German Armored Forces & Vehicles

Tigers at Orel

Bundesarchiv.

Tiger I tanks of the Heer's 505 Heavy Tank Battalion lead the attack on the first day of the Kursk Offensive (Northern Flank), July , 1943. Schwere Panzerabteilung 505 was sensationally successful in this phase of "Zitardelle", achieving a huge kill rate against (mainly) T34/76 tanks for, relatively, a small casualty rate. However, an ominous aspect was the fact that the majority of Tigers disabled were detracted - an indication of one of the Tiger's weaknesses, as well as the Soviet defence at Kursk that involved dense minefields, as well as deep defence based on antitank guns. In some ways, the battle came to resemble a WW1 battle, with extensive minefields, deep trench positions, and the time-honored tactic of "sealing off the salient". Manstein thought that the Prokorkha engagement offered the prospect of full breakthrough by the southern attack, and objected to the calling-off of the battle (by Hitler) in the interests of transferring resources to Italy. I wonder. Soviet reserves, underestimated by the Germans, might have countered continued German progress on the south of the salient. Best regards, JR.