An accessible volume on the Wehrmacht at the largest tank battle ever
seen * Complete with 600 illustrations, including an 8 page gatefold depicting
the brigades in battle formation
On 5th July 1943, the Wehrmacht launched Operation Citadel. Attacking
with a force of 3,000 tanks and assault guns, the Germans faced a well dug-in
force of more than 3,900 Soviet tanks, with another 1,500 tanks in reserve. What
followed was the largest tank battle the world has ever seen, with both sides
suffering heavy casualties. On the 11th July, three SS divisions – Totenkopf,
Das Reich and Leibstandarte – attempted to break through the Soviet lines at the
village of
Prokhorovka, and so force
the flank of the Soviet defensive position. Facing them were the newly deployed
Fifth Guards Tanks Army. The battle raged all day, with German attack followed
by Soviet counterattack. By nightfall the Germans had lost more than 300 tanks
and the Fifth Guards Tanks Army 50 percent of their strength. Despite their
heavy losses, the Soviet defenders had achieved their aim: the German attack had
been halted and all hope of their regaining the initiative lost.
Das Reich Division at Kursk has an eight-page gatefold depicting one
of the brigades from the Das Reich Division in an innovative and fresh manner.
This brigade is shown in battle deployment, with reconnaissance units, advance
companies, the main body, the brigade command section, plus all the supporting
engineers, signallers, artillery etc to provide a visual guide to exactly how
many tanks and other armoured vehicles were advancing on the 11th July. The book
itself is broken down by these sections, looking at each component part of the
brigade in turn, their structure, equipment and what they did on 11th July. The
description of each part includes action reports, organisation, equipment, unit
commanders and much more.
