Chapter 39 Capture of Sevastopol

The Eleventh Army still faced one of the most difficult tasks: the capture of Sevastopol. I had been to Hitler's headquarters once in April and had informed Hitler to his face of our intention to attack this fortress.This was the second time I had an audience with him since February 1940, when I presented my views on the Western Front offensive to him.Even at this second meeting I got the impression that he not only had a very good knowledge of all the details of the battle, but also had a thorough appreciation of the tactical explanations given to him.He listened attentively to everything I said and fully agreed with all the plans of the Eleventh Army for the Kerch offensive and the Sevastopol assault. In some cases, lots of production figures are blah blah blah blah blah.

However, at this meeting, an important issue was not discussed: that is, as far as the planned general offensive in Ukraine is concerned, whether it is feasible to use the entire strength of the Eleventh Army to attack the strong fortress of Sevastopol It is a correct and reasonable measure.Because it is difficult to make correct predictions about the success period, especially the victory in the Kerch peninsula has relieved the threat in the Crimea.The decision on this question is obviously a matter for the Supreme Command, not the responsibility of our own headquarters.Personally, I believed then, and still believe, that the Eleventh Army's decision to take Sevastopol first was correct.If we only wanted to besiege the fort, we would have to take three or four German divisions.In addition, Romanian troops, half of the Eleventh Army, remained in Crimea and could not be withdrawn.

However, when Sevastopol fell as scheduled, the Supreme Commander withdrew the Eleventh Army from the southern flank of the Eastern Front, and planned to use it on the Leningrad side, or to fill the gap on the front. Undoubtedly a wrong decision.After the fall of Sevastopol, this army should cross the Kerch Strait and enter the Kuban Peninsula according to the original plan to intercept the retreat of the enemy forces facing Army Group A from the lower Don River to the Caucasus.If the factor of time does not permit such an action, it should in any case remain in the rear of the southern wing as a general reserve.If so, the tragedy of Stalingrad may not have happened.

Immediately after the Battle of Kerch, the Eleventh Army began to regroup for the attack on Sevastopol. The 42nd Army was responsible for securing the Kerch peninsula and the southern coast of Crimea.Only one German division remained for this purpose, the 46th Infantry Division, and the rest consisted entirely of units of the Romanian Seventh Army, which consisted of the 10th and 19th Infantry Divisions, the 4th Mountain Division (formerly Fourth Mountain Brigade, although the Romanian authorities renamed all mountain brigades to mountain divisions, but in fact the strength has not increased to the standard of a division) and the Eighth Cavalry Brigade.All other forces were transferred to the Sevastopol side (note: the 22nd Panzer Division has been returned to the headquarters of Army Group South).

Doubtless it was more difficult to attack the fort now than it had been last December, and the enemy had another six months to fortify it, increase its manpower to full strength, and bring in many supplies by sea.The strength of Sevastopol's fortress does not lie in its modern fortifications (although there are some), but that the terrain is particularly dangerous, covered with countless small fortifications.These strongholds formed a thick web covering the entire region from Belbek Valley to Darkshore.Especially the whole area between Belbek Valley and Siferraya Bay has developed into a strong garrison area.

The northern line of defense began along the southern bank of the Belbek, but on the northern bank of the river, around Lyubimovka and to its north, the enemy also had a strong position.Both the valley itself and its southern bank were fired from a 305 mm battery, called the Maxim Gorki I battery, protected by thoroughly modern steel armor.The bank slope itself is covered with a thick network of works, a mile wide in depth, some of which are also concrete.Behind this strip there is a chain of fortified strongholds, connected with each other by underground fortifications, which our troops have nicknamed: Stalin, Volga, Siberia, Molotov, GPU, Chika, etc.Along the northern shore of Siferraya Bay, there is the last barrier line, which is also a defensive area composed of many strongholds, including Deniz, Don, Lenin and other strongholds, Bartenyevka (Bartenyevka) fortified The town, the old North Fort (North Fort) and the Coastal Fort, etc.In the rocky mountains overlooking the bay, the Russian army also drilled caves to store supplies and ammunition.

