Tells the story of this dramatic battle using rare and unpublished
photographs, maps, and highly detailed artwork profiles of the tanks and
vehicles involved.
In the summer of 1943, the German-launched Operation Zitadelle
(Citadel), aimed at cutting off a large number of Soviet forces in the
Kursk salient. This offensive resulted in the battle of Kursk, the
largest tank battle of World War II.
Kursk quickly became a fierce contest of attrition, as Wehrmacht and
elite Waffen-SS Panzer-Divisions with their powerful Tiger and Panther
tanks unsuccessfully tried to hammer their way through the intricate
lines of strong Soviet defensive positions. What followed was unabated
fighting for two weeks as German units were slowly and systematically
ground down in a series of brutal armored battles.
During this ferocious fighting the Red Army savagely contested every
foot of ground, finally ending German invincibility forever. For the
first time in its short history, the blitzkrieg concept had failed. The
reverberations caused by the defeat at Kursk were immense, and never
again did the German war machine go on the offensive in the East. Stiff
defensive action was now the stratagem placed upon the dwindling
Panzerwaffe right to the gates of Berlin.
With comprehensive captions and text, Kursk 1943 tells the story of
this dramatic battle using rare and unpublished photographs, maps, and
highly detailed artist profiles. The book reveals the events leading up
to the battle in the first half of 1943, and the build up of forces by
both sides before their climatic showdown at Kursk.
