The largest tank battle in history. Major tank battles of World War II

The large-scale tank battle near Prokhorovka was the defensive phase of the Battle of Kursk. This confrontation with the use of armored vehicles of the two strongest armies at that time - Soviet and German - is still considered one of the largest in military history. The command of the Soviet tank formations was carried out by Lieutenant General Pavel Alekseevich Rotmistrov, and the German ones by Paul Hausser.

On the eve of the battle

In early July 1943, the Soviet leadership became aware that the main German strike would fall on Oboyan, and the auxiliary would be directed at Korocha. In the first case, the offensive was carried out by the second tank corps, which included the SS divisions "Adolf Hitler", "Dead Head" and "Reich". In just a few days, they managed to break through two lines of Soviet defense and approach the third, located ten kilometers southwest of the Prokhorovka railway station. She was at that time on the territory of the Oktyabrsky state farm in the Belgorod region.

German tanks near Prokhorovka appeared on July 11, overcoming the resistance of one of the Soviet rifle divisions and the second tank corps. Seeing this situation, the Soviet command sent additional forces to this area, which were finally able to stop the enemy.

It was decided that it was necessary to launch a powerful counterattack aimed at the complete destruction of the SS armored corps wedged into the defense. It was assumed that three guards and two tank armies would take part in this operation. But the rapidly changing environment has made adjustments to these plans. It turned out that only one 5th Guards army under the command of A.S. Zhadov, as well as the 5th tank army led by P.A. Rotmistrov, would participate in the counterattack from the Soviet side.

Full offensive

In order to pull back the Red Army forces concentrated in the Prokhorovka direction at least a little, the Germans prepared a strike in the area where the 69th Army was located, leaving Rzhavets and heading north. Here one of the fascist tank corps began to advance, trying to break through from the south to the desired station.

Thus began a full-scale battle near Prokhorovka. Its start date is the morning of July 12, 1943, when the headquarters of the 5th tank army of P. A. Rotmistrov received a message about the breakthrough of a significant group of German armored vehicles. It turned out that about 70 units of enemy equipment, having entered from the southwest, captured the villages of Vypolzovka and Rzhavets on the move and were rapidly moving on.

Start

In order to stop the enemy, a pair of consolidated detachments was hastily formed, which were assigned to command General N.I. Trufanov. The Soviet side was able to field up to a hundred tanks. The newly created detachments had to rush into battle almost immediately. All day long, a bloody battle continued in the area of Ryndinka and Rzhavets.

At that time, almost everyone understood that the battle of Prokhorovka decided not only the outcome of this battle, but also the fate of all units of the 69th Army, whose troops were in a semicircle of enemy encirclement. Therefore, it was not surprising that the Soviet soldiers showed truly massive heroism. Take, for example, the feat of an anti-tank platoon of Art. Lieutenant K. T. Pozdeev.

During the next attack, a group of fascist tanks with submachine gunners on board, numbering 23 vehicles, rushed towards his position. An unequal and bloody battle ensued. The guards managed to destroy 11 tanks, thereby preventing the rest from penetrating into the depths of their own battle formation. Needless to say, almost all the soldiers of this platoon died.

Unfortunately, it is impossible in one article to list the names of all the heroes who were taken away by that tank battle near Prokhorovka. I would like to briefly mention at least a few of them: Private Petrov, Sergeant Cheremyanin, Lieutenants Panarin and Novak, military assistant Kostrikova, Captain Pavlov, Major Falyuta, Lieutenant Colonel Goldberg.

By the end of the next day, the combined detachment managed to drive out the Nazis and take the settlements of Ryndinka and Rzhavets under their control. As a result of the advance of part of the Soviet troops, it was possible to completely localize the success that one of the German tank corps had achieved a little earlier. Thus, by their actions, Trufanov's detachment thwarted a major Nazi offensive and prevented the threat of the enemy entering the rear of Rotmistrov's 5th Panzer Army.

fire support

It cannot be said that the battles on the field near Prokhorovka took place exclusively with the participation of tanks and self-propelled guns. Artillery and aircraft also played an important role here. When the enemy strike group launched an offensive early in the morning of July 12, Soviet attack aircraft attacked the tanks that were part of the SS Adolf Hitler division. In addition, before Rotmistrov's 5th Tank Army began to counterattack the enemy forces, artillery preparation was carried out, which lasted about 15 minutes.

During heavy fighting in the bend of the river. Psel The 95th Soviet Rifle Division opposed the SS tank group "Dead Head". Here, the 2nd Air Army under the command of Marshal S. A. Krasovsky supported our military with their strikes. In addition, long-range aviation also worked in the area.

