Kursk and Beyond - Summer 1943

On July 4th, Das Reich had 48 Pz. III's, 30 Pz. IV's (1/4 ith sh!"t #a""els$, 1%
&i'e"s, 8 Pz. III c!((and tan)s, 18 &*34's, 33 +tu,'s, and 10 -a"de"s
c!(#at "eady. On the .i.th, the .i"st day !. /itadel .!" the di0isi!n, its &i'e"s
)n!c)ed !ut %3 tan)s in s!(e 1 h!u"s !. hea0y .i'tin' nea" 2e"es!.. and 3ill
%33.3 t! the n!"th. On the 1th, s!uth !. 4utsch)i, I 2n. &i'e"s dest"!yed 10
tan)s !. the %nd ,ua"ds &an) /!"5s, #ut anti*tan) .i"e )illed the 1th Pz.
c!(5any c!((ande", 6stu.. 7!"th(ann. 8.te" #ein' aa"ded the I"!n /"!ss
9i"st /lass as a c!(5any c/! in I/:4an'e(a"): 3stu.. Diete" ;esten t!!) !0e"
the 1th Pz. c!(5any. 2y July 13th, 6stu.. 3ans -ennel in Pz. IV <1%1had
)n!c)ed !ut %4 tan)s du"in' the ca(5ai'n.
8lth!u'h ."!( July =th th"!u'h the 11th, Das Reich acc!unted .!" 448
Russian tan)s and +6's, l!sin' a t!tal !. 41 5anze"s and assault 'uns
dest"!yed, 8"(y ,"!u5 +!uth .ailed t! c!(5letely #"ea) th"!u'h t! the .inal Russian de.ense line s!uth !. ;u"s). On the %8th,
#e.!"e it de5a"ted .!" Italy, the 4ei#standa"te handed !0e" t! Das Reich > &i'e"s, 3> Pz. IV's, and 4 Pz. III's, hich al"eady had
33 Pz. III's, 1? Pz. IV's, % &*34's, and % &i'e"s c!(#at "eady.
8.te" #ein' t"ans.e""ed s!uth t! !55!se the Russian c!unte"attac) ac"!ss the
-ius Ri0e", and dest"!yin' 3>1 tan)s and +6's ."!( July 30th t! 8u'ust %1st,
Das Reich (!0ed t! the !uts)i"ts !. ;ha")!0, he"e it as in0!l0ed in e0en
hea0ie" .i'htin'. Its Panthe" #attali!n .i"st sa c!(#at !n the %%nd, a"!und
+ta"@a*4@u#!tin and ;!((una, )n!c)in' !ut =3 +!0iet tan)s. &he neAt day,
1% ;( est !. ;ha")!0, the 5lat!!n !. 6stu.. ;a"l -eilec) (Panthe" %11$
#"!)e u5 a Russian tan) assault. 3e al!ne dest"!yed ? tan)s. On the %4th,
3stu.. ;esten's 1th Pz. /!(5any, nely su55lied ith side*s)i"ted Pz. IV's,
#attled 10 &*34's #eteen 6dy*2!'ens and O")an, @ust +7 !. /ha")!,
hich had .allen t! the +!0iets !n the 5"e0i!us day. ;esten's 5anze"s
)n!c)ed !ut %> tan)s !. the 10. -uelec) and ;esten late" "ecei0ed ;./.'s .!"
these acti!ns.
In #attles a"!und ;ha")!0 ."!( 8u'. %% th"!u'h +e5t. %, Das Reich sc!"ed 413 a"(!" )ills. On 8u'. %? it had 4 Pz. III's, 31 Pz.
IV's, 1 &i'e"s, and 1 c!((and tan)s c!(#at .it, 5lus !ne Panthe" c!(5any. &he !the" Panthe" c!(5anies e"e #"ie.ly attached
t! !the" di0isi!ns. Das Reich 5anze"s (!0ed t! the 7al)i a"ea ea"ly in +e5t. On the 13th, s!(e 10 )( +7 !. /ha")! and %0
)( est !. 7al)i, !0e" ?0 &*34's attac)ed Das Reich's "ec!n #attali!n. 9"!( thei" "ese"0e 5!siti!n, 3stu.. 9"ied"ich 3!lze" in
Panthe" <101 led ? tan)s !. his c!(5any t! the "escue. In a 40 (inute #attle the Panthe"s dest"!yed %8 &*34's. In % days, ?8
+!0iet tan)s e"e le.t #u"nin' !n the l!n' '"ass !. the ste55es.
&h"!u'h!ut +e5te(#e" Das Reich &i'e"s sc!"ed hea0ily
a'ainst Russian a"(!". On the %3"d, 6stu.. 8l!is ;alls (&i'e"
+31$ "ecei0ed the ,./. in ,!ld .!" his ade5t leade"shi5 !. his
5lat!!n du"in' the late su((e". 3is assistant 5lat!!n leade",
3sch. J!hann Reinha"dt as 5!sthu(!usly aa"ded the
,./. in ,!ld !n the %=th. 8t the end !. the (!nth Das Reich
(!0ed t! the Dn@e5" ."!nt, ha0in' dest"!yed %18 tan)s
a"!und 7al)i.
