German Spring Offensive

The German campaign opened in May. The main effort was made in the Caucasus, with the capture of its oil fields as a major objective. Sevastopol, in the Crimea, fell on July 1, after a long siege. A major attack that was opened on June 28 soon was extended along a 200-mile (320-km) front between the Don and Donets rivers. After reaching the vicinity of Voronezh, the armies turned south. Maikop, deep in the Caucasus, was reached on August 9. The Germans had outrun their supplies, however, and made little further progress.