Gotenkopf - Blue Line

The German military leadership during the Second World War attached great importance to the seizure of the North Caucasus. The plan of the operation, planned from the very beginning of the war, was reflected in the addendum to the 33 directive No. 22 of July 1941, and then detailed in the document “Operation from the North Caucasus region through the Caucasus Mountains and North-West Iran with the aim of mastering the Revanduz and Hanaghan passes Iran-Iraq border. "

Column of German assault guns StuG III on the march to the Caucasus

The goal of the Caucasian operation was, of course, the oil-bearing areas of this region. In addition, the Nazis intended to ensure their influence not only in the Caucasus itself, but also to go to the countries of the Middle East, which were also far from poor in terms of resources. Hitler planned to carry out the Caucasian operation in the period from the autumn of 1941 to the autumn of 1942, but did not work out ...

Favorable conditions for the Caucasian offensive took shape only after the severe defeat of the Soviet army in the Kharkov battle and during the Voronezh-Voroshilovgrad defensive operation (July 1942 of the year). Russian troops were forced to retreat beyond the Don.

The German plan, code-named "Edelweiss", envisaged taking and destroying Soviet troops south and southeast of Rostov, taking control of the North Caucasus, then bypassing the main Caucasian ridge with one military group from the west, capturing Novorossiysk and Tuapse, and the other from the east, capturing Grozny and Baku. Exit to the Caucasus would allow to capture the base of the Black Sea fleet, and provide the Germans with complete dominance in the Black Sea, create all conditions for a military invasion of the Near and Middle East.

On the German side, the military group “A”, commanded by Field Marshal V. List, participated in the offensive on the Caucasus Front. The group included the 17th Army, the 1st and 4th tank Army, Romanian 3rd Army, part of the forces of the 4th Air Fleet. In total, there were about 170 thousand people, 1130 tanks, over 4,5 thousand guns and mortars, up to 1 thousand aircraft.

Observation point of mountain rangers in the mountains in the Caucasus

[Center]German mountain huntsmen in the Caucasus

From the Soviet side, the enemy was opposed by the troops of the South (Lieutenant General R. Ya. Malinovsky) and the North Caucasus (Marshal of the Soviet Union S. M. Budyonny) fronts consisting of the 51, 37, 12, 56, 24, 9 and 47th armies . From the air they supported aviation 4th and 5th air armies. The grouping of Soviet troops totaled 112 thousand people, 121 tanks, 2160 guns and mortars, 230 serviceable aircraft. At the same time, in the coastal direction, ground forces supported the Black Sea Fleet and the Azov Military Flotilla.

At first, military events developed unfavorably for the Soviet army. The troops of the Southern Front, unable to withstand the onslaught of the superior forces of the enemy, were forced to retreat to the south and south-east. During August 1942, the cities of Stavropol, Maikop, Krasnodar, Mozdok, Novorossiysk consistently fell, the German flag was hoisted on Elbrus. Finally, in September 1942, the swift German offensive was halted in the area of ​​Malgobek.

Soviet Horse Intelligence in the Caucasus Mountains

The result of this part of the Caucasian operation, the time of the withdrawal of Russian military units, was that, having suffered considerable losses, the Germans were forced to stop the offensive and go on the defensive. The Red Army had to leave the regions of the North Caucasus and retreat to the passes of the Main Caucasian Range and the Terek River. This, however, helped gain time for planning and preparing a counter-offensive.

Already in February, 1943, the Soviet troops liberated Krasnodar from the German occupiers. Then the Red Army soldiers went to Armavir, through the whole Stavropol region, through the Kuban regions, and triumphantly went south of Primorsko-Akhtarsk to the Azov coast. There was a difficult operation to break Gotenkopf - the Blue Line.

Gotenkopf is the German name (literally translated as “the head of the goth”) of the German defense lines, more commonly known to us today as the “Blue Line”. The region of these lines ran along the Kuban River to the Black Sea, and this was a fairly strong German defense line (reaching in some places up to 25 kilometers). The 17-I army, located here, three rows of barriers, minefields, pillboxes and bunkers, the Soviet troops could not take such a defensive line.

