Crimean outcome
13 - 16 November 1920 of the year was the exodus of the Russian army, General Wrangel, and the civilian sympathizing with her from the Crimea outside Russia. This event is called the time of the end of the Civil War in the South of Russia. Many thousands of military and civilian refugees were forced to leave Russia and flee into obscurity.
The evacuation was associated with the success of the Red Army in the offensive operation of the Southern Front under the command of M. V. Frunze with the aim of breaking through the white fortifications on the Perekop isthmus and Sivash, and occupying the Crimean peninsula (November Perekop-Chongar operation 7 of November 17). Three roads led to the peninsula. Perekop isthmus is about 1920 km wide. To the east, beyond the Sivash, where the Chongar peninsula is close to the Crimea, a narrow dam with a railway line and a bridge was built from it, and a horse-drawn bridge was located elsewhere. The third road was located further east - over the Genichesky Bridge to the Arabatskaya Arrow. Back in the spring of 10, White made a decision on their additional strengthening, but in reality they did little. Due to the lack of funds, materials, and the lack of perseverance of the work went slowly.
At Perekop, the first line of defense was the Turkish Wall - an earthen one, poured back in the Middle Ages. Behind it, 20-25 km, there were several lines of Ishun fortifications between lakes and bays. All positions were ordinary trenches, often half-collapsed due to autumn rains. They were covered by barbed wire fences. The dugouts were made of wood and earth, the artillery had only field fortifications, not permanent ones. There was almost no actual heavy artillery, it was lost during the retreat, while the foreigners were in no hurry with supplies. The railway line to the Ishun fortifications for the supply of ammunition was not completed. The Turkish shaft was defended by the Drozdovskaya division, which consisted of only 3,2 thousand bayonets. On the ledge of the Lithuanian Peninsula there were 2 thousand. Fostikov's brigade. The Kornilovites and Markovites occupied Ishun positions, they covered the southern part of the Sivash. On the Chongarsk direction and the Arabat arrow, the defense was occupied by the Don corps and the Kuban people (about 3 thousand people). In reserve were the 13th, 34th divisions and a cavalry corps. All units were severely bled from previous battles. In the rear, the 15th division was additionally formed. In total, the defense was held by about 35 thousand bayonets and sabers with about 200 guns, 750 machine guns, 14 armored trains, 45 tanks and armored vehicles. Several thousand more were engaged in the protection of communications, facilities and the fight against partisans.
The Soviet command concentrated a very powerful group for this crucial operation. The southern front had about 190 thousand bayonets and sabers with 985 guns, 4435 machine guns, 17 armored trains and 57 armored vehicles. In addition, Makhno handed over the 5,5 thousand corps under the command of Karetnikov to Frunze’s subordination. Initially, Frunze planned to deliver the main blow to the 4th Army and the 1st Cavalry Army through the Arabat Spit. However, from the side of the Sea of Azov this direction was protected by the fire of white ships, and the red flotilla stayed in Taganrog due to early freezing. The main direction of the blow had to be moved to Perekop. The 6th Army was to make a breakthrough, with a double blow to the forehead and an assault through Sivash to the Lithuanian Peninsula. In the Chongar area, they planned to launch an auxiliary strike.
On November 7, the Red Army conducted reconnaissance in Chongar direction. The Crimean peninsula was declared a state of siege; General Kutepov was appointed head of defense. On the night of November 8, the main operation began. The Turkish shaft began to be assaulted by the Blucher group: four brigades of the 51 division, the Latvian division, an artillery group from 55 guns and an armored group - 14 armored vehicles. Through the Sivash, 20 thous. Troops were deployed as part of two brigades of the 51 division, the 15 division and the 52 division. In the course of a fierce battle, the Reds took the positions of the Whites, but could not advance further on the Lithuanian Peninsula, they were stopped by artillery fire and counterattacks of the arrived white reinforcements. 7 th Cavalry Division and Makhnovists were transferred to the Red Landing Force for help, which led to a radical change in this direction. Then Frunze sent 16-th cavalry division to this direction. Under heavy pressure, whites began to retreat, and the red ones broke through to the Crimea.
On the Turkish shaft, the situation for the Red Army was more severe. White fiercely beat off and repelled three assaults. Only during the night of the fourth assault could the Reds break through White’s position. Drozdovtsy and Kornilovites were already cut off from their own, but were able to break through the road. By the evening of November 9, the Reds came out in Ishun positions, and the 51 Division broke them through. Breakthrough white stopped. But the whites pulled artillery and opened a strong fire. On November 10, the offensive was continued, and the 51 Division captured the second line of defense. Wrangel tried to organize a counterattack, pulling up Barbovich’s corps and starting to transfer the Don Corps from the Chongarsky direction.
