Preparations for the operation were ordered to be completed by December 19. The landing was supposed to begin on December 21.
Preparations for the operation were interrupted by the aggravation of the situation in the Sevastopol region. To counter the crisis, it was necessary to transfer to the city on December 20 and 21 the 345th Infantry Division and the 79th Marine Brigade, originally intended for landing in Feodosia. The transfer of troops also distracted the combat and transport ships involved in the landing operation. As a result, it was possible to begin the landing only on December 26.
On December 26, troops of the 51st and 40th Soviet armies were landed in the Kerch area and 30 in the Feodosia area. At that moment, the enemy forces on the Kerch Peninsula were represented by the German 46th Infantry Division and the Romanian regiment of mountain riflemen guarding the Parpach ridge area. The total number of enemy troops on the Kerch Peninsula was 25 thousand people personnel 180 guns and 118 tanks. Two aviation groups with up to 100 aircraft were based at airfields in the Kerch region. In addition, the grouping of enemy troops on the Kerch Peninsula could be supported by aviation from airfields located in the areas of Simferopol and Saki. On the afternoon of December 25, the 1st–5th Airborne Troops began moving along assigned courses with the expectation of arriving at their designated landing areas two hours before dawn on December 26th. However, due to the onset of a strong storm and continuous raids by enemy aircraft, the 1st and 2nd detachments were unable to fully land in the area of Cape Zyuk. Most of the detachment units returned to Temryuk. The landing of the 3rd and 5th detachments failed. The most successful was the landing of the 4th detachment in the area of Cape Khroni. This detachment arrived at the designated area at 6:30 a.m. and immediately began the landing, which was carried out under the cover of fire from two gunboats. By 13:00 on December 26, the landing of the detachment was completely completed, and the troops gained a foothold on the captured bridgehead. Attempts made on December 27 and 29 to continue the landing were unsuccessful due to stormy seas and strong enemy resistance. Further landing of troops of the 51st Army became possible only on December 30. In total, from December 26 to 31, the Azov military flotilla landed more than 6 thousand people and transferred 9 tanks, 10 guns (37-, 76-mm caliber), 28 mortars and 204 tons of ammunition. The landing of the troops of the 51st Army on the ships of the Kerch naval base was unorganized. Only one of the three completed the landing at the appointed time. The delay in landing led to a disruption in the schedule for the detachments to cross the Kerch Strait. In addition, the ships arrived at the landing areas at different times. On the first day, the landing was most successful in the Kamysh-Burun area. It was carried out under the cover of a smoke screen delivered by specially designated boats, and with the support of artillery fire from the Taman Peninsula. On December 27, the landing was not carried out due to a strong storm (7–8 points). It resumed on December 28 and continued until December 30. In total, from December 26 to 29, in the Kamysh-Burun region, more than 11,200 people were landed from the 302nd Infantry Division and 47 guns, 229 machine guns, 198 mortars, 12 vehicles, and 210 horses were unloaded. The landing of the 44th Army in the area of Mount Opuk, carried out by the Black Sea Fleet, failed. In general, from December 26 to 31, the Azov military flotilla, the Kerch naval base and partly the Black Sea Fleet, despite a number of serious shortcomings in organizing the landing and landing of troops, strong enemy resistance, as well as extremely unfavorable meteorological conditions, landed part of the troops on the Kerch Peninsula and military equipment. However, the landing forces had very little artillery and tanks. Therefore, instead of the planned offensive, they were forced to go on the defensive, waging stubborn battles with the enemy, who took all measures to throw them into the sea. The cruiser "Red Caucasus", taking part in the landing of the Feodosia landing force, at 3 hours 48 minutes opened fire on the city and port of Feodosia. The artillery raid lasted 13 minutes, during which the Red Caucasus managed to fire 26 shells of the main 180-mm caliber. In total, during the landing and support of the paratroopers, the cruiser expended 70 main battery shells and 429 100-mm shells.
Only after the capture of Feodosia and the creation of a threat to the communications of the enemy group operating on the peninsula, there was a sharp change in the situation on the Kerch Peninsula in favor of Soviet troops. The landing of the 44th Army in the Feodosia area was more successful. It began at 4 a.m. on December 29 after a short artillery preparation. Thanks to the surprise achieved, the assault troops quickly took possession important objects port and created favorable conditions for the operations of the first echelon troops. In a short time, landing units were transferred from the cruisers "Red Crimea" and "Red Caucasus", from the destroyer "Shaumyan" and other ships. At the same time, these ships supported the landing operations on the shore with the fire of their guns. The enemy air raids that began after dawn were repelled by naval anti-aircraft artillery fire and fighter aircraft of the Black Sea Fleet. On December 29, warships maneuvered in the bay and fired artillery, supporting the landing operations.
On the evening of December 29, the landing of troops from transports began in the Feodosia port. By the morning of December 30, Feodosia was completely liberated from the enemy.
The successful landing of troops of the 44th Army in Feodosia dramatically changed the situation on the Kerch Peninsula. The entire enemy group located in the eastern part of the peninsula faced the threat of encirclement. 11th Command German army was forced to decide to withdraw its troops from the peninsula. On December 30, the enemy left Kerch without a fight. The fascist German command was forced to urgently strengthen its troops in the Feodosia direction. In early January, northwest and west of Feodosia, in addition to the 46th Infantry Division, units of the 73rd Infantry Division and the Romanian Mountain Rifle Corps were already operating. In addition, on the approach to this area were the 132nd and 170th infantry divisions, transferred from near Sevastopol, where the heroic efforts of the soldiers of the Sevastopol defensive region were thwarted by the second offensive of the Nazi troops. By the end of January 2, Soviet troops reached the Kiet-Koktebel line, where they encountered organized enemy resistance. This concluded the operation to capture the Kerch Peninsula. Kerch-Feodosia landing operation ended with the capture of an important operational bridgehead in Crimea - the liberation of the Kerch Peninsula, the capture of important enemy strongholds in Crimea - cities and seaports Kerch and Feodosia, the troops advanced 100–110 km to the west.
