Battle of Kursk reasons, course, results, briefly table. The Battle of Kursk - a great turning point battle

Start battle path Ural Volunteer Tank Corps

The defeat of the Nazi army at Stalingrad in the winter of 1942-1943 shook the fascist bloc to its core. For the first time since the beginning of World War II, Hitler's Germany faced the formidable specter of inevitable defeat in all its inevitability. Its military power, the morale of the army and the population were thoroughly undermined, and its prestige in the eyes of its allies was seriously shaken. In order to improve the internal political situation in Germany and prevent the collapse of the fascist coalition, the Nazi command decided in the summer of 1943 to conduct a major offensive operation on the central section of the Soviet-German front. With this offensive they hoped to defeat the group Soviet troops, located on the Kursk salient, to again seize the strategic initiative and turn the tide of the war in its favor. By the summer of 1943, the situation on the Soviet-German front had already changed in favor Soviet Union. By the beginning of the Battle of Kursk, the overall superiority in forces and means was on the side of the Red Army: in people by 1.1 times, in artillery by 1.7 times, in tanks by 1.4 times and in combat aircraft by 2 times.

The Battle of Kursk occupies a special place in the Great Patriotic War. It lasted 50 days and nights, from July 5 to August 23, 1943. This battle has no equal in its ferocity and tenacity of struggle.

Wehrmacht goal: The general plan of the German command was to encircle and destroy the troops of the Central and Voronezh fronts defending in the Kursk region. If successful, it was planned to expand the offensive front and regain the strategic initiative. To implement his plans, the enemy concentrated powerful strike forces, which numbered over 900 thousand people, about 10 thousand guns and mortars, up to 2,700 tanks and assault guns, and about 2,050 aircraft. Great hopes were placed on the latest Tiger and Panther tanks, Ferdinand assault guns, Focke-Wulf-190-A fighter aircraft and Heinkel-129 attack aircraft.

The goal of the Red Army: The Soviet command decided to first bleed the enemy’s strike forces in defensive battles and then launch a counteroffensive.

The battle that began immediately took on a grand scale and was extremely tense. Our troops did not flinch. They faced avalanches of enemy tanks and infantry with unprecedented tenacity and courage. The advance of enemy strike forces was suspended. Only at the cost of huge losses did he manage to wedge into our defenses in some areas. On the Central Front - 10-12 kilometers, on Voronezh - up to 35 kilometers. Hitler's Operation Citadel, the largest in the entire Second World War, finally buried world war oncoming tank battle near Prokhorovka. It happened on July 12. 1,200 tanks and self-propelled guns simultaneously participated in it on both sides. This battle was won by Soviet soldiers. The Nazis, having lost up to 400 tanks during the day of battle, were forced to abandon the offensive.

On July 12, the second stage of the Battle of Kursk began - the counteroffensive of Soviet troops. On August 5, Soviet troops liberated the cities of Orel and Belgorod. On the evening of August 5, in honor of this major success, a victorious salute was given in Moscow for the first time in two years of war. From that time on, artillery salutes constantly announced the glorious victories of Soviet weapons. On August 23, Kharkov was liberated.

Thus ended the Battle of the Kursk Arc of Fire. During it, 30 selected enemy divisions were defeated. Nazi troops lost about 500 thousand people, 1,500 tanks, 3 thousand guns and 3,700 aircraft. For courage and heroism, over 100 thousand Soviet soldiers who took part in the Battle of the Arc of Fire were awarded orders and medals. The Battle of Kursk ended a radical turning point in the Great Patriotic War in favor of the Red Army.

Losses in the Battle of Kursk.

Type of loss	Red Army	Wehrmacht	Ratio
Personnel
Guns and mortars
Tanks and self-propelled guns
Aircraft

UDTK on the Kursk Bulge. Oryol offensive operation

Baptism of fire in the battle on the Kursk Bulge received the 30th Ural Volunteer Tank Corps, which was part of the 4th Tank Army.

T-34 tanks - 202 units, T-70 - 7, BA-64 armored vehicles - 68,

self-propelled 122 mm guns - 16, 85 mm guns - 12,

M-13 installations - 8, 76 mm guns - 24, 45 mm guns - 32,

37 mm guns - 16, 120 mm mortars - 42, 82 mm mortars - 52.

The army, commanded by Lieutenant General of Tank Forces Vasily Mikhailovich Badanov, arrived on the Bryansk Front on the eve of the fighting that began on July 5, 1943, and during the counter-offensive of Soviet troops it was brought into battle in the Oryol direction. The Ural Volunteer Tank Corps under the command of Lieutenant General Georgy Semenovich Rodin had the task: advancing from the Seredichi area to the south, cut off enemy communications on the Bolkhov-Khotynets line, reach the area of ​​​​the village of Zlyn, and then straddle the Orel-Bryansk railway and highway and cut off the escape route of the Oryol group of Nazis to the west. And the Urals carried out the order.

On July 29, Lieutenant General Rodin assigned the task to the 197th Sverdlovsk and 243rd Molotov tank brigades: to cross the Nugr River in cooperation with the 30th motorized rifle brigade (msbr), capture the village of Borilovo and then advance in the direction settlement Vishnevsky. The village of Borilovo was located on a high bank and dominated the surrounding area, and from the bell tower of the church it was visible for several kilometers in circumference. All this made it easier for the enemy to conduct defense and complicated the actions of the advancing corps units. At 20:00 on July 29, after a 30-minute artillery barrage and a volley of guards mortars, two tank motorized rifle brigades began crossing the Nugr River. Under the cover of tank fire, the company of Senior Lieutenant A.P. Nikolaev, as on the Ors River, was the first to cross the Nugr River, capturing the southern outskirts of the village of Borilovo. By the morning of July 30, the battalion of the 30th Motorized Rifle Brigade, with the support of tanks, despite stubborn enemy resistance, captured the village of Borilovo. All units of the Sverdlovsk brigade of the 30th UDTK were concentrated here. By order of the corps commander, at 10:30 the brigade began an offensive in the direction of height 212.2. The assault was difficult. It was completed by the 244th Chelyabinsk Tank Brigade, which was previously in the reserve of the 4th Army, brought into battle.

