Students of military history have long recognized the importance of kursk, also known as operation citadel, and there have been several serious studies of the battle. The battle of kursk in the summer of 1943 was one of the greatest battles in military history involving more than 3 million soldiers, 10,000 tanks and 8,000 aircraft. The german army after the battle of kursk by walter s. It tracks points cost, battle rating and number of officers for you. The battle of kursk was one of the four greatest victories for the soviets during the great patriotic war but the greatest by far was the victory in 4142 when the germans were stopped before moscow and then pushed back, and nearly destroyed.
A study of the battle of kursk at prokhorovka, one of the largest tank engagements in world history, which led to staggering losses imncluding nearly 200,000 soviet and 50,000 german casualties within the first ten days of fighting. It will comfortably handle 10 to 15 tanks or selfpropelled guns a side plus support in that forementioned 3 hours. Although western historiography traditionally marks the beginning of the german downfall to the dday invasion of normandy, the crushing defeat of kursk makes a more likely turning point for. The battle of kursk was a decisive battle of world war ii. Kursk became our go to source for our first game of the new plan. The kursk defensive operation 1 july 1943 red army strengths sources. Photo of battlegroup fall of the reich supplement bp1407 bp1407. Bp1427 battlegroup barbarossa supplement our price.
Battlegroup rulesets 10 products found you are on page 1 of 1. Online battle group kursk builder forum dakkadakka. The battle of kursk july 1943 walking the battlefields. Unternehmen zitadelle, on 5 july, which had the objective of. What was soviet unions military strategy during the battle. Most of your are aware im sure of warhammer historicals kampfgruppe normandy that are no longer avalible since that firm wound that operation up. Just in case you didnt fancy cutting up your battlegroup. The offensive action by army group south heeresgruppe sud was countered by the defence and ultimately offense of voronezh and steppe fronts. The battle began with the launch of the german offensive operation citadel german. Road to berlin by john erikson this is the only book i have read that provides the soviet side of the story aside from various general histories of the east front. The other two being the battle of stalingrad and the battle of berlin. Two million people, 6,000 tanks and 4,000 aircraft took part in the battle 5310. Sporadic arrivals of new conscripts and equipment, especially for the mechanized units and the waffen ss, gave the german defenders the means. The battle of kursk july 5august 23, 1943 was one of the biggest and bloodiest battles in human history.
The battle of kursk was the first time in the second world war that a german strategic offensive was halted before it could break through enemy defences and penetrate to its strategic depths. The battle of kursk was a second world war engagement between german and soviet forces on the eastern front near kursk 450 kilometres or 280 miles southwest of moscow in the soviet union, during july and august 1943. Citadel was the decisive battle on the eastern front in world war ii because after this battle the initiative passed to the soviets, who would never lose it again. Forum for the discussion of battlegroup wargame rules plus battle reports and pictures of your armies. Oct 27, 2017 kursk was indeed an epic battle, that pitted 3 million german and soviet soldiers and 8,000 tanks, all crammed into a small portion of southern russia. Compiled by one of the worlds leading experts on the subject of the air war over the eastern front, christer bergstrom, kursk.
Imho a slightly more user friendly version of the qrs for battlegroup. That lets me play a game to completion in 2 to 3 hours on a clubnight. Or wait till the mini rules book comes out, and buy 2 books then. However, it would be more appropriate to say that germany was defeated by the combined effects of the battles of moscow in 1941, stalingrad in 1942, and kursk in 1943. The battle of kursk began on the afternoon of july 4, 1943 with a divebombing attack by a squadron of stukas around butovo in the kursk salient. I almost envision someone involved sitting somewhere, whose favorite battle it kursk, being totally puzzled that there is someone out there for whom it isnt. However it does a very good job of supporting infantry too you can run a russian rifle division horde if you like. The air battle, is the third in a series of books covering the major phases of the air war in this theatre of operations. Within the context of local street searches, angles and compass directions are very important, as well as ensuring that distances in all directions are shown at the same scale. Analysis and significance of the battle of kursk in july 1943. From a report by the senior general staff officer in the voronezh front to the chief of the general staff concerning the defensive operations. The first, covering 53 pages are the rules themselves. While many books have been written on this allegedly most decisive battle of the second world war, many legends live on, above all because of misleading information that recur in.
