Kursk Screenplay
Back to Higgins Studios Military Projects
[
previous
| bottom
]
EXT. (1800) GERMAN III PANZER CORPS (SOUTH)
Clusters of Mark IVs and assault guns advance toward a
nearby woods while enduring artillery and antitank fire.
Quickly closing the distance to the enemy, much of the
German armor becomes entangled with strong Soviet tank
forces wheeling in from the left.
This new threat soon bogs the Germans down and engineers
and sappers attempt to clear the multitude of mines and
other obstacles across their path.
As if coming to the rescue, a long line of German armor
snakes its way forward along the eastern side of the
Donets. The engaged crews seem rejuvenated at the site of
reinforcements forming up into a wedge to attack the
Soviet armor. In the distance, Mark III flame thrower
tanks shower the tree line and slit trenches with streams
of liquid fire.
Eventually, the added pressure disperses the Soviet units
which attempt to fall back into the nearby woods. In the
resulting pursuit, the Germans are able to trap a large
number of enemy infantry in a village to the south; but
their own lack of infantry prevents the Soviet’s from
breaking out.
27. INT. (2300) SOVIET VORONEZH FRONT HQ (SOUTH)
Tired and frustrated, Vatutin sifts amongst situation
reports when he is distracted by the ringing of a field
phone. A moment later an excited lieutenant steps forward
to hand him the receiver.
[Russian]
LIEUTENANT
General Vatutin. It’s General
Khrushchev
VATUTIN
Comrade General...
KHRUSHCHEV
Nikolai! We’ve got a disaster! 31st
Tank Corps has been crushed and the
whole of 1st Tank Army is now
threatened. I’ve just left SPECIFIC
orders with its brigade and corps
commanders strictly forbidding a
continued retreat. Something’s got to
be done to stop the 2nd Tank Corps of
the SS or the Psel will be crossed and
the road to Oboyan will be torn wide
open. Oboyan must not fall!
VATUTIN
Yes. Yes. I understand. I’ve already
ordered General Krivoshein to pull his
left flank back, but to keep contact
with what’s left of the 31st. They’re
to form up across the Oboyan road and
anchor at Verkhopenye and Kochetovka.
6th Guards will be pushing towards
Gertsovka in support.
KHRUSHCHEV
As I said yesterday, the Fascists are
putting everything on this one card
and today alone they’ve pushed forward
an additional five kilometers! See to
it that they break their
necks...Oboyan must not fall!
(click)
Vatutin seems to weigh the new situation as he cradles
the dead phone for a minute.
Intently scanning the maps at the table, he suddenly
focuses on a battle-group from 2nd Guards Tank Corps near
the town of Gostishchevo, deep on 2nd SS Panzer Corps
right flank. He quickly picks up the phone and clears
aside some paperwork for a better view.
VATUTIN
Get me General Burdenii...
28. “CRACKING THE RING”
(THURSDAY, JULY 8)
EXT. (1200) RECON FLIGHT- 4TH (TANK-BUSTER) GROUP, 9TH
GROUND SUPPORT GESCHWADER (SOUTH)
Hundreds of smoke plumes float skyward as 3 Hs-129’s
loiter over the misty backwater of the battlefield.
[German]
MEYER
Anything?
PILOT #2
Hard to tell. No sign of any
significant force. This smoke’s not
making it easy.
MEYER
I want to go in for a better look.
These woods haven’t been cleared and I
don’t want any surprises.
The Hs-129 banks in to level off a few hundred feet above
the tree tops.
As if on cue, dense blocks of Soviet infantry preceding a
wedge of roughly 60 T-34’s begin to stream forth from a
wooded area.
MEYER
...This is group leader. I want all
Staffeln in the air on my coordinates.
Enemy armor in brigade
strength...dense blocks of
accompanying infantry...
A short time later, four groups of 68 brand new Hs-129’s
form up and fill the sky around Meyer’s plane. When
they’re ready, each begins its run of swooping in either
from behind or from the side of the target tank and
firing into its engine compartment. As the first group of
Hs-129’s peels off to refuel and return another staffel
swoops in to attack creating a cycle of destruction.
Soon, T-34’s are careening around the battlefield as they
attempt to avoid this unprecedented attack. In and
amongst the diving runs, Fw-190’s strafe the infantry and
drop high fragmentation sub-munitions.
Before long, dozens of Soviet tanks are destroyed and
smoking as Meyer directs the attack, Soviet fighters are
nowhere in sight. The brigade, severely mauled, limps
back into the woods and out of sight.
