In late July 1941, Hitler ordered Army Group South to seize the Crimea as part of its operations to secure the Ukraine and the Donets Basin, in order to protect the vital Romanian oil refineries at Ploesti from Soviet air attack. After weeks of heavy fighting, the Germans breached the Soviet defences and overran most of the Crimea. By November 1941 the only remaining Soviet foothold in the area was the heavily fortified naval base at Sevastopol. Operation Sturgeon Haul, the final assault on Sevastopol, was one of the very few joint service German operations of World War II, with two German corps.

Origins Of The Campaign: The Siege begins, 30 October-9 November 1941 ; The German assault: 10-21 November 1941 ; The German assault: 17 December 1941 -- Chronology -- Opposing Plans: German plans ; Soviet plans -- Opposing Leaders: German ; Romanian ; Soviet -- Opposing Forces: German ; Romanian ; Soviet ; Orders of battle -- Operation Trappenjagd, 8-21 May 1942 -- Air And Naval Operations Around Sevastopol 1941-42: Air operations ; Air-sea operations 1941-42 -- Operation Störfang-The Third Assault On Sevastopol: The bombardment begins, 2 June 1942 ; Countdown To X-day, 3-6 June 1942 ; XXX Corps And Romanian Mountain Corps, 2-7 June; 7 June 1942, X-Day; The Battle Of Attrition, 8-12 June 1942 ; Fort Stalin, 13 June ; Losses mount On both sides, 14-16 June ; Breakthrough, 17 June ; Collapse Of Defensive Sector IV, 18-23 June ; XXX Corps Grinds Forward Slowly, 21-28 June 1942 ; The decisive day, 29 June 1942 ; The fall of Sevastopol, 30 June-4 July 1942 -- Aftermath -- The battlefield today.