FREE THE KORSUN POCKET: THE ENCIRCLEMENT AND BREAKOUT OF A GERMAN ARMY IN THE EAST, 1944 PDF Niklas Zetterling,Anders Frankson | 320 pages | 08 Sep 2008 | Casemate Books | 9781932033885 | English | Havertown, United States Battle of Korsun-Cherkassy During the second half ofafter the failure at Kursk, Germany's Army Group South fell back from Russia under repeated hammer blows from the Red Army. Under Erich von Manstein, however, the Germans were able to avoid serious defeats, while at the same time fending off Hitler's insane orders to hold on to useless territory. Then, in January 1944, a disaster happened. Six divisions of Army Group South became surrounded after sudden attacks by the 1st and 2nd Ukrainian Fronts under command of generals The Korsun Pocket: The Encirclement and Breakout of a German Army in the East Vatutin and Ivan Konev around the village of Korsun near the larger town of Cherkassy on the Dnieper. The Germans' greatest fear was the prospect of another Stalingrad, the catastrophe that had occurred precisely one year before. This time, though, Manstein was in control from the start, and he immediately rearranged his Army Group to rescue his trapped divisions. A major panzer drive got underway, led by General der Panzertruppen Hans Hube, a survivor from Stalingrad pocket, which promptly ran up against several soviet tank armies. Leading the break-in was Franz Baeke with his Tiger and Panther-tanks. Due to both weather and ferocious resistance, the German drive stalled. Jus still flew into Korsun's airfield, delivering supplies and taking out wounded, but it soon became apparent that only one option remained for the beleaguered defenders: breakout. Without consulting Hitler, on the night of February 16 Manstein ordered the breakout to begin. Led by the strongest formation within the pocket, SS Wiking, the trapped forces surged out and soon rejoined the surrounding panzer divisions who had been fully engaged in weakening the ring. When dawn broke, the Soviets realized their prey was escaping. Although the Germans within the pocket lost nearly all of their heavy weapons and left many wounded behind, their escape was effected. Stalin, having anticipated another Stalingrad, was left with little but an empty bag, as Army Group South—this time—had pulled off a rescue. From grand strategy to soldiers' voices on the ground, including expert statistical analysis, the action, and the stakes, of the battle at Korsun are made vividly clear. THe Korsun or Cherkassy pocket was perhaps the last time the Wehrmacht gathered a large force of tanks equal in Niklas Zetterling is The Korsun Pocket: The Encirclement and Breakout of a German Army in the East military historian and researcher at the Swedish Defense College. Niklas ZetterlingAnders Frankson. The War in the East. Div Pz. Battle of the Korsun–Cherkassy Pocket - Wikipedia Description Imported from USA. Full description not available. I've come to expect good military history books to feature accurate, complimentary maps. Not every book offers the splendid maps included with Luther's Barbarossa Unleashed, but military history maps should at least provide reliable geographic context for the story being told. Korsun Pocket fails that test. The Korsun Pocket: The Encirclement and Breakout of a German Army in the East are many maps scattered through the book, but they often detract from the narrative because in some cases they lack important terrain details, and in other cases include many names of towns not mentioned in the text at all. Conversely, important features and towns are often omitted. I spent more time trying to make sense of the maps than enjoying the history, The poor maps made this a tedious and labored book to read. Read more Bought for my husband he loved the quality Excellent book on a little known but dramatic battle. This is a well researched and clearly presented book on the battles around Korsun in early when the German army managed to save encircled troops in horrible conditions. The hubris of Hitler was dramatically displayed in allowing the situation to develop as was the skill and determination of the German army leadership to make the best of a terrible situation. Well written and an easy read. Highly recommended. Very dry and lacks human interest. Too academic and it reads like a pedantic history would. Dry account of troops with incomprehensible russian names fighting in incomprehensible locations. You reallyhave to know alot about the geography and overall movements of troops. The lack of personal accounts except for those of Anton Meister really hurts this. Its very academic and Ididnt finish it to be honest. I dislike the style of writing and it lacks interest because of the