Soviet mountain shooter V.M. Kolomna. Armed with a PPSH-41 submachine gun with a carob magazine. The main Caucasian ridge

Soviet infantrymen are defensive in the foothills of the Caucasus

Figures line Gotenkopf can be represented as follows: it was 577 closed fire installations, 37,5 km. minefields, up to 500 m wide, 2500 min density on 1 km., 87 km. wire fences, 12 km. forest blockages, it was here that for the first time the enemy applied a powerful trench defense. It’s not for nothing that the Blue Line is compared to two other famous lines: the Mannerheim Line and the Maginot Line.

The German command during this period focused its attention on the Taman Peninsula, where it gradually withdraws the defeated units and units during the Krasnodar operation (February 9 - March 16). For the Germans, Taman was a strategic object for several reasons. Owning the Taman Peninsula, the Germans guaranteed the free use of sea communications to their fleet, while impeding the freedom of action of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet. In addition, Taman and Novorossiysk, where at the beginning of February 1943, the Red Army successfully defended the bridgehead in the Myskhako area (the famous “Little Land”), diverted military forces and assets of the entire North Caucasus Front, covering the eastern approaches to the Crimea. Also developed in the Crimea airfield network of the German Air Force could inflict air strikes on the oil regions of the Caucasus and large industrial facilities in southern Ukraine.

In pursuit of the retreating 17 Army, Soviet troops captured important defense units and in March reached the new defensive line of the German troops, located in 60-70 km west of Krasnodar, however, they could not break through immediately. March 16 troops of the North Caucasus Front tactically switched to defense, slowly preparing for a new offensive operation - the defeat of the Germans on the Taman Peninsula, this is the task received from the Soviet command.

Tanks KV-1S 6-th separate tank regiment breakthrough before the march. North Caucasus Front

The battle in the village of Gizel, a district of the city of Vladikavkaz (at that time - Ordzhonikidze), where the German offensive in the North Caucasus was stopped. 7 November 1942 g

The powerful knot of the German defense remained in the area of ​​the stanitsa of Krymskaya — two reserve German infantry and Romanian cavalry divisions were pulled here. Realizing that they could not keep the Taman bridgehead with the available troops, the German command planned to thwart the Soviet offensive being prepared with the help of aviation forces. Thousands of 1 air fleets, the best squadrons of Udet, Melderes, Green Heart, as well as additional air forces from the Western Front and from Africa concentrated over 4 airfields at Taman and Crimea.

At the same time, the aviation power of the Soviet army was much inferior to the German one: in fighter aviation, along with the newest types of aircraft were obsolete types of the I-16 and I-153. In addition, after the winter battles, a large number of aircraft needed repairs. Given this, the Supreme High Command decided to strengthen the front air forces: in the second half of April, 1943, several air formations were deployed to them. In the first place, fighter aviation strengthened — units armed with Yakovlev and Lavochkin-type aircraft merged with it.

It was here, in April 1943 of the year, in the Blue Line region, that the most severe air battles between the Red Army and the German troops took place - there were probably no such battles either before or after during the period of the Great Patriotic War. The best German aces, for example, Erich Hartman, participated in these battles. On the part of the Soviets, such fearless and legendary pilots as Dmitry Glinka, Alexander Pokryshkin participated in air battles. It was during this intense spring of 1943 of the year that a special way of air raids was formed, called the “Kuban bookcase”.

Taking advantage of the major aviation victory of the Soviet fleet in the period from 17 to 24 in April, units of the 18 Army repaired the situation in the Myskhako area by the end of the month, which was subjected to powerful German fire pressure. In early May, the village of Krymskaya was captured, which is an important communication hub on the Taman Peninsula.

The path to Taman was blocked by powerful defense knots - Moldovan, Russian, Kiev, the height of 121,4 (better known as “The Hill of Heroes” - this soldier’s name of height appeared after the last battles here). The front command decides to deliver the main blow at the turn - Keslerovo, Kievskoye and Moldovanskoe. The center of the fire attack was the height of 121,4.

The assault on the “Hills of Heroes” began on May 26 of the year. Hundreds of aircraft, tanks and mortars ruthlessly round the clock thrashed this long-suffering land. The enemy defended desperately, to the last drop of blood: only in the battles for the height of 1943 did 121,4 die thousands of people ...

Fighting on the Blue Line continued until September 1943. The advances of the Soviet army in Ukraine in the spring of 1943 put the Taman group of the Wehrmacht in a difficult position, and on September 3 1943 Hitler ordered the withdrawal of troops from the Kuban.

