Clash of Titans

While the SS mopped up local resistance on the eleventh of July including the seizure of the southern slopes of the tactically vital Hill 226.6, the Russian juggernaut in the form of the Fifth Guards Tank Army bored down on them. As the SS prepared to continue the advance on the morning of the twelfth...

1943-07-12

K06

While the SS mopped up local resistance on the eleventh of July including the seizure of the southern slopes of the tactically vital Hill 226.6, the Russian juggernaut in the form of the Fifth Guards Tank Army bored down on them. As the SS prepared to continue the advance on the morning of the twelfth, they collided with the advance elements of the 5th Guards Tank Army. As the Totenkopfdivision was beginning to move out in mid-morning, they ran into two Russian corps - the equivalent of four full divisions - which quickly forced them onto the defensive in savage close quarter fighting among tanks and infantry. These veteran SS troops were amazed at the magnitude and fury of Russian attack. However, these soldiers refused to yield any ground willingly. The intense fighting quickly emptied ammunition stocks, forcing tankers of both sides to ram each other, and infantry to fight hand to hand. Amidst constant counterattacks, the Germans resumed their attack and successfully captured the northern slopes of Hill 226.6 and beyond. Over the next two days, despite being outnumbered nearly four-to-one, the SS Totenkopf successfully held their small bridgehead until the afternoon of the 14th when the Russians broke off their attach The Russians had eviscerated Totenkopfdivision; it had lost nearly fifty percent of its men and vehicles. The Germans only retained control of a useless strip of land firom which they would never attack again.

Prokhorovka, Russia

The Battle of Prokhorovka was fought on 12 July 1943 near Prokhorovka, 87 kilometers (54 mi) southeast of Kursk in the Soviet Union, during the Second World War. Taking place on the Eastern Front, the engagement was part of the wider Battle of Kursk, and occurred when the 5th Guards Tank Army of the Soviet Red Army attacked the II SS-Panzer Corps of the German Wehrmacht in one of the largest tank battles in military history.

Wikipedia: Battle of Prokhorovka

German

Russian