29.
NARRATOR
In an attempt to block the advancing
11th Panzer Division and
Grossdeutschland from breaching the
last defensive zone before Oboyan, the
Soviet 1st Tank Army makes a desperate
stand centered around the stronghold
of Syrtsevo. In its decimated state,
General Krivoshein’s III Mechanized
Corps is hastily reinforced as the
Germans push further to the north and
into the town of Verkhopenye along the
Pena.
EXT. (1300) SOVIET 3RD MECHANIZED CORPS SOUTH OF
VERKHOPENYE (SOUTH)
Much of the Soviet lines are in confusion as their units
fall back across the Pena river and into the area around
Verkhopenye.
30. INT. SOVIET 3RD MECHANIZED CORPS HQ (SOUTH)
Groups of communications personnel scurry back and forth
setting up phone lines; those working receive frantic
reports from various units within 3rd Mechanized Corps.
The general storms from one crisis to another as a major
enters and approaches.
[Russian]
KRIVOSHEIN
Every unit under my command has been
severely mauled. Everywhere-
confusion. I’ve just ordered all units
around Syrtsevo to pull back to the
west bank of the Pena. The 112th and
200th Tank Brigades are pushing east
to take up positions along the river
to stem the enemy’s tide there.
MAJOR
Comrade General. We have reports of
advance elements of GD advancing into
Syrtsevo as we speak, with additional
armor and infantry moving on
Verkhopenye. Probably parts of 3rd
Panzer further south as well...All
with strong air cover...
Krivoshein’s frustration becomes more pronounced as he
glances to the hastily redeploying vehicles and troops
outside and then to a map.
KRIVOSHEIN
We must stop them- at all costs!
Verkhopenye is now the final key to
the defense positions before Oboyan.
If the Fascists reach that far, there
won’t be anything left to stop them.
The open country to the north would be
theirs.
The exhausted major steps forward to give the general
additional reports which he quickly scans.
KRIVOSHEIN
How many tanks can be immediately sent
in at Verkhopenye to act as a blocking
force?
MAJOR
...Perhaps forty. There are also some
American M-3’s.
KRIVOSHEIN
Commit them at once. Either the
“Hitlerites” are stopped or nobody
comes back.
The major smartly salutes and darts from the makeshift HQ
as Krivoshein attends to the catastrophe at hand, the
sounds of battle growing louder.
KRIVOSHEIN
Get me 6th Tank Corps on the line.
General Getman.
31. EXT. SOVIET BATTLE GROUP OF 3RD MECHANIZED CORPS
(SOUTH)
With a desperate fury, 40 T-34’s and M-3’s are thrown up
against the established recon battalion and assault gun
battalion from Grossdeutschland. From the opening shots,
the Soviets seem outclassed by the tactical skill of
their German counterparts. Before long the Soviets’
superiority in numbers is slowly eroded and they leave
the field with just five of their tanks intact.
32. “INTO THE BREACH”
(FRIDAY, JULY 9)
EXT. (0500) GERMAN NEAR VERKHOPENYE (SOUTH)
Standing among a small cluster of officers, Hoth surveys
the mass of German armor as they prepare to move out.
Tired, he lowers his binoculars and turns to the group.
[German]
HOERNLEIN
We’ll be ready shortly. 6th Panzer
regiment should be across the Pena
later this morning. Enemy activity is
still intense, but sporadic...However,
new enemy reserves are continually
pouring in to the north around Oboyan
and to our west.
HOTH
With any luck it’ll divert some
formations away from our primary
thrust to the northeast.
Generalfeldmarschall von Manstein’s
allocated all available air support
for this attack. T-Division’s finally
been brought on II SS-Panzerkorps’
left...Our progress is maddeningly
slow.
(looking back to the
assembling units)
Otto. How much armor is available for
today’s attack?
KNOBELSDORFF
Combined, about three-hundred plus 40
Panthers. Grossdeutschland shouldn’t
have much more trouble from the left
as I suspect Verkhopenye will fall
shortly. My defenses along the Pena
are firmly in place and should contain
any additional Soviet reserves moving
against that region. My armor will
then make a concentrated assault to
take Novoselovka before continuing on
towards Oboyan.