Soviet attack aircraft and bombers managed to drop several thousand anti-tank bombs on the heads of the enemies. Soviet pilots did everything to support the ground units as much as possible. To do this, they inflicted crushing blows on large concentrations of enemy tanks and other armored vehicles in the area of such villages as Pokrovka, Gryaznoye, Yakovlevo, Malyye Mayachki, etc. At the time when the battle of Prokhorovka was taking place, dozens of attack aircraft, fighters and bombers were in the sky . This time, Soviet aviation had undeniable air superiority.

Advantages and disadvantages of combat vehicles

The Kursk Bulge near Prokhorovka began to gradually turn from a general battle into individual tank duels. Here, the opponents could show each other not only their skills, but also their knowledge of tactics, as well as demonstrate the capabilities of their tanks. The German units were mainly equipped with medium tanks T-IV of two modifications - H and G, in which the thickness of the armored hull was 80 mm, and the turret - 50 mm. In addition, there were heavy tanks T-VI "Tiger". They were equipped with 100mm armored hulls and their turrets were 110mm thick. Both tanks were equipped with rather powerful long-barreled guns of 75 and 88 mm caliber, respectively. They could penetrate a Soviet tank almost anywhere. The only exceptions were heavy armored vehicles IS-2, and then at a distance of more than five hundred meters.

The tank battle near Prokhorovka showed that Soviet tanks were in many ways inferior to German ones. This concerned not only the thickness of the armor, but also the power of the guns. But the T-34 tanks, which were in service with the Red Army at that time, were superior to the enemy both in speed and maneuverability, and in cross-country ability. They tried to wedge themselves into enemy battle formations and shoot at close range on the side armor of the enemy.

Soon the battle formations of the warring parties mixed up. Too dense a concentration of vehicles and too short distances deprived the German tanks of all the advantages of their powerful guns. The tightness from a large accumulation of equipment prevented both from making the necessary maneuvers. As a result, armored vehicles collided with each other, and often their ammunition began to explode. At the same time, their torn towers soared several meters in height. Smoke and soot from burning and exploding tanks covered the sky, because of this, there was very poor visibility on the battlefield.

But the equipment burned not only on the ground, but also in the air. The wrecked planes dived and exploded right in the thick of the battle. The tank crews of both warring sides left their burning vehicles and boldly engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the enemy, while wielding machine guns, knives and even grenades. It was a real terrible mess of human bodies, fire and metal. According to the recollections of one of the eyewitnesses, everything around was on fire, there was an unimaginable noise from which the ears hurt, apparently, this is how hell should look like.

Further course of the battle

By the middle of the day on July 12, intense and bloody battles were going on in the area of \u200b\u200bheight 226.6, as well as near the railway. Fighters of the 95th Rifle Division fought there, who tried with all their might to prevent all attempts by the "Dead Head" to break through to the north. Our second tank corps succeeded in driving out the Germans to the west of the railway and began a rapid advance towards the Teterevino and Kalinin farms.

Meanwhile, the advanced units of the German Reich division moved forward, while occupying the Storozhevoy farm and Belenikhino station. At the end of the day, the first of the SS divisions received powerful reinforcements in the form of artillery and air fire support. That is why the "Dead Head" managed to break through the defenses of two Soviet rifle divisions and reach the farms of Polezhaev and Vesely.

Enemy tanks attempted to reach the Prokhorovka-Kartashovka road, but they were nevertheless stopped by the 95th Infantry Division. Only one heroic platoon, commanded by Lieutenant P. I. Shpetnoy, destroyed seven Nazi tanks. In battle, he was seriously wounded, but despite this, he took a bunch of grenades and rushed under the tank. For his feat, Lieutenant Shpetnoy was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the USSR.

The tank battle near Prokhorovka, which took place on July 12, led to significant losses in both the SS division "Totenkopf" and "Adolf Hitler", thereby causing great damage to their combat capabilities. But, despite this, no one was going to leave the battle or retreat - the enemy resisted furiously. The Germans also had their tank aces. Once, somewhere in Europe, one of them managed to single-handedly smash a whole convoy consisting of sixty vehicles and armored vehicles, but he died on the Eastern Front. This proves that Hitler sent selected soldiers here to fight, from which the SS divisions "Reich", "Adolf Hitler" and "Totenkopf" were formed.

Retreat

By evening, the situation in all sectors became difficult and the Germans had to bring into battle all available reserves. During the battle, a crisis ensued. In opposition to the enemy, the Soviet side also brought into battle its last reserve - a hundred heavy armored vehicles. These were KV tanks ("Klim Voroshilov"). That evening, the Nazis still had to retreat and later go on the defensive.

