"The Battle was over.
It was late on the night of July 12th, 1943 and from an observation
post high on Hill 241.6 a group of exhausted SS soldiers looked
towards the small town of Prokhorovka. Despite the distance being no
more than a few kilometres, they could not see the town. A thick
blanket of black smoke covered the entire area. Wherever you looked -
towards the hillsides or the clayish soil of the plains between Hill
241.6 and Prokhorovka, where vehicles and artillery shells had torn
up the earth, the ground was littered with the burning and burnt out
shells of Soviet tanks, hundreds of them. Lying around them were
thounsands of bodies. In spite of the rain coming down, the air was
thick with the nauseous stench of burning flesh. Huge black thunder
clouds darkened the sky, emphasising the doomsday scenario.
Prokhorovka in 1943 was no
more than an overgrown Russian village with a few thousands
inhabitants, lying on the river Psel southeast of the city of Kursk.
Fate had decided that this once sleepy area should be transformed
into the site of the largest tank battle in history. It took place
during a few terrible hours on July 12th, 1943 and when it was over
300 Soviet tanks had been lost and 5500 soldiers from the Red Army
had been killed or wounded. The German losses were restricted to 850
men and 5 tanks destroyed. In additin a further 43 tanks and 12
self-propelled artillery pieces had been damaged, but were
repairable.
How could this have
happened? After all, it was a well rested 5th Panzer Army that the
Red Army had sent to destrou the German II SS Panzer Corps that had
penetrated the Soviet defensive lines between Belgorod and Kursk. The
attack was executed with the greatest concentration of armour evan
put in such a limited area, and in addition the astonished Germans
had no idea that they were there. Recent studies have cast new light
on the tank battle of Prokhorovka. The first accounts of the battle
were based on Soviet sources that claimed that both sides suffered
approximately similar losses. Later reviews of the German archives
show that their losses were actually only a fraction of the Soviet's.
The analysis also pointed to German superiority in terma both of men
and material.
It would be correct to
state that many of the Soviet panzer soldiers at Prokhorovka were
recruits who had receives only rudimentary training before being
thrown into battle. The Soviet plan for the battle of Kursk - of
which the tank battle at Prokhorovka was the single large engagement
- was based on overwhelming the enemy through massive numerical
superiority, even at the cost of the troops training. The German
Tiger tanks were also much better than anything their opponents could
call upon, whether Soviet, British or American. The Tiger's awesome
88mm canon could fire upon Soviet armour long before these, with
their smaller calibre guns, could reach the Germans.
These are important
reasons for understanding the outcome of the battle of Prokhorovka.
Most studies of this great battle however overlook an equally
important factor, namely the intervention of aircraft in the fighting
on the ground. The official Soviet history describes how. whilst the
ground fighting raged, "...heavy fighting in the air over the
battlefield ocurred between German and Soviet forces seeking air
superiority. The sky over the Prokhorovka battlefield was literally
swarming with bomber, ground attack and fighter aircraft. Dozens of
planes were involved with one attack after another taking place. The
Soviet forces won the battle in the air due to the resolute and brave
conduct of their pilots." This description, which is under the
line with the official Soviet depiction of the battle, is completely
misleading and was obviously meant to brush the catastophic tactical
failure at Prokhorovka under the carpet."
"Here I mean the
Battle of Prokhorovka as a combat of the German 2nd SS Corps against
part of the troops of Soviet 5th Gds. Tank Army and 5th Gds. Army."
"For many years we
played Napoleonic battles in such a tactical way that wargamers would
never allow us to field more than a couple of Divisions per side.
Then we discovered methods that allowed us to simulate entire battles
without them getting too complicated. However today that old
destructive mentality still ruins our Second World War games,
preventing us from recreating entire battles. At the most, expert
wargamers put a few more tanks and platoons on immense tables and
worry about tactical problems and the thickness of armour, without
examining the strategic or gaming aspects that are implict in combats
between infantry divisions and armoured brigades. With HIGH COMMAND
we can play the entire Normandy landings, or even the battles on the
Russian front or in Africa."
