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. 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. For the Germans, the new Panthers and Tigers made an appearance, not to mention a gigantic tank destroyer named Ferdinand. 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. People who liked Greatest Tank Battles also.
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The Unknown War Ep20 A Soldier of the Unknown War - YouTube. It is also possible to buy Greatest Tank Battles as download on Amazon Video, Apple iTunes, Google Play Movies. Once again, the Soviets alternated between holding on grimly and launching vicious counterstrokes. Battle Of Basantar In 1971 Is One Of The Greatest Tank Battles In Military History. Many of which occurred on the Eastern Front, as Hitler’s Wehrmacht clashed with Stalin’s Red Army during Operation Barbarossa. Once again, the Germans were on the prowl, seeking to thrust across the Psel river, the last natural obstacle in front of Kursk. The Battle of Kursk: the largest tank battle in history Battles Hitler British History Russia Science and Technology WWII, the greatest conflict in human history, had more than its fair share of significant battles. 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. The Greatest Tank Battle of All Time Close
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