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A review by komet2020
Sevastopol 1942: Von Manstein's Triumph by Robert Forczyk
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
For all of its 96 pages, SEVASTOPOL 1942: Von Manstein's Triumph is a concise and comprehensive account of the extensive German siege of the great fortress port city of Sevastopol in the Crimea during the Second World War. The author fully lays out to the reader the respective orders of battle and strategies employed by the Wehrmacht and the city's Soviet defenders (land, air, and naval units) in what proved to be a bloody, vicious, and prolonged campaign.
In Nazi Germany's quest to conquer the Soviet Union and avail itself of its considerable natural resources, Hitler ordered Army Group South in late July 1941 to conquer the Crimea to safeguard the vital Ploesti oil fields in Romania from air attack by the Red Air Force. (In the early stages of Operation Barbarossa - the invasion of the Soviet Union - the Red Air Force had mounted a raid on Ploesti, which caused significant damage to the oil fields there. Hence, Hitler's determination to conquer the Crimea, thus securing his southern flank.)
The siege of Sevastopol itself consisted of two phases. The first phase took place from late October to December 1941. The book shares with the reader what the Germans had to contend with in trying to get through the extensive Soviet defensive network arrayed around Sevastopol. There were considerable logistical issues that arose for the Wehrmacht as the Germans tried to put a chokehold on the city and defeat its Soviet defenders.
What I found interesting in reading about the siege of Sevastopol is the significant role that was played by both the Soviet Black Sea Fleet and Soviet naval infantry units in bolstering the defense of the city throughout the campaign. I was surprised to learn that Germany had, by contrast, a paucity of naval units of its own in Southern Russia and had to call upon the Italian Navy with its motor torpedo boats and other warships to help it in its efforts to capture Sevastopol.
The book is also made up of lots of photographs, illustrations, and maps detailing the movements of both German and Soviet forces during various phases of the campaign.
By June 1942, Germany renewed its efforts -- through an infusion of infantry, artillery, and Luftwaffe units -- to crush the Soviets and secure Sevastopol, which was achieved by early July after the Soviet high command, no longer able to maintain its hold in the Crimea against superior German forces, issued orders to evacuate its senior military and civilian leaders from the area.
For anyone interested in gaining a basic understanding of the Siege of Sevastopol, I highly recommend this book.
In Nazi Germany's quest to conquer the Soviet Union and avail itself of its considerable natural resources, Hitler ordered Army Group South in late July 1941 to conquer the Crimea to safeguard the vital Ploesti oil fields in Romania from air attack by the Red Air Force. (In the early stages of Operation Barbarossa - the invasion of the Soviet Union - the Red Air Force had mounted a raid on Ploesti, which caused significant damage to the oil fields there. Hence, Hitler's determination to conquer the Crimea, thus securing his southern flank.)
The siege of Sevastopol itself consisted of two phases. The first phase took place from late October to December 1941. The book shares with the reader what the Germans had to contend with in trying to get through the extensive Soviet defensive network arrayed around Sevastopol. There were considerable logistical issues that arose for the Wehrmacht as the Germans tried to put a chokehold on the city and defeat its Soviet defenders.
What I found interesting in reading about the siege of Sevastopol is the significant role that was played by both the Soviet Black Sea Fleet and Soviet naval infantry units in bolstering the defense of the city throughout the campaign. I was surprised to learn that Germany had, by contrast, a paucity of naval units of its own in Southern Russia and had to call upon the Italian Navy with its motor torpedo boats and other warships to help it in its efforts to capture Sevastopol.
The book is also made up of lots of photographs, illustrations, and maps detailing the movements of both German and Soviet forces during various phases of the campaign.
By June 1942, Germany renewed its efforts -- through an infusion of infantry, artillery, and Luftwaffe units -- to crush the Soviets and secure Sevastopol, which was achieved by early July after the Soviet high command, no longer able to maintain its hold in the Crimea against superior German forces, issued orders to evacuate its senior military and civilian leaders from the area.
For anyone interested in gaining a basic understanding of the Siege of Sevastopol, I highly recommend this book.