shortly after this conversion process was complete, on may 8 manstein's eleventh army began its attack into the kerch peninsula. the 302nd escaped relatively intact, evacuating to the north caucasus, still in what remained of the 44th army in the north caucasus front. in july the division was sent north, and rejoined the 51st army, now in the stalingrad front. on august 9, colonel zubkov was replaced in command by col. aleksei fyodorovich amenev, but this officer in turn was replaced by col. yefrem fedosievich makarchuk one month later.