Hero of the Soviet Union Alexander Petrovich Nikolaev, company commander of a motorized rifle battalion of the 197th Guards Sverdlovsk Tank Brigade. From personal archiveON THE.Kirillova.

On July 31, in liberated Borilov, the heroically killed tank crews and machine gunners were buried, including tank battalion commanders: Major Chazov and Captain Ivanov. The massive heroism of the corps soldiers shown in the battles from July 27 to 29 was highly appreciated. In the Sverdlovsk brigade alone, 55 soldiers, sergeants and officers were awarded government awards for these battles. In the battle for Borilovo, Sverdlovsk medical instructor Anna Alekseevna Kvanskova accomplished a feat. She rescued the wounded and, replacing incapacitated artillerymen, brought shells to firing positions. A. A. Kvanskova was awarded the Order of the Red Star, and was subsequently awarded the Order of Glory III and II degrees for her heroism.

Guard Sergeant Anna Alekseevna Kvanskova assists the lieutenantA.A.Lysin, 1944.

Photo by M. Insarov, 1944. CDOOSO. F.221. OP.3.D.1672

The exceptional courage of the Ural warriors, their willingness to carry out a combat mission without sparing their lives, aroused admiration. But mixed with it was the pain of the losses suffered. It seemed that they were too large compared to the results achieved.

A column of German prisoners of war captured in battles in the Oryol direction, USSR, 1943.

Damaged German equipment during the battles on the Kursk Bulge, USSR, 1943.

The Battle of Kursk (summer 1943) radically changed the course of World War II.

Our army stopped the Nazi offensive and irrevocably took the strategic initiative in the further course of the war into its own hands.

Wehrmacht plans

Despite the huge losses, by the summer of 1943 the fascist army was still very strong, and Hitler intended to take revenge for his defeat in . To restore its former prestige, it needed a major victory at any cost.

To achieve this, Germany carried out total mobilization and strengthened its military industry, mainly due to the capabilities of the occupied territories Western Europe. This, of course, gave the expected results. And since there was no longer a second front in the West, the German government directed all its military resources to the Eastern Front.

He managed not only to restore his army, but also to replenish it with the latest models of military equipment. The largest offensive operation, Operation Citadel, was carefully planned, to which great importance was attached strategic importance. To implement the plan, the fascist command chose the Kursk direction.

The task was this: to break through the defenses of the Kursk ledge, reach Kursk, surround it and destroy the Soviet troops who defended this territory. All efforts were directed toward this idea of ​​the lightning defeat of our troops. It was planned to defeat the million-strong group of Soviet troops on the Kursk ledge, encircle and take Kursk in literally four days.

This plan is set out in detail in order No. 6 of April 15, 1943 with a poetic conclusion: “The victory at Kursk should be a torch for the whole world.”

Based on our intelligence data, the enemy’s plans regarding the direction of his main attacks and the timing of the offensive became known at Headquarters. Headquarters carefully analyzed the situation, and as a result it was decided that it would be more profitable for us to start the campaign with a strategic defensive operation.

Knowing that Hitler will attack only in one direction and will concentrate the main strike forces, our command came to the conclusion that it was defensive battles that would bleed the German army and destroy its tanks. After this, it will be advisable to crush the enemy by breaking up his main group.

Marshal reported this to Headquarters on 04/08/43: “wear down” the enemy on the defensive, knock out his tanks, and then bring in fresh reserves and go on a general offensive, finishing off the main forces of the Nazis. Thus, the Headquarters deliberately planned to make the beginning of the Battle of Kursk defensive.

Preparing for battle

From mid-April 1943, work began on the creation of powerful defensive positions on the Kursk salient. They dug trenches, trenches and ammunition magazines, built bunkers, prepared firing positions and observation posts. Having finished work in one place, they moved on and again began to dig and build, repeating the work at the previous position.

At the same time, they prepared fighters for the upcoming battles, conducting training sessions close to real combat. A participant in these events, B. N. Malinovsky, wrote about this in his memoirs in the book “We Didn’t Choose Our Fate.” During these preparatory work, he writes, received combat reinforcements: people, equipment. At the beginning of the battle, our troops here numbered up to 1.3 million people.

Steppe Front

The strategic reserves, consisting of formations that had already participated in the battles for Stalingrad, Leningrad and other battles of the Soviet-German front, were first united into the Reserve Front, which was formed on 04/15/43. was named the Steppe Military District (commander I.S. Konev), and later - during the Battle of Kursk - 07/10/43, it began to be called the Steppe Front.

It included troops of the Voronezh and central fronts. Command of the front was entrusted to Colonel General I. S. Konev, who after the Battle of Kursk became an army general, and in February 1944 - Marshal of the Soviet Union.

Battle of Kursk

The battle began on July 5, 1943. Our troops were ready for it. The Nazis carried out fire raids from an armored train, bombers fired from the air, the enemies dropped leaflets in which they tried to intimidate Soviet soldiers with the upcoming terrible offensive, claiming that no one would be saved in it.

Our fighters immediately entered the battle, earned Katyushas, ​​and our tanks and self-propelled guns went to meet the enemy with his new Tigers and Ferdinands. Artillery and infantry destroyed their vehicles in prepared minefields, with anti-tank grenades and simply with petrol bottles.

