1 00:00:06,075 --> 00:00:07,041 [Narrator] 1943. 2 00:00:07,041 --> 00:00:08,732 New Nazi superweapons power east, 3 00:00:08,732 --> 00:00:10,631 Hitler's last chance to win the war. 4 00:00:11,839 --> 00:00:13,496 -[explosions blasting] -[whistle shrills] 5 00:00:15,049 --> 00:00:16,568 The Red Army scrambles to defend the Soviet Union, 6 00:00:18,225 --> 00:00:20,986 throwing hundreds of T-34 tanks 7 00:00:22,194 --> 00:00:25,508 at the gargantuan German Tigers 8 00:00:25,508 --> 00:00:26,336 in the greatest tank battle ever seen. 9 00:00:29,512 --> 00:00:30,099 Now, rare home movies show life behind the lines. 10 00:00:34,206 --> 00:00:36,795 While newly colorized footage 11 00:00:38,038 --> 00:00:39,280 takes us to the heart of the action. 12 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:41,455 -[explosion booms] -[gun blasting] 13 00:00:41,455 --> 00:00:42,111 Audacious raids, sabotage, and aerial combat. 14 00:00:45,252 --> 00:00:48,048 [airplane engines whirring] 15 00:00:49,532 --> 00:00:50,602 -As fanatical SS units attack, -[gun blasting] 16 00:00:52,466 --> 00:00:53,674 the Soviet people must rise up to protect their motherland. 17 00:00:55,641 --> 00:00:58,506 [gun blasting] 18 00:00:59,818 --> 00:01:00,612 Kursk, the ultimate clash of the titans. 19 00:01:01,440 --> 00:01:03,132 [suspenseful music] 20 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:19,700 [upbeat pensive music] 21 00:01:26,189 --> 00:01:28,709 German soldier Gotz Hirt-Reger 22 00:01:30,055 --> 00:01:31,815 has been shooting film throughout the war, 23 00:01:32,437 --> 00:01:35,750 [gun blasting] 24 00:01:35,750 --> 00:01:36,682 and is now assigned to a Ministry of Propaganda 25 00:01:36,682 --> 00:01:38,098 camera crew. 26 00:01:40,341 --> 00:01:43,033 It's an itinerant lifestyle. Wake up. Wash up. 27 00:01:45,933 --> 00:01:48,038 Then check your equipment 28 00:01:50,213 --> 00:01:51,939 and head out to capture the latest news 29 00:01:51,939 --> 00:01:52,802 -from the Eastern Front. -[tense music] 30 00:01:56,564 --> 00:01:56,875 Like the arrival of one of a new generation of Nazi tanks. 31 00:02:00,603 --> 00:02:03,502 A Tiger. 32 00:02:04,262 --> 00:02:06,919 [tank engine revving] 33 00:02:06,919 --> 00:02:07,886 -Hirt-Reger rolls film -[gun blasting] 34 00:02:10,751 --> 00:02:12,580 as its 88-millimeter gun test fires. 35 00:02:13,202 --> 00:02:15,859 [gun blasting] 36 00:02:17,482 --> 00:02:18,586 -It's a powerful demonstration. -[gun blasting] 37 00:02:20,347 --> 00:02:22,176 Cotton balls in the ears provide essential protection. 38 00:02:23,660 --> 00:02:26,594 [guns blasting] 39 00:02:28,148 --> 00:02:29,908 [suspenseful music] 40 00:02:32,462 --> 00:02:33,014 This Tiger is one of 2,700 German armored vehicles 41 00:02:35,810 --> 00:02:38,192 assigned to a vast new offensive in the Soviet Union. 42 00:02:41,609 --> 00:02:42,921 900,000 veteran soldiers prepare for the attack. 43 00:02:47,339 --> 00:02:49,686 They'll be covered by 1,700 Luftwaffe fighters and bombers. 44 00:02:52,448 --> 00:02:56,003 [Matthias]The Germans are building up a massive force. 45 00:02:56,003 --> 00:02:57,694 They hope that this offensive 46 00:02:59,075 --> 00:03:01,111 will regain them the initiative on the Eastern Front. 47 00:03:01,111 --> 00:03:02,941 [Narrator]The driving force behind the German operation 48 00:03:04,184 --> 00:03:05,771 is none other than Adolf Hitler. 49 00:03:07,014 --> 00:03:09,568 He's counting on his elite units, 50 00:03:10,845 --> 00:03:12,951 and the cameramen following them, 51 00:03:12,951 --> 00:03:13,572 to deliver some desperately needed good news. 52 00:03:15,125 --> 00:03:16,610 [tense music] 53 00:03:19,854 --> 00:03:20,061 By mid-1943, the Nazis have seized a vast area of Europe. 54 00:03:22,132 --> 00:03:24,652 But the previous six months 55 00:03:25,860 --> 00:03:27,276 have seen the German advance stall, 56 00:03:27,276 --> 00:03:28,208 and the Allied forces push back. 57 00:03:31,728 --> 00:03:35,180 -[guns blasting] -[dramatic music] 58 00:03:35,180 --> 00:03:36,975 Far in the frozen north, 59 00:03:36,975 --> 00:03:37,527 the Red Army breaks the German Siege of Leningrad. 60 00:03:39,667 --> 00:03:40,599 In the central Soviet Union, 61 00:03:42,808 --> 00:03:44,914 [explosion blasts] 62 00:03:44,914 --> 00:03:46,329 a doomed attempt to take Stalingrad 63 00:03:46,329 --> 00:03:47,951 sees almost one million German 64 00:03:49,332 --> 00:03:50,644 and Italian Axis troops killed or captured. 65 00:03:53,129 --> 00:03:55,787 And to the south, American and British armies 66 00:03:57,202 --> 00:03:58,790 have blown the Axis forces out of North Africa. 67 00:03:59,411 --> 00:04:01,586 [gun blasting] 68 00:04:03,967 --> 00:04:04,796 Buoyed by the recent Allied victories, 69 00:04:07,868 --> 00:04:09,594 US President Franklin D. Roosevelt 70 00:04:11,043 --> 00:04:11,734 and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill 71 00:04:12,907 --> 00:04:14,599 meet in Casablanca, Morocco. 72 00:04:15,807 --> 00:04:18,844 To turn the screws on Hitler, 73 00:04:18,844 --> 00:04:20,570 they announce that the Allies will now accept 74 00:04:20,570 --> 00:04:21,675 nothing less than his unconditional surrender. 75 00:04:22,952 --> 00:04:25,644 And plan a joint invasion of Italy. 76 00:04:26,473 --> 00:04:29,130 By stretching the Germans 77 00:04:30,373 --> 00:04:31,754 as far as possible in North Africa, in Italy, 78 00:04:31,754 --> 00:04:33,514 and potentially, also, in France, 79 00:04:34,860 --> 00:04:36,414 it would give Stalin and the Red Army an opportunity 80 00:04:36,414 --> 00:04:38,519 to finally make the decisive breakthrough 81 00:04:39,762 --> 00:04:40,763 on the Eastern Front, and push towards Berlin. 82 00:04:41,350 --> 00:04:44,042 [ominous music] 83 00:04:45,906 --> 00:04:46,147 [Narrator] The string of defeats dents Hitler's swagger. 84 00:04:48,288 --> 00:04:49,219 [Matthias]The Third Reich's expansion has stalled 85 00:04:52,706 --> 00:04:54,915 and the Germans know that they need to change their strategy 86 00:04:54,915 --> 00:04:56,296 if they want to win, or perhaps, even just survive this war. 87 00:04:58,470 --> 00:05:01,162 [Narrator] Hitler is determined to seize back 88 00:05:02,750 --> 00:05:04,511 the initiative with a major new military offensive. 89 00:05:04,511 --> 00:05:06,306 But first, he must ramp up enthusiasm at home. 90 00:05:07,548 --> 00:05:12,001 [dramatic music] 91 00:05:12,001 --> 00:05:12,553 So the Nazis hold a rally, at Berlin's Sportpalast arena. 92 00:05:15,556 --> 00:05:18,179 German newsreel cameras cover every angle 93 00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:20,699 as propaganda minister, Josef Goebbels, 94 00:05:22,183 --> 00:05:23,840 whips a 14,000 strong, carefully selected crowd 95 00:05:24,807 --> 00:05:28,224 into a frenzy. 96 00:05:28,224 --> 00:05:29,605 [Josef speaks in German] 97 00:05:30,847 --> 00:05:32,780 [crowd cheers] 98 00:05:33,816 --> 00:05:34,955 [Narrator] He announces total war, 99 00:05:36,336 --> 00:05:38,234 the full mobilization of the German economy 100 00:05:38,234 --> 00:05:39,684 to support the military effort. 101 00:05:40,995 --> 00:05:42,307 Senior Nazi Albert Speer is watching. 102 00:05:44,344 --> 00:05:45,690 [Albert] Except for Hitler's 103 00:05:48,278 --> 00:05:49,625 most successful public meetings, 104 00:05:49,625 --> 00:05:51,005 I had never seen an audience 105 00:05:51,005 --> 00:05:51,903 so effectively roused to fanaticism. 106 00:05:51,903 --> 00:05:53,870 [Josef speaks in German] 107 00:05:56,839 --> 00:05:59,669 [crowd cheering] 108 00:06:01,188 --> 00:06:03,880 [Narrator] Energized workers across the Reich 109 00:06:05,330 --> 00:06:05,986 rush to build a new generation of superweapons. 