BattleTurning point
· Day 751 of 1418
The tank field of Prokhorovka
Prokhorovka
On 12 July 1943, near Prokhorovka station, one of the largest tank battles in history took place. The ground shook and smoke covered the sky. The enemy did not get through, and its Kursk offensive failed.
The battle was fought on a small field between the river Psel and the railway. Tanks came so close that they fired almost point-blank, sometimes ramming each other. Smoke and dust blotted out the sun.
Both sides suffered heavy losses. But the enemy never broke through to Kursk and soon began to retreat. Today a bell tower stands on the Prokhorovka field; its bell rings in memory of the fallen.
See it on the map