The largest tank battle in human history. One of the first tank battles of the Great Patriotic War: a counter battle near the village of Pelishche

Historians still argue about where the largest tank battle of the Great Patriotic War took place. It is no secret that history in many countries of the world is subject to excessive political influence. Therefore, it is not uncommon that some events are praised, while others remain underestimated or are completely forgotten. So, according to the history of the USSR, the largest tank battle took place near Prokhorovka. It was part of the decisive battle that took place on But some historians believe that the most ambitious confrontation between the armored vehicles of the two warring sides took place two years earlier between three cities - Brody, Lutsk and Dubno. Two enemy tank armadas, numbering a total of 4.5 thousand vehicles, converged in this area.

Counterattack of the second day

This largest tank battle of the Great Patriotic War took place on June 23 - two days after the invasion of Nazi-German invaders on Soviet soil. It was then that the mechanized corps of the Red Army, which were part of the Kyiv Military District, were able to deliver the first powerful counterattack against the rapidly advancing enemy. By the way, G.K. insisted on carrying out this operation. Zhukov.

The plan of the Soviet command, first of all, was to deliver a significant blow from the flanks to the 1st tank group of the Germans, rushing towards Kyiv, in order to first encircle and then destroy it. Hope for victory over the enemy was given by the fact that in this sector the Red Army had a solid superiority in tanks. In addition, the Kiev Military District before the war was considered one of the strongest, and therefore it was entrusted with the main role of carrying out a retaliatory strike in the event of an attack by Nazi Germany. It was here that all military equipment went in the first place, and in large quantities, and the level of training personnel was the highest.

Before the war itself, there were 3,695 tanks here, while the German side advanced with only eight hundred armored vehicles and self-propelled artillery units. But in practice, what seemed like an excellent plan failed miserably. A rash, hasty and unprepared decision resulted in the largest tank battle of the Great Patriotic War, where the Red Army suffered its first and so serious defeat.

Confrontation of armored vehicles

When the mechanized Soviet units finally reached the front lines, they immediately went into battle. It must be said that the theory of wars until the middle of the last century did not allow such battles, since armored vehicles were considered the main tool for breaking through enemy defenses.

“Tanks don’t fight tanks” - that was the wording this principle, common to both the Soviet and all other armies of the world. Anti-tank artillery or well-entrenched infantrymen were called upon to fight the armored vehicles. Therefore, the events in the Brody-Lutsk-Dubno area completely broke all theoretical ideas about military formations. It was here that the first largest oncoming tank battle of the Great Patriotic War took place, during which Soviet and German mechanized units faced each other in a frontal attack.

The first reason for the defeat

The Red Army lost this battle, and there were two reasons for this. The first of them is lack of communication. The Germans used it very wisely and actively. With the help of communications, they coordinated the efforts of all branches of the military. Unlike the enemy, the Soviet command managed the actions of its tank units very poorly. Therefore, those who entered the battle had to act at their own peril and risk, moreover, without any support.

The infantrymen were supposed to help them in the fight against anti-tank artillery, but instead the rifle units, forced to run after the armored vehicles, simply could not keep up with the vehicles that had gone ahead. Absence overall coordination led to the fact that one corps began an offensive, and the other retreated from already occupied positions or began to regroup at that time.

Second reason for failure

The next factor in the defeat of the Soviet mechanized corps near Dubno is their unpreparedness for the tank battle itself. This was a consequence of the same pre-war principle “tanks don’t fight tanks.” In addition, the mechanized corps were equipped for the most part with infantry escort armored vehicles produced back in the early 1930s.

The largest tank battle of the Great Patriotic War was lost by the Soviet side due to the specifics of Soviet combat vehicles. The fact is that the light tanks in service with the Red Army had either bulletproof or anti-fragmentation armor. They were perfect for deep raids behind enemy lines, but were completely unsuited for breaking through defenses. Hitler's command took into account all the weak and strengths of its equipment, drew the appropriate conclusions and was able to conduct the battle in such a way as to reduce to zero all the advantages of Soviet tanks.

It is worth noting that German field artillery also worked well in this battle. As a rule, it was not dangerous for medium T-34s and heavy KVs, but for light tanks it represented a mortal threat. To destroy Soviet equipment, the Germans in this battle used 88-mm anti-aircraft guns, which sometimes penetrated the armor of even new T-34 models. As for light tanks, when shells hit them, they not only stopped, but were “partially destroyed.”

The armored vehicles of the Red Army went into battle near Dubno completely unprotected from the air, so German planes destroyed up to half of the mechanized columns while still on the march. Most of the tanks had weak armor; it was penetrated even by bursts fired from. In addition, there was no radio communication, and the tank crews of the Red Army were forced to act according to the situation and at their own discretion. But, despite all the difficulties, they went into battle and at times even won.

In the first two days it was impossible to predict in advance who would win this largest tank battle of the Great Patriotic War. At first, the scales fluctuated all the time: success was now on one side, then on the other. On the 4th day, Soviet tankers still managed to achieve significant success, and the enemy in some areas was driven back 25 and even 35 km. But by the end of the day on June 27, the shortage of infantry units began to take its toll, without which armored vehicles could not operate fully in the field, and, as a result, the advanced units of the Soviet mechanized corps were practically destroyed. In addition, many units were surrounded and forced to defend themselves. They lacked fuel, shells and spare parts. Often tankers, when retreating, left behind almost undamaged equipment due to the fact that they did not have enough time or opportunity to repair it and take it with them.

The defeat that brought victory closer

Today there is an opinion that if the Soviet side had gone on the defensive, it would have been able to delay the German offensive and even turn the enemy back. By and large, this is just a fantasy. It must be taken into account that the Wehrmacht soldiers fought much better at that time, and they also actively interacted with other branches of the military. But this largest tank battle during the Great Patriotic War still played a positive role. It thwarted the rapid advance of the fascist troops and forced the Wehrmacht command to introduce its reserve units intended for the attack on Moscow, which thwarted Hitler’s grandiose plan “Barbarossa”. Despite the fact that many difficult and bloody battles still lay ahead, the battle of Dubno still brought the country much closer to victory.

