Battle of Kursk Diorama
It remains both the largest series of armored clashes and the most costly single day of aerial warfare to date. It was the last strategic blitzkrieg offensive the Germans were able to execute in the east.
As John Keegan puts it:
"Although often thought of as a tank battle, Kursk as a whole arguably demonstrated the triumph of artillery, infantry and engineers over armour. The Soviet plan was to soak up the German assault in a colossal web of defensive positions, and only then launch their armoured counter-attack. It was also an important air battle, in which the balance now shifted in the favour of the Soviets."
Belligerents: Nazi Germany and Soviet Union
German Commanders:
Erich von Manstein
Günther von Kluge
Hermann Hoth
Walther Model
Hans Seidemann
Robert Ritter von Greim
Soviet Comanders:
Georgy Zhukov
Konstantin Rokossovskiy
Nikolay Vatutin
Ivan Konyev
Strength
Germany: 3,000 tanks 900,000 infantry 2,110 aircraft
USSR: 3,600 tanks 20,000 guns 1,300,000 troops 2,792 aircraft
- Any scale.
- Figures, artillery, planes, tanks are allowed.
- Timeframe: July and August 1943.
