Operation Kutuzov

Operation Kutuzov was a major military oensive operation conducted in July of 1943 by the Red Army
against Army Group Center of the German Wehrmacht.
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 major Soviet operations launched as counteroensives 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.

Orel salient, cut behind the 9th Army engaged in oensive operations at Kursk, encircle and annihilate it. In
doing so they hoped to cause a general collapse of the
German forces in the Soviet Union. The attack was to
begin once the German panzer units engaged in Operation Citadele were locked into combat and weakened
from the defenses at Kursk. The initial attack was to be
made 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 once the German
oensive had been stopped.

German intelligence had revealed the Soviet forces massing opposite the 2nd Panzer Army, and these had caused
1 Background
great concern on the part of von Kluge and Model. The
Soviet armies earmarked for the operation had amassed a
supAs the end of the rasputitsa or rainy season approached, force of 1,286,000 men and 2,400 tanks. These were
[14][15]
ported
by
26,400
artillery
guns
and
3,000
aircraft.
the Soviet command considered their next step to bring
the war to a successful conclusion. Stalin strongly desired
to seize the initiative and attack the German forces, but
was convinced by his senior commanders to take an initial defensive posture and allow the Germans to weaken
themselves in attacking prepared positions. After this the
Soviet forces would go over onto the oensive.[10] Operation Kutusov was the oensive plan for the Soviet forces
before Moscow facing the German forces of Army Group
Center. It was carried out by three Soviet Fronts or army
groups: the Western Front, the Bryansk Front, and the
Central Front. Their oensive was directed north of the
Kursk area against the German 2nd Panzer Army, with
the intention of cutting behind and entraping the German
9th Army then conducting oensive operations against
the Kursk salient.[11]
Map of Operation Kutuzov

The Germans had spread their forces thin all across the
front in an eort to provide as much men and material as possible for Operation Citadel. Holding the front
before the Soviet oensive were the 2nd Panzer Army
and elements of the 9th Army. The region had been
held by German forces for nearly two years, and despite
Hitlers admonition not to build defensive works behind
the front, some preparations had been made. A defensive
line had been started that was 5 to 7 km in depth, consisting of mineelds, interconnected trench works, and
strong points. Wherever possible, the Germans took advantage of terrain features such as streams, ravines and
gullies. However the positions were thinly held.[12]

The Soviet oensive was aided by partisan attacks behind

the German lines. Approximately 100,000 Soviet partisans were working to disrupt German eorts to supply
and reinforce their forces. German movements of ammunition and reinforcements were hampered throughout
the operation by partisans attacking German communications and supply routes, especially the railway lines.
The partisans operated under the guidance of the Red
Army.[16]

The Soviet high command planned two major oensive 2 Oensive begins
operations as part of a large general oensive throughout
the eastern front.[13] Operation Kutuzov was the north- On 12 July a heavy artillery barrage marked the launching
ern oensive, with its major goals being to collapse the of the oensive. The armies of two Fronts, the Bryansk
1

2 OFFENSIVE BEGINS

General Rybalko, commander of the 3rd Guards Tank Army,

observes the movement of his T-34s to the front, 1943
A Panzer III of the 2nd Panzer Division near Orel

Front and the Western Front attacked along the north and
northeast anks of the 2nd Panzer Army. The Western
Front assault was led by the 11th Guards Army under
Lieutenant General Hovhannes Bagramyan, supported by
the 1st and 5th Tank Corps. The Russians attacked with
overwhelming numbers. Along one 16 kilometer attack
sector near Ulianovo, six Soviet rie divisions attacked
two German infantry regiments. At 5 to 7 kilometers in
depth, the German defensive lines were deeper than the
Soviets expected. The Soviet spearheads sustained heavy
casualties but pushed through, and in some areas achieved
signicant penetration.[17][18] The defenders were overwhelmed by the afternoon of the rst day, with the 11th
Guards Army advancing some 23 kilometers. The German 5th Panzer Division attempted to ll the breach, but
they were met by the Russian supporting armour and were
forced back.

supported by 2,409 tanks and 26,379 guns.[19] The Soviets broadened the oensive, adding supporting attacks by
the 50th Army to the north of the 11th Guards Army. Between the 50th Army and the Bryansk Front was a thrust
by the 20th Tank Corps aimed at Bolkov, along with a
push by the Central Front on the south face. To increase
the momentum of the attack the Soviets now committed the 3rd Guards Tank Army and 4th Tank Army from
the reserves. The 3rd Guards drove straight for Orel, attempting to develop the eastern attack, while the 4th Tank
drove from the north along the wider breach made by 11th
Guards Army. In doing so they threatened to trap the
German forces defending the east face of the Orel salient.
Meanwhile, German defensive eorts were hampered by
partisan attacks to their communications and rail supply
lines.