It is believed that it was on July 12 that the turning point of the famous Battle of Kursk, which the whole country was waiting for, came. This day was marked by the offensive of the Red Army units that are part of the Bryansk and Western fronts.

Unfulfilled plans

Despite the fact that the Germans lost the tank battle near Prokhorovka on July 12, the fascist command still intended to continue the further offensive. It planned to encircle several Soviet divisions that were part of the 69th Army, which were defending in a small area located between the Lipov and Seversky Donets rivers. On July 14, the Germans sent part of their forces, consisting of two tank and one infantry divisions, to capture the previously lost villages - Ryndinki, Shchelokovo and Vypolzovka. Further in the plans was an advance in the direction of Shakhovo.

The Soviet command unraveled the plans of the enemy, so P. A. Rotmistrov ordered the combined detachment of N. I. Trufanov to stop the breakthrough of German tanks and prevent them from reaching the desired line. Another fight ensued. In the next two days, the enemy continued to attack, but all attempts to break through were unsuccessful, since Trufanov's group went over to a firm defense. On July 17, the Germans decided to withdraw their troops, and the heroic consolidated detachment was transferred to the reserve of the army commander. Thus ended the greatest tank battle near Prokhorovka.

Losses

It should be noted that none of the opposing sides fulfilled the tasks that were assigned to them on July 12, since the Soviet troops could not encircle the German group, and the Nazis failed to capture Prokhorovka and break through the enemy’s defenses.

In this difficult battle, both sides suffered not only significant casualties, but also a great loss of equipment. On the Soviet side, about five hundred tanks out of eight that took part in the battles were disabled. The Germans, on the other hand, lost 75% of their armored vehicles, that is, three out of four hundred vehicles.

After the defeat, the commander of the German tank corps, Paul Hausser, was immediately removed from his post and blamed for all the failures that befell the Nazi troops in the Kursk direction. In these battles, the enemy lost, according to some sources, 4178 people, which amounted to 16% of the entire combat strength. Also, 30 divisions were almost completely defeated. The largest tank battle near Prokhorovka broke the warlike spirit of the Germans. After this battle and until the end of the war, the Nazis no longer attacked, but only fought defensive battles.

According to some reports, there is a certain report by the Chief of the General Staff, A.M. Vasilevsky, which he provided to Stalin, which outlined the figures characterizing the outcome of the tank battle near Prokhorovka. It said that in two days of fighting (meaning July 11 and 12, 1943), the 5th Guards Army, as well as the 9th and 95th divisions suffered the greatest losses. According to this report, the losses amounted to 5859 people, including 1387 killed and 1015 missing.

It is worth noting that all the above figures are highly debatable, but we can say with confidence: it was one of the hardest battles of the Second World War.

It was opened in 2010 just 35 km from Belgorod and is dedicated to all the heroes who died and survived in that largest and most terrible tank battle, which has gone down in world history forever. The museum was named "The Third Military Field of Russia" (the first - Kulikovo, the second - Borodino). In 1995, the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul was erected on this legendary site. The soldiers who died near Prokhorovka are immortalized here - seven thousand names are carved on marble slabs covering the walls of the church.

The symbol of Prokhorovka is a belfry with an alarm bell hanging from it, which weighs about three and a half tons. It is visible from everywhere, because it is located on a hill, on the outskirts of the village of Prokhorovka. The center of the memorial is a truly grandiose sculptural composition consisting of six tanks. Its authors were the monumentalist F. Sogoyan and the Belgorod sculptor T. Kostenko.

Ever since the first armored vehicles began their march across the twisted battlefields during the First World War, tanks have been an integral part of land warfare. Many tank battles have taken place over the years, and some of them have been of great importance for history. Here are 10 battles you need to know about.

Battles in chronological order.

1. Battle of Cambrai (1917)

Taking place at the end of 1917, this battle on the Western Front was the first major tank battle in military history and it was there that for the first time combined arms forces were seriously involved on a large scale, which was a true turning point in military history. As historian Hugh Strachan notes, "the biggest intellectual shift in the war between 1914 and 1918 was that combined arms combat was centered around the capabilities of the guns rather than the strength of the infantry." And by "combined arms," Strachan means the coordinated use of various types of artillery, infantry, aviation, and, of course, tanks.

