What Colonel Leonid did is actually not important.
Mahlis or Shulka had no hope that their counterattack would be successful... This was almost impossible. The German army launched the attack under the cover of armored forces, and the temporarily organized Soviet
Army, but they don't even have basic anti-tank equipment.
So you can imagine that they charged amidst the enemy's bullets and artillery fire, and then fell to the enemy's guns one after another.
The important thing is that this attracted the attention of the Germans, especially the movement of the air force towards Kerch...
However, this was indeed a threat to the German army, because when the Soviet army organized a counterattack, they also invested more than 200 fighter jets and bombers to provide cover.
If these equipment were in the hands of German troops with good quality and coordination, they would probably have defeated the German vanguard, because they could use the air force's tactics of suppressing tanks and infantry charges.
It's a pity that the Soviet air force and infantry did not have such quality. They almost fought independently. If there was coordination, they would just launch attacks at the same time.
However, Manstein was still fooled, and he immediately ordered the main force of the air force to rush over Kerch.
"You have to occupy Kerch as quickly as possible!" Manstein ordered Lieutenant General Sponeneck: "This way we can put our troops in more useful places!"
"Yes, General!" Spanek replied.
Sponneck was the commander of the 42nd Army. He commanded the 46th Division that attacked Kerch and two reinforced battalions with a total of 20,000 troops to attack Kerch.
Sponneck felt a little strange when he put down the phone.
Having just come off the battlefield, he knew that the Soviet counterattack did not pose much of a threat to the German army. It only slightly slowed down the German offensive, even if the Soviet army had fighter planes to cooperate... To be precise, Sponneck believed that
That's not called cooperation at all. The enemy air force even found the wrong direction to bomb Zhanyike.
So? Why did the Soviets launch such a counterattack?
But Sponneck quickly put the issue out of his mind.
Because he believed that the Soviet army might not have any "conspiracy". They simply wanted to repel the German army to save their own lives or to defend Kerch, but it just didn't work.
When Spanek looked at the map, he occasionally worried about his flank, especially Feodosia, which if occupied by the enemy would cut off the 46th Division's retreat.
But the thought only passed by... It was almost impossible, no one could land on the beach in this temperature.
What Spanek didn't expect was that something he thought was impossible was happening.
Just when the German Air Force was transferred to Kerch to engage in a melee with the Soviet army, more than a hundred aircraft suddenly appeared in the sky above Feodosia. After they flew over it, they immediately divided into several groups and flew towards the coastal defenses of Feodosia.
gun position and launched an indiscriminate bombardment.
Stationed here is a reinforced battalion of the German army, numbering about 600 men, and the commander is Major Weber.
He loudly reported to Lieutenant General Sponneck amid the sound of air defense sirens and explosions: "General, we are being bombed by the enemy's air force!"
"The same goes for us!" Spanek replied without thinking: "There are Russian planes everywhere, let them blow them up!"
This should be said to be a manifestation of the Soviet Air Force's numerical superiority. Due to the small number of German fighter planes, it can only guarantee air superiority in one or a limited number of airspaces at the same time. The airspace in other places can be said to be completely liberalized.
"But I think their bombing is purposeful!" Major Webb said: "They bombed our shore defense guns very accurately! Why shore defense guns? I mean, does this mean that their navy wants to attack our shore defense guns?
Do we attack?"
Feodosia was flanked by German troops on both sides, Kerch on one side and Sevastopol on the other, and both sides gained the advantage.
Therefore, if there is an enemy attacking here, it must be from the sea. In addition, the Russian Air Force is bombing the coastal defense artillery, so it is normal to worry about the Russian Navy attacking.
Sponneck was stunned for a moment, and then he said the same thing: "Don't worry, Major, no one will use the navy to attack Feodosia at this time, unless they want to be frozen into ice!"
"I stand by my opinion, General!" Major Weber requested: "I hope you can send a few reconnaissance planes to search the sea!"
"Okay, Major!" Spanek replied, "I'll know how to do it!"
After hanging up the phone, Spanek casually said to the adjutant: "Send two reconnaissance planes to conduct reconnaissance near Feodosia to dispel Major Weber's doubts!"
"Yes, General!"
What Lieutenant General Sponneck didn't expect was that less than half an hour later, news came from the Air Force: "A large enemy fleet has been discovered and is heading towards Feodosia at full speed!"
"Stop them!" Spanek immediately ordered: "Don't let them approach Feodosia, move all the planes over!"
"Too late, General!" the Air Force replied: "Maybe you didn't notice that it was getting dark and we couldn't stop them at night!"
Sponneck looked out the window, and sure enough, the sky was getting dark.
"No, this was planned by them!" Sponneck was shocked: "We were fooled!"
The next second Sponneck contacted Manstein.
"We've been fooled, General!" Spanek said, "This is a trap they set!"
"What trap?"
"Kerch's counterattack!" Sponneck explained: "That was them attracting our attention to mobilize our air force. Their real target was Feodosia. Their air force bombed the coastal defense guns there.
There is also a fleet heading there... they will land on Feodosia!"
Manstein immediately found the location of Feodosia on the map and asked: "Are you sure? Landing in Feodosia at this temperature?"
"I'm sure, General!" Sponneck replied: "While it is indeed dangerous, it will put us in a situation where we will be surrounded, so it is worth the risk, isn't it?"
Then Spanek suggested: "I think the 46th Division should retreat immediately and retreat to Feodosia with all its strength, otherwise there is a risk of being surrounded in Kerch!"
"No, General Sponneck!" Mansch Tank rejected Sponneck's idea without thinking: "You should continue to attack Kerch. There will be other troops to reinforce Feodosia, and at the same time order Feodosia
Our troops must defend it at any cost!"
"But General..."
"This is my order!" Manstein interrupted Spanek.
"Yes, General!" Sponneck hung up the phone helplessly.