the "command of the army" (okh) issued orders that the crimea was to be captured as soon as possible to prevent attacks on romanian oil supplies, vital to the german military. hitler, impatient with obstruction to his commands to advance in the south, repeated on 12 august his desire that the crimea be taken immediately. over a month later, during the capture of kiev, "generaloberst" erich von manstein was given command of the german 11th army on 17 september. after only a week in command, he launched an assault upon the crimea. after severe fighting, manstein's forces defeated several soviet counteroffensives and destroyed two soviet armies. by 16 november, the wehrmacht had cleared the region, capturing its capital simferopol, on 1 november. the fall of kerch on 16 november left only sevastopol in soviet hands.