As a result of the operation, the position of the troops of the Sevastopol defensive region was strengthened. On January 1, 1942, the German command was forced to stop its second attack on Sevastopol and transfer part of its forces from there to the Feodosia region. The Kerch enemy group suffered heavy losses. These results were achieved through heroic actions ground forces and the fleet. The operation, carried out as part of the Red Army counteroffensive that began in December 1941, was the largest amphibious operation during the Great Patriotic War. Patriotic War. Its main significance was that the enemy lost the opportunity to use the Kerch Peninsula as a springboard for penetration into the Caucasus. At the same time, it diverted part of the enemy’s forces from near Sevastopol, making it easier for its defenders to repel the second enemy assault.
Look
On April 6, 2015, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees conferring the honorary title Russian Federation"City military glory» Feodosia, Gatchina, Grozny, Petrozavodsk and Staraya Russa. This honorary title was established federal law May 9, 2006. It is assigned to Russian cities, on the territory of which or in the immediate vicinity of them, during fierce battles, the defenders of the Fatherland showed courage, fortitude and mass heroism.
For what merits was the honorary title awarded to Feodosia? In her military history there were two most striking episodes directly related to the military chronicle of Russia. The first in 1771, a 27,000-strong Russian army under the command of Chief General Dolgorukov-Krymsky, defeated a 95,000-strong Turkish army at the Battle of Kef and occupied the city. Even more famous is the heroic Feodosia landing at the end of December 1941. This was the largest landing operation of the Great Patriotic War: in the most difficult conditions, the Black Sea Fleet managed to land an entire combined arms army in a city occupied by the enemy. Due to various objective and subjective reasons, it was not possible to achieve a great victory, so the unique landing was not appreciated. Today we will talk about it in detail.
In December 1941, the troops of Army Group Center were not only stopped near Moscow, but also rolled west under attacks from fresh Soviet reserves. The Germans were also defeated in the south of the country, near Rostov-on-Don, and in the north, near Tikhvin. These failures Eastern Front aroused the ire of Hitler and the entire Nazi leadership. The Germans urgently needed a bright, demonstrative success that could symbolically crown the outgoing year of 1941. And it was precisely success at any cost that the Fuhrer demanded from the commander of the 11th Army, E. von Manstein.
On December 17, the Nazis began a decisive assault on Sevastopol, carrying out the matter with the dexterity and assertiveness characteristic of the Wehrmacht of 1941. The city's defenders fought desperately, but their strength was dwindling. The supply of reinforcements and ammunition by sea by transports and warships did not have time to compensate for the loss. Everything was heading towards the fact that in the first week of January 1942 the city would fall.
In order to pull the enemy forces away from Sevastopol, the Soviet command decided to carry out an amphibious landing on the Kerch Peninsula, thereby opening a new front in the Crimea. The Supreme High Command headquarters approved the operation plan developed by the headquarters of the Transcaucasian Front, supplementing it with a proposal from the command of the Black Sea Fleet, in addition to the planned landing sites in the Kerch area, to also land troops in the Feodosia port.
This operation went down in history as the Kerch-Feodosia operation. This is one of the largest amphibious operations carried out by the warring parties during the Second World War, and by a number of parameters the largest amphibious operation of the Soviet fleet. The lion's share of all combat-ready forces of the Black Sea Fleet and the Azov Flotilla, an impressive tonnage of transports, a number of marine infantry units, two combined arms armies (51st and 44th) and even tanks were involved in its implementation; the landing detachments included several tank companies equipped with light T-26 tanks and T-38 amphibious tankettes.
On December 26-27, landing troops were landed on several bridgeheads north and south of Kerch. Not everything went smoothly. Our troops suffered significant losses, and most importantly, they were sealed on the bridgeheads by a desperately resisting enemy. The position of the landed troops worsened over the next 2 days, when a strong storm and freezing of the Azov Sea disrupted the delivery of reinforcements and supplies to the bridgeheads. As a result, the goal of the landing troops to capture Kerch in the first three days was not achieved.
When the situation in the Kerch region became critical, Soviet naval formations with troops on board were just approaching Feodosia.
The ships of the squadron were assigned the following tasks: to land an advanced landing detachment consisting of two regiments in the port of Feodosia, to suppress enemy opposition at the landing sites with artillery fire, and to support the landing operations with artillery. To solve these problems, two detachments of ships were formed under the overall command of Captain 1st Rank N.E. Basistogo. To the landing and artillery support detachment, commanded by Captain 1st Rank V.A. Andreev, included the cruisers "Red Caucasus" and "Red Crimea", the destroyers "Nezamozhnik", "Zheleznyakov" and "Shaumyan", as well as the transport "Kuban".
A detachment of landing craft under the command of Captain-Lieutenant A.I. Ivanov was formed from the minesweepers “Shield”, “Vzryv” and 12 boat hunters of the MO-4 type. On board the ships of these detachments, the first echelon of the 251st Mountain Rifle and 633rd Rifle Regiments, numbering more than 5 thousand soldiers and commanders, was delivered.
In total, the first (assault) landing echelon consisted of 2 cruisers, 3 destroyers, 2 minesweepers and 12 MO4 boats.
After the landing of the first echelon, two detachments of transports with security forces were supposed to deliver the main forces of the 44th Army, the 263rd Rifle Division and the 63rd Mountain Rifle Division, to Feodosia. Armored vehicles were also delivered on transports: 20 light amphibious tanks T-38 and 14 tanks T-26. T-38s traveled on the Jean Zhores transport, T-26 on the Kalinin transport.
