6538 The Siege of Sevastopol and the Crimea Campaign 1941-42
Hans Seidler & Dmitriy Zgonnik
The Charge of the Light Brigade is a famous event that took place
during the Battle of Balaklava in the Crimea in the mid-1800s.
However, this region was the site of even more destructive fighting
between Germany and Russia in WWII. Concord’s latest book presents
in some detail this particular campaign in the 1941-42
timeframe.
The attacking German 11.Armee was commanded by Generalfeldmarschall
Erich von Manstein, and his goal was to overrun the Crimean
Peninsular and take Rostov. The battle was joined on 24 September
1941, with the capture of the naval fortress of Sevastapol on the
southwestern tip of the peninsular set to be the ultimate prize.
The Russian Black Sea Fleet defenders fought bitterly as they
reinforced the defenses of Sevastapol and the Crimea. As the
fighting wore on, Soviet troops launched counterattacks during the
winter of 1941/42. A series of thrusts and counter-thrusts ensued,
with Germany only able to clear the Crimea on 18 May 1942. Manstein
was able to set his sights on Sevastapol, with its defenses
including pillboxes, gun emplacements, anti-tank ditches,
minefields and wire entanglements. Although German units encircled
the city and an 80cm “Gustav” railway gun and 60cm Mörser Karl
bombarded the city, it took weeks of fighting before the second
defensive line was breached during Operation Sturgeon Catch. The
city was bombarded mercilessly until it finally fell on 3
July.
This volume by Hans Seidler is brimming with black and white
photographs that portray soldiers embroiled in this vicious
fighting. The sharply reproduced photographs show mostly German
personnel and their vehicles and weapons. Each photo is well
captioned with pertinent details about uniform and equipment. The
centerpiece of the book is four color plates by the talented
illustrator Dmitriy Zgonnik. These pictures show German infantrymen
in typical dress as they fought in the Crimea, with detailed
explanation given about their equipment and dress. This informative
volume will educate readers on an important campaign of WWII,
providing a welcome reference for military history buffs.
Format 21 x 28 cm, Paperback, 52 Seiten, 138 s/w-Fotos, 4
Farbtafeln, englischer Text, Best.-Nr. Con6538