Soviet Union, battle of Cholm.- soldier in temporary Wintertankleidung
against snowy wooden houses, in late January - early May 1942
***The Kholm Pocket (German: Kessel von Cholm; Russian: ????????
?????) was the name given for the encirclement of German troops by the
Red Army around Kholm south of Leningrad, during World War II on the
Eastern Front, from 23 January 1942 until 5 May 1942. A much larger
pocket was simultaneously surrounded in Demyansk, about 100 km (62 mi)
to the northeast. These were the results of German retreat following
their defeat during the Battle of Moscow.
At the small Kholm pocket, 5,500 German soldiers held out for 105
days.The pocket was supplied by air, but was too small for planes to
land; therefore, supplies had to be dropped in and recovered by the
German defenders. Among the airdropped supplies were 35 of the first
50 prototype MKb 42(H) rifles.
The puzzled together German units trapped at Kholm were mainly part
of:
218th Infantry Division
Reserve-Polizei-Bataillon 65
Infanterie-Regiment 553 (of the 329th Infantry Division)
Parts of the 123rd Infantry Division
Jagdkommando 8
III. Bataillon of the Luftwaffenfeldregiment 1
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