1At the beginning of February, 943, after the Battle of Stalingrad, the Germans took advantage of the victory to attack. 15 February recovered Kharkov, the second largest city in Ukraine (see the Soviet offensive battle in Kharkov), and the situation of the Germans in the southern Soviet Union became worse and worse. Germany's military strength, morale, popular support and prestige in the servant countries plummeted. Hitler revoked the name of the badly damaged army group B, reorganized the southern army group and appointed Marshal Manstein as the commander. 19 February, Manstein commanded the southern army group to launch a counterattack against the Soviet army between the Dnieper and Donetsk rivers, 17 March recaptured Kharkov, 18 March occupied Belgorod. The Soviets were forced to retreat to the Oboyan area south of Kursk (see the offensive campaign of the Kharkov Germans). Since then, a prominent part centered on Kursk has been formed. To the north of the projection, the German Central Army Group controls the projection near orel. In the south, the German Southern Army Group controlled the Belgorod region. The outstanding parts are the Soviet Central Army and the Japanese army in Voroney. Both the Soviet Union and Germany temporarily turned to the defense near the Kursk region.
In order to improve the internal dilemma of the empire and prevent the fascist group from falling apart, the German high command decided to launch a large-scale summer attack on the Soviet-German battlefield, seize the strategic initiative and reverse the unfavorable war procedure. Considering the favorable situation of its troops in the Kursk projection area, the German army decided to carry out a centripetal assault on the projection root from the south and north directions, encircle the Central Army and the Japanese army in Voronezh, and then attack the rear of the Southwest Army. After that, it is scheduled to develop an attack in the northeast. At the same time, it also plans to attack Leningrad. In order to prepare for the battle code-named "fortress" near Kursk, Hitler's No.6 order issued on April 15 was issued. Nearly 70% of all German tank divisions and more than 65% of combat aircraft in the Soviet-German battlefield participated in this battle. Each assault group consists of 50 most effective divisions (including 65,438+06 tank divisions and motorized divisions) and many independent troops, belonging to the "Central" army group (commander is Marshal Kruger), the 9th army group (commander is General Mo Deer, 335,000), the 2nd army group (96,000) and the "South" army group (commander is Mansch). From north to south, it consists of the 52nd Infantry Regiment, the 48th Armored Regiment and the 2nd Armored Regiment of SS. The 48th Panzer Corps is equipped with the 33rd, 1 1 Tank Division, "Great German Panzergrenadier Division", 10 Armored Brigade and 167 Infantry Division. The 2nd Waffen SS Panzer Corps consists of the 3rd Waffen SS Panzergrenadier Division (Adolf Hitler +0) and the 3rd Waffen SS Panzergrenadier Division (kempf) (126,000 men, 10 division, including 3 tank divisions respectively. )。 In addition, about 20 divisions are operating on the flanks of various assault groups. The airmen of the 4th and 6th air corps are responsible for supporting the army. The German group has a total strength of more than 900,000 people, about 10000 guns and mortars, 2,700 tanks and assault guns, and 2,050 flying planes. In the German attempt, a large number of new technical weapons-Tiger, Leopard and Ferdinand assault guns, as well as new aircraft (Fokker Wolff 190A fighter and hankel 129 attack aircraft) were used.
After the winter attack at the turn of 1942- 1943, the Soviet high command ordered the troops to turn to defense, consolidate the occupied area and prepare for the attack. The main attack plan points southwest. However, after discovering that the Germans were preparing to attack near Kursk, the High Command decided to temporarily turn to the defense organized by the prominent part of Kursk as planned, and prepared to stick to it, consuming German assault groups in the defensive engagement, and creating favorable conditions for the Soviet troops to enter the counterattack and then turn into the strategic general attack. The Central Army was ordered to fight against the German attack from orel, and the Japanese army in Voroney fought against the German attack from Belgorod. It is scheduled that after completing the defensive task, the Soviets will turn to orel and Belgorod-Kharkov to counterattack. The Japanese army in Voronezh (commander is General Tuting) and the Grassland Army (commander is General konev) cooperated with the Southwest Army (commander is General Malinowski) to crush the Belgorod-Kharkov Group ("Commander Rumiantsev" campaign); 3 cavalry units-3 rd, 5 th and 7 th Guard cavalry units; The 5th Air Force (commander is Lieutenant General of Gore Dzunov Air Force); 1 infantry; 6 Independent tank units and mechanized units (the total number of the army is 573 195). The military region should prevent the Germans from making far-reaching breakthroughs from orel or Belgorod, and the Soviet Union should strengthen its deep assault force when it enters the counterattack.
Battle formation and defensive position are the guiding ideology of deep echelon configuration and the basis of organizational defense near Kursk. These defensive positions have a complete trench system and other defense systems. The decisive conditions for establishing a solid defense are: a large number of military weapons are concentrated in the general attack direction of the German army; The battles of various armies are 50-70 kilometers deep. A powerful air defense was organized, and air defense missions were carried out by fighters from aviation and anti-aircraft guns from all directions, as well as a large number of troops from the national air defense forces. The Party, Soviet organizations and residents in Kursk, orel, Voronezh and Kharkov have given active support to the construction of defense zones. Heads, headquarters and political organs have done a lot of work in the army and mobilized all personnel to complete the current tasks. The purpose of party and government work and education work is to prepare the army for self-defense, ensure high offensive spirit and firm determination to crush the Kursk Germans. In psycho-psychological education, it is important to cultivate the determination to repel the attack of German tank forces with new tanks. The group army held an anti-tank destroyer meeting. The infantry unit conducts tank rolling training.
