Tanks at Prokhorovka

In the former Soviet Union (and in present-day Russia), the tank battle of Prokhorovka was one of the symbols of the Red Army's heroism during the Second World War: an epic clash with many casualties on both sides, in which hundreds of tanks fired at each other from close range, and from which the Soviet tank crews emerged victorious. There is no doubt about the significance of the battle in the Kursk Salient in the summer of 1943. Likewise, the victory of the Red Army and the heroism of its soldiers cannot be disputed. But there is one problem: the legendary encounter at Prokhorovka took place in a completely different way, and the long-held image of this battle is based on false claims.
Based on a careful study of both known and newly discovered archival documents (especially German reports on the condition and repair of military equipment), the British military historian Ben Wheatley presents a new picture of the battle, from which it is clear that the loss ratio at Prokhorovka was highly unbalanced and that the previous image belongs to the world of myths. The account is supplemented by a wealth of statistical data, summary tables, period documents, and historical and contemporary photographs of the battlefield.

As soon as Stalin heard about the extremely high losses of armoured vehicles suffered by the 5th Guards Tank Army at Prokhorovka, he demanded an explanation. He allegedly confronted Rotmistrov directly: “What have you done with your magnificent armoured army?” Stalin... wanted to relieve Rotmistrov of his command and have him court-martialled. Rotmistrov, well aware of the fate that awaited a commander who had failed Stalin, therefore began to claim that the German tank losses at Prokhorovka were even higher than the losses of his own formations.