The Battle of Kursk: Operation Citadel 1943 [Paperback]

Robin Cross (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 014139109X | ISBN-13: 978-0141391090 | Publication Date: May 16, 2005

Citadel was the codename for the German attack on Kursk in 1943, and it was the last major German offensive to be launched in the east in an attempt to regain impetus after the battle of Stalingrad. However, the advantage had swung towards the Soviet forces and they never let it go. Following the Battle of Kursk, they not only seized the strategic initiative but also established an inexorably growing momentum which culminated in the fall of Berlin nearly two years later. The German thrusts were contained within tatalizing grasp of success, after which the Red Army delivered a series of crushing counterblows which drove the Wermacht back beyond the Dneiper. Hitler had gambled all on a single throw and had lost. Kursk was the greatest clash of armoured forces in history, and the decisive land battle of World War II. This title examines what happened in Operation Citadel.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

“Citadel,” the codename for the German attack at Kursk in 1943, was the last major German offensive to be launched in the East. The greatest clash of armored forces in history, Kursk was the decisive land battle of the Second World War. The aim was to claw back the initiative after the surrender of the German Sixth Army at Stalingrad. The location, chosen by Hitler, was in the heartland of the Ukraine. But forewarned of German plans, the Red Army prepared to defend the Kursk salient in massive strength and depth. Distinguished military historian Robin Cross presents a detailed picture of the Battle of Kursk, from the intense cat–and–mouse game waged by both high commands in the agonizing months leading up to the German offensive, to the first–hand experiences of troops on the ground and the airmen who flew over the blazing steppe. At the same time, he sets Operation Citadel firmly within the wider strategic context of the war in the East, revealing how Hitler and Stalin steeled themselves to make decisions that would determine the outcome of the war and shape the peace that followed.

About the Author

Robin Cross is a distinguished military historian and is the author of VE Day: Victory in Europe and The Bombers: Strategy and Tactics. He was the Consultant Editor of The Guinness Encyclopedia of Warfare.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Global (May 16, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 014139109X
• ISBN-13: 978-0141391090
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,092,544 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A discombobulated account of a great battle, December 28, 2003

By 

"volobuev" (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Battle of Kursk: Operation Citadel 1943 (Paperback)

This books covers what many consider the greatest battle of the WWII: the battle of the Kursk Salient, aka Operation Citadel. Lately the word 'Kursk' has received some notoriety due to the disaster on board of the Russian nuclear submarine 'Kursk', however, few people in the West really know why a huge nuclear sub was named after a relatively obscure Russian city.

When people think of the Eastern Front, Stalingrad is usually known as the single greatest battle, and the rest of the action is mired in relative obscurity. While the Battle of Stalingrad was indeed a great and very important event of the war, it was not the real turning point; the great German war machine was stopped and defeated, but the events took place during the fearsome Russian winter, and in an urban environment. The question still remained: could Soviet Army withstand a summer German offensive, something that noone has been able to accomplish to that date? That question was answered in the summer of 1943 on the plains and rolling hills around Kursk. The scale and intensity of the fighting that took place there is unparalleled by any other battle of the WWII. It was truly the Hell of Earth.

The book by Robin Cross attempts to cover the preliminaries of the battle, as well as the battle itself in great detail. The description of the situation leading up to the battle is reasonably comprehensive. However, the account of the main events suffers greatly from author's apparent lack of knowledge of the Russian language (demonstrated by frequent poor transliteration of Russian words) and subsequent reliance on sources available in English and/or German. The most interesting part, battle participants' accounts, is utterly one-sided. While numerous German sources are quoted, the only Soviet sources are those of a few members of high command. So the description of the action on the ground is basically presented from the German point of view, and the Soviet soldiers are thus portrayed as some faceless force that brave (and highly successful, per cited accounts) German forces had to fight through. This create a sense of confusion as to the ultimate outcome; understandably, German accounts concentrate on the few successes encountered during the battle, and it's somewhat unclear from reading this book why the battle has ultimately ended in German defeat. Most of the most vivid eyewitnesses' accounts can also be found in another book, 'Scorched Earth'. In general, the book has the feel of a work put together by rehashing previously published information, without sufficient effort applied to maintain overall self-coherency. Understandably, Soviet and German sources provide rather different pictures of events that took place, as it usually happens with any battle, and any historian attempting an independent and objective treatment has to work hard to present the reader with the picture of what really took place, otherwise the reader will walk away still not really sure what has really took place, as it's the case with this book. Example: the Prokhorovka battle was the single greatest tank engagement of the war, with roughly 1400 tanks involved. Robin Cross, having described the ferocity of the clash, goes on to argue (having based the entire argument on a single source of information of a questionable value) that basically no German tanks were destroyed during an entire day of extremely ferocious tank-on-tank fighting, and leaves this strange fact basically unexplained. Again, consulting more sources would be of great help here.

