Battle of Kursk Timeline

(July 5, 1943 – August 23, 1943)

The Battle of Kursk was a major World War II confrontation between German and Soviet forces on the Eastern Front, fought from July to August 1943 around the city of Kursk in western Russia. It featured the largest tank battle in history at Prokhorovka and marked the last major German offensive in the east, ending with a decisive Soviet victory that shifted the strategic initiative permanently to the Red Army. More Less

Go to: Timeline | Event List | Key Facts | Directory

German Planning

Manstein requests unrestricted operational freedom

Dec 1942

Since December 1942, Field Marshal Erich von Manstein had been strongly requesting 'unrestricted operational freedom' to allow him to use his forces in a fluid manner against the advancing Soviet armies.

Image source: Battle of Kursk

II SS Panzer Corps arrives from France

Jan 1943

In January 1943, the II SS Panzer Corps arrived from France, refitted and up to near full strength, providing a key armoured formation for future German operations on the Eastern Front.

Panzer divisions bear burden of any 1943 offensive

Jan 1, 1943

For the Wehrmacht to undertake an offensive in 1943, the burden of the offensive, in both attacking the Soviet defences and holding ground on the flanks of the advance, would have to be carried primarily by the panzer divisions.

Manstein meets Hitler at headquarters in Görlitz

Feb 6, 1943

On 6 February 1943, Manstein met with Hitler at his headquarters in Görlitz (now Gierłoż, Poland) to discuss the proposals he had previously sent regarding operational freedom on the Eastern Front.

Remaining German forces reorganised

Feb 12, 1943

On 12 February 1943, the remaining German forces were reorganised in response to the crisis on the southern front, setting the stage for Manstein's counteroffensive operations and later planning for Operation Citadel.

Germans aim to cut off the Kursk salient

Apr 1, 1943

The Germans hoped to weaken the Soviet offensive potential for the summer of 1943 by cutting off and enveloping the forces they anticipated would be in the Kursk salient, leading to the planning of Operation Citadel.

Background and Prelude

Gap opens between German Army Group B and Army Group Don

Jan 1943

By January 1943, a 160-to-300-kilometre-wide gap had opened between German Army Group B and Army Group Don. The advancing Soviet armies threatened to cut off all German forces south of the Don River, including Army Group A operating in the Caucasus.

Southern German front in strategic crisis

Feb 1943

By February 1943 the southern sector of the German front was in strategic crisis, following the loss of Stalingrad and successive Soviet offensives that threatened to collapse German lines.

Soviets retake Kursk

Feb 8, 1943

Kursk was retaken by the Soviets on 8 February 1943, a key step in forming the Kursk salient that would become the focal point of the summer's decisive battle.

Soviets retake Rostov

Feb 14, 1943

Rostov was retaken by Soviet forces on 14 February 1943, further pressuring the southern sector of the German front as it slid into strategic crisis.

Soviet offensive against Army Group Centre abandoned

Mar 1943

In 1943, an offensive by the Soviet Central, Bryansk and Western Fronts against Army Group Centre was abandoned shortly after it began in early March, when the southern flank of the Central Front was threatened by Army Group South.

Air War

Luftwaffe strength weakens after Stalingrad

Jan 1, 1943

By 1943 the Luftwaffe's strength on the Eastern Front had started to weaken after Stalingrad and the siphoning of resources to North Africa, though it could still achieve local aerial superiority by concentrating its forces.

Most Luftwaffe raids hit dummy airfields

Jun 1, 1943 - Jun 30, 1943

According to a Soviet General Staff report, 29 of the 35 major Luftwaffe raids on Soviet airfields in the Kursk sector in June 1943 were against dummy airfields, demonstrating the effectiveness of Soviet deception measures.

Freya radar stations fail to detect full Soviet strike

Jul 4, 1943

The German Freya radar stations at Belgorod and Kharkov had only picked up Soviet air formations approaching Belgorod and were not responsible for the failure of the entire Soviet preemptive air strike on the eve of Operation Citadel.

Luftwaffe day fighter presence on Eastern Front declines

Oct 1, 1943

In late 1943 just 25 per cent of Luftwaffe day fighters were on the Eastern Front, due to British and US air attacks on Italy and Germany, further eroding German air power in the east after the Battle of Kursk.

Soviet Preparations

Central Front reconstructed from Don Front

Feb 1943

In February 1943, the Central Front had been reconstructed from the Don Front, which had been part of the northern pincer of Operation Uranus and had been responsible for the destruction of the 6th Army at Stalingrad.

