Prokhorovka: Loss of the Wehrmacht's hopes (70 years since the largest tank battle).

The Voice of Russia ^ | July 12, 2013 | Mikhail Aristov

[cunning_fish]

70 years go on July 12, 1943 on the Prokhorovka Field 56 km from Belgorod the largest tank battle of World War II took place. It was the last attempt to break through made by the Hitler troops during the Battle of Kursk. The counter attack by the Soviet tanks stopped the steel army of the Wehrmacht. 1200 tanks and other armored vehicles took part in that battle.

In his order to advance in the direction of Kursk Hitler stated: «Our victory should firm up the overall conviction in the world that any resistance to the German troops is in vain». However, already in the first days of the Battle of Kursk the German commanders' plan called The Citadel started to crumble. The Wehrmacht's tank armada, in which special hopes were placed on the newest «Tigers», «Panthers» and the «Ferdinand» self-propelled guns, hit a carefully thought-out defense. The Soviet troops fought to death. In such a situation Field Marshal Manstein decided to risk a desperate breakthrough in the area adjacent to the Prokhorovka railway station. Here is the story told by Mikhail Myagkov, the scientific director of the Russian Military History Society.

«It was the last attempt made by the Hitler commanders to change the course of the war in their favor. The main participant of that battle was the 2d tank corps led by the German general Hauser, which included very serious tank units of the SS. That included such divisions as the Reich, the Dead Head and Adolf Hitler. In total there were about 500 tanks, of which about 50 were heavy Tiger tanks.

[driftless2]

It would be a lot easier to go around the Alps. Southern France would have been a better place than Italy. Eventually we did, but it was two months after the Normany invasion.