Battle of Smolensk

According to historical facts, the largest battles of the Great Patriotic War took place in the first months after the attack by the Nazi invaders. It must be said that the Battle of Smolensk is not an isolated battle, but a truly large-scale defensive-offensive operation of the Red Army against the fascist conquerors, which lasted 2 months and took place from July 10 to September 10. Its main goals were to stop at least for some time the breakthrough of enemy troops in the direction of the capital, to enable Headquarters to develop and more thoroughly organize the defense of Moscow, and thereby prevent the capture of the city.

Despite the fact that the Germans had both numerical and technical superiority, Soviet soldiers still managed to delay them near Smolensk. At the cost of huge losses, the Red Army stopped the enemy's rapid advance deep into the country.

Battle for Kyiv

The largest battles of the Great Patriotic War, which included the battles for the Ukrainian capital, were long-term. Thus, the siege took place from July to September 1941. Hitler, holding his positions near Smolensk and believing in a favorable outcome of this operation, transferred part of his troops in the Kiev direction in order to capture Ukraine as soon as possible, and then Leningrad and Moscow.

The surrender of Kyiv was a severe blow for the country, since not only the city was taken, but also the entire republic, which had strategic reserves of coal and food. In addition, the Red Army suffered considerable losses. According to estimates, about 700 thousand people were killed or captured. As you can see, the largest battles of the Great Patriotic War, which took place in 1941, ended with the resounding failure of the plans of the high Soviet command and the loss of vast territories. The mistakes of the leaders were too costly for a country that had been so short time lost hundreds of thousands of its citizens.

Defense of Moscow

Such major battles of the Great Patriotic War as the Battle of Smolensk were just a warm-up for the occupying forces who sought to capture the capital Soviet Union and thereby force the Red Army to capitulate. And, it should be noted that they were very close to their goal. Hitler's troops managed to get almost close to the capital - they were already 20-30 km from the city.

I.V. Stalin perfectly understood the gravity of the situation, so he appointed G.K. Zhukov as Commander-in-Chief of the Western Front. At the end of November, the Nazis captured the city of Klin, and that was the end of their successes. The leading German tank brigades were far ahead, and their rear were significantly behind. For this reason, the front turned out to be greatly extended, which contributed to the loss of the enemy's penetrating ability. In addition, they came severe frosts, which became a frequent cause of failure of German armored vehicles.

Myth dispelled

As we can see, the first major battles of the Great Patriotic War showed the extreme unpreparedness of the Red Army for military action against such a strong and experienced enemy. But, despite the gross miscalculations, this time the Soviet command was able to organize a powerful counter-offensive, which began on the night of December 5-6, 1941. The German leadership did not expect such a rebuff. During this offensive, the Nazis were driven back from the capital to a distance of 150 km.

Before all the previous ones did not provoke such significant losses from the enemy. During the battles for the capital, the Germans immediately lost more than 120 thousand of their troops. It was near Moscow that the myth of the invincibility of Nazi Germany was first refuted.

Plans of the warring parties

The second largest tank battle of the Great Patriotic War is an operation that was part of the defensive phase of the Battle of Kursk. It was clear to both the Soviet and fascist commands that during this confrontation a radical turning point would occur and, in essence, the outcome of the entire war would be decided. The Germans planned a major offensive for the summer of 1943, the goal of which was to gain the strategic initiative to turn the outcome of this campaign in their favor. Therefore, Hitler’s headquarters developed and approved the military operation “Citadel” in advance.

Stalin's Headquarters knew about the enemy offensive and drew up their own countermeasures plan, which consisted of the temporary defense of the Kursk ledge and the maximum bleeding and exhaustion of enemy groups. After this, it was hoped that the Red Army would be able to launch a counteroffensive, and later a strategic offensive.

The second largest tank battle

On July 12, near the Prokhorovka railway station, which was located 56 km from Belgorod, the advancing German tank group was suddenly stopped by a counterattack launched by Soviet troops. When the battle began, the Red Army tankers had some advantage in that rising sun blinded the advancing German troops.

In addition, the extreme density of the battle deprived fascist technology of its main advantage - long-range powerful guns, which were practically useless at such short distances. A Soviet troops, in turn, had the opportunity to fire accurately and hit the most vulnerable points of German armored vehicles.

Consequences

On both sides, no less than 1.5 thousand units of military equipment took part, not counting aviation. In just one day of battle, the enemy lost 350 tanks and 10 thousand of its troops. Towards the end next day managed to break through the enemy’s defenses and penetrate 25 km. After this, the advance of the Red Army only intensified, and the Germans had to retreat. For a long time It was believed that this particular episode of the Battle of Kursk represented the largest tank battle.

The years of the Great Patriotic War were full of battles, which turned out to be very difficult for the entire country. But, despite this, the army and people overcame all the trials with dignity. The battles described in this article, no matter how successful or failed they were, still inexorably brought us closer to winning such a desired and long-awaited Great Victory by all.

Since World War I, tanks have been one of the most effective weapons of war. Their first use by the British at the Battle of the Somme in 1916 ushered in a new era - with tank wedges and lightning blitzkriegs.

Battle of Cambrai (1917)

After failures using small tank formations, the British command decided to launch an offensive using large number tanks. Since the tanks had previously failed to live up to expectations, many considered them useless. One British officer noted: "The infantry thinks that the tanks have not justified themselves. Even the tank crews are discouraged."

According to the British command, the upcoming offensive was supposed to begin without traditional artillery preparation. For the first time in history, tanks themselves had to break through enemy defenses.
The offensive at Cambrai was supposed to take the German command by surprise. The operation was prepared in strict secrecy. Tanks were transported to the front in the evening. The British constantly fired machine guns and mortars to drown out the roar of tank engines.

A total of 476 tanks took part in the offensive. The German divisions were defeated and suffered heavy losses. The well-fortified Hindenburg Line was penetrated to great depths. However, during the German counter-offensive, British troops were forced to retreat. Using the remaining 73 tanks, the British managed to prevent a more serious defeat.

Battle of Dubno-Lutsk-Brody (1941)

In the first days of the war, a large-scale tank battle took place in Western Ukraine. The most powerful group of the Wehrmacht - "Center" - was advancing to the north, to Minsk and further to Moscow. The attack on Kyiv was not so strong group armies "South". But in this direction there was the most powerful group of the Red Army - the Southwestern Front.

Already on the evening of June 22, the troops of this front received orders to encircle and destroy the advancing enemy group with powerful concentric attacks from mechanized corps, and by the end of June 24 to capture the Lublin region (Poland). It sounds fantastic, but this is if you don’t know the strength of the parties: 3128 Soviet and 728 German tanks.

