Prokhorovka2 - THE REAL BATTLE - The Matrix Games version of East Front II

(Best played against Human opponent.) This is the real battle of Prokhorovka with the actual forces involved. The proper battle was supposed to have started out with the German attack by the "LAH" SS Panzer Grenadier Division on the town of Prokhorovka, but the lead elements were attacked by the main armored force of the Russian 5th Guards Tank Army just after they had crossed their starting lines. The battle quickly developed into a grinding attritional meeting engagement. To the south, the "Das Reich" SS Panzer Grenadier Division never had a chance to contribute its part in the operation as continual attacks by secondary forces of the 5th Guards Tank Army kept it off balance. To the west the "Totenkopf" SS Panzer Grenadier Division had the dual task of attacking through a major Russian defense line north of the Psel river, while eliminating a surrounded pocket of Russian troops in the vicinity of the village of Andreevka. It managed to achieve its first task, but failed in its second task as advancing forces of the 5th Guards Tank Army relieved the troops in the pocket. By the end of the day, the Germans had managed to achieve a minor victory, largely based on the vast number of Russian units that they had eliminated. But more Russian forces were brought in during the night to renew the fighting the next day and unfavorable developments elsewhere eventually caused the cancellation of the entire German operation, so the German victory was a Pyrrhic one at best.