Already in the evening of the first day of the battle, the Soviet Information Bureau reported that on July 5, 586 fascist tanks and 203 aircraft. By the end of the day, the number of enemy aircraft shot down had grown to 260. Fierce fighting continued until July 9.

The enemy had undermined his forces and was forced to order a temporary halt to the offensive in order to make some changes to the original plan. But then the fighting resumed. Our troops still managed to stop the German offensive, although in some places the enemy broke through our defenses 30-35 km deep.

Tank battle

A large-scale tank battle played a huge role in the turning point of the Battle of Kursk in the Prokhorovka area. About 1,200 tanks and self-propelled guns were involved in it on both sides.

General valor was demonstrated in this battle by the general of the 5th Guards. tank army P. A. Rotmistrov, General of the 5th Guards Army A. S. Zhdanov and heroic fortitude - the entire personnel.

Thanks to the organization and courage of our commanders and fighters, the offensive plans of the fascists were finally buried in this fierce battle. The enemy's forces were exhausted, he had already brought his reserves into the battle, had not yet entered the defensive stage, and had already stopped the offensive.

This was a very convenient moment for our troops to transition from defense to counteroffensive. By July 12, the enemy was drained of blood, and the crisis of his offensive had ripened. This was a turning point in the Battle of Kursk.

Counteroffensive

On July 12, the Western and Bryansk fronts went on the offensive, and on July 15, the Central Front. And on July 16, the Germans had already begun to withdraw their troops. Then the Voronezh Front joined the offensive, and on July 18 - the Steppe Front. The retreating enemy was pursued, and by July 23 our troops had restored the situation that existed before the defensive battles, i.e. returned, as it were, to the starting point.

For the final victory in the Battle of Kursk, it was necessary to massively introduce strategic reserves, and in the most important direction. The Steppe Front proposed such tactics. But Headquarters, unfortunately, did not accept the decision of the Steppe Front and decided to introduce strategic reserves in parts and not simultaneously.

This led to the fact that the end of the Battle of Kursk was delayed in time. From July 23 to August 3 there was a pause. The Germans retreated to previously prepared defensive lines. And our command needed time to study the enemy’s defenses and organize the troops after the battles.

The commanders understood that the enemy would not leave his prepared positions, and would fight to the last, just to stop the advance of the Soviet troops. And then our offensive continued. There were still many bloody battles with huge losses on both sides. The Battle of Kursk lasted 50 days and ended on August 23, 1943. The Wehrmacht's plans completely failed.

The meaning of the Battle of Kursk

History has shown that the Battle of Kursk became a turning point during the Second World War, the starting point for the transfer of strategic initiative to the Soviet army. lost half a million people and a huge amount of military equipment in the Battle of Kursk.

This defeat of Hitler also influenced the situation on an international scale, because it provided the preconditions for Germany’s loss of allied cooperation with. And in the end, the struggle on the fronts where the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition fought was greatly facilitated.

History is always written by the winners, exaggerating their own importance and sometimes belittling the merits of their opponents. Much has been written and said about the significance of the Battle of Kursk for all mankind. This great epic battle was another bitter lesson that took the lives of many people. And it will be a great blasphemy for future generations not to draw the right conclusions from those past events.

General situation on the eve of the General Battle

By the spring of 1943, the resulting Kursk ledge not only interfered with normal railway communication between the German army groups “Center” and “South”. Associated with him was an ambitious plan to encircle 8 Soviet armies. The Nazis have not yet accomplished anything like this, even in a more favorable period for them. According to some historians, the deliberately unrealistic plan was, rather, an act of desperation. Allegedly, Hitler was most afraid of the Allied landings in Italy, so with such measures his army tried to protect itself in the East by getting rid of the Soviets.

This point of view does not stand up to criticism. The significance of the Battles of Stalingrad and Kursk lies in the fact that it was in these military theaters that crushing blows were dealt to the well-coordinated military machine of the Wehrmacht. The long-awaited initiative ended up in the hands of Soviet troops. After these great historical events the wounded fascist beast was dangerous and snarled, but even he himself understood that he was dying.

Preparing for the big moment

One of the key aspects of the significance of the battle is the determination with which the Soviet soldiers were ready to demonstrate to the enemy that two terrible years had not been in vain for them. This does not mean that the Red Army was suddenly reborn, having solved all its old problems. There were still enough of them. This was primarily due to the low qualifications of military personnel. The staff shortage was irreplaceable. To survive, we had to come up with new approaches to solving problems.

One such example can be considered the organization of anti-tank strong points (ATOP). Previously, anti-tank guns were lined up in one line, but experience has shown that it is more effective to concentrate them in unique well-fortified islands. Each PTOPA gun had several positions for firing in all directions. Each of these strong points was located 600-800 meters from each other. If enemy tanks tried to wedge in and pass between such “islands,” they would inevitably come under cross artillery fire. And on the side the tank armor is weaker.

How this would work in a real combat situation was to be found out during the Battle of Kursk. The importance of artillery and aviation, to which the Soviet command paid the closest attention, is difficult to overestimate due to the emergence of a new factor on which Hitler placed great hopes. We are talking about the appearance of new tanks.

In the spring of 1943, Marshal of Artillery Voronov, reporting to Stalin on the state of affairs, noted that the Soviet troops did not have guns capable of effectively fighting the new enemy tanks. It was urgent to take measures to eliminate the backlog in this area, and as soon as possible. By order State Committee Defense production of 57 mm anti-tank guns has resumed. There was also a frantic modernization of existing armor-piercing shells.

