Demyansk Shield (German: Ärmelschild Demjansk) is a German military award instituted on April 25, 1943 to commemorate troops who fought in the Demyansk pocket. Requirements for Heer and auxiliary units included honorable service in the besieged area for 60 days or wound or frost-bite in the besieged area, for Luftwaffe — 50 combat or supply missions over the besieged and surrounding area. The shield was die struck and produced in silver washed zinc and later in plain zinc. Two variations of the aircraft's propeller under the swords exist, as some shields show it curved while others show it straight.
The shield was authorized by Adolf Hitler and was to be worn on the upper sleeve of the left shoulder of uniform. For civil clothes the version of a pin-like shield has been stipulated. The award ceased to be presented on April 1 or July 4, 1944. Each recipient was entitled to five copies of the shield, and in case of death, a single shield and an entitlement certificate was presented to the next of kin. It's estimated that over 100,000 Demyansk shields were presented.
Demyansk Pocket (German:
Festung Demjansk or Kessel von Demjansk): is a name
for the encirclement of German troops by the Red Army around
Demyansk (Demjansk), south of Leningrad, during the Second
World War, which lasted mainly from February 8 until April
21, 1942. A much smaller pocket was simultaneously surrounded
in Cholm, about 100 km to the southwest.
On February 8 the Soviet Toropets-Kholm Operation
encircled the German 2nd Army Corps as well as part of
the 10th Corps (General der Artillerie Christian Hansen),
both parts of the German 16th Army (Generaloberst Ernst
Busch), during their winter 1941 offensive that ended the
Battle of Moscow. Trapped in the pocket were the 12th,
30th, 32nd, 123rd and 290th infantry divisions, as well
as the SS-Division Totenkopf. There were also RAD, Police,
Todt organization and other auxiliary units who were trapped
and assisted in the battle. In total, about 90,000 German
troops and around 10,000 auxiliaries were trapped inside
the pocket. Their commander was General der Infanterie
Walter Graf von Brockdorff-Ahlefeldt, commander of the
2nd Army Corps.
The Soviet offensive was planned to encircle
the entire northern German forces, of which the 2nd Army
Corps was only a small part, and the Soviet command was
desperate to keep the front moving even after this success.
A second thrust was formed up on February 12th, with the
additional plan of directly attacking the encircled German
forces by dropping in two parachute brigades. Both were
quickly annihilated with little gain. The front soon settled
as the Soviet offensive
petered out.
After being assured that the pocket could
be supplied with its daily requirement of 270 tons of supplies
by air, Hitler ordered that the surrounded divisions hold
their positions until relieved. The Pocket contained two
fairly capable airfields at Demyansk and Peski. Weather
was surprisingly good, and while there was considerable
snow on the ground by this time, resupply operations were
generally very successful. However the operation did use
up all of the Luftwaffe's transport capability, as well
as much of their bomber force.
The Soviets grew increasingly desperate to
wipe out the pocket, and over the winter and spring launched
a number of huge assaults that were repeatedly beaten off.
In total three Soviet Armies composed of 18 infantry divisions
and three brigades were tied up for 4 months.
On March 21st, 1942 German forces opened
a narrow corridor to the pocket. Over the next several
weeks this corridor was widened. The battle group was able
to break out of the siege on April 21, but the battle had
taken a heavy toll. Out of the approximately 100,000 men
trapped there were 3,335 lost and over 10,000 wounded.
However, their strong resistance had denied the Soviet
High Command numerous units at a critical moment, units
that would have otherwise been used elsewhere.
Between the forming of the pocket in early
February to its complete evacuation in May the two pockets
received 65,000 tons of supplies (both through ground and
aerial delivery), 31,000 fresh troops, and the evacuation
of 36,000 wounded. However the
cost was high, with the Luftwaffe losing 265 transport
aircraft, despite a marked lack of the VVS activity in
the area.
Fighting in the area continued until February
1943. The Soviets would not liberate Demyansk until March
1st, 1943 with the retreat of the German troops. For his
excellence in command and the particularly fierce fighting
of his elite unit, Totenkopf commander Theodor Eicke was
awarded the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross (88th) on
May 20, 1942.
The success of the defense of the pocket
would later cause Hermann Göring to
propose a similar "solution" to supply the 6th Army, trapped in Stalingrad. In
theory the outcome could be equally advantageous; with the 6th Army trapped but
still in fighting condition, the Soviet army would have to use up much of its
strength to keep them contained. This could allow other German forces to re-group
and mount a counterattack. However the scale of the forces trapped in the two
operations differed greatly. While in Demyansk a single army corps (about 1/3rd
or an army) with about six divisions was encircled, in Stalingrad an entire and
greatly reinforced army was trapped. Whereas the Demyansk and Kholm pockets together
needed around ca. 265 tonnes of supplies per day, the Sixth Army required an
estimated daily minimum of 500 tonnes to be delivered over a much longer distance
and faced by a much better organized VVS opposition. The air transport force
had already suffered heavy losses, and was working in a location much further
away from good infrastructures. The Luftwaffe simply did not have the resources
needed to supply Stalingrad, a major reason for its eventual loss.
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