While the Battle of Kursk was a monumental event that is definitely worth reading about, this particular book is probably not the one to read given any choice.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Ok, but outclassed by Glantz, July 13, 2004

By 

Michael Licari (Cedar Falls, IA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Battle of Kursk: Operation Citadel 1943 (Paperback)

This book is a reprint of his 1993 book Citadel: The Battle of Kursk. It is intended to be a general overview of the operation, including background of the military situation leading to the battle, as well as its aftermath and immediate consequences. The first part is devoted to the development of the Kursk "bulge" as a result of Soviet offensives in the first weeks of 1943 and Manstein's counter-offensive in the early spring. Cross also examines the German and Red armies, as well as German and Soviet military leaders. These background treatments are workmanlike and not particularly noteworthy. The description of the actual battle is disjointed and lacks depth. A few divisions move here, others move there, a breakthrough was gained in one place, and the Soviets stood firm somewhere else. There is little to bring all of these movements some coherence to reflect the overall plans of the Germans and the Soviets. Cross also feels free to jump from sector to sector or forward and backward through time without much more than a new paragraph. The depiction of the progress of the battle lacks any depth beyond where a division might be at a given time. Descriptions of the nature of the fighting are almost completely lacking; even the various methods used by the Germans to break through the defensive "belts" warrant only passing comment. The raw "facts" of the battle are mostly correct, and Cross's errors are of omission. There is very little detail or analysis. This is particularly problematic since Cross tried to write a comprehensive account of the operation. Thus, those who read this (and nothing else) will falsely assume they have all of the relevant information.

Despite these problems, Cross's book is significant for a couple of reasons. First, he is the first to directly question the myth of the battle of Prokhorovka. By showing a chart of German daily tank strength during Citadel, Cross demonstrates that the clash at Prokhorovka barely registers, especially when compared to losses during the first few days when the defensive belts were being cracked. Unfortunately, Cross does not do much to seriously press home this finding. Second, he assesses the landings on Sicily and finds them to be irrelevant to our understanding of the progress of Citadel. Cross notes that several days after the landings, the units on the southern face of the Kursk bulge were issued new offensive orders. He also notes that the Germans were far more concerned with Soviet attacks on the flanks of the German units involved. This is what prompted the German halt and withdrawal.

This book, however, has now been greatly outdone by the one by Glantz & House. So, even though it's interesting, I can't recommend it.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars GOOD READ, NOT SPECTACULAR, June 3, 2005

By 

L. C. Huyveneers (The Netherlands) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Battle of Kursk: Operation Citadel 1943 (Paperback)

Cross' book about the 1943 Kursk battle, the biggest ever clash between tanks, starts with a long introduction occupying the main part of the book. It's like a movie when one's waiting for the action to begin, but this waiting even continues after the break.

It's interesting to read about the build-up, but this means the actual battle is considered less. And when it all starts, many troop movements are described. But I would have liked to have seen more personal comments of soldiers involved. It contains some, most of them from the German perspective, and they make the book come to life.

Furthermore, sometimes Cross gives hints about the brutality involved but doesn't go into it. For example, in just one sentence he talks about soldiers of the Totenkopf division certainly facing death when captured. It's one of those subjects one would like to read more about, because it added to the harshness of this clash.

Overall, this book is a good read about a decisive battle on the Eastfront. No more, no less.