Kursk Ends: Soviet Armor Crushes German Offensive
German forces at Kursk had hoped Operation Citadel would pinch off the massive Soviet salient and restore the initiative on the Eastern Front. By July 13, 1943, it was clear the gamble had failed. Soviet defenses at Kursk were eight lines deep, stretching back 190 miles, with more mines per mile than any previous battlefield. German panzer divisions punched through the first few lines but couldn't sustain the advance. Soviet counterattacks at Prokhorovka and elsewhere chewed through irreplaceable Tiger and Panther tanks. Hitler called off the offensive partly because the Allied invasion of Sicily demanded resources. The Wehrmacht never launched another major offensive in the East.
July 13, 1943
83 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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