75 years have passed since one of the largest tank battles in military history - the Battle of Kursk. The Germans called it the "Citadel" operation, which was launched by them on 07/05/43 and ended on 08/23/43, its duration was 49 days.
Defensive fortifications
Soviet troops managed to create a deep defensive line on the Kursk Bulge, which in some places consisted of up to 8 lines of defense.
With the help of the civilian population, which along with the military erected defensive structures, at least 4,500 kilometers of trenches were dug by joint efforts, and many coils of barbed wire were wound, some of which were under electrical voltage, and some of which were under machine guns and automatic flamethrowers.
Heroes of the Battle of Kursk, whose photos are exhibited in the museum of the memorial complex, opened on the site of the battle in 1973, were actively fulfilling their military duty. All without exception were such heroes: both the civilian population, helping to dig trenches, and the military personnel, who gloriously repelled attacksGermans.
In addition, about 2,000 anti-tank mines and about 2,300 anti-personnel mines were laid for each kilometer of defense. The defensive fortifications on the Kursk Bulge were 6 times more powerful than the fortifications built during the defense of Moscow in 1941
The Soviet command, led by Marshal Zhukov, thanks to the actions of intelligence, knew in advance the direction of the summer strike of the German troops and prepared to repel it. The main goal of the Soviet troops was to wear down the enemy during defensive operations and go on the counteroffensive with a sudden blow.
Intelligence
The first who took the battle near Kursk were scouts and partisans, who, very often risking their lives, obtained the most important information about the movement of troops, the beginning of military operations and transferred them to the general staff.
After the capture of the city of Bobruisk by the Germans, an underground cell was formed in it, headed by Mikhail Baglai. As a result of the large-scale actions of this group in the war with the Germans, it became known in Moscow as well.
In order to coordinate the actions of the partisans, it was decided to send a group of paratroopers with a radio operator to Bobruisk. The landing went well, the radio operator was settled in Baglai's house. All the information received, which was delivered by the partisans, was forwarded to Moscow. Quite often the information was strategically important.
In the spring of 1943, the underground workers noticed that the trains that come to the station are transporting just haystacks. It seemed strange to them. After a check they arranged by sneaking intostation and bypassing the posts with sentries, it turned out that the new German tanks "Panther" and "Tiger" were being transported in the cars. The heroes of the Battle of Kursk spoke briefly about the merits of these tanks, one of which was strong frontal armor.
The radiograms that followed after that, which were sent to Moscow, said that several echelons that were moving towards Orel were being transported by Tiger tanks. The partisans who participated in this operation were awarded medals.
Actions of scouts abroad
Another interesting incident occurred in England, where the Soviet intelligence officer Konstantin Kukin worked, led the residency. Having managed to get information with deciphering information coming to England from the decoding of German communications, Kukin successfully transmitted them to Moscow.
12.04.1943 Moscow received from Kukin a plan of operation "Citadel" translated from German, which includes all its details. As it is documented, it was signed by Hitler only three days later, which means that the plan was delivered to Moscow even before the Fuhrer signed it, and maybe even before he got acquainted with it.
Combat scouts
Nikolai Aleksandrovich Belozertsev, the commander of the scouts, in June 1943, with submachine gunners, captured more than fifteen Germans, who provided useful and important information about the movement and plans of their troops. As a result of these hostilities, it was decided to award him the title of Hero. The award was given posthumously. Died by blowing up a mine, 1943-30-08.
Sergeant VolokhA. A. - scout, distinguished himself in the performance of a combat mission. With several brother-soldiers, he suddenly attacked a column of Germans. Captured one officer who reported important information. He was awarded the title of Hero of the Union. Killed in October 1943.
Start of battle
Thanks to the good work of intelligence officers, the Soviet command knew to the minute the beginning of the offensive of the German troops - 3 o'clock in the morning. To preempt the Germans, it was decided by the forces of the Voronezh and central fronts at 22-30 and at 2-20 to launch two artillery strikes, after which they would switch to organized defense. Massive artillery preparation was a complete surprise for the German troops and allowed them to delay their offensive for more than 3 hours.
At 6-00 in the morning, after massive artillery salvos and aerial bombardments, the German troops went on the attack. Attacks were made from both sides. From the north, the main blow fell in the direction of the village of Olkhovatka. From the south - to the village of Oboyan.
Deterring enemy attacks
In the fierce battles near Kursk, soldiers and officers who repelled the onslaught of German troops often became famous at the cost of their own lives. Below we describe the exploits (briefly) of the heroes of the Battle of Kursk.
