The Battle of Kursk is a turning point in the course of the entire Second World War, when the Soviet troops inflicted such damage on Germany and its satellites, from which they could no longer recover and lost their strategic initiative until the end of the war. Although before the defeat of the enemy there were many sleepless nights and thousands of kilometers of fighting, but after this battle in the hearts of every Soviet citizen, private and general, there was confidence in victory over the enemy. In addition, the battle on the Oryol-Kursk ledge became an example of the courage of ordinary soldiers and the brilliant genius of Russian commanders.

The radical change in the course of the Great Patriotic War began with the victory of the Soviet troops near Stalingrad, when a large enemy grouping was liquidated during Operation Uranus. The battle on the Kursk ledge became the final stage of a radical change. After the defeat at Kursk and Orel, the strategic initiative finally passed into the hands of the Soviet command. After the failure, the German troops were already mostly on the defensive until the end of the war, and ours were mainly engaged in offensive operations, freeing Europe from the Nazis.

On June 5, 1943, German troops went on the offensive in two directions: on the northern and southern faces of the Kursk salient. Thus began Operation Citadel and the Battle of Kursk itself. After the offensive onslaught of the Germans subsided, and its divisions were significantly bled, the command of the USSR launched a counteroffensive against the troops of the Army Groups "Center" and "South". On August 23, 1943, Kharkov was liberated, which marked the end of one of the largest battles of World War II.

History of the battle

After the victory at Stalingrad in the course of the successful Operation Uranus, the Soviet troops managed to carry out a good offensive along the entire front and push the enemy back for many miles to the West. But after the counter-offensive of the German troops in the area of ​​Kursk and Orel, a ledge arose, which was directed towards the West, up to 200 kilometers wide and up to 150 kilometers deep, formed by the Soviet group.

From April to June, a relative calm reigned on the fronts. It became clear that after the defeat at Stalingrad, Germany would try to take revenge. The Kursk ledge was considered the most suitable place, striking which in the direction of Orel and Kursk from the North and South, respectively, it was possible to create a cauldron on a larger scale than near Kiev, Kharkov at the beginning of the war.

As early as April 8, 1943, Marshal G.K. Zhukov. sent his report on the spring-summer military campaign, where he expressed his thoughts about Germany's actions on the Eastern Front, where it was assumed that the Kursk Bulge would become the site of the main enemy strike. At the same time, Zhukov expressed his plan of countermeasures, which included exhausting the enemy in defensive battles, and then inflicting a counterattack and his complete destruction. Already on April 12, Stalin listened to General Antonov A.I., Marshal Zhukov G.K. and Marshal Vasilevsky A.M. on this occasion.

Representatives of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief unanimously spoke in favor of the impossibility and futility of delivering a preventive strike in the spring and summer. Indeed, based on the experience of past years, an offensive against large enemy groupings preparing to strike does not bring significant results, but only contributes to losses in the ranks of their troops. Also, the formation of forces for the main strike was supposed to weaken the groupings of Soviet troops in the directions of the main German strike, which would also inevitably lead to defeat. Therefore, it was decided to conduct a defensive operation in the area of ​​the Kursk ledge, where the main blow of the Wehrmacht forces was expected. Thus, the Headquarters hoped to wear down the enemy in defensive battles, knock out his tanks and deliver a decisive blow to the enemy. This was facilitated by the creation of a powerful defensive system in this direction, in contrast to the first two years of the war.

In the spring of 1943, the word "Citadel" appeared more and more often in the intercepted radio data. On April 12, intelligence put a plan code-named "Citadel" on Stalin's table, which was developed by the General Staff of the Wehrmacht, but had not yet been signed by Hitler. This plan confirmed that Germany was preparing the main attack, where the Soviet command expected it. Three days later, Hitler signed the plan for the operation.

In order to destroy the plans of the Wehrmacht, it was decided to create a defense in depth in the direction of the predicted strike and create a powerful grouping capable of withstanding the pressure of the German units and carrying out counterattacks at the moment of the climax of the battle.

Composition of armies, commanders

To strike at the Soviet troops in the area of ​​the Kursk-Oryol ledge, it was planned to attract forces Army Group Center commanded by Field Marshal Kluge And Army Group South commanded by Field Marshal Manstein.

The German forces included 50 divisions, including 16 motorized and tank divisions, 8 assault gun divisions, 2 tank brigades, and 3 separate tank battalions. In addition, the SS Panzer Divisions Das Reich, Totenkopf and Adolf Hitler, considered elite, were brought up to attack in the direction of Kursk.