The battle lasted a week: from June 23 to June 30. The actions of the mechanized corps were reduced to isolated counterattacks on different directions. The German command, through competent leadership, was able to repel a counterattack and defeat the armies of the Southwestern Front. The defeat was complete: Soviet troops lost 2,648 tanks (85%), the Germans lost about 260 vehicles.

Battle of El Alamein (1942)

The Battle of El Alamein is a key episode of the Anglo-German confrontation in North Africa. The Germans sought to cut the Allies' most important strategic highway, the Suez Canal, and were eager for Middle Eastern oil, which the Axis countries needed. The main battle of the entire campaign took place at El Alamein. As part of this battle, one of the largest tank battles in World War II took place.

The Italo-German force numbered about 500 tanks, half of which were rather weak Italian tanks. The British armored units had over 1000 tanks, among which were powerful American tanks- 170 "Grants" and 250 "Shermans".

The qualitative and quantitative superiority of the British was partly compensated by the military genius of the commander of the Italian-German troops - the famous “desert fox” Rommel.

Despite the British numerical superiority in manpower, tanks and aircraft, the British were never able to break through Rommel's defenses. The Germans even managed to counterattack, but the British superiority in numbers was so impressive that the German strike force of 90 tanks was simply destroyed in the oncoming battle.

Rommel, inferior to the enemy in armored vehicles, made extensive use of anti-tank artillery, among which were captured Soviet 76-mm guns, which had proven themselves to be excellent. Only under the pressure of the enemy’s enormous numerical superiority, having lost almost all of its equipment, did the German army begin an organized retreat.

After El Alamein, the Germans had just over 30 tanks left. The total losses of the Italo-German troops in equipment amounted to 320 tanks. The losses of the British tank forces amounted to approximately 500 vehicles, many of which were repaired and returned to service, since the battlefield was ultimately left to them.

Battle of Prokhorovka (1943)

The tank battle near Prokhorovka took place on July 12, 1943 as part of the Battle of Kursk. According to official Soviet data, 800 Soviet tanks and self-propelled guns and 700 German ones took part in it on both sides.

The Germans lost 350 units of armored vehicles, ours - 300. But the trick is that soviet tanks who took part in the battle, and the Germans - those who were generally in the entire German group on the southern flank of the Kursk Bulge.

According to new, updated data, 311 German tanks and self-propelled guns of the 2nd SS Tank Corps took part in the tank battle near Prokhorovka against 597 Soviet 5th Guards Tank Army (commander Rotmistrov). The SS lost about 70 (22%), and the guards lost 343 (57%) armored vehicles.

Neither side managed to achieve its goals: the Germans failed to break through the Soviet defenses and enter the operational space, and the Soviet troops failed to encircle the enemy group.

A government commission was created to investigate the reasons for the large losses of Soviet tanks. The commission's report called the military actions of Soviet troops near Prokhorovka "an example of an unsuccessful operation." General Rotmistrov was going to be put on trial, but by that time the general situation had developed favorably, and everything worked out.

Ever since the first armored vehicles began their march across the twisted battlefields of World War I, tanks have been an integral part of land warfare. Over the years, many tank battles took place, and some of them were of great importance to history. Here are 10 battles you need to know about.

Battles in chronological order.

1. Battle of Cambrai (1917)

Occurring in late 1917, this battle on the Western Front was the first major tank battle in military history and it was there that combined arms forces were seriously engaged on a large scale for the first time, marking a true turning point in military history. As historian Hugh Strachan notes, "The biggest intellectual shift in the war between 1914 and 1918 was that combined arms battles were centered around the capabilities of guns rather than infantry forces." And by “combined arms,” Strachan means the coordinated use of various types of artillery, infantry, aviation, and, of course, tanks.

On November 20, 1917, the British attacked Cambrai with 476 tanks, 378 of which were battle tanks. The frightened Germans were taken by surprise, as the offensive instantly advanced several kilometers in depth along the entire front. This was an unprecedented breakthrough of the enemy's defense. The Germans eventually recovered with a counterattack, but this armored offensive demonstrated the incredible potential of mobile, armored warfare - a method that would only come into active use a year later during the final assault on Germany.

2. Battle of the Khalkhin Gol River (1939)

This was the first major tank battle during World War II, where the Soviet Red Army clashed with the Japanese imperial army at its border. During the Sino-Japanese War of 1937-1945, Japan claimed Khalkhin Gol as the border between Mongolia and Manchukuo (the Japanese name for occupied Manchuria), while the USSR insisted on the border lying further east at Nomon Khan (namely Therefore, this conflict is sometimes called the Nomon Khan Incident). Hostilities began in May 1939, when Soviet troops occupied the disputed territory.

After the initial success of the Japanese, the USSR assembled an army of 58,000 thousand people, almost 500 tanks and about 250 aircraft. On the morning of August 20, General Georgy Zhukov launched a surprise attack after simulating preparations for a defensive position. During this harsh day, the heat became simply unbearable, reaching 40 degrees Celsius, as a result of which machine guns and cannons began to melt. Soviet T-26 tanks (predecessors of the T-34) were superior to the outdated Japanese tanks, whose guns lacked armor-piercing ability. But the Japanese fought hard, for example there was a very dramatic moment when Lieutenant Sadakai attacked a tank with his samurai sword until he was killed.

The subsequent Russian offensive completely destroyed General Komatsubara's forces. Japan suffered 61,000 casualties, in contrast to the Red Army's 7,974 killed and 15,251 wounded. This battle marked the beginning of Zhukov's glorious military career and also demonstrated the importance of deception, technical and numerical superiority in tank warfare.

3. Battle of Arras (1940)

This battle should not be confused with the Battle of Arras in 1917, this battle was during World War II where the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) fought against the German Blitzkrieg and gradually the fighting moved up the coast of France.

On 20 May 1940, Viscount Gort, commander of the BEF, launched a counter-attack against the Germans, codenamed Frankforce. It was attended by two infantry battalions numbering 2,000 people - and a total of 74 tanks. The BBC describes what happened next:

“The infantry battalions were divided into two columns for the attack, which took place on May 21. The right column initially advanced successfully, capturing a number of German soldiers, but they soon encountered German infantry and SS, supported by air forces, and suffered heavy casualties.