On November 20, 1917, the British attacked Cambrai with 476 tanks, 378 of which were battle tanks. The frightened Germans were taken by surprise, as the offensive instantly advanced several kilometers inland along the entire front. It was an unprecedented breakthrough in the defense of the enemy. The Germans eventually redeemed themselves by launching a counterattack, but this tank offensive demonstrated the incredible potential of mobile, armored warfare, a technique that only came into active use a year later, during the final push against Germany.

2. Battle on the Khalkhin Gol River (1939)

This is the first major tank battle during World War II, where the Soviet Red Army clashed with the Japanese Imperial Army at its border. During the Sino-Japanese War of 1937-1945, Japan claimed that Khalkhin Gol was the border between Mongolia and Manchukuo (the Japanese name for occupied Manchuria), while the USSR insisted on the border lying to the east near Nomon Khan (namely hence this conflict is sometimes referred to as the Nomon Khan Incident). Hostilities began in May 1939, when Soviet troops occupied the disputed territory.

After the initial success of the Japanese, the USSR gathered an army of 58,000 people, almost 500 tanks and about 250 aircraft. On the morning of August 20, General Georgy Zhukov launched a surprise attack after feigning preparation for a defensive position. During this harsh day, the heat became unbearable, reaching 40 degrees Celsius, causing machine guns and cannons to melt. The Soviet T-26 tanks (predecessors of the T-34) were superior to the obsolete Japanese tanks, whose guns lacked armor-piercing capability. But the Japanese fought desperately, for example, there was a very dramatic moment when Lieutenant Sadakayi attacked the tank with his samurai sword until he was killed.

The subsequent Russian advance made it possible to completely destroy the forces of General Komatsubara. Japan lost 61,000 men, in contrast to the Red Army, where 7,974 were killed and 15,251 wounded. This battle was the beginning of Zhukov's glorious military career, and also demonstrated the importance of deception, technical and numerical superiority in tank warfare.

3. Battle of Arras (1940)

This battle should not be confused with the Battle of Arras in 1917, this battle was during the Second World War, where the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) fought against the German Blitzkrieg, and gradually the fighting moved along the coast of France.

On May 20, 1940, Viscount Gort, commander of the BEF, launched a counterattack against the Germans, codenamed "Frankforce". It was attended by two infantry battalions of 2,000 people - and a total of 74 tanks. The BBC describes what happened next:

“The infantry battalions were divided into two columns for the attack, which took place on May 21st. The right column initially advanced successfully, taking a number of German soldiers prisoner, but they soon ran into German infantry and the SS, supported by the air force, and suffered heavy casualties.

The left column also advanced successfully until a collision with the infantry unit of the 7th Panzer Division of General Erwin Rommel.
French cover that night allowed the British forces to withdraw to their original positions. Operation Frankforce was over, and the next day the Germans regrouped and continued their offensive.

During the Frankforce, about 400 Germans were taken prisoner, both sides suffered approximately the same losses, and a number of tanks were also destroyed. The operation outdid itself - the attack was so brutal that the 7th Panzer Division believed it had been attacked by five infantry divisions.

Interestingly, some historians believe that this ferocious counter-attack convinced the German generals to call for a breather on May 24, a short break in Blitzkrieg, which gave the BEF some extra time to evacuate its troops during the "Miracle at Dunkirk".

4. Battle for Brody (1941)

Until the Battle of Kursk in 1943, it was the largest tank battle of World War II and the greatest in history up to that point. It happened in the early days of Operation Barbarossa, when German troops advanced rapidly (and relatively easily) along the Eastern Front. But in the triangle formed by the cities of Dubno, Lutsk and Brody, a clash arose in which 800 German tanks opposed 3500 Russian tanks.

The battle lasted four exhausting days, and ended on June 30, 1941 with a resounding victory for Germany and a heavy retreat for the Red Army. It was during the battle for Brody that the Germans first seriously clashed with the Russian T-34 tanks, which were practically immune to German weapons. But thanks to a series of Luftwaffe air attacks (which knocked out 201 Soviet tanks) and tactical maneuvering, the Germans won. Moreover, it is believed that 50% of Soviet armor losses (~2600 tanks) were due to lack of logistics, lack of ammunition, and technical problems. In total, the Red Army lost 800 tanks in that battle, and this is a large figure compared to 200 tanks from the Germans.

5. Second Battle of El Alamein (1942)

This battle marked a turning point in the North African campaign, and it was the only major armored battle that was won by the British Armed Forces without direct American involvement. But the American presence was certainly felt in the form of 300 Sherman tanks (the British had a total of 547 tanks) rushed to Egypt from the US.

