Kerch-Feodosiya Operation

On December 26, 1941, during World War II, the Kerch-Feodosia amphibious operation began. The operation's goal was the simultaneous landing of the 51st and 44th armies near Kerch and the port of Feodosia, aiming to encircle and destroy the German Wehrmacht grouping at Kerch. Soviet amphibious forces halted the advance of the 42nd German Army Corps, numbering about 25,000 men, which at the time had naval, tank, artillery, and air support. Between December 26 and 30, about 20,000 Soviet soldiers landed in the Kerch area. According to reports, after the Red Army landing in Feodosia, corps commander Hans von Sponeck ordered German forces to retreat from the peninsula, fearing encirclement. Later, the German division was stripped of its honors, and von Sponeck was executed by order of Himmler.

Context

The operation took place against the backdrop of the defense of Leningrad and the Red Army's mobile offensive along the North Caucasus.