Operation Kutuzov

Operation Kutuzov
Part of the Eastern Front of World War II

Soviet T-34 tanks enter Orel, 1943
Date12 July – 18 August 1943
(1 month and 6 days)
Location
Result Soviet victory
Belligerents
 Germany  Soviet Union
Commanders and leaders
Nazi Germany Walter Model
Nazi Germany Lothar Rendulic
Nazi Germany Günther von Kluge
Nazi Germany Robert von Greim
Soviet Union Konstantin Rokossovsky
Soviet Union Ivan Bagramyan
Soviet Union Vasili Sokolovsky
Soviet Union Markian Popov
Strength
300,700 men[1]
625 tanks and assault guns[1]
610 aircraft[1]
5,500 guns[1]
800,000 men
2,409 tanks and assault guns[2]
2,220[3]–3,023[2] aircraft
26,379 guns[2]
Casualties and losses

86,454 men[4]

14,215 killed
11,300 missing
60,939 wounded
unknown tanks[N 1]
unknown guns
218 aircraft[6]

429,890 men[7][8]

112,529 dead or missing
317,361 wounded or sick
2,586 tanks destroyed[9]
892 guns lost[9]
1,014 aircraft destroyed[9]

Operation Kutuzov was the first of the two counteroffensives launched by the Red Army as part of the Kursk Strategic Offensive Operation. It commenced on 12 July 1943, in the Central Russian Upland, against Army Group Center of the German Heer. The operation was named after General Mikhail Kutuzov, the Russian general credited with saving Russia from Napoleon during the French invasion of Russia in 1812. Operation Kutuzov was one of two large-scale Soviet operations launched as counteroffensives against Operation Citadel. The Operation began on 12 July and ended on 18 August 1943 with the capture of Orel and collapse of the Orel bulge.

  1. ^ a b c d Frieser 2007, p. 177.
  2. ^ a b c Koltunov p.81
  3. ^ Bergström 2007, p. 83.
  4. ^ Frieser 2007, p. 154.
  5. ^ Frieser 2007, p. 188.
  6. ^ Frieser 2007, p. 189.
  7. ^ Krivosheev 1997, p. 133.
  8. ^ Beevor 2012, p. 485.
  9. ^ a b c Krivosheev 1997, p. 262.


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