Battle of Belgorod The Belgorod - Bogodukhov Offensive Operation ( 23 July – 14 August 1943 ) was a combat operation executed as part of Operation Polkovodets Rumyantsev by the Red Army against the Wehrmacht forces . It was one of the operations that followed the Battle of Kursk . Prelude . During the Battle of Kursk , German armored units south of the Kursk salient failed to penetrate the defences between the Voronezh and Steppe Front s in the Belgorod sector . The Red Army ' s Operation Polkovodets Rumyantsev followed Operation Citadel and included as its objectives the immediate liberation of Belgorod , assigned to the Voronezh and Steppe Front s . On July 23 , German forces of the XI Army Corps returned to their old , well fortified positions on both sides of Belgorod . Their combat strength had been reduced by as much as 50 % following the Battle . The Belgorod - Bogodukhov Offensive Operation . Early on 3 August 1943 , the Forces of the Voronezh and Steppe Front s advancing on a wide front between Sumy and Volchansk ( 175 km ) , crossed the Vorskla river & quickly penetrated the defences of the 332nd Infantry Division & 167th Infantry Division to a depth of 100 km between Tomarovka & Belgorod on the northern flank , and as far as Bogodukhov sweeping aside the weakened 19th Panzer Division . By 5 August Belgorod which was defended by XI Armeecorps ( Raus ) was also being surrounded and isolated , requiring attempts by the German Armeeabteilung Kempf and 4th Panzerarmee Armies to relieve the garrison which was ordered by Hitler to defend the city . General Raus explains : Germany had an initial strength of 60 , 000 men , including 18 , 000 Hitlerjugend . While the German intention was to " pinch off " the Red Army ' s offensive thrust at the base of the penetration between Borisovka and Grayvoron south of Vorskla river , the rapid tempo of the Steppe and Voronezh Front s offensive meant that by the time the counter - attacks were executed the city had been evacuated on 6 August , and German forces were now defending Kharkov . The Wehrmacht ' s Mobile Forces were heading into an encounter with the main thrust of the Soviet Front tank armies . The German counter - attacks were carried out by the III Panzercorps of the Armeeabteilung " Kempf " in the Olshany area , and the XLVIII Panzercorps of the 4th Panzerarmee in the two - pincer manoeuvre of the Krasnokutsk and Akhtyrka areas . In the fighting that took place on both sides of the Merla & Merchik rivers , the superiority of the German Panzer Divisions was clearly evident , in spite of being involved in combat operations continuously since the 5th of July . Whilst 5th SS Panzer Division ' Wiking ' & 3rd Panzer Division conducted primarily defensive operations , 2nd SS Panzer Division ' Das Reich ' , 3rd SS Panzer Division ' Totenkopf ' repeatedly blunted attacks of Soviet elements south of the rivers and Bogodukhov . As at Prokhorovka , the Russians enjoyed tremendous numerical superiority in tanks . Both 1st Tank Army & 5th Guards Tank Army began the operations with over 500 tanks each , while the SS Divisions never had more than about 30 - 50 tanks each at any time during August . in spite of this , all Soviet attempts to penetrate to the railroad line were repulsed with bloody losses in men and tremendous loss in tanks . Katukov ' s 1st Tank Army thrusts south of the Merchik were repeatedly cut off & destroyed by III Panzercorps . The attempts by Rotmistrov ' s 5th Guards Tank Army Army to penetrate to the rail line from east of Bogodukhov were frustrated by 3rd Panzer Division & ' Wiking ' , with key defensive fighting by elements of ' Das Reich ' . ' Totenkopf ' executed a masterful attack that cut off elements of infantry and armour from the 27th Army & 6th Guards Army south of Krasnokutsk and then rolled down the line of supply toward Kolomak , south of Konstantinovka . Subsequent attacks encircled disorganized elements of several Russian Divisions and destroyed major portions of them after brief fighting . Subsequently ' Totenkopf ' drove to the Merla & forced a crossing of that river and linked up with 4th Panzerarmee spearheads at Parchomovka . However " Großdeutschland " was forced to withdraw from that town by Soviet pressure on its Northern flank , & this success could not be followed up . Aftermath . Combined deaths during the operation are over 72 , 000 . Germany lost about 20 , 000 men , among them were 6 , 000 Hitlerjugend . After Belgorod was retaken on 6 August 1943 by the Steppe Front ' s 69th and 7th Guards Armies , following its evacuation , the way was now clear for the concentration of forces for the liberation of Kharkiv .