July 1943

Eastern Front

The 9th Army renews its efforts at Ponyri as it attempts to take Hills 253.5 and 274 with 6th Infantry Division. Soviet resistance is ferocious, preventing the Germans from achieving either objective. The heavy fighting at Olkhovatka and Teploye also continues as the Germans make minor gains.

Bitter fighting rages between Verchopenje and Solotino as 4th Panzer Army strikes the 1st Tank and 6th Guards Armies. The XLVIII Panzer Corps is within 16 miles of Oboyan, but after 4 days of bloody fighting is almost spent. Its 3rd Panzer Division finally enters Beresovka only for its advance to be checked north of the village as Soviet forces fire from the woods. The 11th Panzer Division struggles to move at all.

Fatigue becomes a major problem for the Germans as men and machines suffer the effects of 5 days continuous fighting. The Soviet position si equally bad, Vatutin realizing that he has committed his 1st Tank Army too early. The movement of the 5th Guards Tank Army and now also the 5th Guards Army of the Steppe Front to this sector will give the Soviets a crucial advantage in the next few days. Taking advantage of the current Soviet weakness, the 4th Panzer Army redeploys in the Prokhorovka area, from where it plans to resume its attacks. The army is by this stage of the battle down to only 501 operational tanks, having lost nearly half its strength.

The advance of III Panzer Corps has ground to a halt as its flank lengthens. Soviet attacks along this exposed line forces Detachment Kempf to commit greater forces to its protection.