110 00:06:07,608 --> 00:06:10,266 The Panther medium tank has advanced sloping armor, 111 00:06:12,061 --> 00:06:13,373 a 75-millimeter gun, and a top speed of 34 miles an hour. 112 00:06:16,721 --> 00:06:20,276 It sets a new standard for an all-round tank. 113 00:06:20,276 --> 00:06:23,797 [dramatic rock music] 114 00:06:23,797 --> 00:06:24,591 The heavy Tiger is slow but powerful. 115 00:06:26,765 --> 00:06:27,766 Early demonstrations see the 57-ton machine take on trees 116 00:06:30,976 --> 00:06:33,738 -[tank engine whirring] -[house crashing] 117 00:06:35,222 --> 00:06:36,396 and houses, destroying everything in its path. 118 00:06:38,984 --> 00:06:41,780 [Matthias]When the Tiger tank appears, 119 00:06:42,954 --> 00:06:44,680 its combination of a very powerful gun, 120 00:06:44,680 --> 00:06:46,613 together with heavy armament, 121 00:06:47,614 --> 00:06:48,787 means that it can outclass 122 00:06:50,651 --> 00:06:51,825 any Soviet tank on the battlefield. 123 00:06:51,825 --> 00:06:53,413 [guns blasting] 124 00:06:56,450 --> 00:06:57,106 [Narrator] The Ferdinand self-propelled gun 125 00:06:59,798 --> 00:07:01,904 is a tank killer. 126 00:07:01,904 --> 00:07:04,216 Named after its designer, 127 00:07:04,216 --> 00:07:06,011 the car manufacturer Ferdinand Porsche, 128 00:07:06,011 --> 00:07:08,876 its 88-millimeter gun is even longer than the Tigers. 129 00:07:08,876 --> 00:07:11,603 This gives its armor-piercing shells increased velocity 130 00:07:12,984 --> 00:07:15,711 and a range of nearly two miles. 131 00:07:17,126 --> 00:07:19,300 The new wonder weapons are up-armored and up-gunned, 132 00:07:20,543 --> 00:07:23,304 and gave the Germans 133 00:07:24,616 --> 00:07:26,238 a great tactical advantage on the battlefield, 134 00:07:26,238 --> 00:07:27,067 as well as a great psychological advantage over the enemy. 135 00:07:29,276 --> 00:07:31,105 [Narrator] Hitler is convinced 136 00:07:33,349 --> 00:07:34,902 these devastating new machines will put the Reich 137 00:07:34,902 --> 00:07:37,077 back on the path to European domination. 138 00:07:37,077 --> 00:07:39,044 He must now pick the spot to unleash their power. 139 00:07:40,805 --> 00:07:43,048 [majestic music] 140 00:07:45,119 --> 00:07:45,706 280 miles south of Moscow is the city of Kursk, 141 00:07:47,294 --> 00:07:49,952 a major population center and transport hub. 142 00:07:51,816 --> 00:07:53,438 In early 1943 the city is newly liberated by the Soviets 143 00:07:55,820 --> 00:07:58,339 after nearly a year of brutal Nazi occupation. 144 00:07:59,651 --> 00:08:03,448 Roughly 10,000 inhabitants of the city of Kursk 145 00:08:03,448 --> 00:08:05,899 died from malnutrition in the 18 months 146 00:08:06,762 --> 00:08:08,833 that the Germans were there. 147 00:08:10,041 --> 00:08:11,283 [Narrator]Land mines and ruined buildings 148 00:08:12,112 --> 00:08:14,563 are the Germans' legacy. 149 00:08:14,563 --> 00:08:15,460 The city's devastation is obvious. 150 00:08:17,704 --> 00:08:19,360 But the Nazis still want it back. 151 00:08:24,331 --> 00:08:27,368 By the summer of 1943, 152 00:08:28,680 --> 00:08:30,337 the Germans are finding it increasingly difficult 153 00:08:30,337 --> 00:08:31,994 to sustain a very long front in the Soviet Union. 154 00:08:33,547 --> 00:08:37,931 [Narrator]Kursk sits in the center of a large bulge 155 00:08:37,931 --> 00:08:38,483 or salient, protruding 100 miles into German territory. 156 00:08:40,312 --> 00:08:43,108 The Germans' ambition is to remove that bulge 157 00:08:44,489 --> 00:08:47,112 so they can release resources by flattening the line. 158 00:08:48,562 --> 00:08:50,322 [Narrator] In Operation Citadel 159 00:08:52,532 --> 00:08:54,603 Hitler plans attacks to the north and south 160 00:08:54,603 --> 00:08:55,811 that will link up, reclaim the entire area, 161 00:08:56,950 --> 00:08:59,090 and stabilize the front lines. 162 00:08:59,815 --> 00:09:02,403 [suspenseful music] 163 00:09:02,403 --> 00:09:03,784 His military advisers are keen to attack 164 00:09:03,784 --> 00:09:05,303 as soon as the weather allows. 165 00:09:06,822 --> 00:09:08,617 But the Fuhrer decides to wait until early July, 166 00:09:08,617 --> 00:09:10,998 to allow the new generation of tanks 167 00:09:12,137 --> 00:09:13,138 time to reach the front line. 168 00:09:14,864 --> 00:09:15,934 Kursk is do or die for the Germans. 169 00:09:18,937 --> 00:09:20,836 They're really laying everything they have, 170 00:09:20,836 --> 00:09:22,113 all their new weaponry on a single throw of the dice. 171 00:09:23,252 --> 00:09:26,013 If this doesn't work, they're done. 172 00:09:26,013 --> 00:09:29,016 [tense music] 173 00:09:29,016 --> 00:09:30,846 [Narrator] At the Kremlin, Soviet leader Josef Stalin 174 00:09:30,846 --> 00:09:32,330 considers how to react to the impending attack. 175 00:09:33,331 --> 00:09:36,161 In the first two years of the war 176 00:09:37,542 --> 00:09:39,199 the most significant successes that the Red Army enjoy 177 00:09:39,199 --> 00:09:42,271 were at the point where a German advance 178 00:09:42,271 --> 00:09:45,792 had exhausted itself. 179 00:09:45,792 --> 00:09:47,310 And then the Red Army was able to carry out 180 00:09:47,310 --> 00:09:48,346 a large counteroffensive on weaker flanks. 181 00:09:50,728 --> 00:09:51,521 [Narrator] Stalin decides to use Kursk as bait 182 00:09:54,110 --> 00:09:55,733 in a giant trap. 183 00:09:56,906 --> 00:09:58,425 [dramatic music] 184 00:10:00,945 --> 00:10:03,016 The Red Army will build defenses 185 00:10:03,016 --> 00:10:04,742 to stop the Nazis once and for all, 186 00:10:04,742 --> 00:10:06,364 then unleash a massive counterstrike. 187 00:10:07,952 --> 00:10:09,160 Soviet civilians in the area now become a vital resource. 188 00:10:13,889 --> 00:10:17,962 Just two months after being liberated from Nazi rule, 189 00:10:17,962 --> 00:10:20,171 300,000 Kursk residents are pressed into service 190 00:10:20,999 --> 00:10:25,176 for the Red Army 191 00:10:25,176 --> 00:10:27,350 and begin to turn farmland into a fortress. 192 00:10:27,350 --> 00:10:28,248 But trench digging is just the tip of the iceberg. 193 00:10:31,320 --> 00:10:34,150 The Red Army is now becoming 194 00:10:35,496 --> 00:10:36,256 an army, for all intents and purposes, of occupation, 195 00:10:37,291 --> 00:10:40,053 not occupation in the same way 196 00:10:41,261 --> 00:10:42,538 that the Germans occupy the territory, mind you, 197 00:10:42,538 --> 00:10:45,921 but it still needs to be fed. 198 00:10:45,921 --> 00:10:48,199 It still needs to be cared for. 199 00:10:48,199 --> 00:10:50,373 [Narrator]Propaganda films show the civilian population 200 00:10:51,892 --> 00:10:53,169 taking on all aspects of Red Army rear services, 201 00:10:54,412 --> 00:10:56,863 from food supply to medical care. 202 00:10:58,243 --> 00:11:00,383 They build a brand new 60-mile railroad, 203 00:11:01,799 --> 00:11:03,283 to speed hundreds of tanks to the front lines. 204 00:11:05,250 --> 00:11:06,458 It's German Totaler Krieg versus Soviet Total'Naya Voyna. 205 00:11:10,704 --> 00:11:13,431 The total war of half a continent focused on Kursk. 206 00:11:14,915 --> 00:11:17,573 [tank engine whirring] 207 00:11:21,163 --> 00:11:21,957 After two months of concentrated effort, 208 00:11:25,270 --> 00:11:26,478 the fields around Kursk are transformed 209 00:11:27,894 --> 00:11:30,172 into a fortified defensive network of trenches, 210 00:11:30,172 --> 00:11:32,450 gun emplacements, even dugouts for tanks. 