Let's start our story with the infantry heroes:
- Yakov Studennikov, who at that time was in the rank of senior sergeant, after his comrades in arms died, single-handedly held back the onslaught of fascist troops, repelled 10 attacks and destroyed more300 Nazis. For outstanding courage and unparalleled courage in battle, Yakov Studennikov was awarded the title of Hero of the USSR.
- Aleshkin A. I. - commander of a platoon of a mortar regiment on 1943-17-07, with his crew, repelled two massive attacks of German troops, after which he attacked the enemy. After these actions, he was awarded the title of Hero of the Union. Killed in this battle.
- Sergeant Bannov P. I. - commander of an anti-tank gun. He showed himself as a good soldier and strategist, in the battle near the village of Molotychi he knocked out 7 enemy tanks. He was wounded in battle, but even after that he did not leave his line, but continued to repulse the enemy’s furious attack. He was awarded the high title of Hero of the Union at the end of August 1943. After being cured in the hospital, he returned to the front line to finish off the enemy.
- Jr. Lieutenant Borisyuk Ivan Ivanovich - platoon commander of an artillery regiment. On July 5, 1943, he participated in repelling a German attack by 112 enemy tanks. His platoon in stubborn battles disabled and destroyed 13 tanks, of which 6 ml. the lieutenant destroyed personally. For military services to the Motherland in this and other battles Borisyuk I. I. was awarded the title of Hero.
- Sergeant Vanahun Manzus in the battle near Kursk near the village of Consent took the fight with superior enemy forces. As a result of the hostilities, he chose the most correct decision, took up a circular defense and held it until reinforcements arrived. For valor and high merits, as a result of this battle, he was awarded the highest rank of the Soviet Union - Hero. The rank of sergeant was awarded posthumously, he died in this battle.
- Vlasov A. A. (foreman). In battlesnear the village of Yakovlevo on 1943-07-07 and 1943-07-07, it repelled fierce enemy attacks. In the battles on July 6, he knocked out nine enemy tanks, of which four heavy "Tigers" and five medium ones. On July 7th, he held back the attack of twenty-three German tanks. During the battle, in the first half hour, his crew knocked out ten of them. Vlasov A. A. died in battle. For military services to the Motherland, he was awarded the military title of Hero of the USSR posthumously.
- Jr. Lieutenant Vidulin N. G., with a platoon entrusted to him, repelled the attacks of superior German forces; during the battle, he and his platoon managed to destroy more than 50 Nazi soldiers and force them to start retreating. After the pursuit began, they managed to capture 8 mortars and 4 machine guns, more than twenty machine guns and many enemy grenades. He was wounded in this battle, after treatment in the hospital he continued the war. For outstanding services, he was recognized as a Hero by the homeland.
Having run into serious resistance in the northern direction in the Olkhovatka area, the Germans shifted their offensive to the area of the Ponyrey village, but organized resistance was also waiting for them here. As a result of a week-long offensive, German troops were able to penetrate only 12 kilometers into the Soviet defenses.
Volkov P. P. - loader of the artillery gun crew - near the Ponyri railway junction took an unequal battle with the German infantry, reinforced with tanks. As a result of this battle, he blew up four cars. More than thirty German soldiers were left lying on the ground after his marksmanship. Private Volkov himself died in this battle. For courage and resourcefulness, he was awarded the title of Hero,which he was awarded posthumously.
Lieutenant Gagkaev A. A. - commander of an artillery battalion - on 1943-05-07, he fought with superior German forces near the village of Bykovka. After his gun crew disabled and blew up six Tiger tanks, and his gun was broken, Gagkaev did not retreat and did not rush to escape. He bravely, together with his calculation, went to the Germans in hand-to-hand combat. He died along with the calculation in this battle. For unparalleled courage and bravery, he was deservedly awarded the honorary Order of Lenin and presented to the title of Hero posthumously.
Unable to break through the Soviet defenses in the southern direction in the Oboyan area, the German troops turned to Prokhorovka, hoping to break through the Russian defenses with a decisive blow, as it seemed to them, in the most unfortified place.
Battle of Prokhorovka
12.07.1943 the battle near Prokhorovka began, which went down in modern history as a great tank battle. On the morning of July 12, 1943, hundreds of Soviet tanks in groups of 40 to 50 rolled out of Prokhorovka and the surrounding area towards the German tank units. All our tankers fought with enviable courage these days, and all of them were heroes, but there are those who deserve special mention.
- Bratsyuk Nikolai Zakharovich - commander of a tank brigade, during the fighting from 20 to 23 July 1943, his brigade destroyed eight tanks, nine guns, twelve cannons, more than twenty machine guns and mortars, seven armored vehicles, more than a battalion of soldiers. For the valor and courage shownas a result of these battles, he received the title of Hero.
