12 of July - one of the most important anniversaries in the history of the Fatherland. On this day 1943 of the year, in the crucial Battle of Prokhorovka, there was the largest during the Second World War battle between the tank formations of the USSR and Nazi Germany, became the culmination of the battle at the Kursk Bulge.
Despite, that separates us from this landmark event 76 years, him still riveted public attention. Tank battle at Prokhorovka, and some of his fights have been reflected in the memoirs of generals, in fiction, cinema and even a powerful video from Swedish heavy power metal band Sabaton «Panzerkampf» group.
Adequate historians and fans of the "glue tanchiki" long ago figured out the details of the battle: what events preceded, who and what made mistakes, and loss.
Conclusion, it would seem, should not leave room for different interpretations and interpretations: Soviet tankers, showing military prowess, courage and will, I won in this hard and bloody fight. The field of battle is left for our troops. The enemy has not passed. The Kursk Bulge and in Prokhorovka fascist armies break the back. Remaining until the end of the war they are currently only snapped, inexorably rolling away to the west, already clearly understood, that the end of war and the inevitable retribution.
It was not yet victory, but the beginning of the Liberation.
Nevertheless, on the eve 12 May, with regularity and perseverance, worthy of a better cause, in the media emerge all sorts of murky "experts" from the category darned propagandonov and falsifiers of history with another revelation: "Prokhorovka it was not so simple".
More "savvy" of "experts" led even some links, usually related to memoirs (equated hudlitu) broken Nazi generals, of discharge: "I almost won the war".
On "expert wave" could spit and grind, if not its consequences are not stimulated in social networks and the secondary press aggravation of minors and overage degenerates, firm conviction, that "all of us conceal".
Which becomes a cause for oprotivevshey in the past 30 s pandemonium "yes, won, but threw the corpses ", "Prokhorovka one German tank five Soviet burned", and other such idiot "analyst".
I was no exception and the year 2019 th. On the eve of the 76th anniversary of the Battle of Prokhorovka suddenly stuck his mug editor of the historical section of the newspaper Die Welt Sven Felix Hellerhof with Article, in which he demanded (!) demolish the Memorial in Prokhorovka field - on the grounds, that "recent studies, based on the undoubtedly real photos, confirm: at Prokhorovka was not a Soviet victory, or even a grand tank battle ".
If the article was published in some far-right fascist rag, it can be safely ignored. But Die Welt - a daily completely different level, shaping public opinion (over 700 thousand subscribers), and even members of the creative alliance LENA, which includes seven major European newspapers.
the, the editor of the historical section of the influential publication judge a historical event not on the documents, and on the basis of "recent studies undoubtedly real photos», suspicious, Die Welt that the gains in staff not professionals, and some gullible townsfolk among admirers show "Battle of psychics".
If you go into the details, Kellerhof trying to argue with a long lost relevance Brezhnev's interpretation of events 12 July of the multi-volume "History of the Second World War":
"July 12 was the day of the collapse of the German offensive" (T. 6. FROM. 154)
Modern multi-volume "History of the Great Patriotic War" does not agree with an excessively optimistic assessment of Brezhnev historians and dry claims, what:
"As a result of the oncoming battle near Prokhorovka none of the parties could not resolve its tasks ... Reflection powerful strike Army Group" South "has been achieved as a result of the common efforts of the Voronezh Front connections and troops with the participation of strategic reserves" (T. 3. FROM. 544-547)
Now try to understand, what is behind the compressed phrase "in Prokhorovka none of the parties could not resolve its tasks".
Direct command tank formations in the battle carried Lieutenant General Paul Rotmistrov the Soviet side and SS Gruppenführer Paul Hausser - with German. Neither one of the parties failed to reach goals, set at the 12 July: Germans failed to capture Prokhorovka, break through the Soviet defenses and enter the operating room, and Soviet troops failed to encircle the enemy grouping.
