Voronezh Front
On 28 March 1943, Vatutin took command of the Voronezh Front, preparing for the momentous Battle of Kursk. At Kursk, he rejected conventional echeloning of armies; his innovative deployment allowed him to not only skillfully conduct the defense against the technically superior Germans, but also to quickly switch from defense to offense. Following the Soviet victory at Kursk, Belgorod was recaptured.