However, all these measures were ineffective due to lack of time and necessary materials. A new PTAB bomb has entered aviation service. Weighing only 1.5 kg, it was capable of hitting 100 mm top armor. Such “gifts for the Krauts” were loaded into a container of 48 pieces. The Il-2 attack aircraft could take 4 such containers on board.

Finally, 85-mm anti-aircraft guns were installed in particularly important areas. They were carefully camouflaged and under orders not to fire at enemy aircraft under any circumstances.

From the measures described above, it is clear what importance Soviet soldiers attached to the Battle of Kursk. At the most difficult moment, determination to win and natural ingenuity came to the rescue. But this was not enough, and the price, as always, was huge human losses.

Progress of the battle

A lot of contradictory information and various myths created for propaganda purposes do not allow us to put a final point on this issue. History has long brought to posterity the results and significance of the Battle of Kursk. But all the new details that are revealed make us once again amazed at the courage of the soldiers who won in this hell.

The group of the “defense genius” Model began an offensive in the north of the Kursk salient. Natural conditions limited room for maneuver. The only possible place for the Germans to appear was a front section 90 km wide. The Red Army soldiers under the command of Konev wisely used this advantage. The Ponyri railway station became a “bag of fire” into which the advanced units of the fascist troops fell.

Soviet artillerymen used the tactics of “flirting guns”. When enemy tanks appeared, they began to fire directly, thereby drawing fire onto themselves. The Germans rushed towards them at full speed to destroy them, and came under fire from other camouflaged Soviet anti-tank guns. The side armor of tanks is not as massive as the frontal armor. At a distance of 200-300 meters, Soviet guns could completely destroy armored vehicles. At the end of the 5th day, Model's attack in the north of the salient fizzled out.

The southern direction, under the command of one of the best commanders of the twentieth century, Heinrich von Manstein, had a greater chance of success. Here the space for maneuver was not limited by anything. To this we must add high training and professionalism. 2 of the 3 lines of Soviet troops were broken through. From the operational report for July 10, 1943 it followed that the retreating Soviet units German troops pursued closely. For this reason, there was no way to block the road leading from Teterevino to Ivanovsky settlement with anti-tank mines.

Battle of Prokhorovka

To cool down the ardor of the presumptuous Manstein, the reserves of the Steppe Front were urgently activated. But by this time only a miracle did not allow the Germans to break through the 3rd line of defense near Prokhorovka. They were greatly hampered by the threat from the flank. Being cautious, they waited for the SS Totenkopf fighters to cross to the other side and destroy the artillerymen.

At this moment, Rotmistrov’s tanks, which had been promptly warned by German aviation when approaching Prokhorovka, were assessing the future battlefield. They had to advance in a narrow corridor between the Psel River and the railway track. The task was complicated by an impassable ravine, and in order to go around it, it was necessary to line up behind each other. This made them a convenient target.

Going to certain death, they stopped the German breakthrough at the cost of incredible efforts and colossal sacrifices. Prokhorovka and its significance in the Battle of Kursk are assessed as the culmination of this general battle, after which large-scale attacks of such magnitude were not undertaken by the Germans.

Ghost of Stalingrad

The result of Operation Kutuzov, which began with an offensive to the rear of Model’s group, was the liberation of Belgorod and Orel. This good news was marked by the roar of guns in Moscow, saluting in honor of the winners. And already on August 22, 1943, Manstein, violating Hitler’s hysterical order to hold Kharkov, left the city. Thus, he completed a series of battles for the rebellious Kursk ledge.

If we talk briefly about the significance of the Battle of Kursk, then we can recall the words of the German commander Guderian. In his memoirs, he said that with the failure of Operation Citadel on the Eastern Front, the calm days disappeared. And one cannot but agree with him on this.

July '43... These hot days and nights of war are an integral part of history Soviet army with the Nazi invaders. The front, in its configuration in the area near Kursk, resembled a giant arc. This segment attracted the attention of the fascist command. The German command prepared the offensive operation as revenge. The Nazis spent a lot of time and effort developing the plan.

Hitler's operational order began with the words: “I have decided, as soon as weather conditions permit, to carry out the Citadel offensive - the first offensive of this year... It must end with quick and decisive success.” Everything was gathered by the Nazis into a powerful fist. The fast-moving tanks “Tigers” and “Panthers” and super-heavy self-propelled guns “Ferdinands”, according to the Nazis’ plan, were supposed to crush, scatter the Soviet troops, and turn the tide of events.

Operation Citadel

The Battle of Kursk began on the night of July 5, when a captured German sapper said during interrogation that the German Operation Citadel would begin at three in the morning. There were only a few minutes left before the decisive battle... The Military Council of the front had to make a very important decision, and it was made. On July 5, 1943, at two hours and twenty minutes, the silence exploded with the thunder of our guns... The battle that began lasted until August 23.

As a result of events on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War turned out to be a defeat for the Nazi groups. The strategy of Operation Citadel of the Wehrmacht on the Kursk bridgehead is crushing blows using surprise against the forces of the Soviet Army, encircling and destroying them. The triumph of the Citadel plan was to ensure the implementation of further plans of the Wehrmacht. To thwart the plans of the Nazis, the General Staff developed a strategy aimed at defending the battle and creating conditions for the liberation actions of the Soviet troops.

Progress of the Battle of Kursk

The actions of the Army Group "Center" and the Task Force "Kempf" of the Armies "South", which came from Orel and Belgorod in the battle on the Central Russian Upland, were to decide not only the fate of these cities, but also change the entire subsequent course of the war. Reflecting the attack from Orel was entrusted to the formations of the Central Front. Units of the Voronezh Front were supposed to meet the advancing detachments from Belgorod.

