Why didn't Germany just attack the Caucasus by Sea to get the oil?

If Germany needed oil to win in 1942, then why didn't they make an amphibious landing in the Caucasus and supply their troops that way? Well, let's find out!

This video is discussing events or concepts that are academic, educational and historical in nature. This video is for informational purposes and was created so we may better understand the past and learn from the mistakes others have made.

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📚 BIBLIOGRAPHY / SOURCES 📚

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ABOUT TIK 📝

History isn’t as boring as some people think, and my goal is to get people talking about it. I also want to dispel the myths and distortions that ruin our perception of the past by asking a simple question - “But is this really the case?”. I have a 2:1 Degree in History and a passion for early 20th Century conflicts (mainly WW2). I’m therefore approaching this like I would an academic essay. Lots of sources, quotes, references and so on. Only the truth will do.

[seanhall]

The Germans did attempt to reinforce the Black Sea by moving U-boats by canal and overland. Six U-boats reached the Black Sea and formed the 30th U-boat flotilla. There may have been other light vessels like Italian torpedo boats, but even bringing in these small vessels overland was a huge task. Drachinifel has a video on the subject for anyone interested.

[chaptermasterpedrokantor]

In order to land 2 armies in Sicily, an armygroup sized force, the Allies assembled up to 3000 ships. Most small ships, landing craft, transports, but also cruisers, destroyers and aircraft carriers. Not even the Soviet Black Sea Fleet and its Axis fleet counterparts together could match that. I think that explains pretty much why no amphibious operation of Armygroup size was possible. The biggest amphibious operation that the Reich ever did was Norway, which involved transporting 7 divisions by air and sea, and it took the entire Kriegsmarine surface fleet, luftwaffe air transport units and some seat on the pants improvisation. And that had the advantage of being fairly close to their logistical bases, having to cross only a short distance from Germany. And even then the Kriegsmarine suffered critical losses.

Hey TIK, currently in the last volume of Glantz's Stalingrad quadrology. I thought you were almost there now that you're covering Operation Uranus, but having read what happens after, to quote from Quantum Leap, oh boy.

[pyry]

"If it can be done in HOI4, it can be done in real life as well"

- Napoleon

[benwilson]

The 3rd Minesweeping Flotilla of the Kriegsmarine had an interesting story, they were taken to Magedeburgh, transported by road to the Danube and sailed down the Danube to the Black Sea. They were given orders to stop the Soviets supplies across the Kerch Straits, This they did with remarkable success with assistance from E Boats also send down the Danube. The called it nautical street fighting at often metres apart, some times operating so close that they were below the elevation of the Russian guns. They adapted what they could including using mine fields to control access and borrowed some multiple rocket launchers “Stalin Organs”. The achieved control of the Kerch Straits.
In 1944 as the German army retreated the minesweepers were used to evacuate the army, taking up to 450 men at a time. They then retreated to Bulgaria and scuttle their ships. The return of the men through Bulgaria and Yugoslavia to Austria should be made into a film. They returned to Germany and were reformed. Source :
Swastika at Sea
After WW2 Bekker an ex Kriegsmarine wrote the book with the assistance Chief of Operations Executive at the German Naval HQ.

[stein]

Love when TIK takes occasional jabs at HOI4. I would really like to see a gameplay video where he tries the different theories and ideas given to him.

[thehulkster]

This seems like the type of thing that looks good in a video game, but in reality, was not viable. Amphibious landings are a nightmare in ideal situations. When the Axis were never particularly well set up for black sea operations in the first place, I can’t imagine them being able to land enough forces for a sustained campaign and supply them for said campaign.

[Pangora]

To add, you should note that when Tik draws the map you see a long line of Soviet Territory even when Germany has Maikop. Why not just crush that flank? What the map doesn't show is the coastline is mostly blocked off by a large mountain range. There simply is no shortcut by sea. You'd have to land in areas which the army was going to already pass through anyways. A lot of extra effort that simply wouldn't have tilted the operation.

[rogergriffin]

As you have well established, the primary problem the Germans faced in Fall Blau was logistics. Once they began moving past the Don they didn't have the rail support to move supplies to their forward units. That is why their supply officers suggested rebuilding the bridges over the Kalach and building a double track rail line to Stalinegrad.

[Vandelberger]

Thank you for answering my question. It always blew my mind how obvious the answer to the Caucuses question was right there, but yes Turkish demilitarizing their straights makes sense and a "hand off" approach could really of been a big game changer.

[simplegeneral]

When he said "possible works in hearts of iron 4" I died xDDD, kinda amazing how people get ideas from the game and actually wonder if it would work in real life

[joemcardle]

I saw a WWII video in the past that showed that the Italian navy had several lighter ships (like the German Schnell boats) in the Black Sea, & will try to locate the source. Think they had been transported by rail, if my memory serves me correctly.