GERMAN ORDER OF BATTLE
II. SS-Panzerkorps
Artillerie-Kommandeur
132
Kommandeursstab
SS-Artillerie-Abteilung -
105L52 K 18 (mot)
III./Artillerie-Regiment
818 - 105L28 leFH 18 (mot)
leichte
Artillerie-Abteilung 861 - 105L28 leFH 18 (mot)
I./Werfer-Regiment 55 -
15cm NW 41 (mot)
SS-Flak-Batterie - 88L56
AA FLAK 18 (mot)
SS-Panzergrenadier-Division
'Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler'
Divisionsstab
1./SS-Aufklärungs-Abteilung
LAH - SdKfz 222-232
2./SS-Aufklärungs-Abteilung
LAH - Rifle (HT)
5./II./SS-Panzer-Regiment
LAH - PzKw IVg
6./II./SS-Panzer-Regiment
LAH - PzKw IVg
13./SS-Panzer-Regiment LAH
- PzKw VIe Tiger
I./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment
1 - Rifle (AC)
II./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment
1 - Rifle (AC)
III./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment
1 - Rifle (AC)
I./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment
2 - Rifle (AC)
II./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment
2 - Rifle (AC)
III./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment
2 - Rifle (AC)
I./SS-Artillerie-Regiment
LAH - Hummel (150H)
II./SS-Artillerie-Regiment
LAH - 105L28 leFH 18 (mot)
III./SS-Artillerie-Regiment
LAH - 150L30 sFH 18 (mot)
SS-Sturmgeshütz-Abteilung
LAH - StuG IIIg
SS-Flak-Abteilung LAH -
88L56 AA FLAK 18 (mot)
SS-Panzergrenadier-Division
'Das Reich'
Divisionsstab
1./SS-Aufklärungs-Abteilung
'Das Reich' - SdKfz 222-232
2./SS-Aufklärungs-Abteilung
'Das Reich' - Rifle (HT)
5./II./SS-Panzer-Regiment
2 - PzKw IIIm (+IV)
6./II./SS-Panzer-Regiment
2 - PzKw IIIm (+IV)
13./SS-Panzer-Regiment 2 -
PzKw VIe Tiger
I./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment
'Deutschland' - Rifle (AC)
II/SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment
'Deutschland' - Rifle (AC)
III./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment
'Deutschland' - Rifle (AC)
I./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment
'Der Führer' - Rifle (AC)
II./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment
'Der Führer' - Rifle (AC)
III./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment
'Der Führer' - Rifle (AC)
I./SS-Artillerie-Regiment
'Das Reich' - Hummel (150H)
II./SS-Artillerie-Regiment
'Das Reich' - 105L28 leFH 18 (mot)
IV./SS-Artillerie-Regiment
'Das Reich' - 150L30 sFH 18 (mot)
SS-Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung
'Das Reich' - StuG IIIg
SS-Flak-Abteilung 'Das
Reich' - 88L56 AA FLAK 18 (mot)
SS-Panzergrenadier-Division
'Totenkopf'
Divisionsstab
I./SS-Panzer-Regiment 3 -
PzKw IIIm (+IV)
II./SS-Panzer-Regiment 3 -
PzKw IIIm (+IV)
9./SS-Panzer-Regiment 3 -
PzKw VIe Tiger
I./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment
1 'Totenkopf' - Rifle (AC)
II./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment
1 'Totenkopf' - Rifle (AC)
III./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment
1 'Totenkopf' - Rifle (AC)
I./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment
2 'Totenkopf' - Rifle (HT)
II./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment
2 'Totenkopf' - Rifle (HT)
III./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment
2 'Totenkopf' - Rifle (HT)
I./SS-'Totenkopf'-Artillerie-Regiment
- Hummel (150H)
II./SS-'Totenkopf'-Artillerie-Regiment
- 105L28 leFH 18
IV./SS-'Totenkopf'-Artillerie-Regiment
- 150L30 sFH 18
1./SS-'Totenkopf'-Aufklärungs-Abteilung
- SdKfz 222-232
2./SS-'Totenkopf'-Aufklärungs-Abteilung
- Rifle (HT)
SS-'Totenkopf'-Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung
- StuG IIIg
SS-'Totenkopf'-Flak-Abteilung
- 88L56 AA FLAK 18 (mot)
Grenadier-Regiment 315
(167. Infanterie-Division)
I./Grenadier-Regiment 315 - Rifle
II./Grenadier-Regiment 315 - Rifle
III./Grenadier-Regiment
315 - Rifle
