 Operation Roland yaive yekuGermany yekuSoviet Union mukati meHondo Yenyika Yechipiri kuMabvazuva, uye yakaitwa senzvimbo yekushanda mukati meGerman yezhizha yekurwisa, Operation Citadel, kumaodzanyemba kweKursk salient. Mauto eGermany eIII Panzer Corps ne2nd SS Panzergrenadier Division Das Reich yeII SS Panzer Corps akaedza kukomberedza nekuparadza mauto eSoviet eVoronezh Front. Kuvhiya uku kwakanga kuchidiwa nekukundikana kweGerman II SS Panzer Corps kupwanya mauto eSoviet panguva yeHondo yeProkhorovkamusi wa 12 July. Naizvozvo, vatungamiri veGermany vakasarudza kutanga kubatanidza III Panzer Corps, iyo yakanga iri kumashure nekuda kwekupikisa kukuru kweSoviet, neII SS Panzer Corps, kuitira kuti vasimbise nzvimbo dzeGermany mumutsara unopfuurira mberi pasina kupinda mukati uye kugonesa mapoka maviri epanzer kuti apfuure mauto eSoviet achidzivirira Prokhorovka pamwe chete. Kubatanidza mapinicha maviri echiGerman kwakarongwa kuita kukomberedza kweSoviet 69th Army nemamwe mauniti anotsigira. 