Soviet soldiers of the 56 Army with the support of T-34 tanks are fighting for the stanitsa of Crimea

Soviet liberators go through the streets of the Crimean village. North Caucasus Front. The fighting for the village of Krymskaya lasted from April 29 to May 4 1943. 4 May as a result of the heaviest fighting the village was released

Soviet tanker on the captured German tank Pz.Kpfw IV in Vladikavkaz (at that time Ordzhonikidze)

Comments

[Armavir]

Thanks to the Author, more of such articles, just do not remember, but you need to know!
My grandmother told me that they lived in a farm near Belorechensk (100 km from Krasnodar) as they ran around the fields with girls and wounded, and hid them in cellars and attics ... they were slightly cured and all the soldiers returned to duty ... said that in this way she went out 12 people.
But he also says that the SS troops were not there and the Germans behaved normally with the locals, didn’t take away any food, nor raped or shot them ...

[Krasnodar]

Yes, I heard from many old survivors of the occupation that for the most part the Germans behaved culturally, were very afraid of uprisings, having heard about the Cossack character and independence. At the same time, the occupation did not last long, in principle ... Who knows how many troubles they would have done.

[dmb]

Yeah, especially if you read the materials of the trial that took place in Krasnodar in 1943. Based on these materials, the "cultured" Germans only destroyed 7000 in gas chambers, and not so much themselves as with the help of freaks with an "independent Cossack character."

[Armavir]

The policemen were everywhere and not only in the Kuban, and they committed atrocities everywhere the same way and for most of them they suffered a well-deserved punishment and regardless where they were also shot, I know that more than 130 people were shot at Belorechka on the banks of the Belaya River, now they erected a monument there ....
Krasnodar rightly said that the Kuban did not spend much time under the occupation, they put it in quickly and then quickly took it back, there were no such big battles as in central Russia, Belarus or Ukraine ...
and what does it have to do with "freaks with" independent Cossack character "? ..., what did they want to say? that there are other people here? or how? Yes, there were also dissatisfied with the Soviet power, as in many places, maybe even more than where the thread, because dekulakization was still here, and the Cossacks were cut out at the root ... well, you yourself may think how people treated - but !!! for all the insults they served and fought against the invaders no matter what !!! that's why your irony is strange
My great-grandfather was a Cossack and 4 poplars were planted on a farm near the gate, do you know what this means ???

[bandabas]

I know. But my grandmother was evacuated in the Urals. She lived in Mr. Cool, returned after the war. Cool- Terek Cossacks, well, all Slavs and not Slavs. No wonder in the West we are ALL RUSSIAN.

[dmb]

"The irony", as you have deigned to express, is that it was not me who said about "other people", but "Krasnodarets". It follows from his unpretentious comment that the citizens of the Kuban were "special", and therefore the "cultured" Germans were afraid of them and did not commit atrocities in the Kuban. I covered the issue of atrocities, and the fear of the Germans in the Kuban was no greater than their fear in Belarus or in the Smolensk region, for the partisan movement there was much more powerful. This I mean that it is not worth separating the Kuban Cossacks from the whole people, into some kind of separate group. As for dispossession, it was so everywhere, and it is not at all a basis for justifying betrayal. Regarding “cutting out at the root.” Do not read the liberal media and pseudo-Cossack newspapers, but if you do, then explain where those who fought for Soviet Power in the Civil and the Great Patriotic War came from. if Krasnodarets wrote that the Kuban people showed heroism in the war, I would not say a word, because it is true. But according to his post it turns out: the Germans and the Kuban people coexisted peacefully. Like "We are brave, you do not touch us", - well, they did not touch I think that if he was caught in the war with such speeches, he would have put his mind into the “back gate.” As for the poplars, I understand you, but I can only say one thing: In Dagenstan there is a monument on which there are seven flying cranes. if you don’t know, ask in connection with what it was put, then you will understand me.

[kot11180]

And what do 4 poplars mean, please tell me, never heard

[Two handed]

One Italian after the war, the villainy rating according to surveys of residents of the occupied territories was to show that the Italians were not brutal to civilians. So, in the first place in this ranking were the "White Guard Cossacks."

[Snoop]

Most likely the Germans acted in such a way, hoping that the Cossacks would take their side. They formed the Cossack cavalry units. We need to search, I read somewhere before that a certain general said that in these areas you need to behave with restraint ... the local population is mainly Cossacks who are not happy with the Soviet regime ... they don’t need to provoke them ... better use them.

