THE T U R N I N G POINT:
1943
KURSK: CLASH OF ARMOUR
I
n 1943, the Red Army re-organized and re-armed, ready to meet Operation Zitadelle, the massive German armoured assault on the Soviet salient at Kursk. Zitadelle used 2,700 tanks and 1,800 aircraft and was designed by Hitler to bring final victory. Postponed once, Zitadelle opened on 5 July 1943 with two powerful German attacks on the northern and southern faces of
the salient. The Red Army was ready and waiting with the largest strategic reserve it had yet assembled. Amid great armoured jousts, German attacks from the west and south were held off, and Zitadelle was smashed beyond recovery. On 3 August, an enormous, unexpected, Soviet counter-offensive unrolled, striking north and south, recovering Orel and closing on Belgorod-Kharkov.