1942 was one of the most difficult and tragic in the entire war. Unsuccessful attempts to master the strategic initiative undertaken by the command of the Red Army led to huge human casualties, unjustified losses of material resources. The Crimean operation turned out to be perhaps the most catastrophic in this regard. Inconsistent actions of the command, insufficient preparation of the operation, ignorance of the enemy led to the fact that the transition to a counterattack turned into a crushing defeat. Forced to retreat from Kerch, Soviet troops found themselves in a difficult situation: not everyone managed to cross to the mainland. A significant number of units remained in the Crimea. For them, the Crimean catastrophe of 1942 stretched for a long time. Numerous Crimean quarries became a refuge for abandoned parts. There, underground, there remained an island of Soviet life. And, despite the victory won by Manstein's army, the war in Crimea continued.