The fate of the strategic landing
Strategic landing operations overcame the operation crisis (see Lost opportunities of Ulagaev’s landing).
On the night of August 23 and 23, White began to move along the entire front to the Brynkovskaya-Stepnaya-Novo-Nizhe-Stebliyevskaya line, with the transfer of the main base to Achuev.
The Red Command, not aware of the results of actions flotilla and exaggerating the defeat of the nachdiva-9 group, it assessed the situation differently, giving the troops a defensive group on August 23rd. According to this group, the 26th rifle and the 33rd cavalry brigade (about 1500 sabers, 2 guns) were located on the Popovicheskaya-Medvedovskaya-Dyadkovskaya line with the task of preventing the enemy from breaking through in this section to Krasnodar. The 2nd Don division and the horse group were concentrated in Timoshevskaya - in readiness to inflict a flank strike on the enemy in his attempts to advance west or north of Timoshevskaya. From the horse group to the Rogovskaya line - x. Grechanogo - Popovskaya put forward intelligence units.
Similar events of the parties at the 23 of August led to the fact that on almost the entire front, with the exception of the extreme flanks (Nikolaev, Brynkovskaya), contact was lost and both sides did not have a clear idea of the situation.
In the evening of August 23, the red command, according to the pilots, regarded the situation as a massive withdrawal of the enemy from Novo-Nizhe-Stebliyevskaya and Stepnaya to Primorsko-Akhtarskaya. Having set himself the goal of “preventing the enemy from embarking on ships,” the commander ordered all units to go into decisive pursuit - in the general direction of Primorsko-Akhtarskaya. The Nachdiva-9 group with the equestrian group transferred to him was to pursue the Beisugsky estuary - railway, 2-I Don division - between the railway and the Stepnaya-Primorsko-Akhtarskaya railway, 33-I canton brigade along the railway, 22-I cave brigade - in the direction of Novo-Nikolaevskaya - Stepnaya - Primorsko-Akhtarskaya, the 26-I brigade was concentrated in the army reserve in the Timoshevskaya area.
But White recovered after the first bewilderment, moved the base to Achuyev, reestablishing ties with the Crimea, and, in turn, planned a transition to vigorous action on the 24.
By the morning of 24, white forces were grouped:
a) Babiev’s group (1-I Kuban division, Konstantinovsky school, Alekseevsky regiment, 2 hundreds of Tersky regiment - 2200 sabers, 1550 bayonets, 9 guns) in the area Brynkovskaya - Olginskaya - x. Serbina.
b) Combined infantry, 2 and 4 I of the Kuban divisions - Stepnaya - Novo-Nizhe-Stebliyevskaya - Novo-Nikolaevskaya.
In the morning of August 24, Ulagai assumed, holding back the red units on the Stepnaya-Novo-Nikolaevskaya line, Babiev’s group would defeat the Red’s right flank, leaving the cavalry to their rear. Thus, the red units did not meet the departing enemy - but the enemy, who was preparing for the oncoming offensive.
The liquidation of the landing was delayed.
Events developed in the area of Novorossiysk.
The detachment of General Cherepov between 1 - 4 on the 14 hours of August fired on ships from the area of the 66 brigade - near Blagoveshchenskaya and Anapa. And then he went to sea. On August 17, ships of the detachment appeared in the area of the estate of Prince. Lobanov-Rostovsky (20 - 25 km west of Novorossiysk), not guarded by red units, and unhindered landed. On the 18 of August, the detachment began active operations, planning to exit to Raevskaya and subsequently to Bakanskaya to cut off Novorossiysk from Krasnodar and connect with the white-green ones operating here. To liquidate the detachment from Anapa, an assault detachment No. 5 (about 250 bayonets, 3 machine guns) was thrown red, and the 64th brigade (190th and 191th regiments) was advanced from Novorossiysk. The latter, covering part of Raevskaya’s forces, delivered the main blow from the estate of Abrau-Durso. On the 19 of August, white, taking advantage of the fragmented actions of the red units, forced them out and occupied the settlement. Sukko in the West and Hut. Litvinov in the north.
On the 20 of August, the red units, taking the enemy in a half-ring, began to push them to the sea. After stubborn battles of 21 - 23 of August, Cherepov’s detachment was forced to hastily board ships and go to sea on the night of August 24, losing up to 50% of the crew.