Thus, the grouping amounted to 900 thousand personnel, 10 thousand guns, 2700 tanks and assault guns, and more than 2 thousand aircraft, which were part of two Luftwaffe air fleets.

One of the key trump cards in the hands of Germany was to be the use of heavy tanks "Tiger" and "Panther", assault guns "Ferdinand". It was precisely because the new tanks did not have time to get to the front, were in the process of being finalized, that the start of the operation was constantly postponed. Also in service with the Wehrmacht were obsolete tanks Pz.Kpfw. I, Pz.Kpfw. I I, Pz.Kpfw. I I I, having undergone some modification.

The main blow was to be delivered by the 2nd and 9th armies, the 9th tank army of the Army Group Center under the command of Field Marshal Model, as well as the Kempf task force, the tank 4th army and the 24th corps of the group armies "South", which were entrusted to command General Goth.

In defensive battles, the USSR involved three fronts - Voronezh, Stepnoy, Central.

General of the Army Rokossovsky K.K. commanded the Central Front. The task of the front was to defend the northern face of the ledge. The Voronezh Front, the command of which was entrusted to General of the Army Vatutin N.F., was to defend the southern front. Colonel General Konev I.S. was appointed commander of the Steppe Front, the reserve of the USSR during the battle. In total, about 1.3 million people, 3,444 tanks and self-propelled guns, almost 20,000 guns and 2,100 aircraft were involved in the area of ​​the Kursk salient. Data may differ from some sources.

Armament (tanks)

During the preparation of the Citadel plan, the German command did not look for new ways to achieve success. The main offensive power of the Wehrmacht troops during the operation on the Kursk Bulge was to be carried out by tanks: light, heavy and medium. To strengthen the strike groups before the start of the operation, several hundred of the latest Panther and Tiger tanks were delivered to the front.

Medium tank "Panther" was developed by MAN for Germany in 1941-1942. According to the German classification, it was considered heavy. For the first time he participated in the battles on the Kursk Bulge. After the fighting in the summer of 1943 on the Eastern Front, the Wehrmacht began to actively use it in other directions. It is considered the best German tank in World War II, despite a number of shortcomings.

"Tiger I"- heavy tanks of the German armed forces during the Second World War. At long distances, the battle was slightly vulnerable to the firepower of Soviet tanks. It is considered the most expensive tank of its time, because the German treasury spent 1 million Reichsmarks to create one combat unit.

Panzerkampfwagen III Until 1943, it was the main medium tank of the Wehrmacht. The captured combat units were used by the Soviet troops, self-propelled guns were created on their basis.

Panzerkampfwagen II produced from 1934 to 1943. Since 1938, it has been used in armed conflicts, but it turned out to be weaker than similar models of equipment from the enemy, not only in terms of armor, but even in terms of weapons. In 1942, it was completely withdrawn from the Wehrmacht tank units, however, it remained in service and was used by assault groups.

Light tank Panzerkampfwagen I - the brainchild of "Krupp" and "Daimler Benz", discontinued in 1937, was produced in the amount of 1574 units.

In the Soviet army, the most massive tank of the Second World War was supposed to resist the bulk of the German armored armada. Medium tank T-34 had many modifications, one of which T-34-85 is in service with some countries to this day.

The course of the battle

Calm reigned on the fronts. Stalin had doubts about the correctness of the calculations of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander. Also, the thought of competent disinformation did not leave him until the last moment. Nevertheless, at 23.20 on July 4 and 02.20 on July 5, the artillery of the two Soviet fronts dealt a massive blow to the alleged positions of the enemy. In addition, bombers and attack aircraft of the two air armies carried out an air raid on enemy positions in the Kharkov and Belgorod regions. However, this did not bring much result. According to the reports of the Germans, only communication communications were damaged. Losses in manpower and equipment were not serious.

Exactly at 06.00 on July 5, after a powerful artillery preparation, significant forces of the Wehrmacht went on the offensive. However, unexpectedly for themselves, they received a powerful rebuff. This was facilitated by the presence of numerous tank barriers, minefields with a high frequency of mining. Due to significant damage to communication communications, the Germans failed to achieve clear interaction between units, which led to disagreements in actions: the infantry was often left without the support of tanks. On the northern face, the blow was directed at Olkhovatka. After minor success and serious losses, the Germans directed their attack at Ponyri. But even there it was not possible to wedge into the Soviet defense. Thus, on July 10, less than a third of all German tanks remained in service.

* After the Germans went on the attack, Rokossovsky called Stalin and announced with joy in his voice that the offensive had begun. Perplexed, Stalin asked Rokossovsky about the reason for his joy. The general replied that now the victory in the Battle of Kursk would not go anywhere.

