February 1942

Eastern Front

Lead elements of the 1st Shock and 11th Armies link up near Saluchi and Ramushevo on the Lovat, encircling the II Corps and part of the X Corps of the 16th Army. Over 90,000 men in the 12th, 30th, 32nd, 123rd and 290th Infantry Divisions and part of the 3rd SS Motorized Division Totenkopf are cut off in the Valdai Hills and become reliant upon Luftwaffe supply drops. It is estimated that the trapped force needs a minimum of 200 tons of supplies per day to stay in action. The Luftwaffe will succeed in reaching this figure and on some days exceed it by upwards of 100 tons. The surrounding Soviet forces, despite having suffered heavy casualties during the fighting, launch strong attacks upon the German pocket. There is further heavy fighting around Kholm as Group Scherer is pounded by elements of 3rd Shock Army.

The isolation of the X Corps around Demyansk was crucial in a number of respects. Primarily it proved that the Red Army was able to effectively carry out an offensive operation which led to the isolation of sizeable enemy forces. At this early stage of the campaign, however, the Soviet forces laced both the expertise and the strength needed to destroy the surrounded units.

Secondly, the pocket presented the Germans with a unique problem. A force of nearly 100,000 men had never been supplied solely from the air and the airlift that followed was to lay the foundation for a defeat of catastrophic proportions later in the year. Had Demyansk not occurred, Hitler's decision to accept Göring's assurances over the success of the Stalingrad airlift might never have been taken. Little did the combatants realize the importance of this diversionary battle.

The Soviets press the LIX Corps hard as the fighting at Velizh, Demidov, Dukhovschina and Velikiye Luki intensifies.