was kursk the largest tank battle in history

While the Soviets lost far more men and equipment, the German losses were unsustainable. This allowed them to attack with less difficulty, as they were not hindered by poor visibility. The Soviet forces did not face this problem, as they were stationary and on the ground. These clouds hindered the Luftwaffe’s visibility and prevented them from providing air support to soldiers on the ground.

Kursk was known for its black earth, which produced major dust clouds. The battlefield gave the Soviets a major advantage Those that were remained were not strong enough to break through the Soviet’s layered defence system. Many of the powerful tanks were brought to the battlefield before they were finished, and some failed due to mechanical errors. The German forces could not break through the Soviet defencesĪlthough the Germans had powerful weaponry and advanced technology, the could still not break through the Soviet defences. The Battle of Kursk is regarded as the greatest tank battle in history. The Soviets also had a larger industrial force than the Germans, and thus were able to create more tanks for battle. Instead, they focused on creating more of the same tanks that they introduced when the war began, which were faster and lighter than the German tanks. The Soviets knew they did not have the technology or time to create tanks with the firepower or protection to go up against the German tanks. The Soviets had more than double the number of tanks than the Germans The Battle of Kursk demonstrated that these tanks had a high kill ratio and could destroy other tanks from a long fighting distance.Īlthough these tanks made up under seven per cent of the German tanks, the Soviets did not initially have the power to counter them. Hitler introduced the Tiger, Panther and Ferdinand tanks into the armed forces and believed that they would lead to victory. There is a consensus that the Battle of Brody, fought in 1941, was a bigger tank battle than Prokhorovka. Soviets suffered heavy losses, but nonetheless prevailed. Approximately 500 Soviet tanks and guns attacked the II SS-Panzer Corps. The major clash in armour took place at Prokhorovka on 12 July when the Red Army attacked the Wehrmacht.

It is estimated that there were as many as 6,000 tanks, 4,000 aircraft and 2 million men involved in the battle, though numbers vary. It was one of the biggest tank battles in history The terrain provided an advantage to the Soviets because dust clouds prevented the Luftwaffe from providing air support to German forces on the ground. The Battle of Kursk was fought between the Germans and Soviets on the Eastern Front.

Was kursk the largest tank battle in history