Detail of the German invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II
German advances during the opening phases of Operation Barbarossa from June 22, 1941 to August 25, 1941
This is the order of battle for Operation Barbarossa , the German invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II . It was fought between the German -led Axis Forces and the Soviet Forces . The operation started on June 22, 1941, and ended on December 5, 1941, at the conclusion of Operation Typhoon .
Axis [ ]
German Army Group North [1] [ ]
Commanded by Field Marshal Wilhelm von Leeb
(Chief of Staff - Lt. Gen. Kurt Brennecke )
German Sixteenth Army [ ]
Colonel General Ernst Busch
II Corps - General of Infantry Walter von Brockdorff-Ahlefeldt
12th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Walther von Seydlitz-Kurzbach
32nd Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Wilhelm Bohnstedt
121st Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Otto Lancelle
X Corps - General of Infantry Christian Hansen
30th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Kurt von Tippelskirch
126th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Paul Laux
XXVIII Corps - General of Infantry Mauritz von Wiktorin
122nd Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Siegfried Macholz
123rd Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Walter Lichel
German Eighteenth Army [ ]
Colonel General Georg von Küchler
(Chief of Staff - Maj. Gen. )
XXVI Corps - General of Artillery Albert Wodrig
61st Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Siegfried Haenicke
217th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Richard Baltzer
291st Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Kurt Herzog
XXXVIII Corps - General of Infantry Friedrich-Wilhelm von Chappuis
58th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Karl von Graffen
254th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen.
I Corps - General of Infantry Kuno-Hans von Both
1st Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Philipp Kleffel
11th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Herbert von Böckmann
21st Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Otto Sponheimer
Panzergruppe 4 [ ]
Colonel General Erich Hoepner
(Chief of Staff - Colonel )
XXXXI Corps (mot.) - General of Panzer Georg Hans Reinhardt
1st Panzer Division - Lt. Gen. Friedrich Kirchner
6th Panzer Division - Lt. Gen. Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma
269th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Ernst von Leyser
36th Infantry Division (mot.) - Lt. Gen. Otto-Ernst Ottenbacher
LVI Corps (mot.) - General of Infantry Erich von Manstein
8th Panzer Division - Lt. Gen. Erich Brandenberger
3rd Infantry Division (mot.) - Lt. Gen. Curt Jahn
290th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Theodor Freiherr von Wrede
SS-Totenkopf Division - SS-Obergruppenfuhrer Theodor Eicke , on 7. July Matthias Kleinheisterkamp
Army Group assets and reserves[2] [ ]
XXIII Corps (Army Group Reserve) - General of Infantry Albrecht Schubert
251st Infantry Division - Lt. Gen.
206th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Hugo Höfl
L Corps (OKH reserve Behind AG North) - Lieutenant General Georg Lindemann
86th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Joachim Witthöft
SS Police Division - Ss Gr.f. Arthur Mülverstedt
Army Group rear lines
207th Security Division - Lt. Gen.
281st Security Division - Lt. Gen. Friedrich Bayer
285th Security Division - Lt. Gen.
German Army Group Center [3] [ ]
Commanded by Field Marshal Fedor von Bock
(Chief of Staff - Maj. Gen. Hans von Greiffenberg )
German Fourth Army [ ]
Field Marshal Günther von Kluge
VII Corps - General of Artillery Wilhelm Fahrmbacher
7th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Eccard Freiherr von Gablenz
23rd Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Heinz Hellmich
258th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Waldemar Henrici
268th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Erich Straube
IX Corps - General of Infantry Hermann Geyer
137th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen.
263rd Infantry Division - Lt. Gen.
292nd Infantry Division - Lt. Gen.
XIII Corps - General of Infantry Hans Felber
17th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Herbert Loch
78th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Curt Gallenkamp
XXXXIII Corps - General of Infantry Gotthard Heinrici
131st Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Heinrich Meyer-Buerdorf
134th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen.
252nd Infantry Division - Lt. Gen.
