ets ▁believed ▁the ▁heav iest ▁blow ▁would ▁come ▁from ▁the ▁north ▁and ▁mass ively ▁rein for ced ▁the ▁sector ▁directly ▁opposite ▁ 9 th ▁Army . ▁By ▁July ▁ 1 9 4 3 , ▁the ▁ 9 th ▁Army ▁had ▁become ▁the ▁largest ▁army ▁ever ▁field ed ▁by ▁the ▁Germ ans ▁even ▁sur pass ing ▁the ▁much ▁va unted ▁ 6 th ▁Army ▁with ▁ 3 3 5 , 0 0 0 ▁men ▁along ▁with ▁ 6 0 0 ▁t anks . ▁ ▁Le ading ▁the ▁advance ▁from ▁the ▁north , ▁the ▁ 9 th ▁Army ▁ran ▁into ▁powerful ▁Soviet ▁def enses , ▁and ▁it ▁gained ▁no ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 0   km ▁on ▁the ▁first ▁day . ▁Walter ▁Model ▁ordered ▁the ▁capture ▁of ▁the ▁key ▁and ▁heavily ▁fort ified ▁P ony ri ▁railway ▁station , ▁which ▁was ▁needed ▁to ▁continue ▁the ▁advance ▁towards ▁Kur sk . ▁However , ▁the ▁S ovi ets ▁had ▁mass ively ▁rein for ced ▁the ▁town ' s ▁def enses , ▁which ▁meant ▁the ▁attack ers ▁took ▁very ▁heavy ▁losses . ▁After ▁a ▁week ▁of ▁f ero cious ▁fighting , ▁the ▁ 9 th ▁Army ▁had ▁gained ▁just ▁ 2 0   km . ▁After ▁being ▁unable ▁to ▁bre ach ▁the ▁enemy ▁lines , ▁the ▁army ▁was ▁then ▁forced ▁to ▁deal ▁with ▁the ▁Soviet ▁counter - off ensive ▁which ▁if ▁not ▁checked ▁could ▁have ▁enc irc led ▁the ▁entire ▁ 9 th ▁Army . ▁It ▁fought ▁a ▁fighting ▁withdraw al ▁west wards ▁throughout ▁the ▁remainder ▁of ▁