The steppe front, consisting of rifle, tank, mechanized and cavalry corps, was entrusted with a bridgehead in the rear of the Kursk bend. July 12, 1943 Russian field under railway station Prokhorovka took place the greatest end-to-end tank battle, noted by historians as unprecedented in the world, the largest end-to-end tank battle in scale. Russian power on its own soil passed another test and turned the course of history towards victory.

One day of battle cost the Wehrmacht 400 tanks and almost 10 thousand human losses. Hitler's groups were forced to go on the defensive. The battle on the Prokhorovsky field was continued by units of Bryansk, Central and Western fronts, having begun Operation Kutuzov, the task of which is to defeat enemy groups in the Orel area. From July 16 to 18, the corps of the Central and Steppe Fronts eliminated Nazi groups in the Kursk Triangle and began pursuing it with the support of air force. With their combined forces, Hitler's formations were thrown back 150 km to the west. The cities of Orel, Belgorod and Kharkov were liberated.

The meaning of the Battle of Kursk

• Of unprecedented force, the most powerful tank battle in history, was key in the development of further offensive actions in the Great Patriotic War;
• The Battle of Kursk is the main part of the strategic tasks of the General Staff of the Red Army in the plans of the 1943 campaign;
• As a result of the implementation of the “Kutuzov” plan and the “Commander Rumyantsev” operation, units of Hitler’s troops in the area of ​​​​the cities of Orel, Belgorod and Kharkov were defeated. The strategic Oryol and Belgorod-Kharkov bridgeheads have been liquidated;
• The end of the battle meant the complete transfer of strategic initiatives into the hands of the Soviet Army, which continued to advance to the West, liberating cities and towns.

Results of the Battle of Kursk

• The failure of the Wehrmacht's Operation Citadel presented to the world community the impotence and complete defeat of Hitler's campaign against the Soviet Union;
• A radical change in the situation on the Soviet-German front and throughout as a result of the “fiery” Battle of Kursk;
• The psychological breakdown of the German army was obvious; there was no longer confidence in the superiority of the Aryan race.

Battle of Kursk became one of the most important stages on the path to the victory of the Soviet Union over Nazi Germany. In terms of scope, intensity and results, it ranks among the largest battles of the Second World War. The battle lasted less than two months. During this time, in a relatively small area, there was a fierce clash between huge masses of troops using the most modern military equipment of that time. More than 4 million people, over 69 thousand guns and mortars, more than 13 thousand tanks and self-propelled guns and up to 12 thousand combat aircraft were involved in the battles on both sides. From the Wehrmacht side, more than 100 divisions took part in it, which accounted for over 43 percent of the divisions located on the Soviet-German front. The tank battles that were victorious for the Soviet Army were the greatest in the Second World War. " If the battle of Stalingrad foreshadowed the decline of the Nazi army, then the battle of Kursk confronted it with disaster».

The hopes of the military-political leadership did not come true " third reich» for success Operation Citadel . During this battle, Soviet troops defeated 30 divisions, the Wehrmacht lost about 500 thousand soldiers and officers, 1.5 thousand tanks, 3 thousand guns and more than 3.7 thousand aircraft.

Construction of defensive lines. Kursk Bulge, 1943

Particularly severe defeats were inflicted on the Nazi tank formations. Of the 20 tank and motorized divisions that took part in the Battle of Kursk, 7 were defeated, and the rest suffered significant losses. Nazi Germany could no longer fully compensate for this damage. To the Inspector General of the German Armored Forces Colonel General Guderian I had to admit:

« As a result of the failure of the Citadel Offensive, we suffered a decisive defeat. Armored troops, replenished with such great difficulty, due to large losses in people and equipment on for a long time were put out of action. Their timely restoration for conducting defensive actions on eastern front, as well as for the organization of defense in the West, in case of the landing that the Allies threatened to land next spring, was called into question... and there were no more calm days on the eastern front. The initiative has completely passed to the enemy...».

Before Operation Citadel. From right to left: G. Kluge, V. Model, E. Manstein. 1943

Before Operation Citadel. From right to left: G. Kluge, V. Model, E. Manstein. 1943

Soviet troops are ready to meet the enemy. Kursk Bulge, 1943 ( see comments to the article)

The failure of the offensive strategy in the East forced the Wehrmacht command to seek new ways of waging war in order to try to save fascism from the impending defeat. It hoped to transform the war into positional forms, to gain time, hoping to split the anti-Hitler coalition. West German historian W. Hubach writes: " On the eastern front, the Germans made a last attempt to seize the initiative, but to no avail. The failed Operation Citadel proved to be the beginning of the end for the German army. Since then, the German front in the East has never stabilized.».

The crushing defeat of the Nazi armies on the Kursk Bulge testified to the increased economic, political and military power of the Soviet Union. The victory at Kursk was the result of a great feat of the Soviet Armed Forces and selfless labor Soviet people. This was a new triumph of the wise policy of the Communist Party and the Soviet government.

Near Kursk. At the observation post of the commander of the 22nd Guards Rifle Corps. From left to right: N. S. Khrushchev, commander of the 6th Guards Army, Lieutenant General I. M. Chistyakov, corps commander, Major General N. B. Ibyansky (July 1943)

Planning Operation Citadel , the Nazis had high hopes for new equipment - tanks " tiger" And " panther", assault guns " Ferdinand", airplanes " Focke-Wulf-190A" They believed that the new weapons entering the Wehrmacht would surpass Soviet military equipment and ensure victory. However, this did not happen. Soviet designers created new models of tanks, self-propelled artillery units, aircraft, and anti-tank artillery, which in terms of their tactical and technical characteristics were not inferior to, and often surpassed, similar enemy systems.

