sudak, Bakhchisarai, Alushta and Yalta. During the retreat, the Germans did not have time to properly carry out the order to destroy everything that they could not take away. By the way, some things were not subject to either removal or destruction. One of the orders for the army stated: “Do not destroy alcoholic beverages, but leave them to the Russians. Practice shows that when they capture such trophies, their advance slows down” (to be fair, this technique worked, but not very effectively; for example, drunkenness in Simferopol ended two days after the liberation of the city, and somewhere there were no rows at all) .

Crimea, 1944 (russian.rt.com)

Assault on Sapun Mountain near Sevastopol. (regnum.ru)

Already on April 19 and 23, the Red Army tried to break through the defenses of Sevastopol, but it did not work. We still had to prepare and begin the general assault on May 7th. First, in fierce battles, they captured Sapun Mountain, and on May 9, the Red Army soldiers already broke into the city. The remnants of the Germans fled to Cape Chersonese, where, as General K. Tippelskirch wrote, they defended themselves “with the desperation of the doomed.” They were doomed. Hopes for evacuation by ship did not materialize, and 21 thousand Nazis surrendered. They were pressed against a steep bank where they could no longer board the barges. Few Germans managed to escape. A journalist from the Izvestia newspaper wrote in the May 14 issue about what he saw at Cape Khersones: “There is a German self-propelled barge in Streletskaya Bay. Captain Malkov's scouts jumped onto her deck and killed the crew before the barge had time to set sail from the shore. It is loaded with motors and parts taken from our combines and tractors. The corpses of German soldiers and officers are lying around here.” Three days later, Crimea was completely cleared of invaders (on the same day, Red Army soldiers began swimming in the sea en masse, many for the first time in their lives).

Crimea, 1944 (zarubejom.ru)

Captured Germans (russiainphoto.ru)

As a result of the operation, the Wehrmacht lost 100 thousand people (of which more than 61 thousand were captured), Soviet troops - 17,754 killed (of which about 6 thousand - in the battles for Sevastopol) and 67 thousand wounded. 238 Soviet soldiers became Heroes of the Soviet Union. The award lists of some of the fighters who liberated Crimea published by the Ministry of Defense are impressive! For example, Captain A.G. Toropkin received the title of Hero of the USSR for being the first to break into enemy trenches on May 7, 1944 and kill 14 Wehrmacht soldiers in hand-to-hand combat.

Sevastopol, 1944 (pressmia.ru)

Return (morpolit.milportal.ru)

The most important condition for a convincing victory for the Red Army was not even a numerical advantage in men and equipment (the Germans also had it in 1941, but Sevastopol held out for months), but rather the spirit of the Soviet soldiers, their sacrificial heroism. This alone explains that they were able to liberate Crimea much faster than the Germans occupied it. The English journalist Alexander Werth wrote, having visited Crimea after the liberation, that the Germans were quickly crushed because “the fighting spirit of the Germans, at least in a place as remote from Germany as Crimea, could no longer be at the proper height.” Soviet soldiers fought for their homeland. Their steadfastness was admired by their commanders. Many years later, Major General G.F. Malyukov (divisional commander of the 216th Red Banner Sivash Division) recalled the delivery of supplies through the salt lake Sivash: “... barge haulers carried us food, fodder, shells and guns. Only a Russian soldier can withstand this painful labor; a German would die […]. Salt water eats everything. Despite this, he drags on day and night.” A Russian soldier can endure a lot... Military historians also note that the Red Army in 1944 learned to fight perfectly: the directions of attack were wisely chosen for the operation, the types of troops interacted well, and the material support and weapons already made it possible to feel confident.

Soviet sailors again in Sevastopol, 1944 (rusvesna.su)

The Germans left behind ruins. About three hundred industrial enterprises were destroyed, almost all the livestock was taken away, and the cities lost most of their residential buildings. 127 settlements were completely destroyed. They began to restore all this immediately after the liberation - soon wineries, ship repair workers, fishermen and a fish factory, an iron ore plant began operating... But the people who died during the occupation of Crimea left forever. Before the war, 1 million 126 thousand people lived in Crimea. Of these, the Nazis killed 135 thousand, and another 85.5 thousand were taken to Germany as slaves. The Wehrmacht continued to kill civilians during the retreat. Commissions investigating the crimes of the Germans (and in the Crimea, Romanians) later found out the horrifying facts of murders committed for entertainment, robberies, rapes, extrajudicial executions and bullying.