211 00:11:33,762 --> 00:11:36,454 One declares "For Stalin" on its side. 212 00:11:38,594 --> 00:11:39,595 The earthworks are so substantial 213 00:11:42,529 --> 00:11:43,426 that they are still visible to this day, 214 00:11:45,014 --> 00:11:46,464 as jagged lines of trees, or shadows in the fields. 215 00:11:50,917 --> 00:11:51,607 Over 3,000 miles of trenches are arranged 216 00:11:54,368 --> 00:11:56,301 in a zig-zag pattern, 217 00:11:58,096 --> 00:11:59,719 to protect defenders from flanking fire and explosions. 218 00:11:59,719 --> 00:12:02,445 Soviet defenses are developed like a spider's web, 219 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:07,519 in which the Germans would struggle, exhaust themselves, 220 00:12:08,831 --> 00:12:11,316 and then leave themselves open to a counterattack. 221 00:12:12,524 --> 00:12:14,354 [Narrator]On top of 1.3 million soldiers 222 00:12:15,562 --> 00:12:16,805 waiting in the web of trenches, 223 00:12:18,116 --> 00:12:19,635 two massive Soviet armies hold position 224 00:12:19,635 --> 00:12:21,292 to the north and south, 225 00:12:22,811 --> 00:12:23,432 ready to counterstrike, if they get the chance. 226 00:12:24,329 --> 00:12:27,056 The danger of the Soviet plan, 227 00:12:28,299 --> 00:12:29,369 is that if the Germans manage to break through 228 00:12:29,369 --> 00:12:31,233 the Soviet defensive positions, 229 00:12:32,648 --> 00:12:34,892 the Wehrmacht will be able to encircle a large amount 230 00:12:34,892 --> 00:12:37,584 of Soviet troops, and completely annihilate them. 231 00:12:37,584 --> 00:12:40,449 [Narrator]2/5 of the entire Red Army 232 00:12:41,968 --> 00:12:42,589 now waits for the arrival of the new German superweapons. 233 00:12:44,315 --> 00:12:47,628 The stage is set for one of the biggest battles 234 00:12:47,628 --> 00:12:50,528 the world has ever seen. 235 00:12:50,528 --> 00:12:51,909 [gentle accordion music] 236 00:12:54,877 --> 00:12:56,361 [tense music] 237 00:13:00,089 --> 00:13:02,367 The Red Army braces for a new German offensive at Kursk. 238 00:13:05,094 --> 00:13:07,648 The Nazis are gathering on the edge of the open fields. 239 00:13:12,515 --> 00:13:15,622 Stalin sends political commissar, 240 00:13:15,622 --> 00:13:16,934 and future Soviet leader 241 00:13:18,487 --> 00:13:19,039 Nikita Khrushchev to keep an eye on his generals. 242 00:13:20,592 --> 00:13:23,457 [Nikita] The events unfolding were extremely important. 243 00:13:24,838 --> 00:13:26,529 The outcome of the war was being decided, 244 00:13:27,841 --> 00:13:29,705 along with the fate of our country. 245 00:13:29,705 --> 00:13:30,671 [Narrator] Later that evening, 246 00:13:33,502 --> 00:13:34,848 Khrushchev meets a German deserter, 247 00:13:34,848 --> 00:13:36,574 who claims he has just been issued 248 00:13:36,574 --> 00:13:38,300 with a ration of schnapps. 249 00:13:38,300 --> 00:13:40,716 [suspenseful music] 250 00:13:40,716 --> 00:13:42,476 It's a German military tradition. 251 00:13:42,476 --> 00:13:43,546 Boxes labeled "For front line fighters 252 00:13:44,375 --> 00:13:46,135 "in large-scale combat," 253 00:13:47,688 --> 00:13:48,413 contain candy, chocolate, cigarettes, and matches. 254 00:13:51,796 --> 00:13:54,419 They are distributed on the eve of battle. 255 00:13:56,249 --> 00:13:57,215 Khrushchev leaves convinced 256 00:13:59,942 --> 00:14:01,495 the German offensive is imminent. 257 00:14:01,495 --> 00:14:02,531 So the Red Army sends a greeting. 258 00:14:03,704 --> 00:14:05,948 -[dramatic music] -[rockets whooshing] 259 00:14:07,398 --> 00:14:09,089 Thousands of Katyusha rockets leave their rails 260 00:14:09,089 --> 00:14:09,641 at 780 miles an hour, with a distinctive metallic howl, 261 00:14:12,679 --> 00:14:15,337 that adds a shock factor to the bombardment. 262 00:14:20,790 --> 00:14:23,414 The Germans are caught by surprise. 263 00:14:24,449 --> 00:14:27,142 [Bernard]The scene was chaotic. 264 00:14:28,005 --> 00:14:30,662 Vehicles were on fire 265 00:14:30,662 --> 00:14:31,732 and there were several corpses lying in the grass, 266 00:14:31,732 --> 00:14:34,770 but we soon recovered. 267 00:14:34,770 --> 00:14:35,702 [Narrator]The attack delays the Germans 268 00:14:37,462 --> 00:14:38,705 but does not stop them. 269 00:14:40,051 --> 00:14:41,570 [guns blasting] 270 00:14:44,366 --> 00:14:45,608 They send a massive artillery and rocket barrage 271 00:14:45,608 --> 00:14:47,334 right back at the Soviets. 272 00:14:47,334 --> 00:14:49,026 [rockets whooshing] 273 00:14:49,026 --> 00:14:50,096 Operation Citadel has begun. 274 00:14:50,096 --> 00:14:52,512 [dramatic music] 275 00:14:53,616 --> 00:14:55,204 To the north of the salient, 276 00:14:55,204 --> 00:14:56,757 the German 9th Army moves out. 277 00:14:56,757 --> 00:14:58,380 Their aim is to penetrate the defenses 278 00:14:59,277 --> 00:15:01,866 and head towards Kursk. 279 00:15:01,866 --> 00:15:02,729 In command is General Walter Model. 280 00:15:05,663 --> 00:15:06,595 He favors defensive tactics, so decides his tanks 281 00:15:10,185 --> 00:15:12,083 and Ferdinand self-propelled guns will initially hold back. 282 00:15:15,569 --> 00:15:16,432 Having seen the sophistication of the Soviet defenses 283 00:15:19,780 --> 00:15:22,438 that he was up against, Model decides to use the infantry 284 00:15:23,405 --> 00:15:26,270 to create the breach, 285 00:15:27,754 --> 00:15:28,444 and then for the tanks to exploit that breach, 286 00:15:29,652 --> 00:15:31,447 and hopefully, break through to victory. 287 00:15:32,690 --> 00:15:33,725 [Narrator] Thousands of infantry push forward, 288 00:15:36,038 --> 00:15:37,488 right into a Soviet minefield. 289 00:15:40,353 --> 00:15:43,839 [explosion blasts] 290 00:15:43,839 --> 00:15:45,323 [Henri] The Soviets had sown 291 00:15:45,323 --> 00:15:46,738 thousands upon thousands of mines, 292 00:15:46,738 --> 00:15:48,430 we could never remove all of them 293 00:15:49,810 --> 00:15:50,501 and those that we removed were replaced. 294 00:15:52,192 --> 00:15:53,607 [explosion blasts] 295 00:15:56,127 --> 00:15:57,784 [Narrator] Red Army crews have it down 296 00:15:57,784 --> 00:15:59,165 to a white knuckle science. 297 00:15:59,165 --> 00:16:00,614 [explosion blasts] 298 00:16:01,891 --> 00:16:02,237 Get to a gap in the line and dig. 299 00:16:02,237 --> 00:16:04,204 Fast. 300 00:16:04,894 --> 00:16:07,000 [explosion blasts] 301 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:07,311 Drop in an anti-tank mine, cover your tracks, and get out 302 00:16:08,001 --> 00:16:11,832 [explosion booms] 303 00:16:11,832 --> 00:16:12,902 before a German shell finds you. 304 00:16:12,902 --> 00:16:16,044 [explosion blasts] 305 00:16:16,044 --> 00:16:16,354 The Red Army can lay hundreds of thousands of mines an hour. 306 00:16:18,978 --> 00:16:20,496 They use the extensive trench network 307 00:16:23,189 --> 00:16:24,431 to replenish the fields behind the advancing Germans 308 00:16:26,813 --> 00:16:27,641 and swarm at them from all angles. 309 00:16:30,748 --> 00:16:32,336 If you stick your hand into a fire ant mound, 310 00:16:33,544 --> 00:16:35,511 the ants will attack you all the way in. 311 00:16:37,065 --> 00:16:37,789 As you keep penetrating, your entire limb will be attacked, 312 00:16:39,860 --> 00:16:42,656 and so this is the idea. 313 00:16:44,486 --> 00:16:44,796 You absorb the attack and then you destroy the elements 314 00:16:46,867 --> 00:16:49,353 that have made the penetration. 315 00:16:49,974 --> 00:16:52,390 [gun blasting] 316 00:16:52,390 --> 00:16:53,874 [Soviet Observer] The soldiers were deafened 317 00:16:53,874 --> 00:16:55,393 by the thunder of guns and mortars 318 00:16:55,393 --> 00:16:56,808 and the creaking of tracks. 