They are written by warwick kinrade, who is perhaps most well known as the author of the kampfgruppe normandie rules from warhammer historical. As with many of our games, we need to pool our resources, particularly when setting up a larger game for 46 players. A major german offensive had been stopped before it managed to break through the soviet lines of defense. The battle for kursk 1943 opens up new horizons on the operations of the red army at kursk, the nature of the war on the german eastern front, and, in general terms, the new range of horrors that have characterised warfare in the twentie. Whenever i think of this attack, my stomach turns over. These fast, fun and authenticfeeling rules, written by veteran games designer warwick kinrade author of kampfgruppe normandie, are designed to play at 15mm and 20mm 172nd scales. Apr 19, 2019 german orders of battle at the time of the tank battle of kursk and the allied invasion of sicily from july 7, 1943. Enforces unique and support choice limits and can produce a nice printable roster of your final list for you. He quickly goes on the offensive and throws the british forces back into egypt, leaving only the besieged port of tobruk still in. Dec 05, 2012 just in case you didnt fancy cutting up your battlegroup kursk rulebook posted on december 5, 2012 by neil shuck in hobby news 1 comment if you have listened to epsiode 96 of the podcast, you will know that mike hobbs and i were both pretty impressed with battlegroup kursk, the new rules from plastic soldier company and iron fist. With a few of the guys having mid and latewar ww ii germans and soviets, bg. The battle of kursk on germanys eastern front in world war ii was one of the most important battles in world history and a major turning point in the war. The salient was a bulge in the soviet lines that stretched 150 miles 240 km from north to south and protruded 100 miles 160 km westward into the german lines.
Being set in kursk the largest tank battle in history bgk supports good size tank on tank battles. Valeriy nikolaevich zamulin, a phd candidate, is a leading russian scholar of the battle of kursk. German orders of battle kursk july 1943 ww2 weapons. The red army has already been made aware of german plans to attack the kursk salient in a pincer movement so their main strategy is to blunt the offensive then initiate one of their own should the aftermath of the battle permit such an action. From its victory in the battle of kursk, the soviet red army went on to liberate most of ukraine in the autumn of 1943, marching into kiev on november 6. Comparative strengths and losses in the battle of kursk. Zapotoczny the wehrmachts strength and combat effectiveness in the east after the battle of kursk entered a period of steady decline.
The battle of kursk occurred in july 1943 around the soviet city of kursk in western russia, as germany launched operation citadel, hitlers response to his. The rules are written as the first of several books, each concentrating on. Add to basket add to wishlist mortem et gloriam mortem et gloriam ccc measuring sticks. The day after as well as half of july 14 the tank battle shattered the earth. This is the campaign supplement from the original battlegroup kursk rulebook, containing army lists, stats, scenarios and campaign to refight the kursk battles on the eastern front in 1943 you will need a copy of the battlegroup rules to use this product. Many of the truths of kursk have been found to be based more on fiction than fact.
Analysis and significance of the battle of kursk in july. The material presented herein is applicable to nuclear and nonnuclear warfare. What were the german and soviet strategic objectives for. Soviet defensive tactics at kursk, july 1943 army university press. While both fronts have their advantages in gaming, kursk offers a much quicker gameplay with better sightlines for tank battles and more movement. Lesson 1 write out the force sheets and add up the points and the br before setting out. Since 1996, he has been working intensively in the most important russian and foreign archival institutes, including the central archive of russias ministry of defense and in the us national archive, in order to gather and analyse documentary sources on the events in the kursk bulge. Galinins seventeenth army, was to defend the northern sector. The second, much larger part is a campaign supplement for the pivotal battle of kursk on the eastern front. That said, there has only been deep research on the battle in the last twenty years after the opening of the soviet archives in the early 1990s. Battlegroup historical rules for wwii visit for the. Despite the big loss the battle of kursk was a soviet triumph. German panzer and infantry divisions, to face the russiantank corps and rifle divisions across a series of scenarios or a short campaignthe inglorious 12th july for the savage tank battles at prokhorovka. Kursk 1943 wasnt the greatest tank battle of all times.
