December 1941

Eastern Front

Anothern force of 23,000 men of 44th Army lands in the Crimea. The new landing comes ashore at Feodosia, where German defenses are virtually non-existant, consisting mainly of Rumanian forces and rear area personnel. The Soviets throw the Rumanians back and establishes a firm bridgehead, threatening the rear of the XLII Corps. With his rear open and his force in danger of being isolated, Sponek takes immediate action and withdraws from the peninsula to the Ak-Monai narrows, the withdrawal beginning during the night of December 29-30. With this new danger to his rear, Manstein suspends attacks upon Sevastopol and begins to move the XXX Corps east to the aid of the XLII Corps.