The Red Command, learning about this movement of white troops using aviation intelligence, gave the order to strike at the Chongar direction of the 4th Army, and the 2nd Cavalry Army was sent to Perekop. On the night of November 11th, the offensive on the Chongar direction began. This blow could have led the Reds to the rear of the entire Ishun group of whites. Wrangel turned back the Don corps and sent all serviceable armored trains to Tanagash station.
11 November was the decisive battle. The Latvian division, which replaced the 51, broke through the third, final band of the Ishun positions on the western flank. On the eastern flank, the Barbovich corps counterattacked. White cavalry knocked over 7 and 16 cavalry divisions, hit 15 and 52 infantry divisions. However, this offensive was stopped by the forces of the 2 Cavalry Army and the Makhnovists. The commander of the 2 Conarmy, Philip Mironov, used military tricks, behind the first line were located over two hundred "carts" with machine guns. After the collision with the white ones, the red ones opened and swept away the front parts of the enemy with machine-gun fire. White mixed and began to move away. By the end of the day, the Red Army captured the last line of the Ishun fortifications. After a fierce battle, the Red troops broke through near Chongar. In the 3 o'clock in the morning of November 12 the Reds broke into Tanagash. Red troops in two streams began to enter the Crimea.
Crimean evacuation
The civilian population of the Crimean peninsula until the last day was in a state of blissful ignorance. The White Command, in order not to provoke panic and not activate the Bolshevik underground, after the failure of the October offensive, informed the population that the withdrawal was organized in an orderly manner and with minor losses. It was reported that the Red Army in the coming days will try to break through to the peninsula, but will receive a proper rebuff. Crimea was declared a "besieged fortress", which will hold until a change occurs in the general situation. In the newspapers, the topic was developed, "creatively" supplemented. It was reported that behind the "Perekop strongholds" the population of the Crimea can "calmly look at their future." There were even statements that the number of the Russian army Wrangel is excessive to protect the "strongholds" of Perekop. So, General Slashchev 7 November said that "Our army is so large that one fifth of its composition would be enough to protect the Crimea ...".
As a result, the peninsula lived quietly until the last moment. Cinemas worked, plays were staged, a non-partisan public meeting led by Prince Dolgoruky adopted an appeal to the Entente, where the Crimea was called the "key of salvation from Bolshevism". Only the most far-sighted were looking for ways of salvation and buying currency. For most people, the defeat of 8-11 in November became like a bolt from the blue. The people knew that a fierce battle was inevitable, but they believed that the Red Army's offensive would break against the defensive lines of Perekop.
Even the command of the White Army, which possessed much more complete information about the situation, did not suggest such an outcome. Wrangel believed that Frunze had about 100 thousands of people under them, 25 thousand cavalry among them, in reality, the Southern Front had almost 200 thousand men, of which more than 40 thousand cavalry. A great superiority of red was created by artillery and machine guns. With the possibility of defeat were considered, but did not believe that everything will happen so quickly. It was believed that the time to prepare a possible evacuation would be enough.
On November 10, after the meeting of Wrangel and Kutepov, it was decided to start evacuating the rear areas. To solve this problem, all commercial vessels in the ports were requisitioned, regardless of nationality. They began to load hospitals, some central institutions. Through the French representative of Comte de Martel, the Wrangel government appealed to France asking for asylum. From staff staff began to create teams to prevent unrest, which could be caused by the message about the fall of the line of defense. Soon, even without a general announcement, they began to issue evacuation documents to the civilian population.
On the night of 11 on 12 in November, when the last lines of defense collapsed, an evacuation plan had already been prepared. Ships and vessels were distributed among the units, and vehicles were allocated for the families of military, government and rear institutions and organizations. The remaining vessels were to be used for the export of volunteers among the civilian population. To speed up loading and produce it without delay, each part had its own port for loading. The 1 and 2 corps were to depart to Sevastopol and Yevpatoria, the Barbovich corps to Yalta, the Kuban residents to Theodosia, the Donians to Kerch. The troops retreated in a rather organized manner, they even managed to break away from the red on the 1-2 transition. It should be noted that the development of the evacuation plan began even six months before the evacuation, it was developed by the headquarters of the commander in chief, together with the commander of the fleet. To implement this plan, a certain tonnage of ships had to remain permanently in the Black Sea basin. All ships and boats were distributed to ports. In the same ports, an emergency supply of coal, engine oil and provisions was created in case of a declaration of evacuation.