In general, the plan of the operation provided for the landing of 23 thousand soldiers of the 44th Army in three echelons in Feodosia.
In the first echelon of the landing force, a marine detachment of 600 people was formed for assault operations. It was headed by Senior Lieutenant A.F. Aidinov. The assault force was to be landed by MO-4 boats. Together with Aidinov's assault detachment, reconnaissance detachments of the fleet headquarters and the hydrographic department of the fleet, as well as adjustment groups of ships of the landing detachment and artillery support, landed in the first throw.
At 3:48 a.m. NOT. Basisty ordered the start of artillery preparation. The ships opened fire on the port and artillery batteries. The destroyers fired the first salvo of illuminating shells, followed by the cruisers.
At 4:03 a.m. The order was given to the landing craft detachment: “Boats proceed to the port!” The landing has begun.
The first to break into the waters of the Feodosia port was the boat MO-0131 (commander Lieutenant I.G. Chernyak), the second MO-013 (commander Lieutenant N.N. Vlasov) with the commander of the landing craft detachment, Captain-Lieutenant A.I. Ivanov on board. They landed marines and spotters on the Protective (Long) pier. This group was led by the commander of the small hunter detachment, Senior Lieutenant V.I. Chupov. The Marines quickly captured the lighthouse building on the pier, and then began to advance along the pier to the shore. The hydrographers who were part of this group measured the depths at the pier to determine the mooring places for ships. After the lighthouse was captured, the signal “Free entry” was transmitted from it to the ships.
Having received the signal, N.E. Basisty gave the order for minesweepers and destroyers to break into the port.
After the boats, the destroyer “Shaumyan” and the minesweeper “Shield” entered the port. At 4:26 a.m. "Shaumyan" moored at the Shirokoy Pier and began landing paratroopers. The enemy immediately concentrated fire on the stationary ship. The landing of the paratroopers took only a few minutes, but the unloading of cargo, mainly ammunition, required much more time. Several shells hit the ship. Shrapnel killed and wounded about 20 crew members. Only 20 minutes later, having completely unloaded the cargo, the Shaumyan left the port.
In no less difficult conditions The destroyers Nezamozhnik and Zheleznyakov landed troops in the port.
In accordance with the plan, the "Red Caucasus" was supposed to moor on the left side to outside A wide pier, but due to the strong squeezing wind it was not possible to carry out this maneuver immediately. At 5:08 a.m. The cruiser was hit by two mines. Their explosion killed several people. A fire started in the first pipe. An enemy shell hit the foremast and caused a fire in the area of the chart room. Emergency teams began extinguishing the fires. At 5:23 a.m. an artillery shell penetrated the armor and exploded inside the fighting compartment of the second turret.
Only at eight o'clock the cruiser was moored and the paratroopers began landing.
All this time, “Red Caucasus” fired. The cruiser's artillery, which included a 180-mm main caliber, 100-mm and 76-mm universal guns, suppressed enemy batteries located at the heights around the city, destroyed several tanks, and scattered a column of vehicles with infantry approaching the city.
At 8:15 a.m. "Red Caucasus" completed the landing, unloading equipment and moved away from the pier to the outer roadstead, from where it continued to fire according to the data from the correction posts.
The cruiser "Red Crimea" anchored in the outer roadstead, 3 cabins from the entrance to the port and from 4 hours 50 minutes. began landing troops, using first ship's watercraft, and then MO-4 boats and the minesweeper "Shield". The cruiser completed the landing at 9:30 am.
At 7.20, the Kuban transport moored in the captured port. 627 soldiers were landed from it, 9 guns, 6 mortars, 15 vehicles and about 112 tons of cargo, ammunition, food, etc. were unloaded.
Street fighting, which began around 5.00, lasted all day on December 29 until approximately 18.00 (darkness) and ended with the capture of the city. Individual groups The enemy continued to resist on December 30th.
The successful landing of troops of the 44th Army in Feodosia dramatically changed the situation on the Kerch Peninsula. The entire enemy group located in the eastern part of the peninsula faced the threat of encirclement. The command of the 11th German Army was forced to decide to withdraw its troops from the peninsula. On December 30, the enemy left Kerch without a fight. The fascist German command was forced to urgently strengthen its troops in the Feodosia direction. In early January, northwest and west of Feodosia, in addition to the 46th Infantry Division, units of the 73rd Infantry Division and the Romanian Mountain Rifle Corps were already operating. In addition, on the approach to this area were the 132nd and 170th infantry divisions, transferred from near Sevastopol, where the heroic efforts of the soldiers of the Sevastopol defensive region were thwarted by the second offensive of the Nazi troops. By the end of January 2, Soviet troops reached the Kiet-Koktebel line, where they encountered organized enemy resistance. This concluded the operation to capture the Kerch Peninsula. The Kerch-Feodosia landing operation ended with the capture of an important operational bridgehead in Crimea, the liberation of the Kerch Peninsula, the capture of important enemy strongholds in Crimea, the cities and seaports of Kerch and Feodosia, and the troops advanced 100-110 km to the west.
As a result of the operation, the position of the troops of the Sevastopol defensive region was strengthened. On January 1, 1942, the German command was forced to stop its second attack on Sevastopol and transfer part of its forces from there to the Feodosia region. The Kerch enemy group suffered heavy losses. These results were achieved thanks to the heroic actions of the ground forces and navy. The operation, carried out as part of the Red Army counteroffensive that began in December 1941, was the largest amphibious assault operation during the Great Patriotic War. Its main significance was that the enemy lost the opportunity to use the Kerch Peninsula as a springboard for penetration into the Caucasus. At the same time, it diverted part of the enemy’s forces from near Sevastopol, making it easier for its defenders to repel the second enemy assault.
