the eventual exhaustion of food and water otherwise. The US Army lists four conditions, one of which normally exists when a force attempts a breakout maneuver: The commander directs the breakout or the breakout falls within the intent of a higher commander. The encircled force does not have sufficient relative combat power to defend itself against enemy forces attempting to reduce the encirclement. The encircled force does not have adequate terrain available to conduct its defense. The encircled force cannot sustain long enough to be relieved by forces outside the encirclement. Of necessity, the broad concept is subject to interpretation. In The Blitzkrieg Myth, John Mosier questions whether the concept as applied to tank and other warfare in the Second World War was more misleading than helpful to planning, on account of the numerous exceptional conditions faced in war and also whether evaluation based largely on how well breakout or breakthrough potential was realized is appropriate Examples An example is the battle of Hube's Pocket on the Eastern Front in the Second World War in which the German First Panzer Army was encircled by Soviet forces but broke out by attacking westward and linking with the II SS Panzer Corps, which was breaking into the encirclement from outside. The breakout effort focused on the west because it was thinly held by the 4th Tank Army. The maneuver was an improvisation after Soviet General Georgy Zhukov concentrated his blocking forces southwards, where the German breakout had been anticipated. The German forces escaped relatively intact. See also Penetration (warfare) Breakthrough (military) References Breakout Military strategy Military tactics