Kursk 1943: Last German Offensive in the East (Casemate Illustrated)

An illustrated history of World War II's largest tank battle, fought near the Russian city of Kursk in summer 1943. Nazi Germany launched Operation Zitadelle (Citadel) to cut off Soviet forces in the Kursk salient, resulting in the Battle of Kursk. The offensive became a fierce contest of attrition as Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS Panzer-Divisions with Tiger and Panther tanks attempted to break through Soviet defensive positions. Two weeks of intense fighting followed, with German units gradually worn down in brutal armored battles. The Red Army contested every foot of ground, and the defeat marked the first failure of the blitzkrieg concept in its short history. The German war machine never again launched an offensive in the East; defensive operations became its strategy until Berlin. The book uses rare and unpublished photographs, maps, and detailed artist profiles to tell the story. It covers the events leading up to the battle in the first half of 1943 and the buildup of forces by both sides before their confrontation at Kursk.