When the Nazis came to the Crimean land, many Feodosians joined the partisans. For the courage shown during the Great Patriotic War and the significant labor contribution of the Crimeans in the restoration of their hometown, Feodosia was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree.
Events modern period showed that the current generation of city residents honorably preserves the memory of their fellow countrymen. On March 19, 2014, the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol became part of Russia as new entities. In recognition of the heroic merits of the defenders of Feodosia, it was awarded the honorary title of the Russian Federation “City of Military Glory.”
All books about the history of the Great Patriotic War include articles about the unprecedented Kerch-Feodosia landing operation carried out by troops of the Transcaucasian (during the battles of the landing forces - already the Caucasian) front, the forces of the Black Sea Fleet and the Azov military flotilla in the period from December 25, 1941 to 2 January 1942.
The troops of the Crimean Front were subsequently deployed on the captured bridgehead, which is the entire Kerch Peninsula. Significant enemy forces were pulled away from Sevastopol, disrupted German plan capture of Taman and advance to the Caucasus.
Many soldiers remained lying in mass graves throughout the Kerch Peninsula and the Feodosia suburbs. Many went through this harsh school - eight divisions and two brigades with a total number of 62 thousand people, more than 20 thousand military sailors. Now there are barely a few hundred people participating in the landing. These notes are based on their memories, as well as the stories of eyewitnesses of those heroic and tragic days. I have visited many settlements, mentioned in reports about the landing, placed bouquets of steppe kermek on the graves of the paratroopers.
By chance, a couple of years ago, I came across unpublished manuscripts of the famous journalist Sergei Ivanovich Titov in the Kirov region. He collected the memories of the participants back in the late 60s, but for some reason he could not publish them. Therefore, I use materials from a publicist who, alas, has left this world. From the manuscript: “On the night of December 29, at 3.48, by order of Captain I Rank Basisty, the cruisers “Red Caucasus”, “Red Crimea”, destroyers “Shaumyan”, “Nezamozhnik” and “Zheleznyakov” opened ten-minute artillery fire on Feodosia and Sarygol station. With them from Novorossiysk came the Kuban transport and 12 boats. The weather was stormy, 5-6 points, frost. On the way, the destroyer Sposobny was blown up by a mine, killing about 200 people and the entire communications of the regiment.
The Germans in Feodosia celebrated the Christmas holidays and did not expect a landing, especially in such a storm. And then, under the cover of artillery fire, hunter boats under the command of Captain-Lieutenant Ivanov broke straight into the port and began to land an assault force of 300 people.
The detachment was commanded by senior lieutenant Aidinov and political instructor Ponomarev. Destroyers entered the port behind him. The cruiser "Red Caucasus" moored directly to the pier, and "Red Crimea" stood in the roadstead and unloaded with the help of various watercraft under the furious fire of the Germans who had come to their senses...
At dawn, a cold northeast wind blew in, and a snowstorm began. But German aircraft bombed the port and the attackers. However, it was too late; the landing groups gained a foothold. The fire spotter, First Class Petty Officer Lukyan Bovt, was already on the shore, and pockets of fascist resistance were quickly suppressed from the ships. The Germans concentrated two guns and machine guns at the railway bridge. But Lieutenant Alyakin’s platoon took them with a swift attack, and the boy Mishka helped the Red Navy. He led the platoon through the courtyards of sanatoriums, bypassing the German position. Alas, no one remembered the name of the brave boy... By noon on the penultimate day of 1941, all of Feodosia was liberated, and the offensive went in a north-eastern direction. By the end of the first day, the Sarygol station was also captured. There were heavy losses here: political commissars Shtarkman and Marchenko, company commander Poluboyarov, officers Vakhlakov and Karlyuk were killed.”
“The 44th Army under the command of Major General A. N. Pervushin landed after the assault groups and developed the success of the sailors. But the fleet suffered losses: the Jean Zhores, Tashkent, and Krasnogvardeysk were sunk in the port during unloading, and the Kursk and Dmitrov were damaged. However, ships and transports delivered more than 23 thousand soldiers, more than 330 guns and mortars, 34 tanks, hundreds of vehicles, and many other cargoes to the bridgehead.”
Transport ship "Jean Zhores"
“Karagoz and Izyumovka were taken easily, but a German motorized regiment and a Romanian cavalry brigade drove our people to the heights to the north. And on December 31 it got warmer...”
“On January 15, the Germans launched a general offensive with superior forces. A terrible blow was dealt along the entire line of advance of Soviet troops - from the ground, from the air. But ours did not gain a foothold, could not bite into the frozen ground... And then there were dozens of fascist planes, wave after wave... When a bomb hit the headquarters of the 44th Army, Army Commander Pervushin was wounded, and a member of the military council, brigade commissar A. T. Komissarov, was killed , the chief of staff S. Rozhdestvensky was shell-shocked... A protracted battle at night on January 15 and all day on January 16... The Germans, with their four divisions and a Romanian brigade, broke through the defenses of our 236th Infantry Division and rushed towards the city. On January 17, we had to leave Feodosia and retreat to Ak-Monai.”
“In total, 42 thousand people and 2 thousand horses took part in the Kerch-Feodosia landing operation. Guns, tanks, cars - hundreds were transferred. Dozens of ships and vessels carried out these transfers...”
These are the records, most likely from the recollections of eyewitnesses. There is only no mention of the time after the landing, from January 2 to January 15. But one cannot think that this was a period of calm. The fighting was fierce... True, already on Ak-Monay...