319 00:16:56,808 --> 00:16:58,327 All of the weapons of the infantry 320 00:16:58,327 --> 00:17:00,226 entered the battle to repel the enemy blows. 321 00:17:00,226 --> 00:17:02,021 Such was the sophistication of the Soviet defensive plan, 322 00:17:04,678 --> 00:17:07,267 the German infantry found it very difficult 323 00:17:08,303 --> 00:17:10,512 to bludgeon a hole in the defenses, 324 00:17:10,512 --> 00:17:11,789 and therefore, the armor couldn't exploit it. 325 00:17:13,101 --> 00:17:14,792 [fire whooshes] 326 00:17:17,208 --> 00:17:18,830 -[explosions booming] -[suspenseful music] 327 00:17:21,902 --> 00:17:24,491 [Narrator] The Soviet swarm begins 328 00:17:25,630 --> 00:17:27,494 to bleed the attacking Germans. 329 00:17:27,494 --> 00:17:28,185 Newly restored footage reveals a scouting party, 330 00:17:30,808 --> 00:17:32,465 led by Captain Dmitry Zakrevsky, 331 00:17:33,742 --> 00:17:34,846 returning from an overnight raid. 332 00:17:36,641 --> 00:17:37,539 They're celebrating the capture 333 00:17:40,266 --> 00:17:41,267 of one of the feared Nazi tanks. 334 00:17:44,028 --> 00:17:46,065 [Ilya] We found in the tank secret papers, documents. 335 00:17:47,928 --> 00:17:50,552 There was also a working radio. 336 00:17:54,728 --> 00:17:57,559 [Narrator] The German officers in the north 337 00:17:58,767 --> 00:18:00,182 sense their momentum stalling. 338 00:18:00,182 --> 00:18:02,391 [gun blasting] 339 00:18:03,082 --> 00:18:05,981 [explosion booms] 340 00:18:05,981 --> 00:18:06,809 But they maintain the offensive, 341 00:18:06,809 --> 00:18:08,294 to keep the pressure on. 342 00:18:08,294 --> 00:18:09,640 [guns blasting] 343 00:18:13,299 --> 00:18:17,199 To the south of Kursk, 344 00:18:17,199 --> 00:18:18,683 Field Marshal Erich von Manstein 345 00:18:18,683 --> 00:18:20,202 takes a different approach. 346 00:18:20,202 --> 00:18:21,479 He leads with tanks. 347 00:18:23,378 --> 00:18:25,587 -[dramatic music] -[tank engines whirring] 348 00:18:25,587 --> 00:18:26,381 Brand new, heavy Tigers form up into spearheads, 349 00:18:27,589 --> 00:18:31,248 flanked by the medium Panthers 350 00:18:31,248 --> 00:18:32,145 and an array of older Panzers. 351 00:18:33,836 --> 00:18:34,734 Manstein had seen the very great success 352 00:18:37,806 --> 00:18:39,877 that could be achieved by fast-moving armor, 353 00:18:39,877 --> 00:18:42,535 creating a psychological impact 354 00:18:43,674 --> 00:18:45,710 and a shock impact on enemy defenses, 355 00:18:45,710 --> 00:18:47,436 no matter how sophisticated they are. 356 00:18:48,644 --> 00:18:51,544 [Narrator] Many of Manstein's tank crews 357 00:18:52,821 --> 00:18:54,788 are drawn from the most experienced 358 00:18:54,788 --> 00:18:56,963 and fanatical soldiers Germany has. 359 00:18:56,963 --> 00:18:58,758 The military wing of Hitler's personal guard, 360 00:18:59,483 --> 00:19:02,141 the Waffen-SS. 361 00:19:02,969 --> 00:19:05,558 The SS is the most fanatical 362 00:19:06,628 --> 00:19:07,974 and feared organization in Nazi Germany. 363 00:19:07,974 --> 00:19:11,219 They'll stop at nothing 364 00:19:11,219 --> 00:19:12,047 to enact Hitler's vision for a new Europe. 365 00:19:12,047 --> 00:19:14,394 [tank rumbles] 366 00:19:15,257 --> 00:19:19,606 [Narrator] In early 1943, 367 00:19:19,606 --> 00:19:20,883 newsreel cameras are permitted into the SS training school 368 00:19:20,883 --> 00:19:23,438 at Bad Tolz, south of Munich. 369 00:19:26,303 --> 00:19:26,613 Here, new recruits are groomed for life in the Waffen-SS, 370 00:19:30,790 --> 00:19:33,379 a military organization that fights alongside 371 00:19:34,897 --> 00:19:36,175 the regular German Army, but reports directly to Hitler. 372 00:19:38,763 --> 00:19:41,559 Hitler doesn't really trust the old elites 373 00:19:42,422 --> 00:19:44,355 that he can see within Germany, 374 00:19:45,770 --> 00:19:46,668 for example, also, the old-established officer corps 375 00:19:46,668 --> 00:19:48,359 of the normal armed forces. 376 00:19:49,429 --> 00:19:50,465 [Narrator] SS indoctrination 377 00:19:53,122 --> 00:19:53,468 emphasizes Hitler's dark vision of European domination, 378 00:19:55,297 --> 00:19:56,919 and physical conformity, 379 00:19:59,474 --> 00:20:00,199 to mold a fanatically loyal fighting force. 380 00:20:03,650 --> 00:20:06,584 [Matthias] The fact that Hitler builds up the SS, 381 00:20:07,999 --> 00:20:10,278 means that he has an extremely loyal group of people, 382 00:20:10,278 --> 00:20:12,280 up to 900,000 that are loyal to him and to no one else. 383 00:20:16,042 --> 00:20:17,388 [Narrator] SS Section Leader Johannes Schumacher 384 00:20:20,391 --> 00:20:23,670 carries a personal film camera throughout the war. 385 00:20:23,670 --> 00:20:26,190 He is a member of the Totenkopf or Death's Head division. 386 00:20:28,227 --> 00:20:30,815 The skull and crossbones on their collars 387 00:20:32,334 --> 00:20:33,680 symbolize a willingness to sacrifice their lives 388 00:20:34,509 --> 00:20:38,513 for the Nazi cause. 389 00:20:38,513 --> 00:20:39,238 Schumacher travels to the Eastern Front. 390 00:20:42,241 --> 00:20:43,449 He records the devastation wrought by the SS divisions 391 00:20:45,002 --> 00:20:46,486 tasked with controlling the occupied Soviet Union. 392 00:20:49,627 --> 00:20:52,216 As villages burn, Soviet civilians forced from the area 393 00:20:53,459 --> 00:20:56,220 carry children too small for the march. 394 00:20:56,807 --> 00:20:58,947 [solemn music] 395 00:21:00,811 --> 00:21:01,846 The SS are always training, ready to wreak destruction. 396 00:21:08,922 --> 00:21:11,615 The SS carry out countless war crimes. 397 00:21:12,719 --> 00:21:14,721 They're responsible for atrocities 398 00:21:14,721 --> 00:21:17,034 and massacres across Europe. 399 00:21:17,034 --> 00:21:18,691 They aren't really soldiering, 400 00:21:20,140 --> 00:21:21,349 they're fighting a war of annihilation, of extermination. 401 00:21:21,349 --> 00:21:24,213 They're probably as close to evil 402 00:21:25,076 --> 00:21:26,492 as the modern world has seen. 403 00:21:27,803 --> 00:21:29,495 [Narrator] As the tanks of the Totenkopf Division 404 00:21:29,495 --> 00:21:30,703 arrive at the Kursk battlefield, 405 00:21:32,049 --> 00:21:34,431 Schumacher uses his home movie camera 406 00:21:34,431 --> 00:21:35,846 to film the 57 ton Tigers in close-up. 407 00:21:37,296 --> 00:21:39,677 The fanatical SS divisions now intend to use 408 00:21:41,265 --> 00:21:42,542 these Nazi superweapons to crack the Soviet defenses. 409 00:21:44,510 --> 00:21:47,340 [tank rattles] 410 00:21:48,376 --> 00:21:49,860 -[dramatic music] -[gun blasting] 411 00:21:51,931 --> 00:21:53,760 zer Corps will spearhead 412 00:21:53,760 --> 00:21:55,175 the attack to the south of Kursk. 413 00:21:55,175 --> 00:21:56,694 The initial target 414 00:21:58,972 --> 00:21:59,628 is a small Russian village named Prokhorovka. 415 00:22:04,150 --> 00:22:06,325 42 Tigers are followed by a further 450 tanks 416 00:22:08,292 --> 00:22:10,915 and assault guns across an eight-mile front. 417 00:22:12,710 --> 00:22:14,367 It's a slow, methodical advance. 418 00:22:16,714 --> 00:22:18,509 But they can take their time. 419 00:22:20,649 --> 00:22:22,789 The five-man crews inside the Tigers 420 00:22:22,789 --> 00:22:23,894 are protected by four inches of steel armor. 421 00:22:27,104 --> 00:22:27,725 To the Soviets, the tanks appear unstoppable. 422 00:22:31,246 --> 00:22:35,561 [Vassily]Shells hit them but bounced off like peas. 423 00:22:35,561 --> 00:22:36,907 There have been cases where artillerymen 424 00:22:38,046 --> 00:22:39,012 went insane after seeing this. 425 00:22:41,705 --> 00:22:42,740 [Narrator] The tanks plow forward 426 00:22:45,709 --> 00:22:47,607 and reach the Soviet trenches. 