Where the Iron Crosses Grow: The Crimea 1941–44

by Robert Forczyk

The Crimea has been the scene of conflict throughout its history. First occupied by the Russians in the 18th century it was the scene of the Crimean War, and was drawn into the Russian Civil War, as well as World War II. Today it remains a much disputed region with the Crimea at the center of ongoing tensions between East and West. Throughout World War II the Crimea was a microcosm of the more general war on the Eastern Front, reflecting the ebb and flow of fortunes of that conflict. It was a crucible that saw first Soviet and then German armies surrounded, overwhelmed, and then destroyed. The nature of the fighting in the Crimea was unusual for the Eastern Front, with naval forces playing an important role, as the Crimea's position in the Black Sea gave rise to a major role for naval supply, amphibious landings, and, ultimately, evacuation. However, in other ways it was more characteristic of the Eastern Front, and the fighting for and occupation of the region saw the same level of atrocity and ethnic cleansing commonplace throughout the war in the East, with each side reaching the depths of barbarity in their treatment of the civilian population. Based on extensive new archival research, this incredible narrative history by acclaimed historian Robert Forczyk sheds new light on this vital aspect of the Eastern Front that has not been covered in English before.

Genres: History, World War II, Military History, Nonfiction, Russia, Military Fiction, Russian History

530 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Robert Forczyk has a PhD in International Relations and National Security from the University of Maryland and a strong background in European and Asian military history.

Reviews

[Cold War Conversations Podcast · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert Forczyk has produced a detailed but easily read narrative of a much neglected area of the 1941-45 Russo German war.

Whilst other authors have written extensive tracts on the initial phases of Barbarossa, Kursk, Moscow, Leningrad, etc. for some reason the battles for the Crimea have largely been ignored. 

What is even more surprising is why? From a purely military point of view it has everything. Naval battles, amphibious landings, sieges, air battles and naval evacuations the size of Dunkirk.

Logistics is key in any battle and Forczyk describes well the German quandary of trying to balance limited resources across multiple threats, as well as the friction between the Germans and their Rumanian allies who fought better, than is normally described.

The book also gives insight into Wehrmacht complicity in war crimes and the grim matter of ethnic cleansing on both sides. Whilst rightly so there is focus on German atrocities, Forczyk also describes the little known story of the Crimean Tartars where the Soviets carried out the forced deportation of 180,000 Crimean Tartars to Uzbekistan on the belief that many had collaborated with the Germans, resulting in 109,000 Tartar dead within 3 years.

The last chapter brings the book back to the present day with a contemporary view of Russia's recent invasion and annexation of the Crimea.

Overall a great addition to any Eastern Front library.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lively and compelling narrative of the Crimea in the Second World War by an author who has a real knack for writing about tactics and operations. For those of you who aren't familiar with the carnage that were the battles on the Kerch Peninsula or the siege of the the naval base of Sevastopol, the Crimea was also witness to ethnic cleansing on a vast scale, to say nothing of the slaughters that accompanied the Bolshevik Revolution and subsequent collectivization. Forczyk should have at least mentioned the Yalta Conference, but he does bring the reader up to speed by describing the Russian invasion of 2014. What I found intolerable was that my edition of the book hadn't a single map, just unbelievable in the book of a writer who specializes in operational narratives.

[Kamil Bryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amerykański historyk Robert Forczyk zabiera nas w podróż na Krym lat 1941-1944. Choć przewodnik zza oceanu stara się jak może, polskie biuro podróży co jakiś czas rzuca mu pod nogi kłody, psując nam trochę radość z na ogół wybitnie ciekawej wycieczki.

“Tam gdzie rosną żelazne krzyże…” to świetna książka. Forczyk przedstawia nam pokrótce militarną historię Krymu od czasów tatarskiej ordy do wybuchu drugiej wojny światowej. Następnie w niezwykłym szczególe odtwarza działania wojenne na półwyspie, czasami nawet do poziomu pojedynczych plutonów, posiłkując się głównie źródłami pierwotnymi. Każdy z rozdziałów opowiada o kolejnej fazie wojny na Krymie, znalazło się też miejsce na opisanie charakteru niemieckiej i radzieckiej okupacji półwyspu. Mamy również świetne, czytelne mapki z zaznaczeniem co i gdzie działo się podczas prezentowanej na mapie operacji. Przypisy stosowane są często i na ogół dobrze dokumentują wykorzystane źródła, choć mogłoby ich być trochę więcej, gdy Forczyk przytacza anegdoty bądź pisze o “innych historykach”. Książce zarzuca się też czasami surowość języka. To prawda, że styl jest przeważnie encyklopedyczny, ale nie uważam tego za wadę. Być może poetycki tytuł sprawił, że zawiedzeni oczekiwali czegoś innego?