The task was impossible for him.
Of particular importance were the battles in the area of the main landing forces 24 - 29 of August.
The nachdiva-9 group, having advanced on the 23 of August on the Brynkovskaya-Hut line. Butenko, a farm east of Olginskaya, launched an offensive in the morning of August 24: the Ural brigade in the village. Voluntary and 27-th brigade on Olginskaya. The enemy, having restrained the offensive in both sections, cavalry force up to 1500 saber fell from the west to the parts of the Ural brigade and, dropping them with heavy losses to Privolnaya, began to move towards Konivskaya - but was detained by the brigade of the 2-th Don division. The remaining two brigades of this division concentrated in the area of Novo-Dzherelievskaya and northwest, having managed in one regiment, the 14 and Taman cavalry brigades to capture the crossing across the marshy strip at Stepnaya and Chury. On the southern section, the 22-I cavalry brigade occupied the Lebedinsky farm on that day in 7 - 8 km east of Novo-Nizhe-Stebliyevskaya. 33-I cavalry brigade approached Olginskaya late at night.
The fighting on August 24, despite the success, worsened the position of whites. The forces of Ulagai were divided into two parts by the Stepnaya swamps: Babiev’s group in the north, the remaining forces in the south — on the Stepnaya – Novo-Lower-Stebliyevskaya section. The approximate balance of forces in both sections was as follows: red - 15512 bayonets, 3745 sabers, 294 machine guns, 67 guns; white - 4050 bayonets, 4250 saber, 253 machine gun, 16 guns.
The Reds had the opportunity to inflict a decisive defeat on Babiev’s group, but did not, as they evaluated the situation differently from what it was in reality. Considering that the enemy would continue to withdraw to Primorsko-Akhtarskaya, the group of nachdiva-9 attacked the 25th brigade of the 1-th Don division Brynkovskaya with the dawn of the 2-th August and continued to attack the Hut with one regiment. Minin. The remaining regiments lingered in Brynkovskaya.
The 33-I cavalry and 27-I rifle brigades attacked Holguinsky from the east for about 10 hours. After occupying it for about 12 hours, the 27-I brigade and one regiment of the 33-I cavalry brigade remained in it, and the 2 of the remaining cavalry regiments moved to Brynkovskaya - where they made contact with the 1-I brigade of the Don division.
While fighting with Babiev’s screenings was going on, his main forces, having tied the right flank of the 2th Don Division with a detachment attack to the 700 sabers, attacked the left flank of this division near Chury and Stepnoy around noon. Pressing the Reds to the east, they took control of the crossings through the swamps and went south to join the rest of the Ulagai divisions. By the evening, the 33-I cavalry brigade and regiment of the 2-I Don division occupied Primorsko-Akhtarskaya, seizing warehouses there - but not finding enemy units. In the southern section, the 22-I cavalry brigade was discarded first to Novo-Nikolaevskaya, and then to Staro-Dzherelievskaya. The whole group of Ulagai was concentrated in the Stepnaya - Novo-Lower-Stebliyevskaya - Novo-Nikolaevskaya area.
26 - 27 On August, the red units, having only one crossing at Rogovskaya, regrouped their forces south of the marshes at Stepnaya - Rogovskaya. By the end of the day of August 27, they had unfolded: the Nachdiva-9 group — on the Primorsko-Akhtarskaya – Stepnaya section (with the task of eliminating the enemy’s remnants in this area), the 2-I Don division - Stepnaya, x. Shcherbiny; 26-I brigade - south and southeast of Novo-Nikolaevskaya; 22-I cavbrigade - Staro-Dzherelievskaya; 1-th Caucasian Cavalry Division - between the 2-th Don Division and the 26-th Brigade; 33-I cavalry brigade (army reserve) - Popovic. At 1 hour of 28 of August, the 26th Infantry Brigade attacked with two regiments of Art. Novo-Nikolaevskaya and knocked out the enemy from there. Continuing the pursuit, at dawn the brigade entered 3 - 4 km northwest and west of Novo-Nikolaevskaya, but was attacked and surrounded by Babiev’s cavalry, which rejected the 1 Caucasian Cavalry Division. With a stubborn battle, having lost 10 - 15% of the composition, the brigade retreated to Novo-Nikolaevskaya. The introduction of the reserve regiment of the brigade, which hit the flank of the erupted white cavalry from the east, and the transition to the offensive of the 2th Don Division to the 8 watch, drove the success of military operations to the side of the red troops.