The eastern line joined the northern line a mile and a half east of the village of Belbek and was protected by the steep Kamyshly gorge.The northern section of this eastern line passes through the steep ridges of the Vaiza mountains, all covered with undergrowth.These jungles are dotted with countless small strongholds, some hidden in caves that cannot be reached by the attacker's artillery.The northern section of the eastern line terminates at the hanging rocks to the south and southeast of Gaytany. Going further south, the jungle gradually becomes rarer, but the terrain becomes more and more dangerous as you go to the coast, completely like a rocky mountain.On both sides of the road leading from the south coast to Sevastopol, the front of the southern fortresses was first blocked by a series of rounded hills, the tops of which had been transformed by the Russians into powerful fortresses.Veterans in the Crimean War must still remember the names of Sugarloaf, North Nose, Chapel Mount, Ruih Hill and so on.Then came the fortified village of Kamary, and finally the rocks to the northeast of Balaclava Bay.But in the autumn of 1941, when the 105th Infantry Regiment bravely captured the Balaclava Fort, the enemy retreated here and did not move.It is especially difficult to penetrate this line of crests and overhanging rocks, since these hills shield each other's flanks.

After this first line of defense, on the north of the road from Sevastopol, there is the Feykiny Height, which extends southwards as far as the coast, and is also dotted with strongholds, such as the Eagle's Nest. (Eagle's Perch) and the village of Kadykovka, among others.All these strongholds were in the advance of the enemy's strongest fortified line, which was built along the Xapun Heights.This is a series of hills with steep slopes to the east, starting from the cliffs of Inkerman, controlling the valley of the Chornaya River, and ending on the south side of Getani.It then turns southwest to block the road to Sevastopol, and finally joins the coast through the western ridge of the Windmill Hill coastal range.This Chabon position, because of the steep slope and the ability to shoot each other sideways, makes it extremely difficult for infantry to attack it. The artillery observer standing on the hill can see the entire fortress area as far as the eye can see.During the Crimean War, when Western forces attacked Sevastopol, they held this high ground against Russian reinforcements.

Even when the attacker has achieved this position of control, his difficulties are not over.Along the coast there are also coastal batteries, including Gorky II, which are protected by armor.Surrounding the city of Sevastopol itself, there is another wide semi-elliptical continuous line of defense, starting from Inkelman on the Gulf of Siferraya and returning through the Gulf of Streletskaya to the sea.It includes an anti-tank trench, a barbed wire fence and a number of bunkers, and the Crimean War cemetery to the southeast of the city has also been converted into a fortified battery. Finally, along the edge of the city there was a line of fortifications, together with several longitudinal lines, which shielded the peninsula of Khersones to the east.The Russians' well-known skill in the placement and camouflage of field emplacements was now enhanced to give them excellent opportunities for flanking fire.In addition, the rocky nature of the ground also provided excellent cover for the artillery, which could not be destroyed except by direct hits.And since we are dealing with the Russians, consideration must be given to the use of minefields, not only in front of the defense zone, but also inside.

When considering how to attack, the Eleventh Army reached the same conclusions as it had during the previous winter.We must not take any decisive action in the central region, because our two trump cards, artillery and air support, cannot fully exert their power in this jungle area, and our losses will be too great.So we can't have other options, and we can only attack from the north, northeast and the southern section of the Eastern District.This time, at least at the beginning, the main attack was still in the north. Although the enemy's fortifications in the north are much stronger than those in the south, the terrain is relatively flat.In particular, artillery and air power are much more effective in the north than in the mountains to the south.Of course it was still necessary to launch an attack in the south.First, attack from several sides at the same time and split the enemy's defense.Second, after losing the fortified area north of Siferraya Bay, the enemy may continue to hold the city itself and the Kelsen beachhead.We should remember that the task before us at Sevastopol was not only the capture of a fortress, but also the destruction of an army equal in number to ours, although materially inferior. (Note: According to the information obtained by the Eleventh Army, the battle order of the Russian army in the fortress area at that time was as follows: Coastal Army Command, Commanded by General Petrov (Gen‧Petrov), under the jurisdiction of the 2nd and 20th 5. The 95th, 172nd, 345th, 386th, 388th and other infantry divisions, the 40th cavalry (foot) division, the 7th, 8th, 79th and 3rd Marine Brigades. Those divisions that were defeated in the past are now fully replenished.)