Niestety, jak wspomniałem, jakość polskiego wydania pozostawia wiele do życzenia. To, że zdarzają się literówki lub amba zżera słowo w zdaniu, da się jakoś przeżyć. Jednak gdy widzę kolejny raz źle przetłumaczony miesiąc, zaczynam przewracać oczami. Sam styl przekładu także nie powala, liczne powtórzenia sprawiają, że książkę czyta się czasem jak wypracowanie szóstoklasisty. Tutaj oczywiście nie jestem w stanie stwierdzić na ile to wina tłumacza, a na ile samego autora. Należy jednak powiedzieć, że wydawnictwo nie zrobiło zbyt wiele, by uczynić wrażenia z lektury możliwe najlepszymi. Dziwne wydało mi się również stosowanie przypisów przez tłumacza. Skoro wyjaśnia nam w przypisie czym była Czerwona Gwiazda, dlaczego nie robi tego, gdy pojawiają się bardziej specjalistyczne określenia jak drednot czy aprosz? Szkoda, że nie włożono w redaktorską robotę trochę więcej wysiłku.

[Tim]

Not everybody's type of reading, but it is pretty cool that I drive the author's son everyday on Bus #8!

[Doubledf99.99 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good and detailed account of battles fought in WWII, has pictures and maps, appendices and notes.
Read it on a Kindle Fire HDX and the maps displayed with no issues.

[Arthur · Rating 3 out of 5]

A 13 and a half hour unabridged audiobook.
Certainly a lot of information here, especially on the Russian defense of Sevastopol and the Kerch campaigns (it focused on all Crimea but those were highlighted, along with the northern landbridge). It's good information but the presentation was dry, with few first person accounts quoted. It came across as if reading an encyclopedia entry.

[Derek Weese · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent work on a little explored aspect of the titanic war between Nazi Germany and her allies and the Soviet Union.
The book starts with a historical overview of the peoples and events that, through the centuries, made the Crimea as strategically important to Russia as it was and still is. The Tatars are especially looked at and the Russian conquest of the Crimea is viewed through the prism of the Russians ongoing struggle against their Muslim neighbors. Forczyk also points out a defensive system, still in existence today, that has been so vital to the military operations of all sides in the Crimea: the Tatar ditch and the Perekop forts.
Forczyk then gives a brief account of the fighting in the Crimea during the Russian Civil War, before detailing the cruelty inflicted upon their own people and the Tatars by the Soviet regime in its own brand of ethnic cleansing and ideological genocide. Throughout the book, while not becoming polemical, Forczyk showcases the murderous cruelty inherent in the Communist system, reminding all too many readers who view the Soviet Union in a heroic light that, like the Nazi's, they were an absolutely evil regime.
The Soviet attempts to modernize the city of Sevastopol and to ensure that the Russian Navy had a first class base on the Black Sea are recounted before WWII even starts.
The chapters on the German conquest of the Crimea, 2/3 of the book, make for excellent reading. I am very pleased that Forczyk is good writer as well as a good historian, his narrative is not remotely dull.
The centuries old Tatar ditch, the Perekop forts, and even the old fortifications around Balaklava, Inkermann and Sevastopol from the Crimean War of a century earlier all featured in the fighting as Erich Von Manstein, leading a joint German-Romanian Army fought a back and forth struggle with the Red Army for the Crimea. The Soviet counteroffensives in the winter of 41-42 came close to inflicting a terrible defeat on the Axis forces, but superior German logistics and leadership ensured that the outnumbered Axis forces, ultimately, prevailed. Manstein's annihilation of an entire Soviet field army in the late spring of 1942 on the Kerch Peninsula with a badly outnumbered German-Romanian mechanized force has to stand as one of the classic, (and required study for military officers), engagements of the Second World War. The detailing of the ending of the siege of Sevastopol and the German-Romanian reduction of the Soviet forces there and on the Kherson Peninsula is the best part of the book, reading almost like an action novel while never straying from the ultimate goal of being very good military history.
Following the conquest by the Axis Forczyk then details the Germans attempts to Germanize the Crimea, and their own brand of ethnic cleansing in the region, including using the Muslim Tatars to assist in rooting out Jews and Communist partisans. While the Germans never did acknowledge the skills of their Romanian allies (the Germans tended to do their best to belittle all of their allies at one point or another), they used the excellent Romanian Mountain troops to take charge of the anti-partisan operations in the Crimea. For the most part, the Romanians turned out to be very good at counter-insurgency warfare. Though the Germans would never admit to this, or anything else favorable regarding the Romanians.
The final part of the book discusses the Soviet re-conquest, this time against a tired, worn out, under-equipped and thinly stretched Wehrmacht. While the Red Army had learned much and had gained in quality as the war went on, they still took roughly 85,000 losses in reconquering the Crimea. Though they did destroy the majority of the German 17th Army and much of the Romanian Mountain Corps. Even though the German and Romanian Navy, (in disobedience to Hitler's orders and using Turkish willingness to violate their own neutrality if it meant one upping the Russians), was able to rescue large numbers of Axis troops in a Dunkirk style evacuation from Sevastopol and Kherson, the fact remains that the Red Army had won a tremendous victory. Finally, Forczyk briefly details the Soviets revenge against the Tatars and others in the Crimea who aided the Germans. The Tatars were forcefully relocated to other realms in Stalin's attempt to Russianize the Crimea and tens of thousands were murdered following the war in Communist attempts to purify the region following the war.
All in all this is an excellent work on a little known aspect of WWII on the Eastern Front. Well written, never dull, and covering information little known in the West, this has to rank as the best WWII title published in 2014.
Highly recommended.

