Kursk - Raw Data to Download
The largest portion of this data comes from the KOSAVE II study, run by the US Army's Concept Analysis Agency, and carried out by the Dupuy Institute and Russian subcontractors Rantek. The data reproduced comes from that report, with permission. The full report - hardcopy, plus a full CD of data - can be purchased from NTIS in the US, for US Nationals.
The study makes extensive use of materials translated from the Soviet archives in Podolsk, as well as the German materials held in Washington. It seems reasonable to take the data in both cases as genuine, for the following reasons:
- The units listed are at a low enough level that they would not have used the data for propoganda purposes. The data comes from each unit's daily returns to their respective higher commands.
- Such data was used for ration strengths - as well as for planning the following day's missions. No unit commander could afford to over-state - or to under-state their strength at this level.
- There may well be errors in counting, given that these reports were compiled in the heat of battle.
- The "modifications" for propoganda purposes came later, when people had a chance to consider the impact of the numbers.
One point worth noting: this study was not popular with everyone. To understand some of the depth of feeling still apparent in Russia (and the old Soviet Union), please read this article from Sovetskaia Rossia.
- Finnish Tables of Organisation and Equipment
- Finnish Weapons
- Narrative data on all German units from the Kursk Database
- Narrative data on all Soviet units from the Kursk Database
- The KOSAVE II report, all sections, MS-Word documents
- The Kursk Database from the KOSAVE II study - in DB4 format
- The Kursk Database from the KOSAVE II study - in MS-Excel spreadsheets
- Click here for my Cyrillic Font
© Alan Wilson 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 Last update: 6/2/00 11:08:33 PM GMT