To inflict defeat on the Russians in the South was the task of the 4th Panzer Corps, the 2nd SS Panzer Corps and the Kempf Army Group, which was part of the 4th Army. Here events unfolded more successfully than in the North, although the planned result was not achieved. The 48th Panzer Corps suffered heavy losses in the attack on Cherkasskoye, without moving significantly forward.

The defense of Cherkassky is one of the brightest pages of the Battle of Kursk, which for some reason is practically not remembered. The 2nd SS Panzer Corps was more successful. He was given the task of reaching the Prokhorovka area, where, on a tactically advantageous terrain, to fight the Soviet reserve. Thanks to the presence of companies consisting of heavy "Tigers", the divisions "Leibstandarte" and "Das Reich" managed to quickly break through the defenses of the Voronezh Front. The command of the Voronezh Front decided to strengthen the defensive lines and sent the 5th Stalingrad Tank Corps to carry out this task. In fact, Soviet tankers received an order to occupy a line already captured by the Germans, but threats of a tribunal and execution forced them to go on the offensive. Hitting the Das Reich on the forehead, the 5th Stk failed and was thrown back. The Das Reich tanks went on the attack, trying to surround the forces of the corps. They partially succeeded, but thanks to the commanders of the units that were outside the ring, communications were not cut. However, during these battles, the Soviet troops lost 119 tanks, which is undeniably the largest loss of the Soviet troops in one day. Thus, already on July 6, the Germans reached the third line of defense of the Voronezh Front, which made the situation difficult.

On July 12, in the Prokhorovka area, after mutual artillery preparation and massive air strikes, 850 tanks of the 5th Guards Army under the command of General Rotmistrov and 700 tanks from the side of the 2nd SS Panzer Corps collided in a head-on battle. The fight lasted all day. The initiative changed hands. The opponents suffered enormous losses. The entire battlefield was covered with thick smoke from fires. However, the victory remained with us, the enemy was forced to retreat.

On this day, the Western and Bryansk Fronts went on the offensive on the Northern Front. The very next day, the German defenses were broken through, and by August 5, Soviet troops managed to liberate Orel. The Oryol operation, during which the Germans lost 90 thousand soldiers killed, was called Kutuzov in the plans of the General Staff.

Operation "Rumyantsev" was supposed to defeat the German forces in the Kharkov and Belgorod region. On August 3, the forces of the Voronezh and Steppe Front launched an offensive. By August 5, Belgorod was liberated. On August 23, Kharkov was liberated by Soviet troops on the third attempt, which marked the end of Operation Rumyantsev, and with it the Battle of Kursk.

* On August 5, the first salute in the entire war was given in Moscow in honor of the liberation of Orel and Belgorod from the Nazi invaders.

Side losses

Until now, the losses of Germany and the USSR during the Battle of Kursk are not exactly known. To date, the data diverge dramatically. In 1943, the Germans in the battle on the Kursk ledge lost more than 500 thousand people killed and wounded. 1000-1500 enemy tanks were destroyed by Soviet soldiers. And the Soviet aces and air defense forces destroyed 1696 aircraft.

As for the USSR, the irretrievable losses amounted to more than a quarter of a million people. 6024 tanks and self-propelled guns were burned out, out of action for technical reasons. 1626 aircraft were shot down in the sky over Kursk and Orel.

Results, meaning

Guderian and Manstein in their memoirs say that the Battle of Kursk was the turning point of the War on the Eastern Front. Soviet troops inflicted heavy damage on the Germans, who forever missed the strategic advantage. In addition, the armored power of the Nazis could no longer be restored to its former scale. The days of Hitler's Germany were numbered. The victory on the Kursk Bulge became an excellent tool for raising the morale of the fighters on all fronts, the population in the rear of the country and in the occupied territories.

Day of Military Glory of Russia

The day of the defeat of the Nazi troops by the Soviet troops in the Battle of Kursk in accordance with the Federal Law of March 13, 1995 is celebrated annually. This is a day of remembrance for all those who in 1943 in July-August, during the defensive operation of the Soviet troops, as well as the offensive operations "Kutuzov" and "Rumyantsev" on the Kursk ledge, managed to break the back of a powerful enemy, predetermining the victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War. Large-scale celebrations are expected in 2013 to mark the 70th anniversary of the victory at the Fiery Arc.

