The Battle of Rostov was an episode of the Fall Blau operation, which lasted five days and pitted the 56th Soviet Army, in retreat, against the 17th German Army and 1st Panzer Army which tried to surround it. It was a definite success for the Germans who, thanks to a "commando" action of the Brandenburg Regiment, took the bridges over the Don, the Bataysk Bridge and the dike to the south of the city and prevented the flooding of swamp, which allowed them to continue their progress towards the Caucasus.