The left column also advanced successfully until it clashed with the infantry unit of General Erwin Rommel's 7th Panzer Division.
French cover that night allowed the British troops to withdraw to their previous positions. Operation Frankforce was completed, and the next day the Germans regrouped and continued their advance.

During Frankforce, about 400 Germans were captured, both sides suffered approximately equal losses, and a number of tanks were also destroyed. The operation outdid itself - the attack was so brutal that the 7th Panzer Division believed it had been attacked by five infantry divisions."

Interestingly, some historians believe that this ferocious counterattack convinced German generals announce a respite on 24 May - a short break from the Blitzkrieg, which gave the BEF some extra time to evacuate its troops during the "Miracle of Dunkirk".

4. Battle of Brody (1941)

Until the Battle of Kursk in 1943, it was the largest tank battle of World War II and the greatest in history up to that point. It occurred in the early days of Operation Barbarossa, when German troops advanced rapidly (and with relative ease) along the Eastern Front. But in the triangle formed by the cities of Dubno, Lutsk and Brody, a clash arose in which 800 non-military tanks opposed 3,500 Russian tanks.

The battle lasted four grueling days, and ended on June 30, 1941 with a resounding German victory and a difficult retreat of the Red Army. It was during the Battle of Brody that the Germans first seriously clashed with Russian T-34 tanks, which were practically immune to German weapons. But thanks to a series of Luftwaffe air attacks (which knocked out 201 Soviet tanks) and tactical maneuvering, the Germans won. Moreover, it is believed that 50% of Soviet armor losses (~2,600 tanks) were due to logistical deficiencies, lack of ammunition, and due to technical problems. In total, the Red Army lost 800 tanks in that battle, and this is a large number compared to 200 tanks from the Germans.

5. Second Battle of El Alamein (1942)

The battle marked a turning point in the North African campaign and was the only major tank battle to be won by British forces without direct American participation. But the American presence was certainly felt in the form of 300 Sherman tanks (the British had a total of 547 tanks) rushed to Egypt from the United States.

The battle, which began on October 23 and ended in November 1942, pitted the meticulous and patient General Bernard Montgomery against Erwin Rommel, the cunning Desert Fox. Unfortunately for the Germans, however, Rommel was very ill, and was forced to leave for a German hospital before the battle began to unfold. In addition, his temporary deputy, General Georg von Stumme, died of a heart attack during the battle. The Germans also suffered from supply problems, especially fuel shortages. Which ultimately led to disaster.

Montgomery's restructured Eighth Army launched a double attack. The first stage, Operation Lightfoot, consisted of a heavy artillery bombardment followed by an infantry attack. During the second stage, the infantry cleared the way for the armored divisions. Rommel, who returned to duty, was in despair, he realized that everything was lost, and telegraphed Hitler about this. Both the British and German armies lost around 500 tanks, but the Allied forces were unable to take the initiative after the victory, giving the Germans enough time to retreat.

But victory was obvious, prompting Winston Churchill to declare: “This is not the end, it is not even the beginning of the end, but it is perhaps the end of the beginning.”

6. Battle of Kursk (1943)

After the defeat at Stalingrad, and the emerging counter-offensive of the Red Army on all fronts, the Germans decided to make a bold, if not reckless, offensive at Kursk, in the hope of regaining their positions. As a result, the Battle of Kursk is today considered the largest and longest heavy armored battle of the war, and one of the largest single armored engagements.

Although no one can say exact numbers, Soviet tanks initially outnumbered German ones by two to one. According to some estimates, initially about 3,000 Soviet tanks and 2,000 German tanks clashed on the Kursk Bulge. In the event of negative developments, the Red Army was ready to throw another 5,000 tanks into battle. And although the Germans caught up with the Red Army in the number of tanks, this could not ensure their victory.

One German tank commander managed to destroy 22 Soviet tanks within an hour, but besides the tanks were Russian soldiers who approached enemy tanks with “suicidal courage,” getting close enough to throw a mine under the tracks. A German tankman later wrote:

"Soviet soldiers were around us, above us and between us. They pulled us out of the tanks, knocked us out. It was scary."

All German superiority in communications, maneuverability, and artillery was lost in the chaos, noise and smoke.

From the memories of tankers:
"The atmosphere was suffocating. I was gasping for breath and sweat was running down my face in streams."
"Every second we expected to be killed."
"Tanks rammed each other"
"The metal was burning."

The entire area of ​​the battlefield was filled with burnt-out armored vehicles, emitting columns of black, oily smoke.

It is important to note that at this time there was not only a tank battle taking place there, but also an air battle. While the battle unfolded below, planes in the sky tried to shoot down the tanks.

Eight days later, the attack was stopped. Although the Red Army won, it lost five armored vehicles for every German tank. In terms of actual numbers, the Germans lost about 760 tanks and the USSR about 3,800 (for a total of 6,000 tanks and assault guns were destroyed or seriously damaged). In terms of casualties, the Germans lost 54,182 people, ours - 177,847. Despite this gap, the Red Army is considered the winner of the battle, and, as historians note, “Hitler’s long-awaited dream of the oil fields of the Caucasus was destroyed forever.”

7. Battle of Arracourt (1944)

Occurring during the Lorraine Campaign led by General George Patton's Third Army from September to October 1944, the lesser known Battle of Arracourt was the largest tank battle for the US Army up to that point. Although the Battle of the Bulge would later prove to be larger, the battle took place over a much larger geographic area.

The battle is significant in that the entire German tank force was overwhelmed by American troops, mostly equipped with 75mm cannons. Sherman tank. Thanks to careful coordination of tanks, artillery, infantry, and air force, the German forces were defeated.

As a result, American troops successfully defeated two tank brigades and parts of two tank divisions. Of the 262 German tanks, more than 86 were destroyed and 114 were seriously damaged. The Americans, on the contrary, lost only 25 tanks.

The Battle of Arracourt prevented a German counterattack and the Wehrmacht was unable to recover. Moreover, this area became the launching pad from which Patton's army would begin its winter offensive.

8. Battle of Chawinda (1965)

The Battle of Chawinda was one of the largest tank battles after World War II. It took place during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, which pitted some 132 Pakistani tanks (as well as 150 reinforcements) against 225 Indian armored vehicles. The Indians had Centurion tanks while the Pakistanis had Pattons; both sides also used Sherman tanks.

