Operation Kutuzov: Strategic Maneuvers and Tactical Brilliance in World War II

By Fouad Sabry

What is Operation Kutuzov

Operation Kutuzov was the first of the two counteroffensives launched by the Red Army as part of the Kursk Strategic Offensive Operation. It commenced on 12 July 1943, in the Central Russian Upland, against Army Group Center of the German Heer. The operation was named after General Mikhail Kutuzov, the Russian general credited with saving Russia from Napoleon during the French invasion of Russia in 1812. Operation Kutuzov was one of two large-scale Soviet operations launched as counteroffensives against Operation Citadel. The Operation began on 12 July and ended on 18 August 1943 with the capture of Orel and collapse of the Orel bulge.

How you will benefit

(I) Insights, and validations about the following topics:

Chapter 1: Operation Kutuzov

Chapter 2: Battle of Kursk

Chapter 3: Third Battle of Kharkov

Chapter 4: Operation Citadel

Chapter 5: Operation Bagration

Chapter 6: Battle of Korsun-Cherkassy

Chapter 7: Günther von Kluge

Chapter 8: Case Blue

Chapter 9: Battle of Prokhorovka

Chapter 10: Belgorod-Bogodukhov offensive operation

(II) Answering the public top questions about operation kutuzov.

Who this book is for

Professionals, undergraduate and graduate students, enthusiasts, hobbyists, and those who want to go beyond basic knowledge or information for any kind of Operation Kutuzov.

• Language: English
• Publisher: One Billion Knowledgeable
• Release date: May 31, 2024

Book preview

Chapter 1: Operation Kutuzov

The Red Army launched Operation Kutuzov as the first of two counteroffensives as part of the Kursk Strategic Offensive Operation. It began on July 12, 1943 in the Central Russian Upland against the Center Army Group of the German Heer. The operation was named after General Mikhail Kutuzov, the Russian general credited with preserving Russia during Napoleon's 1812 invasion of Russia. Operation Kutuzov was one of two massive Soviet counteroffensives launched in response to Operation Citadel. The operation began on the 12th of July and concluded on the 18th of August 1943 with the capture of Orel and the collapse of the Orel bulge.

As the conclusion of the rasputitsa, or rainy season, drew near, the Soviet command considered its next course of action. Stalin fervently intended to seize the initiative and assault the German forces, but his senior commanders persuaded him to adopt a defensive stance initially and allow the Germans to weaken themselves by striking planned positions. Following this, Soviet forces would go on the offensive. Operation Kutuzov was the northern offensive, and its purpose was to encircle and destroy the Orel salient, which was located behind the 9th Army engaged in offensive operations at Kursk. They hoped that by doing so, the German forces in the Soviet Union would collapse. Once the German panzer units participating in Operation Citadel were engaged in combat and weakened by their advance at Kursk, the attack was to commence. Once the German advance had been halted, the initial assault was to be launched simultaneously on the northern and eastern faces of the Orel salient, with the Central Front along the southern face of the salient joining in as well.

The discovery by German intelligence of Soviet forces massing opposing the 2nd Panzer Army gave Kluge and Model tremendous alarm. For the operation, the Soviet Army had gathered a force of 1,286,000 troops and 2,400 tanks. These were backed by 26,400 cannons and 3,000 aircraft.

Behind the German lines, partisan attacks supported the Soviet offensive. According to Soviet reports, around 100,000 Soviet partisans were working to impede German operations to feed and replenish their forces. Throughout the operation, German transfers of ammunition and reinforcements were impeded by attacks on German communications and supply channels, particularly railroads. The Red Army directed the operations of the partisans.

On July 12th, a huge artillery bombardment signalled the beginning of the offensive. The forces of the Bryansk Front and the Western Front attacked the 2nd Panzer Army along its northern and north-eastern flanks. The 11th Guards Army, led by Lieutenant General Hovhannes Bagramyan and reinforced by the 1st and 5th Tank Corps, launched the offensive on the Western Front. The Soviets launched an overwhelming offensive. Six Soviet rifle divisions engaged two German infantry regiments throughout a 16-kilometer (9.9-mile) zone of attack near Ulianovo. The German defense lines were 5–7 kilometers (3.1–4.3 mi) deeper than the Soviets expected. The Soviet spearheads suffered severe casualties, but they persisted and in some locations made significant penetration. The 11th Guards Army had advanced around 23 kilometers by the afternoon of the first day, when the defenders were overrun (14 mi). The German 5th Panzer Division attempted to fill the void, but Soviet supporting armour forced them to retreat.

Initial Bryansk Front attacks on the eastern front were less effective. The 61st, 3rd, and 63rd armies each advanced 8 kilometers, 14 kilometers, and 15 kilometers, respectively. The next day, the German LIII Army Corps launched a counterattack and halted the Bryansk Front. The open landscape favored the Germans' longer-ranged weaponry. Kluge and Model had anticipated the Soviet invasion and moved reinforcements quickly from the Kursk region to bolster the defenses. Their prompt arrival assisted in halting the Soviet advance.

The 11th Guards Army was breaking through German defenses further north. The Germans lacked the reserves necessary to repel these incursions. With the threat of a breakthrough and probable encirclement, the position for the 2nd Panzer Army quickly deteriorated. By the end of the second day, Army Group Centre surrendered command of the 2nd Panzer Army to Model. As Model was already in command of the German 9th Army during the Kursk attack's northern part, the command transfer placed him in charge of all German units in the Orel region.

Three days later, the second phase of Operation Kutuzov was launched, with many Soviet units attacking the German 9th Army. There were currently 1,286,049 Soviet soldiers engaged in Operation Kutuzov, supported by 2,409 tanks and 26,374 artillery. The Soviets expanded their onslaught by adding support attacks from the 50th Army to the 11th Guards Army's northern flank. Between the 50th Army and the Bryansk Front, the 20th Tank Corps advanced into Bolkhov, while the Central Front advanced southward. The Soviets have now committed the 3rd Guards Tank Army and 4th Tank Army from their reserves to strengthen the momentum of the offensive. The 3rd Guards advanced directly toward Orel, seeking to develop the eastern attack, while the 4th Tank Army advanced from the north along the broader breach created by the 11th Guards Army. In doing so, they posed a threat to the German forces defending the Orel salient's eastern face. Partisan attacks on the Germans' communications and train supply lines impeded their defensive attempts.

As Soviet advances progressed, the situation for the Germans deteriorated. The 9th Army as a whole was threatened with isolation. Model dispatched almost all of his Panzer units to reinforce the 2nd Panzer Army, whose northern front was ready to collapse, while the 4th Army dispatched the 253rd Infantry Division to the north. The Germans temporarily stabilized the front while the 9th Army began to withdraw from conquered territory. The Soviet Central Front first pursued them with reluctance, but eventually intensified their ground and air attacks. On 18 July, the 9th Army returned to its 5 July starting positions.

In the Orel salient, a series of engagements occurred between approaching German reserves and Soviet tank forces. Even though Hitler forbade withdrawal, the Soviets gained ground steadily. By the 26th of July, German forces were compelled to abandon the Orel operational base and evacuate to the Hagen position east of Bryansk. As the 11th Guards approached the outskirts of Karachev, midway between Orel and Bryansk, they threatened to sever the major rail line, which served as