[Juli Rahel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Occasionally the time comes when a good non-fiction book is needed. Although I love reading fiction, I often find myself craving something "real", something tangible, and that is when I reach for history books. I am fascinated by our world and everything that has occurred in it so far and love learning more, both about my own history and that of other countries and cultures. Being half-German, I have always considered it my duty to learn about the World Wars and to let them not be forgotten or cast aside. However, in such gigantic historic events, often stories are left behind, and the fierce battles over the Crimea is one of those stories. I am incredibly grateful to have had a chance to read this book and fill a gap in my knowledge. Thanks to Osprey Publishing and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Forczyk's book is meticulously researched, whether it's intimate contemporary anecdotes or the precise movements of different battalions. As with many way history books, the numbers and dates are so plentiful they make you dizzy, but Forczyk does his best to bring order to the chaos. Russian military groups are named in English, whereas German ranks are referred to in German, making the small difference between "the infantry" and "the infanterie" something of a lifesaver. For those more used to reading these sorts of history books, the plentiful references to different sorts of canons, air crafts and battleships will be more familiar, but as a relative novice I frequently became a bit overwhelmed by it. Forczyk attempts, though difficult it might be considering his subject matter, to let the reader breathe by interspersing the recounting of battles with aside descriptions of relevant history or persons.

Where the Iron Crosses Grow focuses mainly on the years 1941 to 1944, the very height of the Second World War, but Forczyk is also conscious of the need for background information. Starting in the 18th century, he details the history of the Crimea, its Tatar origins and its initial position as a power base. He also goes into its role during the war between the Whites and the Reds after the October Revolution in 1917 and slowly leads up to the beginning of the Second World War. By doing so, he is able to set up a number of links which only become relevant later on. The clearest example of this is his mention of the OZET, the Society for Settling Toiling Jews on the Land, set up between 1925-38, which created tensions between the resettled Jews and the local Crimean population which felt its land was being taken away. This tension survived until the German occupation in 1943 when it had disastrous consequences for the Jewish Crimeans. This linking back and forth between different time periods really adds to a reader's awareness of how tightly linked these different historical periods truly are. The main chunk of the book is dedicated to the three years of intense fighting that occurred in the Crimea, chronicling the waves of invasions that washed over the Crimea, first the German invasion in 1941-42, which finds many comparisons to the invasion of the Red Army, and then the Russian "liberation" in 1943-44. The hundreds of thousands of lives lost on both sides, the countless rounds of ammunition spent, the indescribable wreckage that was left behind, Forczyk finds a way to describe these in a way that allows both the horror of it to seep in, while also not wallowing in it for the sake of sensationalism. In between the two invasions, he also describes the terror of the ethnic cleansing by the Nazis, as well as the Soviet's very own cleansing after WWII.

Perhaps the key thing that Where the Iron Crosses Grow taught me is that the Crimea has become a symbol. Holding it suggests power, the power over the Black Sea, the power over the Ukraine, the power to cross the border between East and West. While owning it now really does hold almost no strategical benefits, it means something bigger. It's why Hitler wanted to drive through the streets of defeated Paris, why Napoleon insisted on trying to conquer Russia, why the British Empire but the Koh-I-Noor diamond in the crown of its royals. It's an act that suggest primacy over others, and that is what despots send soldiers to their deaths for. As said, reading Where the Iron Crosses Grow, or any book on the world's long history of wars, makes you despair at humanity and at what it is willing to do to itself. But I firmly believe that learning your history is the first step in preventing it from repeating itself.

