(2/10) 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

[cyb0rg2]

thanks for uploading!!!

[bearing44]

Yes I am currently reading the field marshals book. Lost Victories. God rest Field Marshal Eric Von Manstien.

[alpha001ful]

It's called "lost victories" . I got it from the library

[popper504]

@alpha001ful Was it really a great book? Please let me know. I am currently readin Panzer leader by Hienz Guderian. Alight book, I would have liked a more in depth look as to his feelings. More like troop movements. He does talk about his conferences with Hitler which i fully enjoy.

[Wittmann73]

Battle of the Titans

[mookins45]

@loewie3007 Ah, now that makes perfect sense. Thanks for looking it up, and telling me!

[loewie3007]

@KevinByrne2

Cause it was at the black sea if the russians held the defence farther north they could launch a big offensive behind the german frontline

[loewie3007]

@mookins45

i looked it further up and your right in a way that russia had manny reserves but most of them where not combat fitted soldiers older men young boys like the germans had at the end of the war

[mookins45]

@loewie3007 It seems preposterous I know, and I wouldn't repeat it except for the high level of the source- there aren't a dozen like him in this country. But I don't want to argue, or sound like a know-it-all... just putting it out there.

[loewie3007]

@mookins45

i doubt russia had an other 10 million men in reserve in the army TBH

[mookins45]

@macarthurclough A friend of mine knows a real expert on the Eastern Front, and he said yeah, Manstein was the genius commander. But, he said Hitler lost the war the day he started it- that when you look at the operational records of their offensives, the Germans just didn't have the logistical reach; he said it would've taken every truck in the German Army to reach Moscow. He also said the Western allies made almost no difference militarily, and Stalin had 1,000 reserve divisions at war's end.

[sheemsheem]

Manstien was a military beast, for sure...but wtf Japan!?!??!! guys should have helped out