On this day in 1943, one of the greatest clashes of armor in military history takes place as the German offensive against the Russian fortification at Kursk, a Russian railway and industrial center, is stopped in a devastating battle, marking the turning point in the Eastern front in the Russians’ favor.
The Germans had been driven from Kursk, a key communications center between north and south, back in February. By March, the Russians had created a salient, a defensive fortification, just west of Kursk in order to prevent another attempt by the Germans to advance farther south in Russia. In June, the German invaders launched an air attack against Kursk; on the ground, Operation Cottbus was launched, ostensibly dedicated to destroying Russian partisan activity, but in reality resulting in the wholesale slaughter of Russian civilians, among whom Soviet partisan fighters had been hiding. The Russians responded with air raids against German troop formations.
By July, Hitler realized that the breaking of the Russian resistance at Kursk was essential to pursuing his aims in Soviet Russia and the defense of Greater Germany, that is, German-occupied territory outside prewar German borders. “This day, you are to take part in an offensive of such importance that the whole future of the war may depend on its outcome,” Hitler announced to his soldiers on July 4. But on July 5, the Russians pulled the rug out from under Hitler’s offensive by launching their own artillery bombardment.
The Germans counterattacked, and the largest tank battle in history began: Between the two assailants, 6,000 tanks were deployed. On July 12, 900 Russian tanks clashed with 900 German (including their superior Tiger tanks) at Prokhorovka—the Battle of Kursk’s most serious engagement. When it was all over, 300 German tanks, and even more Russian ones, were strewn over the battlefield. “The earth was black and scorched with tanks like burning torches,” reported one Russian officer. But the Russians had stopped the German advance dead in its tracks. The advantage had passed to the East. The Germans’ stay in Soviet territory was coming to an end.
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Any films exist about this historical event?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22xpNBJCS4U
Eventually , numbers matter. Heard there was a saying going around the German Army late in the war -” One of our panzers is worth 10 American tanks…but they always seem to have 11″.
Quantity has a quality all of its own……Korea, Chinese wave attacks were often as unstoppable as the incoming tide……If you don’t care about the lives of your soldiers and you have a lot of them well……Iran sent many tens of thousands to their simply walking across the Iraqi minefields to clear a path with their own bodies.
I knew a guy who was the operator of a Duster in Korea. That is a big truck with a Quad .50 setup. Originally an anti-aircraft idea from WW2. They would charge by the hundreds or thousands and several thousand rounds per minute of .50 BMG would sweep entire sections of the battlefield clean, one round often passing through numerous people. Three mile effective range against troops.
One friend of my Dad who didn’t’t have a Duster during a human wave attack was telling us about one 40 years ago and started freaking out having flashbacks and stuff and walked away mumbling “Sorry. I gotta go. I gotta go.” This guy was one of the best men I have ever known and it was startling to say the least how it affected him decades later talking about it for just a minute.
One night with basketball lumes popping I watched accurate 105’s and 155’s turn a charging NVA company into an exploding pinkisk red mist.
If their timing was off sometimes ‘grabbing us by the belt buckle’ was real expensive.
In late ’44, early ’45 when the American M-26 Pershing got into the fight it was all over. Diesel with state of the art wheels and track and a 90 mm cannon that would light up anything the Germans had. Plus it was much faster just like the M4’s and M24’s. My Dad commanded one in the Reserves in the 50’s.
The Wehrmacht was set up.