Video about the Kursk Bulge, the key moments of the battle, we definitely recommend viewing:

The date of the battle is July 5, 1943 - August 23, 1943. This battle entered modern history as one of the bloodiest battles of World War II. It is also known as the largest tank battle in the history of mankind.
Conditionally the Battle of Kursk can be divided into two stages:

• Kursk defensive (July 5 - 23)
• Oryol and Kharkov-Belgorod (July 12 - August 23) offensive operations.

The battle lasted 50 days and nights and influenced the entire subsequent course of hostilities.

Forces and means of the opposing sides

Before the start of the battle, the Red Army concentrated an unprecedented number of troops: the Central and Voronezh Fronts numbered more than 1.2 million soldiers and officers, over 3.5 thousand tanks, 20 thousand guns and mortars and more than 2800 aircraft of various types. In reserve was the Steppe Front numbering: 580 thousand soldiers, 1.5 thousand tanks and self-propelled artillery mounts, 7.5 thousand guns and mortars. Its air cover was carried out by over 700 aircraft.
The German command managed to pull up reserves and by the beginning of the battle it had fifty divisions with a total number of over 900 thousand soldiers and officers, 2700 tanks and self-propelled guns, 10 thousand guns and mortars, and also approximately 2.5 thousand aircraft. For the first time in the history of World War II, the German command used a large number of its latest equipment: the Tiger and Panther tanks, as well as heavy self-propelled guns - the Ferdinand.
As can be seen from the above data, the Red Army had an overwhelming superiority over the Wehrmacht, being on the defensive, it could quickly respond to all offensive actions of the enemy.

defensive operation

This phase of the battle began with a pre-emptive massive artillery preparation by the Red Army at 2.30 am, at 4.30 it was repeated. The German artillery preparation began at 5 am, and the first divisions went on the offensive after it ...
During the bloody battles, German troops advanced 6-8 kilometers along the entire front line. The main attack fell on the Ponyri station, a key railway junction of the Orel-Kursk line, and the village of Cherkasskoye, on the section of the Belgorod-Oboyan highway. In these areas, the German troops managed to advance to the Prokhorovka station. It was here that the largest tank battle of this war took place. On the part of the Soviet Union, 800 tanks under the command of General Zhadov participated in the battle, against 450 German tanks under the command of SS Oberstgruppenführer Paul Hausser. In the battle near Prokhorovka, Soviet troops lost about 270 tanks - German losses amounted to over 80 tanks and self-propelled guns.

Offensive

On July 12, 1943, the Soviet command launched Operation Kutuzov. In the course of which, after bloody battles of local significance, the troops of the Red Army on July 17-18 squeezed the Germans to the Hagen defensive line east of Bryansk. The fierce resistance of the German troops continued until August 4, when the Belgorod group of fascists was liquidated and Belgorod was liberated.
On August 10, the Red Army launched an offensive in the Kharkov direction, and on August 23, the city was stormed. City battles continued until August 30, but August 23, 1943 is considered the day of the liberation of the city and the end of the Battle of Kursk.

On August 23, Russia celebrates the Day of the defeat of the Nazi troops in the Battle of Kursk

In world history there are no analogues of the Battle of Kursk, which lasted 50 days and nights - from July 5 to August 23, 1943. The victory in the Battle of Kursk was a decisive turning point in the course of the Great Patriotic War. The defenders of our Motherland managed to stop the enemy and deal him a deafening blow, from which he could not recover. After the victory in the Battle of Kursk, the advantage in the Great Patriotic War was already on the side of the Soviet army. But such a radical change cost our country dearly: military historians still cannot accurately assess the losses of people and equipment on the Kursk Bulge, concurring in only one assessment - the losses of both sides were colossal.

According to the plan of the German command, the Soviet troops of the Central and Voronezh fronts defending in the Kursk region were to be destroyed as a result of a series of massive attacks. The victory in the Battle of Kursk gave the Germans the opportunity to expand their offensive plan against our country and their strategic initiative. In short, victory in this battle meant victory in the war. In the Battle of Kursk, the Germans had high hopes for their new equipment: Tiger and Panther tanks, Ferdinand assault guns, Focke-Wulf-190-A fighters and Heinkel-129 attack aircraft. Our attack aircraft used the new PTAB-2.5-1.5 anti-tank bombs, which pierced the armor of the fascist Tigers and Panthers.

The Kursk Bulge was a ledge about 150 kilometers deep and up to 200 kilometers wide, facing west. This arc was formed during the winter offensive of the Red Army and the subsequent counter-offensive of the Wehrmacht in Eastern Ukraine. The battle on the Kursk Bulge is usually divided into three parts: the Kursk defensive operation, which lasted from July 5 to 23, Oryol (July 12 - August 18) and Belgorod-Kharkov (August 3 - 23).

