Education, History
The Battle of Prokhorovka and Three Myths about Him
The battle of Prokhorovka was officially called the legendary Soviet historiography. On the battlefield, a battle broke out, which was recognized as the greatest in the history of counter tank engagement, without specifying, however, the number of armored vehicles involved in it.
For a long time, the main source of information about this episode of the war was I. Markin's book The Battle of Kursk, published in 1953. Then, in the seventies, the epic "Liberation" was filmed, one of the series of which was dedicated to the Battle of Kursk. And the main part of it was the battle of Prokhorovka. Without exaggeration, it can be argued that Soviet people studied the history of the war in these works of art. The first ten years about the greatest tank battle in the world at all there was no information.
Legendary means mythical. These words are synonyms. Historians are forced to turn to myths when other sources are unavailable. The battle of Prokhorovka did not take place in Old Testament times, but in 1943. The unwillingness of the deserved commanders to tell details about so few remote events indicates the tactical, strategic or other miscalculations they have made.
In the early summer of 1943, in the area of the city of Kursk, the front line was formed in such a way that an arched ledge developed into the depth of the German defense. The German Army General Staff reacted quite stereotypically to this situation. Their task was to cut off, encircle, and subsequently destroy the Soviet grouping, consisting of the Central and Voronezh fronts. According to the plan "Citadel" the Germans were going to strike counter strikes in the direction from Orel and Belgorod.
The enemy's intentions were unraveled. The Soviet command took measures to prevent the breakthrough of defense and prepared a retaliatory strike, which was to follow after the exhaustion of the advancing German troops. Both opposing sides made movements of armored forces to realize their plans.
It is well known that on July 10, the second SS tank corps under the command of Gruppenfuhrer Paul Hausser collided with the units of the fifth tank army of Lieutenant-General Paul Rotmistrov, who is preparing for the offensive. The confrontation lasted almost a week. Its culmination occurred on July 12.
What is true in this information, and what is fiction?
Apparently, the battle of Prokhorovka was a surprise, both for the Soviet and for the German command. Tanks are used for the offensive, their main function is to support the infantry and overcome the lines of defense. The number of Soviet armored vehicles surpassed the enemy, so at first glance, the Germans countered the battle was unprofitable. However, the enemy skillfully used the successful terrain relief, which allowed to fire from long distances. Soviet T-34-75 tanks, which had the advantage in maneuver, were inferior to Tigers in tower armament. In addition, every third Soviet machine in this battle was an easy reconnaissance T-70.
The factor of surprise was also important, the Germans had previously discovered the enemy, and the first to launch an attack. Their better coordination of actions was due to well-organized radio communication.
In such difficult conditions, the battle began at Prokhorovka. The losses were enormous, and their ratio was not in favor of the Soviet troops.
According to the plan of the commander of the Voronezh Front Vatutin and a member of the military council of Khrushchev, the counterattack was to be the rout of the German group, which was trying to make a breakthrough. This did not happen, and the operation was found to be unsuccessful. However, later it turned out that the benefit from it was still, and a huge one. The Wehrmacht suffered catastrophic losses, the German command lost its initiative, and the offensive intent was thwarted, albeit at the price of great blood. Back then, the fictional plan of the battle of Prokhorovka appeared retroactively, and the operation was declared a major military success.
So, the official description of these events under Kursk rests on three myths:
Myth one: a premeditated operation. Although it was not so. The battle took place because of insufficient awareness of the enemy's plans.
Myth number two: the main reason for the loss of tanks was a counterattack. This, too, was not so. Most of the armor, both German and Soviet, was hit by anti-tank artillery.
Myth three: the battle took place continuously and in one field - Prokhorovsky. And it was not so. The battle consisted of many separate combat episodes, from July 10 to July 17, 1943.
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