🏅 The Battle of the Caucasus, one of the most important battles of the Great Patriotic War, commenced on July 25, 1942. For 442 days, the outnumbered Red Army fought valiantly against the forces of Nazi Germany and its allies.

The goals of Hitler’s operation in the region were set out in the secret Directive No. 41of the German High Command that Hitler approved on April 5, 1942. The idea was “to seize the initiative again” and “force their will upon the enemy.” According to the plan, the main blow was supposed to target the southern sector of the Soviet-German front, “with the aim of destroying the enemy to the west of the Don River, in order to seize the Caucasian oilfields and then negotiate the passes across the Caucasus Mountains.” Without access to the Caucasian oil fields, the Third Reich’s war machine was doomed.

The Wehrmacht was ordered to annihilate the Southern Front forces and to capture the largest cities in the region including Novorossiysk, Tuapse, Grozny, and Baku.

For the USSR, the Caucasus was important as well. In addition to a significant number of oil fields in the region, the Black Sea Fleet was redeployed there after the loss of Sevastopol. In addition, most of the supplies sent to the Soviet Union under the Lend-Lease Act were channelled through Iran.

☝️ Therefore, the Red Army had to thwart the enemy’s advance at all costs, and after doing so, having exhausted the Nazis’ main forces in defensive battles, to press forward with a counteroffensive.

At first, the Nazis quickly advanced into the Caucasus. By early August, they had occupied Stavropol, Armavir, Maikop, Krasnodar, and Mozdok. By early September, tenacious battles began for a major Soviet port of Novorossiysk. The heaviest fighting unfolded in the central part of the Caucasus Range. It was there that the enemy was first forced to go on the defensive. After several unsuccessful attempts to break through towards Tuapse and Grozny, the Nazi’s offensive lost momentum.

In the winter of 1943, the Red Army began a major offensive. On January 3, Mozdok was liberated; Pyatigorsk was liberated on the 11th, Stavropol on the 21st, and Krasnodar, on February 12. As a result, the enemy was pushed back to the Taman Peninsula, where it continued to put up desperate resistance on layered defensive lines it had built in advance. Brutal battles in that theatre continued until October 9, 1943, until the last invader was thrown into the Kerch Strait.

During the Battle of the Caucasus, Soviet soldiers of all ethnicities showed exceptional heroism and high combat skills. The 588th Night Bomber Regiment under the command of Yevdokiya Bershanskaya, which the Nazis referred to as “Night Witches” with dread, earned nationwide renown. Gliding at extremely low altitudes, the brave women pilots approached the enemy’s positions and sowed panic and death among the invaders. For their military merit, 23 female pilots were awarded the high title of Hero of the Soviet Union, and the unit was later designated as the 46th Taman Guards Night Bomber Aviation Red Banner and Order of Suvorov Regiment.

❗️ During the Battle of the Caucasus, the enemy suffered enormous losses with over 275,000 soldiers and officers killed, and over 890 tanks, 2,000 aircraft, 2,127 guns, and more than 7,000 vehicles destroyed.

The offensive operations of 1943 marked a radical pivot in the Great Patriotic War, with the defenders of the Caucasus contributing to the reversal. The Red Army’s successes were due to the fast-growing capabilities of the Soviet defence industry, as well as the great skill and experience of Soviet commanders and soldiers.

🥇 The heroism of the defenders of the Caucasus was highly appreciated by the nation and the government. On January 25, 1943, the medal For the Defence of the Caucasus was instituted, which was awarded to many participants in the Battle of the Caucasus as well as home front workers.