The fleet's support for Odessa, including Gorshkov's amphibious landing and an orderly evacuation, was a high point of Soviet naval performance. That success came before German naval forces were operating in the Black Sea, which makes the later comparison with Sevastopol important. At Sevastopol, cruisers, destroyers, transports, and naval infantry prolonged the defense through resupply and gunfire. Luftwaffe attacks and the late arrival of Axis small craft narrowed the sea route until the fleet could no longer extract the garrison.
Notable Point · 35:53-38:12
The Black Sea Fleet from Odessa to Sevastopol
The Black Sea Fleet's successful Odessa reinforcement and evacuation is set against the harder limits of sustaining and ultimately evacuating Sevastopol under growing Axis air and naval pressure.