The battle, which lasted from September 6 to 22, took place in the Ravi Chenab sector connecting Jammu and Kashmir with the Indian mainland. The Indian Army hoped to cut off Pakistan's supply line by cutting them off from Sialkot district of Lahore region. Events reached their peak on 8 September when Indian forces advanced towards Chawinda. Pakistani air force joined the battle, and then there was a brutal tank battle. A major tank battle took place on September 11 in the Fillora region. After several bursts of activity and lulls, the battle finally ended on 21 September when the Indian forces finally withdrew. The Pakistanis lost 40 tanks, while the Indians lost over 120.

9. Battle of the Valley of Tears (1973)

During the Arab-Israeli Yom Kippur War, Israeli forces fought a coalition that included Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Iraq. The goal of the coalition was to dislodge the Israeli forces occupying the Sinai. At one key point in the Golan Heights, the Israeli brigade had 7 tanks out of 150 left - and the remaining tanks had on average no more than 4 shells left. But just as the Syrians were about to launch another attack, the brigade was rescued by randomly assembled reinforcements, consisting of 13 of the least damaged tanks, driven by wounded soldiers who had been released from the hospital.

As for the Yom Kippur War itself, the 19-day battle was the largest tank battle since World War II. In fact, it was one of the largest tank battles, involving 1,700 Israeli tanks (of which 63% were destroyed) and approximately 3,430 coalition tanks (of which approximately 2,250 to 2,300 were destroyed). In the end, Israel won; A United Nations-brokered ceasefire agreement came into force on 25 October.

10. Battle of Easting 73 (1991)

July 12 -a memorable date in the military history of the Fatherland. On this day in 1943, the largest tank battle in World War II between the Soviet and German armies took place near Prokhorovka.

Direct command of the tank formations during the battle was exercised by Lieutenant General Pavel Rotmistrov on the Soviet side and SS Gruppenführer Paul Hausser on the German side. Neither side managed to achieve the goals set for July 12: the Germans failed to capture Prokhorovka, break through the defenses of Soviet troops and gain operational space, and Soviet troops failed to encircle the enemy group.

“Of course, we won at Prokhorovka, not allowing the enemy to break into operational space, forced him to abandon his far-reaching plans and forced him to retreat to his original position. Our troops survived a four-day fierce battle, and the enemy lost its offensive capabilities. But the Voronezh Front had exhausted its strength, which did not allow it to immediately launch a counteroffensive. A stalemate situation has developed, figuratively speaking, when the command of both sides is still willing, but the troops are no longer able to!”

PROGRESS OF THE BATTLE

If in the zone of the Soviet Central Front, after the start of their offensive on July 5, 1943, the Germans were unable to penetrate deeply into the defense of our troops, then a critical situation developed on the southern front of the Kursk Bulge. Here, on the first day, the enemy brought into the battle up to 700 tanks and assault guns, supported by aviation. Having met resistance in the Oboyan direction, the enemy shifted his main efforts to the Prokhorovsk direction, trying to capture Kursk with a blow from the southeast. The Soviet command decided to launch a counterattack against the wedged enemy group. The Voronezh front was reinforced by the reserves of the Headquarters (5th Guards Tank and 45th Guards armies and two tank corps). On July 12, the largest tank battle of World War 2 took place in the Prokhorovka area, in which up to 1,200 tanks and self-propelled guns took part on both sides. Soviet tank units sought to conduct close combat (“armor to armor”), since the range of destruction of the 76 mm T-34 gun was no more than 800 m, and the rest of the tanks were even less, while the 88 mm guns of the Tigers and Ferdinands hit our armored vehicles from a distance of 2000 m. When approaching, our tankers suffered heavy losses.

Both sides suffered huge losses at Prokhorovka. In this battle, Soviet troops lost 500 tanks out of 800 (60%). The Germans lost 300 tanks out of 400 (75%). For them it was a disaster. Now the most powerful German strike group was drained of blood. General G. Guderian, at that time the inspector general of the Wehrmacht tank forces, wrote: “The armored forces, replenished with such great difficulty, due to large losses in people and equipment, were out of action for a long time... and already more so in the Eastern there were no quiet days at the front.” On this day, a turning point occurred in the development of the defensive battle on the southern front of the Kursk ledge. The main enemy forces went on the defensive. On July 13-15, German troops continued attacks only against units of the 5th Guards Tank and 69th armies south of Prokhorovka. The maximum advance of German troops on the southern front reached 35 km. On July 16, they began to retreat to their original positions.

ROTMISTROV: AMAZING COURAGE

I would like to emphasize that in all sectors of the grandiose battle that unfolded on July 12, the soldiers of the 5th Guards Tank Army showed amazing courage, unshakable fortitude, high combat skill and mass heroism, even to the point of self-sacrifice.

The 2nd battalion of the 181st brigade of the 18th tank corps was attacked large group fascist "tigers". The battalion commander, Captain P. A. Skripkin, bravely accepted the enemy’s blow. He personally knocked out two enemy vehicles one after another. Having caught the third tank in the crosshairs, the officer pulled the trigger... But at the same moment he combat vehicle It shook violently, the turret filled with smoke, and the tank caught fire. Driver mechanic Sergeant Major A. Nikolaev and radio operator A. Zyryanov, saving a seriously wounded battalion commander, pulled him out of the tank and then saw that a “tiger” was moving right at them. Zyryanov sheltered the captain in a shell crater, and Nikolaev and loader Chernov jumped into their flaming tank and went to ram, immediately crashing into the steel fascist hulk. They died having fulfilled their duty to the end.

The tankmen of the 29th Tank Corps fought bravely. The battalion of the 25th brigade, led by the communist Major G.A. Myasnikov, destroyed 3 "tigers", 8 medium tanks, 6 self-propelled guns, 15 anti-tank guns and more than 300 fascist machine gunners.

The decisive actions of the battalion commander and company commanders, senior lieutenants A.E. Palchikov and N.A. Mishchenko, served as an example for the soldiers. In a heavy battle for the village of Storozhevoye, the car in which A.E. Palchikov was located was hit - a caterpillar was torn off by a shell explosion. The crew members jumped out of the car, trying to repair the damage, but were immediately fired upon by enemy machine gunners from the bushes. The soldiers took up defensive positions and repelled several attacks by the Nazis. In this unequal battle, Alexei Yegorovich Palchikov died the death of a hero, and his comrades were seriously injured. Only the mechanic-driver, candidate member of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks, foreman I.E. Safronov, although he was also wounded, could still fire. Hiding under a tank, overcoming the pain, he fought off the advancing fascists until help arrived.

