between 26 and 30 december 1941, the ussr launched an amphibious assault on the kerch peninsula to relieve the encircled soviet forces at sevastopol. it succeeded in gaining and sustaining a bridgehead for five months. however, a german−led counteroffensive named operation bustard hunt destroyed the bridgehead and the three soviet armies supporting the landing in may 1942. this allowed manstein to concentrate all of his resources against sevastopol for the first time. the front over sevastopol grew quiet and a stalemate ensued. the luftwaffe kept up the pressure on soviet sea communications and although supplies still made it through, vice admiral oktyabrsky, commanding the black sea fleet, was forced to reduce the number of coastal bombardment missions.