In the afternoon, whites, holding back the 26th brigade and the 2th Don division, tried to attack the left flank of the nachdiva-9 group through the crossings at Stepnaya and Chury, but were repelled.
By the evening of the 28-th August, units of the 26-th brigade almost came close to the outskirts of the station. Novo-Nizhe-Stebliyevskaya, and the 2-I Don division entered the line of the river. Deep. By 22 hours, the 26-th brigade, with the support of the 1-th Caucasian Cavalry Division and the 33-th Brigade, occupied the eastern outskirts of Novo-Nizhe-Stebliyevskaya. But at about 23 hours, White’s counterattack was knocked out and spent the rest of the night on nearby villages.
At the same time, one of the most interesting episodes of the Civil War broke out - the river raid of the Kovtyukh detachment. The last of the 1050 bayonets, 150 sabers, 15 machine guns and 4 guns was put forward on August 26 from Krasnodar - with the task of getting into the ships on pp. Kuban and Protok and with an unexpected blow to defeat the headquarters and rear of the enemy in Novo-Lower-Steblievskaya. Around 4 hours on the 28 of August, a detachment landed unhindered at Novo-Nizhe-Stebliyevskaya, and around 6 hours it attacked the latter. By noon, the detachment occupied the center and the southeastern part of the village - but it was knocked out by the enemy reserves that approached and moved to 3 - 4 km to the south. The enemy, pushing the Kovtyukh detachment and holding back the advancing red units from the east, proceeded to the rapid evacuation of Novo-Nizhe-Stebliyevskaya and to the sea. And by night in Novo-Nizhe-Steblievskaya there were only enemy barriers: southern against Kovtyukh, eastern, stronger, against the 26th brigade. The eastern one in 23 hours knocked out parts of the latter, but, in turn, when leaving, was hit by a detachment of Kovtyukh, who shot down the southern screen near 24 hours, and retreated west. Kovtyukh’s detachment occupied the village, not paying enough attention to the pursuit of the enemy. In the morning he plunged onto the steamboats and went to Slavyanskaya.
The enemy’s withdrawal into impassable floodplains made it difficult to pursue.
After the Ulagay group left for Timoshevskaya, the 65 team, fearing the enemy would appear on their rear, cleared the Taman Peninsula and located east of the mouth of the Kuban, having the 194 regiment and a squad of sailors with one light and one heavy battery near the mountains. Temryuk, and the 195th regiment with a battery is at Dzhiginskoye. This allowed the enemy on the night of August 24 to land a detachment of General Kharlamov in the vicinity of Art. Taman - and unhindered. 24 - On 25 on August, the enemy, moving along the peninsula, entered the Vyshesteblievskaya line, where he came into contact with the 195 regiment (about 600 bayonets, 4 guns).
On the morning of August 26, the 195 Regiment, fearing to bypass the left flank, left Staro-Tatarovskaya and moved to heights in 3 - 4 km east.
On the 27 of August, the white forces of about 1000 bayonets launched an attack on the heights occupied by the 195 regiment. The latter, amplified by the shock detachment No. 5 (about 200 bayonets), successfully repelled all enemy attacks. 28 - On 29 on August, the white, continuing the offensive, pushed the red pieces to the height of 378. To support them, a battalion of the 192 regiment (near 200 bayonets) was put forward, taking a position north of the height of 378. To strengthen the units operating against the Taman assault, the commander transferred the 22 group of cavalry brigade (1 and 2 cavalry regiments, 192, 198 and 2 rifle regiments), and somewhat later the 33 I cavalry brigade and 1 I Caucasian cavalry division.