In the last winter attack, one of the basic principles was to gain control of the harbor as early as possible, and it was equally important.But as long as the Eleventh Army can still get the support of the Eighth Air Force, the enemy can no longer freely obtain supplies from the sea. The above is the basic consideration when the Eleventh Army drew up its combat plan, and its code name was named: Sturgeon. Our intention is to attack the northern line of defense and the southern section of the eastern line of defense, while the middle section between Mekensia and Verkh Chorgun is only intended to contain the enemy .In the northern sector the first targets are the northern shore of Siferraya Bay and the highlands around Gaetani; in the southern sector it is hoped to capture the road from the south coast and Balaklava to Sevastopol Controlling heights in Chabon positions on both sides. The attack in the north is in charge of the 54th Army, which has four infantry divisions under the jurisdiction of the 22nd, 24th, 50th and 132nd infantry divisions. Tettau, Sehmidt, and Lindemann.Plus a reinforced 213th Infantry Regiment.The order received by the army was to concentrate its forces absolutely in the main direction of attack, that is, to attack the high ground north of the eastern part of Siferraya Bay.All parts bypassed in fortified areas should be pinned down so that they can be captured from the rear as far as possible later.The left wing of the army was ordered to occupy the Getani Heights and the ground southeast of it in order to open the way for the Romanian Mountain Army to advance southward. The attack in the south was under the command of the 30th Army, which included the 72nd and 172th Infantry Divisions and the 28th Light Division.The division commanders were Muller|Gebhard, Sander and Sinnhuber.Its first task was to obtain a starting position and an artillery observation post for the advance towards Chabon Heights.To achieve this goal, it is necessary to first capture the enemy's forward defense zone based on the strongholds of North Nose, Chapel Hill, Ruin Hill, Kamari, and High Cliff (south of Kamari), and eliminate the enemy from the south. Flank fire from the rocky plateau east of La Clava.To solve this problem, the 72nd Infantry Division should advance along both sides of the road to Sevastopol, while the 28th Light Division, according to its special formation, should capture the northernmost part of the mountains east of Balaclava Bay. vertices.The 170th Division is temporarily reserved as a reserve team.Because the terrain in this area is particularly treacherous, the task referred to here can only be solved by a very carefully prepared local attack. Sandwiched between these two large shock armies, the Romanian Mountain Army's initial mission was simply to pin the enemy in its own front.In particular, the Romanian 18th Division was to carry out a partial attack and artillery bombardment to protect the left flank of the 54th Corps from flank attacks from the south.Further south, the 1st Romanian Mountain Division was supposed to capture the summit of Sugar-Target, supporting the northern flank of XXX Corps. When making artillery preparations, the Eleventh Army did not use the violent barrage that the opponent is used to.Given the peculiarities of the terrain and the sheer number of enemy fortifications, this method could not be expected to have any decisive effect, and we had not so much ammunition to expend.Instead, preparations were made five days before the infantry assault began, beginning with an air attack and a full-scale artillery bombardment targeting enemy supply lines and known concentration points of reserves.in the next five days.Our artillery continued to use accurately observed firepower to destroy the enemy's artillery positions and soften the enemy's positions in the most advanced defense area.During this phase, Eighth Air Force continued to attack city ports, supply depots and airfields. It is now necessary to say something about our artillery strength.Naturally, the Eleventh Army had requested all available artillery to participate in the attack, and the Army Headquarters also provided the heaviest artillery. The Army Artillery Commander of the Fifty-Fourth Army was General Zhou Ketorte (Gen‧Xuckertort), who commanded a total of fifty-six heavy and medium artillery companies, forty-one light and eighteen