Demyansk Pocket

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Demyansk Pocket
Part of the Eastern Front of World War II
Date 8 February – 20 May 1942 Location Demyansk, Russian SSR, Soviet Union Result German defensive victory[1]
Belligerents
Germany	Soviet Union
Commanders and leaders
Walter von Brockdorff-Ahlefeldt Walther von Seydlitz-Kurzbach	Pavel Kurochkin
Units involved
16th Army	Northwestern Front
Strength
100,000 (initially)[2][3] 31,000[4] (reinforcements)	400,000 (initially)
Casualties and losses
9,000[5] KIA and MIA 46,000[6] WIA 265 aircraft destroyed Total: 55,000	88,908 killed & missing 156,603 wounded Total: 245,500[7]

The Demyansk Pocket (German: Kessel von Demjansk; Russian: Демя́нский котёл) was the name given to the pocket of German troops encircled by the Red Army around Demyansk, south of Leningrad, during World War II's Eastern Front. The pocket existed mainly from 8 February to 21 April 1942.

A much smaller force was surrounded in the Kholm Pocket at the town of Kholm, about 100 km (62 mi) to the southwest. Both resulted from the German retreat after its defeat during the Battle of Moscow.

The successful defence of Demyansk was achieved by using an airbridge and was a significant development in modern warfare. Its success was a major contributor to the decision by the Army High Command to try the same tactic during the Battle of Stalingrad, but it then failed to save the 6th Army, commanded by Friedrich Paulus.