Having made the necessary regroupings on 30 - 31 on August, the enemy launched an offensive on high from the morning of September 1. 378 from Staro-Tatarovskaya and Vyshesteblievskaya. By noon, having knocked down the 195 regiment, he had mastered this height. The battalion of the 192 regiment and the shock detachment No. 5 held their positions to the north and south of this height. The enemy’s front formed an arc. In the afternoon the red units, having strengthened on the right flank with two battalions of the 192 regiment (about 400 bayonets), on the left 198 and 2 rifle regiments, went over to a decisive counterattack and took control of the height. 378, having destroyed almost completely the 42-th Don Don Regiment of the Whites. Developing success, on the shoulders of the enemy the Reds broke into Staro-Tatarovskaya, and later in the evening captured Vyshestebliyevskaya. The 33-I and 22-I cavalry brigades were thrown into the pursuit of the enemy. 33-I at the dawn of 2-th September seized a swift blow Art. Tamanskaya, chopping down to 300 people and capturing an armored car, 2 guns, 8 machine guns and 650 prisoners. The remnants of the enemy fled to Kerch. The 22-I brigade, having occupied the Sennaya area, cut off the withdrawal to the Taman units of the enemy, located in the northern part of the peninsula. On the 2 of September, the brigade partially destroyed them, and partially scattered them in small groups along the coastal plains, capturing 2 serviceable guns, several machine guns and more than 300 prisoners.
The landing party of General Kharlamov was destroyed by 75% and lost all the technical part.
Actively developed events in the main direction.
After the occupation of Novo-Nizhe-Stebliyevskaya, the Red Command initially assumed that the main forces of Ulagai would not retreat to Achuyev, but would make their way to the south, to join the Taman landing. Therefore, his main focus was not on organizing the persecution, but on blocking the path to the south. By order of the 9 Army 015 / op. from August 29, the Nachdiva-9 group, reinforced by the 26 rifle brigade, was instructed to eliminate the enemy’s remnants in a vast area - from Primorsko-Akhtarskaya to Slavyanskaya. The latter, in turn, posed the same task to the 26th brigade in the area of Novo-Nizhe-Stebliyevskaya, Staro-Dzherelievskaya, Slavyanskaya, Petrovskaya, pos. Black Sea.
The arrived brigade of Moscow cadets with the 7 division attached was advancing to the Kurchanskaya area with the task of preventing the enemy from seeping into the connection with the Taman landing. The equestrian group was concentrated in Slavic. The 2-I Don division and the Ural brigade were withdrawn to the army reserve.
Only on 31 of August did the red command correctly clarify the situation and throw the Ulagay group into belated pursuit in the following directions: a) Novo-Nizhe-Stebliyevskaya - Achuev, b) Novo-Nizhe-Stebliyevskaya - x. Smartly - Gear. Melnikovskoye 26 Brigade with the Taman Cavalry Brigade and the Don Cavalry Regiment. The persecution in the direction of the village. Black Sea - Achuev is entrusted to the Kovtyukh detachment, which was strengthened in the Slavic 2th Taman rifle brigade (total 3000 bayonets, 500 sabers). However, in both directions, the Soviet units are met by positions well prepared for defense — moreover, in narrow defile between floodplains and lakes. Knocking down the enemy’s barriers with stubborn attacks, the 26th brigade and Kovtyukh’s detachment reach Achuyev only on the 7 of September and occupy him - in full view of the departing white flotilla.
These events end the struggle with the landing forces of the Russian army in the Kuban, which dragged on for three whole weeks and diverted significant forces from other fronts. The specific gravity of this operation in the summer campaign of the Red Army of 1920 is seen from the following figures.
If during the indicated period, on the Western front, the 40000 Reds are opposed by the 70000 fighters of the enemy, and on the Southern Front the 45000 Reds are opposed by the 22300 White, then the situation is completely different in the Kuban: 51991 against the 16545 (counting Fostikov’s with the Russian Renaissance Army), respectively. In the latter case, the 2 / 3 of the red group was removed from the front reserves and reserves of the High Command.
The landing ended in the failure of the whites.
P.N. in diverging directions.
On the other hand, the Ulagai Group left the Kuban not broken, but even in a slightly larger quantitative composition (at the expense of prisoners of war, volunteers, mobilized, etc.) than it came. The reason for this was the mistakes made by the Red Command - actions with splayed fingers instead of punching, and, mostly, in the forehead instead of actions on the rear and on the flanks. But the outlines of the landing front represented relatively great opportunities.
