Andrey Kuznetsov's new book

[Nokose]

I just got in this new book today its in Russian but maybe it will appear in English if their is interest. The Russian version is 462 pages so it would be probably longer in English. I'm just roughly translating the title and contents (So don't kill the messenger). "The Great Landing. The Kerch - Eltigen Operation"
Contents Pages
1. Introduction and overview of the sources 3
2. The sides plan for the Crimea in autumn 1943 6
3. Composition and balances of the forces 24
4. Planning and preparation for the landing operation 75
5 The landing 91
6. The struggle for the Eltigen beachhead 1-7 November 116
7. Landing the 56th Army 164
8. Expanding the Enikali bridgehead 175
9. Seige and blockade 204
10. The offensive 20-22 November 279
11. On the eve of the last battle 292
12. Finale in Eltigen 319
13 The December offensive of the Maritime Army 346
14. The struggle for Mitridat 356
15. Losses of the side 380
16. Results and lessons 392
17. Appendices 400
18. The main sources 452

It covers the operation from the naval, ground and the air unlike many ground operations.

[Håkan]

Hello,

I for one, would very much appreciate an English-version of this book, i.e. buy it!

Best wishes/Håkan

[Nokose]

I've had a little time to scan through some of the material in the book. He uses a lot of material from the archives of Russia, Germany and the captured material in the USA. Rumanian archives he states he didn't get too (with regrets) but found their reports and other documents in the German Army reports. Also he used a book about the Rumanian 3rd dive bomber group. Barbas's books on JG52 were also used as a source. I'll give an example from the book (hope it comes out right).

"For the first time a "cargo" Il-2 suffered from enemy aircraft on 14 November, when a pair of Me-109 damaged an aircraft from the 9 GShAP (the gunner was wounded but sat contently at his station, doing his job). Later in the day there was a single all-time transport epic case, where the Il-2 were encountered in the air dropping another cargo in which the aircraft crashed."

I think my translation was right here but if not maybe Andrey will add comment.

[F19Gladiator]

Could it have been Li-2 instead of Il-2 as it apparently is about transport aircraft?

[Frank Olynyk]

Nokose,
Could you post the title in Russian, with the name of the publisher, and the ISBN? I would like to get a copy, and that will make it easier.

Enjoy!

Frank.

[Nokose]

8 GShAP is a Shturmovik unit but the aircraft type described "Ил-2".

Frank, I got this book out of New York. They have Pay-Pal now.

Большой Десант : Керченско-Эльтигенская Операция (Андрей Кузнецов) Москва "Вече" ISBN 978-5-9533-5397-7

[Frank Olynyk]

Nokose,
Thanks for the information. I found it on the Vasha-Kniga website, and ordered it.

Enjoy!

Frank.

[Andrey Kuznetsov]

Hello F19Gladiator

Originally Posted by F19Gladiator

Could it have been Li-2 instead of Il-2 as it apparently is about transport aircraft?

No, they were Il-2 indeed. Il-2 had supplied the Eltigen bridgehead with parachute-dropped containers by day despite AA-fire and episodical fighter attacks. By night biplanes U-2 from two night bomber regiments (one of them - female regiment) had used bags without parachutes dropped from low altitude. These missions were included as combat missions to the crews (like ground attack missions for example).
The main bridgehead (Enikale) had the landing strips so normal transport flights (by Li-2 and other a/c) were possible. Eltigen bridgehead was too small to do it.

Regards,
Andrey