Facts that few people know
The Kerch-Feodosia landing operation was the first and probably the largest in the history of the Russian Marine Corps. The assault on Feodosia from the sea is studied at special courses for American “geldings” - Marines. These are well-known facts, but many others are associated with the operation, sometimes forgotten or hitherto unpublished. For example, veterans notified me: the field commandant’s office, Gestapo and field communications were captured by a swift assault from the sea in Feodosia. Many secret documents were confiscated, including Goering’s so-called “Green Folder”. Papers from it later appeared at the Nuremberg trials and exposed the occupiers and their regime. They talked about the work of the Gestapo, and there were provisions about concentration camps.But also more interesting facts from people's lives. Separately, we need to talk about the commander of the assault squad. Arkady Fedorovich Aidinov born in 1898 in Armavir, Armenian by nationality. Since 1920 he participated in civil war, and then one of the first to master the then outlandish profession of a gas welder. Worked in the 1st Moscow vehicle fleet. A welding enthusiast, Arkady was a talented mentor and trained a whole team of gas welders. Together with his students, he assembled an armored car! An active member of Osoaviakhim, Aidinov, completed courses for command staff.
And in September 1939 he was drafted into the Red Army and participated in the liberation of Western Ukraine and Belarus. Joined the party. In 1940, he was appointed company commander of a separate engineering battalion of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet. Since May 1941 he has served in Nikolaev, in the anti-aircraft artillery of the Black Sea Fleet. This is where the war found him. Was wounded twice. After the hospital, he was sent to Novorossiysk, where he was appointed commander of an assault landing detachment with the right to recruit personnel. Aidinov recruited only volunteers into the detachment. Skillful command of the assault unit reduced losses among sailors to a minimum. After the liberation of Feodosia, Aidinov was appointed commandant of the city. He showed himself to be a talented administrator. But during the January days of the offensive of superior enemy forces, he was seriously wounded. “Aidinovtsy,” as the sailors of the detachment were called by the front-line soldiers, showed heroism worthy of a commander, covering the withdrawal of our troops. Having suffered heavy losses, they took advantage of the fire of our cruisers on the advancing German tanks, rose to their full height, unbuttoned their peacoats and rushed hand-to-hand... And stepped into immortality... But there is still no monument to these heroes, no street is named after the liberator Feodosia... I know, Arkady Fedorovich had a son, Gennady. At the beginning of the war he was 11 years old, but he could not find out whether the descendant of the glorious family was alive. Maybe he'll respond?
Does anyone know that Konstantin Simonov first read his famous poem “Wait for me...” in liberated Feodosia? This happened in the editorial office of the “Bulletin” of the army newspaper “At the storm!” on the first New Year's days of 1942. It was then that Simonov, a special correspondent for Krasnaya Zvezda, visited here, in frozen, but again Soviet Feodosia, and more than one essay came out from his pen.
I would like to remember the war correspondents who landed with the landing force and organized the release of the aforementioned “Bulletin” - on the third day of the landing. And they published it every day for two weeks with a circulation of 2000 copies under continuous bombing and shelling! The names of military commanders should go down in the history of journalism: Vladimir Sarapkin, Mikhail Kaniskin, Sergei Koshelev, Boris Borovskikh, Andrei Fadeev. Printers from local residents M. Barsuk, A. Pivko, V. Sychova, P. Morozov, A. Korzhova-Divitskaya, F. Smyk...
There are many examples of heroism in Feodosia and the surrounding area. But one is significant. Imagine: an almost continuous two-week bombardment. Waves of Junkers. The hum of engines. The roar of explosions. Death and destruction. All health resorts are in ruins, everything has been destroyed educational establishments, theater. The port and station are complete smoking ruins. Destroyed 36 industrial enterprises, two-thirds of residential buildings... And here are 35 brave ones. Red Navy reconnaissance officers. A daring night raid on a field airfield not far from Stary Crimea. A huge fireworks display made from fuel, ammunition, and aircraft debris. Of course, not all winged death machines were destroyed, because the Germans relocated almost all aircraft from near Sevastopol. But where are the names of those heroes immortalized?
Our mind, which has become practical, cannot explain either selfless raids to the rear, or disastrous hand-to-hand counterattacks. The very necessity of the landing, without air support and with weak supplies, has been called into question. Indeed, when the Germans abandoned large tank forces on January 16-17, they had nothing to oppose to ours except courage. Sailors and soldiers died under the tracks. But no one doubted it, retreating to the Ak-Monai positions, losing fellow soldiers in unequal battles.
In Kerch there is the well-known Mount Mithridates. Not many people know about the Feodosia mountain with the same name. But obelisks shot up into the sky at them.
In honor of the victory - that time, winter and fiery. In memory of those who died for the sake of this victory, in honor of the liberation of their native land. And for us, the present, who forget...
Sergei Tkachenko, "
Kerch landing operation - a major landing operation of Soviet troops in initial period Great Patriotic War. It took place from December 26, 1941 to May 20, 1942. Despite the initial success, the operation ended in major failure: three Soviet armies were surrounded and defeated. Total losses amounted to more than 300 thousand people, including about 170 thousand prisoners, as well as a significant amount of heavy weapons. The defeat of the landing party had a serious impact on the fate of besieged Sevastopol and made it easier for the Wehrmacht to attack the Caucasus in the summer.
At the end of December 1941, units of the Transcaucasian Front, with the support of ships of the Black Sea Fleet and the Azov-Black Sea Flotilla, carried out a naval landing: on December 26 in the Kerch area and on December 30 in the Feodosia area. The initial number of troops was more than 40 thousand people.
In Feodosia, the unloading of landing forces took place at the port. The resistance of the small German garrison was quickly broken, after which reinforcements began to arrive in Feodosia.
In the Kerch area, the landing was much more complicated: the infantry landed directly into the icy sea and walked to the shore in chest-deep water. Hypothermia caused heavy losses. A few days after the landing began, frost struck and most of the 51st Army crossed the ice of the frozen Kerch Strait.