In the battle, which began on October 23 and ended in November 1942, there was a confrontation between the pedantic and patient General Bernard Montgomery and Erwin Rommel, the cunning Desert Fox. Unfortunately for the Germans, however, Rommel was very ill, and was forced to leave for a German hospital before the battle could begin to unfold. In addition, his temporary second-in-command, General Georg von Stumme, died of a heart attack during the battle. The Germans also suffered from supply problems, especially fuel shortages. Which eventually led to disaster.

Montgomery's restructured 8th Army launched a double attack. The first phase, Operation Lightfoot, consisted of a heavy artillery bombardment followed by an infantry attack. During the second phase, the infantry cleared the way for the panzer divisions. Rommel, who returned to duty, was in despair, he realized that everything was lost, and telegraphed Hitler about this. Both the British and German armies lost about 500 tanks, but the Allied troops were unable to take the lead after the victory, which gave the Germans enough time to retreat.

But the victory was clear, which prompted Winston Churchill to declare: "This is not the end, this is not even the beginning of the end, but it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."

6. Battle of Kursk (1943)

After the defeat at Stalingrad, and the planned counteroffensive of the Red Army on all fronts, the Germans decided to make a bold, if not reckless, offensive near Kursk, in the hope of regaining their positions. As a result, the Battle of Kursk is today considered the largest and longest battle involving heavy armored vehicles in the war, and one of the largest single armored clashes.

Although no one can say the exact numbers, Soviet tanks initially outnumbered German tanks by two times. According to some estimates, initially about 3,000 Soviet tanks and 2,000 German tanks clashed on the Kursk Bulge. In the event of a negative development of events, the Red Army was ready to throw another 5,000 tanks into battle. And although the Germans caught up with the Red Army in terms of the number of tanks, this could not ensure their victory.

One German tank commander managed to destroy 22 Soviet tanks within an hour, but besides the tanks there were Russian soldiers who approached enemy tanks with "suicidal courage", getting close enough to throw a mine under the tracks. A German tanker later wrote:

"Soviet soldiers were around us, above us and between us. They pulled us out of the tanks, knocked us out. It was scary."

All German superiority in communications, maneuverability, and artillery was lost in chaos, noise, and smoke.

From the memoirs of tankers:
"The atmosphere was suffocating. I was out of breath, and sweat was running down my face in streams."
"We expected every second to be killed."
"Tanks rammed each other"
"The metal was on fire."

The entire area on the battlefield was filled with burned-out armored vehicles, exuding pillars of black, oily smoke.

It is important to note that at that time there was not only a tank battle, but also an air battle. While the battle was unfolding below, the planes in the sky tried to knock out the tanks.

Eight days later, the attack was stopped. Although the Red Army won, it lost five armored vehicles for every German tank. In terms of actual numbers, the Germans lost about 760 tanks and the USSR about 3,800 (a total of 6,000 tanks and assault guns were destroyed or seriously damaged). In terms of casualties, the Germans lost 54,182 people, ours - 177,847. Despite such a gap, the Red Army is considered the winner of the battle, and, as historians note, "Hitler's long-awaited dream of the oil fields of the Caucasus was destroyed forever."

7. Battle of Arrakour (1944)

Fought during the Lorraine Campaign led by General George Patton's 3rd Army from September to October 1944, the lesser known Battle of Arracour was the largest tank battle for the US Army up to that point. Although the Battle of the Bulge would later turn out to be larger, this battle took place over a much wider geographic area.

The battle is significant in that the entire German tank force was hit by American troops, mostly equipped with 75 mm guns. tank "Sherman". Through careful coordination of tanks, artillery, infantry, and air forces, the German forces were defeated.

As a result, American troops successfully defeated two tank brigades and parts of two tank divisions. Of the 262 German tanks, over 86 were destroyed and 114 seriously damaged. The Americans, by contrast, lost only 25 tanks.

The Battle of Arracour prevented a German counterattack and the Wehrmacht was unable to recover. Moreover, this area became the launching pad from which Patton's army would launch its winter offensive.

8. Battle of Chavinda (1965)

The Battle of Chavinda became one of the largest tank battles after World War II. It occurred during the Indo-Pakistani war of 1965, where about 132 Pakistani tanks (as well as 150 reinforcements) collided against 225 Indian armored vehicles. The Indians had Centurion tanks while the Pakistanis had Pattons; both sides also used Sherman tanks.

