The Formation of the Korsun-Cherkassy Pocket 1944

For the first time since the Battle of Stalingrad, in early 1944, the Soviets successfully surrounded a major German force on the Eastern Front, this time in the Korsun-Cherkassy area. Once again, Army Group South was in trouble, and once again Manstein was tasked with breaking them out. Would history repeat? Would the Germans manage to break out of their encirclement? Or would the Soviets destroy them? Let’s find out.

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📚 BIBLIOGRAPHY / SOURCES 📚

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ABOUT TIK 📝

History isn’t as boring as some people think, and my goal is to get people talking about it. I also want to dispel the myths and distortions that ruin our perception of the past by asking a simple question - “But is this really the case?”. I have a 2:1 Degree in History and a passion for early 20th Century conflicts (mainly WW2). I’m therefore approaching this like I would an academic essay. Lots of sources, quotes, references and so on. Only the truth will do.

This video is discussing events or concepts that are academic, educational and historical in nature. This video is for informational purposes and was created so we may better understand the past and learn from the mistakes others have made.

[gordonsmith]

I generally don't watch videos that last less than half an hour. I worked as a researcher and historical assistant to several commercial video productions and have with one exception asked to have my credits redacted. Tik, your work is what I aspired to and should be done. Faced with commercial realities one realises that most producers would prefer that Arnhem (A very bitter example) could be examined with 4-600words. Your work is outstanding and (With the greatest respect) I doubt that anyone without experince in research realises how much time and effort is required in your presentations. I hope that persons consider your work and go on to question held narratives and sources. Thank you for your hard work.

[zer]

I live near the area where these events took place. In some places (mostly in woods and near certain roads) you can still see marks of trenches.

[Gnosis]

God bless you Tik. 95% of YouTube videos reviewing eastern front battles do it at such a surface level that it bores me, and i am being VERY fair by saying 95%. They give us the appetizer and you give us the appetizer, full main course and desert.. and a to go box lol. You sir are truly doing the good Lord's work. I salute you brother.

I'd LOVE to see your standpoints on Bagration and the Soviet invasion of Manchuria

[zacharydoser]

Tik, as a retired senior military officer in the Army, I studied the Russian/German conflict in WW2 in great detail. Your videos and superior knowledge of this titanic struggle humbled me. Magnificent videos and I watch them often. Keep up the tremendous work.

[blainedunlap]

I was watching a lecture at Naval War College. Discussing allocation of resources and balance of production. I watched and knew the answer. Economics. Explained by you many years ago in detail. Recently I watched a video, old about whether you were a "historian" or not. My friend, you are one of the best historians of your era. Shacket it off, take your place. Maybe I am a Kool-Aid drinker, but you have this all figured out. Your economic insights into motivations are truly innovative. It all makes sense and you are the key player in explaining all this. I have bad news, man up, you are the man. Grab your damn bayonet, stick it to some of these "historians" and keep up the good work. I went to become a patron, I already was one. So send me a high five. Sharpen your baynet. You are one of the preeminent historians of our time. Deal with it. No more talk you aren't one.

[potatojuice]

Small town of Panchevo ( you can see it on 11:44 minute of video ) is a town named by Serbs who were settled in Ukranie in later half of the 18th century. They named it after there hometown of the same name in Serbia, where I am from. Both of them still exist today, and there is even one more in Bulgaria (unconected to its serbian counterpart, town derives it name from slavic word for swamp)

[roelhodzelmans]

I highly appreciate the work you put in your videos, thank you for making them. I also appreciate you add a lot of references, I highly appreciate it (though some are quite hard to read). I recently found a lot of information on a Dutch soldier in Nazi service that allows me to understand the story better on the individual soldier level, but your videos tell me a great deal about the big picture. And even though he did not serve at Stalingrad, I look forward to watching all of those videos. If they are as good as the videos I managed to squeeze in thusfar, I am in for a great and well researched experience.

And kudos for taking time for yourself, hopefully it didn't have a huge impact on your income so you can do them at regular intervals and stay healthy and sane ;) for a long time still.

[GeographyCzar]

I really like this. Glantz's work reveals so much that was incorrect in our text books from the Cold War Era. TIK brings the new sources to bear in a way that is so much more accessible than reading huge thick books (which would be fine, but at "mid life" I don't really have time to read many history books anymore - maybe when I retire in 20 years).

Very interesting! Besides the very accurate description of how the Korsun pocket was formed, two things caught my attention: one, the everlasting German problem of spare parts for their tanks (what is the object of having supposedly superior tanks if you cannot put them into use) and two that the Soviets were, at this point in the war, also having recruitment problems and, like their German counterparts, were fighting, in many places, with depleted units. Good work Tik!

[steveparker]

Excellent video in presentation, material and balance. Your videos and moving maps are outstanding in quality and information. Retired US Army infantry officer.

[abhilashyadav]

The amount of detail is spectacular . I can only imagine how much stuff you have to go through to filter this much detail from all the sources .

[clarkdewar]

I have always found this cauldron battle interesting from all the personal accounts over the years of the men who actually fought this horrific, nasty battle and the absolute despair of the escape to breakout back to the main body of the German lines...talk about mind crushing PTSD... thank you for taking time to reflect on the subject and your through analysis of the events...I can hardly wait for your next post on this topic.

[sailordude]

Great history analysis, thanks TIK! I didn't think or know about the Germans moving the 88s away from the Eastern Front, wow.

[Arwcwb]

Videos like this are exactly why trained historians are so important - thank you so much.

[Primecast]

Hell's Gate: the Cherkassy Pocket by Douglas E. Nash was the book I read about this time frame and it was excellent. It just discussed the battle and nothing else, excellent pictures and writing. A very long read but worth it for a book of this topic. People who believe that the German Army was invincible still should read this and understand how the Russians first mastered and then surpassed that Kessel style of combat and operations.

[lyndoncmp]

21:50

The "11th Panzer Division" Panthers (actually I./Pz.Rgt. 26) are an interesting subject. It was a brand new battalion on Panthers, just recently trained on the new tank type. It received its Panthers only in December 1943, being quickly sent to the east a mere month later. It was originally destined for Italy to join its parent division, 26th Panzer Division. However it was diverted to the east in early January as a temporary substitute for the Grossdeutschland Panther battalion, which was being formed in the west. The GD was defending near Kirovograd at the time. It was then hastily moved 100km north to be urgently borrowed by 11th Panzer Division.

Sources. Nash, Jentz, Klages.

[smiles]

Cant wait to watch the video, great content TIK! Im super excited to hear more about the hyperinflation during the Weimar Period.

[herrcobblermachen]

Read Degrelles autobio, and your video paired with his account def helps set a very clear picture about the chaos going on at the Cherkassy pocket.
It seems like a great number of people were being flown back and forth for briefs with Hitler at this time. Seems strange.
Thanks for your hard work! good to see another video <3

[stevecoscia]

Informative video. The maps, troop movement and battle locations make the history come alive. Thank you.

[genxman]

Thank you so much for covering this. My grandfather was wounded here as a member of the 88th infantry division. MG platoon NCO.