style. A skilful melding of grand strategy and accounts from individual soldiers. The authors leave no stone unturned and include an holistic picture of the epic from high command to the squaddie. Excellent read. Una buena descripcion de la batalla de la bolsa de korsun. Es un relato ameno de una batalla poco conocida del 1944 del este. Describe tanto el ataque sovietico que dio lugar a la formacion de la bolsa de Korsun como la subsiguiente operacion de relevo organizada por los alemanes. Combina el relato de las operaciones con las vivencias personales de algunos soldados. Un buen libro An excellent example of good historical writing. Detailed, with human interest as well as a variety of vital elements of the operational, tactical and personal actions undertaken, the book gives a real flavour to a poorly documented and yet vital operation during the later war period in the USSR. Worth every penny. The Author fails to acknowledge this tenacit. I am less than impressed by the "new" breed of historians who seem to trust the archival information gleaned from the Soviet Union archives. The author himself read that these very same archives said that NO German soldier escaped the Korsun pocket, contrary to the approximately 40, who did so! Look it is plain to see that whenever the Wehrmacht met ANY of it's adversaries on the battlefield, it was only defeated by a preponderance of material and numbers and this is FACT! The author states with the usual blind hindsight that this battle was a Soviet victory, I believe that if some 40, German soldiers both endured then extracated themselves from an impossibly difficult combat situation such as Korsun, it is not a Soviet victory, but an example of the fighting capability of the German soldier under great duress. The Author fails to acknowledge this tenacity in this book. A good book about the Stalingrad on the Dnepr. For a wargamer like that was very passionated about a old board game named "Korsun Pocket- a little Stalingrad on the Dnepr", this was a very interesting book because The Korsun Pocket: The Encirclement and Breakout of a German Army in the East its subject. It tells the history of the second 1944 envelopmentin order of time, of German forces by the Soviet troops, during WWII. It happened at the end of January ,near the banks of the river Dnepr, and it ended differently, just because near that area there were about ten panzer divisions, that were ready to interveneinspite of the thaw that made very difficult the rescue of the surrounded troops. This is the typical book written by Mr Zetterling, I mean that is full of technical data and not so full of first hand accounts about the development of the battle. The maps are clear and detailed. Anyway it is a good interesting book about this battle, for all the people interested about the WWII on the Eastern Front. Good book that gives more depth into a battle that has not received much publicity through the years. If you want to see how a battle went for the Germans at the end of World War 2 on the Eastern Front that is not discussed much elsewhere, read this book. Wonderful Book for this Battle on Eastern Front in This is highly recommended -I found it to be very well writtenand informativeI compared this account with the description of this battle in'Ostfront The German Defensive Battles on the Russian Front '[published by Schiffer military history The Korsun Pocket: The Encirclement and Breakout of a German Army in the East Hardcover]written by Alex Buchner which is another great source - get it if you can and for me ' Korsun Pocket ' passed with flying colourswith added detail galore- 1944 was a wise investment for my bookshelves I am a little suprised at two comments in other reviews. But as a wargamer it may be because of the board games available on the subject and I've played. That may be a valid comment but this isn't that kind of book and anyone knowing Zetterling and his excellent 1944 to detail in orders of battles Normandy German Military Organization, Combat Power and Organizational Effectiveness and statistical info Kursk A Statistical Analysis Soviet Russian Study of War would know this. So warning, if you want to know how Rottenfuhrer Schultz felt and what he saw on January 31st it's possibly not the book for you. However if like me you want to know how many Stug III's 5th The Korsun Pocket: The Encirclement and Breakout of a German Army in the East had and how many were serviceable before the attack on I found it well researched and detailed with enough personal stuff to keep me interested with The Korsun Pocket: The Encirclement and Breakout of a German Army in the East detail on tactics, battles and statistics that I love and want in a book.