A people forgetting its past has no future. So once said the ancient Greek philosopher Plato. In the middle of the last century, “fifteen sister republics” united by “Great Russia” inflicted a crushing defeat on the plague of mankind - fascism. The fierce battle was marked by a number of victories of the Red Army, which can be called key. The theme of this article is one of the decisive battles of the Second World War - Kursk Bulge, one of the fateful battles that marked the final mastery of our strategic grandfathers and great-grandfathers. Since that time, the German invaders began to smash at all borders. A deliberate movement of fronts to the West began. Since that time, the Nazis forgot what it means "forward to the East."
Historical parallels
The Kursk confrontation took place on 07/05/1943 - 08/23/1943 on the original Russian Land, over which the great noble Prince Alexander Nevsky once held his shield. His prophetic warning to the western conquerors (who came to us with a sword) about imminent death from the onslaught of the Russian sword that met them, which once gained strength. Characteristically, the Kursk Bulge was somewhat like the battle given by Prince Alexander to the Teutonic knights on Lake Peipsi on 04/05/1242. Of course, the armaments of the armies are incommensurable, the scale and time of these two battles. But the scenario of both battles is somewhat similar: the Germans mainly tried to break through the center of the battle order of the Russians, but were crushed by the offensive actions of the flanks.
If, however, it is pragmatic to try to say why Kursk Dug is unique, the summary will be as follows: operational-tactical density unprecedented in history (before and after) per 1 km of the front.
Battle disposition
The offensive of the Red Army after the Battle of Stalingrad from November 1942 to March 1943 was marked by the rout of about 100 divisions of the enemy, driven back from the North Caucasus, Don, and Volga. But due to the losses suffered by our side, by the beginning of the spring of 1943, the front had stabilized. On the map of hostilities in the center of the front line with the Germans, towards the Nazi army, a ledge stood out, to which the military gave the name Kursk Dug. The 1943th spring brought calm to the front: no one was advancing, both sides forcibly accumulated strength in order to again seize the strategic initiative.
Fascist Germany training
After the Stalingrad defeat, Hitler announced a mobilization, as a result of which the Wehrmacht grew, more than covering the losses incurred. “Under arms” was 9.5 million people (including 2.3 million reservists). 75% of the most combat-ready active forces (5.3 million people) were on the Soviet-German front.
The Fuhrer longed for the seizure of strategic initiative in the war. The fracture, in his opinion, was to occur precisely on that section of the front where the Kursk Bulge was located. To implement the plan, the Wehrmacht headquarters developed the strategic operation Citadel. The plan called for strikes converging to Kursk (from the north - from the region of Oryol; from the south - from the region of Belgorod). Thus, the troops of the Voronezh and Central Fronts fell into the "cauldron".
Under this operation, 50 divisions were concentrated in this sector of the front, including 16 tank and motorized, with a total of 0.9 million selected, fully equipped troops; 2.7 thousand tanks; 2.5 thousand aircraft; 10 thousand mortars and guns.
In this group, the transition to new weapons was mainly carried out: Panther and Tiger tanks, Ferdinand assault guns.
The position of the Soviet command
In preparing the Soviet troops for the battle, one should pay tribute to the general talent of the Deputy Supreme Commander G.K. Zhukov. He, together with the Chief of the General Staff A.M. Vasilievsky, reported to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief I.V. Stalin on the assumption that the Kursk Bulge would become the main future battlefield, and also predicted approximate forces of the advancing enemy grouping.
On the front line, the fascists opposed Voronezh (commander - General Vatutin N. F.) and the Central Front (commander - General Rokossovsky K. K.) with a total number of 1.34 million people. They were armed with 19 thousand mortars and guns; 3.4 thousand tanks; 2.5 thousand aircraft. (As you can see, the advantage was on their side). Secretly from the enemy, the reserve Steppe Front (commander I. S. Konev) was located behind the listed fronts. It consisted of a tank, aviation and five combined armies, supplemented by separate corps.
Control and coordination of the actions of this group were carried out personally by G.K. Zhukov and A.M. Vasilevsky.
Tactical battle plan
The idea of Marshal Zhukov suggested that the battle on the Kursk Bulge will have two phases. The first is defensive, the second is offensive.
A deep echelon bridgehead (300 km deep) was equipped. The total length of its trenches was approximately equal to the distance “Moscow - Vladivostok”. It provided 8 powerful lines of defense. The purpose of such a defense was to weaken the enemy as much as possible, to deprive him of his initiative, making it as easy as possible for the attackers. In the second, offensive phase of the battle, two offensive operations were planned. First: the operation "Kutuzov" with the aim of eliminating the fascist group and liberating the city of "Oryol". The second: “Commander Rumyantsev” for the destruction of the Belgorod-Kharkov group of invaders.
Thus, with the actual advantage of the Red Army, the battle on the Kursk Bulge took place on the Soviet side “from defense”. For offensive operations, as tactics teach, it required two to three times the superior number of troops.
Shelling
It so happened that the time of the advance of the fascist troops became known in advance. The day before, German sappers began to make passages in minefields. Soviet front-line intelligence engaged in a battle with them and took prisoners. From the "languages" it became known the time of the offensive: 3-00 07/05/1943
The reaction was prompt and adequate: On July 2–20, 05/05/1943, Marshal Rokossovsky K.K. (Commander of the Central Front), with the approval of the Deputy Supreme Commander G.K. Zhukov, the front-line artillery forces carried out preventive shelling. It was an innovation in battle tactics. Hundreds of Katyushas, 600 guns, 460 mortars were fired at the invaders. For the Nazis, this was a complete surprise, they suffered losses.