German Ninth Army [ ]
Colonel General Adolf Strauß
V Corps - General of Infantry Richard Ruoff
5th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Karl Allmendinger
35th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Walther Fischer von Weikersthal
VI Corps - General of Pioneer Otto-Wilhelm Förster
6th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Helge Auleb
26th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Walter Weiß
VIII Corps - General of Artillery Walter Heitz
8th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Gustav Höhne
28th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Johann Sinnhuber
161st Infantry Division - Lt. Gen.
XX Corps - General of Infantry Friedrich Materna
162nd Infantry Division - Lt. Gen.
256th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Gerhard Kauffmann
Panzergruppe 2 [ ]
Colonel General Heinz Guderian
XII Corps - General of Infantry Walther Schroth (Only under Panzergruppe 2 for initial stages of the invasion)
31st Infantry Division - Lt. Gen.
34th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Hans Behlendorff
45th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Fritz Schlieper
XXIV Corps (mot.) - General of Panzer Leo Geyr von Schweppenburg
3rd Panzer Division - Lt. Gen. Walter Model
4th Panzer Division - Lt. Gen. Willibald Freiherr von Langermann und Erlencamp
10th Infantry Division (mot.) - Lt. Gen. Friedrich-Wilhelm von Loeper
1st Cavalry Division - Lt. Gen. Kurt Feldt
255th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Wilhelm Wetzel
267th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Robert Martinek
XXXXVI Corps (mot.) - General of Infantry Heinrich von Vietinghoff
10th Panzer Division - Lt. Gen. Ferdinand Schaal
SS-Reich Division - SS-Obergruppenfuhrer Paul Hausser
Infantry Regiment Großdeutschland - Maj. Gen.
XXXXVII Corps (mot.) - General of Panzer Joachim Lemelsen
17th Panzer Division - Lt. Gen. Hans-Jürgen von Arnim
18th Panzer Division - Lt. Gen. Walther Nehring
29th Infantry Division (mot.) - Lt. Gen. Walter von Boltenstern
167th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen.
Panzergruppe 3 [ ]
Colonel General Hermann Hoth
XXXIX Corps (mot.) - General of Panzer Rudolf Schmidt
7th Panzer Division - Lt. Gen. Hans Freiherr von Funck
20th Panzer Division - Lt. Gen. Horst Stumpff
14th Infantry Division (mot.) - Lt. Gen.
20th Infantry Division (mot.) - Lt. Gen. Hans Zorn
LVII Corps (mot.) - General of Panzer Adolf-Friedrich Kuntzen
12th Panzer Division - Lt. Gen. Josef Harpe
19th Panzer Division - Lt. Gen. Otto von Knobelsdorff
18th Infantry Division (mot.) - Lt. Gen. Friedrich Herrlein
German Army Group South [4] [ ]
Commanded by Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt
(Chief of Staff - Lt. Gen. Georg von Sodenstern )
Field Marshal Walther von Reichenau
XVII Corps - General of Infantry Werner Kienitz
56th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Karl von Oven
62nd Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Walter Keiner
XXIX Corps - General of Infantry Hans von Obstfelder
44th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Friedrich Siebert
111th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Otto Stapf
299th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Willi Moser
XXXXIV Corps - General of Infantry Friedrich Koch
9th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Siegmund Freiherr von Schleinitz
297th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Max Pfeffer
LV Corps - General of Infantry Erwin Vierow
75th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Ernst Hammer
57th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Oskar Blümm
168th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen.
