(9/10) Battlefield II The Battle of the Crimea Ep8 World War II

Videos Running Time 01:41:00 in 10 Parts

Battlefield II: The Battle of the Crimea"


This episode of "Battlefield" chronicles the German Armys campaign in the Crimea.
The campaign was conducted by the German 11th Army (XI), despite the incorrect map references to the 6th Army (VI).

The Crimea was a thorn in the belly of Army Group Souths advance on Rostov. Hitler also believed the Crimea could act as an alternative invasion route into the Caucasus. The task of conquering the Crimea would fall on Gen. Erich von Manstein. Mansteins 11th Army would consist of 4 Corps. Thirty, 49th Mountain, 54th, and the 3rd Romanian Corps were all assigned to the 11th Army. The Soviet Union would assemble a force of 235,000 men in various units.

The Battle of the Crimea officially began on September 24th, 1941. Gen. Mansteins first objective was to break resistance and breakthrough the Isthmus of Perekop. This invasion route was an obvious choice, and a necessary entrance into the Crimea. Manstein had no choice but to fight a battle of attrition in this area. Manstein achieved a breakthrough on October 28th, 1941.

The defenses of Sevastopol were extensive and well planned out. Three belts of defenses defended the approaches to the city. Manstein chose to center his offensive in the south. The Soviet defensive belt network was weaker in the south. However, the terrain was terrible. The offensive failed.

As Manstein was closing on Sevastopol, the Soviets launched attacks across the Kerch Peninsula. These attacks succeeded in pushing the Germans back. A series of excellent counter offensives succeeded; in clearing the Soviet presence out of the eastern Crimea, and inflicting 175,000 casualties on the Soviets.

After murderous attacks, bombardments and tough Soviet resistance Sevastopol fell on June 29, 1942. Gen. Manstein was promoted to Field Marshall.

In 1944 the Soviets crossed into the Kerch Peninsula once again. As the 17th Army retreated, the Soviets encircled all forces in the Crimea. When all hope seemed lost a botched seaborne extraction began. The German defense of the Crimea in 1944 was another complete Hitler influenced disaster.

Enjoy this episode of Battlefields

Category:

Education

Tags:

• World
• War
• II
• Russia
• Soviet
• Crimea
• Barbarossa
• German
• Wehrmacht
• Panzer
• Field
• Marshall
• Manstein
• 1944
• Sevastopol
• Germans
• Soviets
• Battlefield
• Hitler
• Army
• Group
• South

[TheTrickyFox1976]

Indeed, the earlier looses by the Russias were mainly Stalins fault, having purged his officer core and not tried to do anything to improve his situation by 1941. And ofc, brilliant minds like Patton, Manstein, Yamamoto and Tjujkov can only do so much. Stalin did listen to his senior commanders and took their advice, Hitler did not, so indeed you make a valid point.

[grannman]

Quite interesting to have the rolls completely reversed now the German's defending.

[678CoLoGne678]

"Liberation" of the Crimea? o.Ô ...more a change of power...

[shanghaibenny2]

@tjhoenecke

The Allies, possibly British, faked documents and leaked them to the Russians about a plot Stalin's generals were hatching to destroy him. Uncle Joe, as he was known among American government officials, swallowed it hook, line and sinker.

[tjhoenecke]

@konman001 Not arguing about that. Just pointing out when you have a wealth of documentation -- literally, not just film, mind you -- from one side, and next to nothing from the other (Stalin kept those sorts of statistics and such a closely guarded state secret), you're sort of stuck having to tell the tale from a particular vantage point.

[konman001]

@tjhoenecke - When I lived in Poland in the 80s, I saw plenty of WWII footage shot by the Russian side.

I agree that early in WW2 Russians lacked leadership (thanks to dumbass Stalin and his pre-war purges) but later on great talent like Zhukov or Chuikov got a chance at the helm and turned things around. Russians also had the T-34 - overall best tank in WW2.

I agree that Germans had great leadership & training but they also had their share of idiot commanders - Hitler being the biggest one.

[tjhoenecke]

@konman001 See my earlier comments on a previous installment on this battle. Also, documentaries on the war in Russia tend to come from the German perspective because of the sheer audacity of it. The Germans were vastly outnumbered in terms of men and tanks, but with better training, leadership, and tactics, they almost managed to topple the USSR. It took the Russians three years to cover the same territory the Germans covered in six months. Kind of hard to overlook that.

[tjhoenecke]

@konman001 See my earlier comments on a previous installment on this battle. Also, documentaries on the war in Russia tend to come from the German perspective because of the sheer audacity of it. The Germans were vastly outnumbered in terms of men and tanks, but with better training, leadership, and tactics, they almost managed to topple the USSR. Kind of hard to ignore that in favor of covering mostly human wave tactics with little regard for losses.

[gamesbok]

Sevastapol looks like a nice place. Plenty of sunshine, especially indoors.

[JIMY45GR]

meinstein was not in hitlers favor .. if a general faile d he was not good..

[skofuzen]

@vikruss Maybe if you'd paid attention to the documentary you'd realize how full of shit you are.

[skofuzen]

@toffanful Not sure if serious.