Prokhorovka Historical Revision: Repeated Myths?

[yosimitesam]

On most TV documentaries (and written histories) of the war in Russia, the tank battles around Prokhorovka (during the battle of Kursk) are presented as a huge clash of armored forces that exceed all others in the number of tanks involved. Also, the battle is presented as complete "melee" of intermingled tank forces shooting it out at short ranges. According to Glantz and House this is not really true. ("The Battle of Kursk", David M. Glantz, Jonathan M. House). According to them, it was more of an accidental "meeting engagement" that played out in an erratic and confused manner. Also, the number of tanks involved was significantly less than what the documentaries claim. While still a huge and important battle, the book states that the "myth" is incorrect. Yet it is still repeated by the documentaries, with a healthy dose of TV hyperbole added. Here's an excerpt from the book that I found informative and believable.

Has anyone seen a documentary or read a history of the battle that also reflects Glantz/House opinions?

 

[edgardo gil]

I know the following books that I read and all of them demolish the myth:
Decision in the Ukraine. George M. Nipe.
Blood, steel and myth. The II.SS-Panzer-Korps and the Road to Prochorowka. George M. Nipe.
Kursk 1943. The greatest battle of the Second World War. Roman Toeppel.

And this one that I don´t read yet:
Demolishing the Myth: The Tank Battle at Prokhorovka, Kursk, July 1943: An Operational Narrative. Valeriy Zamulin

 

[bf109xxl]

Valeriy Zamulin

I would highly recommend every book by this author. He is the most renowned modern Russian historian writing on the topic. Zamulin supports rather a very critical view on the event, his opinion contradicts the official Soviet propaganda.