Only at 4-30, regrouping, they were able to carry out their artillery preparation, and at 5-30 go on the offensive. The battle of Kursk began.
The beginning of the battle
Of course, not everyone could predict our commanders. In particular, the General Staff and the Stavka expected the main blow from the Nazis in the south, to the city of Oryol (which was defended by the Central Front, the commander was General Vatutin N.F.). In reality, the battle on the Kursk Bulge on the part of German troops was focused on the Voronezh Front, from the north. Two battalions of heavy tanks, eight tank divisions, a battalion of assault guns, and one motorized division marched on the troops of General Vatutin Nikolai Fedorovich. In the first phase of the battle, the first hot spot was the village of Cherkasskoye (actually wiped off the face of the earth), where two Soviet rifle divisions held back the advance of five enemy divisions during the day.
German offensive tactics
Military art is famous for this great war. Kursk Duga fully demonstrated the confrontation of the two strategies. What did the German offensive look like? Ahead on the front of the attack was moving heavy equipment: 15-20 Tiger tanks and Ferdinand self-propelled guns. Following them followed from fifty to hundreds of medium tanks "Panther", accompanied by infantry. Thrown back, they regrouped and repeated the attack. The attacks resembled the ebb and flow of the ebb, following one after another.
We follow the advice of the famous military historian, Marshal of the Soviet Union, Professor Zakharov Matvey Vasilievich, we will not idealize our defense of the 1943 model, we will set out objectively.
We have to talk about German tank battle tactics. The Kursk Bulge (it should be recognized) demonstrated the art of Colonel-General German Goth, he “jewelry”, so to speak about tanks, introduced his 4th army into battle. At the same time, our 40th army with 237 tanks, the most equipped with artillery (35.4 units per 1 km), under the command of General Kirill Semenovich Moskalenko, was much to the left, i.e. out of work. The 6th Guards Army, opposing General Goth (commander I.M. Chistyakov) had a gun density of 1 km - 24.4 with 135 tanks. Mainly against the 6th Army, which was far from the most powerful, the blow came from Army Group South, whose commander was the most gifted Wehrmacht strategist Erich von Manstein. (By the way, this man was one of the few who constantly argued on issues of strategy and tactics with Adolf Hitler, for which in 1944, in fact, he was dismissed).
Tank battle near Prokhorovka
In the current difficult situation, in order to liquidate the breakthrough, the Red Army introduced strategic reserves into the battle: the 5th Guards Tank Army (commander Rotmistrov P. A.) and the 5th Guards Army (commander Zhadov A. S.)
The possibility of a flank strike by the Soviet tank army in the vicinity of the village of Prokhorovka was previously considered by the German General Staff. Therefore, the divisions “Dead Head” and “Leibstandart” the direction of impact was changed to 90 0 - for a head-on collision with the army of General Rotmistrov Pavel Alekseevich.
Tanks on the Kursk Bulge: from the German side, 700 military vehicles went into battle, from ours - 850. An impressive and terrible picture. As eyewitnesses recall, the rumble was such that blood flowed from the ears. I had to shoot point blank, which turned the tower. Coming to the enemy from the rear, they tried to fire at the tanks, from which the tanks flared with torches. The tankers were as if in prostration - while alive, it was necessary to fight. To retreat, to hide was impossible.
The Red Army in the battle of Prokhorovka, showing heroism, nevertheless suffered greater losses than the German. Equipment 18 and 29 tank corps was destroyed by seventy percent.
If we talk about the losses of the fronts in the Battle of Kursk, then the Voronezh, Stepnoy and Central fronts lost 177.8 thousand people, of which more than 70 thousand were killed. The Voronezh front turned out to be “hacked” to the full depth. According to the data received by historians, the Germans lost a little more than 20% of ours.
The second stage of the operation
Having deepened 35 km and having suffered significant losses, the Germans realized that they could not keep the conquered bridgehead, and on July 16, 1943, the troops began to delay. The Voronezh and Steppe fronts went on the offensive and restored the front line. The General Staff and Headquarters (we must pay tribute) subtly grasped the "moment of truth" and brought reserves into battle.
Unexpectedly for the Germans, the "fresh" Bryansk Front on 08/03/1943 went on the offensive, reinforced from the flanks by the forces of the Steppe and Central Fronts. 08/05/1943, after stubborn fighting, the Bryansk Front liberated the city of Oryol, and Stepnoy the city of Belgorod. The liberation of Kharkov on August 23, 1943, completed the operation Kursk Bulge. The map of this battle includes the defensive phase (07/05/19/1943); Oryol operation ("Kutuzov") 07/12/18/08/1943; Belgorod-Kharkov operation ("Commander Rumyantsev") 03/23/19/1943
Conclusion
After the victory of the Red Army over the Wehrmacht in the Battle of Kursk, the strategic initiative finally passed to the Red Army. Therefore, this battle is called a turning point in the Great Patriotic War.
Of course, to attack the enemy in the first phase of the operation was unreasonable (if during the defense we suffered losses of one to five, what would they be during the attack ?!). At the same time, Soviet soldiers in this battlefield showed real heroism. 100,000 people were awarded orders and medals, and 180 of them were awarded the high title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
In our time, the day of its end - August 23 - is annually celebrated by the inhabitants of the country as the Day of Military Glory of Russia.