REPORT OF THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE Supreme High Command Headquarters MARSHAL A. VASILEVSKY TO THE SUPREME COMMANDER IN CHIEF ON COMBAT OPERATIONS IN THE PROKHOROVKA AREA, July 14, 1943.

According to your personal instructions, since the evening of July 9, 1943, I have been continuously in the troops of Rotmistrov and Zhadov in the Prokhorovsky and southern directions. To today inclusive, the enemy continues on the front of Zhadov and Rotmistrov massive tank attacks and counterattacks against our advancing tank units... From observations of the progress of the ongoing battles and from the testimony of prisoners, I conclude that the enemy, despite the huge losses, both in manpower and especially in tanks and aircraft, he still does not give up the idea of ​​​​breaking through to Oboyan and further to Kursk, achieving this at any cost. Yesterday I personally observed it southwest of Prokhorovka tank battle our 18th and 29th corps with more than two hundred enemy tanks in a counterattack. At the same time, hundreds of guns and all the PCs we had took part in the battle. As a result, the entire battlefield was littered with burning German and our tanks within an hour.

Over the course of two days of fighting, Rotmistrov's 29th Tank Corps lost 60% of its tanks irretrievably and temporarily out of action, and the 18th Corps lost up to 30% of its tanks. Losses in the 5th Guards. mechanized corps are insignificant. The next day, the threat of enemy tanks breaking through from the south into the Shakhovo, Avdeevka, Aleksandrovka areas continues to remain real. During the night I am taking all measures to bring the entire 5th Guards here. mechanized corps, the 32nd motorized brigade and four iptap regiments... The possibility of an oncoming tank battle here and tomorrow cannot be ruled out. In total, at least eleven tank divisions continue to operate against the Voronezh Front, systematically replenished with tanks. The prisoners interviewed today showed that the 19th Panzer Division currently has about 70 tanks in service, the Reich Division has up to 100 tanks, although the latter has already been replenished twice since July 5, 1943. The report was delayed due to late arrival from the front.

Great Patriotic War. Military historical essays. Book 2. Fracture. M., 1998.

THE COLLAPSE OF THE CITADEL

July 12, 1943 came new stage Battle of Kursk. On this day, part of the forces of the Soviet Western Front and Bryansk Front went on the offensive, and on July 15, the troops of the right wing of the Central Front attacked the enemy. On August 5, troops of the Bryansk Front liberated Oryol. On the same day, troops of the Steppe Front liberated Belgorod. On the evening of August 5, an artillery salute was fired for the first time in Moscow in honor of the troops who liberated these cities. During fierce battles, troops of the Steppe Front, with the assistance of the Voronezh and Southwestern Fronts, liberated Kharkov on August 23.

The Battle of Kursk was cruel and merciless. Victory in it came at great cost to the Soviet troops. In this battle they lost 863,303 people, including 254,470 permanently. Losses in equipment amounted to: 6064 tanks and self-propelled guns, 5244 guns and mortars, 1626 combat aircraft. As for Wehrmacht losses, information about them is fragmentary and incomplete. Soviet works presented calculated data according to which during the Battle of Kursk, German troops lost 500 thousand people, 1.5 thousand tanks, 3 thousand guns and mortars. Regarding losses in aircraft, there is information that during the defensive stage of the Battle of Kursk alone, the German side irretrievably lost about 400 combat vehicles, while the Soviet side lost about 1000. However, in fierce battles many experienced people died in the air German aces, who have fought for more than one year on the Eastern Front, among them 9 holders of the Knight's Cross.

It is undeniable that the collapse of the German Operation Citadel had far-reaching consequences and had a decisive influence on the entire further course of the war. After Kursk, the German armed forces were forced to switch to strategic defense not only in Soviet-German front, but also in all theaters of military operations of the Second World War. Their attempt to regain the strategic initiative lost during the Battle of Stalingrad suffered a crushing failure.

EAGLE AFTER LIBERATION FROM THE GERMAN OCCUPATION

(from the book “Russia at War” by A. Werth), August 1943

(...) The liberation of the ancient Russian city of Oryol and the complete liquidation of the Oryol wedge, which threatened Moscow for two years, was a direct result of the defeat of the Nazi troops near Kursk.

In the second week of August I was able to travel by car from Moscow to Tula, and then to Orel...

In these thickets, through which the dusty road from Tula now ran, death awaits a person at every step. “Minen” (in German), “mines” (in Russian) - I read on old and new tablets stuck in the ground. In the distance, on a hill, under the blue summer sky, the ruins of churches, the remains of houses and lonely chimneys could be seen. These miles of weeds were no man's land for almost two years. The ruins on the hill were the ruins of Mtsensk. Two old women and four cats were all the living creatures that Soviet soldiers found there when the Germans withdrew on July 20. Before leaving, the Nazis blew up or burned everything—churches and buildings, peasant huts and everything else. In the middle of the last century, Leskov and Shostakovich’s “Lady Macbeth” lived in this city... The “desert zone” created by the Germans now stretches from Rzhev and Vyazma to Orel.

How did Orel live during the almost two-year German occupation?

Of the 114 thousand population in the city, only 30 thousand now remain. The occupiers killed many residents. Many were hanged in the city square - the same one where the crew of the Soviet tank that was the first to break into Oryol is now buried, as well as General Gurtiev, the famous participant in the Battle of Stalingrad, who was killed that morning when Soviet troops fought to take the city. They said that the Germans killed 12 thousand people and sent twice as many to Germany. Many thousands of Oryol residents went to the partisans in the Oryol and Bryansk forests, because here (especially in the Bryansk region) there was an area of ​​active partisan operations (...)

Wert A. Russia in the war of 1941-1945. M., 1967.

*Rotmistrov P.A. (1901-1982), Ch. Marshal of Armored Forces (1962). During the war, from February 1943 - commander of the 5th Guards. tank army. Since Aug. 1944 - Commander of the armored and mechanized forces of the Red Army.

**Zhadov A.S. (1901-1977). Army General (1955). From October 1942 to May 1945, commander of the 66th Army (from April 1943 - 5th Guards) Army.