- Senior Lieutenant Antonov M. M. - commander of a tank brigade, in the battles near Orel in July 43rd distinguished himself by the correct vision of the situation, courage and heroism shown in battles. In battle, he blew up 4 enemy tanks, six guns, more than fifty enemy soldiers and was deservedly awarded the title of Hero of the USSR.
- Lieutenant Butenko Ivan Efimovich - commander of a tank platoon - 1943-06-07 skillfully and selflessly repelled enemy attacks. In the direction of the village of Smorodina near Belgorod, he destroyed 3 enemy tanks, 2 of which were rammed. As a result of the battles, Lieutenant Butenko I. E. posthumously received the title of Hero. Killed in October 1943.
The daring tactics of the Soviet tank forces led to a disastrous German defeat, and the demoralized SS divisions had to retreat, leaving many destroyed tanks, including 70 to 100 Tigers and Panthers. These losses undermined the combat strength of the SS divisions, leaving the 4th Panzer Army no chance of victory in the south.
Soviet pilots
This victory would not have been possible without the heroic actions of our aviation. All battles on all frontiers of the Kursk salient took place with the constant support of our aircraft. In these battles, thanks to the courage of our aces, the pilots - the heroes of the Battle of Kursk in all respects surpassed the German pilots. Many of them received the proud title of Hero of the USSR.
Pilots - the heroes of the Battle of Kursk quite skillfully and bravely fought not only in this battle. With their unparalleled courage, they amazed all overWWII. Russian pilots were feared and respected by the honored aces of the German troops. Gorovets A.
06. 07. 43 in an air battle near Kursk, he was not afraid to take off on his plane and rush into battle with the enemy forces much superior in number. In this battle, he shot down nine enemy planes. Alexander Gorovets became the first and only pilot of the Soviet Union who shot down so many German aircraft during one battle.
Alexander himself died in this battle. For this feat, which he accomplished in the skies over Kursk, he was awarded the title of Hero, which was awarded to him posthumously. A monument in the form of a bust was erected at the place of his death.
Ivan Kozhedub - pilot (ace) - became a Hero of the Soviet Union 3 times during the war years, 06.07. 1943 marked its fortieth sortie with a downed German bomber, a day later another German aircraft was shot down. On 07/09/43, having taken off into the air, he shot down two German fighters, for which for the first time he received the highest award of the Hero.
Popkov V. I. went his way from a pilot to a squadron commander. During the fighting he was repeatedly wounded, but survived. Near Kursk, he shot down 17 German aircraft, made more than 117 sorties, for these skillful actions he was awarded the title of Hero. Popkov V. I. was the prototype of several roles in the famous and beloved movie "Only Old Men Go to Battle".
Major Buyanov Viktor Nikolaevich - Deputy. squadron commander, during the Battle of Kursk until 07/15/43 he made more than seventy sorties, he himself shot down 9 fascistaircraft and as part of the group seven more aircraft. On September 2, 1943, he was awarded the title of Hero.
The Soviet victory marked a turning point in the war, which began with the defeat of the 6th Army of Paulus in Stalingrad. For several years, the German army was a fairly strong enemy, and only after Kursk did the Soviet Army finally go on the offensive, liberating the territories of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe from Nazi occupation.
Opening of the monument
The memorial in honor of the heroes of the Battle of Kursk was erected on the site of the former height 254.5, where the mass graves of the great Soviet soldiers who defended it are located.
The solemn opening of the memorial took place on August 3, 1973, on the day of the thirtieth anniversary of the Battle of Kursk. The descendants and children of the heroes of the Battle of Kursk, who defended these places, also took part in it. The honorable right to light the Eternal Flame, delivered from Mamaev Kurgan, was granted to the participant of the Battle of Kursk N. N. Kononenko.
Winner of the Lenin and State Prizes, People's Artist of the USSR, composer Georgy Sviridov wrote a Requiem for the opening ceremony of the memorial, and it is played here to this day.
The following facilities were equipped in 1973 in honor of the heroic deeds of artillerymen on the southern slope of Hill 254, 5:
- dugouts were restored;
- firing position of one of the artillery crews and a 76mm ZIS-3 cannon.
In the south of the central part of the memorial there is a dugout, where on 07/05/43 there wascommand of the 6th Guards Army. A separate monument to artillerymen is a model of the 76-mm anti-tank gun ZIS-3 of Sergeant Azarov, holder of the Order of Glory of all degrees.