The battle, which lasted from 6 to 22 September, took place on the Ravi-Chinab sector connecting Jammu and Kashmir to the Indian mainland. The Indian Army hoped to cut off Pakistan from the supply line by cutting them off from the Sialkot district of the Lahore region. Events reached their peak on 8 September when the Indian forces advanced towards Chavinda. The Pakistani Air Force joined in the fight and then a fierce tank battle ensued. A major tank battle took place on 11 September in the Fillora region. After several bursts of activity and a lull, the battle finally ended on 21 September when the Indian forces finally withdrew. The Pakistanis lost 40 tanks while the Indians lost over 120.

9. Battle in the Valley of Tears (1973)

During the Arab-Israeli Yom Kippur War, Israeli forces fought a coalition that included Egypt, Syria, Jordan, and Iraq. The goal of the coalition was to push out the Israeli forces occupying the Sinai. At one key point in the Golan Heights, the Israeli brigade was left with 7 tanks out of 150 - and in the remaining tanks, on average, no more than 4 shells remained. But just as the Syrians were about to make another attack, the brigade was rescued by randomly assembled reinforcements, consisting of 13 of the least damaged tanks driven by wounded soldiers who had been discharged from the hospital.

As for the Doomsday War itself, the 19-day battle was the largest tank battle since World War II. In fact, it was one of the largest tank battles, involving 1,700 Israeli tanks (of which 63% were destroyed) and approximately 3,430 coalition tanks (of which approximately 2,250 to 2,300 were destroyed). In the end, Israel won; The ceasefire agreement brokered by the United Nations entered into force on 25 October.

10. Battle of Easting 73 (1991)

Since the First World War, tanks have been one of the most effective weapons of war. Their first use by the British at the Battle of the Somme in 1916 ushered in a new era, with tank wedges and lightning-fast blitzkriegs.

1 Battle of Cambrai (1917)

After failures with the use of small tank formations, the British command decided to launch an offensive using a large number of tanks. Since the tanks had not lived up to expectations before, many considered them useless. One British officer noted: "The infantry thinks that the tanks have not justified themselves. Even the tank crews are discouraged."

According to the plan of the British command, the upcoming offensive was supposed to begin without traditional artillery preparation. For the first time in history, tanks themselves had to break through the enemy defenses. The offensive at Cambrai was supposed to take the German command by surprise. The operation was prepared in strict secrecy. Tanks were brought to the front in the evening. The British were constantly firing machine guns and mortars to drown out the roar of tank engines.

In total, 476 tanks participated in the offensive. The German divisions were defeated and suffered heavy losses. The well-fortified "Hindenburg Line" was broken through to a great depth. However, during the German counter-offensive, the British troops were forced to retreat. Using the remaining 73 tanks, the British managed to prevent a more serious defeat.

2 Battle for Dubno-Lutsk-Brody (1941)

In the first days of the war, a large-scale tank battle took place in Western Ukraine. The most powerful grouping of the Wehrmacht - "Center" - advanced to the north, to Minsk and further to Moscow. Not so strong army group "South" was advancing on Kyiv. But in this direction there was the most powerful grouping of the Red Army - the South-Western Front.

Already in the evening of June 22, the troops of this front received orders to encircle and destroy the advancing enemy grouping with powerful concentric strikes by mechanized corps, and by the end of June 24 to capture the Lublin region (Poland). It sounds fantastic, but this is if you do not know the strength of the parties: in a giant oncoming tank battle, 3128 Soviet and 728 German tanks met.

The battle lasted a week: from 23 to 30 June. The actions of the mechanized corps were reduced to isolated counterattacks in different directions. The German command, through competent leadership, managed to repel a counterattack and defeat the armies of the Southwestern Front. The rout was complete: the Soviet troops lost 2648 tanks (85%), the Germans - about 260 vehicles.

3 Battle of El Alamein (1942)

The Battle of El Alamein is a key episode in the Anglo-German confrontation in North Africa. The Germans sought to cut the most important strategic highway of the Allies - the Suez Canal, and rushed to the Middle Eastern oil, which the Axis needed. The pitched battle of the entire campaign took place at El Alamein. As part of this battle, one of the largest tank battles in World War II took place.

The Italo-German forces numbered about 500 tanks, half of which were rather weak Italian tanks. The British armored units had over 1000 tanks, among which were powerful American tanks - 170 "Grants" and 250 "Shermans".

The qualitative and quantitative superiority of the British was partly offset by the military genius of the commander of the Italo-German troops, the famous "desert fox" Rommel.

Rommel, inferior to the enemy in armored vehicles, made extensive use of anti-tank artillery, among which were captured Soviet 76-mm guns, which proved to be excellent. Only under the pressure of the huge numerical superiority of the enemy, having lost almost all the equipment, the German army began an organized retreat.