mortar artillery companies , plus two battalions of assault artillery.A total of 121 artillery batteries, and two observation battalions for support.Heavy siege artillery has cannons with a caliber of 190mm; howitzers and heavy howitzers have calibers of 305mm, 350mm, and 420mm respectively.There are also two special 600mm cannons and the famous 800mm Dora cannon (Big Dora).Originally designed to bombard the strongest parts of the Maginot Line, the troll was never completed in time for operations on the Western Front.In terms of technical achievement, it is a miracle.Its barrel was ninety feet long, and its carriage was two stories high.It took sixty trains to get it into the shooting position, which was on a special railway track.Often two regiments of anti-aircraft artillery were used to protect it.There can be no doubt that the true effectiveness of a cannon of this size is out of proportion to the effort and cost involved in its manufacture.Nevertheless, one of its shells knocked out a huge ammunition depot buried ninety feet below natural rock on the northern shore of Siferraya Bay. The artillery of the XXX Corps was commanded by Gen. Martinek, a distinguished artilleryman who had been a general in the Austrian Army.Unfortunately, he later died on the Eastern Front when he was promoted to commander.The corps consisted of twenty-five heavy and medium artillery batteries, twenty-five light artillery batteries, and six mortar batteries, as well as an assault artillery battalion and two observation battalions.Also attached to the 300th Tank Regiment, its tanks are remote-controlled and equipped with high explosives. The Romanian Mountain Army has a total of twelve medium and twenty-two light artillery batteries for its diversionary tasks. The commander of the Eighth Air Corps, General Lichtöfen, has again transferred part of his anti-aircraft artillery regiment to ground artillery, which is a welcome deed for the assault artillery as a whole. During the Second World War, on the German side, there was no greater concentration of artillery, especially large-caliber guns, than the attack on Sevastopol.However, if compared with the number of artillery used by the Russian army when seeking breakthroughs in open areas, it is nothing but a big witch!In the Battle of Sevastopol, the attacking army deployed a total of 208 batteries of artillery (excluding anti-aircraft guns) on a front twenty-two miles long.This equated to an average of less than ten batteries per mile of front, although of course the ratio was higher in actual assault areas.However, in the Russian offensive in 1945, the standard set was 400 frontal guns per mile of assault! A few days before the attack, I made a short tour of the south bank to monitor more closely the preparations of XXX Corps.Our command post is located in a small palace on the cliffs of the Black Sea, which was originally the property of a grand duke.On the last day I made a reconnaissance along the coast as far as the vicinity of Balaclava in our only warship, an Italian patrol boat (E | boat).My object was to see how much of the coast road could be bombarded from the sea, since all our reinforcements and supplies must pass by that road.In fact, the Russian Black Sea Fleet did not risk such an action because of fear of our air force. When we returned, we were hit by an unexpected blow near Yalta.Without warning, machine-gun and artillery shells suddenly rained down on us from the sky.There were two Russian fighter jets strafing us against the sun, their sounds drowned out by the powerful engines of our own ship, so we didn't notice it beforehand.Seven of the sixteen people on board were killed or injured within seconds.The heat of the flames made the torpedoes hanging outside the ship in danger of exploding.The captain, a young Italian ensign, was very commendable in his efforts to save us and the ship.Ignoring the threat of mines, my adjutant jumped into the water and swam to the shore, where he stopped a truck naked and rushed back to Yalta City, found a motorboat, and towed our boat back to the harbor.This is a bad trip.An Italian naval petty officer was killed and three sailors were wounded.The port commander of the port of Yalta, Captain Wedal (Capt‧V‧Wedal) was also killed.But lying at my feet was my closest comrade-in-arms, the pilot Fritz Nagel, who was badly wounded in the hip.The Italian