427 00:22:47,607 --> 00:22:48,884 They deliberately use their weight 428 00:22:50,438 --> 00:22:50,990 to collapse the earthworks and crush the defenders. 429 00:22:56,133 --> 00:22:58,722 German infantry and engineers 430 00:22:59,964 --> 00:23:02,381 follow to clear the fortifications. 431 00:23:02,381 --> 00:23:05,694 [Stefan] Dropping into a trench system, 432 00:23:05,694 --> 00:23:07,765 my section threw grenades around the corners 433 00:23:07,765 --> 00:23:09,111 and into dug-outs which were then cleared out by men 434 00:23:09,111 --> 00:23:11,044 with sub-machine guns. 435 00:23:14,703 --> 00:23:17,361 [Narrator] Soviet footage reveals 436 00:23:18,569 --> 00:23:20,088 the Red Army's defensive network 437 00:23:20,088 --> 00:23:21,641 beginning to buckle under the attack. 438 00:23:21,641 --> 00:23:23,747 [explosion blasts] 439 00:23:25,714 --> 00:23:27,233 [Mykhailo] Every time they moved, we shot them. 440 00:23:27,233 --> 00:23:29,442 But then we saw that they had a mortar 441 00:23:29,442 --> 00:23:30,478 and before I could open fire, we had been hit. 442 00:23:30,478 --> 00:23:34,205 I was a mess. 443 00:23:34,205 --> 00:23:36,000 Deaf, confused, and unable to stand. 444 00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:38,589 I can still recall the mixture of damp earth, 445 00:23:38,589 --> 00:23:39,590 cordite, and blood which filled my nostrils. 446 00:23:40,833 --> 00:23:42,455 -[mortar shell thuds] -[explosion blasts] 447 00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:45,493 The German tank advance is relentless. 448 00:23:45,493 --> 00:23:46,563 -[gun blasting] -[explosion booms] 449 00:23:47,702 --> 00:23:49,428 The new models slowly chew their way 450 00:23:50,221 --> 00:23:52,120 through the Soviet lines. 451 00:23:52,120 --> 00:23:53,811 Soviet losses are huge. 452 00:23:53,811 --> 00:23:55,399 Six, seven, eight to one in favor of the Germans. 453 00:23:55,399 --> 00:23:59,472 [suspenseful music] 454 00:23:59,472 --> 00:24:00,577 [Narrator] As the German tanks identify enemy positions, 455 00:24:01,888 --> 00:24:03,890 they radio for supporting airstrikes. 456 00:24:05,513 --> 00:24:07,446 Waves of Junkers Ju 87 dive bombers, known as Stukas, 457 00:24:09,689 --> 00:24:12,899 bear down on their targets. 458 00:24:12,899 --> 00:24:14,591 [bombs blasting] 459 00:24:16,144 --> 00:24:17,766 Carrying a 550-pound bomb, 460 00:24:17,766 --> 00:24:20,631 they drop into an almost vertical dive 461 00:24:20,631 --> 00:24:21,598 before releasing with pinpoint accuracy. 462 00:24:22,184 --> 00:24:24,946 [bombs booming] 463 00:24:24,946 --> 00:24:26,430 But to make a dent on the hundreds 464 00:24:26,430 --> 00:24:29,537 of Soviet tanks at Kursk 465 00:24:29,537 --> 00:24:30,848 the Stukas need more than just one bomb per run. 466 00:24:30,848 --> 00:24:33,886 [airplane engine whirring] 467 00:24:35,439 --> 00:24:36,958 German newsreel cameras follow Hans-Ulrich Rudel, 468 00:24:37,855 --> 00:24:40,444 a Luftwaffe fighter ace 469 00:24:41,756 --> 00:24:42,515 who trials a new way of using the aircraft. 470 00:24:43,827 --> 00:24:45,000 His custom Stuka is fitted 471 00:24:47,762 --> 00:24:48,383 with twin 37-millimeter anti-tank guns. 472 00:24:48,383 --> 00:24:52,560 [dramatic music] 473 00:24:52,560 --> 00:24:54,493 They'll skim the battlefield at a much shallower angle, 474 00:24:56,287 --> 00:24:58,117 to fire into the vulnerable side armor of the Soviet tanks. 475 00:25:00,878 --> 00:25:02,673 [Hans-Ulrich]In the first attack, 476 00:25:05,331 --> 00:25:06,608 four tanks explode under the hammer blows of my cannons. 477 00:25:06,608 --> 00:25:08,507 -[airplane screaming] -[guns blasting] 478 00:25:09,715 --> 00:25:10,819 In this aircraft we possess a weapon 479 00:25:12,062 --> 00:25:14,340 which is capable of knocking out 480 00:25:14,340 --> 00:25:15,583 a formidable number of Soviet tanks. 481 00:25:15,583 --> 00:25:17,412 [airplane engine whirring] 482 00:25:17,412 --> 00:25:19,172 [guns blasting] 483 00:25:19,172 --> 00:25:22,659 [Narrator] At Kursk, 484 00:25:22,659 --> 00:25:24,315 Rudel claims 12 Soviet tanks in one day. 485 00:25:24,315 --> 00:25:27,353 He goes on to become the most highly decorated 486 00:25:27,353 --> 00:25:28,837 German service member of the entire war. 487 00:25:30,356 --> 00:25:31,840 [tense music] 488 00:25:34,360 --> 00:25:35,844 After four days of intense fighting, 489 00:25:37,674 --> 00:25:39,952 [gun blasting] 490 00:25:41,643 --> 00:25:42,886 the methodical approach of the SS Panzer Corps pays off. 491 00:25:42,886 --> 00:25:46,096 Their tanks have broken through three lines 492 00:25:46,096 --> 00:25:47,787 of Soviet defenses 493 00:25:49,168 --> 00:25:51,342 and now approach the village of Prokhorovka. 494 00:25:51,342 --> 00:25:52,171 Soon, they will be in the clear, able to circle back 495 00:25:55,484 --> 00:25:58,073 and destroy the remaining Red Army around Kursk. 496 00:26:00,455 --> 00:26:01,801 [tank engine whirring] 497 00:26:04,735 --> 00:26:06,185 1,500 miles away, the Allies activate their long-held plan 498 00:26:08,912 --> 00:26:11,535 to open a second front against a German Army 499 00:26:12,640 --> 00:26:14,676 distracted by events in the East. 500 00:26:15,263 --> 00:26:18,266 [dramatic music] 501 00:26:18,266 --> 00:26:19,681 American Army film cameras roll 502 00:26:19,681 --> 00:26:20,924 as the long-awaited invasion of Sicily, 503 00:26:20,924 --> 00:26:22,719 Operation Husky, begins. 504 00:26:24,928 --> 00:26:25,584 160,000 American, Canadian, and British troops 505 00:26:29,898 --> 00:26:32,729 will land on the island, 506 00:26:34,316 --> 00:26:34,834 and attempt to snatch it from German and Italian forces. 507 00:26:35,524 --> 00:26:39,770 [gun blasting] 508 00:26:39,770 --> 00:26:41,392 As American cruisers soften up the defenses, 509 00:26:41,392 --> 00:26:43,981 landing craft speed to the beaches. 510 00:26:45,224 --> 00:26:47,088 Most make the troops jump the last yards 511 00:26:49,400 --> 00:26:50,194 but some are DUKW amphibious trucks. 512 00:26:55,165 --> 00:26:56,200 These make a fast, rough landing on the beaches, 513 00:26:58,686 --> 00:27:01,585 [trunk engine rumbling] 514 00:27:04,623 --> 00:27:05,209 allowing troops quick access to the Sicilian streets. 515 00:27:10,663 --> 00:27:11,699 [Soldier] This was indeed an auspicious beginning 516 00:27:14,736 --> 00:27:15,841 for the Allied assault upon Hitler's Fortress Europa. 517 00:27:15,841 --> 00:27:18,602 [truck engine whirring] 518 00:27:20,017 --> 00:27:21,640 [Narrator] As US infantry clears the fishing town of Gela, 519 00:27:23,158 --> 00:27:26,506 it becomes obvious that German and Italian forces 520 00:27:26,506 --> 00:27:28,785 do not have the strength to hold the island. 521 00:27:30,510 --> 00:27:31,719 The Allies make plans to move onto the Italian mainland. 522 00:27:33,893 --> 00:27:36,585 [tense brooding music] 523 00:27:38,173 --> 00:27:38,657 At his Eastern Front headquarters, the Wolf's Lair, 524 00:27:39,934 --> 00:27:42,557 Hitler searches for answers. 525 00:27:43,903 --> 00:27:44,939 Operation Husky provides Hitler with a huge dilemma. 526 00:27:46,803 --> 00:27:49,598 He could feel his troops 527 00:27:50,807 --> 00:27:52,463 being stretched further and further. 