Kursk revisited

[Rasputitsa]

Just coming to the end of 'Demolishing the Myth - The Tank Battle at Prokhorovka, Kursk, July 1943' - Valeriy Zamulin and it joins some of the small number of books that have genuinely changed history for me. 'The Bloody Triangle' - Victor J. Kamenir graphically described the state of Soviet forces in 1941, explaining the initial rapid successes for the Axis during Barbarossa, 'Demolishing the Myth' shows that in 1943 the same problems were still there, lack of co-ordination with other ground and air units, lack of reconnaissance, units knowing little about enemy, or even friendly dispositions, higher HQ setting unrealistic tasks, all of which results in tragically high casualty rates.

The main theme is that the biggest tank battle in history, never happened, at least not in the way it has been described up to now. It wasn't a chaotic encounter battle with a surprised enemy, the II SS PzK knew the Soviet tank attack was coming on the 12th July and went over to the defensive on that part of the front to inflict maximum casualties on the attacking tank corps of the 5th Guards Tank Army, whilst continuing to advance on the flanks of the Soviet attack. It didn't involve 1500 tanks and there was no great melee of AFVs, most of the damage was done by anti-tank guns and tanks firing from ambush positions on expected lines of advance. Tanks and guns did become intermingled, but not on the scale that has been previously presented.

The brigade has been fighting under conditions of complete ignorance of the enemy's strength that has been concentrated on this sector; without sufficient attack preparation: and on an unsuitable tactical line, which has restricted the maneuver of tanks and infantry - all of this has contributed to heavy casualties in the brigade.

Col. Drozdov, 11th Guards Mechanised Brigade

This is echoed in the reports of many other tank units, thrown hurriedly into the attack, expecting to expand and exploit an existing breakthrough, but finding themselves blundering into a prepared and unbroken enemy.

None of this changes the eventual result of the 1943 summer campaign, but it didn't happen the way it has been portrayed.