The next day, 5 July, dawned with the promise of another hot and sultry day. His fusiliers, however, never let up and by nightfall had taken their objectives, although at heavy cost. Their screaming, plummeting dives had a demoralizing psychological effect almost as devastating as their bombs.Ĭaptain Bolk, a battalion commander in the Fusilier Regiment, stepped on a mine and had his leg blown off in a fiery blast. German Ju-87 Stukas were also out in force and managed to silence the Soviet artillery with repeated dive-bombing attacks. Russian aircraft joined the fray, making repeated strafing runs. He repeated this five times, carrying a badly injured man each time without triggering a mine. He calmly walked across to the wounded and, placing one over his shoulders, slowly walked back through the minefield unscathed. Father Ruzek, a Catholic chaplain, went into the minefield to succour some wounded who were mangled and bleeding from multiple injuries. A sudden thunderstorm soaked the ground, which, together with the minefields, prevented any of the Graf’s tanks taking an effective part. Prompt Russian artillery fire and minefields halted further progress. The grenadiers stormed into the forward trenches clearing the Russians out in a frenzy of sub-machine gun fire, grenades and close-quarter fighting.

The attack was launched at 3:00 p.m., taking the Russians completely by surprise. Its aim was to secure better observation and start positions against the Belgorod–Gotnya railway line and village of Gertsovka. LOOKING ACROSS THE SILENT STEPPE, WITH ONLY A lone German reconnaissance aircraft circling lazily like a bird over the Soviet lines, the Panzer Graf prepared his battalion commanders for what was to come before releasing them to address their men, some of whom would be involved in the preliminary attack scheduled for 4 July.

Tank rewards battle of kursk level 4