April 1944

Eastern Front

After a bitter battle the I and II SS Panzer Corps link up with the 1st Panzer Army near Buchach. Hube has successfully brought his army across difficult terrain, numerous river lines and back into the main combat line.

On the eve of the Soviet offensive in the Crimea, Jaenecke's places his 17th Army on alert. His force comprises Konrad's XLIX Mountain Corps near the Perekop Isthmus (50th Infantry Division) and along the Zivash coast (336th, 10th Rumanian and 19th Rumanian Infantry Divisions), while Allmendinger's V Corps defends the Kerch peninsula (98th, 73rd Infantry and 6th Rumanian Cavalry Divisions). Additional Rumanian forces (I Mountain Corps and 2 cavalry divisions) are on coastal defense and anti-partisan duties. In reserve, behind XLIX Mountain Corps, are the 111th Infantry Division and Mountain Regiment Krym. In all Jaenecke has 235,000 men and 70 assault guns. Yet again the army commander is denied freedom of movement, the 17th Army having been instructed to stand on its current positions.

During the spring the Red Army has considerably strengthened the 4th Ukrainian Front, Tolbukhin's deployed the 51st Army (5 rifle divisions and 1 tank corps of 500 tanks) in the Zivash and 2nd Guards Army (6 rifle divisions) at Perekop. Surprisingly, the main attack will not be made via the traditional Perekop route but from the Zivash, which Soviet engineers have made passable for their mechanized and infantry units. Not expecting an attack from this quarter, the Germans have only light defenses here. At Kerch, the Independent Coastal Army, with 11 rifle divisions and 1 tank brigade of 100 tanks, totalling 143,000 men face the V Corps. Tolbukhin has 278,000 men, 6,000 arty pieces and nearly 600 tanks. Over 1,200 aircraft will support the ground attack.