[Juha]

Hello
IMHO Ruy is right. Germans were able to stop Soviet offensive in Spring 43 and push Soviets back in places, for ex. recapture Kharkov. Also some Soviet tank spearheads were badly mauled in the progress, losing almost all of their equipments even if most of men succeeded to withdrew to Soveit lines by foot. After that Soviet decided to play backhand during Summer 43, ie they allowed Germans to attack first (Kursk battle July 43). So Soviet had forces available for a limited offensives in Late-Spring 43 onwards. Also Stalin was cautious and Kuban bridgehead was a potential threat. After all the reason of its excistence was the Hitler's hope to use it in future as a springboard for a new attack towars Caucasus. Stalin's overenthusiasm had forced Soviet armies in overstreching states in Spring 42 and early Spring 43 with rather disasterious consequencies so Soviets decided to play it safe in this time. So attack on Kuban makes sense in this frame of mind.

Andy, there might be some truth in Your argument but Kuban was not so important in that sense because Germans had the Crimea with its good airfields anyway. BTW, there were some minor oilwells in Kuban also which had some minor importance to Germans.