On Oct!#e" %>th, @ust !utside !. ;h!d!"!0 !n the este"n
#an) !. the Dn@e5" Ri0e", s!(e ?= )( +B !. ;ie0, %0 &*34's
5ie"ced Das Reich's de.ense line a.te" = a.(.. Cuic)ly
ad0ancin' t! this dan'e"!us #"ea)th"!u'h, 3scha. 7illy
+i()e in Pz. IV <=31 and his thi"d 5lat!!n, =th Pz. /!., .i"ed
u5!n the &*34's ."!( %0 t! 30 (ete"s, and )n!c)ed !ut 1? !. the(. In the sa(e a"ea !n D!0. 1 the Russians t"ied t! secu"e thei"
#"id'ehead !0e" the Dn@e5". +tu#a.. &ychsen's IInd Pz. 8#t. as !n the "i'ht .lan) !. Das Reich's 5!siti!n. 7hen ene(y tan)s
and in.ant"y atte(5ted t! !ut.lan) his unit, &ychsen led his 5anze" 3C sta# and an en'inee" 5lat!!n t! the attac) a"!und 3ill
188. &h"ee &*34's a55ea"ed !0e" a "iseE &ychsen's 2e.lPz.III )n!c)ed !ut t!, then his si.tly ad0ancin' .!"ce dest"!yed 1 (!"e
and d"!0e !.. the "est. &hat sa(e day in &i'e" +11, 3sha. 3ans +!"etz, I Fu' leade" 8/Pz.R't. DR, sc!"ed the %000th a"(!" )ill
.!" the di0isi!n in 1>43. Its 5anze" "e'i(ent had acc!unted .!" s!(e 1100 !. these, t! its !n l!sses !. !0e" %=0 tan)s. On the
11th in +la0ia, &i'e"s sh!t u5 (!"e than a d!zen Russian tan)s.
P"e0i!us t! #ec!(in' an Ostu.. (!n the 18th$, 8l!is ;alls as
!unded a.te" ta)in' !0e" as actin' c!((ande" !. the &i'e"
/!(5any. On the (!"nin' !. the 13th nea" 2!lscha@a ,"a#,
+!0iet in.ant"y assaulted the IInd Pz.8#t. headGua"te"s. Ostu..
;a"l*3einz 2!s)a, its ad@utant, led = 5anze"s in a c!unte"attac)
that dest"!yed 1% anti*tan) 'uns, % in.ant"y 'uns, and )illed !0e"
300 t"!!5s. &hat sa(e day, the Pz.R't's c!((ande"
O#e"stu"(#ann.ueh"e" (Ostu#a..$ 0!( Reitzenstein "ecei0ed the
;./. .!" the e..!"ts !. his unit du"in' the su((e" and .all. +!!n
a.te"a"d, cha"'ed ith !..*duty (isc!nduct, he c!((itted
suicide !n the 30th. &ychsen assu(ed c!((and !. the "e'i(ent.
On D!0. %1, Das Reich had > Pz.IV's, % &i'e"s, ? Panthe"s and %
c!((and tan)s c!(#at .it. In (id*Dece(#e", (!st !. the di0isi!n
as !"de"ed t! 9"ance t! "e*su55ly and "et"ain. 8 )a(5.'"u55e
"e(ained #ehind, its de5leted 5anze" .!"ce .!"(ed a #attali!n !.
!nly % c!(5anies, !ne led #y Ostu.. +ch!()a, the sec!nd led #y Ostu.. ;l!s)!s)i. &he actin' #attali!n c/! as 3stu.. 7illi
Bnde(ann. +iA Pz.IV's, 4 Panthe"s, and = &i'e"s e"e c!(#at .it. 9"!( Dec. %= th"!u'h Jan. 18, 1>44, the #attali!n dest"!yed
!nly 1% tan)s, 14 +6's, and 1% anti*tan) 'uns. &h"ee !. its &i'e"s e"e )n!c)ed !ut !n -a"ch 4th east !. +e(@alintzy. 6stu..
&e'th!.. and +ta.Ju. 0!n Bin#!ec) e"e (!"tally !unded. 8 hand.ul !. Das Reich tan)s .!u'ht !n until 85"il.
&he &i'e" /!(5any as dis#anded that s5"in', its su"0i0in' 5e"s!nnel dist"i#uted a(!n' the 3 c!(5anies !. the .!"(in' 10%
s++ Pz.8#t. ((!st D.R. 0ete"ans ent t! its .i"st c!(5any$. In all, Das Reich's Pz.R't. sc!"ed 1%00 a"(!" )ills #y 85"il, and l!st
c. 300 tan)s in c!(#at a'ainst the Russians.
All images courtesy of Mr. Mark Yerger and Mr. Thorleif Olson