Continuing my series documenting my recent visit to the Battlefields of Russia this chapter documents my visit to the Northern shoulder of the Kursk salient and Model's Central Army Groups failed advance, which involved the epic battle for Ponyri the 'little Stalingrad' of Kursk. In doing so we followed the German units route to their furthest limit of advance. Which involved visiting sites associated with the German penetration and the Soviet defence, including museums, bunkers, original and restored trenches and tank scrapes before culminating in a visit to the museum and command bunker complex of Rokossovsky.
The view toward Ponyri from the German line of advance
The South side of Ponyri looking towards Ponyri from the Russian positions at the limit of the German advance
Ponyri station.
During the Battle.
Pic 1 is a knocked out Panzer outside Ponyri station.
The museum at Ponyri.
Contemporary photo's of the fighting around Ponyri.
Teplov Heights and the extent of the German advance.
Items such as this are lying in there hundreds just meters from the Teplov Heights memorial.
Memorial to Hero of the Soviet Union SGT Mikhail Fomin 159 Guards Artillery regiment who on this spot with the gun shown destroyed whilst injured 7 German tanks. The memorial overlooks an area known as the Panzer graveyard and is on the line of the furthest extent of the German advance just below the Teplov heights.
A veteran visiting the above.
All the woods in the area contain tank scrapes and associated trench systems.
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