528 00:27:52,463 --> 00:27:54,500 And he would not only be fighting offensive action 529 00:27:54,500 --> 00:27:56,778 by Stalin's Red Army in the East, 530 00:27:57,848 --> 00:28:00,368 he would also be fighting the Allies 531 00:28:00,368 --> 00:28:02,819 in the soft underbelly of Europe, Italy, 532 00:28:02,819 --> 00:28:04,165 and also, potentially, in France, the next year. 533 00:28:05,684 --> 00:28:09,860 [Narrator] But Sicily is a long way from Kursk, 534 00:28:09,860 --> 00:28:12,552 where the Red Army can still see the German forces 535 00:28:14,002 --> 00:28:15,245 moving toward their jagged defensive lines. 536 00:28:16,764 --> 00:28:20,629 They activate their armored reserve. 537 00:28:20,629 --> 00:28:23,736 Over 800 Soviet tanks head out, 538 00:28:23,736 --> 00:28:24,875 to try and halt the mighty Tigers. 539 00:28:25,462 --> 00:28:28,672 [dramatic music] 540 00:28:28,672 --> 00:28:30,260 The greatest tank battle of the Second World War 541 00:28:30,260 --> 00:28:32,952 is about to begin. 542 00:28:33,712 --> 00:28:35,058 [tank engine whirring] 543 00:28:36,197 --> 00:28:38,268 [suspenseful music] 544 00:28:40,304 --> 00:28:42,755 Embedded camera crews film 545 00:28:44,274 --> 00:28:45,309 as German tanks approach the town of Prokhorovka, 546 00:28:45,309 --> 00:28:47,173 on the outskirts of Kursk. 547 00:28:48,450 --> 00:28:49,279 They have blasted most of the way 548 00:28:52,006 --> 00:28:53,007 through the spiderweb of Red Army defenses. 549 00:28:53,007 --> 00:28:55,837 But what they don't know 550 00:28:57,183 --> 00:28:58,667 is that they are now entering a giant trap. 551 00:28:58,667 --> 00:29:01,118 [Lloyd] Prokhorovka was an ideal place 552 00:29:02,499 --> 00:29:04,673 where the Soviets could unleash their armored reserve. 553 00:29:04,673 --> 00:29:07,159 It is some way behind the lines, 554 00:29:08,332 --> 00:29:09,782 where the exhausted Germans 555 00:29:11,025 --> 00:29:11,888 could be engaged by fresh armored forces. 556 00:29:13,337 --> 00:29:15,926 [Narrator] As the Germans advance, 557 00:29:17,203 --> 00:29:19,033 their scouts send up purple flares 558 00:29:19,033 --> 00:29:21,311 to warn of enemy armor ahead. 559 00:29:21,311 --> 00:29:23,106 Suddenly, over 400 Red Army tanks break cover. 560 00:29:25,315 --> 00:29:28,007 They accelerate straight towards the German lines. 561 00:29:30,423 --> 00:29:31,321 [Rudolf] What I saw left me speechless. 562 00:29:34,738 --> 00:29:36,015 From beyond the shallow rise in front of me appeared 15, 563 00:29:36,913 --> 00:29:40,571 then 30, then 40 tanks. 564 00:29:40,571 --> 00:29:43,471 Finally, there were too many to count. 565 00:29:43,471 --> 00:29:44,748 [Narrator] The Soviet T-34 tank 566 00:29:47,130 --> 00:29:48,027 is the backbone of the Red Army. 567 00:29:49,408 --> 00:29:51,444 It has sloping armor, a powerful V12 engine, 568 00:29:51,444 --> 00:29:54,102 and a formidable 76.2-millimeter gun. 569 00:29:55,483 --> 00:29:58,175 But its main strength lies in numbers. 570 00:29:58,900 --> 00:30:00,868 [machinery whirring] 571 00:30:02,455 --> 00:30:03,008 By 1943, the Soviet Union's own version of total war 572 00:30:05,286 --> 00:30:08,013 sees giant factories far behind the lines 573 00:30:09,290 --> 00:30:11,119 churn out hundreds of T-34s every week. 574 00:30:12,603 --> 00:30:15,192 They are driven straight onto long trains 575 00:30:16,055 --> 00:30:19,093 and sent to the front, 576 00:30:19,093 --> 00:30:20,646 a constant stream of armor heading for the battlefield. 577 00:30:20,646 --> 00:30:22,717 [Lloyd] By this stage, the Soviet total war industry 578 00:30:23,580 --> 00:30:25,720 is easily replacing all losses, 579 00:30:27,170 --> 00:30:28,136 and indeed, increasing the number of tanks, day-on-day, 580 00:30:29,172 --> 00:30:31,657 that Stalin had available to him. 581 00:30:32,761 --> 00:30:33,832 The reverse was true in Germany. 582 00:30:35,005 --> 00:30:36,662 Every single German tank that was lost 583 00:30:37,801 --> 00:30:39,147 would be very difficult to replace. 584 00:30:39,976 --> 00:30:41,356 [Narrator] At Kursk, 585 00:30:43,531 --> 00:30:44,739 the Red Army now tries to use strength in numbers. 586 00:30:44,739 --> 00:30:46,672 -[dramatic music] -[guns blasting] 587 00:30:49,399 --> 00:30:52,195 The T-34 tank commanders know that they can't compete 588 00:30:53,334 --> 00:30:55,267 at long range with the German tanks. 589 00:30:57,165 --> 00:30:58,063 So they rush towards the German tanks as quickly as possible 590 00:30:58,960 --> 00:31:01,204 to fire at point-blank range, 591 00:31:02,446 --> 00:31:03,654 because then they know they stand a chance 592 00:31:03,654 --> 00:31:05,346 of knocking out a tank. 593 00:31:05,346 --> 00:31:07,658 [dramatic music] 594 00:31:07,658 --> 00:31:10,109 [Wilhelm] The T34s came straight for us at full speed 595 00:31:10,109 --> 00:31:12,560 with hardly time even to fire, as though they had gone mad. 596 00:31:12,560 --> 00:31:14,942 I had the feeling of being suffocated, 597 00:31:16,322 --> 00:31:17,254 suffocated by the sheer number of tanks. 598 00:31:19,636 --> 00:31:21,396 [airplane engines roaring] 599 00:31:23,433 --> 00:31:25,676 [Narrator] As the tanks blast away, 600 00:31:25,676 --> 00:31:26,401 the roar of aerial combat fills the sky. 601 00:31:27,575 --> 00:31:31,165 [guns blasting] 602 00:31:31,165 --> 00:31:32,718 [airplane engines whirring] 603 00:31:32,718 --> 00:31:34,685 Red Air Force fighter, bomber, 604 00:31:36,273 --> 00:31:37,688 and ground-attack aircraft assault the German lines. 605 00:31:41,278 --> 00:31:42,072 The Battle of Kursk is not just an armored battle, 606 00:31:45,179 --> 00:31:46,905 it is an air-ground confrontation 607 00:31:47,940 --> 00:31:49,908 that sees a huge amount of air assets 608 00:31:51,323 --> 00:31:52,255 used to gain this massive strategic victory 609 00:31:53,118 --> 00:31:54,947 that both sides are hoping for. 610 00:31:55,983 --> 00:31:57,191 [Mansur] All day long planes fired 611 00:31:58,054 --> 00:32:00,608 at each other in the sky. 612 00:32:00,608 --> 00:32:01,747 There was a hail of splinters and bullets. 613 00:32:01,747 --> 00:32:03,956 Watch out! 614 00:32:05,337 --> 00:32:06,027 You might get killed by a falling aircraft!. 615 00:32:06,027 --> 00:32:07,995 [airplane screaming] 616 00:32:07,995 --> 00:32:10,411 [explosion blasts] 617 00:32:10,411 --> 00:32:13,034 -[gentle tense music] -[airplane engines whirring] 618 00:32:14,208 --> 00:32:16,210 [Narrator]One Soviet pilot above Kursk 619 00:32:17,280 --> 00:32:18,833 is a pioneer of the skies. 620 00:32:20,283 --> 00:32:20,939 21-year-old Lydia Litvyak is the first woman 621 00:32:24,011 --> 00:32:25,322 to shoot down an enemy aircraft in her Yak-1 fighter, 622 00:32:26,634 --> 00:32:30,465 and the first woman to claim five kills 623 00:32:30,465 --> 00:32:32,122 and the title of fighter ace. 624 00:32:33,261 --> 00:32:35,125 She's perfect for propaganda. 625 00:32:36,575 --> 00:32:39,578 [Lydia] When I see a plane with crosses and a swastika, 626 00:32:39,578 --> 00:32:41,131 I have only one feeling, hatred. 627 00:32:42,615 --> 00:32:45,239 This feeling makes my hands harder 628 00:32:46,792 --> 00:32:47,862 when they are lying on the trigger of machine guns. 629 00:32:47,862 --> 00:32:50,175 [gun blasting] 630 00:32:50,175 --> 00:32:53,212 [airplane engine roaring] 631 00:32:53,212 --> 00:32:54,524 [gun blasting] 632 00:32:54,524 --> 00:32:56,802 [suspenseful music] 633 00:32:56,802 --> 00:32:57,976 [Narrator] The Soviet Union is the only Allied nation 634 00:32:59,115 --> 00:33:02,118 to allow women to fly in combat. 635 00:33:02,118 --> 00:33:04,327 They are eager to show they pass inspection. 636 00:33:05,500 --> 00:33:07,261 And have a fighting spirit. 