298th Infantry Division - Mj. Gen. Walther Graeßner
Panzergruppe 1 [ ]
Colonel General Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist
III Corps (mot.) - General of Cavalry Eberhard von Mackensen
13th Panzer Division - Lt. Gen. Friedrich-Wilhelm von Rothkirch und Panthen
14th Panzer Division - Lt. Gen. Friedrich Kühn
25th Infantry Division (mot.) - Lt. Gen. Erich-Heinrich Clößner
XIV Corps (mot.) - General of Infantry Gustav Anton von Wietersheim
9th Panzer Division - Lt. Gen. Alfred Ritter von Hubicki
SS-Division (mot.) Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler - SS-Obergruppenführer Sepp Dietrich
SS-Wiking Division - SS-Brigadeführer Felix Steiner
XXXXVIII Corps (mot.) - General of Panzer Werner Kempf
11th Panzer Division - Lt. Gen. Ludwig Crüwell
16th Panzer Division - Lt. Gen. Hans-Valentin Hube
16th Infantry Division (mot.) - Lt. Gen. Sigfrid Henrici
General of Infantry Carl-Heinrich von Stülpnagel
IV Corps - General of Infantry Viktor von Schwedler
24th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Hans von Tettau
71st Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Alexander von Hartmann
262nd Infantry Division - Lt. Gen.
295th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen.
296th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Wilhelm Stemmermann
XXXXIX Mountain Corps - General of Infantry Ludwig Kübler
68th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Georg Braun
257th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen.
1st Mountain Division - Lt. Gen. Hubert Lanz
LII Corps - General of Infantry Kurt von Briesen
101st Light Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Erich Marcks
97th Light Infantry Division - Mj. Gen. Maximilian Fretter-Pico
100th Light Infantry Division - Mj. Gen. Werner Sanne
Hungarian Fast Corps - Gen. Béla Miklós [5]
1st Hungarian Motorized Brigade - Bg. Gen. Jenő Major
2nd Hungarian Motorized Brigade - Bg. Gen. János Vörös
1st Hungarian Cavalry Brigade - Bg. Gen
Slovakian Expeditionary Group - Gen. Ferdinand Čatloš
Slovakian Mobile Brigade - LTC.
1st Slovakian Infantry Division - Lt. Gen.
- Lt. Gen.
[ ]
General Ion Antonescu
Romanian Third Army - Lt. Gen. Petre Dumitrescu
Romanian 4th Army Corps - Mj. Gen. Constantin Sănătescu
- Br. Gen. [ro ]
- Br. Gen. [ro ]
- Mj. Gen. Ioan Mihail Racoviță
5th Cavalry Brigade - Col. [ro ]
8th Cavalry Brigade - Col. Ioan Dănescu
Mountain Corps - Mj. Gen. Gheorghe Avramescu
1st Mountain Brigade - Br. Gen. Mihail Lascăr
2nd Mountain Brigade - Br. Gen. Ioan Dumitrache
4th Mountain Brigade - Br. Gen. Gheorghe Manoliu
German Eleventh Army [ ]
Colonel General Eugen Ritter von Schobert
XI Corps - General of Infantry Joachim von Kortzfleisch
76th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Maximilian de Angelis
239th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Ferdinand Neuling
- Bg. Gen. Ioan Sion
- Mg. Gen.
XXX Corps - General of Infantry Hans von Salmuth
198th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen.
- Bg. Gen.
- Bg. Gen. [ro ]
- Bg. Gen. [ro ]
LIV Corps - General of Cavalry Erick-Oskar Hansen
50th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Karl-Adolf Hollidt
170th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen.
- Bg. Gen.
Italian Expeditionary Corps - Lt. Gen.Giovanni Messe
9th Infantry Division "Pasubio" - Gen. Vittorio Giovanelli
52nd Infantry Division "Torino" - Gen.
3rd Cavalry Division "Principe Amedeo Duca d'Aosta" - Gen. Mario Marazzani
22nd Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. Hans Graf von Sponeck
Romanian Fourth Army - Lt. Gen. Nicolae Ciupercă
- Mj. Gen. Vasile Atanasiu
Guards Division - Mj. Gen. [ro ]
15th Infantry Division - Mj. Gen.
