Hitler, now desperate to end the war in the east before Allied military power could threaten German–occupied Europe from the west and south, planned to eliminate the large salient formed around Kursk and destroy the large Soviet forces deployed to defend it. In the middle lay a large 200km (120mi) wide and 150km (90mi) deep Soviet-held salient (bulge) in the lines between German forward positions near Orel in the north, and Von Manstein's recently captured Kharkov in the south. In February and March 1943, German Field Marshal Erich von Manstein had completed an offensive during the Third Battle of Kharkov, leaving the front line running roughly from Leningrad in the north to Rostov in the south. They intended to retreat to the line late in 1943 and bleed the Soviets against it while their own forces recuperated. They planned on repeating this strategy in the USSR and started construction of a massive series of defensive works known as the Panther-Wotan line. In 1917, the Germans had built the famous Hindenburg Line on the Western Front, shortening their lines and thereby increasing their defensive strength. One complete German army had been destroyed, along with about 800,000 German and Axis troops, seriously depleting Axis strength in the east. In the winter of 1942–1943 the Red Army conclusively won the Battle of Stalingrad. The Soviet victory represented an important step in the defeat of Nazism in World War II. The model strategic operation earned a deserved place in war college curricula. Though the Red Army had had success in winter, this was the first successful strategic Soviet summer offensive of the war. Once the German forces had exhausted themselves against the in-depth defenses, the Soviets responded with their own counteroffensives, which allowed the Red Army to retake Orel and Belgorod on August 5, and Kharkov on August 23 and to push back the Germans across a broad front. The resulting decisive Soviet victory gave the Red Army the strategic initiative, which it would not relinquish for the remainder of the war. It was the last strategic blitzkrieg offensive the Germans were able to execute in the east. It remains both the largest series of armored clashes, including the Battle of Prokhorovka, and the most costly single day of aerial warfare to date. The Battle of Kursk ( Russian: Курская битва) refers to German and Soviet operations on the Eastern Front of World War II in the vicinity of the city of Kursk in July and August 1943. Green areas show German advances on Kursk. Orange areas show the destruction of an earlier Soviet breakthrough that ended with the Kharkov offensive operation. The eastern front at the time of Operation Citadel. Kursk – Kutuzov – Prokhorovka – Polkovodets Rumyantsev – Belgorod – 4th Kharkov Part of the Eastern Front of World War IIĭisabled Soviet T-34 being towed by a turretless armored recovery tank, under enemy fire.ĥ1☃0′4″N 36☃′5″E / 51.50111, 36.05139 Coordinates: 51☃0′4″N 36☃′5″E / 51.50111, 36.05139ġ,300,000 infantry and supporting troops ġ,100-1,200 aircraft damaged or destroyed (Soviet records incomplete) īarbarossa – Baltic Sea – Finland – Leningrad and Baltics – Crimea and Caucasus – Moscow – 1st Rzhev-Vyazma – 2nd Kharkov – Blue – Stalingrad – Velikiye Luki – 2nd Rzhev-Sychevka – Kursk – 2nd Smolensk – Dnieper – 2nd Kiev – Korsun – Hube's Pocket – Baltic – Bagration – Lvov-Sandomierz – Lublin-Brest – Balkans (Iassy-Kishinev) – Balkans (Budapest) – Vistula-Oder – East Prussia – East Pomerania – Silesia – Berlin – Prague – Vienna We've also got a special vehicle bundle in the Premium Shop that includes three (3) tanks and fantastic styles.Battle of Kursk or the Kursk Bulge (see article) Hint: It takes place on a specific map and to the victor go the spoils. You can also find a hidden mission that rewards 1× Token. To give you a head start, we give a one-time reward of one (1) Token for free when you log into the game during the event! Simply complete as many missions as possible each day to earn the maximum number of Tokens. In recognition of the historic battle, we have themed missions that yield Tokens you can redeem at the in-game Battle Store. For a complete historical breakdown of the 50-day clash, please see our Chronology dedicated article and video featuring testimony of veterans who fought in the battle. From that moment forward, Germany mostly on the defensive against the advancing Red Army until the end of World War II. Although German forces had fewer losses in that particular skirmish, the overall Kursk campaign went to the Soviets. On July 12, 1943, German and Soviet forces engaged in what is widely regarded as one of the largest clashes of armor in the history of warfare in Prokhorovka on the Eastern Front. It's the 78th anniversary of the Battle of Kursk.
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