At this moment, the enemy forces on the Kerch Peninsula were represented by one German division - the 46th Infantry and the Romanian regiment of mountain riflemen guarding the Parpach ridge area. The landing forces in Kerch were many times greater than the Wehrmacht forces in the area; in addition, the landing in Feodosia threatened encirclement, so the commander of the 42nd Corps, Gen. von Sponeck immediately gave the order to withdraw. Later, Manstein received an order to hold the line, but it was no longer possible to carry it out. The German troops retreated, thus avoiding encirclement, but at the same time leaving behind all their heavy weapons. For a formal violation of the order, von Sponeck was removed from command and put on trial.
The 51st Army advancing from Kerch did not advance fast enough, and the 44th Army from Feodosia moved with its main forces not to the west, but to the east, towards the 51st Army. This allowed the enemy to create a barrier at the turn of the Yayla spur - the coast of Sivash west of Ak-Monai. The defense of the line was held by the 46th Wehrmacht Division, reinforced by an additional infantry regiment, and Romanian mountain units. To strengthen the combat capability of the Romanian units, officers, non-commissioned officers and soldiers from the rear units of the German army, including from army headquarters, were included in their composition.
During the operation, the total losses amounted to 40 thousand people, of which more than 30 thousand were irrevocable: killed, frozen and missing, 35 tanks, 133 guns and mortars.
By January 2, 1942, Soviet troops completely occupied the Kerch Peninsula. Considering the weakness of the German defense, Headquarters pointed out to General Kozlov the need to quickly reach Perekop and strike at the rear of the Sevastopol enemy group.
The headquarters approved the start date for the offensive on February 26-27, 1942. By the beginning of the offensive, the Crimean Front had twelve rifle divisions, one cavalry division, several separate tank battalions with heavy KV and medium T-34 and artillery units of the RGK. Of the total number of troops, 9 divisions were part of the first echelon of the front.
The offensive began on February 27. At the same time, the Primorsky Army launched attacks from Sevastopol, but failed to break through the encirclement. The offensive on the Kerch bridgehead developed very slowly: heavy rains hampered the tanks' operations and the enemy repulsed all attacks of the attackers. Only the 18th Romanian division, on the northern section of the isthmus, did not survive. Manstein had to throw his last reserve into battle - the 213th Infantry Regiment and headquarters units. Stubborn fighting continued until March 3. The troops of the Crimean Front failed to break through the enemy defenses to the full depth.
Despite all efforts, it was not possible to achieve decisive success this time either.
At the beginning of April, reinforcements began to arrive in Manstein’s army: a tank division (22nd, etc.) appeared in its composition - 180 tanks.
At the insistence of L.Z. Mehlis, Soviet troops were concentrated in close proximity to the front line, without sufficient depth. In addition, most of the forces of the Crimean Front were concentrated in the north of the Parpach Isthmus. Taking advantage of this circumstance, the German command planned a flanking maneuver from the south (“Operation Trappenjagd”). Important role Aviation was assigned to the operation, for which purpose, by special order of Hitler, the 8th was transferred to the Crimea air fleet Luftwaffe (com. - Wolfram von Richthofen).
The offensive began on May 8. As a result of a targeted air strike, the command post of the 51st Army was destroyed, commander Lieutenant General. V.N. Lvov was killed, deputy commander, general. K.I. Baranov is seriously wounded. A feint was carried out in the north, while the main attack came from the south. As a result, within two weeks the main forces of the Crimean Front were pressed against the Kerch Strait. On May 18, the resistance of the encircled Red Army group ceased.
According to German data, the number of prisoners was about 170,000 people. The plans of the Soviet command to liberate Crimea did not come true. After the liquidation of the Crimean Front, Manstein was able to concentrate his forces against the besieged Sevastopol.
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The Kerch-Feodosia landing operation became one of the largest offensives of the Red Army on initial stage Great Patriotic War. It took place in the most difficult conditions.
As a result of the failure of the operation, the problems of the Soviet army and navy were exposed, which made it possible to avoid future mistakes. Until the Allied landing in Normandy, the Kerch-Feodosia landing operation was considered one of the largest.
Background
The occupation of Crimea began in 1941. By the beginning of autumn, the Wehrmacht captured almost the entire territory of the Ukrainian SSR. After the fall of Kyiv, hope for a counteroffensive was lost. Since most of the combat-ready armies of the entire front found themselves in the “cauldron”. The retreat to the East began. In September, the Germans were already on the outskirts of Crimea. The importance of the peninsula was well understood by both sides. Firstly, it ensured control over most of the Black Sea. Especially because of the hesitant Turkey. Which, although it supported the Third Reich, did not enter the war.
The peninsula was also a good air base. It was from it that Soviet bombers took off and carried out strategic air strikes on the Romanian oil wells. Therefore, on September 26, the Wehrmacht went on the offensive on the isthmus. Less than a month later, the peninsula was almost completely captured. Soviet units retreated to Taman. Only Sevastopol remained, whose heroic defense was still ongoing. At this time, the Kerch-Feodosia landing operation was born at the Supreme Command Headquarters.
Preparation
As a result of the withdrawal from Crimea, the only place of resistance became Sevastopol. The city held heroic defense, despite a complete blockade from land and only partial supplies by sea. The Germans launched several assaults, but all of them were unsuccessful. Therefore, the commander of Army Group Manstein decided to begin a siege. Almost all the armies were needed to surround the huge agglomeration. At the same time, the Kerch crossing was defended by only one Wehrmacht division.