Convoy of General Fostikov
On the night of August 23 and 23, White began to move along the entire front to the Brynkovskaya-Stepnaya-Novo-Nizhe-Stebliyevskaya line, with the transfer of the main base to Achuev.
The Red Command, not aware of the results of actions flotilla and exaggerating the defeat of the nachdiva-9 group, it assessed the situation differently, giving the troops a defensive group on August 23rd. According to this group, the 26th rifle and the 33rd cavalry brigade (about 1500 sabers, 2 guns) were located on the Popovicheskaya-Medvedovskaya-Dyadkovskaya line with the task of preventing the enemy from breaking through in this section to Krasnodar. The 2nd Don division and the horse group were concentrated in Timoshevskaya - in readiness to inflict a flank strike on the enemy in his attempts to advance west or north of Timoshevskaya. From the horse group to the Rogovskaya line - x. Grechanogo - Popovskaya put forward intelligence units.
Similar events of the parties at the 23 of August led to the fact that on almost the entire front, with the exception of the extreme flanks (Nikolaev, Brynkovskaya), contact was lost and both sides did not have a clear idea of the situation.
In the evening of August 23, the red command, according to the pilots, regarded the situation as a massive withdrawal of the enemy from Novo-Nizhe-Stebliyevskaya and Stepnaya to Primorsko-Akhtarskaya. Having set himself the goal of “preventing the enemy from embarking on ships,” the commander ordered all units to go into decisive pursuit - in the general direction of Primorsko-Akhtarskaya. The Nachdiva-9 group with the equestrian group transferred to him was to pursue the Beisugsky estuary - railway, 2-I Don division - between the railway and the Stepnaya-Primorsko-Akhtarskaya railway, 33-I canton brigade along the railway, 22-I cave brigade - in the direction of Novo-Nikolaevskaya - Stepnaya - Primorsko-Akhtarskaya, the 26-I brigade was concentrated in the army reserve in the Timoshevskaya area.
But White recovered after the first bewilderment, moved the base to Achuyev, reestablishing ties with the Crimea, and, in turn, planned a transition to vigorous action on the 24.
By the morning of 24, white forces were grouped:
a) Babiev’s group (1-I Kuban division, Konstantinovsky school, Alekseevsky regiment, 2 hundreds of Tersky regiment - 2200 sabers, 1550 bayonets, 9 guns) in the area Brynkovskaya - Olginskaya - x. Serbina.
b) Combined infantry, 2 and 4 I of the Kuban divisions - Stepnaya - Novo-Nizhe-Stebliyevskaya - Novo-Nikolaevskaya.
In the morning of August 24, Ulagai assumed, holding back the red units on the Stepnaya-Novo-Nikolaevskaya line, Babiev’s group would defeat the Red’s right flank, leaving the cavalry to their rear. Thus, the red units did not meet the departing enemy - but the enemy, who was preparing for the oncoming offensive.
The liquidation of the landing was delayed.
Actions of the Cherepov detachment
Events developed in the area of Novorossiysk.
The detachment of General Cherepov between 1 - 4 on the 14 hours of August fired on ships from the area of the 66 brigade - near Blagoveshchenskaya and Anapa. And then he went to sea. On August 17, ships of the detachment appeared in the area of the estate of Prince. Lobanov-Rostovsky (20 - 25 km west of Novorossiysk), not guarded by red units, and unhindered landed. On the 18 of August, the detachment began active operations, planning to exit to Raevskaya and subsequently to Bakanskaya to cut off Novorossiysk from Krasnodar and connect with the white-green ones operating here. To liquidate the detachment from Anapa, an assault detachment No. 5 (about 250 bayonets, 3 machine guns) was thrown red, and the 64th brigade (190th and 191th regiments) was advanced from Novorossiysk. The latter, covering part of Raevskaya’s forces, delivered the main blow from the estate of Abrau-Durso. On the 19 of August, white, taking advantage of the fragmented actions of the red units, forced them out and occupied the settlement. Sukko in the West and Hut. Litvinov in the north.
On the 20 of August, the red units, taking the enemy in a half-ring, began to push them to the sea. After stubborn battles of 21 - 23 of August, Cherepov’s detachment was forced to hastily board ships and go to sea on the night of August 24, losing up to 50% of the crew.
The task was impossible for him.
