Battle of Prokhorovka - the most Brutal Tank Battle in History
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Battle of Prokhorovka - the most Brutal Tank Battle in History

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Battle of Prokhorovka - the largest tank battle in military history The Battle of Prokhorovka was fought on 12 July 1943 near Prokhorovka, 87 kilometers southeast of Kursk in the Soviet Union, during the Second World War. Taking place on the Eastern Front, the engagement was part of the wider Battle of Kursk, and occurred when the 5th Guards Tank Army of the Soviet Red Army attacked the II SS-Panzer Corps of the German Wehrmacht in one of the largest tank battles in military history.

In April 1943, the German leadership began preparing for Operation Citadel, with the objective of enveloping and destroying the Soviet forces in the Kursk salient, by attacking and breaking through the base of the salient from north and south simultaneously.                                 On 5 July 1943 the Wehrmacht launched its offensive. On the northern side of the salient, the German forces bogged down within four days. On the southern side, the German 4th Panzer Army, with Army Detachment Kempf on its eastern flank, attacked the Soviet defenses of the Voronezh Front. They made slow but steady progress through the Soviet defensive lines.                                                                                                                                                                        After a week of fighting, the Soviets launched their counteroffensives – Operation Kutuzov on the northern side and a coinciding one on the southern side. On the southern side of the salient near Prokhorovka, the 5th Guards Tank Army engaged the II SS-Panzer Corps of the 4th Panzer Army, resulting in a large clash of armored fighting vehicles. The 5th Guards Tank Army suffered significant losses in the attack, but succeeded in preventing the Wehrmacht from capturing Prokhorovka and breaking through the third defensive belt – the last heavily fortified one. The German high command, unable to accomplish its objective, cancelled Operation Citadel and began redeploying its forces to deal with new pressing developments elsewhere.

The Red Army went on a general offensive, conducting Operation Polkovodets Rumyantsev on the southern side and continuing Operation Kutuzov on the northern side. The Soviet Union thus seized the strategic initiative on the Eastern Front, which it was to hold for the rest of the war.

Match the dates and events:

RNE

Task: True/ False/ Not stated

1. The Battle of Prokhorovka was an independent operation.
2. In total, the Soviets amassed about 700 tanks and self-propelled artillery pieces against nearly 500 German tanks and assault guns in a territory of only a few dozen square km.
3. For the remainder of the war, the Nazis never again regained the strategic initiative on the Eastern Front.
4. The Red Army launched its offensive on 5 July 1943.
5. Fighting in the area continued until July 16, with each side failing to break through the other's defenses. However, the Germans exhausted their offensive potential, and Army Group South abandoned its plans to break through to Kursk.
6. Code-named "Operation Citadel," the Nazi offensive intended to surround and eliminate Soviet formations after a swift pincer blow coming from the north and south of Kursk, and to give the Wehrmacht a strategic advantage on the Eastern Front.
7. The battle-hardened tank corps of the 4th Panzer Army and the 3rd tank corps of the Kemf detachment were concentrated in the direction of the town of Prokhorovka, southeast of Kursk.

Museums:

1. The Museum of Military Glory of Russia's Third Battlefield in Belgorod

http://прохоровское-поле.рф/index_eng.html

On May 2, 2010, the Museum opened its doors to the Third military battlefield. This was a significant event not only reflecting the fortitude of the people of Belgorod region, but also of the whole of Russia. A modern museum complex has been commissioned covering a total area of 5000 square meters. It is a unified architectural ensemble containing the Petropavlovsk Church and the Cultural-Historical centre of the Prokhorovka battlefield. The Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul is the architecturally dominant feature in the area.

2. Kubinka Patriot park area Hall N10. World War II, Battle for Kursk and Prokhorovka tank battlefield. Operation “Citadel” German 1943 offensive and crash it. The new exhibition dedicated to the Battle for Kursk-Orel and Prokhorovka tank battle (1943), based on Kubinka tank museum collection plus the artillery (GRAU and other museums) http://tankmuseum.ru/kubinka/
3. Victory museum in Moscow

  The Victory Museum is the unique memorial complex which serves to eternize memory of Soviet people valour, heroism and courage during the Great Patriotic War. The Museum is engaged in research, in cultural and educational work, in event management of youth patriotic upbrining. It also renders informational support to visitors. Moreover, It regularly arranges thematic exhibitions in the art galleries and in the exposition halls of the Museum https://victorymuseum.ru

SUMMING UP:

                              What is your attitude towards war?

Battle of Prokhorovka - the most Brutal Tank Battle in History

Match the dates and events:

Answers:

12 July 1943 - The Battle of Prokhorovka was fought

In April 1943 - the German leadership began preparing for Operation Citadel

On 5 July 1943 - The Wehrmacht launched its offensive

RNE

Answers: 

19. was littered     20. was filled      21. to hold    22. Including    23. aircraft

                    24. Fighting     25. Abandoned

Task: True/ False/ Not stated

1. The Battle of Prokhorovka was an independent operation. False. The engagement was part of the wider Battle of Kursk
2. In total, the Soviets amassed about 700 tanks and self-propelled artillery pieces against nearly 500 German tanks and assault guns in a territory of only a few dozen square km. Not stated
3. For the remainder of the war, the Nazis never again regained the strategic initiative on the Eastern Front. True
4. The Red Army launched its offensive on 5 July 1943.   False. The Wehrmacht launched Operation Citadel on July 5
5. Fighting in the area continued until July 16, with each side failing to break through the other's defenses. However, the Germans exhausted their offensive potential, and Army Group South abandoned its plans to break through to Kursk. True
6. Code-named "Operation Citadel," the Nazi offensive intended to surround and eliminate Soviet formations after a swift pincer blow coming from the north and south of Kursk, and to give the Wehrmacht a strategic advantage on the Eastern Front. True
7. The battle-hardened tank corps of the 4th Panzer Army and the 3rd tank corps of the Kemf detachment were concentrated in the direction of the town of Prokhorovka, southeast of Kursk. True

Museums:

1. The Museum of Military Glory of Russia's Third Battlefield in Belgorod

http://прохоровское-поле.рф/index_eng.html

On May 2, 2010, the Museum opened its doors to the Third military battlefield. This was a significant event not only reflecting the fortitude of the people of Belgorod region, but also of the whole of Russia. A modern museum complex has been commissioned covering a total area of 5000 square meters. It is a unified architectural ensemble containing the Petropavlovsk Church and the Cultural-Historical centre of the Prokhorovka battlefield. The Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul is the architecturally dominant feature in the area.

2. Kubinka Patriot park area Hall N10. World War II, Battle for Kursk and Prokhorovka tank battlefield. Operation “Citadel” German 1943 offensive and crash it. The new exhibition dedicated to the Battle for Kursk-Orel and Prokhorovka tank battle (1943), based on Kubinka tank museum collection plus the artillery (GRAU and other museums) http://tankmuseum.ru/kubinka/
3. Victory museum in Moscow

  The Victory Museum is the unique memorial complex which serves to eternize memory of Soviet people valour, heroism and courage during the Great Patriotic War. The Museum is engaged in research, in cultural and educational work, in event management of youth patriotic upbrining. It also renders informational support to visitors. Moreover, It regularly arranges thematic exhibitions in the art galleries and in the exposition halls of the Museum https://victorymuseum.ru

SUMMING UP:

                              What is your attitude towards war?