As explained in its military-historical essay "Prokhorovka battle (July 1943 of the year)"Direct participant and researcher of the events, Major-General Mr.. A. Oleynikov:
"Certainly, we won at Prokhorovka, not allowing the opponent to break through to the operating room, They forced him to abandon his ambitious plans and forced to move to the starting position. Our troops stood in the four fierce battle, and the enemy has lost its offensive capabilities. But the Voronezh Front had exhausted their strength, that did not allow him to move immediately to the offensive ".
but then, Voronezh Front was able to pull up and enter the fray reserves, and the Germans of these reserves has not been! It was at the battle of Prokhorovka Nazis lost most of their tanks, which affected the outcome of the Battle of Kursk.
If the band of the Soviet Central Front after the beginning of their offensive 5 July 1943 the Germans were not able to hook deep in defense of our forces, on the southern face of the Kursk salient in a critical situation. Here, on the first day of the battle the enemy brought the battle to 700 tanks and assault guns, supported by aircraft. Met resistance in the direction Oboyan, the enemy suffered a major effort on the Prokhorovka direction, trying to capture Kursk blow from the southeast.
Soviet command decided to counterattack on enemy troops wedged. Voronezh Front was reinforced with reserves Bids (5-Guards Tank, 45-Guards armies and two tank corps).
12 of July in the area Prokhorovka was second largest tank battle of World War II (the first was held under Dubno, in western Ukraine, at 23 – 29 June 1941 of the year, which came together five corps of the Red Army, and not inferior to them in the number of four German armored divisions), in which both sides participated to 1200 Tanks and self-propelled guns.
Should be considered, By the beginning of the summer campaign 1943 the Germans had a quality advantage in tanks, adding to its armored units with the latest cars "Tiger" and "Panther", whereas Soviet tankers fighting T-34-76 machines and HF-1c, inferior to the German power tools and sighting devices. Before the mass appearance in the armed forces of our best "tridtsatchetvorok" T-34-85 and IS-2 heavy tank was another year.
Soviet tank units have sought to conduct close combat, "Grabbing the opponent by the belt", since the defeat of the distance 76 mm gun T-34 and HF-1c was no more 800 m, whereas 88 mm cannon "Tigers" and "Ferdinands" could shoot our machines from a distance 2000 m. At a distance of our tanks suffered heavy losses.
On the other hand, knowing the advantage of the Germans, Soviet troops moved battles with armored fist of the Nazis in the other plane: many German tanks were stopped by mines, antitank artillery, burned infantry and aviation.
Both sides suffered huge losses at Prokhorovka. In this battle the Soviet troops lost 500 tanks of 800 (60%). The Germans lost forever 300 tanks of 400 (75%). For them, this was tantamount to disaster. After the Battle of Prokhorovka most powerful strike force of the Germans had been bled white. General Guderian, while the inspector general of panzer troops Wehrmacht, I wrote:
"Armored troops, supplemented with great difficulty,, due to heavy losses in men and material for a long time out of service ... and no longer on the Eastern Front was not quiet days ".
12 July 1943 year change occurred (not crash, on the interpretation of the Brezhnev historians) in the development of the southern defensive engagement protrusion fase Kursky. The main forces of the enemy on the defensive. 13 – 15 July, German forces continued to attack only against units of the 5th Guards Tank Army and the 69th Army south of Prokhorovka. The maximum advance of the German troops in the southern fase reached 35 km. 16 of July they began to retreat to their original positions.
If 800 wrecked and burnt-out tanks at Prokhorovka Field, as well as the funeral conclusion Heinz Guderian for the editor of the historical section of the newspaper Die Welt «nothing special happened, and the Russian did not win ", this is his personal view, void of understanding bump, no more.
certainly, edition with an imbecile, "military expert" does not express the views of German historians, but it expresses the opinion of certain political circles and part of German society, trying to belittle the contribution of the Soviet people to the victory over fascism, and at the same time get rid of the complex of historical guilt for fixing Ordnung Pax Germanica in Europe.
Of course, each Hellerhofu foul mouth does not shut up, and every "expert" rotok not nakinesh scarf. But binge devilry and dancing on the graves of the defenders of the motherland, we must oppose the historical truth, no matter how bitter it may be, protect and distribute it in every way, not to have increased the generation of Col-Urengoi ...
Moscow, Alexander Rostovtsev.
nice article. More such. Thank you.
Clear brief analysis of the situation! Thank you for the article.
This is the true story..