second lieutenant tore off his own shirt to make a makeshift bandage, but it still couldn't stop the blood from flowing through the artery. Nagel has been my driver since 1938.We have always lived together, closer than family.He had already been wounded once by my side when I was in the 56th.During these days, he was a loyal subordinate and became a true friend.As soon as we landed, I rushed him to the hospital.Although an operation was performed, the young man died at night due to excessive blood loss.We buried him in Yalta's cemetery, along with all other comrades who died in battle.It hangs high above the sea and is perhaps the most scenic spot on this coastline.I sent a copy of the condolences I gave at his burial to his parents. But war waited for no one, not even his thoughts.A few days later, the tactical headquarters of the Eleventh Army, already reduced to a minimum number of men, established a command post behind the front at Sevastopol.That place is called Yukhary Karales, a small Tartar village situated in a narrow valley between rocky mountains.The Russians probably already knew that a headquarters with its communications department had been moved there, because every night their planes came to drop bombs, but luckily they never hit.Above this village is the Cherkess|Kermen mountain range, on the top of which the Goths once built a fortress, and we have established an observation post there.We were there during the night of June 6th, so that the next morning we could personally watch the infantry assault along the whole line.In a small shelter next to the observation trench, I spent the quiet eve of the storm with the Chief of Staff, the Chief of Operations and Intelligence, and the Adjutant. At dawn on June 7, our artillery began to fire violently as a prelude to the infantry attack.At the same time, the air force also attacked its designated targets one after another.The sight before our eyes was unbelievable, because in modern warfare, the opportunity for an army commander to see his entire battlefield at a glance is really rare.Looking to the northwest we can see the area south of the Belbek valley and to the west we can see the Getani plateau.Behind it is Siferraya Bay.Even when the weather is good, you can also see the Kelson Peninsula.To the southwest, you can see the Chabon Plateau and the rocky mountains on the coast.At night, you can see the flashes of enemy artillery fire, and in the daytime, you can see the explosion smoke of our heavy shells and bombs.This is a wonderful sight! In the battle of Sevastopol, it was not just an attacking corps confronting an enemy force at least equal in number, nor was it just modern artillery and air force against fortresses of concrete and granite, This is the spiritual victory of the German soldiers with all their courage, initiative, and self-sacrifice.The Russian army not only occupies a favorable location, but is also very tenacious, coupled with the hard pressure of the Russian system.This bitter battle lasted for a month, and the heat was unbearably hot, reaching 106 degrees Fahrenheit even in the early morning.The achievements of our army in this battle are indeed impressive, but limited by the space here, they can only be briefly described. On the right flank of the Fifty-fourth Corps, the 132nd Division was ordered to cross the Belbek Valley and attack the controlling heights on its south bank, leaving temporarily the enemy's bridgehead at Lynbymovka.On its left, the 22nd Infantry Division was tasked with advancing from the east, through the Kamyshly ditch, into the south of the Belbek River, and clearing the way for the 132nd Division to move across the valley.Further to the left, the 50th Infantry Division advanced through Kamihiri, then joined the attack from the southwest.On the extreme left of the corps, the 24th Infantry Division was to attack the Getani Heights through the mountainous jungle area, while its left flank was covered by the Romanian 18th Division. With the overwhelming support of powerful assault artillery and the onslaught of air forces, it was possible on the first day to cross the Kamihiri ditch and the Belbek valley and gain a foothold on the controlled heights south of the latter.The first task of the XXX Corps in the south was to gain a jumping-off position for its own attack, which was scheduled to start a few days later on either side of