Kursk German Leaders

July, 1943

Adolf Hitler

Hitler, Adolf

Fuehrer

Commander-In-Chief of the German Army

Hitler feared a disaster at Kursk but felt a German victory on the Eastern Front was politically necessary to fortify Italy’s wavering resolve.  Additionally, his own self-confidence and his standing among his generals were at an all-time low following his decisions that led to the disaster at Stalingrad.  Germany’s subsequent loss at Kursk would hand the initiative to the Red Army for the remainder of the war.

Wilhelm Keitel

Keitel, Wilhelm

Field Marshal

Chief of the Armed Forces High Command (OKW)

Erich von Manstein

von Manstein, Erich

Field Marshal

Commander, Army Group South

                Attacked the southern face of the Kursk Bulge in Operation Citadel

                Defended in Operation Rumiantsev

Manstein was sure he could succeed in breaking through Russian defenses at Kursk if only Hitler would release to him the last of Germany’s armored reserves.  Like other German generals he would be surprised by the devastating force of the coming Red Army counterattack.  

Guenther von Kluge

von Kluge, Guenther

Field Marshal

Commander, Army Group Center

                Attacked the northern face of the Kursk Bulge in Operation Citadel

                Defended the Orel salient in Operation Kutuzov

By the spring of 1943 von Kluge believed his army was worn out and badly needing to be refit.  He opposed von Manstein’s proposal to attack the Kursk Bulge in April. 

Walter Model

Model, Walter

General

Commander, Ninth German Army

                Attacked the northern face of the Kursk Bulge in Operation Citadel

                Acting Commander of Second Panzer Army and Ninth Army:

                                Defense of the Orel salient in Operation Kutuzov

Model was disturbed by the extent of Soviet defenses at Kursk and his concerns caused Hitler to further postpone Operation Citadel.  

Hermann Hoth

Hoth, Hermann

Colonel General

Commander, Fourth Panzer Army

                Made the principal German attack on the southern face of the Kursk Bulge

                Defended in Operation Rumiantsev

                Defended in Soviet offensive toward Kharkov

Hoth’s armored forces included the lavishly equipped II SS Panzer Corps.  His decision to swing his armored attack toward Prokhorovka on 11 July led to the largest tank battle in history.  The remnants of his nine Panzer divisions would be met on rolling farmland by nearly 900 Soviet tanks.

Werner Kempf

Kempf, Werner

Colonel General

Commander, Army Detachment Kempf

                Attacked the southeastern shoulder of the Kursk Bulge

                Defended in Operation Rumiantsev

Heinz Guderian

Guderian, Heinz

Colonel General

Inspector-General of Panzer Troops

Guderian opposed any offensive in Russia during 1943 believing the Wehrmacht needed time to recover and to prepare for an Allied invasion of Western Europe.  Once the decision was made to proceed with Operation Citadel Guderian demanded a postponement in order to rush the latest tanks to the battlefield.

Kurt Zeitzler

Zeitzler, Kurt

Colonel General

Chief of the Army High Command (OKH)

Zeitler was one of the few German generals confident in the success of Operation Citadel.  He felt the new Panther and Tiger tanks would bring a decisive advantage to German forces at the upcoming battle.


Related Topics:

Kursk Russian Leaders

Kursk

Blitzkrieg

Hitler's War Strategy

Kursk

Battle of Kursk
July, 1943

C L I C K     T O     E N L A R G E

Red Army

The German Army following its defeat at Stalingrad was weakened but it remained a threat heading into the summer of 1943.  A number of Hitler's military advisers wanted to withdraw their forces to a more defensible position and focus on rebuilding their strategic reserves.  Hitler realized the precarious disposition of his army but he saw an opportunity for an offensive action near a town named Kursk that might well remedy a number of his problems.

