Battle of the Kerch Peninsula (1942)
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Crimea and Caucasus |
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1st Crimea – Kerch Peninsula – Adzhimushkay – Sevastopol – Caucasus – Kuban Bridgehead – 2nd Crimea |
Battle of the Kerch Peninsula (German: Unternehmen Trappenjagd) was a World War II offensive by German and Romanian armies against Soviet forces defending the Kerch Peninsula, in the eastern part of the Crimea. It was launched on May 8, 1942 and concluded around May 18, 1942 with the near complete destruction of Soviet defending forces. The Red Army lost over 160,000 men killed or taken prisoner. The operation was one of the battles immediately preceding the German summer offensive (Operation Blau), and its successful conclusion made it possible for the Axis to launch a successful assault on Sevastopol in the following months.
Some groups of Soviet survivors refused to surrender and fought on for many months, hiding in the catacombs of the quarries.