Anniversary of the liberation of Simferopol from the Nazi occupants

13 April 1944

On April 13, 1944 the armies of the 4th Ukrainian front liberated Simferopol from the Nazi occupation which lasted for 865 days.

The German forces entered Simferopol the night of November 2, 1941. Just a few days later were created clandestine organizations. Their members established contacts with Crimea partisans, passed them the information useful for making diversions and informed them on preparation of punitive actions. Enemy’s forces met with opposition everywhere. Diversion groups managed to carry out 63 assaults of the occupants’ military facilities and blow up 11 echelons.

On April 8, 1944 the forces of the 4th Ukrainian front supported by the Black Sea Navy, Azov military flotilla and Crimea partisans began the Crimea offensive which ended on May 12 with the complete liberation of Crimea semi-island.

On the night of April 13 two groups of partisan Northern formation entered secretly the city and destroyed the German garrison quarters. In the morning the tanks of the 79th brigade under the commandment of Colonel P. S. Arkhipov and the 101st brigade commanded by M. F. Khromchenko stormed into the city. They were followed by the 27th motorized infantry brigade and the 6th Guards brigade which finally drove the Nazi occupants from the streets of the city. The fighters of the 1st partisan brigade under the commandment of F. I. Fedorenko entered the city along with the forces. By 4 p.m. Simferopol was completely liberated from the enemy and its citizens welcomed happily the liberators.

On April 13 Moscow saluted the forces which liberated the city of Simferopol with 20 artillery volleys fired from 224 guns. Eleven units and formations were given the honorary titles of Simferopol.

On the following day, April 14, the citizens of Simferopol and the warriors-liberators organized a meeting on Komsomolskaya square. The commander of the 4th Ukrainian front the Army General F. I. Tolbukhin congratulated the citizens on the liberation.

For distinguished services, shown in the battles for the liberation of the Crimea, 13 soldiers of the 19th Perekop Tank Corps of the Red Banner have been awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

 

Lit.: Андросов С. А. Первые памятники Великой Отечественной войны в Крыму (1944—1945) // Историческое наследие Крыма. 2006. № 15; Брошеван В. М. Симферополь, 1941-1944: Историко-документальный очерк о г. Симферополе в годы Великой Отечественной войны… Симферополь: Таврида, 1994; Литвин Г. А, Смирнов Е. И. Освобождение Крыма (ноябрь 1943 г. — май 1944 г.). Документы свидетельствуют. М., 1994; То же [Электронный ресурс]. URL: http://militera.lib.ru/h/litvin_smirnov/index.html; Соболевская Т. В. Симферополь в 1944-1945 гг. По материалам архивного фонда // Историческое наследие Крыма. 2004. № 8.

 

Based on the Presidential Library’s materials:

Memory of the Great Victory: [digital collection];

Liberation of Novgorod during the Great Patriotic War // On this day. 20 January 1944;

Liberation of Odessa from the Nazi occupation // On this day. 10 April 1944;

Liberation of Smolensk from the German Fascist Army // On this day. 25 September 1943.