The support of Stukas helped them to take their first operational targets, the town of Berezov and its dominant heights. Torrential rains had turned the roads into impassable mud tracks, forcing the Panzergrenadiers of Das Reich to advance without the important tank support and quickly becoming involved in fierce close combat. As part of the SS II Tank Corps under General Hoth’s 4th Army, Das Reich invaded the southern part of the Front bulge and covered the right flank of the corps. The soldiers of the division Das Reich were able to recover from April to the beginning of July 1943, until they were thrown back into the Battle of Kursk. This success was the greatest victory for Hitler since a long time and laid the foundation for the subsequent rapid expansion of the Waffen-SS with numerous new divisions.
This was a significant victory for the Waffen-SS, which was all the more satisfying when they were able to recapture Belgorod.
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