[92827365]

You can read about how the Cossacks were organized and fought in the Red Army and in the Wehrmacht in my books "Cossacks of the South of Russia during the Great Patriotic War ..." ("Rostizdat", Rostov-on-Don, 2008) or " Faithful to Duty "(" Range-B ", Krasnodar, 2011). Best regards 92827365

[segamegament]

Tell this to my grandmother, who is beyond Maykop in the village. Tulsky complained about the Fritzes who were taking the only cow away to their officer, who ordered to leave the cow, and then when the Fritzes returned in the evening, the 20-year-old girl ran away from them barefoot in the snow. Meningitis. Or when the Fritzes found the printing house abandoned by the retreating troops, they did not find anything better than to defecate in the letters of the typing font, and then other Fritzes forced the kids to wash these fonts from the Great Aryan shit, for use in leaflets and "appeals to the people." ...

[savrino]

To your thanks for the article - always welcome)

[sdd23wesdg]

The base of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of all citizens of the Russian Federation, Ukraine and other CIS countries is on this http://zipurl.me/sng site and the main thing was done as if to search for lost relatives, but here is all the information about each of us: correspondence with friends, addresses, phones, place of work, and the worst thing is even my naked photo (though I don't know from where ...). In general, I was very scared - but there is such a function as "hide data" of course I used it and I advise everyone not to hesitate, you never know

[barbell]

read the article and immediately listened to the ballistic ballot about alpine arrows.

[heruv1me]

"Taking advantage of the major aviation victory of the Soviet fleet in the period from 17 to 24 April" - ndya, as they say, each sandpiper praises his swamp, what kind of victory can be talked about when the Nazis did not lose air superiority. The ratio of losses speaks for itself, yes, we patted them severely there, but our losses were huge and not comparable with the German ones. Our aerial victories on a strategic scale began a little later, towards the end of the year.

[desava]

There is a good book, however, by the German author Wilhelm Tikke "March to the Caucasus". Detailed, you rarely see such works. Anyone interested - read it.

[I think so]

I read this dregs ... Fragmentary information concerns only the successful actions of the Germans ... well, of course, with unsuccessful actions there are no witnesses or documents ... I think the book is weaker than weak ... But for information, how to powder the brain of the younger generation about the lost the battle will come down ...

[desava]

And where much is written about the successful actions of the Germans? And precisely about those moments where they did not take in quantity, but in training and experience? Most of the Soviet literature describes the armada of Germans. Some objectivity can be obtained by reading it.

[Armavir]

dmb,
To be honest, I completely cannot understand what you are talking about and where did you see discrimination and features? In my opinion, you started talking about it and dumped everything in a heap.
I didn’t separate it into a separate group and I can tell you more when I can’t attribute it to the Cossacks in any way, although the ancestors of the Kuban Cossacks are the ancestors of Terek from May Kabard and not dressed up right now. And there are stories and rewards in the family that should be proud
Somehow you were greatly hooked and it is difficult to give an answer to such a set, but believe me, no one wanted to offend anyone, in any case, and there wasn’t even a hint of it)).
And I visit Dagestan often and traveled all over from Derbent to Kizlyar and Irganay to Chiryurt, and I saw this monument))
Do not face the deaths of whom she took more
Sorry for the mistakes I write from the phone is not very convenient.
If you have any questions, try to answer tomorrow completely

dmb,
To be honest, I completely cannot understand what you are talking about and where did you see discrimination and features? In my opinion, you started talking about it and dumped everything in a heap.
I didn’t separate it into a separate group and I can tell you more when I can’t attribute it to the Cossacks in any way, although the ancestors of the Kuban Cossacks are the ancestors of Terek from May Kabard and not dressed up right now. And there are stories and rewards in the family that should be proud
Somehow you were greatly hooked and it is difficult to give an answer to such a set, but believe me, no one wanted to offend anyone, in any case, and there wasn’t even a hint of it)).
And I visit Dagestan often and traveled all over from Derbent to Kizlyar and Irganay to Chiryurt, and I saw this monument))
Do not face the deaths of whom she took more
Sorry for the mistakes I write from the phone is not very convenient.
If you have any questions, try to answer tomorrow completely

[barbell]

I think so,
I don’t know what you, my shit, what you read there, but you have the right to think as you see fit.