Hitler's generals were divided about how to proceed. His field commanders in the East wanted an immediate offensive in April, to exploit their victories around Kharkov and catch the Soviets before they had time to rebuild their strength. Others wanted to husband the precious panzer divisions and use them to launch a decisive counterstroke against the expected Soviet summer offensive, to capitalize on the Wehrmacht's experience and expertise in armoured warfare.

Kursk: debut for new tanks

The Führer was at first undecided. As ever, he was keen to attack, but wanted any offensive to be a dramatic success which would signal that Germany was still the dominant military power in the world. For this reason he was determined to use Germany's newest "wonder weapons" to inflict a punishing defeat on the Red Army. The new 45.72-tonne (45-ton) Panzer V Panther tank and Ferdinand super-heavy assault guns/tank destroyers were to spearhead the attack. Hitler placed great store on the Panther, and repeatedly delayed the offensive to ensure that large numbers of the new tank would be ready to spearhead the assault operation. While preparations for the offensive began in April, it was not until the first days of July that Hitler gave the go-ahead.

The assault plan

The plan's strategic concept was essentially very simple. Colonel-General Walther Model's Ninth Army was to push southwards into the northern shoulder of the salient. At the same time, Field Marshal Erich von Manstein's Army Group South would strike northwards to link up with Model's men, trapping the Soviet defenders holding the line west of Kursk. Both attack forces were to contain strong armoured reserves, which would be on hand to defeat any Russian counterattacks. Operation Citadel was to be a repeat of the classic Blitzkrieg victories of 1941-42, when huge Soviet armies had been encircled with ease by marauding panzer forces.

Model's assault force eventually grew to include some six army panzer divisions, two panzergrenadier divisions and thirteen infantry divisions. Two battalions of the monster Ferdinands would spearhead an assault force that contained more than 700 tanks and 250 assault guns.

The SS Panzer Corps

The most powerful elements of the German attack force, however, were concentrated on the southern axis, where Manstein had three army panzer corps and three infantry corps. He also had command of the SS Panzer Corps, which had grown into the most powerful tank formation in Europe, with 430 tanks and assault guns ready for action on the eve of battle. III and XXXXVIII Panzer Corps, of the Fourth Panzer Army, boasted more than 870 tanks and assault guns at the start of Operation Citadel, the codename of the German offensive. In reserve was XXIV Panzer Corps with another 150 tanks. In total, Manstein had amassed some 1500 armoured vehicles for the attack, including the first 200 Panthers which were formed into a special brigade to support the Army's Grossdeutschland Panzergrenadier Division.

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