KORSUN POCKET   February 20th, 1944 -

By early February the Russian Winter Offensive had spilled into the Ukraine. 
German armies were falling back and desperately trying to set up a new 
line of defense. Some armies, however, were caught in the maelstrom, such as 
the 1st Panzer Army which was surrounded and cut off. General Von Manstein
ordered a quick attempt to link up with the men trapped in the
Korsun pocket. The spearhead of the drive was the 509th Tiger Battalion. 
Throughout the 20th, the German Tigers battled Soviet road blocks and
counter-attacks. It would take several more days of hard fighting before
the 509th linked up with men of the SS Viking Division.
