Quote:
Originally posted by Erich:
Za I fully understand your quandry but to me if not Kursk it would of happened elsewhere.
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Erich, you remind me of Shakespeare: "A rose by any other name would smell the same". So if it weren't at Kursk it would be the same somewhere else, LOL
Quote:
Originally posted by Erich:
The Soviets wanted to pull the might of the Wehrmacht armor out into the open for hoping that sheer weight of numbers could win the day for them.
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Er, if I remember correctly originally who had the Kursk idea were the Jerrys, the Russians were the ones defending behind several fortified lines. This is not exactly pulling the Germans in the open.
Quote:
Originally posted by Erich:
the Kursk salient is often called a complete Soviet victory, I see it as a waste of human life on both sides and almost a near draw,
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Of course it was a large waste of life, but so was the entire war.
As for calling it a draw and not a Sov victory I can't agree. The victory conditions for the Germans were having both pincers penetrate and meet east of the city of Kursk, thereby pinching off a very large salient. Did this happen? No, clearly.
The Russians' brief was to block this. Did they succeed? Yes.
Moreover the Russians were shortly later and still within the context of this campaign able to throw two offensives north and south of the salient, which managed to push the Germans hundreds of kilometres back during the course of the following three months. I can't see how you can dismiss this a draw.