Black Sea Campaigns (1941-44)

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The Black Sea Campaigns (1941-44) describes operations of the Axis naval forces in the Black Sea and its coastal regions during the Second World War, including in support of the land forces, and non-combat operations.

The Black Sea Fleet was as surprised by Operation Barbarossa as the rest of the Soviet Military. The Axis forces in the Black sea consisted of the Romanian and Bulgarian Navies together with German and Italian units trasported to the area via rail and Canals. Although the Soviets enjoyed an overwhelming superiority in surface ships over the axis, this was effectively negated by German air superiority and most of the Soviet ships sunk were destroyed by bombing. For the majority of the war the Black Sea Fleet was commanded by Filipp Oktyabrskiy.

All of the major Soviet shipyards were located in the Ukraine (Nikolayev and Sevastopol) and were occupied in 1941. Many incomplete ships which were afloat were evacuated to harbours in Georgia which provided the main bases for the surviving fleet. These ports such as Poti, however had very limited repair facilities which significantly reduced the operational capability of the Soviet Fleet.

1 Soviet Naval Strength
2 Axis Naval Strength
- 2.1 Romanian Navy
- 2.2 Germany and Italy
3 Operations in 1941
4 Opeartions in 1942
5 Operations in 1943
6 Opeartion in 1944
7 See also
8 References

[edit] Soviet Naval Strength

On 22 June 1941 the Black Sea Fleet consisted of:

Ship Type	Number	Note/class
Battleship	1	Parizhskaya Kommuna
Cruisers	5	2 Kirov class cruisers, Chervona Ukraina, Kranyi Krym and Krasny Kavkaz
Destroyer Leaders	3	Leningrad class destroyer and Tashkent class destroyer
Destroyers (Modern)	11	6 Type 7, 5 Type 7U,
Destroyers (old)	4	Novik type
Submarines	44
Escort Vessels/Gunboats	2
Mine warfare vessels	18
Motor Torpedo Boats	84

[edit] Axis Naval Strength

[edit] Romanian Navy

The Romanian Navy consited of 4 destroyers ( 2 Marasti class, 2 Regele Ferdinand class), 6 Fleet Torpedo boats, 3 submarines, 2 Minelayers and 7 Motor Torpedo boats.

[edit] Germany and Italy

As Turkey was neutral during World War Two the axis could not transfer warships via the Bosphorus, Several small ships were transferred via the rail and canal network including six Type II U-boats which were dis-assembled and shipped to Constanza in 1942. The Germans also transported 10 S-boats and 23 R boats via the Danube and built several armed barges in the captured Nikolayev Shipyards.

The Italian Navy dispached a small force to the Black Sea. This included several CB type Midget submarines and a flotilla of MAS boats commanded by Francesco Mimbelli which was based in Yalta.

[edit] Operations in 1941

[edit] Opeartions in 1942

[edit] Operations in 1943

[edit] Opeartion in 1944

[edit] See also

Baltic Sea Campaigns (1939-1945)

[edit] References

Ruge, Fredrich - The Soviets as Naval Opponents 1979, Naval Press Annapolis ISBN 0 850959
Black Sea Fleet History (Russian Language)
Black Sea fleet History Unofficial (Russian Language)