Short answers, pulled from the story.
The Battle of Kursk began on the 5th of July 1943 with the launch of Operation Citadel. This massive tank battle took place near Kursk in southwestern Russia between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union during the summer of 1943.
Field Marshal Erich von Manstein led the southern attack while General Walter Model directed the northern offensive against the Central Front. The German forces included XLVII Panzer Corps, 4th Panzer Army under Hoth, II SS Panzer Corps, and specialized units like the Großdeutschland division equipped with Tiger tanks.
Red Army combat engineers laid exactly 503,993 anti-tank mines and 439,348 anti-personnel mines to create defensive belts around Kursk. These minefields reached densities of 2,200 anti-tank mines per kilometer, six times the density used defending Moscow.
Hitler postponed Operation Citadel repeatedly to await the arrival of new weapons including Panther tanks and Tiger heavy tanks. He also delayed the launch due to concerns about Allied landings in southern France or Italy and delays in tank deliveries from Germany.
The Battle of Kursk became the final strategic offensive Germans were able to launch on the Eastern Front before losing control. German heavy losses ensured that the victorious Soviet Red Army held the strategic initiative for the remainder of the war.