Offensive #1 Number of Tanks: 1,900 American tanks The German Army Group Center, commanded by tank generals Heinz Guderian and Hermann Hoth, was tasked with encircling the Soviet troops defending the line of the Dvina and Dnieper rivers, to open the way to Moscow. While the Soviets suffered massive casualties and the Germans made significant territorial gains, the Russians could halt the German march on Moscow. The fight was one of the bloodiest of World War II. These objectives were accomplished by capturing Vitebsk, Orsha, and Smolensk. The year 1941 would witness some particularly violent conflict in the area. It was the path traveled by the Poles in the 17th century and Napoleon in 1812 when they invaded Russia from the west and made their way into the heart of Russia and Moscow. The region around Smolensk is a geographical area that is about 75 kilometers (47 miles) broad and is located between the headwaters of the Dvina and Dnieper rivers. Offensive #2 Number of Tanks: 1,545 Soviet tanks Offensive #1 Number of Tanks: 1,000 German tanks

You may be shocked to know how outnumbered one side is in some of these fights.

Without further ado, let’s look at the largest battles in history. This was accomplished during the conflict. Throughout the Persian Gulf War in 1991, coalition troops ousted Iraq from Kuwait using overwhelming tank firepower, leaving Iraqi tanks as burning hulks in the desert. This was accomplished by using superior strategies and having superior weapons. In more recent times, there have been major tank fights have taken place. The Germans were keen to utilize the tank in concentrations of numbers to break through their opponents’ fortifications and break the stalemate that had developed during the First World War.ĭuring World War II, several major tank fights occurred the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany were involved in three major tank battles.

Tanks have emerged as the central element of contemporary warfare and the focal point of many different military doctrines, including blitzkrieg and highly mobile mechanized troops. Tanks made their first appearance in combat the previous year, but it wasn’t until the Battle of Cambrai in 1917, which took place during World War I, that the armored beasts became the most feared weapon on the battlefield.

Greatest tank battles of wwii