However, a big counteroffensive was planned long before with the goal to break from the northeast into the German front bulge around Orel in the north of the Kursk salient. It was just to regain the initiative and win a great tactical victory on the battlefield – and not, as before, to force the important complete collapse of the Soviet Union.Īfter considerable internal debate, the Soviet leadership had decided that the Red Army on the northern and southern sections of the apparently vulnerable bulge around Kursk would have to strength its defenses and wait for the German offensive. The German troops were made ready for this major operation, although the goal this time was much less ambitious than in 1941 or 1942. About 2,700 tanks and assault guns were to provide the necessary push and 1,400 to 1,800 aircraft of the German Luftwaffe for air cover and ground support were available. Tiger tank of the 7th Tank Division were prepared at Bjelgorod for Operation Citadel, the Battle of Kursk (July 1943).The German 9th Army in the north as well in the south the 4th Panzer Army and Army Department Kempf, had been greatly strengthened with replacements and new weapons and also received strong air support. He was perfectly right in this prediction, but not in the way he had thought. In the statement of the attack order of April 15, he had made it clear that ‘the victory of Kursk must have the effect of a lesson for the world ‘. In the face of increasing doubts among his military leaders and an increasing feeling of badness, which advised him to better cancel the whole offensive, Hitler nevertheless decided to prepare everything until June 19. Since his army was to carry out the attack on Kursk from the north, Model repeatedly called for deferment until he was able to build up his troops sufficiently and in particular was waiting for a substantial allocation of the new Panzer V Panther and Tiger tanks.ĭespite objections from other German commanders, Manstein and Kluge in particular, who argued that how later Citadel operation would be deferred, the riskier it became and the Russians were given more opportunity to adapt, Hitler was on the side of Model, one of his own favored troop commanders. Not only did these discussions lead to delays, but also the wishes of General (later field marshal) Walter Model, the commander of the German 9th Army south of Orel, whose headquarters and staff had become available by the evacuation of the Rzhev bulge. In the following weeks, further offensive plans were considered, but not accepted. This was to enable the Wehrmacht to create a large mobile reserve that would exclude Soviet offensives in the east and crush any invasion in the west during 1943. This offensive was intended to regain the initiative in the East and thereby stabilize the entire Eastern Front. In a “normal” year, our regional calendars lists over 200 events for our members to participate in each year.The most important part of these operations, however, was the Operation Zitadelle (Citadel), as the attack on Kursk was called. We currently have almost 400 active members with nearly as many vehicles as some members own more than one military vehicle. It is divided into 7 Regions, each with a regional event coordinator. The MVPA is an international organization that includes roughly 8000 members and nearly 100 affiliate groups in the United States and around the world.įounded in 1982 by Earle Byers, our First Florida Chapter covers the entire State of Florida. The First Florida Chapter is a leading state chapter of the Military Vehicle Preservation Association (MVPA).
Our members are dedicated to preserving the modern military vehicle history of the United States. The First Florida Chapter is a tax exempt, non-profit Educational 501(C)(3) charitable organization dedicated to supporting local and statewide military and veteran organizations and charities to preserve military history. In addition, each event draws a large number of vendors of militaria, vehicles for sale and military vehicle parts. There are tanks, halftracks, jeeps, deuces, artillery pieces and Allied and Axis re-enactors engaging in realistic mock battles. We traditionally hold two rallies every year.
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