The Kerch-Feodosia landing operation was developed by General Kozlov. To implement it, two armies were brought in. Within two weeks, under the leadership of General Kozlov, they developed possible ways disembarkation Due to a lack of reserves, an entire army was withdrawn from the border with Iran. As a result, the Kerch-Feodosia landing operation was scheduled for the twenty-sixth of December. The plan involved a simultaneous attack on Feodosia and the strait. Soviet troops were supposed to drive the Germans out of the city, and then surround the entire enemy group. The command was counting on a quick victory, since the main German forces were concentrated near Sevastopol. At the same time, Kerch was covered only by a small German garrison and several Romanian armies. Already at that time, the Headquarters knew that the Romanian formations were extremely unstable to massive attacks and could not conduct a long-term defense.
If successful, the Red Army would be able to destroy the enemy group in the peninsula area. This would make it possible to freely transport new units to the coast from Taman. After this, Soviet troops could quickly advance west and strike in the rear German troops, besieging Sevastopol. According to Kozlov’s plan, after the city was released, a large-scale offensive could be launched in Crimea.
First hit
The Kerch-Feodosia landing operation of 1941-1942 began on December twenty-sixth. The "auxiliary" blow was struck first. He not only fettered the enemy’s forces, but distracted his attention from the main goal - Feodosia. With the support of the Black Sea Fleet, Soviet troops secretly approached the shore. After the artillery barrage, the landing began.
The landing took place in extremely difficult conditions. The shore was unsuitable for mooring ships and barges. The Germans also managed to start shelling the attackers. Therefore, the soldiers had to jump into the water as soon as the depth was sufficient to walk. That is, on a cold December day, the Red Army soldiers walked up to their necks in icy water. As a result, there were large sanitary losses due to hypothermia. But a few days later the temperature dropped even more, and the strait froze. Therefore, the remainder of the 51st Army advanced across the ice.
The Kerch-Feodosia landing operation of 1941-1942 on the main direction began on the twenty-ninth. Unlike the landing in Kerch, the landing in Feodosia took place directly at the port. The soldiers landed on the shore and immediately rushed into battle. In total, on the first day, about 40 thousand people were landed in both directions. The German garrison of the city numbered three thousand people. Their resistance was crushed by the end of the day. After landing in Feodosia, the threat of complete encirclement loomed over the Nazis. In Kerch, the line was held by only one German division and Romanian mountain riflemen.
Retreat
Headquarters almost immediately learned about the results that the Kerch-Feodosia landing operation brought. The forces of the parties in the Kerch region were unequal. Soviet troops outnumbered German ones several times. Therefore, General von Sponeck decided to begin a retreat to the west. The order began to be executed instantly. The Nazis retreated to avoid the connection of two landing armies. However, at the front, Manstein categorically prohibited any retreat. He feared that if the Soviet troops retreated, they would be able to catch up with the German and Romanian armies and destroy them.
This was the plan of the Soviet leadership. The defeat of the Kerch garrison would lead to a shortage of German forces.
The road to Sevastopol would have been open to the Red Army. However, the landing force did not begin to advance rapidly. Instead of a quick push west, the Forty-Fourth Army moved towards Kerch to meet the Fifty-First Army. This delay allowed the Germans to gain a foothold on the new line of defense near Sivash. Reserves and heavy weapons were brought there. In Berlin they immediately began to take retaliatory measures as soon as they learned that the Kerch-Feodosia landing operation had begun. The 1st stage allowed Soviet troops to gain a foothold on the coast. However, the hardest part was yet to come.
Difficult position
After the defeat of the Germans in Feodosia and Kerch, the Red Army units were extremely exhausted. This is primarily due to the extreme landing conditions. Ice water, low temperature air and other things had a bad effect on the well-being of the soldiers. There was not a single hospital on the captured bridgeheads. Therefore, wounded soldiers could only rely on first aid. After that, they were delivered to Kerch and from there, across the sea, to the mainland. The seriously wounded were not always able to travel such a long distance.
It was also not possible to establish a crossing due to constant attacks by German aircraft. Facilities air defense were not delivered on time. Therefore, in fact, the planes did not encounter any resistance. As a result, many warships were seriously damaged.
Kerch-Feodosia landing operation: 2nd stage
In less than a week, the Red Army soldiers recaptured the entire coast. Fascist resistance was suppressed quite quickly. Due to uncertainty in the Romanian units, the Wehrmacht introduced personnel German officers. The defense along Sivash was strengthened by a reserve infantry regiment.
The main direction of attack for the Soviet troops was Railway, which provided the 11th Army of the Wehrmacht. Taking into account the weakness of the Nazi troops, the Commander-in-Chief's Headquarters ordered an immediate attack to the west. According to the plan, Kozlov was supposed to go to the rear of the Germans besieging Sevastopol and defeat them. After this, it was planned to launch another large-scale offensive and liberate all of Crimea. However, the general hesitated too long. He believed that there were still not enough resources for the throw. It would seem that the successful Kerch-Feodosia landing operation of the Soviet troops brought severe disappointment. The Nazis counterattacked.
The following month, forty-two, a new large-scale offensive was being prepared. To support it, an additional corps was landed in Sudak. Ammunition and reinforcements arrived by sea and ice. However, one of the best generals of the Third Reich was ahead of Kozlov. In mid-January, the Nazis unexpectedly began their offensive. The main blow fell on the poorly fortified front line at the junction of the two armies. Three days later the Germans reached starting positions. By the end of January 18, Feodosia had fallen. The troops recently landed in Sudak put up desperate resistance. For almost two weeks, the Red Army soldiers fought heroically and almost completely gave up their lives in battle. Cargo ships carrying supplies were destroyed. After the loss of their only port, Soviet troops could only be transported to Kerch by ice.
Preparing for a new attack
After this, the command created a separate front in Crimea.
It included armies already operating on the peninsula and new formations. Soldiers of the 47th Army were removed from the Iranian border. The command transported a significant amount of equipment. A special commissioner was sent from Headquarters. Preparations for the offensive began. It was scheduled for the end of February. The goal was the enemy grouping near Sevastopol; in fact, the Kerch-Feodosia landing operation was developed to destroy it. The Crimean front was reinforced with artillery regiments and heavy tanks throughout the month.
