"THE ARC OF FIRE" V. THE BATTLE OF KURSK: FROM DEFENSIVE TO OFFENSIVE

This was not an easy operation since the German forces strengthened Orel bridgehead for almost two years and considered it the starting position to launch an attack on Moscow. And the cities of Belgorod and Kharkov were considered gates that block the way for the Soviet Army to Ukraine.

The Soviet army built an unprecedented fire density, up to 150-200 cannons and 15-20 tanks in one-kilometer-front, to launch the offensive.

The Western and Bryansk fronts started to advance after a three-hour air raid and artillery attack in the morning of the 12th July. The Western front achieved best success in the direction of its main assault. By the mid-day the Soviet forces broke through the main strip of German defence. By the end of the month troops of three fronts encircled enemy group in Orel from three sides, the north, east and south. The German command fearing a complete encirclement started to withdraw its forces from the bridgehead on the 30th of July. And the Soviet forces started to chase. On the 4th of August Bryansk front forced into Orel and liberated by morning next day. The Stepnoi front liberated Belgorod on the same day.

Marshal Alexander Vasilevsky wrote in his memories:

“The German army’s back bone was broken as a result of all measures taken in the battle of Kursk. And Germany lost confidence in success and realistically saw that it would suffer a defeat in the Second World War, which it started in the autumn of 1939.

The offensive by the Red Army near Kursk ended with a remarkable victory. The enemy suffered irreparable losses and all its attempts to hold the strategic bridgeheads near Orel and Kharkov were failed.

The success of the operation was guaranteed by the timing of the counter-offensive, which was launched when the enemy attack groups were inflicted heavy losses and launching an offensive by them was in question. The success was also guaranteed by the successful coordination between group of Soviet fronts that advanced in western, southwestern and other directions. This made it impossible for the German command to re-group its forces in the directions that posed a thereat to them.

The Soviet forces fulfilled for the first time the task of breaking through an enemy defence prepared in advance and deeply distributed in depth and consequently, developing the success”. 

The victory in the battle of Kursk in the summer 1943 showed to the world the capability of the Soviet Union to defeat an aggressor by itself. The enemy suffered heavy losses in the bloody battle. The prestige of the German weaponry was dealt an irreparable blow. 30 German divisions, including seven tank divisions were defeated. The overall loss of the German army is estimated at more than half a million soldiers and officers, 12 hundred tanks, 3000 cannons and 3500 warplanes.

The Soviet Army had to pay a big price too. It lost more than 860 000 people, more than 6 000 tanks and cannons and 16 hundred warplanes.

The Soviet soldiers displayed courage, stubbornness and heroism. 132 formations were elevated to the Guards, 26 were awarded the honourary name of the formations of Orel, Belgorod and Kharkov.

The Battle of Kursk was a crucial fight in the way to the Victory of the Soviet Union over Nazi Germany. It is among the bloodiest battles in the Second World War.