HOTH
I hope you’re correct in your
assessment...If this works as planned,
1st Tank Army’s 31st Tank and 3rd
Mechanized Corps and 6th Guards will
be badly mauled...I’m going to order
General Ott’s Corps to start siphoning
some of his units over into your
sector. With any luck XXXXVIII’s left
flank will remain secured long enough
to allow a maximum effort to the
northeast towards Prokhorovka before
turning back on Oboyan. I’m also
asking Generalfeldmarschall von
Manstein to have 2nd Army launch
attacks along the western end of the
bulge to keep the enemy pinned in that
area...II SS-Panzerkorps will be in
the forefront with Grossdeutschland
taking up new positions along its left
with whatever else can be thrown
together from XXXXVIII Panzer in
support... However, Army Detachment
Kempf MUST be in a position of support
as well to give us the maximum
possibility of success. I fear too
much may yet remain with fate...
Activity around those gathered increases as several units
move off toward their jump-off positions.
33.
NARRATOR
On General Hoth’s order, XXXXVIII
Panzer Corps moves forward under
redoubled Luftwaffe support to engage
1st Tank and 6th Guards Army between
Verkhopenye and Solotino. Slicing
through the remains of the Soviet 3rd
Mechanized Corps, the Germans take
Hill 260.8 and advance to within 20
kilometers of Oboyan. After suffering
high casualties during the day’s heavy
fighting 11th Panzer must continue
towards Oboyan alone as
Grossdeutschland becomes bogged down
in Soviet reinforcements pouring in
against its left flank.
EXT. (0600) GERMAN FORWARD ELEMENTS OF 11TH PANZER
DIVISION (SOUTH)
With Tigers in the center, northbound wedges of between
60 and 100 German tanks move through the dispersing
morning mist and into Soviet positions. Hundreds of
tanks, field guns, and aircraft converge in an inferno of
explosions and intensive fire. To the rear, hundreds of
Soviet POW’s are led away from the littered and
smouldering battlefield.
34.
NARRATOR
After five days of continual fighting,
strong German attacks succeed in
enveloping Ponyri and the 307th Rifle
Division on three sides and isolating
the Soviet 1023rd Rifle Regiment in
the town center. Soviet reserves from
the 3rd and 4th Guards Airborne
Divisions backed up with tanks from
the 3rd Tank Corps and numerous
artillery guns slowly succeed in
pushing the exhausted Germans back
from their dominant positions.
EXT. (1200) GERMAN 508TH INFANTRY REGIMENT, 292ND
INFANTRY DIVISION PONYRI (NORTH)
Backed by Elefants, the Germans make an overwhelming push
forward and overrun the hills before Ponyri, but to
little advantage. The Soviets quickly counterattack and
the fighting around the town reverts back to a slug-fest
of hand-to-hand combat and point-blank gunfire.
35. INT. GERMAN BARN PONYRI (NORTH)
Within the badly gutted barn, a dozen or so dirty and
exhausted German troops pick their way through the debris
and dead bodies. The battle rages outside, but their
attention is fixed towards another room at the rear.
Focused, the sergeant looks to the rear and quietly
raises his MP-40. As he slowly motions his arm for the
lead men to move forward, a sudden whimpering draws
everyone’s attention.
With everyone’s nerves reaching the breaking point, one
of the soldiers panics with a yelp as those around him
are intently concerned.
[German]
PRIVATE
(wheezing)
No!...No!
(wild eyed)
I must get out of here!
(pleading)
I have to go...
Angered, the sergeant draws his knife and starts to move
menacingly toward the shaking soldier.
SERGEANT
(hissing)
Shut him up!
Before the sergeant finishes, three of the soldier’s
comrades have the man tackled and dish out a rapid series
of punches that renders him unconscious. With the
disturbance under control, the group prepares to continue
forward but before they get a step, several grenades are
tossed from the rear door and the terrified Germans
scramble to extricate themselves.
In rapid succession, a series of explosions further rip
apart the barn’s interior and through the smoke, a flood
of Soviet troops enter the room and open fire. Those
Germans not killed turn and fling themselves into the
developing melee, weapons drawn, and an orgy of no-
quarter, hand-to-hand fighting erupts. Soviet numbers
eventually tip the scales and the remaining Germans are
killed or severely wounded.
[Russian]
SOVIET PRIVATE #1
Prekraty Strel’bu! Prekraty Strel’bu!
(Cease fire)
Without wasting time, the Soviets work through the rubble
and bodies to take German food, weapons, and ammunition,
each prone German receiving a quick knife thrust to the
torso for insurance.
SOVIET PRIVATE #2
Quickly. More will be coming any
moment.