The Memorial Complex to the Heroes of the Battle of Kursk includes a number of other objects:
- 44-meter stele;
- two 122mm A-19 long-range artillery guns;
- the legendary T-34 on the mass grave of tank soldiers;
- an obelisk with a list of fronts, armies and military units that fought in the southern part of the Kursk Bulge;
- Yak combat aircraft models;
- chapel of St. George the Victorious;
- Square of the Heroes of the Battle of Kursk;
- monuments to the soldiers of the multinational Red Army.
The memorial to the heroes of the Battle of Kursk is presented by the museum, at the exhibition of the Hall of Military Glory there are memorabilia telling about the events of the Patriotic War unleashed by the Germans in 1941, where the history of the greatest battle in the history of the war - the confrontation between German and Soviet troops under Kursk.
Here you can see documents and photographs of participants in the Battle of Kursk, military leaders - front commanders, army commanders and other important persons who directly influenced the outcome of this battle.
Memorial to the heroes of the Battle of Kursk presents a branch of the local history museum of the city of Belgorod.
The heroic feat of the Soviet soldiers who fought in the bloody battles near Kursk, Prokhorovka, was incomparable in its intensity! More than 100,000 soldiers received well-deserved military orders and medals, and more180 fighters were awarded the highest title of Heroes of the Soviet Union for unparalleled courage and bravery in this battle. These are the Heroes of the Soviet Union, participants in the Battle of Kursk, which will be discussed later.
Today the Heroes of the Battle of Kursk and their deeds are studied in schools, especially those where people sacrificed themselves for the sake of victory.
One of the examples of self-sacrifice in the battles near Kursk was the feat of tankers A. Nikolaev and R. Chernov. Despite the fact that they were not awarded the highest military rank, for us they are the heroes of the Battle of Kursk. Their exploits will be briefly described below.
After their tank brigade suddenly ran into Nazi tanks in order not to be shot at point-blank range by their powerful guns, the brigade commander began the battle.
During this attack, Captain Skripkin was wounded, and the tank was pierced by several shells and caught fire. Alexander Nikolaev and Roman Chernov carried the commander out and put him in the shell hole. One of the enemy Tiger tanks saw this maneuver and went straight for the crater where the battalion commander was.
Alexander Nikolaev, to protect the commander, jumped into his burning tank and rushed to the enemy car. "Tiger" fired, but missed, and Nikolaev on his tank crashed into the German, making a tank ram.
The result was a deafening explosion. Thus, at the cost of their lives, the soldiers saved their commander. A. Nikolaev and R. Chernov were awarded the Order of the Patriotic War of the second degree posthumously. During the fighting on the Kursk Bulge tank ramsthere were at least 20 more. Many of the tankers producing the ram were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, the Battle of Kursk.
Another tanker - Ivan Alekseevich Konorev - 1943-12-07 destroyed two German self-propelled installations, others turned around and tried to escape. As a result of their pursuit, Konorev got into a minefield, and his tank exploded on one of the mines, but he did not leave it, but continued to fight, even being wounded. For unparalleled bravery and courage, Konorev Ivan Alekseevich was awarded the title of Hero posthumously.
There are many such examples. These names of the heroes of the Battle of Kursk will never be forgotten in our country.
Losses in the Battle of Kursk
The heroes of the Battle of Kursk defended its borders until their last breath, suffered significant losses, so they were huge on both sides.
The Germans in the operation "Citadel" lost, according to their data:
- more than 130,429 people killed;
- 1500 tanks and self-propelled guns;
- 1400 aircraft.
According to Soviet data:
- about 420,000 people killed;
- 3000 tanks and self-propelled guns;
- 1696 aircraft.
Losses that proved catastrophic for the German troops. After such losses, they were unable to recover their strength.
For the Soviet troops, the losses amounted to much more. As a result of the selfless actions of all the soldiers, many received the title of Heroes of the Union. The Battle of Kursk made more than 150 people awarded this title.
For the Russians, this battle was the maina turning point in the war and in the history of the whole country. Finally, they broke the defenses of the German army and were able to begin the expulsion of Hitler's soldiers from the territory of the Soviet Union.
All German-occupied Soviet cities that had been under Nazi rule for two years were liberated by the Red Army, including Oryol, Kharkov, Smolensk and Kyiv.
Summing up
Operation "Citadel" was the decisive battle on the Eastern Front, because after it the Soviet troops continued their victorious offensive, freeing their cities and cities of European countries.
However, it would be more appropriate to say that Germany was defeated by the combined effects of the battles of Moscow, Stalingrad and Kursk.
The significance of Operation Citadel was that it destroyed the remaining offensive force of the German troops. The Battle of Kursk depleted what was left of Germany's strategic reserves. After Citadel, she was unable to launch any further major offensives against the Soviet Union.