The large-scale tank battle near Prokhorovka was the defensive phase of the Battle of Kursk. This confrontation with the use of armored vehicles of the two strongest armies at that time - Soviet and German - is still considered one of the largest in military history. The command of the Soviet tank formations was carried out by Lieutenant General Pavel Alekseevich Rotmistrov, and the German ones by Paul Hausser.

On the eve of the battle

At the beginning of July 1943, the Soviet leadership learned that the main German attack would be on Oboyan, and a secondary one would be directed at Korocha. In the first case, the offensive was carried out by the Second Panzer Corps, which included the SS divisions “Adolf Hitler”, “Totenkopf” and “Reich”. They managed to literally break through two lines of Soviet defense in just a few days and approach the third, located ten kilometers southwest of the Prokhorovka railway station. At that time it was located on the territory of the Oktyabrsky state farm in the Belgorod region.

German tanks appeared near Prokhorovka on July 11, overcoming the resistance of one of the Soviet rifle divisions and the second tank corps. Seeing this situation, the Soviet command sent additional forces to this area, which were finally able to stop the enemy.

It was decided that it was necessary to launch a powerful counterattack aimed at completely destroying the SS armored corps that had wedged itself into the defense. It was assumed that three guards and two tank armies would take part in this operation. But the rapidly changing situation has made adjustments to these plans. It turned out that only the 5th Guards Army under the command of A.S. Zhadov, as well as the 5th Tank Army led by P.A. Rotmistrov, would participate in the counterattack from the Soviet side.

Full-scale offensive

In order to at least slightly delay the forces of the Red Army concentrated in the Prokhorovsky direction, the Germans prepared a strike in the area where the 69th Army was located, moving out from Rzhavets and heading north. Here one of the fascist tank corps began to advance, trying to break through from the southern side to the desired station.

Thus began the full-scale battle of Prokhorovka. Its start date was the morning of July 12, 1943, when the headquarters of the 5th Tank Army of P. A. Rotmistrov received a message about the breakthrough of a significant group of German armored vehicles. It turned out that about 70 units of enemy equipment, having entered from the southwest, immediately captured the villages of Vypolzovka and Rzhavets and were rapidly moving on.

Start

In order to stop the enemy, a pair of combined detachments were hastily formed, which were assigned to the command of General N.I. Trufanov. The Soviet side was able to field up to hundreds of tanks. The newly created units had to rush into battle almost immediately. The bloody battle continued all day in the area of ​​Ryndinka and Rzhavets.

Then almost everyone understood that the battle of Prokhorovka decided not only the outcome of this battle, but also the fate of all units of the 69th Army, whose troops found themselves in a semi-ring of enemy encirclement. Therefore, it was not surprising that Soviet soldiers showed truly massive heroism. Take, for example, the feat of the anti-tank platoon of Art. Lieutenant K. T. Pozdeev.

During the next attack, a group of fascist tanks with machine gunners on board, numbering 23 vehicles, rushed towards his position. An unequal and bloody battle ensued. The guardsmen managed to destroy 11 tanks, thereby preventing the rest from penetrating into the depths of their own battle formation. Needless to say, almost all the soldiers of this platoon died.

Unfortunately, it is impossible in one article to list the names of all the heroes who were killed in that tank battle near Prokhorovka. I would like to briefly mention at least a few of them: Private Petrov, Sergeant Cheremyanin, Lieutenants Panarin and Novak, Military Paramedic Kostrikova, Captain Pavlov, Major Falyuta, Lieutenant Colonel Goldberg.

By the end of the next day, the combined detachment managed to knock out the Nazis and take settlements Ryndinka and Rzhavets are under your control. As a result of the advance of part of the Soviet troops, it was possible to completely localize the success that one of the German tank corps had achieved a little earlier. Thus, by its actions, Trufanov’s detachment thwarted a major Nazi offensive and prevented the threat of the enemy entering the rear of Rotmistrov’s 5th Tank Army.

Fire support

It cannot be said that the battles on the field near Prokhorovka took place exclusively with the participation of tanks and self-propelled guns. Artillery and aviation also played an important role here. When the enemy strike force launched an offensive early in the morning of July 12, Soviet attack aircraft attacked tanks that were part of the SS Adolf Hitler division. In addition, before Rotmistrov's 5th Tank Army began to launch a counterattack to the enemy forces, artillery preparation was carried out, which lasted about 15 minutes.

During heavy fighting in the bend of the river. The Psel 95th Soviet Rifle Division confronted the SS Totenkopf tank group. Here our military was supported by its strikes by the 2nd Air Army under the command of Marshal S.A. Krasovsky. In addition, long-range aviation also operated in this area.

Soviet attack aircraft and bombers managed to drop several thousand anti-tank bombs on the heads of the enemies. Soviet pilots did everything to support the ground units as much as possible. To do this, they inflicted crushing blows on large concentrations of enemy tanks and other armored vehicles in the area of ​​villages such as Pokrovka, Gryaznoye, Yakovlevo, Malye Mayachki, etc. At the time when the battle of Prokhorovka took place, dozens of attack aircraft, fighters and bombers were in the sky . This time, Soviet aviation had undoubted air superiority.

Advantages and disadvantages of combat vehicles

The Kursk Bulge near Prokhorovka began to gradually transform from a general battle into individual tank duels. Here the opponents could show each other not only their skills, but also their knowledge of tactics, as well as demonstrate the capabilities of their tanks. German units were mainly equipped with T-IV medium tanks of two modifications - H and G, in which the thickness of the armored hull was 80 mm and the turret - 50 mm. In addition, there were heavy T-VI Tiger tanks. They were equipped with 100mm armored hulls and their turrets were 110mm thick. Both tanks were equipped with fairly powerful long-barreled guns of 75 and 88 mm caliber, respectively. They could penetrate a Soviet tank almost anywhere. The only exceptions were heavy armored vehicles IS-2, and then at a distance of more than five hundred meters.

The tank battle near Prokhorovka showed that Soviet tanks were in many ways inferior to German ones. This concerned not only the thickness of the armor, but also the power of the guns. But the T-34 tanks, which were in service with the Red Army at that time, surpassed the enemy ones both in speed and maneuverability, and in maneuverability. They tried to wedge themselves into enemy battle formations and shoot the enemy’s side armor at close range.

