Lower Dnieoer offensive - 1943

According to Wiki:

The Lower Dnieper Offensive took place in 1943 during the Second World War. It was one of the largest Second World War operations, involving almost 4,000,000 troops on both sides and stretching on a 1400 kilometer long front.

[During this four-month operation, the eastern bank of the Dnieper was recovered from German forces by five of the Red Army's Fronts, which conducted several river assault crossings to establish several bridgeheads on the western bank. Subsequently, Kyiv was liberated in a separate offensive.

One of the costliest operations of the war, the casualties are estimated at being from 1,700,000 to 2,700,000 on both sides.

The defence did hinge on the Wotan (Panther) line.

As it was never really finished (or even really begun, it was a hopeles position.

NOW: Could it have stopped Soviet forces at all? or at least slowed them down and for how long?

Was it even a feasible proposition? it could still be out-flanked, but it was strong at key-points.

Hitler was not keen on building fortifications in the rear, fearing that it would be an invitation for withdrawing forces.

Were the resources there? The Atlantic West wall did take resources after all?

Was Manstein in a position to deliver another recovery s he did in March 1943?

If, as mentioned, the casualty figures for this period were as high, was this the real "death knell" to German man-power, more than Stalingrad and Kursk?

Ivan
 
Your best chance at a serious defence line here is where Germany is able to secure and willing to accept a Brest-Litsovsk type limited victory over the Soviets and this is the new line and Germany has a couple years of peace to build up something here, to repulse a future eastern menace.

In the context of wartime 1943, the large distances and limited resources make it hard to improve over what would be limited and spaced field works. I don't think there is anything that you could build that would stop a Soviet army of July 1944 on regardless.
 
have the germans stand on the defensive instead of the suicidal attack at kursk... due to the overwhelming firepower the soviets still break through, but they are likely stopped sooner with heavier losses
 
Kursk was probably something which should never have been fought.

But the immediate aftermath seems to be even more devastating for Germany.

Would standing on any defensive line work at this point in time? After all, the defensive lines of Kursk contained Germany, forcing them to fight exactly as they should not have fought.

How much in terms of resources would it have taken to make the Panther line even remotely strong?

Ivan
 
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