As quickly as they had come, the Soviets remove their
wounded and slip back through the rear door. No sooner is
the last man through before fresh Germans pour into the
smoldering room in pursuit.
In the confusion, the unconscious soldier regains
consciousness and realizes what just happened. Sobbing
harder he limply picks up a nearby pistol and shoots
himself in the head as additional German troops run past.
36. INT. (1500) SOVIET 13TH ARMY HQ (NORTH)
With the sounds of battle nearby, Pukhov juggles talking
on a field phone while pouring over his area maps and
situation reports. A curious Rokossovsky loiters a few
feet away as Pukhov slams the phone down.
[Russian]
ROKOSSOVSKY
Well?
PUKHOV
Very serious. The enemy’s succeeded in
taking Hill 257.1 to the east and
virtually encircled Ponyri. Nearly all
of the 1023rd Rifle Regiment is now
surrounded inside the settlement. I’ve
ordered in additional units from the
3rd Tank Corps to help stabilize the
307th’s sector.
Pukhov stomps to a wall map and points to Olkhovotka.
PUKHOV
Teploye’s been overrun. Olkhovotka’s
holding...barely. I’ve ordered in the
162nd from 70th Army to help stabilize
that area. Those hills behind that
line are our last major defensive
position before the open steppes
beyond. I agree that Model hasn’t much
left in reserves...However, any
sustained pressure between Olkhovotka
and Ponyri will have a serious threat
of a break-through.
ROKOSSOVSKY
(looking to the wall map)
What matters here is that the enemy
bleeds himself white. The cost to our
units that succeed in doing that is
inconsequential to me.
General Pukhov seems impatient, but waits as a sneer
forms on Rokossovsky’s face to expose his stainless steel
teeth.
ROKOSSOVSKY
General Zhukov informed me that
Premiere Stalin intends to launch
Operation “Kutuzov” sometime on the
twelfth believing Ninth Army doesn’t
have the resources to continue. Model
has shot his bolt and his units will
be trapped and annihilated by our
hammer blow through Orel.
NARRATOR
Following up on a limited penetration
of the front by the 300 tanks of the
2nd, 4th, and 20th Panzer Divisions,
6th Infantry Division is able to
assault the slopes of Hill 274, but
intense Soviet fire and a labyrinth of
trenches and barbed wire force the
attackers to retire. Nearby, at
Teploye, the Germans make their
furthest advance of the northern arm,
yet ultimately they grind to a halt as
well.
37. EXT. (1700) GERMAN BETWEEN TEPLOYE AND OLKHOVOTKA
(NORTH)
Again, Tigers lead an armored thrust against Teploye and
succeed in taking the village. Stukas and He-111’s pound
the far slopes’ last series of hills, but the attempt to
exploit the initial success is halted by a determined
Soviet defense.
Scores of hull down T-34’s throw up a wall of fire from
behind their camouflaged netting while roving bands of
tank hunting teams put their PTRS rifles to good effect.
East of Olkhovotka, the Germans manage to blast an
opening through the enemy’s positions, but are soon
halted by a network of barbed wire, trenches, and land
mines. Eventually they are forced to withdraw in front of
aggressive Soviet counterattacks supported by artillery.
38. INT. (2100) GERMAN NINTH ARMY HQ (NORTH)
Resigned, but unbroken, Model and his chief-of-staff,
Colonel von Elverfeldt, sit at a map table and mull over
the current situation. Model’s map displays the current
dispositions of Ninth Army with every unit engaged in the
front lines with only the 12th Panzer and 10th Panzer
Grenadier Divisions remaining in reserve.
[German]
MODEL
These two divisions are the final
reserves. There’s nothing left for an
emergency.
(thumping his fist on the
table)
Dammit! Four-hundred tanks! Fifty-
thousand men! Ten-thousand lost on
just the first day alone! All for
fifteen kilometers?!
As if to relieve the pressure, Model stands up and begins
to pace back and forth.
ELVERFELDT
We must be on the verge of a
breakthrough, Herr Generaloberst. We
must be! Teypole has finally fallen
and 2nd Panzer’s pushed to the base of
Hill 274 at Olkhovotka-
MODEL
The enemy has a seemingly
inexhaustible supply of men and their
defenses...unprecedented! Just as I
had predicted back in May.