Fighting on the Kursk Bulge , Soviet soldiers constantly felt the support of the working class, the collective farm peasantry, and the intelligentsia, who armed the army with excellent military equipment and provided it with everything necessary for victory. Figuratively speaking, in this grandiose battle, a metal worker, a designer, an engineer, and a grain grower fought shoulder to shoulder with an infantryman, a tankman, an artilleryman, a pilot, and a sapper. Feat of arms the soldier merged with the selfless work of the home front workers. The unity of the rear and the front, forged by the Communist Party, created an unshakable foundation for the military successes of the Soviet Armed Forces. Much credit for the defeat of the Nazi troops near Kursk belonged to the Soviet partisans, who launched active operations behind enemy lines.

Battle of Kursk was of great importance for the course and outcome of events on the Soviet-German front in 1943. It created favorable conditions for the general offensive of the Soviet Army.

had the greatest international significance. It had a great influence on the further course of the Second World War. As a result of the defeat of significant Wehrmacht forces, favorable conditions were created for the landing of Anglo-American troops in Italy in early July 1943. The defeat of the Wehrmacht at Kursk directly influenced the plans of the fascist German command related to the occupation of Sweden. The previously developed plan for the invasion of Hitler's troops into this country was canceled due to the fact that the Soviet-German front absorbed all the enemy's reserves. Back on June 14, 1943, the Swedish envoy in Moscow stated: “ Sweden understands perfectly well that if it still remains out of the war, it is only thanks to the military successes of the USSR. Sweden is grateful to the Soviet Union for this and speaks directly about it».

Increased losses on the fronts, especially in the East, severe consequences of total mobilization and growing liberation movement in European countries affected the internal situation in Germany, the morale of German soldiers and the entire population. Distrust in the government increased in the country, critical statements against the fascist party and government leadership became more frequent, and doubts about achieving victory grew. Hitler further intensified repression to strengthen the “internal front.” But neither the bloody terror of the Gestapo nor the colossal efforts of Goebbels’s propaganda machine could neutralize the impact that the defeat at Kursk had on the morale of the population and the Wehrmacht soldiers.

Near Kursk. Direct fire at the advancing enemy

Huge losses of military equipment and weapons placed new demands on the German military industry and further complicated the situation with human resources. Attracting foreign workers into industry, agriculture and transport, for whom Hitler’s “ new order "was deeply hostile, undermined the rear of the fascist state.

After the defeat in Battle of Kursk Germany's influence on the states of the fascist bloc weakened even more, the internal political situation of the satellite countries worsened, and the foreign policy isolation of the Reich increased. The catastrophic result of the Battle of Kursk for the fascist elite predetermined the further cooling of relations between Germany and neutral countries. These countries have reduced supplies of raw materials and materials " third reich».

Victory of the Soviet Army in the Battle of Kursk raised the authority of the Soviet Union even higher as a decisive force opposing fascism. The whole world looked with hope at socialist power and her army, bringing deliverance to humanity from the Nazi plague.

Victorious completion of the Battle of Kursk strengthened the struggle of the peoples of enslaved Europe for freedom and independence, intensified the activities of numerous groups of the Resistance movement, including in Germany itself. Under the influence of the victories at Kursk, the peoples of the countries of the anti-fascist coalition began to demand even more decisively for the rapid opening of a second front in Europe.

The successes of the Soviet Army affected the position of the ruling circles of the USA and England. In the midst of the Battle of Kursk President Roosevelt in a special message to the head of the Soviet government he wrote: “ During a month of gigantic battles, your armed forces, with their skill, their courage, their dedication and their tenacity, not only stopped the long-planned German offensive, but also launched a successful counter-offensive, which has far-reaching consequences..."

The Soviet Union can rightly be proud of its heroic victories. In the Battle of Kursk With new strength The superiority of Soviet military leadership and military art was revealed. It showed that the Soviet Armed Forces are a well-coordinated organism in which all types and types of troops are harmoniously combined.

The defense of Soviet troops near Kursk withstood severe tests and achieved my goals. The Soviet Army was enriched with the experience of organizing a deeply layered defense, stable in anti-tank and anti-aircraft terms, as well as the experience of decisive maneuver of forces and means. Pre-created strategic reserves were widely used, most of which were included in the specially created Steppe District (front). His troops increased the depth of defense on a strategic scale and took an active part in the defensive battle and counter-offensive. For the first time in the Great Patriotic War, the total depth of the operational formation of defensive fronts reached 50–70 km. The massing of forces and assets in the directions of expected enemy attacks, as well as the overall operational density of troops in defense, have increased. The strength of defense has increased significantly due to the saturation of troops with military equipment and weapons.

Anti-tank defense reached a depth of up to 35 km, the density of artillery anti-tank fire increased, barriers, mining, anti-tank reserves and mobile barrage units found wider use.

German prisoners after the collapse of Operation Citadel. 1943

German prisoners after the collapse of Operation Citadel. 1943

A major role in increasing the stability of the defense was played by the maneuver of second echelons and reserves, which was carried out from the depths and along the front. For example, during the defensive operation on the Voronezh Front, the regrouping covered about 35 percent of all rifle divisions, over 40 percent of anti-tank artillery units and almost all individual tank and mechanized brigades.

In the Battle of Kursk For the third time during the Great Patriotic War, the Soviet Armed Forces successfully carried out a strategic counteroffensive. If the preparation for a counteroffensive near Moscow and Stalingrad took place in a situation of heavy defensive battles with superior enemy forces, then different conditions developed near Kursk. Thanks to the successes of the Soviet military economy and targeted organizational measures to prepare reserves, the balance of forces had already developed in favor of the Soviet Army by the beginning of the defensive battle.

