Blown up at Kursk

6th July 1943: A Red Army artillery officer has a narrow escape as his gun position becomes the target for successive 'Stuka' attacks

The Red Army had a mass of artillery ready to meet the German attack.

They fielded a high proportion of anti-tank guns from field guns to anti-tank rifles.

The enormous clash of arms that was the Battle of Kursk continued. Advance knowledge of the German intention to launch a massive assault with tanks had guided Red Army preparations. Tank ditches, extensive minefields and a high proportion of anti-tank guns meant they felt confident of meeting the attack.

Since my gun had no tanks in its zone of fire, we opened up on the advancing infantry with fragmentation shells. The German submachine gunners stubbornly continued to push forward. As they drew closer, we switched to shrapnel shells and resumed fire on them.