Munoz, Antinio J. Hitler's war against the Partisans during the Kursk Offensive

By the summer of 1943, Soviet partisan forces had grown from small, disorganised groups into an impressive fighting force. Hitler, who still had some advantages, hoped to crush a Red Army advance near Kursk and shorten the front lines with a local offensive. However, the Soviets anticipated the attack and established extensive defensive lines to thwart it, using large numbers of partisans to disrupt German preparations. During the critical phase of 1943, fierce fighting took place behind German lines, particularly during the Battle of the Railways in July and August. Stalin's partisans worked tirelessly to block German supplies and troop transport, forcing the Germans to contend with a growing insurgency. In his book, Dr Antonio J. Munoz examines these guerrilla operations, using German maps to detail the movements of the partisans and the German response, which included intensified anti-partisan operations. The year 1943 marked a turning point in the war on the Eastern Front. While Stalingrad in 1942 revealed Germany's inability to win in Russia, the failed Battle of Kursk in 1943 demonstrated the inevitability of defeat in the war. The partisans were so successful that by August 1943, only 80% of supply trains reached the front lines of Army Group Centre.