123rd Infantry Regiment of the 50th German Infantry Division in the Breakthrough Battle for the Parpach Position 8-11 May 1942
Advancing through a small Russian village near Kerch, German soldiers look to secure the adjacent buildings. by Regimental Commander This is a reprint of “MS #D-264,” based on a report of the 123rd Regiment’s commander (who is identified simply as “Author No. 408” in the original manuscript), originally prepared for Headquarters European Command, Office of the Chief Historian, Department of the Army, Office of the Chief of Military History, Washington, D.C. A copy of the manuscript was obtained from The National Archives, Washington, D.C. • The Russian Parpach position, located along the neck of the Kerch peninsula, was a ten-kilometer deep, closely-knit defense system with innumerable mine fields and numerous artillery. The terrain was extremely favorable for defensive positions, since Hills 66.3, 66.8, 64.9, etc., rising from a gently rolling terrain, commanded a wide area, while the slopes which separated them were completely bare. Much of the valley was covered with lakes...