Where the Iron Crosses Grow

Luftwaffe aerial reconnaissance was able to detect much of the Soviet defensive preparations at Perekop, which were unsettling for Manstein. He hoped to avoid a costly frontal assault, and set the 11. Armee’s engineers to finding a method for bypassing the Perekop defenses, just like his Sichelschnitt plan had bypassed the French Maginot Line in 1940. Leutnant Nübling from Gebirgs-Pionier-Regiment 620 conducted an extensive reconnaissance and survey of the Sivash, hoping to find a route across as the Red Army had done in 1920. However, tidal conditions at this time were unsatisfactory; the water at the narrower western end of the Sivash was less than a yard deep, but the bottom was too soft and German scouts sank in to their hips. Manstein asked if assault boats from the 902 Sturmboote-Kommando could be used to cross the Sivash, but Leutnant Nübling found that the water conditions were unfavorable.² Furthermore, Kuznetsov expected the Germans to try and cross the Sivash and directed Danilin to put two rifle battalions from his 530th Rifle Regiment on the Litovsky Peninsula where the Red Army had crossed in 1920. Nor did the route across the Chongar Peninsula look promising, since the Soviets had blown up the main railroad bridge and emplaced obstacles in the water.

^{1. September 24: LIV Armeekorps captures the Chervonyi Chaban strongpoint and begins pushing in Soviet 51st Army covering forces.}

^{2. September 25: A Soviet armored spoiling attack only delays Germans from rolling up outer defenses.}

^{3. September 26: 46. and 73. Infanterie-Divisionen breach the Tatar Wall defences, reaching the outskirts of Armyansk, but are halted by Soviet counterattacks.}

^{4. 22. Infanterie-Division conducts a demonstration along the Sivash to force the Soviets to divert forces to defend the Litovsky Peninsula.}

^{5. September 27–28: Group Batov launches counterattacks at Armyansk, temporarily halting the German advance. Troops from the 50. Infanterie-Division arrive, swinging the battle in favor of the Germans.}

^{6. September 28: 51st Army retreats to the Ishun position.}

^{7. October 18: LIV Armeekorps begins assault upon the Ishun position. 22. Infanterie-Division pushes back the Soviet right flank on the Sivash but is repulsed at the Tumulus Assis burial mound.}

^{8. October 19: 73. Infanterie-Division achieves a major breakthrough, captures Ishun, and reaches the Chatyrik River.}

^{9. October 22: Soviet Coastal Army launches a major counterattack at Ishun, which is repulsed.}

^{10. October 21-26: Both sides feed more forces into the fighting south and east of Ishun. The other two German divisions gradually mop up the lake areas and begin pushing toward the southeast. After days of heavy fighting, the 51st Army begins to retreat.}