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The Battle of Kursk - Frame 3

 The Battle of Kursk

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Artist Credit to Nicholas Trudgian World Renowned Military Aviation Artist.

History

The Battle of Kursk (or 'Kursk Campaign' , July 4, 1943 – August 23, 1943), was called Operation Zitadelle by the German Army, or Operation Citadel in English, was a significant (deliberate) defensive battle strategy on the Soviets' part on the Eastern Front Theater during World War II. Having good intelligence on Hitler's intentions, the Soviets established and managed to conceal elaborate layered defense works, mine fields, and stage and disguise large reserve forces poised for a tactical and strategic counter-attack end game typical of defensive battle plans. Overall, the campaign, which included the famous the sub-battle at and for Prokhorovka, remains the largest armored engagement of all time, and included the most costly single day of aerial warfare in history.

Though the Germans planned and initiated an offensive strike, the well planned Soviet defense not only managed to frustrate their ambitions but also launched a successful counter-offensiveand exhausted the German abilities in the theatre thereby seizing the initiative for the remainder of the war. In that sense it may be seen as phase II of the turning point in the front that began with the German defeat at the Battle of Stalingrad, which aftermath set the table by establishing the 'Kursk Salient’, the reduction of which was the objective of the German armies entering July. The subsequent counter attacks retook Oryol (August 5), Belgorod (August 5) and Kharkov (August 23), pushing back the Germans across a broad front, the first successful major Soviet Summer offensive of the War.

Kursk further demonstrated that the conflict in the East contained the largest scale of warfare in history, in terms of manpower involved. So well designed was the Soviet defensive planning, that when entering the archetypical counterattack phase, the Soviets were able to attack along four separate axes of advance, and execute a planned stop at a phase line, thus avoiding the
pitfalls of over-extending during the counter attack and earning this battle's deserved place as a model campaign in war college curricula.

Battle Elements and Event Schedule

• Operation Zitadelle
• Prokhorovka
• Kursk Salient

AXIS = Knights

Allies = Bishops

Each frame starts at 8pm in the UK, 9pm in France/Germany, 10pm in Finland/Estonia and 3pm EST. The planned length of a single frame is 2 hours.

This is an UNLIMITED life event in Aircraft and Armored vehicles.

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The Battle of Kursk on Youtube

Greatest Tank Battles - Battle of Kursk 1/5
http://youtu.be/tIeDY2H1eXk

Greatest Tank Battles - Battle of Kursk 2/5
http://youtu.be/c_TNJKtniTw

Greatest Tank Battles - Battle of Kursk 3/5
http://youtu.be/T7OQ6mdcyGQ

Greatest Tank Battles - Battle of Kursk 4/5
http://youtu.be/s_MpxM-ZrG0

Greatest Tank Battles - Battle of Kursk 5/5
http://youtu.be/HMkqJVY0vyw

Frame III

The Kursk Salient

By the summer of 1943, the Russians had steadily advanced east. However, a bulge had occurred south of Orel and north of Kharkov. At the centre of this bulge was Kursk. It was here,and to eradicate this bulge in preparation for a push east, that the Germans centred their attack in what was called ‘Operation Citadel’. If this bulge was not taken out, then there was every chance that the Russians would use the troops they had stationed there to launch an attack on the Germans at Orel and Kharkov – but attacking behind them, thus trapping the Germans between two Russian forces.

The Frame Objective:

The objectives are to capture each others active Vehicle bases.

Active Fields:

Allies ---> A8 and V75

AXIS ---> A64 and V44

Battle Orders

Allies: The Allies will launch from V75 and A8 to capture and hold V44 and A64 ...

AXIS: The Axis will launch from V44 and A64 to capture and hold V75 and A8  ...

Order of Battle

The Battle of Kursk will be a capture the flag event, pitting the best base capture teams and best base defense teams against one another. Thisevent will involve targeted release of field assets during the forward progress of the two hour event.

Restrictions

Combatants may only capture the assigned bases mentioned in the battle orders. No other bases are allowed to be captured!

Air Assets:

Aircraft may be used to;

•Bomb GVs
•Attack all structures
•Fly CAP
•Dogfight

Armored Assets:

Armored asset will have a staggered start. Only the Tiger I and Panther G will be turned off at its appointed time until the end of frame. In otherwords not all vehicles will roll at Go Go Go time. See the chart of launches below to see which vehicles lauch and when. Side COs will be able to derive their mission orders from these two sources of information regarding the event. If a vehicle hanger is destroyed it will remain down for 20 minutes.

•Attack other GVs
•Attack aircraft
•Destroy buildings
•Resupply other GVs
•Camp Spawn points
•Capture fields
   

Battle Schedule (Enabled or Disabled Aircraft and Vehicle)

3:00pm – 5:00pm EST
All Aircraft (P-39Q, Yak-9T, LA-5FN, IL2, B-25C, Boston III)
Allies:
M3
M16
T-34/76
T-34/85

AXIS:
All Aircraft (BF109G-2, BF109G-6, FW190A-5, JU87G, JU88A-4)
sd.kfz 251
Ostwind
Panzer IV F
Panzer IV H

4:30 - 5:00pm EST
AXIS:
Tiger I and Panther Ausf. G

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Victory Conditions:

*Which ever side has hold the opposing Vehicle base by the end of the frame "Wins".

Note: If both active bases on one side are captured the battle is over...

Frame 1 - Arena Setting:
1. Terrain – Blacksea
2. Icon Range - short
3. Wind – 10 kts W
4. Time – Start time 1400
5. Fighter and Bomber Warning Range - 36,960 about 7 miles
6. Enemy Collisions - On
7. External view for bombers (F3) - On
8. Visibility - 12
9. Friendly Collisions - Off
10. Fuel – 2.0
11. Ack - .3
12. Kill Shooter - off
13. Tower Range – 36,960 for display to match the above setting.
14. Radar – On

Designer Notes:

SEC Event Designer and Host

Redtail7

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