On the twenty-seventh of February the offensive began. It was planned to concentrate the main attack in Kerch. However, the plans were thwarted weather. It began to thaw and it rained heavily. Mud and mud prevented the advance of heavy equipment. Tanks, especially heavy ones, could not keep up with the infantry. As a result, the Germans were able to withstand the attack of the Red Army. Only on one sector of the front was it possible to break through the defense line. The Romanian army could not withstand the onslaught. But nevertheless, the Soviet troops were unable to build on their initial success. Manstein understood that a breakthrough threatened the Red Army soldiers entering the flank of his armies. Therefore, I sent the last reserves to hold the line, and this yielded results. Stubborn fighting continued until the third of March. But it was not possible to make serious progress.
The Kerch-Feodosia landing operation of the Crimean Front troops continued in mid-March. Eight rifle divisions, supported by two tank brigades, launched an offensive. At the same time, the Primorsky Army struck from besieged Sevastopol. But they failed to break through to their own people. The Germans repelled ten attacks per day. But the Nazi defenses were never broken through. Some units achieved some success, but were unable to maintain their positions. After this, the front stabilized and the intensity of hostilities decreased.
German advance
By the end of March, Soviet troops had lost one hundred and ten thousand people since the Kerch-Feodosiya landing operation began. The 3rd stage began with the German offensive.
It was planned carefully and for a long time. As a result of the unsuccessful attack of the Red Army, a front ledge (the so-called arc) was formed in the place where the Romanian division was defeated. Basic forces Soviet army concentrated right here. While in the south, only three divisions occupied the defense.
Manstein decided to make a maneuver, striking precisely to the south. For this purpose, significant reinforcements were sent to Crimea. consisting of one hundred and eighty vehicles, arrived on the outskirts of Sevastopol. The Germans conducted a thorough reconnaissance and identified weak sides defense of Soviet troops. The Nazis intended to use air power to support the planned offensive. For this, on Hitler’s personal order, an air corps was sent to the peninsula. Planes also arrived from Romania. However, the pilots of all the aircraft were exclusively Germans.
Soviet troops were located too close to the front. Many eyewitnesses of those events recall this. According to historians, it was the inept command of Kozlov and Mehlis that led to the subsequent tragedy. Instead of leaving divisions in the rear, where they would be out of the range of artillery fire, they were constantly driven forward.
Fatal defeat
The offensive began on May 7th. The ground attack was preceded by air preparation. The Luftwaffe attacked previously identified targets. As a result, Soviet troops suffered losses in many directions. The headquarters of one of the armies was destroyed. As a result of this, command passed to Colonel Kotov.
The next day the infantry offensive began. Supported by heavy tanks The Germans broke through the front seven kilometers deep. The sudden attack in this area could not be repelled. Troops also landed behind the Red Army lines. Its numbers were small, but the sudden attack from the sea caused panic among the Soviet soldiers. By May 9, Manstein brought another of his divisions into battle. The Germans managed to finally break through the front and defeat almost the entire southern group. Immediately after this, the Wehrmacht began to turn north, threatening to attack the remaining forces of the Crimean Front on the flank.
Taking into account the catastrophic situation, on the night of the tenth of May a personal conversation between Stalin and Kozlov took place. It was decided to retreat to a new line of defense. But the army left without a commander after the German air raid could no longer advance. A new blow was delivered in the direction of the Cimmerian Wall, which was assigned the role of a new line of defense. The Kerch-Feodosia landing operation of the Soviet troops failed. A German landing force from the air helped to finally break through the defenses. On May 14, the evacuation of Red Army soldiers from Crimea began. A day later, the Germans began their assault on Kerch. The city's garrison fought until it was left without ammunition, after which the city's defenders retreated to the quarries.
Kerch-Feodosia landing operation: results
The landing in Kerch initially brought success. A new front was formed, and the opportunity arose for one of the first large-scale offensives. However, inept command of the troops led to tragic consequences. Over several months of heavy fighting, the Germans managed not only to hold their positions, but also to go on the offensive. As a result, the Wehrmacht delivered a strategically thought-out blow, which led to defeat, which ended the Kerch-Feodosia landing operation. The battles are briefly described in the diaries of Kozlov and Manstein.
Despite the failure of the operation, it became a harbinger of the already victorious offensive on the peninsula in 1944.
Second attack
Two years after the tragic defeat, a new landing force landed in the Kerch port. 1944 was the year of the liberation of Crimea. When planning the offensive on the peninsula, the command considered all the details of the first operation. The Azov Fleet was used to deliver troops. The landing party was supposed to seize a bridgehead for a further large-scale offensive.
At this time, a large-scale offensive. Therefore, attacks were launched from two directions. On January 22, about one and a half thousand Red Army soldiers boarded ships and set off for Kerch. To cover the upcoming operation, Soviet artillery began a massive shelling of the coast. In this case, the greatest fire was applied not at the landing site in order to disorient the enemy. Several boats also simulated a landing.
Closer to the night of January twenty-second, troops landed in the Kerch port. 1944 was not nearly as cold as 42, so Marines did not suffer significant losses from hypothermia. Immediately after landing, the paratroopers rushed into battle and achieved significant success. A significant part of the city was captured. However, the army advancing from the other side was unable to break through German defense. Therefore, the paratroopers had to break through to their own forces on their own. During the battles, one of the battalions managed to capture 170 German soldiers. A few days later, having suffered significant losses, the Marines broke through the encirclement and linked up with the advancing units. In essence, the Kerch-Feodosia landing operation of 1941-1942 was repeated, only much more successful.