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Fieldmarschall the Battle around Sturmgeschütze - Manstein's German FLAK near
Erich von Manstein Fort Totleben innovation of the special tank Sevastopol
"Patrol" in the Crimea
In the Footsteps of von Manstein's Army through the Crimea
4 through 12 September 2004
We go with Russian and German friends, some of whom fought on these very battlefields.
Rather than give a day-by-day itinerary, let's just tell you what you will see, what historic sites you will visit. We will walk in the footsteps of history, and will meet many veterans each day.
Perecop where we visit the Tartar's earth wall fortification (photos below), also used as part of the defense line in World War II. We have dinner there together, and with more veterans.
"Tartar Ditch" in October Battle of Sevastopol in 1942 "Tartar Ditch" as we will see
& November 1941 as the We will relive this battle! it on our "Patrol"
Germans invaded.
We drive to Eltigen and visit the Partisan's caves at Adshi-Mushkai.
The harbor at Kertch as the Turkish Fortress Yenikale Entrance to Fort Totleben
it is today, as we will visit.
We enjoy lunch in the city of Kerch, then go to the Zarskij Kurgan Monument, to the Fortress Yenikale, to the Mitridat Hill in Kerch, to Fort Totleben and Battery Number 29 near Cape Takil.
Fedosdiya - we visit the Gallery there, which has paintings of Ivan Aivasovsky, the most famous Russian naval painter. We visit the Fortress Sudak and have lunch there, then on to Yalta via Aluschta and Gursuf.
We are in Sudak on market day Our lunch in restaurant Konsul the view of the Black Sea from
our hotel is breathtaking!
We stay at the beautiful Hotel Yalta on the shore of the Black Sea. It is magnificent!
We visit the Palace LIVADIA, former winter palace of Czar Nicholas II, where the three victorious Allied leaders met in 1945 to slice up Europe. We also tour the palace of Count Vorontsof, who could not decide if he wanted British Tudor or Moorish architecture, so he compromised - two sides of the palace are in Tudor style, the others in Moorish. We have a picnic lunch by the dacha of Michael Gorbachov.
the Palace LIVADIA the 'Panorama' of Sevastopol, Railway gun in Sevastopol,
a fantastic museum. we will learn its history.
We then enjoy a sightseeing tour of Sevastopol, home port of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. We visit the Arch of Sevastopol, the armored train (above right), the panorama of the Battle for Sevastopol (above center), the harbor with Fort Constantin and Fort Michael and many other beautiful sights.
We are joined by many veterans for our dinner.
We drive to the Chersoneus Peninsula where a Greek colony existed for more than 2,000 years but during World War II, it became a tragic place of evacuation for the Soviet Army and later, for the German Army. Here we visit Coast Battery #35 (Maxim Gorki II) - photo below left. We visit the village of Balaklava where the British Light Cavalry met their doom in the Crimean War centuries past. Remember those famous lines?
"Cannon to the left of them, cannon to the right of them,
cannon in front of them volleyed and thundered.
Theirs not to reason why,
theirs but to do or die.
Into the Valley of Death rode the 600!"
We will BE in that "Valley of Death!"
We also see the entrances to the bunkers (photo below center) deep into the mountains where Soviet submarines once took refuge and we are scheduled to tour through these now abandoned bunkers.
Entrance to the massive Formerly secret entrance Boat ride along the
battery Maxim Gorky II to the submarine bunkers Black Sea coast
Sapon Mountain, site of a bitter fight in World War II. The trenches and bunkers are still there - and we can walk through the bunkers! Here we take a sightseeing boat ride (photo above right) along the Black Sea coast.
Later we enjoy a concert by the Russian Black Sea Fleet Dance Group "Tschornoje More" and naturally, we visit with more veterans.
We visit the Black Sea Fleet Museum, one of the most impressive naval museums in the world. We drive to Inkerman (photo below) and see the Grey Sphinx, the Northern Fort, Fort Constantin (photo below) and Coast Battery #30 (Maxim Gorki I), then we have our picnic lunch IN Maxim Gorky I!
Maxim Gorky I Maxim Gorky 1 We will enjoy our
in July 1942 as we will see it lunch IN the battery
Another day we are at Belbek Airport, which is for the President, then to Kacha where the first Russian pilot school was organized. In the evening, we enjoy a performance of the group "Rus".
the Rock of Inkerman, Fort Constantin at Coast Battery Shichkova
mass grave for 3,000 Sevastopol Harbor in northern Sevastopol
Our bus takes us to the site of 'DORA', the world's largest gun which had been standing at Bakhchisaraij during von Manstein's campaign through the Crimea. It was the world's largest gun, with 80cm (800mm) bore. Photo below was taken in June 1942.
the massive 800mm gun 'DORA' Palace of the Khan
We visit the palace of the Khan in this city (photo above) and the Sarabus Air Force Museum - then onto the plane and back to our homes.
The low cost of this "Patrol" is only $1,773 per person and that includes everything except air from the USA. It includes all meals your, your hotels (based on double occupancy), transportation by deluxe motorcoach, entry to all places on the tour. You have to pay for souvenirs and booze.
If you need a single room, please add $320.
It is your responsibility to reach Simpheropol on 4 September. We suggest you look at Aerosvit which has scheduled flights between JFK in New York and Simpheropol. The price is in the area of $850 per person round trip.
IMPORTANT NOTE - The "Drop Dead" Date is 4 July 2004. That means we must have your final payment in our hands no later than 4 July 2004. We must begin to process your visa here and that takes some time. If you do not have your money in here IN TOTAL no later than 4 July, you will not be able to go with us. The Ukraine Government needs time to process your visa request with passport photos etc.
CLICK HERE to reserve your place on this historic "Patrol".
Any questions - let us know.
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