637 00:33:08,848 --> 00:33:12,024 They'll need it. 638 00:33:12,024 --> 00:33:14,095 The 46th Guards Night Bomber Regiment 639 00:33:14,095 --> 00:33:14,785 are only given wood and canvas biplanes, crop dusters, 640 00:33:17,167 --> 00:33:21,137 but they make the most of them. 641 00:33:21,137 --> 00:33:22,414 As they made their approach, they would cut their engine 642 00:33:22,414 --> 00:33:25,072 and fly low to the ground, 643 00:33:26,383 --> 00:33:28,075 and the Germans could hear the whistling 644 00:33:29,524 --> 00:33:31,354 through the guy-wires and supposedly they struck fear 645 00:33:31,354 --> 00:33:34,012 into the hearts of those German soldiers. 646 00:33:35,289 --> 00:33:37,153 [Serafina] We were bombing the German positions 647 00:33:38,706 --> 00:33:40,535 nearly every night, and none of us were ever shot down, 648 00:33:40,535 --> 00:33:41,881 so the Germans began saying these are night witches. 649 00:33:45,161 --> 00:33:46,162 [Narrator] The name sticks. 650 00:33:49,096 --> 00:33:50,373 The Night Witches go down in legend 651 00:33:51,650 --> 00:33:53,203 as a fiercely effective bombing unit. 652 00:33:53,203 --> 00:33:54,860 [airplane engine whirring] 653 00:33:55,688 --> 00:33:57,518 [gentle thoughtful music] 654 00:33:57,518 --> 00:33:59,140 Two other regiments also engage women. 655 00:33:59,140 --> 00:34:01,108 As pilots, navigators, gunners, 656 00:34:02,695 --> 00:34:05,491 mechanics, and armament specialists. 657 00:34:07,666 --> 00:34:08,494 [Valentina] The regiment consisted 658 00:34:11,532 --> 00:34:13,327 of very intelligent girls, 659 00:34:13,327 --> 00:34:15,570 graduates of universities and institutes. 660 00:34:15,570 --> 00:34:16,502 We danced a lot, made fun, teased each other, and laughed. 661 00:34:18,297 --> 00:34:21,197 All of us were obsessed 662 00:34:22,577 --> 00:34:24,372 by the idea that our land must be liberated. 663 00:34:24,372 --> 00:34:25,891 [Narrator]Soviet women pilots fly more than 30,000 664 00:34:27,686 --> 00:34:29,205 wartime sorties, a vital contribution to the war effort. 665 00:34:31,276 --> 00:34:34,072 All the women who served in the Red Army, 666 00:34:35,280 --> 00:34:37,213 they fought in very much the same way as the men. 667 00:34:38,421 --> 00:34:40,871 They were dedicated patriots, 668 00:34:42,287 --> 00:34:44,151 they were Soviet soldiers first and foremost. 669 00:34:44,151 --> 00:34:46,222 They were doing what was expected of them. 670 00:34:47,292 --> 00:34:48,534 [Narrator]At Kursk, Lydia Litvyak 671 00:34:51,019 --> 00:34:52,366 commands her own squadron 672 00:34:53,884 --> 00:34:55,610 and takes down at least three more German aircraft. 673 00:34:55,610 --> 00:34:57,336 -[gun blasting] -[airplane engines whirring] 674 00:34:58,682 --> 00:35:00,891 But during the later stages of the battle, 675 00:35:02,169 --> 00:35:04,102 she comes under Luftwaffe attack. 676 00:35:05,448 --> 00:35:07,657 Her Yak-1 is last spotted pouring smoke, 677 00:35:07,657 --> 00:35:09,521 pursued by enemy Messerschmitts. 678 00:35:11,212 --> 00:35:12,420 Her fate is unknown until 1979 679 00:35:15,423 --> 00:35:18,771 when her remains are identified in a remote village. 680 00:35:18,771 --> 00:35:22,292 She is posthumously awarded the title 681 00:35:22,292 --> 00:35:25,261 Hero of the Soviet Union. 682 00:35:25,261 --> 00:35:27,401 [dramatic music] 683 00:35:28,643 --> 00:35:30,714 Soviet pilots give vital support 684 00:35:30,714 --> 00:35:32,751 to the Red Army's massive attempt 685 00:35:32,751 --> 00:35:33,993 to stop the Germans at Prokhorovka. 686 00:35:33,993 --> 00:35:37,273 [gun blasting] 687 00:35:37,273 --> 00:35:38,826 The clash is often described as the greatest tank battle 688 00:35:38,826 --> 00:35:40,068 of the Second World War, perhaps of all time. 689 00:35:42,554 --> 00:35:43,555 [Pavel]The T-34s were knocking out Tigers 690 00:35:46,247 --> 00:35:48,076 at extremely close range. 691 00:35:49,147 --> 00:35:50,251 On the black, scorched earth 692 00:35:51,494 --> 00:35:52,357 the gutted tanks burnt like torches. 693 00:35:52,357 --> 00:35:54,462 [dramatic music] 694 00:35:56,257 --> 00:35:58,811 [Narrator] The battle enters legend. 695 00:35:58,811 --> 00:35:59,985 Films show recreated and exaggerated scenes 696 00:36:02,643 --> 00:36:04,576 of T-34s storming the German positions. 697 00:36:06,371 --> 00:36:09,097 The Soviets claim to destroy hundreds of German tanks. 698 00:36:12,204 --> 00:36:13,274 However, the reality is far more one-sided. 699 00:36:17,865 --> 00:36:18,486 The elite SS tank crews keep their cool amidst the chaos. 700 00:36:22,421 --> 00:36:24,975 They utilize a well-practiced routine. 701 00:36:26,529 --> 00:36:27,599 Stop, identify a target and fire. 702 00:36:30,257 --> 00:36:33,018 -[guns blasting] -[suspenseful music] 703 00:36:35,089 --> 00:36:37,609 Reposition, identify a target, fire. 704 00:36:39,024 --> 00:36:41,923 [gun blasting] 705 00:36:43,304 --> 00:36:44,202 Cold-blooded tactics that decimate the T-34s. 706 00:36:48,275 --> 00:36:49,276 Sure, there are losses on both sides, 707 00:36:52,417 --> 00:36:53,211 but Soviet losses are far higher than the Germans. 708 00:36:56,386 --> 00:36:57,284 The Germans essentially shot up the Soviets. 709 00:37:00,528 --> 00:37:02,289 [Vasily] It was a slaughterhouse of tanks. 710 00:37:03,807 --> 00:37:06,085 Everything was enveloped in smoke, dust, and fire 711 00:37:06,085 --> 00:37:09,054 so it looked as if it was twilight. 712 00:37:09,054 --> 00:37:10,193 Tanks were burning, trucks were burning. 713 00:37:11,781 --> 00:37:12,609 [Narrator] By the end of the day, 714 00:37:16,095 --> 00:37:18,305 Soviet forces fall back to their starting positions. 715 00:37:18,305 --> 00:37:21,169 The Germans reset their lines, retrieving many damaged, 716 00:37:21,169 --> 00:37:23,310 but intact tanks from the battlefield. 717 00:37:25,070 --> 00:37:26,002 [Narrator] High-resolution photographs 718 00:37:29,281 --> 00:37:30,627 taken by German reconnaissance planes 719 00:37:30,627 --> 00:37:32,974 before and after the battle, 720 00:37:32,974 --> 00:37:33,975 show the impact on the fields around Prokhorovka. 721 00:37:34,597 --> 00:37:37,151 [tense music] 722 00:37:38,221 --> 00:37:40,258 Craters scar the landscape. 723 00:37:43,813 --> 00:37:47,886 German soldiers pose for the newsreels 724 00:37:47,886 --> 00:37:49,232 among piles of destroyed Soviet tanks. 725 00:37:50,475 --> 00:37:52,960 They took out nearly 200 Russian tanks 726 00:37:53,685 --> 00:37:56,170 but only lost 16. 727 00:37:57,585 --> 00:37:59,691 Nearly 4,000 Red Army soldiers are taken prisoner, 728 00:37:59,691 --> 00:38:02,349 wounded, or killed. 729 00:38:04,385 --> 00:38:05,006 From a tactical point of view, the Battle of Prokhorovka 730 00:38:08,286 --> 00:38:10,046 is a complete German success and victory. 731 00:38:11,254 --> 00:38:12,186 The Germans only lose a handful of tanks 732 00:38:13,636 --> 00:38:14,464 but manage to inflict very heavy and severe casualties 733 00:38:15,223 --> 00:38:18,054 on the Soviet forces. 734 00:38:19,400 --> 00:38:20,159 [Narrator] Hitler is still deciding how to react 735 00:38:21,816 --> 00:38:24,267 to the Allied invasion of Italy. 736 00:38:24,267 --> 00:38:26,821 But General Erich von Manstein wants to push on. 737 00:38:26,821 --> 00:38:29,514 He is convinced that another attack 738 00:38:31,067 --> 00:38:31,619 will shatter what remains of the Soviet defenses. 739 00:38:33,380 --> 00:38:34,657 Kursk is within his grasp. 740 00:38:39,351 --> 00:38:40,179 But to the north, the other German pincer 741 00:38:43,182 --> 00:38:45,323 has advanced just seven miles. 742 00:38:47,117 --> 00:38:47,980 It is still stuck in the Red Army's web of fortifications. 