Burning Tigers

[mike perryman]

The lack of SU-152s in both Kursk games was intentional. I have the highest regard for Mr Glantz and his work and use them for my primary reference whenever possible. I also try to verify everything with at least one or two other sources and in this case the evidence pointed to at most one regiment of SU-152s (near Ponyri) at Kursk. The SU-152 was not ordered in to production until Feb. 14, 1943 leaving less then five months to modify the KV-1's production line and order new components like the main gun. Then the vehiles had to be inspected and shipped to their units. Once there the men had to be trained on them and tatics developed for their employement. No German AAR that I can find mentions them. In contrast when the JS-2 (a known tank) appeared in southern Russia a year later numerous paragraphs were devoted to it's appearance. The Tiger battalions war diary's detail their victories in great detail including T-60s and KV-IIs I had not expected to be present and fail to mention encountering SU-152s. Finally if you believe Ferdinand was used before the Porsche heavy tank destroyer was modified and renamed Elephant then alot of the Soviet archieves were rewritten long after the battle.
Thanks, Mike