advanced. On August 21 and 22, the Red Army attacked and the Whites could not withstand and began to retreat, until the front stabilized after renewed White counterattacks. On the night of August 25, Wrangel executed a third landing of some 3,000 men under the command of General Kharlamov on the Taman Peninsula. This group was able to take the Peninsula but were was unable to advance further than the isthmuses. The landing party was soon counterattacked and by mid-September 2, the troops of Kharlamov were evacuated. The troops of the second landing under General Cherepov had also been surrounded and forced to evacuate on August 26, after having suffered heavy casualties. On August 30, after stubborn fighting, the Soviet troops occupied the village of Stepna, cutting General Ulagay's Army into two. Despite fierce counterattacks, the Whites failed to retake Stepna. The White now had no option but to withdraw. Under the cover of rearguard battles, the landing forces began to evacuate. By September 7, the evacuation of the main force of General Ulagay was completed in good order from Achuevo. Despite a violent storm that destroyed the marina, everything was shipped out : personnel, horses, artillery, and even armored cars. On September 10, Commissar Sergo Ordzhonikidze reported victory to V.I. Lenin, who considered the defeat of the Ulagay's landing a matter of "national importance". Results of the operation The main reason for the failure of the operation was that the commander of the landing army, at the decisive moment during the offensive, halted the advance to allow the regrouping of his troops, despite the initial plan for a rapid offensive towards Yekaterinodar. This delay enabled the Red Army to rush in reserve troops, create a numerical advantage and block a further White advance. The only positive result from the operation for the Whites was the significant replenishment of Wrangels Russian Army with men and horses. Despite severe losses during the fighting, more troops returned to the Crimea than had left. Around 10,000 Kuban Cossacks had joined the units evacuating back to the Crimea. They brought 6,000 horses with them, which made it possible to significantly strengthen the White cavalry. For example, the division of General Shifner-Markevich lost around 300 men and 200 horses killed and wounded during the fighting in the Kuban, but withdrew with an additional 1,200 men and 250 horses to the Crimea. According to other sources,