Or was it? Next time out, let’s discuss “Kursk: the Amazingly Shrinking Battle.”įor more discussion on the war, the latest news, and announcements, be sure to visit World War II Magazine’s Facebook page. It was the greatest tank battle of all time.
It was the “swan song for the German Panzers,” their collective death ride.įor decades, historians were nearly unanimous. Indeed, for all those historians who point to the German defeat in front of Moscow (1941) as the turning point of the war, or the encirclement of German 6th Army at Stalingrad (1942), there have always been a sizable number who see that same turning point in Kursk. 102K subscribers By September 1944, Pattons hard-charging Third Army threatens to breech the German border. The significance of the battle, like its size, appears to be massive. For the Soviets, the trusty T-34 proved once again to be the margin between victory and defeat. It is famously known as the last great tank battle of the 20th century. For the Germans, the new Panthers and Tigers made an appearance, not to mention a gigantic tank destroyer named Ferdinand. Videos Greatest Tank Battles - The Battle of 73 Easting Greatest Tank Battles - The Battle of 73 Easting Military/War 3,680 Published 2 years ago 5 The battle of 73 Easting was fought on Februduring the Persian Gulf War. During these ferocious skirmishes, one of the tank troops were hit and the commander killed on spot. Kursk has it all, the elite mechanized formations of the SS, Soviet heroism in defense of the homeland, and tanks-LOTS of tanks. Koltunov) described Prokhorovka as “an immense knotted mass of tanks.” In the end, the Soviets held, the Germans failed to break through, and Operation Citadel was effectively over.Īs ever, it’s a compelling, even irresistible, narrative. What a day! Frightening intensity, intermingled columns, point-blank main gun fire, and yes-every student of the war knows it-tanks ramming one another in the scorching July heat. Once again, the Soviets alternated between holding on grimly and launching vicious counterstrokes. Once again, the Germans were on the prowl, seeking to thrust across the Psel river, the last natural obstacle in front of Kursk. In this corner, the Soviet 5th Guards Tank Army, under General Pavel Rotmistrov in that one, the II SS Panzer Corps, under one-eyed SS General Paul Hausser. An increasingly confident (and why not?) Soviet army was counterattacking from day one, at first in isolated locales and later, with their operational reserves, all over the map.Īnd then, the climax of the battle near a non-descript village named Prokhorovka.
The Germans were trying to chew through a tough Soviet defensive position into open ground, where, they believed, their superior training and initiative could equalize the enemy’s superior numbers. We’re talking here about the battle of Kursk, Operation Citadel, the monstrous armored clash between the German and Soviet armies in 1943. The title of this entry is no doubt instantly familiar to every student, aficionado, and wargaming grognard of World War II.
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