ABSTRACT
The Red Army had just about consumed all the stocks of fuel and ammunition built up on the eve of the Kursk battles. On the broad slopes of the Sredne-Russki heights on K. K. Rokossovskii's Central Front the attack on Kursk from the north had also been halted, and Rokossovskii had considerable reserves in hand. German air attacks delivered by day and night had intensified during late June; one German bomb load in a night raid hit Rokossovskii's HQ, and Rokossovskii escaped only because on a whim he had decided to set up his signals group in the officers' mess. Rokossovskii proceeded to strengthen the defences at the approaches to the Olkhovatka heights and at Ponyr, by moving up more artillery, mortars and heavy guns including howitzers. After a few bloody days bereft of any success, Rybaiko's tank formations had to be pulled out of the line into reserve and were finally sent to Rokossovskii's front.