On the evening of July 4th, the reconnaissance unit of the 6th Army of the Soviet Guards captured a soldier of the German 1st168th Infantry Division. He admitted that the German attack would begin the next day, that is, July 5th. Upon learning this news, Marshal Aleksandr Aleksandr Aleksandr Vasilevsky immediately ordered the defenders to start anti-artillery preparations to disrupt the German attack. At 2 am on July 5, the Soviet Union 13 Army captured a sergeant of the 6th Infantry Division of Germany. It is also said that the Germans will attack at 3 am on July 5, and zhukov immediately ordered the Central Army to start anti-preparation. On the 5th of Voronezh10/0, at 2: 20 on the 5th of the Central Army, the Soviet troops made counter-measures for the areas where the German assault groups were concentrated, and the Germans suffered losses. The attack didn't start until the morning of July 5th, forcing the German "Central Army Group" to be delayed for two and a half hours and the "Southern Army Group" to be delayed for three hours. On the first day, the Germans put the basic forces prepared for the "fortress" campaign into battle, with the aim of breaking through the Soviet defense line and approaching Kursk with the "impact" of the tank division. Fierce battles were fought on the ground and in the air. With the support of aviation, the Soviet army repelled many fierce German attacks, and the aviation dispatched 2000-3000 sorties day and night. During the seven-day battle, the Germans only wedged into the Soviet defense line 10- 12 km here. The army did not use the base camp reserve, but successfully completed the defense task by its own strength. On July 12, the southern line of Kursk projection also achieved a turning point in the defensive war. German basic forces turned to defense. On July 13- 15, the Germans continued to attack the troops of the 5th and 69th Guards Tanks just south of prokhorov. The Germans advanced 35 kilometers on the southern front of the projection.
In the defensive war south of Kursk, the Germans were exhausted and exhausted. On July 16, the Germans began to retreat to the starting position under the cover of strong defenders. The Japanese army in Voronezh began to pursue the Germans in this area. On the night of July 18, the grassland army also began to pursue.
On July 12, the new stage of the Kursk Battle-the Soviet counterattack finally arrived. The Western Army strengthened the 4th Army of Tanks (commander is Lieutenant General Badanov), 1 1 Army (commander is Lieutenant General Fediyuniski) and the 2nd Army of Guards, while the Bryansk Army strengthened the 3rd Army of Guards (commander is Lieutenant General Rybalko). During the offensive, the Bryansk army deeply surrounded the German group in the Mzensk area and forced it to retreat. Soon, Borhoff was liberated. On August 5th, Bryansk army liberated orel after fierce fighting with the cooperation of the Western Army and the Central Army. On the same day, the grassland army liberated Belgorod. On the evening of August 5, in order to congratulate the troops that liberated these cities, Moscow fired its first salute. 12 troops and corps with outstanding achievements were awarded the honorary titles of "orel" and "Belgorod". By August 18, the Soviet army had advanced to the defense zone built by the Germans east of Bryansk. After a 37-day offensive campaign in orel, the Soviet army marched westward for about150km. 15 German divisions were defeated. The active actions of Soviet guerrillas behind enemy lines promoted the smooth implementation of the campaign. From July 22nd to August 1 day alone, the guerrillas in Oreo destroyed more than 7,500 railway tracks. Guerrillas attacked Germany's railway traffic lines, causing congestion and blockade of military lines. After the defeat of orel Group, the German high command's plan to use orel base for eastward assault fell through.
On the morning of August 3, the Japanese army and the grassland army in Voroney began to counterattack in the direction of Belgorod-Kharkov after preparing for heavy artillery fire and aviation fire. The Japanese army and the grassland army in Voroney carried out a split assault side by side from the northwest of Belgorod to the general direction of Bogo Dukhov, Valci and Novo Vodoraga. As soon as the combined army infantry of all arms wedged into the main defense area of Germany, 1 The advance brigade of the tank army and the fifth army of the guards tank went into battle, breaking through the tactical defense field, and then the rapid army began to expand its achievements in the depth of the campaign. The Germans also suffered heavy losses in Tomarov, Borisovka and Belgorod. By the end of August 1 1, the Japanese army in Voronezh had expanded its breakthrough to the west and southwest, and the right wing was advancing on the German strongholds of Boromia, Artel Card and Coatley Wa, while the tank 1 army cut off the Kharkov-poltava railway and surrounded Kharkov from the west. On the same day, the grassland army approached Kharkov's outer defense line. The German General Command will put the campaign reserve transferred from Donbass into battle in an attempt to crush the Soviets from the south of Bogodukhov (August11-Kloc-0/7), followed by AhTrka (August 18-20). On the afternoon of August 22, the Germans were forced to start retreating from the Kharkov area. In the fierce battle, the grassland army, with the cooperation of the Japanese army and the Southwest Army in Voroney, liberated Kharkov on August 23rd 12. Because it was brave and good at fighting when it captured the city, the grassland corps with outstanding achievements was awarded the honorary title of "Kharkov". In the last battle of Kursk, the Battle of Belgorod-Kharkov, 15 German division was defeated. The Soviet army pushed south and southwest 140 km, and expanded the frontal attack to 300 km, which created favorable conditions for liberating Ukraine on the left bank and getting out of Dnieper River.