the road to Sevastopol. The second phase of the offensive did not end until June 17. Every inch of ground was contested on both fronts. Every blockhouse and every trench had to go through bloody battles. The Russian army repeatedly launched counterattacks in order to win back what it lost.Whether it is a large stronghold or a small bunker, they will often fight until the last person hits the bullet.Although the main responsibility for the fighting rested with the infantry and sappers, the forward observation posts of the artillery deserved special mention, since it was chiefly because they directed the fire that individual strongholds and bunkers could be brought down.Combined with the assault gun, they become the best assistants of the infantry. On June 13, the 16th Infantry Regiment of the 22nd Division captured Fort Stalin, where the previous winter's offensive had stalled.A wounded soldier shouted loudly: Now that we have captured Stalin, we will die in peace!From this, we can imagine the morale of our army. On June 17, our army paid a heavy price and finally created a deep wedge in the fortification area to the north.Positions in the second line of defense, such as Chika, GPU, and Volga, have all fallen into our hands. On the same day, the 30th Army also rushed into the forward defense zone in front of Chaben's position.In the bitter battle, the 72nd Division captured Beibi, Chapel Hill and Ruin Hill, while the 170th Division captured Kamari.To the north of the army, after a series of defeats, the Romanian 1st Mountain Division finally conquered the Sugarloaf Mountain.On the other hand, the 28th Light Division made very slow progress on the rocky hills along the coast, the so-called Rose Hill and Vermilion 1 and 2, etc., because that could only take In the form of leapfrog, from one point to another, the loss is quite heavy. Although we have paid such a high price for these successes, the future of the offensive is still not optimistic.The stamina of our own troops has also been significantly reduced.With regard to the Fifty-fourth Army, the 132nd Division must be withdrawn temporarily and replaced by the 24th Division. At the same time, the Eleventh Army was also oppressed by the Army Headquarters, thinking that unless it could capture Sevastopol quickly, it would withdraw the Eighth Air Force to support the Ukrainian offensive.We firmly believe that it must be done at all costs until the final success, and the retention of the Eighth Air Force is a necessary condition.In the end, our opinion prevailed.But at that time, seeing that the strength of our infantry is weakening day by day, who can guarantee that this fortress can fall as soon as possible?Realizing that our own troops were in danger of being exhausted prematurely, the Eleventh Army asked for an additional three-regiment infantry army headquarters to approve this time.They should at least be able to arrive at the last minute. In the current environment, we can give full play to the attacker's only advantage in both armies, that is, he can arbitrarily move the direction of his main attack, so that the enemy can be attacked by surprise. The 54th Army turned westward, using the 213th Infantry Regiment and the 24th Division as the main attack force.Under the leadership of Colonel Col‧Hitxfeld, the 213th Regiment captured the Gorky 1 Fort.One of its cannons had long been rendered useless by a direct hit from our siege guns.The other door was blown up by sappers.However, the defenders resisted stubbornly and did not come out to surrender until our engineers blew through the fortress.By June 21, the 24th Division had been able to wipe out all its remaining enemy forces along the northern part of the west coast until it defended the fort at the exit to Shiferraya Bay. On the XXX Corps side, too, an important success was achieved on June 17 due to the sudden change in focus of the attack.The army decided to suspend the offensive in the north and concentrate its forces on a surprise attack on the south of the road.The 72nd Division crossed the enemy positions, and its reconnaissance battalion, under Major Baake, advanced as far as Eagle's Nest in front of the Chabon line.On the morning of June 18, the battalion captured Eagle's Nest and held it until reinforcements arrived.After that, we can penetrate the enemy's defense system to the north. In the subsequent third stage, due