Stalin warned of possible German attack in Kursk sector

Mar 27, 1943

Soviet politician Anastas Mikoyan wrote that on 27 March 1943, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin notified him of a possible German attack in the Kursk sector, showing early Soviet awareness of German intentions.

Stalin consults frontline commanders and General Staff

Apr 12, 1943 - Apr 15, 1943

From 12 to 15 April 1943, Stalin consulted with his frontline commanders and senior officers of the General Staff about how to respond to the expected German offensive at Kursk, deciding on a strategy of deliberate defence followed by counteroffensive.

Partisan attacks devastate railways behind Army Group Centre

Jun 1943

In June 1943, partisans operating in the occupied area behind Army Group Centre destroyed 298 locomotives, 1,222 railway wagons and 44 bridges, and in the Kursk sector there were 1,092 partisan attacks on railways, severely disrupting German logistics.

Operation Polkovodets Rumyantsev planned as main Soviet offensive

Aug 1, 1943

Operation Polkovodets Rumyantsev was intended as the main Soviet offensive for 1943, launched after Citadel was defeated to drive into Belgorod and Kharkov and consolidate Soviet gains around the Kursk salient.

Image source: Belgorod–Kharkov offensive operation

The Battle

Heavy tank losses among light tanks on Soviet fronts

Jul 1, 1943

Of the 3,600 tanks in the Central and Voronezh Fronts in July 1943, 1,061 were light T-60 and T-70 tanks, reflecting the mixed quality of Soviet armour available for the battle.

Fighting begins on southern face of salient

Jul 4, 1943

Fighting started on the southern face of the salient on the evening of 4 July 1943, when German infantry launched attacks to seize high ground for artillery observation posts prior to the main assault of Operation Citadel.

Battle of Kursk ends in Soviet victory

Jul 4, 1943 - Aug 23, 1943

The Battle of Kursk, also called the Battle of the Kursk Salient, was a major World War II Eastern Front battle between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union near Kursk in southwestern Russia during the summer of 1943, resulting in a decisive Soviet victory that permanently shifted the strategic initiative to the Red Army.

Aftermath and Losses

Record German ammunition expenditure in July and August

Jul 1, 1943 - Aug 31, 1943

July and August 1943 saw the heaviest German ammunition expenditure on the Eastern Front up to that point, with 236,915 tons consumed in July and 254,648 in August, far exceeding the previous peak of 160,645 tons in September 1942.

9th Army losses assessed by Zetterling and Frankson

Jul 4, 1943 - Jul 9, 1943

According to Niklas Zetterling with Anders Frankson, the 9th German Army lost 26,692 men from 4 to 9 July 1943, 1.46 times more than the Heeresarzt 10-day reports indicated, illustrating disputes over casualty figures.

Panther write-offs swell during the battle

Aug 11, 1943

A report on 11 August 1943 showed that the numbers of write-offs in Panther tanks swelled to 156, with only 9 operational, highlighting the mechanical unreliability and combat losses of the new German heavy tank.

Disputed losses reported for 6th German Army

Aug 11, 1943 - Aug 31, 1943

According to the 10-day reports, the losses of the 6th German Army from 11 to 31 August 1943 were only 5,122 men, while its commander General Carl Holidt and von Manstein reported the army lost 6,814 non-commissioned officers and soldiers only from 18 to 21 August, revealing discrepancies in loss reporting.

Infantry division strengths measured in southern armies

Aug 30, 1943

On 30 August 1943, the average number of infantry divisions in the 4th Tank Army and OG 'Kempf' was 8,269 men, and the tank and motorized divisions 10,745 men, reflecting the attrition suffered by German units during the campaign.

Archival records dispersed to US and Soviet archives

Jan 1, 1978

Many records relevant to the battle were transferred to the United States national archives and were not made available until 1978, while others were taken by the Soviet Union, which declined to confirm their existence, complicating historical study of the battle.

Key Facts

The Battle of Kursk was the largest tank battle in history, with thousands of tanks clashing near Prokhorovka on July 12, 1943.
Germany's offensive, Operation Citadel, was delayed by Hitler so new heavy tanks like the Tiger and Panther could be deployed.
Soviet intelligence had learned of the German plans, allowing the Red Army to build deep, layered defensive lines before the attack.
The Allied invasion of Sicily in July 1943 forced Hitler to divert forces from Kursk, hastening the German withdrawal.
The Soviet victory marked the final time Germany could launch a major offensive on the Eastern Front, beginning the long Red Army advance westward.

Source

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