The German military operation to seize control of the strategically important Kursk Bulge was codenamed "Citadel". Avalanche-like attacks on Soviet positions began on the morning of July 5, 1943 with artillery fire and air strikes. The Nazis advanced on a broad front, attacking from heaven and earth. As soon as it began, the battle took on a grandiose scope and was of an extremely tense character. According to Soviet sources, the defenders of our Motherland were opposed by about 900 thousand people, up to 10 thousand guns and mortars, about 2.7 thousand tanks and more than 2 thousand aircraft. In addition, aces of the 4th and 6th air fleets fought in the air from the German side. The command of the Soviet troops managed to collect more than 1.9 million people, more than 26.5 thousand guns and mortars, over 4.9 thousand tanks and self-propelled artillery installations and about 2.9 thousand aircraft. Our soldiers repelled the attacks of the enemy's strike groups, showing unprecedented stamina and courage.

On July 12, Soviet troops on the Kursk Bulge went on the offensive. On this day, in the area of ​​​​the Prokhorovka railway station, 56 km north of Belgorod, the largest oncoming tank battle of the Second World War took place. About 1,200 tanks and self-propelled guns took part in it. The battle near Prokhorovka lasted all day, the Germans lost about 10 thousand people, over 360 tanks and were forced to retreat. On the same day, Operation Kutuzov began, during which the enemy’s defenses were broken through in the Bolkhovsky, Khotynets and Oryol directions. Our troops advanced inside the German positions, and the enemy command gave the order to retreat. By August 23, the enemy was driven back 150 kilometers to the west, the cities of Orel, Belgorod and Kharkov were liberated.

Aviation played a significant role in the Battle of Kursk. Air strikes destroyed a significant amount of enemy equipment. The advantage of the USSR in the air, achieved in the course of fierce battles, became the key to the overall superiority of our troops. In the memoirs of the German military, admiration for the enemy and recognition of his strength are felt. The German General Forst wrote after the war: “Our offensive began, and a few hours later a large number of Russian aircraft appeared. Air battles broke out over our heads. During the entire war, none of us saw such a spectacle. A German fighter pilot from the Udet squadron, shot down on July 5 near Belgorod, recalls: “Russian pilots began to fight much harder. Looks like you have some old footage. I never thought that I would be shot down so soon…”

And about how fierce the battles were on the Kursk Bulge and about what inhuman efforts this victory was achieved, the memoirs of the battery commander of the 239th mortar regiment of the 17th artillery division M. I. Kobzev will best tell:

– The fierce battles on the Oryol-Kursk Bulge in August 1943 especially stuck in my memory,” Kobzev wrote. - It was in the Akhtyrka area. My battery was ordered to cover the withdrawal of our troops with mortar fire, blocking the way for the enemy infantry advancing behind the tanks. The calculations of my battery had a hard time when the Tigers began to pour a hail of fragments on it. They disabled two mortars and almost half of the servants. The loader was killed by a direct hit of the projectile, the enemy bullet hit the gunner's head, the chin of the third number was torn off by a fragment. Miraculously, only one battery mortar remained intact, disguised in corn thickets, which, together with a reconnaissance officer and a radio operator, dragged 17 kilometers together for two days until we found our regiment that had retreated to the given positions.

On August 5, 1943, when the Soviet army clearly had an advantage in the Battle of Kursk in Moscow, for the first time in 2 years since the beginning of the war, an artillery salute was fired in honor of the liberation of Orel and Belgorod. Subsequently, Muscovites often observed fireworks on the days of significant victories in the battles of the Great Patriotic War.

Vasily Klochkov

August 23 marks the Day of Military Glory of Russia - the Day of the defeat of the Wehrmacht forces by the Soviet troops on the Kursk Bulge. Almost two months of intense and bloody battles led the Red Army to this important victory, the outcome of which was not at all a foregone conclusion. The Battle of Kursk is one of the largest battles in world history. Let's remember about it a little more.

Fact 1

The ledge in the center of the Soviet-German front to the west of Kursk was formed during the stubborn battles of February-March 1943 for Kharkov. The Kursk Bulge was up to 150 km deep and 200 km wide. This ledge is called the Kursk Bulge.

Battle of Kursk

Fact 2

The Battle of Kursk is one of the key battles of World War II, not only because of the scale of the battles that took place on the fields between Orel and Belgorod in the summer of 1943. The victory in this battle meant the final turning point in the war in favor of the Soviet troops, which began after the Battle of Stalingrad. With this victory, the Red Army, having exhausted the enemy, finally seized the strategic initiative. And that means we are advancing from now on. The defense was over.

