Kursk, Battle of

In World War II, an unsuccessful German offensive against a Soviet salient in July 1943. Kursk was the greatest tank battle in history and proved to be a turning point in the Eastern Front campaign. With nearly 6,000 tanks and 2 million troops involved the battle was hard fought, reaching its climax with the pitched battle on 12 July between 700 German and 850 Soviet tanks.

In spring 1943 the Soviet front line bulged out into the German front between Kharkov and Orel. The Germans planned an offensive to pinch off this salient and flatten the front but the Soviets were forewarned by their intelligence service and planned to absorb the German thrust and then counter-attack. They prepared for the assault with 20,000 guns, millions of mines, 3,300 tanks, 2,560 aircraft, and 1,337,000 troops; the Germans massed 10,000 guns, 2,700 tanks, 2,000 aircraft, and 900,000 troops. The battle began over a 270 km/170 mi front on 5 July in pouring rain. The northern half of the German force reached a point about 16 km/10 mi into the salient before being stopped; the southern thrust reached its climax on 12 July when 700 German tanks battled with 850 Soviet tanks. But the Allied landing in Sicily on 10 July led Hitler to demand the withdrawal of troops from the USSR to reinforce Italy; on the same day the Soviets opened a massive offensive north of the Kursk salient. Hitler ordered a cease fire on 13 July and the German forces in the area were left to extricate themselves as best they could.