We were foolhardy to have commenced
this operation in the first place and
I feel I must bear part of that
blame...Had I been more strenuous in
support of Speer’s and Guderian’s
objections, but then again the
Fuhrer’s mind had already been made
up, eh...What else is there!? The
attack must continue if for nothing
else than to keep Ivan off
balance...To make matters worse, enemy
activity to our north is increasing
and reports indicate a dangerously low
supply of petrol.
(switching gears)
They’re expecting us to continue
against Olkhovotka. We’ll keep up
pressure there, but I’m moving the
10th into the Ponyri sector. One
final, concentrated bid to force an
opening. Everything the Luftwaffe and
artillery can still bring to bear at
the point of impact...Time is running
out.
ELVERFELDT
One last effort may be all that is
needed. The god of war favors the
bold...Victory may still be within our
grasp.
39. “ON THE VERGE”
(SATURDAY, JULY 10)
NARRATOR
With his dwindling 2nd, 4th, and 20th
Panzer Divisions, Model makes one
final push with 300 tanks for the open
country between Ponyri and Olkhovotka,
but this attack also comes to naught.
Continued fighting still rages around
Ponyri, but overall the attack has
reached its conclusion and Ninth Army
goes over to the defensive.
EXT. (0900) SOVIET 70th GUARDS RIFLE DIVISION NEAR
OLKHOVOTKA (NORTH)
In a windy, heavy downpour, the Germans mass for one more
assault against Olkhovotka and the bare hills and
plateaus that surround it. Scores of Stukas and He-111’s
combine their firepower with massive artillery support in
an effort to clear the way for the attack.
Before long the German armor begins to outdistance the
accompanying infantry and the two become dangerously
isolated in the featureless terrain. Groups of T-34’s are
used in fixed, hull down positions or as mobile fire
points to single out individual panzers and destroy them.
Roving bands of tank hunters and dug-in infantry open
fire from camouflaged locations within the many
cornfields that clutter the landscape.
Eventually, the attacks are withered down and stalemate
the Germans into an overall defensive posture.
40.
NARRATOR
In successive bounds, the 11th Panzer
Division deftly works its way north
towards Oboyan, but is eventually
forced into defensive positions just
shy of Novoselovka. To the left,
Grossdeutschland is ordered to divert
westward to assist the struggling 3rd
Panzer Division in securing XXXXVIII
Panzer Corps’ left flank. Hoth further
shifts LII Corps’ divisions northward
in support of the 332nd Infantry
Division. Additional Soviet efforts
along the Pena river serve to draw
much needed German armor away from
their upcoming thrust on Prokhorovka
and leave 11th Panzer to go it alone.
To the east Vatutin orders the newly
arrived 5th Guards Tank Army, under
General Rotmistrov, to take up
position northeast of Prokhorovka
where it will join with Zhadov’s 5th
Guards Army. Having traveled more than
200 kilometers in 24 hours,
Rotmistrov’s forces are in no shape
for combat as they assemble to meet
the expected German attack.
EXT.(1200) GERMAN COMBAT GROUP SCHIMMELMANN, 11TH PANZER
DIVISION (SOUTH)
Arcing into a steep dive, several Stukas scream toward
the ground, release their payload, and disappear into the
sky, now obscured by hundreds of smoking columns. A sharp
series of explosions rock the nearby hill to fling dust
and debris into the air as katyusha rockets arc nearby.
Through the ruin, German armor and support vehicles
rumble forward to overrun not only this hill, but also a
higher one further down the road.
41. EXT. GERMAN COMBAT GROUP SCHIMMELMANN, TOP OF HILL
260.8 SOUTH OF OBOYAN (SOUTH)
Soviet resistance melts away under the combined German
assault allowing troops from 11th Panzer Division to
reach the top of the hill unmolested. As they come upon
the summit they stop to look deep into the Soviet rear
along the Psel river valley and beyond.
[German]
LIEUTENANT
(looking through binoculars)
Oboyan...
42.
NARRATOR
In a daring pre-dawn attack,
Totenkopf’s 3rd Battalion, under SS-
Standartenführer Karl Ullrich, fights
its way through enemy bunkers and
machine-gun nests to cross the Psel
river. By midday this last natural
barrier before Kursk is reached in
force and a German foothold is
established on the north side at the
base of Hill 226.6. In an effort to
dislodge them, the Soviets pour
intensive fire into the area, but
Totenkopf units remain firmly
anchored.
To the southeast, the remainder of II
SS Panzer Corps also consolidates its
gains, unaware of the mass of enemy
armor forming a few kilometers away.
[
top
| previous
| next
]
Back to Higgins Studios Military Projects