The Germans had just over 30 tanks left after El Alamein. The total losses of the Italo-German troops in equipment amounted to 320 tanks. The losses of the British armored forces amounted to approximately 500 vehicles, many of which were repaired and returned to service, since the battlefield was eventually left to them.

4 Battle of Prokhorovka (1943)

The tank battle near Prokhorovka took place on July 12, 1943 as part of the Battle of Kursk. According to official Soviet data, 800 Soviet tanks and self-propelled guns and 700 German ones participated in it from both sides.

The Germans lost 350 armored vehicles, ours - 300. But the trick is that the Soviet tanks that participated in the battle were counted, and the German ones were those that were generally in the entire German group on the southern flank of the Kursk salient.

According to new, updated data, 311 German tanks and self-propelled guns of the 2nd SS Panzer Corps took part in the tank battle near Prokhorovka against 597 Soviet 5th Guards Tank Army (Commander Rotmistrov). The SS men lost about 70 (22%), and the guards - 343 (57%) units of armored vehicles.

None of the parties managed to achieve their goals: the Germans failed to break through the Soviet defenses and enter the operational space, and the Soviet troops failed to surround the enemy grouping.

A government commission was set up to investigate the causes of the heavy losses of Soviet tanks. In the report of the commission, the military operations of the Soviet troops near Prokhorovka are called "a model of an unsuccessfully conducted operation." General Rotmistrov was going to be handed over to the tribunal, but by that time the general situation had developed favorably, and everything worked out.

5 Battle of the Golan Heights (1973)

The major tank battle after 1945 took place during the so-called Yom Kippur War. The war got its name because it began with a surprise attack by the Arabs during the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur (Judgment Day).

Egypt and Syria sought to regain territories lost after the crushing defeat in the Six Day War (1967). Egypt and Syria were helped (financially and sometimes with impressive troops) by many Islamic countries - from Morocco to Pakistan. And not only Islamic ones: distant Cuba sent 3,000 soldiers to Syria, including tank crews.

On the Golan Heights, 180 Israeli tanks opposed approximately 1,300 Syrian ones. The heights were the most important strategic position for Israel: if the Israeli defenses in the Golan had been broken through, the Syrian troops would have been in the very center of the country in a few hours.

For several days, two Israeli tank brigades, suffering heavy losses, defended the Golan Heights from superior enemy forces. The most fierce fighting took place in the Valley of Tears, the Israeli brigade lost from 73 to 98 tanks out of 105. The Syrians lost about 350 tanks and 200 armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles.

The situation began to change radically after the reservists began to arrive. Syrian troops were stopped and then driven back to their original positions. Israeli troops launched an offensive against Damascus.

They are one of the most effective weapons of war. Their first use by the British at the Battle of the Somme in 1916 ushered in a new era, with tank wedges and lightning-fast blitzkriegs.

Battle of Cambrai (1917)

After failures with the use of small tank formations, the British command decided to launch an offensive using a large number of tanks. Since the tanks had not lived up to expectations before, many considered them useless. One British officer noted: "The infantry thinks that the tanks have not justified themselves. Even the tank crews are discouraged." According to the plan of the British command, the upcoming offensive was supposed to begin without traditional artillery preparation.

For the first time in history, tanks themselves had to break through the enemy defenses. The offensive at Cambrai was supposed to take the German command by surprise. The operation was prepared in strict secrecy. Tanks were brought to the front in the evening. The British were constantly firing machine guns and mortars to drown out the roar of tank engines. In total, 476 tanks participated in the offensive. The German divisions were defeated and suffered heavy losses. The well-fortified "Hindenburg Line" was broken through to a great depth. However, during the German counter-offensive, the British troops were forced to retreat. Using the remaining 73 tanks, the British managed to prevent a more serious defeat.

Battle for Dubno-Lutsk-Brody (1941)

In the first days of the war, a large-scale tank battle took place in Western Ukraine. The most powerful grouping of the Wehrmacht - "Center" - advanced to the north, to Minsk and further to Moscow. Not so strong army group "South" was advancing on Kyiv. But in this direction there was the most powerful grouping of the Red Army - the South-Western Front. Already in the evening of June 22, the troops of this front received orders to encircle and destroy the advancing enemy grouping with powerful concentric strikes by mechanized corps, and by the end of June 24 to capture the Lublin region (Poland). It sounds fantastic, but this is if you do not know the strength of the parties: in a giant oncoming tank battle, 3128 Soviet and 728 German tanks met. The battle lasted a week: from 23 to 30 June. The actions of the mechanized corps were reduced to isolated counterattacks in different directions. The German command, through competent leadership, managed to repel a counterattack and defeat the armies of the Southwestern Front. The rout was complete: the Soviet troops lost 2648 tanks (85%), the Germans - about 260 vehicles.