Landing (nashahistory.ru)

P. P. Sokolov-Skalya. Liberation of Sevastopol. May 1944 (encyclopedia.mil.ru)

Here is just a small quote from the lengthy descriptions of the atrocities of the Wehrmacht: “There were frequent cases of martyrdom of citizens from torture and abuse. Nadezhda Silovna Klimenko, born in 1915 [...] talks about German torture and executions: “On April 16, Vanda Khristina Andreevna, a citizen of Kozyuruba, and I went together to the city of Stary Krym to the old slaughterhouse to look for the corpses of our executed husbands. On the way, we noticed a fresh trace of a car. This trail led us to a fresh hole, not dug, but apparently caused by an explosion […]. We […] noticed large stone slabs, very heavy. One stone was lifted with difficulty by five shepherd men. My husband’s corpse had no traces of bullets, it was completely blue, there were no eyes, teeth, ears, there was only one nose. Apparently, the bloodsucking fascists put the husband and his comrades alive in a pit (gouging out their eyes, tearing off their ears and knocking out their teeth), and strangled them with stone slabs. After that we buried them..."

And for all these crimes in Crimea and other places of the Soviet Union, the hated Nazis were driven further to the West, so that within a year they would be put an end to them forever.

On April 8, 1944, the Crimean operation began. We can say about this operation that it became an example of solving unsolvable problems. Even at the first glance at the map, it was clear that the geography of the peninsula did not promise surprises during the defense. Narrow isthmuses lead from the north to Crimea from the continent, an alternative to breaking through which is a landing. Moreover, the Perekop Isthmus is blocked by the ancient Turkish Wall, whose importance as an engineering structure continued into the 20th century.

With some irony, the Soviet operation to liberate Crimea can be called a master class on how it should be done. Much was decided in the fall of 1943, when the struggle for Crimea was just beginning. The first smart move on the part of the Soviet command was the seizure of bridgeheads on Sivash. To some extent, this, of course, was an echo of the legend Civil War, but it was not improvisation. Guides were selected from among the military personnel of the 4th Ukrainian Front and local residents, who indicated the most advantageous areas for overcoming Sivash. There was almost no German resistance to crossing Sivash, which made it possible to cross and gain a foothold.

An equally significant success in the fall of 1943 was overcoming the Turkish Wall. The tankmen of the corps of General I.D. Vasilyev managed to break through the rampart through the passage in it and gain a foothold on the approaches to. Despite the temporary encirclement, units of the 19th Tank Corps managed not only to break through a corridor to their own, but also to hold positions behind the rampart. Holding a section of the Turkish Wall allowed Soviet artillery observers to view enemy defenses.

At the same time, in the fall of 1943, a bridgehead was captured by amphibious assault on the eastern tip of Crimea. The landing operation was planned taking into account the assumption that the enemy intended to leave Crimea. However, literally on the move, Hitler changes plans and orders a strict hold on Crimea. There were several reasons, including a political one: the retention of Crimea influenced the position of Turkey, which smuggled chrome ore to the Third Reich. One way or another, the troops of the Separate Primorsky Army and the German V Army Corps found themselves in a position of unstable equilibrium. Soviet troops could not break out of the bridgehead, but the Germans also failed in their attempts to drop troops into the sea.

The result of the autumn battles of 1943 was the dispersion of the Crimean defense forces between three directions separated in space. The 17th Army of General Yeneke was forced to use part of its forces against Perekop, part of its forces against the bridgehead on Sivash, and part under. The Germans were also afraid of landings from the sea, which also forced them to allocate a reserve for Feodosia - the fourth direction.

