A study of the Battle of Kursk (at Prokhorovka), one of the largest tank engagements in world history, which led to staggering losses - imncluding nearly 200,000 Soviet and 50,000 German casualties within the first ten days of fighting. Drawing on both German and Soviet sources, David M. Glantz and Jonathan M. House seek to separate myth from fact to show what really happened at Kursk and how it affected the outcome of World War II. Their access to Soviet archive material adds detail to what is known about this conflict, enabling them to reconstruct events from both perspectives and describe combat down to the tactical level. The volume takes readers behind Soviet lines to reveal what the Red Army knew about the plans for Hitler's offensive (Operation Citadel), relive tank warfare and hand-to-hand combat, and tell how the tide of battle turned. Glantz and House's interpretations demolish many of the myths that suggest Hitler might have triumphed if Operation Citadel had been conducted differently. They also provide figures of combat strengths and losses, along with 32 maps that clarify troop and tank movements.