During the counteroffensive, Soviet troops showed high skill in organizing and conducting offensive operations in summer conditions. The correct choice of the moment of transition from defense to counteroffensive, close operational-strategic interaction of five fronts, a successful breakthrough of the enemy’s defense prepared in advance, the skillful conduct of a simultaneous offensive on a wide front with strikes in several directions, the massive use of armored forces, aviation and artillery - all this had of enormous importance for the defeat of the strategic groupings of the Wehrmacht.

In the counteroffensive, for the first time during the war, second echelons of fronts began to be created as part of one or two combined arms armies (Voronezh Front) and powerful groupings of mobile troops. This allowed the front commanders to build up attacks of the first echelon and develop success in depth or towards the flanks, break through intermediate defensive lines, and also repel strong counterattacks of Nazi troops.

The art of war was enriched in the Battle of Kursk all types of armed forces and branches of the military. In defense, artillery was more decisively massed in the direction of the enemy's main attacks, which ensured the creation of higher operational densities compared to previous defensive operations. The role of artillery in the counteroffensive increased. The density of guns and mortars in the direction of the main attack of the advancing troops reached 150 - 230 guns, and the maximum was 250 guns per kilometer of front.

Soviet tank troops in the Battle of Kursk successfully solved the most complex and varied tasks both in defense and offensive. If until the summer of 1943 tank corps and armies were used in defensive operations primarily to carry out counterattacks, then in the Battle of Kursk they were also used to hold defensive lines. This achieved greater depth of operational defense and increased its stability.

During the counteroffensive, armored and mechanized troops were used en masse, being the main means of front and army commanders in completing a breakthrough of enemy defenses and developing tactical success into operational success. At the same time, the experience of combat operations in the Oryol operation showed the inexpediency of using tank corps and armies to break through positional defenses, since they suffered heavy losses in carrying out these tasks. In the Belgorod-Kharkov direction, the completion of the breakthrough of the tactical defense zone was carried out by advanced tank brigades, and the main forces of tank armies and corps were used for operations in operational depth.

Soviet military art in the use of aviation has risen to a new level. IN Battle of Kursk The massing of front-line and long-range aviation forces in the main axes was carried out more decisively, and their interaction with ground forces improved.

Has been fully applied new form the use of aviation in a counteroffensive - an air offensive in which attack and bomber aircraft continuously impacted enemy groups and targets, providing support to ground forces. In the Battle of Kursk, Soviet aviation finally gained strategic air supremacy and thereby contributed to the creation of favorable conditions for subsequent offensive operations.

Successfully passed the test at the Battle of Kursk organizational forms of military branches and special forces. Tank armies new organization, as well as artillery corps and other formations played an important role in winning the victory.

In the Battle of Kursk, the Soviet command demonstrated a creative, innovative approach to solving the most important tasks of the strategy , operational art and tactics, its superiority over the Nazi military school.

Strategic, front-line, army and military logistics agencies have acquired extensive experience in providing comprehensive support to troops. Characteristic feature The organization of the rear was to bring rear units and institutions closer to the front line. This ensured an uninterrupted supply of troops with material resources and timely evacuation of the wounded and sick.

The enormous scope and intensity of the fighting required large quantity material resources, primarily ammunition and fuel. During the Battle of Kursk, the troops of the Central, Voronezh, Steppe, Bryansk, Southwestern and left wing of the Western Fronts by rail 141,354 wagons with ammunition, fuel, food and other supplies were supplied from central bases and warehouses. By air, 1,828 tons of various supplies were delivered to the troops of the Central Front alone.

The medical service of fronts, armies and formations has been enriched with experience in carrying out preventive and sanitary and hygienic measures, skillful maneuver of the forces and means of medical institutions, and the widespread use of specialized medical care. Despite the significant losses suffered by the troops, many wounded during the Battle of Kursk, thanks to the efforts of military doctors, returned to duty.

Hitler's strategists for planning, organizing and leading Operation Citadel used old, standard methods and methods that did not correspond to the new situation and were well known to the Soviet command. This is recognized by a number of bourgeois historians. So, the English historian A. Clark at work "Barbarossa" notes that the fascist German command again relied on a lightning strike with the widespread use of new military equipment: Junkers, short intensive artillery preparation, close interaction between a mass of tanks and infantry... without due consideration of the changed conditions, except for a simple arithmetic increase in the relevant components." West German historian W. Goerlitz writes that the attack on Kursk was basically carried out “in in accordance with the scheme of previous battles - tank wedges acted to cover from two directions».

Reactionary bourgeois researchers of the Second World War made great efforts to distort events near Kursk . They are trying to rehabilitate the Wehrmacht command, gloss over its mistakes and all the blame for failure of Operation Citadel blamed on Hitler and his closest associates. This position was put forward immediately after the end of the war and has been stubbornly defended to this day. Yes, former boss General Staff ground forces Colonel General Halder back in 1949 at work "Hitler as a commander", deliberately distorting the facts, claimed that in the spring of 1943, when developing a war plan on the Soviet-German front, “ The commanders of army groups and armies and Hitler's military advisers from the main command of the ground forces tried unsuccessfully to overcome the great operational threat created in the East, to direct him to the only path that promised success - the path of flexible operational leadership, which, like the art of fencing, lies in rapid alternation of cover and strike and compensates for the lack of strength with skillful operational leadership and high fighting qualities of the troops...».

Documents show that both the political and military leadership of Germany made mistakes in planning the armed struggle on the Soviet-German front. The Wehrmacht intelligence service also failed to cope with its tasks. Statements about the non-involvement of the German generals in the development of the most important political and military decisions contradict the facts.

