KORSUN
February 10th, 1944

The German 8th Armee managed to hang onto Kanev throughout the months that followed the abortive Soviet parachute drop across the Dnepr in September, 1943. In the terrible battles which raged all over the Ukraine in the autumn and winter of 1943, the Soviets had more or less pushed the Germans away from the line of the Dnepr River. By January 1944, only the salient at Kanev remained.
It was risky business for both sides. The Germans threatened to roll up the rear of the Soviet 1st Ukranian Front to the north of Kanev while the exposed nature of the German position made it vulnerable to encirclement, in much the same way as the 6th Armee had been destroyed at Stalingrad the previous year.
The Russians stole the initiative. On January 25th, First and Second Ukranian Fronts tore into both flanks of the German salient with such force that two Korps were trapped in the region Zvenigorodka-Korsun-Shpola... the Korsun Pocket! The pocket was sealed in just three days. Mud and more mud hampered the initial German rescue efforts. Nonetheless, by February 1st, 47th Pz Korps from the south-east and 3rd Pz Korps from the south-west were denting the hastily thrown up ring which formed the outer wall of the pocket. Soviet counter-attacks combined with plenty of air support stopped the Germans after several days of repeated probes.
The pocket was shrinking. Both sides reinforced their positions and another plan was laid to rescue the trapped soldiers of Gruppe Stemmerman. On February 10th, Breith's 3rd Pz Korps made a second attempt to cut through to the pocket. His initial objective was the bridge over the Gniloi Tikich at Lisyanki. From there, the panzers would push northward, toward Korsun, until they linked up with the remaining troops from the pocket. Breith got as far as Lisyanki. Soviet heavy tanks (JS Iis and some JS IIIs) attached to the 5th Guard Tank Army prevented a further breakout. On the 16th, Gruppe Stemmerman was ordered to break out, whatever the cost. Abandoning everything, desperate German soldiers raced for the security of 3rd Pz Korps' position. Perhaps some 12,000 made it; 40,000 did not.