Forczyk, throughout Where the Iron Crosses Grow, consistently manages to keep the reader engaged. This sounds like it should be a given, but whereas a fiction author can use all their imaginative faculties to keep the reader happy, a history writer has facts he has to stick to. And a war historian usually has pretty grim facts as well as occasionally boring statistics he needs to convey. For someone like me, who is mainly interested in cultural history, the recounting of a battle, the shifting of fronts, the number of cannon balls fired, etc. is not always thrilling, and there were times in Where the Iron Crosses Grow that Forczyk lost me a little. However, as said above, he himself seems very aware of this likelihood and attempts to intersperse history with as many asides as possible. I found it fascinating to learn about a German general who could only serve in the Crimea because he had been personally "pardoned" by Hitler for being of Jewish descent, or of a young Crimean girl joining the partisans. He doesn't lose himself in the numbers, doesn't lose track of the overall picture and tries his hardest to make it understandable to a novice like myself.

For those interested in the Crimea and its WWII history, Where the Iron Crosses Grow is the perfect read. Incredibly well-researched and written, this book will give its readers a brilliant oversight, as well as an empathic insight, into the battles fought and the lives lost on this peninsula. I'd recommend this to those interested in the history of WWII and non-fiction.


For full review: http://universeinwords.blogspot.com/2...

[Andrew · Rating 2 out of 5]

Most of the Crimean Campaign has been covered from various biographies and the autobiography of Field Marshal Erich Von Manstein. Where the Iron Crosses Grow is a new book that covers the Crimean Campaign in a much more balanced manner, with interesting insights from primary Soviet sources as well as additional exposure of the liquidation of Jews in the Crimea.

The Crimea is, and was, a peninsula that has major influence on five geographic areas: Southern Russia, the Black Sea, the Caucuses, the far Eastern coast of Europe, specifically Romania and Bulgaria and Turkey.

Hitler ordered Manstein to take the Crimea because he wanted it to be transformed into a German equivalent of the French Riviera. The climate is far warmer than almost anywhere else in Russia, and the Russian/Soviet Black Sea Fleets have traditionally been based out of Sevastopol. Hitler also viewed the Crimea as a place where the Soviets could muster significant air and naval power, and in fact, once the Soviets bombed the Romanian controlled oil fields at Ploesti, it accelerated the need to seize and control the area.

Forcyzk shows that the Germans were brutal to not only the Jews, but also the Russian prisoners they captured, and also to their Romanian allies. The Romanians were given lesser tasks throughout the campaign, and were generally ignored whenever possible. Forczyk goes into some detail about the einsatzgruppen, the unit responsible for the mass murder of all German-designated undesirables, and makes a very convincing link to Manstein. In fact, Manstein met with the commanders of these units, and issued top secret orders to liquidate Jews and commissars.

Forcyzk also highlights the significance of the rough terrain throughout the Crimea, from the Perekop, one of three very small avenues of approach into the Crimea, to the urban environment of Sevastopol. Whilst the Germans were known for their mastery of mobile warfare during WWII, the Crimean campaign soon became a battle of attrition, especially in the chokepoints mentioned above. The Axis powers were significantly outnumbered by the Soviets during the campaign, and Forcyzk illuminates a very critical fact: the Soviet reinforcements brought into the Crimea from the Caucuses were not highly motivated to fight for the USSR, and this showed by their performance on the battlefield.

Forcyzk is highly critical of most senior Soviet leadership throughout the campaign. From bungled amphibious raids on numerous occasions, to the inability to counterattack German gains, and the general lack of capability to conduct what is known today as joint combined arms warfare, the Soviet leadership consistently failed to stop a numerically inferior (at one point, the Germans had only committed eight Divisions while the Soviets had sent over 30 into the fight, with many of them being captured or rendered combat ineffective).

At this point of my reading, the Germans have just finally captured Sevastopol. Forcyzk also does a nice job of showing the limitations of the two massive heavily artillery pieces the Germans used, better known as Dora and Gustav. Both pieces were rail-mounted, and were massive...as in 420mm and 600mm guns. The Germans were limited in the amount of ammunition they used, as it was cumbersome to move and load, and had actually expended all of the available ammo by the end of the siege of Sevastopol. Hitler also forced an investigation of the misuse of these assets, as they were used on occasion to reduce lightly protected pillboxes and trench lines. In fact, there was only one decisive use, when Dora managed to fire a shell that penetrated 30 feet of reinforced concrete which protected a major Soviet ammo dump. The concurrent explosions damaged a number of large caliber Soviet guns and quickly hastened the end of the siege.

