Edit: Strategic map to help those with the geography and situation on the eastern front at the time of this battle! Tactical map: [url]http://weaponsandwarfare.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/kursddfg-754x1024.jpg[/url] Strategic (overall) map: [url]http://www.emersonkent.com/images/kursk_1943.jpg[/url] The battle of Kursk (July 5th-August 16th 1943) would soon be known as the greatest tank battle ever fought with 3000 German panzers and 900,000 German soldiers pitted against 8,000 Russian tanks and 2.5 million Russian soldiers it took place from the 5th of July to the 23rd of August 1943. It would soon be the Germans last great offensive in the east and the Germans loss there turned the tide of war forever. At the end of the battle of Kursk the Germans would receive 200,000 casualties and 720 tanks lost to the Russians 860,000 Men and 6000 tanks lost. The overall goal of the German Operation Zitadel was to cut off the Kursk "Bulge" a bulge in the line created by the soviets spring offensives after the disaster at Stalingrad, Soviet forces immediately counter attacked along the German line, mostly at Army group center recapturing vast amounts of territory other wise lost during Operation Barbarossa. The Kursk Bulge was occupied by large amounts of Russian men and equipment, cutting it off and destroying it in a blitzkrieg the Germans had enjoyed for the better part of 4 years at that point would annihilate Russian strength in the region, which would allow the Wehrmacht to once again regain the initiative. Operation Citadel was plagued by Hitlers misunderstanding of the situations at the front, and his tactical incompetence. The Russians knew about Operation citadel almost 3 months in advance of its commencement date, already the Red army was digging in, and supplementing Kursk with equipment and men. The plan was already headed for disaster, the German military was already not what it used to be, the Luftwaffe was solely focused on defending Germany from the ever increasing allied bombing raids, many sorties flown over the eastern front were merely reconnaissance or weak attacks. The Russians had gained air superiority, harrying the Germans wherever they were. However, the Luftwaffe would make its last gasp of offensive ground attack/air superiority at Kursk. Already the pieces were set on the board and moving, everything was leading to the greatest tank/infantry and aerial battle in human history. Army group center and Army group south would link up for this grand attack at the Russian salient. 3 Panzer armies under there command would lash out and encircle the Bulge as pictured here ( [url] http://content.answcdn.com/main/content/img/oxford/Oxford_Military/0198662092.kursk-battle-of.1.jpg [/url] ) Army group south would lead the southern pincer with Hoth's fourth Panzer army, while Army group center would lead the northern pincer lead by the second and ninth panzer army. The plan was a bold one, but a plan that could change the tide of the war in the east, or at least give Germany the time it needed. On July 5th Operation Citadel commenced, once more the mighty panzers that had shocked the world rolled once more, within them the finest in the Fatherlands armored arsenal. The new Panther A tank, ( [url] picture- http://cf.juggle-images.com/fit/white/600x600/wg-battle-of-kursk-6.jpg [/url] ) Ironically taken during operation Citadel, quite an excellent picture) borrowed from Russian design, its sloped armor made it nearly impenetrable from the front, and its high velocity 75mm cannon could destroy any tank thrown against it. However like many German designs this one was early and had many mechanical failures due to oversight, once particular horrible failure was when the panther traversed over rough terrain the engine had a bad habit of bursting into flames. Many would not reach the front on time for the offensive or simply break down during it. Hitler even delayed the operation to put them into the fight, another tragic mistake which just gave the Russians more time to prepare for the offensive they knew was coming. Also among the panzers was the new Elephant Tank destroyer 9 (I am linking my World War 2 tech post for this one, it is extremely detailed [url] http://www.bungie.net/7_World-War-2-Tech-10-Elefant-Tank-Destroyer/en-us/Forum/Post?id=60289960#referred-Worldwar2 [/url] ). Among the Corps under there army groups included some of the most professional, elite and vicious fighting divisions of the Wehrmacht, including the 17 SS Wiking division, Panzer Grenadier Division "Gross Deutschland" (Greater Germany), and 2nd SS "Das Reich". These divisions and many more led the armored spearhead into Kursk, it developed into two seperate battles almost, the northern salient and the southern, both were checkmated after making a surprising amount of ground. Even with total Russian numerical superiority the Germans were able to breach there lines and inflict massive damage, something that had been repeated throughout the entire war. The German troops were simply better, but there were just to many Russians. Immediately following the breazch in the Russian lines, the Soviets lashed out with vicious counter attacks of up to hundreds of tanks. Some eye witness accounts claim seeing Tigers and T-34's smash into eachother, others firing point blank. The battle was the equivalent of hell on earth. Tanks stumbled into mines and got there tracks blown off, Fighter bomber aircraft and Stukas sweeped over the battle field destroying tanks and infantry alike. Tanks engaged each other from mere meters and feet to miles. Infantry hopped from there armored personnel carriers to assault enemy positions. After the dust had cleared, Germany's elite divisions and there panzers were smashed and broken, at first it all seemed to go so right for the Wehrmacht, breaching the Russian lines but the Russians were ready for them, and from what I have read and many historians agree, it was a battle they never could win. Immediately afterword two giant Russian counter attacks drove the Wehrmacht back to the city of Kharkov and beyond in some places. After Kursk, there never was a significant and large counterattack ever conducted on the Eastern front by Germany. They had lost there initiative, and now it was the Soviets turn to drive to the very gates of Berlin after there success, it would take two years, but Kursk had proven many things, the Wehrmacht after its horrible defeat at Kursk was now permanently on the defensive except for minor counterattacks in smaller battles, they were simply incapable of carrying them out anymore after the men and material lost. Kursk showed the world that it may take years, but the Germans were already on the fast track to destruction. So on the plain grassy, open fields of Kursk, the greatest Tank battle in human history was fought (one of the largest battles in the world) by the two titans of Europe, which decided the outcome of the entire war, and finally showed the world it was coming to an end. *Disclaimer* Everything I write here is in my own words, all of the statistics and information are taken from other sources, mostly my WW2 history books! Thank you for reading and of course if you love World War 2military history like me feel free to follow me! I will try and post more regularly! Also if your interested in more stuff like this feel free to follow/or check out the Worldwar 2 hash tag, you will find two pages of my posts that I hope will interest you!