Battle of El Alamein (1942)

The Battle of El Alamein is a key episode in the Anglo-German confrontation in North Africa. The Germans sought to cut the most important strategic highway of the Allies - the Suez Canal, and rushed to the Middle Eastern oil, which the Axis needed. The pitched battle of the entire campaign took place at El Alamein.

As part of this battle, one of the largest tank battles in World War II took place. The Italo-German forces numbered about 500 tanks, half of which were rather weak Italian tanks. The British armored units had over 1000 tanks, among which were powerful American tanks - 170 "Grants" and 250 "Shermans". The qualitative and quantitative superiority of the British was partly offset by the military genius of the commander of the Italo-German troops, the famous "desert fox" Rommel.

Despite the British numerical superiority in manpower, tanks and aircraft, the British were never able to break through Rommel's defenses. The Germans even managed to counterattack, but the superiority of the British in numbers was so impressive that the German shock group of 90 tanks was simply destroyed in the oncoming battle. Rommel, inferior to the enemy in armored vehicles, made extensive use of anti-tank artillery, among which were captured Soviet 76-mm guns, which proved to be excellent.

Only under the pressure of the huge numerical superiority of the enemy, having lost almost all the equipment, the German army began an organized retreat. The Germans had just over 30 tanks left after El Alamein. The total losses of the Italo-German troops in equipment amounted to 320 tanks. The losses of the British armored forces amounted to approximately 500 vehicles, many of which were repaired and returned to service, since the battlefield was eventually left to them.

Battle of Prokhorovka (1943)

The tank battle near Prokhorovka took place on July 12, 1943 as part of the Battle of Kursk. According to official Soviet data, 800 Soviet tanks and self-propelled guns and 700 German ones participated in it from both sides. The Germans lost 350 armored vehicles, ours - 300. But the trick is that the Soviet tanks that participated in the battle were counted, and the German ones were those that were generally in the entire German group on the southern flank of the Kursk salient. According to new, updated data, 311 German tanks and self-propelled guns of the 2nd SS Panzer Corps took part in the tank battle near Prokhorovka against 597 Soviet 5th Guards Tank Army (Commander Rotmistrov). The SS men lost about 70 (22%), and the guards - 343 (57%) units of armored vehicles. None of the parties managed to achieve their goals: the Germans failed to break through the Soviet defenses and enter the operational space, and the Soviet troops failed to surround the enemy grouping. A government commission was set up to investigate the causes of the heavy losses of Soviet tanks. In the report of the commission, the military operations of the Soviet troops near Prokhorovka are called "a model of an unsuccessfully conducted operation." General Rotmistrov was going to be handed over to the tribunal, but by that time the general situation had developed favorably, and everything worked out.

Battle of the Golan Heights (1973)

The major tank battle after 1945 took place during the so-called Yom Kippur War. The war got its name because it began with a surprise attack by the Arabs during the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur (Judgment Day). Egypt and Syria sought to regain territories lost after the crushing defeat in the Six Day War (1967). Egypt and Syria were helped (financially and sometimes with impressive troops) by many Islamic countries - from Morocco to Pakistan.

And not only Islamic ones: distant Cuba sent 3,000 soldiers to Syria, including tank crews. On the Golan Heights, 180 Israeli tanks opposed approximately 1,300 Syrian ones. The heights were the most important strategic position for Israel: if the Israeli defenses in the Golan had been broken through, the Syrian troops would have been in the very center of the country in a few hours. For several days, two Israeli tank brigades, suffering heavy losses, defended the Golan Heights from superior enemy forces. The most fierce fighting took place in the "Valley of Tears", the Israeli brigade lost from 73 to 98 tanks out of 105. The Syrians lost about 350 tanks and 200 and. The situation began to change radically after the reservists began to arrive. Syrian troops were stopped and then driven back to their original positions. Israeli troops launched an offensive against Damascus.

Battle of Cambrai (1917)

According to the plan of the British command, the upcoming offensive was supposed to begin without traditional artillery preparation. For the first time in history, tanks themselves had to break through the enemy defenses.
The offensive at Cambrai was supposed to take the German command by surprise. The operation was prepared in strict secrecy. Tanks were brought to the front in the evening. The British were constantly firing machine guns and mortars to drown out the roar of tank engines.

Battle for Dubno-Lutsk-Brody (1941)

Battle of El Alamein (1942)