I've finished the book. Unfortunately, I was notified by some friends that many of the German primary source materials were translated poorly at best. This leads me to believe that the author was trying to make an argument that isn't fully supported by his claims. Still, the book is worthwhile for the description of the tactical and operational battles within the Crimea.

[Dj · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strong entry into a region of WWII that doesn't get as much coverage as some other areas. Crimea as a whole makes for a fairly isolated campaign field and even with sometimes uneven access to resources, it can be told more fully than some of the battles that took place in the old Soviet Union. The author takes a different view of the battles in Crimea than Manistein does. In fact, without being harshly critical his writing makes it fairly clear that he doesn't have quite the same view as many others about the Field Marshall. The book covers the whole war in Crimea which is very refreshing. In general, very few individuals come out with a really good reputation for their leadership in these battles.

Overall the book is jammed packed with information and is well worth the effort to read.

[Ken · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is just great the brutal and harrowing campaign by the German army smashing it's way into the Crimea and eventual expulsion by massive Russian determination. But it focuses on one man in one unit if it weren't true you would think it was a work of fiction story which my youth is filled with Tolkien, Asimov, Clarke etc. The desperation the hopelessness but utter will to exist where no human has a right to exist in a battlefield reminiscent of world war one stories. This is story to read if your a student of world war two. Learnt so much about human spirit triumphs over all adversity. If you want to learn something about a human soul read this story.

[Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book to read on the eve of the illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia. After a short review of the history of Crimea from 17th Century to WWI, Richard Forczyk concentrates on the brutal fighting between Nazi Germany and Stalinist Soviet Union between 1941-1944. The prologue reminds the reader of the Crimea's Ottoman and Tartar roots and how a succession of Tzars and Communist regimes changed the ethnic makeup through conquest, state-sponsored immigration, forced resettlements, deportations, and ethnic cleansing. The main part of this work is dedicated to the incredible feats of both the initial German offensive and the determined Soviet reconquest two years later. The scale of the fighting and casualties over three years of war is mind boggling given the size of the terrain and relative insignificance of the territory - three quarters of a million Soviet troops, nearly two hundred thousand German and Romanian Soldiers and an inestimable number of Civilians, many of the latter deliberately exterminated by both sides. Crimea is truly a place where both the "Iron Crosses" and "Heroes of the Soviet Union" grew during a period of this barren land's dark history.

[Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forczyk is a very good writer who easily holds the reader's attention, while simultaneously exploring advanced historical research.. The Crimea in WWII is mostly overlooked and/or forgotten, but resulted in the near destruction of an entire German Army Group as well as numerous Romanion casualties -- against many times more Soviet losses. The book is well put together, not overly long, has a significant amount of original material, and decent pictorial sections.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the Iron Cross Grows is quite an interesting read. It tells of the history of the Crimea region. I thought it to be informative and rich in well researched historical detail. With the current situation going on with that area of the world, I now have a better understanding of what is going on. I think it is worth a read. 4 ½ stars

[Wilhelm Arcturus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not an Anthony Beevor level of effort, but few can write history as engaging as he does. Still, good and detailed coverage of something that was very much a side-show of the war on the eastern front that also ties in the history of the Crimera and its place in the post-war and current world situation.

[Yanik · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had read Forczyk’s Osprey Battlefields for Moscow 1941 (Moscow 1941: Hitler’s first defeat) and was pleased with his narrative style.
Then, of course, Crimea during WW2 is a very relevant and overlooked area so was eager to read more about it.

As expected, the tone is mostly impartial; highlighting both the heroic and brilliant moves as well as the blunders and atrocities on both sides.
The only real nagging oversight in this is the persistence to call them ‘the Ukraine’ and ‘the Crimea’ which are Russian colonial names for these regions.
A minor hinderance was that it tends to be viewed often from a macro strategical level. Often actions are described in divisional or regimental movements which leads to lists of designations being thrown against each other. I get these were big operations, but at times it was hard to see the human element in these descriptions. That is not to say there is not ground level view, far from it. There are many anecdotal segments and company or even personal level maneuvers and actions that get a highlight.
Something that was kind of lacking was maps. There are a handful of low-detail maps at the front of the book, but nothing to show troop placement or maneuvers. Regardless, most battle descriptions are thrilling and give a good insight in the state of their respective troops, methods and strategies.

Overall, the book did a fantastic job in kindling many new areas of the conflict that I’d now like to read more about. These include things like the greater Ukrainian campaigns during the war, the general doctrine and local differences of the Soviet partisan movements, the battles around Kuban and Romania’s history during the war.

