The Soviets had more than double the number of tanks than the Germans The Battle of Kursk demonstrated that these tanks had a high kill ratio and could destroy other tanks from a long fighting distance.Īlthough these tanks made up under seven per cent of the German tanks, the Soviets did not initially have the power to counter them. Hitler introduced the Tiger, Panther and Ferdinand tanks into the armed forces and believed that they would lead to victory.
There is a consensus that the Battle of Brody, fought in 1941, was a bigger tank battle than Prokhorovka. Soviets suffered heavy losses, but nonetheless prevailed. Approximately 500 Soviet tanks and guns attacked the II SS-Panzer Corps. The major clash in armour took place at Prokhorovka on 12 July when the Red Army attacked the Wehrmacht. It is estimated that there were as many as 6,000 tanks, 4,000 aircraft and 2 million men involved in the battle, though numbers vary. It was one of the biggest tank battles in history The terrain provided an advantage to the Soviets because dust clouds prevented the Luftwaffe from providing air support to German forces on the ground. As events would show, after this battle Germany could not even defend successfully.The Battle of Kursk was fought between the Germans and Soviets on the Eastern Front. After Citadel Germany was unable to mount further major offensives against the Soviet Union. Citadel depleted what was left of the German strategic reserves.
The significance of Citadel was that it destroyed the remaining German offensive strength. However, it would be more appropriate to say that Germany was defeated by the combined effects of the Battles of Moscow in 1941, Stalingrad in 1942, and Kursk in 1943. Citadel was the decisive battle on the Eastern Front in World War II because after this battle the initiative passed to the Soviets, who would never lose it again. The results are important because, with Citadel being the greatest tank battle of the war, it has many lessons that are still important to the conduct of todays Army operations. Sources include books, journals, articles, theses, and dissertations. This study used Soviet, Anglo-American, and German primary and secondary sources.
However, many authorities consider Citadel the decisive turning point. Probably most Western historians believe that Stalingrad was the decisive battle on the Eastern Front. Unfortunately, there is a general lack of knowledge about this battle. This was the greatest tank engagement of World War II. Abstract: This is a study on the results of Operation Citadel, the Battle of Kursk.
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