35th Reserve Divisions - Br. Gen. [ro ]
- Lt. Gen. [ro ]
Border Division - Br. Gen. [ro ]
21st Division - Mj. Gen. [ro ]
- Mj. Gen. I. Aurelian
two fortress brigades
Other assets
- Mj. Gen. Nicolae Macici
9th Infantry Division - Br. Gen. Hugo Schwab
10th Infantry Division - Br. Gen. Ion Glogojanu
7th Cavalry Brigade - Col. Gheorghe Săvoiu
11th Infantry Division - Br. Gen. David Popescu
Soviet [ ]
Stavka [ ]
The "Main Command of the Armed Forces of the USSR" (Stavka Glavnogo Komandovaniya ) was formed on 23 June, largely from the existing People's Commissariat for Defence.
Commander in Chief: Marshal Semyon Timoshenko (until July 19), then Josef Stalin
Deputy Commander-in-Chief: Army General Georgy Zhukov (from August 8)
Chief of the General Staff: Army General Georgy Zhukov (until July 21), then Marshal Boris Shaposhnikov
Northern Front [6] [ ]
General Colonel Markian Popov
The front was the Leningrad Military District until 24 June.
Lieutenant General Filip Danilovich Gorelenko [7]
54th Rifle Division - Maj. Gen. I.V. Panin
- Col. V.N. Fedorov
- Col. A.L. Bondarev
- Maj. Gen. D.F. Popov
55th Mixed Aviation Division - Colonel
Lieutenant General Valerian A. Frolov
14th Rifle Division - Col. A.A. Zhurba
52nd Rifle Division - Mj. Gen. N.N. Nikishin
1st Tank Division - Major General Viktor Ilyich Baranov
42nd Rifle Corps - Major General Roman Ivanovich Panin
- Mj. Gen. S.I. Morozov
- Mj. Gen. P.S. Shevchenko
Lieutenant General P.S. Pshennikov
19th Rifle Corps - Major General
142nd Rifle Division - Mj. Gen. S.P. Mikul’skii
- Mj. Gen. V.F. Kon’kov
50th Rifle Corps - Major General V.I. S'cherbakov
43rd Rifle Division - Mj. Gen. Vladimir Kirpichnikov
70th Rifle Division - Major General
- Col. Ye.Ye. Tsukanov
10th Mechanized Corps - Major General
- Col. L.V. Bunin
24th Tank Division - Col. M.I. Chesnokov
- Mj. Gen. Vladimir Kryukov
Front Assets [ ]
- Col. A.F. Mashoshin
- Col. D.K. Luk’yanov
1st Mechanized Corps - Major General
3rd Tank Division - Col. K.Yu. Andreev
- Mj. Gen. N.M. Kuznetsov
Frontal aviation
Northwestern Front [ ]
General Colonel Fyodor Isodorovich Kuznetsov
Source:[8]
Baltic Special Military District until 22 June.
Lieutenant General Pyotr Sobennikov
10th Rifle Corps - Major General
10th Rifle Division - Col. I.I. Fadeev
48th Rifle Division - Mj. Gen. P.V. Bogdanov
- Col. Mikhail Golubev
11th Rifle Corps - Major General M.S. Shumilov
11th Rifle Division - Col. N.A. Sokolov
- Mj. Gen. P.P. Bogaichuk
12th Mechanized Corps - Major General
- Col. T.S. Orlenko
- Col. V.K. Gorbachev
Lieutenant General
23rd Rifle Division - Mj. Gen. V.F. Pavlov
- Mj. Gen. M.A. Kuznetsov
- Mj. Gen. A.S. Zotov
16th Rifle Corps - Major General
5th Rifle Division - Col. Fyodor Ozerov
33rd Rifle Division - Mj. Gen. Karp Zheleznikov
- Col. P.I. Ivanov
29th Rifle Corps - Major General
179th Rifle Division - Col. A.I. Ustinov
184th Rifle Division - Col. M.V. Vinogradov
3rd Mechanized Corps - Major General Alexey Kurkin
2nd Tank Division - Mj. Gen. Yegor Solyankin
- Col. F.F. Fedorov
84th Motorized Division - Mj. Gen. P.I. Fomenko
27th Army [ ]
Lieutenant General Nikolai Berzarin
16th Rifle Division - Maj. Gen. I.M. Lyubovtsev
67th Rifle Division - Maj. Gen. N.A. Dedaev
22nd Rifle Corps - Major General Mikhail Dukhanov
180th Rifle Division - Col. I.I. Missan
- Col. I.I. Kuryshev
24th Rifle Corps - Major General
181st Rifle Division - Col. P.V. Borisov
- Col. P.N. Tupikov
Front Assets [ ]
- Major General Ivan Bezugly
Frontal aviation
General Colonel Dmitry Grigorevich Pavlov
Western Special Military District until 22 June.
