Blood and Steel | Battle of Kursk, 80 years ago

✉️ Briefing: On the evening of 4th of July 1943, German and Soviet forces prepare for a decisive fight on the Eastern Front. If the battle of Stalingrad is considered as a turning point in the war, so is the battle of Kursk: three million men and ten thousand tanks will clash on a front 2,000 km wide. This time, the German army had neither the advantage of surprise, nor that of mobility. Around 22:30, the first fights begin on the southern salient. This is followed by a colossal bombardment by the Soviet artillery, including many Katyusha rocket launchers. Although it initially shocks the German forces, it’s ineffective and causes little damage. Supported by artillery and close air support, the 4th Panzerarmee finally launches the assault around 05:00. The battle begins. In the morning, the Soviet air force engages the Luftwaffe to control the skies and prevent ground support. Among the Soviet pilots are French volunteers from the Normandie-Niemen squadron: most of them will give their lifes to cover Pe-2 bombers during the battle. At the end of the war, survivors will be decorated and granted, by Stalin himself, the right to return to France with their planes. On the ground, the 3,500 German Panzers crash into a never-ending wave of Soviet tanks: the modern Panther and Tiger I are overwhelmed by 7,500 T-34s and IS-2s. Following the Wehrmacht’s heavy losses and the announcement of the Allied landing in Sicily, Hitler orders a halt to the attack on July 13. The encirclement failed, and the Soviets take advantage of the situation to attack behind. The front cracks and the Germans are forced to retreat several hundred kilometers. The battle is over, as the German army’s hopes of conquest. The battle of Kursk happened 80 years ago, to the day. Of course, not every aspect of the battle will be represented in 4 minutes, but you will discover high quality colorized images of both sides. The video aims to maintain the duty of remembrance, without taking sides: the war is over and memories, stories and footage must last, so we never forget this war that made the world tremble like never before. 🔑 Guide: 00:00 - Intro (Tiger I trials) 00:14 - German preparations 00:58 - Soviet preparations 01:54 - Calm before the clash 02:27 - Bombardment & German assault 02:46 - Soviet counter-attack 03:12 - Air battle 03:33 - Armor clash 03:55 - Casualties 💽 Song: PERTURBATOR - Assault ⭐ My Discord server : 📸 Instagram: 🌟 #mauzerwave Discord base: ⚠️ Copyrights: I don’t own any rights about the content used here to make this video. The original rights obviously belong to their respecting owners and if the following video edit is a problem, they can contact me in order to remove this video.