743 00:38:50,431 --> 00:38:53,054 And the Soviet generals still have an army in reserve. 744 00:38:54,780 --> 00:38:56,679 Now they plot a counterattack, 745 00:38:58,784 --> 00:38:59,682 to crush the invaders once and for all. 746 00:39:02,995 --> 00:39:07,966 [dramatic music] 747 00:39:07,966 --> 00:39:09,208 The Soviet counterstrike starts at dawn. 748 00:39:09,208 --> 00:39:11,694 [guns booming] 749 00:39:14,869 --> 00:39:15,594 Operation Kutuzov is directed north of Kursk. 750 00:39:19,253 --> 00:39:23,188 A substantial Soviet force 751 00:39:23,188 --> 00:39:24,845 aims to cut behind the German 9th Army 752 00:39:24,845 --> 00:39:26,502 and trap them in the town of Orel. 753 00:39:27,226 --> 00:39:29,505 [whistle shrilling] 754 00:39:30,920 --> 00:39:32,300 Over a million fresh troops follow 2,400 tanks, 755 00:39:32,300 --> 00:39:35,511 while shells from 26,000 guns, 756 00:39:35,511 --> 00:39:37,029 [guns blasting] 757 00:39:38,272 --> 00:39:39,480 and 3,000 aircraft roar overhead. 758 00:39:39,480 --> 00:39:42,034 [airplane engines rumbling] 759 00:39:43,242 --> 00:39:45,313 Part of the Soviet plan, was to husband resources 760 00:39:46,591 --> 00:39:48,420 around the northern salient shoulder at Orel. 761 00:39:50,077 --> 00:39:54,461 So, when the time was right, 762 00:39:54,461 --> 00:39:55,047 they could unleash those forces and create a dramatic 763 00:39:56,497 --> 00:39:59,327 and decisive counter-attack 764 00:40:00,536 --> 00:40:02,330 that the Germans would find very difficult 765 00:40:02,330 --> 00:40:04,678 to defend against. 766 00:40:04,678 --> 00:40:06,542 [rockets whooshing] 767 00:40:06,542 --> 00:40:08,371 [Narrator] The Nazis still have 768 00:40:08,371 --> 00:40:09,234 their superweapons on their side. 769 00:40:09,234 --> 00:40:11,857 [explosion blasts] 770 00:40:11,857 --> 00:40:12,755 But the sheer scale of the Soviet attack stuns them. 771 00:40:16,068 --> 00:40:16,759 The overwhelmed Germans get little mercy. 772 00:40:21,557 --> 00:40:24,422 [Nikolai] How should we treat the Germans? 773 00:40:25,699 --> 00:40:27,459 We treated them in the natural way, 774 00:40:27,459 --> 00:40:29,012 we gave them a proper beating. 775 00:40:29,012 --> 00:40:31,394 We hated them bitterly. 776 00:40:31,394 --> 00:40:32,326 [Soviet Officer] There were piles of dead Germans 777 00:40:33,879 --> 00:40:34,570 with map holders and all their stuff still on them. 778 00:40:35,881 --> 00:40:38,677 I saw tanks drive over their bodies. 779 00:40:38,677 --> 00:40:41,059 [suspenseful music] 780 00:40:41,956 --> 00:40:43,958 [Narrator] In Germany, 781 00:40:43,958 --> 00:40:45,235 Hitler faces the massive Soviet counter-offensive 782 00:40:45,235 --> 00:40:46,754 as well as the Allied invasion of Sicily. 783 00:40:48,411 --> 00:40:49,447 He calls off the Kursk attack 784 00:40:52,553 --> 00:40:53,174 and orders his SS tank divisions to make for Italy. 785 00:40:54,210 --> 00:40:57,109 [tank engines whirring] 786 00:40:58,352 --> 00:41:01,562 The Germans have taken their best shot at Kursk 787 00:41:01,562 --> 00:41:03,150 and it hasn't had any impact. 788 00:41:04,323 --> 00:41:06,533 And now there's a Soviet counteroffensive. 789 00:41:06,533 --> 00:41:07,672 The Germans have to transition from the offensive 790 00:41:08,742 --> 00:41:10,640 into suddenly scrambling for their lives. 791 00:41:11,917 --> 00:41:13,678 [Narrator] As the Germans retreat, 792 00:41:15,231 --> 00:41:16,404 they film the enaction of a scorched earth policy. 793 00:41:16,404 --> 00:41:19,131 [explosion booming] 794 00:41:19,891 --> 00:41:21,582 Blowing bridges 795 00:41:21,582 --> 00:41:22,928 -[explosion blasting] -and telephone lines. 796 00:41:22,928 --> 00:41:25,690 -[explosion blasting] -[wooden pole crunching] 797 00:41:27,623 --> 00:41:30,108 Metal plows bolted onto trains raze the tracks behind them. 798 00:41:35,734 --> 00:41:37,702 The primary reason to cause all this destruction 799 00:41:38,944 --> 00:41:40,636 is to slow the advance of the enemy force. 800 00:41:40,636 --> 00:41:43,190 [explosion blasts] 801 00:41:44,640 --> 00:41:45,468 You want to deny your enemy military viability. 802 00:41:45,468 --> 00:41:47,194 [explosions blasting] 803 00:41:47,781 --> 00:41:50,680 [fire crackling] 804 00:41:52,199 --> 00:41:52,786 [Narrator] Nazi Germany is now on the defensive. 805 00:41:52,786 --> 00:41:55,133 [gentle upbeat music] 806 00:41:56,583 --> 00:41:57,860 Soviet cameras capture the ecstatic reaction 807 00:41:57,860 --> 00:41:59,517 of the local population, 808 00:42:00,897 --> 00:42:02,796 as the Red Army sweep into the town of Orel 809 00:42:02,796 --> 00:42:04,418 and shred the remnants of Nazi rule. 810 00:42:07,973 --> 00:42:08,802 It's been a painful breakthrough. 811 00:42:12,012 --> 00:42:14,359 Over the six months since Stalingrad, 812 00:42:14,359 --> 00:42:17,362 the Red Army has lost almost as many soldiers 813 00:42:17,362 --> 00:42:18,812 as the United States and Britain do in the entire war. 814 00:42:21,539 --> 00:42:22,678 The civilian population has been right on the front lines. 815 00:42:26,164 --> 00:42:29,961 The home front is usually construed, 816 00:42:29,961 --> 00:42:31,479 certainly in the West, as Rosie the Riveter 817 00:42:31,479 --> 00:42:33,171 or rationing cards. 818 00:42:34,517 --> 00:42:36,174 But the people of Kursk, they're in this liminal zone 819 00:42:36,174 --> 00:42:38,556 between home front and fighting front 820 00:42:39,833 --> 00:42:41,420 and they make significant direct contributions 821 00:42:42,490 --> 00:42:44,562 to the military efficacy of the Red Army. 822 00:42:45,977 --> 00:42:48,358 [Narrator]The Soviet Unions' vast industrial resources 823 00:42:49,877 --> 00:42:51,569 and enormous population have been sorely tested. 824 00:42:53,432 --> 00:42:56,194 But the Eastern Front 825 00:42:57,436 --> 00:42:59,024 withstands the German onslaught. 826 00:42:59,024 --> 00:43:00,578 It's a game-changer for the Allied war effort. 827 00:43:01,130 --> 00:43:04,961 [guns blasting] 828 00:43:04,961 --> 00:43:06,514 Kursk marks the point where the Germans 829 00:43:06,514 --> 00:43:07,999 lost the initiative on the Eastern Front. 830 00:43:07,999 --> 00:43:09,379 You want the initiative, you decide what to do. 831 00:43:10,277 --> 00:43:12,969 The enemy dances to your tune. 832 00:43:12,969 --> 00:43:14,661 But for the rest of this war, 833 00:43:16,145 --> 00:43:17,629 the Germans are the ones who are gonna be doing the dancing. 834 00:43:17,629 --> 00:43:18,699 -[dramatic music] -[tank engine whirring] 835 00:43:19,907 --> 00:43:21,771 [Narrator] The Red Army now sweeps west, 836 00:43:21,771 --> 00:43:23,186 in its own blitzkrieg-style attack. 837 00:43:23,773 --> 00:43:27,501 [guns blasting] 838 00:43:27,501 --> 00:43:31,125 [Lloyd] The Germans were being pushed back 839 00:43:31,125 --> 00:43:32,471 into an attritional-type total war 840 00:43:33,369 --> 00:43:35,613 that they hadn't prepared for, 841 00:43:36,959 --> 00:43:38,616 and mentally, weren't particularly well-suited to. 842 00:43:38,616 --> 00:43:40,618 They didn't have the assets, nor the psychology 843 00:43:41,446 --> 00:43:44,242 to fight in a defensive manner. 844 00:43:45,692 --> 00:43:47,866 [Narrator] As Soviet armies take back their homeland, 845 00:43:47,866 --> 00:43:51,456 they film every town. 846 00:43:51,456 --> 00:43:52,215 The footage proves to the Western Allies 847 00:43:53,492 --> 00:43:54,666 that Germany itself is threatened. 848 00:43:56,047 --> 00:43:57,669 The goal of a German unconditional surrender 849 00:43:58,808 --> 00:44:00,776 can now be taken seriously. 850 00:44:01,949 --> 00:44:03,192 The fight for Europe continues.