Soon the battle formations of the warring parties were mixed. Too dense a concentration of vehicles and too short distances deprived the German tanks of all the advantages of their powerful guns. The cramped conditions caused by the large concentration of equipment prevented both of them from performing the necessary maneuvers. As a result, armored vehicles collided with each other, and often their ammunition began to explode. At the same time, their torn towers soared several meters in height. Smoke and soot from burning and exploding tanks obscured the sky, making visibility on the battlefield very poor.

But the equipment burned not only on the ground, but also in the air. The damaged planes dived and exploded right in the thick of the battle. Tank crews of both warring sides left their burning vehicles and boldly entered into hand-to-hand combat with the enemy, wielding machine guns, knives and even grenades. It was a real terrible mess of human bodies, fire and metal. According to the recollections of one of the eyewitnesses, everything around was burning, there was an unimaginable noise that hurt the ears, apparently, this is exactly what hell should look like.

Further course of the battle

By the middle of the day on July 12, intense and bloody battles were taking place in the area of ​​​​height 226.6, as well as near railway. The soldiers of the 95th Infantry Division fought there, who tried with all their might to prevent all attempts by the “Dead Head” to break through in a northern direction. Our second tank corps managed to oust the Germans to the west of the railway and began a rapid advance towards the villages of Teterevino and Kalinin.

And at this time, the advanced units of the German division “Reich” moved forward, while occupying the Storozhevoy farm and the Belenikhino station. At the end of the day, the first of the SS divisions received powerful reinforcements in the form of artillery and air fire support. That is why the “Dead Head” managed to break through the defenses of two Soviet rifle divisions and reach the villages of Polezhaev and Vesely.

Enemy tanks attempted to reach the Prokhorovka-Kartashovka road, but they were still stopped by the 95th Infantry Division. Only one heroic platoon, commanded by Lieutenant P.I. Shpetnoy, destroyed seven Nazi tanks. In the battle he was seriously wounded, but despite this, he took a bunch of grenades and rushed under the tank. For his feat, Lieutenant Shpetnoy was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the USSR.

The tank battle of Prokhorovka, which took place on July 12, resulted in significant losses in both the SS Totenkopf and Adolf Hitler divisions, thereby causing great damage to their combat capabilities. But, despite this, no one was going to leave the battle or retreat - the enemy furiously resisted. The Germans also had their own tank aces. Once, somewhere in Europe, one of them managed to single-handedly defeat an entire convoy consisting of sixty vehicles and armored vehicles, but he died on the Eastern Front. This proves that Hitler sent selected soldiers here to fight, from which the SS divisions “Reich”, “Adolf Hitler” and “Totenkopf” were formed.

Retreat

By evening, the situation in all sectors became difficult and the Germans had to bring all available reserves into battle. During the battle, a crisis arose. In contrast to the enemy, the Soviet side also brought into battle its last reserve - a hundred heavy armored vehicles. These were KV tanks (Klim Voroshilov). That evening, the Nazis still had to retreat and later go on the defensive.

It is believed that it was on July 12 that the turning point of the famous Battle of Kursk, which the whole country had been waiting for, came. This day was marked by the offensive of the Red Army units that were part of the Bryansk and Western fronts.

Unfulfilled plans

Despite the fact that the Germans lost the tank battle near Prokhorovka on July 12, the fascist command still intended to continue the further offensive. It planned to encircle several Soviet divisions belonging to the 69th Army, which were defending in a small area located between the Lipov and Seversky Donets. On July 14, the Germans sent part of their forces, consisting of two tank and one infantry divisions, to capture the previously lost villages of Ryndinki, Shchelokovo and Vypolzovki. Further plans included advancing in the direction of Shakhovo.

The Soviet command unraveled the enemy's plans, so P. A. Rotmistrov gave the order to the combined detachment of N. I. Trufanov to stop the breakthrough of German tanks and prevent them from reaching the desired line. Another battle ensued. Over the next two days, the enemy continued to attack, but all attempts to break through were unsuccessful, as Trufanov’s group switched to a solid defense. On July 17, the Germans decided to withdraw their troops, and the heroic combined detachment was transferred to the reserve of the army commander. Thus ended the greatest tank battle near Prokhorovka.

Losses

It should be noted that none of the warring parties completed the tasks that were assigned to them on July 12, since Soviet troops were unable to encircle German group, and the Nazis failed to take possession of Prokhorovka and break through the enemy’s defenses.

In this difficult battle, both sides suffered not only significant casualties, but also a large loss of equipment. On the Soviet side, about five hundred tanks out of eight that took part in the battles were disabled. The Germans lost 75% of their armored vehicles, that is, three out of four hundred vehicles.

After the defeat, the commander of the German tank corps, Paul Hausser, was immediately removed from his post and blamed for all the failures that befell Hitler's troops in the Kursk direction. In these battles, the enemy lost, according to some sources, 4,178 people, which amounted to 16% of the total combat strength. 30 divisions were also almost completely destroyed. The largest tank battle near Prokhorovka broke the warlike spirit of the Germans. After this battle and until the end of the war, the Nazis no longer attacked, but fought only defensive battles.

According to some reports, there is a report by the Chief of the General Staff A.M. Vasilevsky, which he provided to Stalin, which contained figures characterizing the outcome of the tank battle near Prokhorovka. It said that in two days of fighting (meaning July 11 and 12, 1943), the greatest losses suffered by the 5th Guards Army, as well as the 9th and 95th divisions. According to this report, losses amounted to 5,859 people, including 1,387 killed and 1,015 missing.

It is worth noting that all the above figures are highly controversial, but we can say with confidence: this was one of the hardest battles of the Second World War.

It was opened in 2010 just 35 km from Belgorod and is dedicated to all the heroes who died and survived in that largest and most terrible tank battle, which went down in world history forever. The museum was named “The Third Military Field of Russia” (the first was Kulikovo, the second was Borodino). In 1995, the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul was erected on this legendary site. The soldiers who died at Prokhorovka are immortalized here - seven thousand names are carved on marble slabs covering the walls of the church.

The symbol of Prokhorovka is a belfry with an alarm bell suspended from it, which weighs about three and a half tons. It is visible from everywhere, because it is located on a hill, on the outskirts of the village of Prokhorovka. The center of the memorial is considered to be a truly grandiose sculptural composition consisting of six tanks. Its authors were monumentalist F. Sogoyan and Belgorod sculptor T. Kostenko.