A new and innovative games system for recreating the epic battles around kursk in 1943 on the eastern front. Where applicable, appropriate modifying guidance for nonnuclear warfare is integrated throughout the manual. It covers the organization and functioning of the company and its elements. The battle of kursk was one of the largest tank battles ever fought. Its vivid portrayals of fighting in all critical sectors place the famous tank battle in its. To the south, the voronezh front faced the german army group south with three armies. Atlas of the battle of kursk julyaugust 1943 74 maps. The battle of kursk takes readers behind soviet lines for the first time pdf to discover what the red army knew about the plans for hitlers offensive operation citadel, relive tank warfare and handtohand combat, and learn how the tide of battle turned.
Battle group kursk offers up a great game with a strong emphasis on command and control and on the historical character of the fight for the kursk salient in the summer of 1943. The dates covered are from july 4th 1943 to july 12th 1943. Facing the disastrous loss of their north african colonies, the italians accept the aid of their allies and the germans deploy the deutsche afrika korps to libya, under the command of general erwin rommel. The german invasion of the ussr in 1941 was, at first, a smashing success.
One of the largest and most decisive confrontations of the war, kursk marked adolf hitlers last serious attempt to regain the strategic initiative against joseph. Kursk taming the tigers fast play rules for the battle of prokhorovka 1943 by matt fritz. While the germans consider the battle occurred from july 515, 1943 and the soviets from july 5august 23, 1943, both agree it began on july 5, when germany launched its third and final offensive during its war against the soviet union, an operation code named operation citadel zitadelle. There werent thousands of tanks clashing into each other at prokhorovka.
Some of the hardback books are now out of print, but are still available as pdfs, making it easier for overseas buyers to get their hands on the rules and supplements. One of the innovations introduced in this game is the mechanic of drawing chits for army morale. German orders of battle at the time of the tank battle of kursk and the allied invasion of sicily from july 7, 1943. But it was prosecuted poorly and the russians turns it into a major german defeat.
The second largest tank battle in history of man kind. The name battle group gives a hint to what this family of rules is all about. The battle of kursk comprised a failed german offensive operation and a successful soviet defensiveoffensive operation, 5 july to 23 august 1943, on the eastern front in world war ii. He quickly goes on the offensive and throws the british forces back into egypt, leaving only the besieged port of tobruk still in their hands. The battle of kursk was a decisive nazisoviet tank battle at prokhorovka, which went on for days, wreaked massive destruction on both sides, and turned the tides of the war from then on the nazi army was in retreat, with the soviets hot on their heels. The battle of kursk, fought in the summer of 1943, involved six thousand german and soviet armored vehicles, making it the biggest tank battle of all time and possibly the largest battle of any kind. This largeformat 11 x 17 atlas consists of daily composite situation maps, detailed tactical situation maps on a scale of 1. The german orders of battle and distribution of the divisions of the german wehrmacht and subordinates units of allies at the time of the tank battle of kursk and the allied invasion of sicily in midsummer 1943. Last week i recieved my long awaited copy of battle group kursk bgk so i thought id share with you my impressions after a week of reading. The battle of kursk operation citadel and the last nazi. It remains the largest armored battle of all time, and included the most costly single day of aerial warfare in history. Eyewitness accounts of the battle of kursk russia beyond.