SOVIET ORDER OF BATTLE
5th Guards Tank Army
1/1st Guards Motorcycle
Battalion - M/C
2/1st Guards Motorcycle
Battalion - M/C
3/1st Guards Motorcycle
Battalion - M/C
53rd Guards Separate Tank
Regiment - T-34/76c
678th Howitzer Regiment -
122mm HowAR (hs)
76th Guards Mortar
Regiment (Rockett) - 132mm MRL M-13
5th Guards Mechanised
Corps
Headquarters
2nd Guards Motorcycle
Battalion - M/C
51st Guards Tank Regiment
- T-34/76c
54th Guards Tank Regiment
- T-34/76c
55th Guards Tank Regiment
- T-34/76c
1/24th Guards Tank
Battalion - T-34/76c
1/10th Guards Mechanised
Brigade - Rifle (mot)
2/10th Guards Mechanised
Brigade - Rifle (mot)
3/10th Guards Mechanised
Brigade - Rifle (mot)
1/11th Guards Mechanised
Brigade - Rifle (mot)
2/11th Guards Mechanised
Brigade - Rifle (mot)
3/11th Guards Mechanised
Brigade - Rifle (mot)
1/12th Guards Mechanised
Brigade - Rifle (mot)
2/12th Guards Mechanised
Brigade - Rifle (mot)
3/12th Guards Mechanised
Brigade - Rifle (mot)
285th Mortar Regiment -
120mm M38 Mortar (mot)
10th Guards Mechanised
Brigade Artillery Battalion - 76mm M42 ZiS3 (mot)
11th Guards Mechanised
Brigade Artillery Battalion - 76mm M42 ZiS3 (mot)
409th Separate Guards
Mortar Battalion (Rockett) - 132mm MRL M-13
29th Tank Corps
Headquarters
75th Motorcycle Battalion
- M/C
25/25th Tank Battalion -
T-34/76c
194/31st Tank Battalion -
T-34/76c
142/32nd Tank Battalion -
T-34/76c
1/53rd Motorised Rifle
Brigade - Rifle (mot)
2/53rd Motorised Rifle
Brigade - Rifle (mot)
3/53rd Motorised Rifle
Brigade - Rifle (mot)
25th Motorised Rifle
Battalion - Rifle (mot)
271st Mortar Regiment -
120mm M38 Mortar (mot)
53rd Motorised Rifle
Brigade Artillery Battalion - 76mm M42 ZiS3 (mot)
76th Separate Guards
Mortar Battalion (Rockett) - 132mm MRL M-13
18th Tank Corps
Headquarters
78th Motorcycle Battalion
- M/C
311/110th Tank Battalion,
T-34/76c
372/170th Tank Battalion,
T-34/76c
395/181st Tank Battalion,
T-70A
36th Guards Heavy Tank
Regiment - Mk IV Churchill
1/32nd Motorised Rifle
Brigade - Rifle (mot)
2/32nd Motorised Rifle
Brigade - Rifle (mot)
3/32nd Motorised Rifle
Brigade - Rifle (mot)
110th Motorised Rifle
Battalion - Rifle (mot)
292nd Mortar Regiment -
120mm M38 Mortar (mot)
32nd Motorised Rifle
Brigade Mortar Battalion - 82mm + 120mm Mtr (mot)
32nd Motorised Rifle
Brigade Artillery Battalion - 76mm M42 ZiS3 (mot)
2nd Tank Corps
Headquarters
83rd Motorcycle Battalion
- M/C
270/26th Tank Battalion -
T-34/76c
1/99th Tank Battalion -
T-34/76c
371/169th Tank Battalion -
T-70A
15th Guards Heavy Tank
Regiment - Mk IV Churchill
1/58th Motorised Rifle
Brigade - Rifle (mot)
2/58th Motorised Rifle
Brigade - Rifle (mot)
3/58th Motorised Rifle
Brigade - Rifle (mot)
26th Motorised Rifle
Battalion - Rifle (mot)
558th Motorised Rifle
Brigade Artillery Battalion - 76mm M42 ZiS3 (mot)
269th Mortar Regiment -
120mm M38 Mortar
307th Separate Guards
Mortar Battalion (Rockett) - 132mm MRL M-13
2nd Guards Tank Corps
Headquarters
79th Motorcycle Battalion
- M/C
1/4th Guards Tank
Battalion - T-34/76c
1/25th Guards Tank
Battalion - T-34/76c
1/26th Guards Tank
Battalion - T-34/76c
2/4th Guards Tank
Battalion - KV-1
2/25th Guards Tank
Battalion - KV-1
47th Guards Heavy Tank
Regiment - Mk IV Churchill
1st Guards Motorised Rifle
Battalion - Rifle (mot)
2nd Guards Motorised Rifle
Battalion - Rifle (mot)
3rd Guards Motorised Rifle
Battalion - Rifle (mot)
1/4th Guards Motorised
Rifle Brigade - Rifle (mot)
2/4th Guards Motorised
Rifle Brigade - Rifle (mot)
3/4th Guards Motorised
Rifle Brigade - Rifle (mot)
4th Guards Motorised Rifle
Brigade Mortar Battalion - 82mm + 120mm Mtr (mot)
4th Guards Motorised Rifle
Brigade Artillery Battalion - 76mm M42 ZiS3 (mot)
273rd Mortar Regiment -
120mm M38 Mortar (mot)
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