16, 1944, more than 200,000 German troops and nearly 1,000 tanks launched Adolf Hitler's last bid to reverse the ebb in his fortunes that had begun when Allied troops landed in France on D-Day. Germany and its allies shifted to defense on all fronts of World War II, marking the beginning of the collapse of the fascist bloc.Early on the misty winter morning of Dec. After the Battle of Kursk, the balance of power on the Eastern Front shifted dramatically in favor of the Red Army, creating favorable conditions for a general strategic offensive.

However, the Germans exhausted their offensive potential, and Army Group South abandoned its plans to break through to Kursk.Significance of Battle of ProkhorovkaThe Prokhorovka events significantly influenced the Soviet forces' victory in the overall Battle of Kursk, which was one of the decisive and largest battles of World War II. Enemy artillery and bombardment by hundreds of enemy aircraft quickly turned the offensive into a meat grinder.Fighting in the area continued until July 16, with each side failing to break through the other's defenses. All that was left for the Soviets was to rely on their tanks' superior speed and maneuverability.

This disparity became especially painful as tanks rushed into close-quarters combat, with the Tigers' 88 mm shells easily penetrating the T-34s' armor. Soviet tank men, equipped mostly with older T-34 tanks with 76mm guns, proved outmatched against the new Tigers.

The First SS Panzer Division rushed to defensive positions. Conversely, the Soviet command aimed to encircle the enemy grouping.Over 1,000 tanks and self-propelled artillery units were involved in combat from both sides.Most Brutal Tank Battle in HistoryOn the morning of July 12, the Red Army began an artillery barrage to try to soften up enemy forces. In the Battle of Prokhorovka, the German command sought to encircle and destroy Soviet forces that had breached their defensive line in the Kursk, Orel, and Belgorod regions.

Largest tank battle in world history