Description

The Defense of the Adzhimushkay Quarry was a guerrilla campaign on the Eastern Front in World War II fought between May and October 1942 in the Adzhimushkay suburb of Kerch during the Nazi occupation of Crimea.

By May 19, 1942 the regular fighting in the Kerch Peninsula and the city of Sevastopol was over, and, to ensure the evacuation of the Soviet troops across the Kerch Strait, a defense group was left in Adzhimushkay. The group absorbed numerous retreating soldiers, along with numerous civilians fleeing the city. When it became obvious that the bridgehead over the strait could not be held, the Adzhimushkay group found refuge in the catacombs.

The catacombs were ill-suited for defense, as there were no supplies prepared and all wells were located outside. The German forces surrounded the quarries with barbed wire fencing, blocked the entrances and exits and bombed and shelled them. On October 30, 1942, German forces finally entered the catacombs and captured the remaining defenders. There are conflicting reports on the number of guerrilla fighters surviving the 170 day siege and final clash (ranging from 48 to 300; out of initial 13,000 strength of the Soviet group).

Release date: 18.12.2015