Siege of Odessa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Siege of Odessa |
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| Part of the Eastern Front of World War II | |||||||
 A Soviet gun crew during the siege. |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Romania Germany |
 Soviet Union |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Alexandru Ioaniţiu† Nicolae Ciupercă Iosif Iacobici Erich von Manstein |
 Georgiy Sofronov Ivan Petrov (later stages) Gavriil Zhukov |
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| Strength | |||||||
| initially 160,000 men | initially 34,500 men 240 artillery pieces |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 92,545 overall 17,729 dead 63,345 wounded 11,471 missing 19 tanks 90 artillery pieces 20 aircraft |
Low estimate: 41,268 overall 16,578 dead/missing 24,690 wounded 151 aircraft High estimate: 60,000 overall |
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The Siege of Odessa was a long and difficult siege that took place during World War II. It happened in 1941 on the Eastern Front. Forces from Romania and the German Army's 11th Army attacked the city of Odessa in the Soviet Union.
The Soviet forces in Odessa fought very bravely. These included the 9th Independent Army, the Separate Coastal Army, and the Black Sea Fleet. It took the Romanian army 73 days to capture the city. They launched four major attacks.
The Romanian and German forces suffered about 93,000 casualties. The Soviet Red Army had around 41,000 casualties. Some historians believe the Soviet losses were higher, possibly up to 60,000.
Contents
What Happened Before the Siege?
On July 27, 1941, Adolf Hitler, the leader of Germany, asked General Ion Antonescu of Romania for help. Hitler wanted Romanian troops to join the fight.
On August 8, the Romanian 4th Army received orders to capture Odessa. They expected the city to surrender quickly. However, Odessa was a very strong city. It had many defenses like trenches, anti-tank ditches, and bunkers.
The Red Army had about 34,500 soldiers and 240 artillery guns in the area. They also had some airplanes, including seaplanes and bombers.
The Romanian 4th Army planned to attack Odessa from different directions. The 5th Corps would move north and then turn south to surround the city.
The Battle for Odessa Begins
On August 9, the battle started. The Romanian 4th Dorobanti Regiment defeated Soviet forces in the Bakalovy area. Another Romanian unit, the 30th Dorobanţi Regiment, captured the village of Ponyatovka.
The 1st Armored Division broke through Odessa's first line of defense at Bolschaya Buzhalyk. The 10th Dorobanţi Regiment also won against Soviet forces at Lozovaya. Soon, the 4th Army had surrounded Odessa.
By August 17, Romanian troops managed to capture Odessa's water reservoirs. The Soviet forces fought very hard to defend their city. Both sides suffered many losses during these early fights.
Fierce Fighting and Reinforcements
By August 24, the Romanian advance was stopped at the main Soviet defense line. The 4th Army had already lost many soldiers. They had 27,307 casualties, with 5,329 soldiers killed.
On August 28, the Romanians attacked again. This time, they had help from a German assault battalion and ten heavy artillery battalions.
A German force arrived to support the Romanians. The Soviets also received new soldiers and supplies. The 157th Rifle Division arrived with 12,600 troops. Also, 18 Soviet companies were brought in from Novorossiysk.
Images for kids
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A Soviet gun crew during the siege
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Romanian Heinkel He 114 seaplane
See also
In Spanish: Batalla de Odesa para niños
