Aces at Kursk: The Battle for Aerial Supremacy on the Eastern Front, 1943

The Battle of Kursk in July 1943 is known for being the largest tank battle in history.A Russian victory, it marked the decisive end of the German offensive capability on the Eastern Front and set the scene for the Soviet successes that followed.While many have focused on the tank engagements, especially the Battle of Prokhorovka, there was an intense air battle going on overhead that was bigger than the Battle of Britain. As part of the German offensive, the Luftwaffe’s VIII Air Corps deployed around 1,100 aircraft in the south alone, while the opposing Soviet Second and Seventeenth air armies initially deployed over 1,600 aircraft.There was a similar effort surrounding the German attack in the north. The battle in the south began with a Soviet air strike on German airfields and a fight for control of the air that continued throughout the day across the front.On the first day of the battle, 5 July 1943, the Germans flew at least 2,387 sorties in the south while the two Soviet air armi