It starts off with a short prelude of the chaos that is Crimean history up to the outbreak of WW2.
A thorough preparation is included in describing the economic and political situation at the time of the German invasion.
I took a break from the book to read Forczyk’s day-to-day treatise on the Siege of Sevastopol (Sevastopol 1942: Von Manstein’s triumph) which aided a lot in getting a more visual picture of the location with its beautiful maps.
Two thirds of the book describe the German offensive, with the rest dedicated to the intermediate period and the swift Soviet liberation as well as a short appendix on the 2014 Crimea annexation ad its implications.

There is a lot of time spend on the horrors and atrocities that plagued the peninsula. Deportations, ethnic cleansings, revenge murders against civilians, war crimes and the sacrifice of troops thought to be worth less (mainly the Romanians) are described in detail and without censorship. It was often hard to read these segments; the sheer volume and ruthlessness with which these mass murders were done is disgusting and nauseating. As Forczyk notes, as a lesser-known area of the war these horrors are less well known, even more so for the Soviet ethnic cleansings which have been mostly ignored.

Some highlight actions for me were:
-The hill-to-hill fighting of the Germans slowly moving towards the city.
-The air battles over Sevastopol during the siege.
-The reinforcements being brought in via all sorts of shipping during the siege.
-The impressive Kriegsmarine evacuation of AOK 17 from Kuban.
-The massive CAS of the early Soviet counteroffensive in ’43.

[Alex Helling · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Crimea in World War II was somewhat of a sideshow in the great conflict between Nazi Germany and the USSR. There were two campaigns which are covered in this book; as the Germans advanced through Ukraine in Operation Barbarossa in 1941-42, and then as the Russians fought their way back in 1943-44. In neither advance was the Crimea pivotal but the unique geography of the Crimea in the context of the Eastern Front makes these interesting campaigns to study. Robert Forczyk’s book provides an overview of the Crimea during WWII. The focus is on these two hard fought campaigns, but the brief period of occupation without campaigning, with the attendant apparatus of the holocaust, and the counter-genocide post reconquest is covered too, albeit to a considerably lesser extent.

The campaigns are interesting, as they include considerable naval and air action as a result of the need to keep Sevastopol resupplied in a siege, evacuation efforts, and multiple uniquely for the Eastern front amphibious landings which are on the Kerch peninsula. Both the campaigns are well covered and quite easy to read and understand, aided by some decent maps (which of course don't have quite the detail you need from the more detailed bits of the text, particularly on the siege of Sevastopol itself). The account is balanced in its coverage of both sides. However this is quite an operational account with little in the way of participants' on the ground viewpoints.

Forczyk also puts the Crimea in a wider context. While focused on 1941-44 he initially takes us right back to the 16th Century when Russia first turned its’ eyes towards the Crimea and provides a chapter on the takeover of the Crimea by the Soviets in 1920 and how they ran the peninsular for the two decades to the German invasion. This is potentially useful in the sense of Crimea’s important geopolitical position as a launching point from Russia across the Black Sea, and its’ easily defensible position being connected to the Ukrainian mainland only by several narrow isthmus which has an immense impact on how the war is fought.

Less successful I think is Forczyk’s attempt to bring the book uptodate by ending with the takeover of Crimea in 2014. While this does show the continuing importance of Crimea to Russia the circumstances are quite different. And if he really wants it to be uptodate it now needs to be updated again in the context of the wider 2022-? Ukraine-Russia war.

As a side campaign where the Iron Crosses Grow is only really likely to appeal to those who have a good understanding of WWII and the eastern front already. But for those who have read some overview accounts this is a good side campaign to get into the detail of.

[Rob Kitchin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Crimea has long been fought over. Robert Forczyk provides a brief summary of number of conflicts as context for his main focus: the period between Russian Revolution and the Second World War, and in particular WWII itself. While the contextual material covering the pre-WWII is a little sketchy, the war and the various actions and battles between 1941 and 1944 are covered in depth. The Germans and Romanians entered the Crimea in force in September 1941, occupying most of the territory with the exception of Sevastopol. Kerch was briefly taken back by the Russians in December for five months. The siege of Sevastopol lasted 250 days before it finally fell. The Russians held a toe-hold at Kerch in late 1943 and invaded in force in April 1944, occupying the whole territory by early May, with the Germans conducting a Dunkirk-style evacuation of troops from Sevastopol. The scale of the battles meant thousands of troops and civilians on both sides were killed or captured during the fighting or subsequent ethnic cleansing. Further, during the German occupation, many Crimean Tatars sided with the Axis, paying a heavy-price after war being sent to labour camps or being murdered en masse.