Another consequence - political - was the final confidence of the Allies in victory over Germany. At the conference held in November-December 1943 in Tehran, on the initiative of F. Roosevelt, the post-war plan for the dismemberment of Germany was already discussed.

Scheme of the Battle of Kursk

Fact 3

1943 was a year of difficult choices for the command of both sides. Defend or attack? And if you attack, then how large-scale tasks should you set for yourself? Both Germans and Russians had to answer these questions one way or another.

Back in April, G. K. Zhukov sent his report to the Headquarters on possible military operations in the coming months. According to Zhukov, the best solution for the Soviet troops in the current situation would be to wear down the enemy on their defenses, destroying as many tanks as possible, and then bring in reserves and go on the offensive. Zhukov's considerations formed the basis of the campaign plan for the summer of 1943, after the preparation of the Nazi army for a major offensive on the Kursk Bulge was discovered.

As a result, the decision of the Soviet command was to create a defense in depth (8 lines) in the most likely areas of the German offensive - on the northern and southern faces of the Kursk salient.

In a situation of similar choice, the German command decided to advance in order to keep the initiative in their hands. Nevertheless, even then, Hitler outlined the objectives of the offensive on the Kursk Bulge not to seize territory, but to wear down the Soviet troops and improve the balance of power. Thus, the advancing German army was preparing for a strategic defense, while the defending Soviet troops were determined to attack decisively.

Construction of defensive lines

Fact 4

Although the Soviet command correctly identified the main directions of German attacks, mistakes were inevitable with such a scale of planning.

Thus, the Headquarters believed that a stronger grouping would advance in the Orel region against the Central Front. In reality, the southern grouping, which acted against the Voronezh Front, turned out to be stronger.

In addition, the direction of the main German attack on the southern face of the Kursk salient was inaccurately determined.

Fact 5

Operation Citadel was the name of the plan of the German command to encircle and destroy the Soviet armies on the Kursk ledge. It was planned to deliver converging strikes from the north from the Orel region and from the south from the Belgorod region. The shock wedges were supposed to connect near Kursk. The maneuver with the turn of the Goth tank corps towards Prokhorovka, where the steppe terrain favors the action of large tank formations, was planned in advance by the German command. It was here that the Germans, reinforced with new tanks, hoped to overwhelm the Soviet tank forces.

Soviet tankers inspecting the wrecked "Tiger"

Fact 6

Often the battle of Prokhorovka is called the largest tank battle in history, but this is not so. It is believed that the multi-day battle that took place already in the first week of the war (June 23–30), 1941, was larger in terms of the number of participating tanks. It happened in Western Ukraine between the cities of Brody, Lutsk and Dubno. While about 1,500 tanks from both sides converged near Prokhorovka, more than 3,200 tanks participated in the battle of 1941.

Fact 7

In the Battle of Kursk, and in particular in the battle of Prokhorovka, the Germans especially counted on the strength of their new armored vehicles - the Tiger and Panther tanks, the Ferdinand self-propelled guns. But perhaps the most unusual novelty was the Goliath wedges. This caterpillar self-propelled mine without a crew was remotely controlled by wire. It was intended to destroy tanks, infantry and buildings. However, these tankettes were expensive, slow-moving and vulnerable, and therefore did not provide much help to the Germans.

Memorial in honor of the heroes of the Battle of Kursk

After the Battle of Stalingrad, which ended in disaster for Germany, the Wehrmacht attempted revenge the very next year, 1943. This attempt went down in history as the Battle of Kursk and became the final turning point in the Great Patriotic War and World War II.

Prehistory of the Battle of Kursk

During the counter-offensive from November 1942 to February 1943, the Red Army managed to defeat a large group of Germans, encircle and force the surrender of the 6th Wehrmacht Army near Stalingrad, and also liberate very vast territories. So, in January-February, Soviet troops managed to capture Kursk and Kharkov and thereby cut through the German defenses. The gap reached about 200 kilometers wide and 100-150 deep.

Realizing that a further Soviet offensive could lead to the collapse of the entire Eastern Front, the Nazi command in early March 1943 took a number of vigorous actions in the Kharkov region. A strike group was created very quickly, which by March 15 again captured Kharkov and made an attempt to cut off the ledge in the Kursk region. However, here the German advance was stopped.

As of April 1943, the line of the Soviet-German front was practically even throughout its entire length, and only in the Kursk region did it bend, forming a large ledge that jutted into the German side. The configuration of the front made it clear where the main battles would unfold in the summer campaign of 1943.