The actions of the main forces of 24 - 29 of August
Of particular importance were the battles in the area of the main landing forces 24 - 29 of August.
The nachdiva-9 group, having advanced on the 23 of August on the Brynkovskaya-Hut line. Butenko, a farm east of Olginskaya, launched an offensive in the morning of August 24: the Ural brigade in the village. Voluntary and 27-th brigade on Olginskaya. The enemy, having restrained the offensive in both sections, cavalry force up to 1500 saber fell from the west to the parts of the Ural brigade and, dropping them with heavy losses to Privolnaya, began to move towards Konivskaya - but was detained by the brigade of the 2-th Don division. The remaining two brigades of this division concentrated in the area of Novo-Dzherelievskaya and northwest, having managed in one regiment, the 14 and Taman cavalry brigades to capture the crossing across the marshy strip at Stepnaya and Chury. On the southern section, the 22-I cavalry brigade occupied the Lebedinsky farm on that day in 7 - 8 km east of Novo-Nizhe-Stebliyevskaya. 33-I cavalry brigade approached Olginskaya late at night.
The fighting on August 24, despite the success, worsened the position of whites. The forces of Ulagai were divided into two parts by the Stepnaya swamps: Babiev’s group in the north, the remaining forces in the south — on the Stepnaya – Novo-Lower-Stebliyevskaya section. The approximate balance of forces in both sections was as follows: red - 15512 bayonets, 3745 sabers, 294 machine guns, 67 guns; white - 4050 bayonets, 4250 saber, 253 machine gun, 16 guns.
The Reds had the opportunity to inflict a decisive defeat on Babiev’s group, but did not, as they evaluated the situation differently from what it was in reality. Considering that the enemy would continue to withdraw to Primorsko-Akhtarskaya, the group of nachdiva-9 attacked the 25th brigade of the 1-th Don division Brynkovskaya with the dawn of the 2-th August and continued to attack the Hut with one regiment. Minin. The remaining regiments lingered in Brynkovskaya.
The 33-I cavalry and 27-I rifle brigades attacked Holguinsky from the east for about 10 hours. After occupying it for about 12 hours, the 27-I brigade and one regiment of the 33-I cavalry brigade remained in it, and the 2 of the remaining cavalry regiments moved to Brynkovskaya - where they made contact with the 1-I brigade of the Don division.
While fighting with Babiev’s screenings was going on, his main forces, having tied the right flank of the 2th Don Division with a detachment attack to the 700 sabers, attacked the left flank of this division near Chury and Stepnoy around noon. Pressing the Reds to the east, they took control of the crossings through the swamps and went south to join the rest of the Ulagai divisions. By the evening, the 33-I cavalry brigade and regiment of the 2-I Don division occupied Primorsko-Akhtarskaya, seizing warehouses there - but not finding enemy units. In the southern section, the 22-I cavalry brigade was discarded first to Novo-Nikolaevskaya, and then to Staro-Dzherelievskaya. The whole group of Ulagai was concentrated in the Stepnaya - Novo-Lower-Stebliyevskaya - Novo-Nikolaevskaya area.
Fighting 24 - 26 August
26 - 27 On August, the red units, having only one crossing at Rogovskaya, regrouped their forces south of the marshes at Stepnaya - Rogovskaya. By the end of the day of August 27, they had unfolded: the Nachdiva-9 group — on the Primorsko-Akhtarskaya – Stepnaya section (with the task of eliminating the enemy’s remnants in this area), the 2-I Don division - Stepnaya, x. Shcherbiny; 26-I brigade - south and southeast of Novo-Nikolaevskaya; 22-I cavbrigade - Staro-Dzherelievskaya; 1-th Caucasian Cavalry Division - between the 2-th Don Division and the 26-th Brigade; 33-I cavalry brigade (army reserve) - Popovic. At 1 hour of 28 of August, the 26th Infantry Brigade attacked with two regiments of Art. Novo-Nikolaevskaya and knocked out the enemy from there. Continuing the pursuit, at dawn the brigade entered 3 - 4 km northwest and west of Novo-Nikolaevskaya, but was attacked and surrounded by Babiev’s cavalry, which rejected the 1 Caucasian Cavalry Division. With a stubborn battle, having lost 10 - 15% of the composition, the brigade retreated to Novo-Nikolaevskaya. The introduction of the reserve regiment of the brigade, which hit the flank of the erupted white cavalry from the east, and the transition to the offensive of the 2th Don Division to the 8 watch, drove the success of military operations to the side of the red troops.