Forczyk provides a blow-by-blow account of the war in the Crimea in what often reads as a list-like battle diary. There is no shortage of technical terms, but very little personal testimony or a sense of key personalities beyond identifying them. Moreover, while there is an extensive detailing of the places where battles occur, there is not a single map, let alone detailed battle maps. Further, the narrative seems a little unequal, with the balance of attention focused on the Germans. This is also reflected in the title – ‘Where the Iron Crosses Grow’ – despite the fact that the Russians were often just as brave and certainly lost more personnel in the conflict. The result is an account that is somewhat dry and distant. The last handful of pages concerning present day conflict in the Crimea is thin and strays into political reporting. Overall, a quite technical, dry account that details all of the main events.

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

There have been a multitude of books written about the Second World War but, while subjects such as the battles of Stalingrad, Kursk or D-Day are always in the spot-light with seemingly endless re-interpretations of the known facts, some subjects seem to fall through the cracks. The war in Crimea is one such subject which has not received the attention that it deserves until now. The actions fought here represent a microcosm of the wider conflict with armoured battles, sieges, partisan operations, amphibious landings and even an airborne drop by Soviet paratroopers.

Given the scope of this campaign, Forczyk has written a well researched and balanced account giving fairly equal weighting to both German and Russian sides of the conflict, while also giving credit where credit is due to the large Romanian military presence; something which previous authors seem to disparage or overlook altogether. The written content is authoritative, with plenty of technical detail but accessible enough for the casual reader and the small selection of photographs adds atmosphere to the text.

My only criticisms are that the book is light on personal accounts, tending towards the more traditional approach to historical writing of facts and dates but the author’s description of the events is gripping. I also personally think that having the map section in a block at the front of the book, rather than interspersed with the text to illustrate the action as it unfolded, was a mistake but this is a small quibble.

Overall, I think that this is an excellent book and I would highly recommend it to both occasional readers of military history and to more serious historical researchers.

[Vic Lauterbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

This superb study of two neglected campaigns is a great addition to the library of anyone interested in military history. Using primary sources, Mr. Forczyk gives a balanced view with lots of operational level detail typically missing from accounts of Eastern Front battles. That detail makes this book a gold mine for modelers and wargamers who'll want to own it for use as a reference. The political backdrop of the conflict is covered well enough to provide a solid basis for the narrative, but the core of this book is the excellent analysis of the leadership and tactics on both sides. A good selection of maps and photos compliment the text. Having provided a good understanding the political significance of the Crimea, Mr. Forczyk concludes by examining the 2014 Russian seizure in a short postscript. This 'bonus' information is exceptionally interesting because Crimea was the first prize won by Putin in his drive to reestablish Russian hegemony over former Soviet territories, so two decades into the 21st Century, more blood is being spilled over an arid peninsula that always costs its conquerors worth than it's worth. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in WWII or the Crimea, past or present.

[An Le · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sustains:
+ Great detail in describing the military operations of the Red Army and Wehrmacht in the Crimean peninsula during WW2

+ Author displays high competency in evaluating and analyzing military operations

+ Structure of book is well organized and generally interesting for students of military affairs and history

+ Important emphasis on the cruelties and crimes against humanity of the Einsatzgruppe and NKVD in Crimea - contributes to the dismantling of the "clean Wehrmacht" myth

Improves:
- I cannot attest to the accuracy of the author's interpretations of German and Russian historical documents on the battles described

- Author seems to have taken liberties in his interpretations of events without citations for certain claims (could be result of extrapolation due to lack of exact historical evidence)

- Author could have done a better job of translating German rank structures often referenced throughout work

- Assertions and analysis of Crimean and Eastern European geopolitics in last chapter found wanting due to speculative nature (particularly with regards to NATO alliance politics and German rearmament) - leaves the book ending on a strange note

[Rick Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last chapter of Forczyk's book is titled, Postscript 2014 and discusses the current issue between Russia and the Ukraine. However, Forczyk begins the book by writing about the Crimea between 1920 and 1941, then follows with the remainder of action in World War II. Although the current situation in the Ukraine is complex, Chapters 1 and 10 serve as good bookends for the rest of the book and they allowed me to gain a greater understanding of what is currently taking place in that part of the world.

Chapters 2-6, 8, and 9 provide detailed information on the combat action that took place between the Germans, their Romanian allies, and the Soviet Army, including partisan warfare. Chapter 7 is titled, The German Occupation of the Crimea, 1942-44 and Forczyk discusses the terrible atrocities committed by the Germans, Romanians, Soviets, the partisans, and others. Additionally, Chapter 7 provides a good overview of what the German occupation looked like prior to the Soviets launching their counterattacks to take back the Crimea.

