A Midsummer Day's Dream

In the summer of 1943 Hitler launched what was to be his last gasp in the east. Citadel, as the Germans called it, was designed to collapse the Kursk salient at its base and pocket the Soviet Central Front. The …

1943-07-05

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In the summer of 1943 Hitler launched what was to be his last gasp in the east. Citadel, as the Germans called it, was designed to collapse the Kursk salient at its base and pocket the Soviet Central Front. The result was the the largest tank battle in history. Manstein's original plans for a June offensive were brushed aside by the Fuehrer, who insisted on waiting until more of the new “Panther” and “Tiger” tanks were available. When the offensive was finally launched on July 5th it met a fortiñed enemy waiting for the attack. Despite Soviet preparedness the Wehmzacht and Waffen SS panzers smashed through the fortiñed lines in rapid succession.

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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