General Colonel Mikhail Kirponos
Kiev Special Military District until 22 June.
5th Army [ ]
Lieutenant General
15th Rifle Corps - Major General Ivan Fedyuninsky
45th Rifle Division - Mj. Gen. G.I. Sherstyuk
62nd Rifle Division - Col. M.P. Timoshenko
- Major General
87th Rifle Division - Mj. Gen. Filipp Alyabushev
- Mj. Gen. F.G. Sushii
- Mj. Gen. F.N. Smekhotvorov
- Major General
- Mj. Gen. K.A. Semenchenko
- Col. P.P. Pavlov
- Col. P.A. Barabanov
Transferred to 5th Army from Front command on evening of June 22nd
9th Mechanized Corps - Major General Konstantin Rokossovsky
- Col. Mikhail Katukov
- Mj. Gen. N.A. Novikov
- Col. N.V. Kalinin
- Major General
- Col. M.V. Shirobokov
- Col. I.G. Tsibin
6th Army [ ]
Lieutenant General
6th Rifle Corps - Major General
41st Rifle Division - Mj. Gen. G.N. Mikushev
- Col. N.M. Zakharov
159th Rifle Division - Col. Ivan Mashchenko
- Major General
80th Rifle Division - Mj. Gen. V.I. Prokhorov
139th Rifle Division - Col. N.L. Loginov
- Mj. Gen. Ya.I. Tonkonogov
5th Cavalry Corps - Major General
3rd Cavalry Division - Major General Mikhail Maleyev
- Vasily Kryuchenkin
4th Mechanized Corps - Major General Andrey Vlasov
- Col. P.S. Fotchenkov
32nd Tank Division - Col. E.G. Pushkin
- Col. P.M. Varipaev
Transferred to 6th Army from 26th Army on evening of June 22nd
8th Mechanized Corps - Major General Dmitry Ryabyshev
- Mj. Gen. T.A. Mishanin
34th Tank Division - Col. I.V. Vasil'ev
- Col. A.G. Gerasimov
Transferred to 6th Army from Front command on evening of June 22nd
- Major General
- Mj. Gen S.Ya. Ogurtsov
- Col. F.G. Anikushkin
- Mj. Gen. S.V. Baranov
12th Army [ ]
Lieutenant General Pavel Ponedelin
13th Rifle Corps - Major General
- Mj. Gen. S.A. Tkachenko
- Mj. Gen. N.I. Proshkin
- Col. S.D. Gubin
17th Rifle Corps - Major General Ivan Galanin
60th Mountain Rifle Division - Mj. Gen. M.B. Salikhov
96th Mountain Rifle Division - Mj. Gen. Ivan Shepetov
- Col. A.N. Chervinskii
- Major General
- Col. V.I. Polozkov
- Col. N.V. Starkov
- Col. I.V. Gorbenko
26th Army [ ]
Lieutenant General F. Ya. Kostenko
8th Rifle Corps - Major General
- Mj. Gen. P.I. Abramidze
99th Rifle Division - Col. N.I.Dement'ev
173rd Rifle Division - Mj. Gen. S.V.Verzin
Front Assets [ ]
- Major General Anton Lopatin
193rd Rifle Division - Col. A.K. Berestov
- Mj. Gen. V.N. Nesmelov
200th Rifle Division - Col. Ivan Lyudnikov
- Major General
140th Rifle Division - Col. Luka Basanets
146th Rifle Division - Mj. Gen. I.M. Gerasimov
- Col. A.M. Il’in
- Major General Ivan Alekseyevich Kornilov
- Col. G.A. Zverev
- Col. S.D. Gubin
- Col. A.N. Alekseev
- Major General Konstantin Koroteev
- Mj. Gen. V.A. Vizzhili
169th Rifle Division - Mj. Gen. I.E. Turunov
- Combrig A.S. Chichkanov
1st Airborne Corps - Major General Matvei Usenko
1st Airborne Brigade
- Col. V.M.Osminskiy
24th Mechanized Corps - Major General
- Col.