Immediate attack on the Crimean Peninsula in the winter of 1943-1944. still it did not follow. The first task was the liquidation of the Nikopol bridgehead, which threatened Soviet troops on the approaches to Crimea. After this, the 4th Ukrainian Front turned towards Perekop. The main blow was supposed to be delivered by the 51st Army from the Sivash area, and a secondary blow from the Perekop area. To transfer troops and equipment to the bridgehead on Sivash, two crossings were built. This was a real feat of engineering, allowing the transfer of an entire tank corps. The headquarters required the operation to begin no later than March 1. However, the raging Azov Sea, snowfalls and blizzards led to the destruction of crossings across the Sivash. The operation was postponed, and on March 16 the roles changed: now the Headquarters ordered “to begin after the troops of the left wing of the 3rd Ukrainian Front have captured the area of ​​​​the city of Nikolaev and advanced them to Odessa.” After the capture of Nikolaev, the operation was again postponed due to bad weather, this time to April 8.

Against the backdrop of a series of disasters on the right bank of Ukraine, the Germans felt relatively safe in Crimea. Admiral of the Black Sea Brinkman wrote:

“...at the beginning of April, when the enemy launched an offensive, there were sufficient supplies in Crimea, especially ammunition and food.”

Soviet sailors in the liberated city of Kerch Source: https://tass.ru

Two infantry divisions were also transferred to the peninsula, but they had to be dispersed between the north of Crimea and. On the Soviet side, the receipt of reinforcements by the enemy was compensated by conscription in the liberated territory in Tavria.

In total, the 4th Ukrainian Front and the Separate Primorsky Army had about 470 thousand people, 560 tanks and self-propelled guns. The total number of the German 17th Army defending Crimea at the beginning of April 1944 was 235 thousand people (including 65 thousand Romanians).

The Soviet preparations, although they caused some concern, remained generally underestimated by the German command. The appearance of the 19th Tank Corps on the Sivash bridgehead went unnoticed. On the eve of the start of the Soviet offensive, on April 3, 1944, General Jenecke wrote to lower headquarters:

“The number of enemy tanks on the Sivash bridgehead, you think, is 80-100, but in my opinion, there are fewer of them there. I think that you have confused the “Stalinist organs” of mortar units with light tanks.”

As it soon became clear, they were not confused.

The attack on Perekop would be no less a surprise for the Germans. After the liquidation of the Nikopol bridgehead, the 2nd Guards Army of G. F. Zakharov was deployed to the Crimea. A competent and energetic military leader, G. F. Zakharov immediately began scrupulously preparing the offensive. First of all, it was possible to bring the Soviet and German positions closer together with the help of the so-called “whiskers” - trenches dug towards the enemy. To disorient the enemy, effigies were used, which, during artillery preparation, with the fire transferred into depth, rose above the Soviet trenches and simulated an attack. This provoked fire from machine guns and defense guns and exposed the German fire system underneath. But even this was only part of the plan. G. F. Zakharov carefully prepared the troops for the offensive. In the rear, special training grounds were built, reproducing German defense areas. One of the villages in the rear of the 2nd Guards Army was even “made up” under . Studying in such fields made it possible to practice the upcoming assault to the point of automaticity.

All this together made the blow of April 8, 1944 devastating and irresistible. However, of course, it was too early to bury the Wehrmacht. In the planned direction of the main attack of the 51st Army of Ya. G. Kreiser, the Soviet units met stubborn resistance. It quickly became clear that there would be no immediate success to be expected here, near Tarkhan. However, A. M. Vasilevsky and Ya. G. Kreiser were not at a loss and quickly regrouped their forces and means to a neighboring area, where there was a breakthrough in the enemy’s defense. By the morning of April 10, the village of Tomashevka at the exit from the lake defile was captured and the entry of the 19th Tank Corps into the breakthrough was prepared. Under his blows, the enemy's defenses completely crumbled.

The breakthrough of German positions in northern Crimea occurred in no small part due to a strong artillery strike. From April 8 to April 10, the troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front used up 677 wagons of ammunition. This period accounted for the minority of front personnel losses (3,923 killed and 12,166 wounded).

Residents of liberated Bakhchisarai greet the partisans