the 18th Army commander, was killed in action and buried with full military honours by the Germans. Aftermath First Battle of Rostov The assault on Rostov began on 17 November, and on 21 November the Germans took Rostov. However, the German lines were over-extended, and von Kleist's warnings that his left flank was vulnerable and that his tanks were ineffective in the freezing weather were ignored. On 27 November the Soviet 37th Army, commanded by Lieutenant-General Anton Ivanovich Lopatin, as part of the Rostov Strategic Offensive Operation (17 November 1941 – 2 December 1941), counter-attacked the 1st Panzer Army's spearhead from the north, forcing them to pull out of the city. Adolf Hitler countermanded the retreat. When von Rundstedt refused to obey, Hitler sacked him, and replaced him with von Reichenau. However, von Reichenau saw at once that von Rundstedt was right and succeeded in persuading Hitler, via Franz Halder, to authorise the withdrawal, and the 1st Panzer Army was forced back to the Mius River at Taganrog. It was the first significant German withdrawal of the war. Renewed offensive The offensive along the Azov coast was resumed in the summer of 1942, during Fall Blau. With air support from the Ju 87s of Sturzkampfgeschwader 77, Wilhelm List's Army Group A recaptured Rostov, the "gate to the Caucasus", on 23 July 1942 relatively easily. Further South along the coast, the remaining small ports and coastal areas still in Soviet hands were captured by Romanian Cavalry. Yeysk fell to the Romanians on 8 August. The campaign came to an end on 23 August, when the Romanians captured the port of Temryuk after bitter house-to-house fighting against Soviet naval infantry. As Romanian troops entered the last Soviet-held Azov port, the main warships of the Soviet Azov Flotilla were scuttled to avoid capture: gunboats Bug, Don and Dniester (each of 840 tons and armed with two 130 mm guns). With the Sea of Azov secured, the Axis proceeded to launch a massive amphibious operation (Fall Blücher) in a bid to wipe out Soviet resistance on the Taman Peninsula and open the sea route to the Crimea. References Citations Bibliography Operation Barbarossa Battles of World War II involving Romania Battles and operations of the Soviet–German War Battles of World War II involving Germany Battles involving the Soviet Union Naval battles of World War II involving Romania Naval battles of World War II involving the