Plans and forces of the parties before the Battle of Kursk

In the spring, heated debate broke out in the German leadership regarding the fate of the summer 1943 campaign. Part of the German generals (for example, G. Guderian) generally proposed to refrain from the offensive in order to accumulate forces for a large-scale offensive campaign in 1944. However, most of the German military leaders were strongly in favor of the offensive as early as 1943. This offensive was supposed to be a kind of revenge for the humiliating defeat at Stalingrad, as well as the final turning point of the war in favor of Germany and its allies.

Thus, for the summer of 1943, the Nazi command again planned an offensive campaign. However, it is worth noting that from 1941 to 1943 the scale of these campaigns steadily decreased. So, if in 1941 the Wehrmacht launched an offensive along the entire front, then in 1943 it was only a small section of the Soviet-German front.

The meaning of the operation, called the "Citadel", was the offensive of large Wehrmacht forces at the base of the Kursk Bulge and their strike in the general direction of Kursk. The Soviet troops in the ledge were bound to be surrounded and destroyed. After that, it was planned to launch an offensive into the formed gap in the Soviet defense and go to Moscow from the southwest. This plan, if it had been successfully implemented, would have been a real disaster for the Red Army, because there were a very large number of troops in the Kursk salient.

The Soviet leadership learned the important lessons of the spring of 1942 and 1943. So, by March 1943, the Red Army was thoroughly exhausted by offensive battles, which led to the defeat near Kharkov. After that, it was decided not to start the summer campaign with an offensive, since it was obvious that the Germans were also planning to attack. Also, the Soviet leadership had no doubts that the Wehrmacht would attack precisely on the Kursk Bulge, where the configuration of the front line contributed to this as much as possible.

That is why, after weighing all the circumstances, the Soviet command decided to wear down the German troops, inflict serious losses on them and then go on the offensive, finally securing the turning point in the war in favor of the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition.

For the attack on Kursk, the German leadership concentrated a very large grouping, the number of which was 50 divisions. Of these 50 divisions, 18 were armored and motorized. From the sky, the German group was covered by aviation of the 4th and 6th air fleets of the Luftwaffe. Thus, the total number of German troops at the beginning of the battle of Kursk was approximately 900 thousand people, about 2,700 tanks and 2,000 aircraft. Due to the fact that the northern and southern groups of the Wehrmacht on the Kursk Bulge were part of different army groups ("Center" and "South"), the leadership was carried out by the commanders of these army groups - Field Marshals Kluge and Manstein.

The Soviet grouping on the Kursk Bulge was represented by three fronts. The northern front of the ledge was defended by the troops of the Central Front under the command of General of the Army Rokossovsky, the southern - by the troops of the Voronezh Front under the command of General of the Army Vatutin. Also in the Kursk ledge were the troops of the Steppe Front, commanded by Colonel General Konev. The general command of the troops in the Kursk Salient was carried out by Marshals Vasilevsky and Zhukov. The number of Soviet troops was approximately 1 million 350 thousand people, 5000 tanks and about 2900 aircraft.

The beginning of the Battle of Kursk (5 - 12 July 1943)

On the morning of July 5, 1943, German troops launched an offensive against Kursk. However, the Soviet leadership knew about the exact time of the start of this offensive, thanks to which it was able to take a number of countermeasures. One of the most significant measures was the organization of artillery counter-training, which made it possible in the first minutes and hours of the battle to inflict serious losses and significantly reduce the offensive capabilities of the German troops.

Nevertheless, the German offensive began, and in the early days he managed to achieve some success. The first line of Soviet defense was broken through, but the Germans failed to achieve serious successes. On the northern face of the Kursk Bulge, the Wehrmacht attacked in the direction of Olkhovatka, but, failing to break through the Soviet defenses, they turned towards the settlement of Ponyri. However, here, too, the Soviet defense managed to withstand the onslaught of the German troops. As a result of the battles on July 5-10, 1943, the German 9th Army suffered monstrous losses in tanks: about two-thirds of the vehicles were out of action. On July 10, units of the army went on the defensive.

The situation unfolded more dramatically in the south. Here, the German army managed to penetrate the Soviet defenses in the first days, but did not break through it. The offensive was carried out in the direction of the settlement of Oboyan, which was held by the Soviet troops, who also inflicted significant damage on the Wehrmacht.

After several days of fighting, the German leadership decided to shift the direction of the lava strike to Prokhorovka. The implementation of this decision would have made it possible to cover a larger area than planned. However, units of the Soviet 5th Guards Tank Army stood in the way of the German tank wedges.

