How great a success was Operation Trappenjagd (Crimea)

[Virginian]

On 8 May 1942 the Crimean Front had (numbers stand for operational):
41 KV, 7 T-34, 79 T-60, 111 T-26. Total 238 tanks.
The numbers were nearly equal. Germans received certain numbers of the newest upgunned versions of StuGs and Pz-III/IV, which might give them certain qualitative boost)
Isayev also dwells on alleged 2:1 Soviet superiority (as said in the Manstein's memoir). In fact the ration strength of the 11 Army on 2.5.42 was about 330 000 men (232 000 in Heer, 24 000 in Luftwaffe, 2 000 in Kriegsmarine and 95 000 Romanians) not counting various civil services and local collaborationist. Soviet strength in Crimea on the same day was approximately the same, of them about 250 000 men were on the Kerch peninsula, the rest in Sevastopol.

However, during Trappenjagd Manstein had one corps deployed against Sevastopol which did not participate in Trappenjagd. How much does this change the 11th Army strength at Kerch itself?

[Art]

Obviously it does change. Nevertheless I don't expect that Manstein contained Sevastopol with forces larger than the Soviet garrison. That would be counter-intuitive.
Iststärke of the 11 Army in late-April/early May was about 180 000 men. The difference with the ration strength is more than 50 000, don't know what accounts for the difference exactly.

[Art]

And some interesting stats on prisoners. On 1 May 1942 11 Army in Crimea had 23 153 Soviet POWs under its control (probably included in the ration strength above). Number of POWs taken in May 1942 - 126 000, of them 122 000 arrived to camps. Transported to the HG Sud in May - 45 074, died, shot, escaped, released and other departures - 1444, the balance of POWs under control of 11 AOK on 1 June - 100 921.
http://samlib.ru/n/nemenko_a_w/osw.shtml
122 or 126 thousand POWs is considerably less than 140 or 170 thousand you can find elsewhere, including Manstein's memoir.

[Kelvin]

About 126000 captured is more reasonable figure. German always mixed all killed, MIA and captured into figure on capture. Kerch is example. His force is too small to encircle the whole Crimean Front, only 51st Army was encircled after all and 44th and 47th Armies were defeated but they still can evacuated because German only had one mobile division 22. Pz and three infantrie divisions to block their retreat.

Given strong Soviet naval presence in Black Sea, a large number of Soviet retreated by sea into Taman peninsule albeit they lost all equipemnt just like British in Dunkirk. Building strong navies in both Baltic Sea and Black Sea was one of Soviet advantages over German. They always can transport their troop by sea. Like Odessa in Oct 1941, Black Sea fleet evacuated all five divisions of Maritime Army to Sevastopol.

[Art]

About 126000 captured is more reasonable figure.

At least more consistent with balance calculations (about 250 000 personnel on the Kerch peninsula minus about 130 000 evacuated).
From the same source the numbers of POWs taken to captivity by the 11 Army in June-July 1942 (attack on Sevastopol) was about 80 000, of the them the bulk in first days of July. Which is again less than 95-100 thousand "official" claims.

[Kelvin]

Hi, Art, in seige of city, many civilisan were recurited as labour to fortify the fortress, is it possile 80000 POW included many civilisan ? that mean in my opinion, Soviet POW is even lower than 80000 men, maybe only 50000 POW were captured. Given Russian strong seapower in the Black Sea, evacutation of the whole Maritime Army is possible when the city is about to fall.

Normally, when one fortress fell and their whole garrison under their commander would surrendered formally and the winner will get a honour. Just like the fall of Tobruk on June 21 1942, the whole garrison under Klopper surrendered to Rommel, but I don't see this situation applied to Sevasatopol. I don't know if the latter would be considered as a big victory as enemy refused to submit and just evacuated.

[Yuri]

The headquarters of 1st Flak Corps issued daily reports on the ground situation, including the situation in area of Sevastopol from beginning of the assault until its complete completion on July 7, 1942.
When I'm studied the documents of 1st Flak Corps in the Fund 500 of TsAMO (it was in 2008-2009), I remember well the following about number of prisoners taken from beginning of assault and until its completion - 50 000 military and civilian.
In message of 1st Flak Corps it was noted that the Red Army's soldiers are dressed in civilian clothes and trying to hide among the civilian population of Sevastopol, as well as seeped into the mountains.