The thesis that the offensive of Hitler’s troops near Kursk had limited goals and that failure of Operation Citadel cannot be considered as a phenomenon of strategic importance.

IN last years works have appeared that give fairly close objective assessment series of events of the Battle of Kursk. American historian M. Caidin in the book "Tigers" are burning" characterizes the Battle of Kursk as " greatest land battle ever fought in history”, and does not agree with the opinion of many researchers in the West that it pursued limited, auxiliary” goals. " History deeply doubts, - writes the author, - in German statements that they did not believe in the future. Everything was decided at Kursk. What happened there determined the future course of events" The same idea is reflected in the annotation to the book, where it is noted that the battle of Kursk “ broke the back of the German army in 1943 and changed the entire course of the Second World War... Few outside Russia understand the enormity of this stunning clash. In fact, even today the Soviets feel bitterness as they see Western historians downplaying the Russian triumph at Kursk».

Why did the last attempt of the fascist German command to carry out a major victorious offensive in the East and regain the lost strategic initiative fail? The main reasons for failure Operation Citadel the increasingly stronger economic, political and military power of the Soviet Union, the superiority of Soviet military art, and the boundless heroism and courage of Soviet soldiers appeared. In 1943, the Soviet military economy produced more military equipment and weapons than industry fascist Germany, which used the resources of the enslaved countries of Europe.

But the growth of the military power of the Soviet state and its Armed Forces was ignored by Nazi political and military leaders. Underestimating the capabilities of the Soviet Union and overestimating its own strengths were an expression of the adventurism of the fascist strategy.

From a purely military point of view, complete failure of Operation Citadel to a certain extent was due to the fact that the Wehrmacht failed to achieve surprise in the attack. Thanks to the efficient work of all types of reconnaissance, including airborne, the Soviet command knew about the impending offensive and took the necessary measures. The military leadership of the Wehrmacht believed that no defense could resist powerful tank rams, supported by massive air operations. But these predictions turned out to be unfounded; at the cost of huge losses, the tanks only slightly wedged themselves into the Soviet defenses north and south of Kursk and got stuck on the defensive.

An important reason collapse of Operation Citadel The secretiveness of the preparation of Soviet troops for both a defensive battle and a counteroffensive was revealed. The fascist leadership did not have a complete understanding of the plans of the Soviet command. In preparation for July 3, that is, the day before German offensive near Kursk, department for the study of the armies of the East “Assessment of enemy actions during Operation Citadel there is not even a mention of the possibility of a counteroffensive by Soviet troops against Wehrmacht strike forces.

The major miscalculations of fascist German intelligence in assessing the forces of the Soviet Army concentrated in the area of ​​the Kursk salient are convincingly evidenced by the report card of the operational department of the General Staff of the German Army Ground Forces, prepared on July 4, 1943. It even contains information about the Soviet troops deployed in the first operational echelon are reflected inaccurately. Very sketchy data German intelligence had information about the reserves located in the Kursk direction.

At the beginning of July, the situation on the Soviet-German front and possible decisions of the Soviet command were assessed by the political and military leaders of Germany, essentially, from their previous positions. They firmly believed in the possibility of a major victory.

Soviet soldiers in the battles of Kursk showed courage, resilience and mass heroism. The Communist Party and the Soviet government highly appreciated the greatness of their feat. Military orders sparkled on the banners of many formations and units, 132 formations and units received the guards rank, 26 formations and units were awarded the honorary names of Oryol, Belgorod, Kharkov and Karachev. More than 100 thousand soldiers, sergeants, officers and generals were awarded orders and medals, over 180 people were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, including private V.E. Breusov, division commander Major General L.N. Gurtiev, platoon commander Lieutenant V.V. Zhenchenko, battalion Komsomol organizer Lieutenant N.M. Zverintsev, battery commander Captain G.I. Igishev, private A.M. Lomakin, platoon deputy commander, senior sergeant Kh.M. Mukhamadiev, squad commander Sergeant V.P. Petrishchev, gun commander Junior Sergeant A.I. Petrov, Senior Sergeant G.P. Pelikanov, Sergeant V.F. Chernenko and others.

Victory of Soviet troops on the Kursk Bulge testified to the increased role of party political work. Commanders and political workers, party and Komsomol organizations helped the personnel understand the significance of the upcoming battles, their role in defeating the enemy. By personal example the communists carried away the fighters with them. Political agencies took measures to maintain and replenish party organizations in their divisions. This ensured continuous party influence over all personnel.

An important means of mobilizing soldiers for military exploits was the promotion of advanced experience and the popularization of units and subunits that distinguished themselves in battle. The orders of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, declaring gratitude to the personnel of distinguished troops, had great inspiring power - they were widely promoted in units and formations, read out at rallies, and distributed through leaflets. Extracts from the orders were given to each soldier.

The increase in the morale of Soviet soldiers and confidence in victory was facilitated by timely information from personnel about events in the world and in the country, about the successes of the Soviet troops and the defeats of the enemy. Political agencies and party organizations, carrying out active work to educate personnel, played an important role in achieving victories in defensive and offensive battles. Together with their commanders, they held high the banner of the party and were bearers of its spirit, discipline, steadfastness and courage. They mobilized and inspired soldiers to defeat the enemy.

« The giant battle on the Oryol-Kursk Bulge in the summer of 1943, noted L. I. Brezhnev , – broke the back of Hitler's Germany and incinerated its drums armored forces. The superiority of our army in combat skills, weapons, and strategic leadership has become clear to the whole world.».

The victory of the Soviet Army in the Battle of Kursk opened up new opportunities for the fight against German fascism and the liberation of Soviet lands temporarily captured by the enemy. Firmly holding the strategic initiative. The Soviet Armed Forces increasingly launched a general offensive.