Where the Iron Crosses Grow

Although Manstein preferred a rapid descent upon Sevastopol, his forces were simply not structured for rapid-pursuit operations. Neither the 50. nor 72. Infanterie-Division possessed a reconnaissance battalion, which was usually the basis for forming a Vorausabteilung (vanguard battalion) for pursuit operations. Instead, they were forced to form Vorausabteilungen from the motorized Panzerjäger and infantry-gun companies organic to infantry regiments, which barely amounted to 200–300 troops in a few dozen thin-skinned vehicles. Aside from Ziegler’s provisional brigade, Hansen’s only other fast asset was Aufklärungs-Abteilung 132, which was split between clearing the area around Yevpatoriya and advancing toward Sevastopol. At best, an Aufklärungs-Abteilung in an infantry division had about 600 troops in three squadrons, including one mounted on horses and another on bicycles or motorcycles. The battalion’s so-called “heavy squadron” had just three light armored cars, usually Sd. Kfz. 221, and a platoon each of towed 3.7cm Pak guns and 7.5cm infantry guns. These forces were not designed to punch through fortified lines or to operate more than 6 miles forward of supporting infantry and artillery.

It is a sad truth that war is very good to some people. Leutnant Erich Bärenfänger, the 26-year-old commander of 7. Kompanie of IR 123, was enjoying the pursuit. He was part of the Vorausabteilung of the 50. Infanterie-Division, and when the senior officer was wounded on the morning of November 2, Bärenfänger assumed command of the advance guard, which consisted of two rifle companies and a heavy-machine-gun platoon. The blond-haired, blue-eyed Bärenfänger was the prototypical Nazi, who had joined the SA at age 18 and received his commission just before the start of World War II. By the Crimean campaign, Bärenfänger already had three campaigns under his belt and he enjoyed a meteoric rise during the war, going from platoon leader to Generalmajor in six years. Pushing his troops to advance rapidly on their bicycles, horses, and a few captured vehicles, Bärenfänger’s point squad caught up with the rear of one of Petrov’s columns north of the Alma River on the afternoon of November 2. Imprudently, one Russian heavy-weapons column, with five trucks and 80 horse-drawn vehicles, halted to rest near a village without deploying proper security. Once apprised of their location by his scouts, Bärenfänger expertly maneuvered his companies into firing positions without being detected. When Bärenfänger gave the command to fire with all weapons, his heavy machine guns sliced into the enemy column, which disintegrated into chaos. By the end of the short action, Bärenfänger had captured an entire eight-gun artillery battery and 500 prisoners.²⁰

While lack of mobility hindered the German pursuit, the Soviet retreat was hindered by multiple problems. Retreats are very difficult for even a well-trained and disciplined army to conduct, and few Soviet commanders had demonstrated much aptitude for this kind of maneuver during Operation Barbarossa in 1941. Yet the 45-year-old Petrov proved to be an above-average commander who held most of his army together, despite a complete breakdown in communications and logistics. He managed to keep the bulk of the 25th, 95th, and 172nd Rifle Divisions and Zhidilov’s brigade together, moving southeast through mountain trails. He hoped to slide due west and reach the Kacha River north of Sevastopol, but the rapid advance of Brigade Ziegler discouraged this approach. Instead, he was forced to take the Coastal Army on a circuitous and time-consuming route through the mountains to reach Sevastopol from the east. Petrov was also aware that Levchenko had lost control of the situation, so he decided to move ahead of his troops to take command at Sevastopol. If the city fell, his army would be doomed. Leaving General-Major Trofim K. Kolomiets, commander of the 25th Rifle Division, to lead the retreating units, Petrov set out for Sevastopol. By late November 3, Petrov reached Balaklava, although most of his troops were strung out in the mountains and would not reach Sevastopol for another five days. The next day, the Stavka directed Petrov to temporarily take command of the Sevastopol Defensive Region (Sevastopolskogo Oboronitelnogo Raiona or SOR), until Oktyabrsky returned.