Kholm Pocket

Kholm Pocket
Part of the Eastern Front of World War II
Date 23 January – 5 May 1942 Location Kholm, Russia Result German defensive victory
Belligerents
Germany	Soviet Union
Commanders and leaders
Theodor Scherer	Nikolai Vatutin
Strength
5,500[1] 10 anti-tank guns 18 mortars	33rd rifle division 391st rifle division 20 tanks
Casualties and losses
1,500 killed 2,000 wounded	20,000 casualties

The Kholm Pocket (German: Kessel von Cholm; Russian: Холмский котёл) was the name given for the encirclement of German troops by the Red Army around Kholm, south of Leningrad, in World War II's the Eastern Front, from 23 January 1942 to 5 May 1942. The pocket was created by the Soviet Toropets–Kholm offensive.

A much larger pocket was meanwhile surrounded in Demyansk, about 100 km (62 mi) to the northeast. Both were the results of the German retreat following the defeat during the Battle of Moscow.^[1]

The air supply of Kholm and Demyansk was successful but led to an overconfidence in the German High Command on the Luftwaffe's ability to supply encircled forces by air, which would lead to disastrous consequences at the Battle of Stalingrad in late 1942 and early 1943.^[2]