William E. Hiestand

Soviet Tanks at Kursk 1943 (eBook, PDF)

Illustrator: Morshead, Henry; Groult, Edouard A.

• Format: PDF

Produktbeschreibung

Illustrated throughout, this book explains the composition and qualities of the Soviet tank force that fought Germany's mighty Panzers at the biggest tank battle in history.

In the summer of 1943, Hitler's army had rebuilt its Panzer forces after defeat at Stalingrad and retreat from the Caucasus. New types, including the Panther, Tiger, and Elefant, at last added technical superiority to the traditional tactical edge enjoyed by the Panzer divisions. The plan was to begin offensive operations by striking from the north and south to cut off Soviet forces in the Kursk salient.

In this book, Soviet military specialist William E. Hiestand explores the armor that met this Panzer force, in the biggest tank battle of World War II. The Soviets had benefited from their prodigious production capabilities but the tanks at Kursk varied widely. Still short of tanks, the Soviets also still operated weak T-60 and T-70 light tanks, along with the increasingly obsolete KV-1 heavy tank. Significant numbers of Lend-Lease tanks also fought, including M3 Lees, Valentines, Stuarts, Churchills, and the first Shermans to join the Red Army. The Soviets also benefited from the firepower of the first generation of Soviet self-propelled guns - the SU-76, SU-122, and SU-152.

With meticulously researched tank illustrations and rare archive photos, this is an expert account of the Soviet tank forces in the climactic clash on the Eastern Front.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Bloomsbury UK eBooks
• Seitenzahl: 48
• Erscheinungstermin: 19. Dezember 2024
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9781472861429
• Artikelnr.: 72249030

Autorenporträt

William E. Hiestand has worked for over 30 years as a US Department of Defense analyst, focusing on military issues and serving in a wide variety of analytic, leadership and representational roles. He holds an MA in History from Cornell University, and has a lifelong interest in military history with a particular focus on 20th-century armoured and mechanized operations and Soviet military history. He lives in Virginia near Washington DC.

Inhaltsangabe

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
ORGANIZATION AND DOCTRINE
Doctrine and force structure
Training and tactics
The Soviet Tank Force at Kursk
TECHNICAL FACTORS
Soviet medium, light, and heavy tanks
Lend-lease tanks
Self-propelled guns
THE CAMPAIGN
Operation Zitadelle
Operation Kutuzov
Operation Rumyantsev
BATTLE ANALYSIS
FURTHER READING
INDEX