[Native_love]

Your library gives my goosebumps! What a great reading list!

[fockewulfd]

I'm from Romania, we had just 3 submarines of which only the first, the Italian build NMS Delfinul (HMS Dolphin), was heavily engaged during the first 2 years of the war, afterwards was in docks for repairs. The other two, NMS Rechinul (HMS Shark) and NMS Marsuinul (HMS Porpoise) were available only in 1944.
The other 5 were ex Italian navy CB class midget submarines, employed in Romanian Royal Navy service after the Italian armistice.
So basically we had only one submarine during the period of Barbarossa and Fall Blau.

[luddite]

It's interesting to think about some alternate histories where they try a plan like this, realize they can't bring in ships through the dardenelles, and resort to building new ships in the black sea. Sort of like the "Battle of the Carpenters" in the War of 1812 where the Americans and British/Canadians were both racing to build up a new fleet in the Great Lakes, which couldn't be accessed from the ocean at the time.

[opinionofamoose]

I did often wonder this, and this brilliantly answered my suspicions. Thanks TIK, keep up the great work

[eliasthienpont]

Someone suggested using the Danube to get oil up to Germany. This seems doable using the smaller, lower barge like ships used there. You would have to pass through eleven locks to get up to the German border. I would continue up the Danube to Deggendorf where the railroad becomes available. Which, of course, would be in range of allied bombers.

[casparcoaster]

I love some of these TIK What if (or Why Not?) vids, pls pls pls... keep em

[SuperVic]

Hi TIK,

I would say a more minimalist plan would have worked. Two changes compared to historical: (1) A somewhat reinforced Armygroup B + (2) A different mission for Armygroup A. Instead of protecting the flank at Stalingrad Armygroup A would only take the railhubs of Rostov and Salsk. Forming a defensive line on the Donets-Manych rivers.

That would have cut off all rail traffic between Caucasus and Russia proper. The rest of the flank of Armygroup B would hardly have needed any cover since logistics are non-existent in the interior (Elista).

My theory is that this would not have depleted 6th Army and 4th PzArmy as they historically were depleted fighting their way to Stalingrad and into Stalingrad. Allowing them to beef up the Axis Minor armies as well as being able to send some extra troops to help armygroup B. And maybe even more important... by taking up defensive positions early they would have freed up a huge amount of logistical assets, engineers, rail repair crews and supplies to flow to armygroup B instead of armygroup A.

Not to speak of the kerosine and Ju52's (historically used at Stalingrad) and their escorts that could have been used to airsupply armygroup B as well as later bombing the Caspian logistical systems and ports.

Gives 2 extra months that would have allowed the Germans to get all the way to the Caspian coast and take up blocking positions along the Caucasus mountains. Interdicting any naval transports on the Caspian.

Given an extra year the Germans could then have completed their conquest. Focusing their 1943 efforts on completing their 1942 efforts (instead of Kursk) while also fortifying and holding the line in center+north.

I do not believe the supply route through Persia to be viable for the Soviets to either maintain their armies in the Caucasus or transport the oil from Baku back to Russia. Just please take a look at the rail networks in the area.


For this what-if history... in the end... it really all depends on the question if the Luftwaffe would have been able to stop Soviet shipping on the Caspian...

best wishes,
Vic

[albert]

I think Germany lost the war in 1940, as they had loads of divisions, that were not used in Russia in '41, that could of been sent into North Africa. Taking Suez to the east and Gibraltar to the west. Plus the forces in the east, would of been relatively close to Baku from the south.

[vladnica]

The Romanian Navy was smaller than you say there, there was only one operational submarine and other 2 were built during the war but never got the time to see action. No frigate, just 4 destroyers, 2 of them modern(1930) and the other 2 obsolete(1918). Some torpedo boats, a couple of minelayers and other small coastal vessels. Actually the Soviets were the first to strike from the sea with a bombing raid launched from Sevastopol near Constanta in the end of June 1941 (and according to Suvorov they had an invasion plan and a full army corps was training in Crimeea in June for a naval landing in Romania and quickly advancing for Ploiesti oil fields). This was tried after an unsuccessful air bombing raid on the port in which the Soviets encountered massive losses. In the issuing naval battle (June 26) between the Romanian ships and shore batteries and the Soviet Navy - the latter got badly mauled, the destroyer Harkov was damaged and the destroyer Moskva was sunk (not the luckiest name for a Black Sea Fleet ship indeed :) ). This Soviet defeat demonstrates that a landing on the shores of the Black Sea was not an easy task. Actually later on, during the Odessa siege, the Romanian Navy refused to go on the same path and bomb Odessa from the sea, fearing the same outcome.