In the afternoon, whites, holding back the 26th brigade and the 2th Don division, tried to attack the left flank of the nachdiva-9 group through the crossings at Stepnaya and Chury, but were repelled.
By the evening of the 28-th August, units of the 26-th brigade almost came close to the outskirts of the station. Novo-Nizhe-Stebliyevskaya, and the 2-I Don division entered the line of the river. Deep. By 22 hours, the 26-th brigade, with the support of the 1-th Caucasian Cavalry Division and the 33-th Brigade, occupied the eastern outskirts of Novo-Nizhe-Stebliyevskaya. But at about 23 hours, White’s counterattack was knocked out and spent the rest of the night on nearby villages.
Raid Kovtyukh and the detachment of General Kharlamov
At the same time, one of the most interesting episodes of the Civil War broke out - the river raid of the Kovtyukh detachment. The last of the 1050 bayonets, 150 sabers, 15 machine guns and 4 guns was put forward on August 26 from Krasnodar - with the task of getting into the ships on pp. Kuban and Protok and with an unexpected blow to defeat the headquarters and rear of the enemy in Novo-Lower-Steblievskaya. Around 4 hours on the 28 of August, a detachment landed unhindered at Novo-Nizhe-Stebliyevskaya, and around 6 hours it attacked the latter. By noon, the detachment occupied the center and the southeastern part of the village - but it was knocked out by the enemy reserves that approached and moved to 3 - 4 km to the south. The enemy, pushing the Kovtyukh detachment and holding back the advancing red units from the east, proceeded to the rapid evacuation of Novo-Nizhe-Stebliyevskaya and to the sea. And by night in Novo-Nizhe-Steblievskaya there were only enemy barriers: southern against Kovtyukh, eastern, stronger, against the 26th brigade. The eastern one in 23 hours knocked out parts of the latter, but, in turn, when leaving, was hit by a detachment of Kovtyukh, who shot down the southern screen near 24 hours, and retreated west. Kovtyukh’s detachment occupied the village, not paying enough attention to the pursuit of the enemy. In the morning he plunged onto the steamboats and went to Slavyanskaya.
The enemy’s withdrawal into impassable floodplains made it difficult to pursue.
After the Ulagay group left for Timoshevskaya, the 65 team, fearing the enemy would appear on their rear, cleared the Taman Peninsula and located east of the mouth of the Kuban, having the 194 regiment and a squad of sailors with one light and one heavy battery near the mountains. Temryuk, and the 195th regiment with a battery is at Dzhiginskoye. This allowed the enemy on the night of August 24 to land a detachment of General Kharlamov in the vicinity of Art. Taman - and unhindered. 24 - On 25 on August, the enemy, moving along the peninsula, entered the Vyshesteblievskaya line, where he came into contact with the 195 regiment (about 600 bayonets, 4 guns).
On the morning of August 26, the 195 Regiment, fearing to bypass the left flank, left Staro-Tatarovskaya and moved to heights in 3 - 4 km east.
On the 27 of August, the white forces of about 1000 bayonets launched an attack on the heights occupied by the 195 regiment. The latter, amplified by the shock detachment No. 5 (about 200 bayonets), successfully repelled all enemy attacks. 28 - On 29 on August, the white, continuing the offensive, pushed the red pieces to the height of 378. To support them, a battalion of the 192 regiment (near 200 bayonets) was put forward, taking a position north of the height of 378. To strengthen the units operating against the Taman assault, the commander transferred the 22 group of cavalry brigade (1 and 2 cavalry regiments, 192, 198 and 2 rifle regiments), and somewhat later the 33 I cavalry brigade and 1 I Caucasian cavalry division.