As Soviet breakthroughs developed the situation for the

Germans became serious. The entire 9th Army was
threatened with being cut o. Model sent nearly all of his
Panzer units to aid the 2nd Panzer Army, whose northern front was about to collapse, while to the north the
4th Army sent down the 253rd Infantry Division. The
Germans achieved a temporary stabilization of the front
while the 9th Army began to withdraw from their captured ground. The Soviet Central Front followed them
hesitantly at rst, but increased the intensity of their attacks from the ground and the air.[18] On 18 July the 9th
Farther north the 11th Guards Army was forcing its way
through the German defences. The Germans lacked the Army was back at its starting points of 5 July.
reserves to block these penetrations. With the danger A series of engagements developed in the Orel salient beof a breakthrough and subsequent encirclement of their tween arriving German reserves and Soviet tank formaforces, the situation soon become serious for the 2nd tions. Though Hitler forbade retreat, the Soviets graduPanzer Army.[18] Army Group Centre transferred com- ally gained ground. By July 26 the German troops were
mand of the 2nd Panzer Army to Model by the end of forced to desert the Orel base of operations and begin a
the second day. As Model was already commanding the withdrawal to the Hagen position to the east of Briansk.
German 9th Army making the north portion of the Kursk With the 11th Guards reaching the outskirts of Karachev,
attack, the command transfer meant he was now in com- midway between Orel and Bryansk, they threatened to cut
the main rail line which was the main route of supply. On
mand of all German units in the Orel area.
Three days later the second phase of Operation Kutuzov July 29, Bolkhov was liberated, and on August 4 the strugwas initiated with attacks on the German 9th Army by gle for Orel commenced. After one day of hard ghting
several Soviet armies. The total Soviet troops now en- Orel was taken.
The initial attacks on the eastern face by the Bryansk
Front were less successful. The 61st, 3rd, and 63rd
armies advanced 8, 14, and 15 km respectively. The
following day the German LIII Army Corps launched a
counterattack which brought the Bryansk Front to a halt.
The open terrain favored the longer ranged guns of the
Germans. Kluge and Model had anticipated the Soviet attack, and were quick to transfer units from the Kursk area
to reinforce the defenders. Their timely arrival helped
check the Soviet advance.

gaged in Operation Kutuzov numbered 1,286,049 men With their position untenable, the Germans were forced

T-34s enter Orel, 1943

4 Aftermath
Soviet soldiers follow T-34s near Briansk

to evacuate back to prepared positions at the Hagen line.

By August 18 Soviet troops had reached the Hagen line
east of Briansk at the base of the Orel salient. With the
German defeat the counteroensive began to grow into a
general Soviet oensive.

The battle was the bloodiest of the three major operations during the Battle of Kursk. Overall German losses
suered during the battle were 86,064 men KIA, MIA
or WIA.[22] Casualties for the Red Army were 112,529
men killed, with a further 317,361 wounded.[23] Tank
and assault gun losses for the Red Army were particularly high, with 2,586 vehicles destroyed or damaged during Kutuzov.[9] German tank losses are not available for
this battle, but Army Group Center is known to have lost
343 armoured ghting vehicles during both Citadel and
Kutuzov.[22]