The map the map used for the battles of kursk scenarios is based off a section of the panzer campaigns kursk 43 map. There is no installation required for battlegroup kursk rules pdf download for mac. The statistics relating to the battle of kurskthe great showdown between nazi germany and soviet russia in july 1943still have the power to astonish, even 70 years later. House seek to separate myth from fact to show what really. Documents and materials, 27 march to 23 august 1943, vol. For the germans, the battle represented the final strategic offensive they were able to mount in the eastern front. Revisiting a lost victory at kursk a thesis submitted to the graduate faculty of the louisiana state university and agricultural and mechanical college in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of master of arts in liberal arts in the interdepartmental program in liberal arts by jonathan p. Battlegroup fall of the reich pdf supplement to the battlegroup gaming system covering the invasion of germany primarily but not exclusively designed for 20mm and 15mm scales. Unternehmen zitadelle, on 5 july, which had the objective of pinching off the kursk salient. Battle of kursk, july 5august 23, 1943, unsuccessful german assault on the soviet salient around the city of kursk, in western russia, during world war ii. Battlegroup kursk is the much anticipated set of world war ii rules published by the plastic soldier company. Battlegroup rulesets north star military figures 28mm metal miniatures for gamers and collectors. It also allows saving and loading of your battle groups.
The battle of kursk is probably one of the best known eastern front battles in the west. Our battle is a scenario in the summer of 1944, hence all the t3485s seen in the game. It was one of the largest tank battles in history since the battle of kursk in world war ii. Koltunov, kurskaia bitva v tsifrakh the battle of kursk in numbers, vizh 6 june 1968.
Battle of kursk, part two civilian military intelligence. For the soviet union, the victory gave the red army the strategic initiative for the rest of the war. Jul 12, 20 the battle of kursk is also known as the battle of the kursk bulge, named for the curved front of the battle formed by soviet troops see battle map. However by 1943 the german army was on the brink of disaster.
Battlegroup kursk rules pdf download for mac offers an image processing system that interactively analyzes and edits battlegroup kursk rules pdf downloadtral image data. Koltunov, kurskaia bitva the battle of kursk moscow. Battlegroup is a set of world war ii miniatures rules published by ironfist publishing, a small independent publisher, which are available through plastic soldier company in the uk. Why the battle of kursk might just be the most misunderstood. The kursk player only has to buy one book, the rest have to buy at least the kursk book plus one additional one. The battle of kursk takes readers behind soviet lines for the first time to discover what the red army knew about the plans for hitlers offensive operation citadel, relive tank warfare and handtohand combat, and learn how the tide of battle turned. While it performs well, this app would benefit from a more userfriendly interface. Objective ponyri the battle of kursk july 1943 popular conception of the battle of kursk leaves the impression that the key to soviet success was the 5th tank armys defence of prokhorovka which so it is said thwarted the german attack from the south.
Although originally planned as a german offensive, the soviet defense was so successful that they were able to turn it into a rout. The latest supplement for the battlegroup world war two game is themed around the battle for tobruk in 194041 but also has some extra. Drawing on both german and soviet sources, david m. Battle of kursk seventeen moments in soviet history. The battle of kursk is also known as the battle of the kursk bulge, named for the curved front of the battle formed by soviet troops see battle map. Battlegroup kursk pdf only four detailedarmy lists included. Abstract the battle of kursk on germanys eastern front in world war ii was one of the most important battles in world history and a major. Itll let you build a battle group for any of the four forces described in battle group kursk. Although the german offensive was called off on july 17th, when hitler directed the withdrawal of ii ss panzer corps, the fighting in the salient did not end on that day. Intelligence and the battle of kursk, 1943 for students of the sovietgerman war, the revelations concerning allied signal intelligence between 1939 and 1945 only underscore our ignorance of the intelligence aspects of the second world wars greatest land campaign. The soviet army had stopped germanys momentum, most notably at stalingrad. Part one after having lost the entire german 6th army in stalingrad in february 1943, hitler, the german army staff and frankly, the german people were shocked. Sep 01, 2012 the rules are written as the first of several books, each concentrating on a particular conflict, and as such is actually split into two distinct parts.
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