Having made the necessary regroupings on 30 - 31 on August, the enemy launched an offensive on high from the morning of September 1. 378 from Staro-Tatarovskaya and Vyshesteblievskaya. By noon, having knocked down the 195 regiment, he had mastered this height. The battalion of the 192 regiment and the shock detachment No. 5 held their positions to the north and south of this height. The enemy’s front formed an arc. In the afternoon the red units, having strengthened on the right flank with two battalions of the 192 regiment (about 400 bayonets), on the left 198 and 2 rifle regiments, went over to a decisive counterattack and took control of the height. 378, having destroyed almost completely the 42-th Don Don Regiment of the Whites. Developing success, on the shoulders of the enemy the Reds broke into Staro-Tatarovskaya, and later in the evening captured Vyshestebliyevskaya. The 33-I and 22-I cavalry brigades were thrown into the pursuit of the enemy. 33-I at the dawn of 2-th September seized a swift blow Art. Tamanskaya, chopping down to 300 people and capturing an armored car, 2 guns, 8 machine guns and 650 prisoners. The remnants of the enemy fled to Kerch. The 22-I brigade, having occupied the Sennaya area, cut off the withdrawal to the Taman units of the enemy, located in the northern part of the peninsula. On the 2 of September, the brigade partially destroyed them, and partially scattered them in small groups along the coastal plains, capturing 2 serviceable guns, several machine guns and more than 300 prisoners.
The landing party of General Kharlamov was destroyed by 75% and lost all the technical part.
The actions of the main forces at the final stage of the operation
Actively developed events in the main direction.
After the occupation of Novo-Nizhe-Stebliyevskaya, the Red Command initially assumed that the main forces of Ulagai would not retreat to Achuyev, but would make their way to the south, to join the Taman landing. Therefore, his main focus was not on organizing the persecution, but on blocking the path to the south. By order of the 9 Army 015 / op. from August 29, the Nachdiva-9 group, reinforced by the 26 rifle brigade, was instructed to eliminate the enemy’s remnants in a vast area - from Primorsko-Akhtarskaya to Slavyanskaya. The latter, in turn, posed the same task to the 26th brigade in the area of Novo-Nizhe-Stebliyevskaya, Staro-Dzherelievskaya, Slavyanskaya, Petrovskaya, pos. Black Sea.
The arrived brigade of Moscow cadets with the 7 division attached was advancing to the Kurchanskaya area with the task of preventing the enemy from seeping into the connection with the Taman landing. The equestrian group was concentrated in Slavic. The 2-I Don division and the Ural brigade were withdrawn to the army reserve.
Only on 31 of August did the red command correctly clarify the situation and throw the Ulagay group into belated pursuit in the following directions: a) Novo-Nizhe-Stebliyevskaya - Achuev, b) Novo-Nizhe-Stebliyevskaya - x. Smartly - Gear. Melnikovskoye 26 Brigade with the Taman Cavalry Brigade and the Don Cavalry Regiment. The persecution in the direction of the village. Black Sea - Achuev is entrusted to the Kovtyukh detachment, which was strengthened in the Slavic 2th Taman rifle brigade (total 3000 bayonets, 500 sabers). However, in both directions, the Soviet units are met by positions well prepared for defense — moreover, in narrow defile between floodplains and lakes. Knocking down the enemy’s barriers with stubborn attacks, the 26th brigade and Kovtyukh’s detachment reach Achuyev only on the 7 of September and occupy him - in full view of the departing white flotilla.
These events end the struggle with the landing forces of the Russian army in the Kuban, which dragged on for three whole weeks and diverted significant forces from other fronts. The specific gravity of this operation in the summer campaign of the Red Army of 1920 is seen from the following figures.
If during the indicated period, on the Western front, the 40000 Reds are opposed by the 70000 fighters of the enemy, and on the Southern Front the 45000 Reds are opposed by the 22300 White, then the situation is completely different in the Kuban: 51991 against the 16545 (counting Fostikov’s with the Russian Renaissance Army), respectively. In the latter case, the 2 / 3 of the red group was removed from the front reserves and reserves of the High Command.
Fighting 28 August - 7 September
The landing ended in the failure of the whites.
P.N. in diverging directions.
On the other hand, the Ulagai Group left the Kuban not broken, but even in a slightly larger quantitative composition (at the expense of prisoners of war, volunteers, mobilized, etc.) than it came. The reason for this was the mistakes made by the Red Command - actions with splayed fingers instead of punching, and, mostly, in the forehead instead of actions on the rear and on the flanks. But the outlines of the landing front represented relatively great opportunities.
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