to the sudden shift of the focus of the attack, success was again achieved, especially in the artillery part.On the north side the first objective, Shifer Raya Bay, has been fully reached; on the south side the jump position for the assault on the Chabon front has been taken. On the northern side, all artillery fire was concentrated to enable the 24th Division to capture the peninsula fortress controlling the exit from Shifer Raya Bay.The strongest among them is the ancient stronghold known as North Fort.The 22nd Division took control of the high cliffs overlooking Shifer Raya Bay.In the railway cave on the dividing line between the 22nd and 50th Divisions, there had been fierce fighting, and the enemy had launched a counterattack here with a brigade recently brought in by cruisers.Finally, the exit was broken through with shells, and the cave was captured.Hundreds of Russian soldiers came out of them, but there were many more civilians, including women and children.It is especially difficult to clear those underground warehouses on the north shore.They are all equipped with steel doors, and under the oppression of the political commissars, the Russian troops in them will never surrender.We have to blow them up one by one.The 50th Division had also reached the eastern end of Shiferraya Bay after a hard fight in the jungle and occupied the Gaetani highlands enough to control the mouth of the Chornaya valley.To its left, the right wing of the Romanian Mountain Army found its way through the jungles of the southeastern hills of Getani.General Rascal (Gen‧Tascar) was the soul of this advance. He was captured in Stalingrad later. The 30th Army also suddenly changed the direction of its attack and achieved new gains. Taking advantage of the favorable situation in which the 72nd Division captured the Eagle's Nest, it turned the 170th Division from the south and attacked Fedakini ( Fedyukiny) highlands.The enemy's eyes were looking east, thinking that our army was about to attack Chabon Heights itself, and so were taken by complete surprise, enabling the division to capture the heights fairly quickly.A firm base was thus obtained for a decisive attack on the Chabon line. In the past few days, the left flank of the Romanian Mountain Army (1st Mountain Division) has also made considerable progress. On the morning of June 16, the Eleventh Army found that almost the entire surrounding area of ​​​​the fortress had been captured.The enemy has been driven into the interior of the fortress. The northern front is formed by the cliffs on the southern shore of Shiferraya Bay, while the eastern front starts from the Inkelmann Heights and follows the Chabon Mountains to Barak. until the rocky shore around Laval.The Eleventh Army will now decide how to break through the inner circle of the fortress.It is clear that the enemy in Sevastopol will continue to resist to the end, and they show no sign of being ready to withdraw.On the other hand, while the enemy's reserves may have been largely exhausted, the German offensive capabilities were at the same time exhausted.In the last few weeks, I have been inspecting various military headquarters, artillery command posts, divisions, regiments, battalion headquarters, artillery observation posts, etc. every morning and afternoon.I can say that I know the situation of the troops very well. Some regiments have only a few hundred men left. I still remember that when a company withdrew from the front line, it had only one officer and eight soldiers left. So how do we end this Sevastopol battle now?In front of the Fifty-Fourth Army is Shiferraya Bay, and in front of the Thirty Army is Chabon Highlands, which are easy to defend and difficult to attack.The ideal solution at this time seems to be to shift the focus of the entire offensive to the 30th Army on the southern flank.In fact, this is exactly impossible. It will take several days to mobilize these divisions specifically. Within this time, the enemy will have the opportunity to restore his strength.In the front-line area, there is only a narrow road connecting the two areas, which we spent a lot of effort in the previous winter and completed the construction in the mountains.In any case, it cannot bear the weight of heavy artillery, and it will take at least several weeks to send that much artillery and ammunition to the south by detour through Yalta.It should also