Bloody Red Storm Rising I: The Eve of Prokhorovka I: The Burning Earth of Hills 243 and 247 (Bloodied Wehrmacht)

July 1943: Eastern Front
Operation Citadel

With the successful completion of the third battle of Kharkov, the city and neighbouring Belgorod once again fall into German hands creating a large salient in the Eastern Front lines, the Red Army facing German forces on three sides, in the centre of the defensive ring…the city of Kursk.

Attacking and eliminating the salient will not only shorten the German line and free up reserves, but also show the world that the Wehrmacht and SS units have regained the initiative from the setback of Stalingrad, the Red Army pushed completely onto the defensive with morale crumbling…the crushing defeat earlier in the year would mean nothing.

Delays ensue, the initial date of operations is finally established in July…three months late.
Panzer reserves are bolstered with new tanks and assault guns filling the valuable rail space to head east. The Luftwaffe is strengthened, receiving fresh machines and new ‘tank killing’ aircraft, flying and land artillery are to be concentrated along the main routes of attack to obliterate any defences…the Germans are to throw virtually everything into one last offensive to ‘decide it all’.

The Red Army has not squandered the time…the enemy procrastination and incompetence proving to be an unexpected gift. The defences are dug in depth, thousands of the population digging emplacements, tank ditches and placing further obstacles, generating killing grounds for the advancing fascists.

The Panzer storm is finally unleashed…the Germans attacking to the south and north of the salient, keen to breakthrough to Kursk and trap thousands of Russian soldiers with their equipment…Blitzkrieg and superior German tactics would provide victory, just as they had in 1941.

But this is a different Russian adversary from 1941…stubborn and resilient with hundreds of miles of deep defences, updated equipment and leadership. Blitzkrieg simply does not happen…instead a gradual grinding forward in the south and virtually no progress in the north...lightning war now replaced with bitter attrition.

The days pass…an urgent breakthrough required as the Germans face fresh divisions each time they believe defences have been overcome, a widespread failure to rout the communist soldiers beginning to hang heavily in the minds of the average trooper.

The Luftwaffe reports of enemy reserves moving up from the east…indicating any precious time for victory may be shortening. The Panzers are beginning to struggle, the challenges increasing…
But an opportunity seems to be finally presenting itself in the centre of the southern advance…the SS Panzer Divisions believing they are about to break through the last Russian line, open country perhaps beyond and a last grasp for victory. The tank crews follow routes indicating their advance across their worn maps, a town of little significance nearby…Prokhorovka.

Leutnant Hausser and his squad return in the Hanomags of Grossdeutschland, desperate to assist the neighbouring Third Panzer Division to break through from the south, the two heavily defended hills of 243 and 247 of great significance ahead and barring their path. Once this mission to clear the left flank is achieved, the SS Panzers can be unleashed once more…

The desperate fight for survival continues, but with one exception…the Russians are no longer the only enemy to face…the Americans and British are now landing in Sicily.
Time is running out…

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