Black Knights of the Steppe

After five days of almost constant combat, the tired Germans were hoping for a break. Instead, advanced elements of the armored group for the 1st SS Panzer Division “Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler” were ordered to assemble along the road to Prokhorovka. …

1943-07-10

SoS09

After five days of almost constant combat, the tired Germans were hoping for a break. Instead, advanced elements of the armored group for the 1st SS Panzer Division “Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler” were ordered to assemble along the road to Prokhorovka. This small town on the vast steppe of Russia would become the site of the most famous tank engagement within the battle of Kursk.

Prokhorovka, Russia

The Battle of Kursk was a Second World War engagement between German and Soviet forces on the Eastern Front near Kursk in the Soviet Union, during July and August 1943. The battle began with the launch of the German offensive Operation Citadel, on 5 July, which had the objective of pinching off the Kursk salient with attacks on the base of the salient from north and south simultaneously. After the German offensive stalled on the northern side of the salient, on 12 July the Soviets commenced their Kursk Strategic Offensive Operation with the launch of Operation Kutuzov against the rear of the German forces in the northern side. On the southern side, the Soviets also launched powerful counterattacks the same day, one of which led to a large armoured clash, the Battle of Prokhorovka. On 3 August, the Soviets began the second phase of the Kursk Strategic Offensive Operation with the launch of Operation Polkovodets Rumyantsev against the German forces in the southern side of the Kursk salient.

Wikipedia: Battle of Kursk

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