Kursk : The Battle for Prokhorovka : Blitzkrieg Commander

For our next venture onto the Eastern Front we wanted something which got lots of tanks onto the battlefield. What better than the largest tank battle during World War II. The battle for Prokhorovka is well documented, but for those who don't know the Germans in the summer of 1943 had planned a major offensive Operation Citadel. Hitler wanted a major offensive action whilst many of his experienced generals including Guderian wanted to let the Russian take the offensive and then use German mobility to counter attack. With a gradually reducing capacity to put sufficient armoured divisions into the field for a widespread offensive across the whole front, the Germans in the end focused on the Kursk salient.

 

The Battle for Prokhorovka took place just south east of Oboyan on the map above.

 

The recognised high point reached on the 12th July saw the largest single Tank battle of the WW2 take place around the small town of Prokhorovka. I have several books on the battle but have used the excellent Osprey Kursk 1943 Campaign by Mark Healy. The following graphic of the battle for Prokhorovka is from that book.

 

We have split the battle into three separate scenarios and actions.

1. The initial onslaught by 1SS Panzergrenadier Division 'Leibstandarte Adolf Hilter' , repulsed by the Russian 9th Guards.

2. The Counter attack by the 5th Guards on 'Totenkopf' Division.

3. The 'Das Reich' frontal assaults against the Russian 2nd Guards.

Roll on the armour.....