Kursk - Main Data Sources

This page details the sources used in my research so far.

1. General Accounts:

Recently acquired...

The Battle of Kursk by David Glantz and Jonathan House: Newly acquired 13th Nov 1999, courtesy of Amazon.co.uk (amazing - order Friday lunchtime, on the doorstep Saturday morning). This could be one of the definitive works on the battle... more when I have read it !

Kursk Operation Simulation and Validation Exercise - Phase II: This was produced by the Dupuy Institute (and Russian subcontractors) under contract to the US Army Concepts Analysis Agency. It is a massive collection of data, down to the level of day-by-day casualties and fuel consumption for both sides in the conflict, using recently-declassified Soviet records. I am still working my way through it all. Available from NTIS on CD. The following papers are also avalable from NTIS, originating from the Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth:

Influence and Reasons for acceptance or rejection of operational level intelligence during the 1914 Marne and 1943 Kursk campaigns, by (then) Maj Joseph A Bolick
Kursk: A study in operational art by (then) Maj Kerry K Pierce
Relationship of depth and agility by (then) Maj Craig H Pearson
Operational level analysis of Soviet armored formations in the deliberate defense in the Battle of Kursk, 1943 by (then) Maj Charles L Crow
Battlefield air interdiction by the Luftwaffe at the Battle of Kursk - 1943 by (then) Maj William J Dalecky

Kursk 1943: The Soviet General Staff Study, tr by David Glantz and Harold Orenstein: Colonel Glantz strikes again - this is not just "regurgitated Soviet propaganda" - it was written for internal Soviet consumption and is quite scathing of some areas of their performance - notably in the air.

Decision in the Ukraine Summer 1943, II SS and III Panzerkorps, by George W Nipe: A useful work which includes a great deal of "anecdotal" detail on Kursk.

Kursk, Hitler's Gamble, 1943, by Walter S Dunn: Aiming to be the "definitive work" on the subject...

Had for a while...

Red Army Tank Commanders, by Richard N Armstrong: Useful book on the actual Soviet commanders, including Rotmistrov.

Citadel, by Robin Cross: A reasonable overall account, marred mainly by inaccuracies.

The Last Finnish War, by Waldemar Erfuth: A useful account of the Finnish part in the (to them) "Continuation War" of 1941-44

Field Artillery and Firepower, JBA Bailey: A work useful for understanding the impact of artillery during the period.

Armoured Warfare, JP Harris and FN Toase: The book covers the battle (very) briefly.

A History of Blitzkrieg, Bryan Perrett: Another general book covering the battle briefly.

Tank War 1939-1945, Janusz Piekalkiewicz: Covers the war from a differnt perspective - including quantities of press statements.

The Tiger Tanks, Peter Gudgin: Covers the history of the various Tiger units in some detail.

Soviet Tanks and Combat Vehicles of WW2, Steven J Zaloga and James Grandsen: A lot of info on the development and force structures of the Russian tank forces; looking back on the book, a number of errors do come to light.

Encyclopedia of German Tanks of WW2, Peter Chamberlain and Hilary L Doyle: Still the definitive work for me on German armour production and stats.

The World War II Databook, John Ellis: One that should be excellent - but I find it light in many areas.

Panzer Leader, Gen Heinz Guderian: Still a classic book - even if written in an American POW camp, under pressure from the Americans to be "good". Little detail on the battle tho...

Lost Victories, Field Marshall Erich von Manstein: Another classic account, written somewhat later. Still not huge detail on the battle.

The Liebstandarte Vol III, Rudolf Lehmann (tr. Nick Olcott): A wealth of detail on the day-by-day account - but how much do you trust the SS account? Oh, and they were so bloody inaccurate with their maps.

Waffen SS, an Illustrated History, Adrian Gilbert: Useful picture book.

Journal of Slavic Military Studies, Frank Cass (pub.): Vol 6/3, 6/4 and 7/1 contain a reprint (translated, fortunately for idiots like me) of "Collection of Materials for the Study of War Experience No. 11 - The Battle of Kursk July 1943. This was written by the Soviet General Staff - and is essential reading.

2. Key for Orders of Battle/Organisation Structures:

Hitler's Legions, Samuel W Mitcham: I rate this very highly for data on German divisions - their whereabouts, history and commanders. The mainly problem is usually that the data is incomplete.

The Red Army Order of Battle, Poirier and Conner: While this initially seems to be the definitive work, it was written from earlier Soviet materials. This leads to some major inaccuracies - the number of units listed as being present at Kursk is never ending - and many of them had already long ceased to exist. However, a stunning work based on the materials available at the time.

Soviet Order of Battle, World War II, Charles C Sharp: In my humble opinion, the (currently) definitive study on the Sovet OB. Superb detail and - so far - accuracy. Total of 1 volumes published to date (see the Nafziger Collection for details):

The Deadly Beginning - Tank, Mechanised, Motorised Divisions raised 1940-42
School of Battle - Tank Corps and Tank Brigades raised Jan 1942-45
Red Storm - Soviet Mechanised Corps and Brigades and Guards Armoured Units raised 1942-45
Red Guards - Soviet Guards Rifle and Parachute Infantry Units raised
Red Sabers - Soviet Cavalry Corps, Divisions and Independant Brigades
Red Thunder - Soviet Artillery Corps, Divisions and Brigades (incl Rocket, AT and Mortar)
Red Death - Soviet Mountain, Naval, NKVD and Allied Divisions and Brigades
Soviet Rifle Divisions formed up to 22 June 1941
Soviet Rifle Divisions formed June - December 1941
Soviet Rifle Divisions formed 1942 to 1945
Red Volunteers - Soviet Rifle and Ski Brigades and Militia Units, 1941-45 (apparently now available)

From the Don to the Dnepr, David M Glantz: Another scholarly treatise from Col. Glantz. This covers force structures of the Russian forces in a fair level of detail, although it does not cover the battle itself.

Das Handbuch der Deutschen Infanterie, Alex Buchner: Again, essential reading - and I believe that there is now an English version available.

Panzer Grenadier Division GroßDeutschland, Horst Schelbert (Bruce Culver ed.): A Squadron/Signal publication - very helpful on GD !

Russo-German War, Summer-Autumn 1943, W Victor Madej: Contains a wealth of reprinted data and maps. Most useful - when you trust the German accounts ! The following are also by the same author/publisher:

Hitler's Elite Guards - Waffen SS, Parachutists, U-Boats
German Army Order of Battle: Field Army and Officer Corps 1939-45
Hitler's Dying Ground: Description and Destruction of the German Army
German Military Dictionary of World War II - Terms and Symbols
Red Army Order of Battle 1941-1943
Southeastern Europe Axis Armies Handbook
Southeastern Europe Axis Armed Forces Order of Battle

Command magazine - forgotten the actual issue ! Good account and game - one everyone seems to like to argue about - but still a good work.

3. Map sources:

The Times Atlas of the Second World War, John Keegan (ed.): For a historian that I have huge respect for, I am always sadly disappointed by this work. I am sorry to say that the units marked on the (very pretty) maps are often wrong...

East View Publications: These wonderful people have supplied me with maps printed (in Russian) in the USSR in the 1960s. The maps are at 1:100,000 and 1:200,000. Again - essential stuff.