Read main thread: Germany's Lost Victory?
August 4th, 2006  
Doppleganger
Tribuni Angusticlavii
 
 
It's an interesting article and it does clear up some myths for the layman but some of the author's points do need further clarification. One of the foundations of his argument is that Army Group South's panzer reserve could have been used to exploit a breakthrough on the southern wing of the German attack. It is not clear whether Manstein would have been able to commit this reserve and it's also true that Soviet reserves were much greater, hence the ability of the Red Army to conduct succesful offensive operations quite soon after Zitadalle had come to a close. This suggests that the Soviets simply would have committed their own reserves to counter Manstein's attempted breakthrough and through sheer force of numbers would have worn them down.

IMO it would have been a big gamble, but perhaps gambles are all Germany had left at that point on the Ostfront.
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