Offensive: The German offensive started on July 5, 1943. The goal of the offensive was to wreck as much of the Soviet Army as possible. This goal was never met in its entirety. On July 5, the Germans struck on both sides of the salient to begin the biggest battle of the Second World War. From the very beginning of the assault they ran into trouble. Their Ninth Army, after initial success, became entirely bogged down in its attack from the north. In the south the Germans enjoyed greater success. But even here German armor failed to gain operational freedom; instead, Soviet defenses tied the Germans into a massive battle of attrition not only on the ground but also in the air (Cowley, 2009). Reporting indicates that the German military