[Art]

Hi, Art, in seige of city, many civilisan were recurited as labour to fortify the fortress, is it possile 80000 POW included many civilisan ?

Nemenko says that the count of prisoners included Sevastopol civilians: some 10 or 15 thousand. For example "according to documents of the 170 Division responsible it captured about 36 thousand prisoners, of them 9 thousand were civilians." That was probably a reason for discrepancy between claims and actual arrival of POWs. I suppose, most civilians were released soon thereafter and not taken to captivity.

[Yuri]

Hi, Art, in seige of city, many civilisan were recurited as labour to fortify the fortress, is it possile 80000 POW included many civilisan ?

Nemenko says that the count of prisoners included Sevastopol civilians: some 10 or 15 thousand. For example "according to documents of the 170 Division responsible it captured about 36 thousand prisoners, of them 9 thousand were civilians." That was probably a reason for discrepancy between claims and actual arrival of POWs. I suppose, most civilians were released soon thereafter and not taken to captivity.

Not obligatory. In 1942, there was an order to capture men in the newly-occupied settlements. In order stated: Because Russians drafted into the army men from 17 years to 55 years, in the newly-occupied localities, all males of these ages should be taken for POWs. This order has been updated several times. The age of the men to be captured changed from the beginning to 16-60 years, then to 15-65 years. Thus, a detailed study of this issue is necessary in respect of Sevastopol.

[Art]

German count of prisoners as of 19 May 1942 (about 150 000 POWs total:





On the other hand by Oberquartiermeister of the 11 Army on 24 May estimated that there were about 120 000 prisoners taken (not complete count probably):



Also casualties of the 11 Army in the Kerch peninsula

[Art]

A remark regarding 11 Army's personnel strength (which was discussed in this topic), On 1.7.1942 it reported an Iststärke equal to about 170 000 men.



Taking into account losses suffered in the assault on Sevastopol and a departure of the 22 PzD, the strength in May 42 was most probably even higher, but still short of 230-240 000 ration strength. Don't know how to explain it.

[FORBIN Yves]

A remark regarding 11 Army's personnel strength (which was discussed in this topic), On 1.7.1942 it reported an Iststärke equal to about 170 000 men.

Taking into account losses suffered in the assault on Sevastopol and a departure of the 22 PzD, the strength in May 42 was most probably even higher, but still short of 230-240 000 ration strength. Don't know how to explain it.

Very good !

[Sid Guttridge]

Those stats include no Romanians.

Sid.

[Kelvin]

... the “Groddek” Motorized Brigade

This was in fact the Romanian "col. Korne" Motorized Detachment (2 motorized cavalry regiments) plus several German mototrized companies. It played a very important role in the outcome of the battle, through its infiltration nehind Soviet lines and disrupting their retreat towards Kerch.

Hello, any ideas how many men in Groddek Motorized Brigade, or even how many German and Romanian in this Brigade ?

And Pz III possessed by 22.Pz division was Pz III 5cm L42 or L60 and their Pz IV were L24 or L43 ? Thank

[Sid Guttridge]

The Grodek Motorized Brigade was mixed Romanian and German.

The Romanians under Korne contributed 6th Motorised Rosiori Regiment, 5th Mechanised Squadron and 11th Motorized Rosiori Regiment. This was probably no more than 2,000 men.

The Germans contributed a motorized infantry company, part of 22nd Pz. Div.'s reconnaissance group, some pioneers and some light artillery and nebelwerfers.

There were probably more Romanians than Germans in the brigade, but apart from at most six R-1 light tanks, the technical arms were provided by the Germans.

Grodek was mortally wounded in 14 May and the operation was completed under Korne's command. Korne was more lightly wounded but did not have to relinquish command.

The Romanians took some 30,800 prisoners in the Kerch Peninsula for the loss of only 988 men.

The Crimea Campaign might well have been the high point of inter-Axis co-operation.

Cheers,

Sid.

P.S. See pp. 67-72 of "Third Axis, Fourth Ally" by Axworthy.