The greatest tank battle in military history, the Battle of Prokhorovka commenced on 12th July 1943 between the 5th Guards Tank Army of the Soviet Red Army and the II SS-Panzer Corps of the German Wehrmacht. Part of the Battle of Kursk, the engagement at Prokhorovka followed the launch of Operation Citadel on 4th July during which the Germans sought to cut off the Kursk Salient and capture or destroy the the Soviet troops within. Having received intelligence about the German attack the Soviet army strengthened their defences and concentrated their forces to bring nearly 800 tanks to meet the German advance in a closely fought, fierce clash of armour.
In the above photograph, a column of Panzer III tanks can be seen advancing towards Kursk.
If you are interested in finding out more about the Battle of Kursk why not pre-order for September a copy of Kursk 1943 by Robert Forczyk? Focusing on the Northern Front of the battle with Generaloberst Walter Model's forces pitted against General Rokossovsky's Central Front, this study uses documents from both sides to shed new light on this oft-ignored part of the battle.
Plus, for the wargamers amongst you, you can also pre-order for September a copy of Bolt Action: Tank War by Warlord Games. The new supplement for Bolt Action, Tank War gives players the option to expand their game to a whole new level – armoured warfare. Recreate such great engagements as the Battle of Prokhorovka with the scenarios, army options and special rules found in this book.
The original image can be found here.
Attribution: Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-219-0562A-06
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