THE BATTLE OF KURSK: Controversial and Neglected Aspects

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This collection of essays and articles, two of which have been reprinted from the Journal of Slavic Military History, takes a fresh look at several controversial and neglected topics regarding the battle and its run-up. It starts with a detailed look at the Soviet and Russian historiography on the battle, showing how initially promising research was swamped by Party dogma and censorship during the Brezhnev area, before being resumed with the collapse of the Soviet Union. It then transitions to discussions of how the southern shoulder of the Kursk bulge was formed, preparations for the battle on both sides, and the size and composition of Model's Ninth Army. Includes 154 photos and 8 pages of color maps.

He then examines whether or not the II SS Panzer Corps was aware of the pending Soviet counterattack at Prokhorovka and the effectiveness of the Soviet preemptive barrage that struck the German troops that were poised to attack. Zamulin also discusses whether or not General Vatutin, the Commander-in-Chief of Voronezh Front, erred when arranging his defenses.

Also looks at how the myth of 1,500-tank battle was perpetuated in Soviet and foreign history books, censored information such as the Soviet 183rd Rifle Division repeatedly struck by friendly aircraft, how a Soviet tank counterattack overran a Soviet battalion, and cases of fratricide in the Voronezh Front, including the death of one of the 1st Tank Army's foremost tank commanders in a friendly fire incident. Indeed, he reveals that a wave of suicides swept through the junior command staff of the 5th Guards Tank Army immediately prior to the famous counteroffensive on 12 July 1943.