Kursk 1943: The Tide Turns in the East

IN A NUTSHELL: PRESENTED IN A MOST VISUAL MANNER TO AID UNDERSTANDING Most everything that has a bearing on understanding this enormous battle is enumerated, mapped, graphed and/or illustrated, making this relatively-small book read like a sort of PBS-TV documentary. THE 1st Chapter ["The Origins of the Battle"] STARTS OUT WITH A MAP OF THE "KURSK SALIENT" followed by a description of the current situation and a discussion of the origins of the battle -- or, more to the point, WHY HERE AND WHY NOW? The 2nd Chapter ["The Opposing Commanders"] gives brief biographies with pictures of the commanding officers on both sides. This background information aids understanding of some of the actions taken and orders given later when the battle seemed difficult to comprehend. The 3rd Chapter ["The Opposing Armies"] details the men and machines that were to fight at Kursk. This includes a comparson of the armor and tanks and the Luftwaffe too. Charts and illustrations are used. The 4th Chapter ["Plans and Preparations"] presents the aims of both armies. Obviously, the Soviet goals and objectives were different than the German. Perhaps, more importantly, the Soviets had a much better grasp of the current situation than the Germans. As a result, they were better prepared for the unexpected contingencies of the battle. This chapter clearly shows how the Germans made a number of errors in judgment, not the least of which was to depend so heavily on a untested tank [the Panther] which still needed some time to work out its kinks. True, the Panther tank was probably the most-advanced and most-formidable medium tank of World War II, but at Kursk, it was to suffer defeat in greater numbers from mechanical failures rather than by Soviet attacks. The 5th Chapter ["The Battle"] takes up more than half the book. Maps are constantly used to pinpoint the action and the re-actions, which were almost too numerous to track. We are shown where and when strategic actions occurred which greatly impacted both the outcome of the battle and the war. There are numerous battles within the "Battle of Kursk," and many of these are itemized as accurately and comprehensively as possible for an Eastern Front campaign. In the end, the German losses were greater than the Soviet losses. So began the final battle of attrition for the Third Reich. Just how Operation "Citadel" turned against the Germans is precisely and concisely what this book addresses. In my opinion, the conciseness of this text along with the very helpful graphics make this book a 5-Star pick for anyone interested in the reasons for the outcome of World War II, and particularly in the details of the clash between the Soviet Union and the Third Reich.

I suppose it kind of depends whether one is a seasoned historian with degrees, an Eastern Front expert, or an amateur student of history merely interested in the material. I am the latter, and I can say without any reservation that this book is absolutely outstanding, for its brief format a fantastic chronicle of one of the greatest battles of all time. In its bare bones, the book is an excellent record of the various operational moves of the forces involved in the Battle of Kursk. If you want to know who did what and when, this is the book to get. This is especially true if, like me, one is a novice to the history of the battle. The Battle of Kursk was a colossal struggle, an extremely complex battle and one not easily comprehensible, between enormous army groups striking each other in a nexus of small villages and winding rivers, which are not in the immediate knowledge base of the average history buff. Healy presents the tactical blueprint and chronology of the battle seamlessly and flawlessly, so that the ordinary reader with a minimum of knowledge about the Eastern Front can readily comprehend the intricate and interconnecting web of thrust and parry between huge Wehrmacht and Soviet forces. Moreover, I must take the opportunity to commend unreservedly the spectacular force distribution maps, which present the various forces making their assaults and defenses over the unfamiliar geography and facilitate as nothing else a true understanding of the battle. Healy also presents decisive "battles inside the battle" in 3-D full color physical maps which emphasize in the reader's memory the vital lynchpin engagements within this mammoth struggle which ultimately helped determine its final outcome--such as the fights for Cherkasskoye, Ponyri, and of course the final denouement at Prokhorovka. I've heard criticism of this book state that Healy uncovers no new information about the battle and only parrots secondhand sources. To be honest, however, I must confess that I can't see how any true student of the Eastern Front or the Second World War could afford not to own it. This is because the book does such a superb job in helping the average reader like myself understand the complicated contest of move and countermove(the Germans did most of the moving while the Russians remained static for the most part) that composed this monumental battle. Healy is not lacking in tactical insight, either--he describes the different tactical approaches of Model and Manstein in their operational assault plans, and describes also the strengths and weaknesses(particularly Vatutin's) of the Russian force dispositions in the salient. He also does an excellent job in placing the Kursk battle within the entire context of the Eastern Front in summer 1943, and describes how German strategic thinking first posited the Kursk battle as a local offensive designed to deal the Soviets a decisive blow which would decimate their strength and demolish the offensive capaci

I received this book today and was extremely satisfied with how it describes the battle. Much more than I anticipated is revealed with the turn of each page. Data tables are precise and maps flawless. Especially interesting was the fact the Tigers of Army Detachment Kempf were unable to reach Prohkorovka to help in the outcome.Also, how strong the Soviet defences were and how minefields took a terrible toll on the panzers and just how costly the campain was to both sides.

Kursk 1943 : Tide Turns in the East (Osprey Military Campaign Series, No 16) by Mark Healy is a fine short history of one of the critical battles on the Russian front.. Healy's writing keeps the reader centered on the battle and the whys and therefores. What is the strongest part of the book is the discussion of what each participant knew and didn't know. For instance, a critical failure of the Nazi offensive was their failure to realize the depth of the Russian defenses. Healy's lead up to the battle is compelling. The conflict between the suggested strategy by the German generals of a mobile defense and Hitler's Operation Citadel is another example of Hitler's imposed "strategy" losing the war for the Germans. This is one of the better books in the Osprey Military Campaign Series. The maps are excellent and after the book is finished one has an appreciation of the climatic battle.

This book was excellent in terms of its overview of the battle. It has excellent maps of the the individual parts of this battle. Also, the pictures and drawings are excellent. Unfortunately, this book needs to be updated because it refers to Zhukov several times as being undefeated in battle and from recently released information and publications we now know this assertion to be false. Zhukov's operation Mars was a huge military disater for the soviets and Zhukov's part in the planning of the battle was subsequently covered up(see Glantz, Operation Mars). Other than this imperfection, the book is a good source of the nuts and bolts of the battle.