Picture:  561 x 424 - Photobucket  

Kursk Salient

Fighting in recent months had created a protrusion in the German line containing three Soviet armies.  Hitler felt a pincer movement towards Kursk could trap and destroy these troops.  A victory here would weaken the Red Army while straightening Germany's line, requiring less manpower for defense.  Hitler had political reasons for choosing this military gamble, as well.  Germany's allies were unnerved by the defeat at Stalingrad and the destruction of the Sixth Army.  The German people were demoralized by heavy casualties and setbacks in both Russia and North Africa.  Hitler needed a win and he felt he couldn't afford to play it safe.  Time was not on Germany's side.

Map:  592 x 448 - LuRu's Blogs  

Adolf Hitler

Hitler expected a quick victory over Russia when he launched Operation Barbarossa in June, 1940.  Instead, the Eastern Front had become a grinding war of attrition with a Soviet enemy whose economic resources and manpower reserves were vastly superior.  Germany needed a crushing victory to buy time, to catch its breath, and to prepare for the mounting threat from both Britain and the United States.  Hitler believed German technology would be the key to victory and he postponed Operation Citadel, the attack on the Kursk Salient, more than once to insure new German tanks, the Tiger and Panther, would be available for the battle.

Picture:  460 x 287 - The Telegraph

Georgy Zhukov

Red Army Commander Marshal Georgy Zhukov was aware of German intentions both because the Kursk Salient was the obvious target of opportunity and Russian partisans behind enemy lines kept him informed as to German activity.  He devised a plan with Stalin's approval that would heavily fortify the salient with trenches, mines, artillery, tanks and over a million armed men.  They would absorb the German thrust and wear their attacks down with sheer numbers.  Once the German armored blow was exhausted fresh Russian troops held in reserve would counterattack and sweep the Nazi war machine from the field of battle.  

Picture:  750 x 695 - Our Common Victory

Field Marshal Walther Model

Kursk is 500 miles, 800 kilometers, from Moscow.  The salient occupied by the Soviet army was 120 miles wide and extended 75 miles into the German held area.  Operation Citadel called for General Model to strike south towards Kursk with his Ninth Army which consisted of 6 armored divisions and 14 infantry divisions.  Simultaneously, General Hoth's Fourth Panzer Army would thrust north with his 11 armored and 10 infantry divisions.  The two armies would meet at the center, Kursk, then move east to establish a new line of defense along the River Don.  Germany had massed 900,000 men, 2,700 tanks and 1,800 aircraft for the effort.  It represented seventy percent of all the tanks on the Eastern Front and a majority of the aircraft.

Picture:  260 x 384 at 100 dpi - Wikipedia

Colonel-General Hermann Hoth

The German armored assault began in the early morning hours of July 5.  Leading the attacking spear were the new Tiger 1 heavy tanks.  Protecting the flanks were new Panther medium tanks and the veteran Mark IV tanks.  These were followed by motorized infantry.  They were met with heavy artillery barrages and highly coordinated teams of antitank weapons.  Model's southern thrust soon stalled while Hoth's Ninth Panzer made some headway, penetrating the first of three Soviet lines of defense.    Harsh battlefield conditions caused many Panthers and the new German assault gun, the Elefant, to break down with mechanical problems.  

Picture:  351 x 506 - Wikipedia 

German Infantry

The carnage that resulted from this clash of two military titans climaxed on July 12 near a village called Prokhorovka.  It was here on a battlefield choked in clouds of dust and smoke that 600 panzers dueled 800 Soviet tanks for eight hours.  The engagement was fought to a draw but it was a strategic disaster for Germany.  While its armored might was spent the Soviets had great reserves of tanks and men ready to throw into the battle.  The German military had no choice but to withdraw or face total annihilation.  The following day Hitler cancelled Citadel.  He had new worries in the west.  On July 10 British and American forces invaded Sicily, bringing the war to Italy's shores.  Hitler had no choice but to extract German forces from Russia to aid his teetering Axis ally.  From this point on it would be a long retreat for the German military as Russian armies pursued them relentlessly all the way to Berlin, the lair of the Nazi beast.    

Related Topics:

Kursk German Leaders

Kursk Russian Leaders

Hitler's War Strategy

World War II Photos