Some of the Soviet commanders were displeased with the

results, complaining that an even greater victory might
3 Contest for control of the air
have been won. Said Marshal Rokossovsky: Instead of
encircling the enemy, we only pushed them out of the
bulge. The operation would have been dierent if we
The Voyenno-Vozdushnye Sily or Soviet Air Force suphad used our force for two heavy punches which met at
ported the attack on German ground positions in conjuncBryansk. Zhukov held a similar opinion.[24]
tion with the preliminary artillery bombardment. The
1st Air Army and 15th Air Army performed 360 sorties Nevertheless, Operation Kutuzov was successful in
against German rear areas, dropping some 210 tons of diverting German reserves earmarked for Operation
Citadel. In addition, the Soviets reduced the Orel salient
bombs.[20]
and inicted substantial losses on the German army, setIn the Southern sector of the bulge, the Germans logged
ting the stage for the liberation of Smolensk. More imover 1,000 missions on the rst day, countered by the 737
portantly, with Operation Kutuzov the Soviets seized the
missions of the 15th Air Army. The Luftwae destroyed
strategic initiative, which they would hold through the resome 35 tanks, 14 guns, and 50 motor vehicles of the
mainder of the war.
Bryansk Front, slowing their progress. By the end of the
rst day the Soviets had failed to breach the rst line.[21]
While the 2nd Panzer Army was gradually being forced
back, the Luftwae battled the VVS, destroying 94 Soviet 5 References
aircraft on 13 July, including 50 Sturmoviks.
Notes
In the southern region of the battle the Luftwaes 1st
Fliegerdivision maintained air superiority over the Ger[1] 14,215 KIA, 11,300 MIA, 60,939 WIA[4]
man Ninth Army, dealing the Soviets some signincant
losses in aircraft between 13 and 16 July. After six days [2] 343 tanks and assault guns were lost from 5 July till
autumn[5]
of heavy ghting the strength of the Luftwae began to
wane. The 1 Fliegerdivision ew 74 intercept missions
[3] 112,529 irrecoverable losses and 317,361 medical
against the 868 sorties conducted by the 16th Air Army.
losses[7]
Though the Soviets continued to lose in tactical air engagements, their overall presence in the air was domi- [4] Luftwae claims
nant. The VVS helped General Bagramyans 11th Guards
Citations
Army achieve their breakthrough.[21]

[1] Frieser (2007) p.177

[2] Koltunov p.81
[3] Bergstrom 2007, p. 83.
[4] Frieser (2007) p. 154
[5] Frieser (2007) p. 188
[6] Frieser (2007) p.189
[7] Krivosheev 1997, p. 133.
[8] Beevor 2012, p. 485.
[9] Krivosheev 1997, p. 262.
[10] Glantz & Orenstein 1999, p. 28.
[11] Nipe 2011, p. 443.
[12] Encyclopedia of World War II, No. 37 p 665
[13] Willmott p.188
[14] Frieser p. 175
[15]
[16] Frieser p. 187 (according to Soviet numbers)
[17] Rendulic, Die Schlacht von Orel, p. 134.
[18] Frieser 2007, p. 185.
[19] Koltunov, p. 82.
[20] Bergstrom 2007, p. 82.
[21] Bergstrom 2007, p. 83-85.
[22] Frieser 2007, p. 188.
[23] Glantz & House 1995, p. 297.
[24] Zhukov p. 188.

Bibliography
Beevor, Antony (2012). The Second World War.
New York: Back Bay Books. ISBN 978-0-31602374-0.
Bergstrm, Christer Kursk - The Air Battle: July
1943. Chervron/Ian Allen 2007. ISBN 978-1903223-88-8.
Frieser, Karl-Heinz (Ed.) Das Deutsche Reich
und der Zweite Weltkrieg - Vol. 8: Karl-Heinz
Frieser, Klaus Schmider, Klaus Schnherr, Gerhard
Schreiber, Kristin Ungvry, Bernd Wegner: Die Ostfront 1943/44 - Der Krieg im Osten und an den
Nebenfronten, Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt Mnchen,
2007; ISBN 978-3-421-06235-2 (German)
Glantz, David. Soviet Military Deception in the Second World War. Routledge, 1989. ISBN

REFERENCES

Glantz, David and Jonathon House When Titans Clashed: How the Red Army Stopped Hitler
Lawrence, Kan: University of Kansas Press 1995.
ISBN 978-0-7006-0899-7
Krivosheev, Grigoriy Soviet Casualties and Combat
Losses in the Twentieth Century London, Greenhill
Books 1997 ISBN 1-85367-280-7
Nipe, George. Blood, steel, & myth : the II. SSPanzer-Korps and the road to Prochorowka, July
1943 Southbury, Conn: Newbury, 2011. ISBN
Willmott, H.P. and Robin Cross, Charles Messenger
et al. World War II. New York, NY: DK Publishers,
2004. ISBN

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