On July 12, one of the largest tank battles in history took place in the Prokhorovka area. From the German side, about 700 tanks participated in it, while from the Soviet side - about 800. The Soviet troops launched a counterattack on Wehrmacht units in order to eliminate the enemy's penetration into the Soviet defenses. However, this counterattack did not achieve significant results. The Red Army only managed to stop the advance of the Wehrmacht in the south of the Kursk Bulge, but it was possible to restore the position at the beginning of the German offensive only two weeks later.

By July 15, having suffered huge losses as a result of continuous violent attacks, the Wehrmacht had practically exhausted its offensive capabilities and was forced to go on the defensive along the entire length of the front. By July 17, the withdrawal of German troops to their original lines began. Taking into account the current situation, as well as pursuing the goal of inflicting a serious defeat on the enemy, on July 18, 1943, the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command authorized the transition of Soviet troops on the Kursk Bulge to a counteroffensive.

Now the German troops were forced to defend themselves in order to avoid a military catastrophe. However, parts of the Wehrmacht, seriously exhausted in offensive battles, could not offer serious resistance. The Soviet troops, reinforced with reserves, were full of power and readiness to crush the enemy.

To defeat the German troops covering the Kursk Bulge, two operations were developed and carried out: "Kutuzov" (to defeat the Oryol group of the Wehrmacht) and "Rumyantsev" (to defeat the Belgorod-Kharkov group).

As a result of the Soviet offensive, the Oryol and Belgorod groupings of German troops were defeated. On August 5, 1943, Oryol and Belgorod were liberated by Soviet troops, and the Kursk Bulge practically ceased to exist. On the same day, Moscow for the first time saluted the Soviet troops, who liberated the cities from the enemy.

The last battle of the Battle of Kursk was the liberation of the city of Kharkov by the Soviet troops. The battles for this city took on a very fierce character, however, thanks to the decisive onslaught of the Red Army, the city was liberated by the end of August 23. It is the capture of Kharkov that is considered the logical conclusion of the Battle of Kursk.

Side losses

Estimates of the losses of the Red Army, as well as the Wehrmacht troops, have different estimates. Even more ambiguous are the large differences between the estimates of the losses of the parties in different sources.

Thus, Soviet sources indicate that during the Battle of Kursk, the Red Army lost about 250 thousand people killed and about 600 thousand wounded. At the same time, some Wehrmacht data indicate 300 thousand killed and 700 thousand wounded. Losses of armored vehicles range from 1,000 to 6,000 tanks and self-propelled guns. The losses of Soviet aviation are estimated at 1600 aircraft.

However, regarding the estimate of the losses of the Wehrmacht, the data differ even more. According to German data, the losses of German troops ranged from 83 to 135 thousand people killed. But at the same time, Soviet data indicate the number of dead Wehrmacht soldiers at about 420 thousand. Losses of German armored vehicles range from 1,000 tanks (according to German data) to 3,000. Aviation losses amount to approximately 1,700 aircraft.

The results and significance of the Battle of Kursk

Immediately after the battle of Kursk and directly during it, the Red Army began a series of large-scale operations to liberate Soviet lands from German occupation. Among these operations: "Suvorov" (operation to liberate Smolensk, Donbass and Chernigov-Poltava.

Thus, the victory at Kursk opened up vast operational scope for the Soviet troops to operate. The German troops, bled dry and defeated as a result of summer battles, ceased to be a serious threat until December 1943. However, this absolutely does not mean that the Wehrmacht at that time was not strong. On the contrary, fiercely snarling, the German troops sought to hold at least the line of the Dnieper.

For the command of the allies, who landed troops on the island of Sicily in July 1943, the battle of Kursk became a kind of "help", since the Wehrmacht was now unable to transfer reserves to the island - the Eastern Front was more priority. Even after the defeat near Kursk, the command of the Wehrmacht was forced to transfer fresh forces from Italy to the east, and in their place to send units battered in battles with the Red Army.

For the German command, the Battle of Kursk became the moment when plans to defeat the Red Army and defeat the USSR finally became an illusion. It became clear that for a sufficiently long time the Wehrmacht would be forced to refrain from conducting active operations.

The Battle of Kursk was the completion of a radical turning point in the Great Patriotic and World War II. After this battle, the strategic initiative finally passed into the hands of the Red Army, thanks to which, by the end of 1943, vast territories of the Soviet Union, including such large cities as Kyiv and Smolensk, were liberated.

In international terms, the victory in the Battle of Kursk was the moment when the peoples of Europe, enslaved by the Nazis, perked up. The people's liberation movement in the countries of Europe began to grow even faster. It culminated in 1944, when the decline of the Third Reich became very clear.

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