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I know that Kursk has been done to death, but I haven't seen this specific POD before. What if Hitler had listened to Model and cancelled the Kursk offensive in April for a pull back to the Desna river (Bryansk)?

It would mean the evacuation of the Orel bulge, but would straighten the German lines dramatically and create an operational mobile reserve, while disjointing the planned Soviet Orel offensive.

This would be the only change to the lines, so nothing south of Kursk would be evacuated. Last time we discussed this topic we decided a major pull back to the Dniepr would be too much for the Axis to accomplish by the time the Soviets would attack and disrupt the effort, but a pull back to the much closer Desna river seems feasible, as by this time the Orel bulge wasn't all that heavily occupied by German forces.

Is this feasible and what would be the result of this come May/June/July depending on how quickly the Soviets could go on the attack?




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