Russia at war 1941-1945

well as vast superiority in aircraft and tanks, Sebastopol was protected on land by good natural defences, and the navy, with its powerful guns, was of considerable help. In November 1941 the Russians had over 50,000 combat troops in Sebastopol, including

21,000 marines. The Germans and Rumanians, according to Russian sources, had at least twice as many.

The first German attack, which continued for three weeks, barely dented the first of the three defence lines here and there, the only important German gain being the capture of the Balaclava Hills, east of Balaclava—which itself remained in Russian hands. Rather more successful was the second German-Rumanian attack between December 17 and 31,

when the enemy pushed the Russians back to a line about five miles to the north of

Sebastopol, and also made minor advances due east of the city; but this also came to a halt on December 31, partly as a result of the successful Russian landing on the Kerch peninsula, which as we have seen diverted many German troops from Sebastopol. The

most famous Russian exploit during that second German offensive against Sebastopol

was that of a handful of Black Sea sailors who, for three days, defended Firing Point No.

11 in a village called Kamyshly till they were all dead or dying. When the firing point was recaptured by the Russians, they found a note written by one of the men:

Russia, my country, my native land! Dear Comrade Stalin! I, a Black Sea sailor, and a son of Lenin's Komsomol, fought as my heart told me to fight. I slew the beasts as long as my heart beat in my breast. Now I am dying, but I know we shall win.

Sailors of the Black Sea Navy! Fight harder still, kill the mad Fascist dogs! I have been faithful to my soldier's oath.—Kalyuzhnyi.

[In all post-Stalin books, including the official History, mentioning this episode, the words "dear Comrade Stalin" are replaced by dots, or omitted altogether.]

A remarkable story of how Sebastopol lived through the nine months of the siege was

told after the war by B. A. Borisov who was Secretary of the Sebastopol Party committee and Chairman of the city's Defence Committee for the whole period. He tells of the

Sebastopol airmen, such as Yakov Ivanov, who rammed enemy planes usually at the cost of their own lives; of the way in which practically the entire population of Sebastopol had to be moved into shelters, cellars and, especially, caves during the first two German offensives, so fierce and continuous was the bombing of the city; of the vast cave near the Northern Bay in which a giant workshop— ("Spetskombinat No. 1") was set up—where the people manufactured mortars, mines and hand-grenades, and another,

("Spetskombinat No. 2"), near Inkerman, where clothing and footwear were made on a large scale in underground cellars previously used for storing Crimean champagne. He tells of the underground schools that were organised for the children in Sebastopol itself, of the numerous reinforcements that came to Sebastopol by sea, first after the fall of Odessa, and later, from the Caucasus. Most pathetic of all perhaps was the extraordinary elation and optimism that swept Sebastopol in January and February, after the failure of the second German offensive against the city, and after the successful Russian landing at Kerch. It was then thought that if both Kerch and Sebastopol held, the whole Crimea

would soon be liberated. People moved out of their shelters and caves back into their battered houses, and the young people made a special effort to repair as many houses as possible. Even tram-cars began to run along the streets of Sebastopol, though the

Germans were only five miles to the north. On May Day, which was almost exactly six

months after the siege had begun, there were numerous meetings and celebrations,

despite several air-raids and German shelling.

But that day our troops were preparing to help our troops on the Kerch peninsula; for these were expected to start their offensive at any moment. Both at Sebastopol and at the front everybody was talking about the Crimea being liberated and the

siege of Sebastopol lifted. Everybody was in an exalted holiday mood.

[ B. Borisov. Sevastopoltsy ne sdayutsya (Men of Sebastopol Do Not Surrender).

(Simferopol, 1961), p. 130.]