Ninety-one units were built in 1943 under the name Ferdinand, after its designer Ferdinand Porsche, using VK 45.01 (P) tank hulls produced for the Tiger I tank design abandoned in favour of a Henschel design. As events would show, after this battle Germany could not even defend successfully.The Elefant ( German for ' elephant') was a heavy tank destroyer used by German Wehrmacht Panzerjäger during World War II. After Citadel Germany was unable to mount further major offensives against the Soviet Union. Citadel depleted what was left of the German strategic reserves. The significance of Citadel was that it destroyed the remaining German offensive strength. However, it would be more appropriate to say that Germany was defeated by the combined effects of the Battles of Moscow in 1941, Stalingrad in 1942, and Kursk in 1943. Citadel was the decisive battle on the Eastern Front in World War II because after this battle the initiative passed to the Soviets, who would never lose it again. The results are important because, with Citadel being the greatest tank battle of the war, it has many lessons that are still important to the conduct of todays Army operations. Sources include books, journals, articles, theses, and dissertations.

This study used Soviet, Anglo-American, and German primary and secondary sources. However, many authorities consider Citadel the decisive turning point. Probably most Western historians believe that Stalingrad was the decisive battle on the Eastern Front. Unfortunately, there is a general lack of knowledge about this battle. This was the greatest tank engagement of World War II. Abstract: This is a study on the results of Operation Citadel, the Battle of Kursk.

Tanks battle of kursk