The Red Army carried out a regrouping of forces. Frunze, apparently, expected fierce resistance of the doomed white units, and offered them honorable capitulation, promising freedom, immunity and even free travel abroad on parole to stop the fight with the Bolsheviks. November 12 Frunze criticized Lenin for this proposal. Only a day later the Red forces continued the offensive. 6-I army moved to Evpatoria, 2-I and 1-I cavalry army - to Simferopol and Sevastopol, 4-I army and 3-I cavalry corps - to Theodosia and Kerch. November 13 Reds took Simferopol.
The French government, after some deliberation, agreed to grant asylum to the Russian army of Wrangel and the refugees. However, as a "pledge" the French demanded all the ships. On November 12, Wrangel issued an order for a general evacuation. All who wished to stay in Russia were given complete freedom. Damage and destruction of property was prohibited. The South Russian government warned citizens about the difficulties of transition in cramped conditions, and the uncertainty of the further fate of those leaving, since none of the foreign states gave their consent to accept the evacuees.
Slashchev offered to give the last battle in the Crimea, or to land in the Caucasus, to seize a springboard. However, Kutepov and Wrangel refused to support these adventures. People, loaded with various good things, reached out to the ports. For most, this evacuation was unexpected. In general, during the evacuation, in contrast to similar events in Odessa and Novorossiysk, order was maintained. Special teams had the authority to stop the unrest by any means. The order helped to maintain and a significant number of vessels, the Crimea left the entire fleet, some boats were taken in tow. In addition, some people were loaded onto foreign ships - French, British, etc. In order to accommodate more people, they threw ammunition and other property into the sea. Placed people on the aisles and decks. So, on the destroyer "Grozny", with the full-size crew in 75 people, 1015 people were taken out. On the ship "Saratov", which was designed for 1860 people, 7056 was planted. Steamers left overloaded to the extreme. There was not enough food, water, living space. It is clear that individual cases of robbery, unrest occurred, but did not accept the mass order. In particular, in Simferopol prisoners engaged in robberies were released from prison, in Alushta and Yalta looted wine cellars, and in Sevastopol robbed the warehouses of the American Red Cross, etc.
True, many have decided to stay. Some did not want to leave their homeland, to become an exile, to wander around foreign lands. Others were affected by the surprise factor, perhaps having more time to think, they would be evacuated. Still others trusted the leaflets of Frunze, Brusilov for mercy to the rest. Others simply did not have time to escape, etc. In general, a rather significant number of whites and “bourgeois” remained.
In the evening of November 13. The last meeting of the Government of the South of Russia took place on November 1920. On November 14 the loading was completed. Wrangel switched to the cruiser "General Kornilov". In fact, a whole “white city” was created on the water. Already on board, Wrangel made a proposal to the French government to transfer the Russian army to the "Western Front" to fight Bolshevism, "the enemies of world civilization and culture." White did not believe that such a front would exist. Western governments did not want to directly confront Soviet Russia. In the event of the impossibility of such a decision, Wrangel proposed to raise the issue of giving the white army of the fleet to the international commission on the protection of straits.
The white fleet (more than 120 ships) with about 150 thousand exiles headed for Constantinople. November 15 cruiser "General Kornilov" landed Wrangel in Yalta, where the commander was convinced of the completion of the evacuation of military units. Then the cruiser visited Feodosia, there was not enough ship tonnage there and part of the Kuban Cossacks went to Kerch. Wrangel visited and Kerch, it turned out that the Don and Kuban were safely removed. On the morning of November 17, the cruiser last passed along the coast and headed for the Bosphorus. Wrangel’s Russian army was evacuated completely, except for those who were left behind, were cut off from the ports, or decided to stay on their own. The journey by sea from the ports of the Crimean peninsula to Constantinople lasted from one to five days; for many people, it became a real flour. In fact, it was a kind of prelude to the hardships and sorrows that will fall to the lot of the majority of Russian emigrants in a foreign land.
November 15 Red Army forces occupied Sevastopol and Theodosia, November 16 Kerch, and November November 17 Yalta. The Perekop-Chongar operation was successfully completed, the Crimean peninsula was completely occupied by the Red Army, and the Southern Front of the Civil War was eliminated.
The Crimea was still awaited by a wave of “red terror”, which was organized by the chairman of the Crimean Military Revolutionary Committee Bela Kun and secretary of the Crimean Party Committee R. S. Zemlyachka (Zalkind). Crimea was blocked by troops. The passes to leave the peninsula were personally signed by Bela Kun. Terror attacked the officers, then the family members of the White Guards, people of noble origin, employees of various institutions, "bourgeois". Whole raids were carried out when they cordoned off whole quarters and checked documents for several days, let go of some, destroyed others. Thousands of people were killed. Then famine was added to the terror, since the peninsula was almost impossible to leave, many people in the Crimea were doomed to starvation. Particularly affected were the refugees who had no livelihoods.
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