be borne in mind that the Supreme Command wanted to withdraw the Eighth Air Force from the Crimea as early as possible. As soon as the 22nd Division reached Siferraya Bay, I went ahead and inspected each of its regiments in order to get a general bird's-eye view of the situation from an observation post on the north shore.Ahead of me lay a narrow stretch of water, between half a mile and a thousand yards wide, where the whole Russian fleet used to anchor.On the other side, at the right end is the city of Sevastopol.Straight ahead is a rocky wall.The enemy positions above were as dense as a beehive.It seems to me that from here, that is, from the side, it should be possible to hit the pivot of the Chabon line, since it seems impossible for the enemy to expect us to attack across Siferraya Bay. When I first discussed the plan with Fifty-Fourth Corps and some of its junior commanders, most of them shook their heads in disbelief.How, they asked, could the assault boats have been able to cross such a wide surface of water in the face of enemy fortifications and firepower?And even if they crossed over, the way to go ashore was limited to one or two canyons, all of which were blocked by enemy fire.But just as it seemed impossible, if one could attack across Siferraya, the enemy would be surprised, and that was the key to success.So in spite of all opposition, I insisted on my plan, especially since I was not personally able to participate in this kind of risky work because of my personal status, so this decision was all the more difficult.However, once the decision is made, all the relevant personnel can do their best to carry out the order.Here, the sappers should be commended in particular, and they had already performed well in the previous bunker battles. The general offensive against the inner layers of the fort was scheduled to begin on the morning of June 29th.第五十四軍越過席費爾拉亞灣，第三十軍則攻擊查本高地。早在六月二十八日，第五十師即已渡過了卡爾拉亞河的下游，並攻克了英克爾曼。在這裡所發生的一個悲劇可以證明共產黨的絕滅人性。在岩洞中住著幾千名傷兵和難民，當我們進入英克爾曼時，俄軍自己加以爆破，所有的人都活埋在岩洞之中。這可證明他們是如何視人命如草芥。 在二十八日到二十九日之間的午夜中，我們準備渡過席費爾拉亞灣，所有的人員心裡都感到十分緊張。為了掩蔽北岸的一切噪音，第八航空軍持續不斷地對塞瓦斯托波爾城實行空襲。所有的炮兵都在屏息以待，只要南岸敵軍一有任何火力發出，表示他們已經有發現我方行動的可能性時，馬上就應向南岸的岩頂敵方陣地開始作猛烈的轟擊。但是對岸上卻毫無聲息，我們對於突擊船下水和裝載的工作，都絲毫不曾受到阻擾。上午一點鐘，第二十二和第二十四兩師的第一波兵力開始向對岸進攻。這一次渡河的工作，明顯使敵人受到了絕對的奇襲，結果也就獲得了完全的成功。等到敵人的守軍開始採取行動時，我們的步兵也已經在對岸上站穩了腳跟。他們爬上了絕壁，將敵軍的武器逐一擊毀。於是查本陣地的側面也就開始脫了鉸鏈。 在第五十四軍的左翼方面，第五十師與新加入的第一百三十二師（它已由第四十六師的步兵團所填補），從格塔尼附近和其南面的位置上，突擊英克爾曼與其南面某點之間的高地。這個攻擊受到席費爾拉亞灣北岸炮兵側射火力的支援，而羅馬尼亞山地軍右翼也加入行動。 第三十軍也在拂曉時，開始向查本戰線作其決定性的挺進，由第五十四軍的遠程炮兵和空軍的集中攻擊來加以支援。當利用其炮兵造成一種幻象，使敵人以為我們是採取寬廣的攻擊正面時，第三十軍卻已經集中第一百七十師在費德賈克尼（Fedjukiny）高地附近的一個極小地區中，當作一個任務部隊。後者在突擊炮、第三百坦克團和一個高射炮兵團的支援之下，不久即達到了公路兩側的高地。利用敵方的混亂情況，該師向北、西、南三方面儘量擴張，以便該軍可以將其他的師送上高地的頂點。 我們渡過了海灣，英克爾曼高地已經陷落，而第三十軍也已經透入查本陣地，所以塞瓦斯托波爾要塞的命運也就已經註定了。此後的苦戰既不能挽救守軍的最後失敗，而對於俄軍的全盤作戰情況也毫無補益。甚至於從軍事榮譽上來看，也無此必要。因為俄國軍人的表現早已夠英勇了！但是其政治制度卻要求這種無目的的苦戰再繼續打下去。 當他們攻佔了海灣南岸的岩壁之後，第五十四軍的各師也就進入了該城的周邊。所以當其一部份兵力向南攻擊，以肅清這個周邊防線時，該軍的主力也就能夠向西旋轉，直接進攻周邊要塞和城市的本身。等到著名的馬拉柯夫堡（Fort Malakoff）攻陷在克里米亞戰爭中，曾經為它付出了大量的鮮血代價第五十四軍也就進入了塞瓦斯托波爾的城內。 此時，在六月二十九日尚未過去之前，第三十軍的第二十八輕型師和第七十二步兵師本是在寬廣正面擔負著佯攻的任務，現在也透過第一百七十師向前挺進。等到他達到了後者已經攻佔了的查本陣地之後，就馬上以攻佔克爾森半島為目的，成扇形展開。 第二十八輕型師攻克了英軍墳場，突破了塞瓦斯托波爾東南面的周邊要塞圈。俄軍已經把這個墳場發展成其周邊防線中的一個主要據點，紀念英軍的大理石紀念碑現在早已變成了廢物。這一次戰鬥中的新死者，就臥在被炮彈炸開了的墳墓之上。於是該師向城南挺進，以便從西南攻入該城，制止敵人的突圍。 第一百七十師的目標為克爾森半島西面極端的燈塔。第七十二師則沿著南海岸前進。它向南卷過查本陣地，首先攻下風磨山，然後攻佔通往塞瓦斯托波爾的主要道路以供該軍之用。跟在它的後面即為羅馬尼亞第四山地師，它從後面包圍巴拉克拉伐附近的敵陣，俘獲了一萬人。 根據我們的經驗，可以假定敵人必然會在塞瓦斯托波爾的城內作最後的苦戰。史達林的命令從無線電中一再傳來，要守軍打到一人一彈為止，而我們也知道所有的平民人口都會被徵集參加作戰。 我們的司令部若不考慮到此種可能性，則對於第十一集團軍的官兵而言，就要算是有虧職守了。在城內的巷戰將會使攻擊軍受到更重的損失。所以在各師尚未繼續進攻之前，我們就命令炮兵和空軍先行儘量轟擊。其目的是要使敵人認清，他們不要再希望從巷戰中使我們流更多的血液。 所以從七月一日開始，我們對該城周邊和城內的敵方據點不斷集中轟擊。不久偵察機就報告說不會再有進一步的嚴重抵抗了。轟擊才停止，各師繼續前進。似乎敵人已經在前一夜中，將其主力撤向西方。 但是苦戰卻仍未結束。雖然俄軍已放棄了該城，其目的只不過是想在克爾森半島上繼續作困獸之鬥而已或者是為了想執行史達林的死拼到底的命令，或者是希望乘黑夜等海軍救出一部分人員。事實上，只有極少數的高級指揮官和政委被魚雷快艇接出，包括其集團軍司令彼特羅夫將軍在內。當他的繼任者也想用同樣的方式逃走時，卻為我方的義大利巡邏艇所截獲。 克爾森半島的最後戰鬥直到七月四日為止。當第七十二師攻克了高爾基二號炮臺之後，其他各師也就把殘敵逐漸逐到了半島的頂點上。俄軍曾經一再企圖向東突圍，希望能加入亞拉山地中的遊擊隊中。他們一再向我方猛衝，其損失非常可怕。最後，敵軍的殘部都躲在海岸上的大岩洞中，想等候海軍的營救，結果卻還是落空了。當他們於七月四日投降時，僅僅從這一小塊地面上就鑽出了三萬人。 在這個要塞地區中，我們一共收容了九萬多名俘虜，敵軍的死亡數字更是幾倍於我們。所俘獲的戰利品是多到了無法計算。一個具有天然形勢的堅強要塞，在整個集團軍的防禦之下，已經終於陷落了。從作戰的觀點來看，把第十一集團軍用在東線南翼上，以擴張德軍的大攻勢，正是時候。 七月一日的夜間，我和幾個最接近的僚屬，駐在亞克哈里卡拉里斯（Yukhary Karales）的指揮所中，那是一個韃靼人的小村。我們正在回想這幾個月來的戰鬥經過和那些已經不再在我們身邊的戰友。從無線電中聽到了最高統帥部對攻克塞瓦斯托波爾所發表的特別公報。不久之後，電動打字機中又傳出了下述的命令： 收件人：克里米亞集團軍司令曼施坦因上將 為了感謝你在克里米亞境內的奇功，我現在升你為元帥，並對於所有參加克里米亞戰役的人員頒發一種紀念臂章。我代表全國人民對於你所指揮的部隊的英勇成就表示極大的敬意。 hitler