DK - World War II Map by Map

178 TURNING THE TIDE 1943–1944

1

Jul 10 The German

advance is stopped at

the heavily fortified

town of Ponyri.

Jul 12 German and

Soviet forces converge

on Prokhorovka.

Aug 23 The Soviets enter

the city of Kharkov.

Aug 3 Operation

Rumyantsev starts

to clear German forces

around Kharkov.

Jul 12 The Soviets launch

Operation Kutuzov to

drive back German forces

from around Orel.

Aug 18 German forces

are pushed back to the

defensive Hagen Line.

Jul 4 Soviet

bombardment hits

the German forward

areas as they are

forming up.

Jul 5 The initial attack

by the German 9th Army

in the north is met with

fierce resistance from the

Soviet 13th Army.

Apr–Jul The Soviets build

defensive belts around

Kursk, drawing

on the labor of

300,000 civilians.

Kursk

Oboyan

Prokhorovka

Orel

Kromy

Novosil

Malorakhangelsk

Ponyri

Olkhovatka

Ponyri Station

Lgov

Sumy

Gadyach

Kotelva

Gotnya

Station

Belgorod

Tomarovka

Kharkov

Kirov

Bryansk

Poltava

Sei

m

Psel

Vo

rs

kl

a

Do

nets

D

esn

a

Svapa

Seim

U

S

S R

U

K

(^) R
(^) A
(^) I
(^) N
(^) E
Soviet
Bryansk
Front
Soviet
13th Army
Soviet
Central Front
Soviet Voronezh
Front
Soviet
Steppe
Front
Soviet
West Front
Soviet
South-west
Front
German Army Group
Center
German
9th Army
German 2nd
Panzer Army
German 4th
Panzer Army
German Army
Group South
3rd Soviet defense line
1st Soviet front line
2nd Soviet front line
Main Soviet
defense line
2nd Soviet
defense line
GERMAN PLANS APRIL–JUNE 1943
From April 1943, the Germans began to plan
Operation Citadel to overcome the formidable
Soviet defenses and pinch out the Kursk salient.
Army Group Center was to attack from the north
and Army Group South from the south. The
Soviets, well aware of German intentions thanks
to good intelligence, strengthened their Central
and Voronezh Fronts in response.
2
German forces
Soviet forces
OPENING THE OFFENSIVE
JULY 5–11, 1943
Delayed by a preemptive Soviet bombardment,
the German 9th Army attacked the north of the
salient on July 5. It advanced only 8 miles (13 km)
before it was stopped at Ponyri on July 10 with the
loss of 25,000 men and 200 tanks. To the south,
the Germans did better, driving a wedge 22 miles
(35 km) deep into Soviet lines, although at the cost
of 10,000 men and 350 tanks.
3
German advance, Jul 5–11
German gains by Jul 11
4 GERMAN PLANS CHANGE
JULY 12–17, 1943
After the Allies invaded Sicily on July 10 (see
pp.164–165), German forces were urgently needed
in Italy. On July 12, Hitler told his commanders to
discontinue Operation Citadel, despite objections
from Field Marshal Erich von Manstein, whose
Army Group South had made progress against the
Soviets. Operations continued briefly in the south,
including a battle at Prokhorovka, until orders
were given on July 17 to end the offensive.
Battle of Prokhorovka
THE KURSK SALIENT
MARCH–JUNE 1943
German and Soviet forces around Kursk had
rested in the spring of 1943 after a bitter winter.
This pause benefited the Soviets, who were
reinforced by British and US aid. They constructed
six lines of defense around the edge of the Kursk
salient (the three main ones are shown) with
Soviet fronts (army groups) positioned along two
lines to the east. Meanwhile, Soviet partisans
operating behind German lines attacked rail and
other supply lines, hindering German preparations.
US_178-179_Battle_of_Kursk.indd 178 20/03/19 2:18 PM