This is a great book for those who are interested in World War II history but want to learn about a different theater of action.

[Zac's · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where the Iron Crosses Grow is an interesting read. I know virtually nothing about the Eastern Front and after the 2014 invasion I thought I'd try my hand at understanding the centuries long fight for Crimea. I tried twice to read this book and could never make it more than halfway. That's more about me than the book.

Where the Iron Crosses Grow, in my opinion, is a slog of a read. It's detailed and thorough, discussing operations and officers down to the company level on both sides of the battles. I feel that that is to its detriment. Keeping track of names, stories, locations, operations, etc became hard for me as someone who has no knowledge of this battle of the belligerents. I certainly learned quite a bit about the fight for Crimea in World War II but I struggled with the reading part of this book for that reason.

I am reading this in 2025 after 3+ years of the fighting in Ukraine. In the postscript dated 2014, the author discussed the potential for a future battle over southern Ukraine, dismantling and pulling it away from the West. This nail was hit a little too accurately and for that I must commend the analysis.

[Bill V · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. My main criticism is that it includes both Crimean campaigns (the German capture and the subsequent Soviet recapture. I would have preferred 2 separate books, one each devoted to a specific campaign. As such each book would have to be fleshed out as this particular title is only 336 pages, which seemed to be too brief. I would have liked a bit more of the planning involved for each campaign on both sides and more insight on the overall strategic picture at the time.
Nonetheless, I find this book to be an invaluable resource on a rather obscure aspect of the German-Soviet conflict. This is particularly true with regards to the slew of books readily available about other parts of the eastern front.

[Cameron Leon · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is just a little dry, maybe even somewhat repetitive, but I did not hate it, in fact, l liked it, I finished it in 4 days. It is very straight to the point, presenting events and battles in as interesting of a manner as it can, although it lacks many first hand accounts, testament to how underrepresented and forgotten this theatre of the eastern front was, as I’m sure there aren’t even many first hand accounts of this theatre to begin with. The last chapter, the “Postscript”, is quite prophetic considering the war that has broken out in this area today. This book isn’t exactly something i see myself revisiting unless i have a specific reason to, but it is a great addition to anybody who loves learning about warfare in depth, and doesn’t mind a longer read.

[Patrick Pillow · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well written account of the history of the Crimea in World War Two. Forczyk shares detailed information on the siege of Sevastopol in ‘41-‘42 to the Red Army’s recapture of the peninsula in 1944. This is one of the first books I’ve found that provides this level of detail to an often forgotten, yet savage, chapter of the war on the Eastern Front.

The only minor criticism I would offer is the small amount of firsthand accounts in the work. That being said, knowing the savagery of life and death on the Eastern Front, I wouldn’t be surprised if more personal stories were hrs to find.

[Michal Pilichowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drobiazgowe opracowanie przedstawiajace historię podboju i odzyskania półwyspu Krymskiego. Temat został potraktować sumiennie i z należytą dbałością o szczegóły. Cieszy obecność szczegółowych map obrazujących poszczególne starcia. Miejscami jest dość trudna w odbiorze przez nagromadzenie nazw i oznaczeń jednostek biorących udział w poszczególnych operacjach, myślę jednak że dla osoby sięgającej po tego typu lekturę nie będzie to wielki problem.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommended. A rich case-study in combined joint warfare at the operational and tactical level. The solid and balanced account benefits from the military qualifications of an author in command of relevant taxonomy, while making sure that both the Soviet and Nazi atrocities in the area are called out.

[Luke Corcoran · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well researched and well written account of the Crimean campaigns of WW2. I felt the author's bias was a bit too clear though (doesn't think much of Manstein). But described the daily struggles of the soldiers with great detail and the daily EBB and flow of the battle.
Highlights a little known peice of history. But the title has little to do with the content. And no maps!!!

[Skuli Saeland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vel skrifuð frásögn um mikilvægi Krímskaga í augum valdamanna á fyrri hluta síðustu aldar. Forczyk lýsir vel átökum og þjóðernishreinsunum allt frá fyrri heimsstyrjöldinni, fram yfir þá síðari með tilvísun í innrás Rússa núna 2014. Margt fróðlegt sem kom mér á óvart enda bauð þetta svæði á Austurvígstöðvunum upp á fjölbreyttustu átökin, landgöngur, umsátur, skæruhernað, leifturstríð o.s.frv.