- Col. K.F. Shvetsov
- Col. A. Sarkisyan
Frontal aviation
Southern Front [10] [ ]
General Colonel Ivan Tyulenev
9th Army (Separate) [ ]
Lieutenant General Yakov Cherevichenko
- Major General
25th Rifle Division - Col. A.S. Zakharchenko
51st Rifle Division - Mj. Gen. P.G. Tsirul’nikov
- Major General
95th Rifle Division - Mj. Gen. A.I. Pastrevich
176th Rifle Division - Mj. Gen. V.M.Martsinkevich
- Major General Rodion Malinovsky
- Mj. Gen. S.G. Galaktionov
- Col. F.Ye. Sheverdin
150th Rifle Division - Mj. Gen. I.I. Khorun
2nd Cavalry Corps - Major General Pavel Alexeyevich Belov
- Colonel Viktor Kirillovich Baranov
- Col. A.F. Bychkovsky
2nd Mechanized Corps - Major General
11th Tank Division - Col. G.I. Kuzmin
16th Tank Division - Col. M.I. Mindro
15th Motorized Division - Col. Nikolay Belov
- Major General
- Col. V.P. Krimov
- Col. Georgy Rodin
- Mj. Gen. F.N. Shilov
(forming)
(forming)
Front Assets [ ]
7th Rifle Corps - Major General
- Col. Ya.F. Eremenko
- Maj. Gen. K.E. Kulikov
206th Rifle Division - Col. Sergey Gorshkov
9th Rifle Corps - Major General Pavel Batov
- Combrig M.S. Tkachev
- Mj. Gen. P.V. Chernyaev
32nd Cavalry Division - Col. A.I. Batskalevich
3rd Airborne Corps - Major General Vasili Glazunov
- Colonel Alexander Rodimtsev
- Colonel Viktor Zholudev
212th Airborne Brigade - Colonel Ivan Zatevakhin
47th Rifle Division
Air Forces [ ]
Axis [ ]
Luftwaffe [ ]
The directive issued to the Luftwaffe for Barbarossa ordered that Luftflotte 2 , under the command of Albert Kesselring was to be the strongest Air Fleet. Kesselring was assigned to supporting Army Group Centre , which was to capture Minsk , Smolensk and Moscow . Kesselring was given Fliegerkorps VIII (a specialised ground attack Corps, commanded by tactical specialist Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen ), Fliegerkorps II (commanded by Bruno Loerzer ) and the 1st Anti-Aircraft Corps (1st AA Corps under Walther von Axthelm ). Army Group South was supported by Luftflotte 4 , containing Fliegerkorps V (under Robert Ritter von Greim ) and Fliegerkorps IV (under Kurt Pflugbeil ). The Air Fleet and Army Group were responsible for capturing Kiev , the Crimea and the Caucasus oilfields. Army Group North was supported by Luftflotte 1 , and Luftflotte 5 . Luftflotte 5 conducted operations in the Arctic near Murmansk . Luftflotte 1 supported operations in the Baltic Sea , Baltic States and near, in and over Leningrad . Luftflotte 1 contained Fliegerkorps I under the command of Helmuth Förster .[11]
Other Axis air forces [ ]
The Romanian Air Force was considered weak by the OKL, and therefore unlikely to play a great role in the ground fighting. Far more attention was given by the OKW to training and preparing the Romanian Army . Hitler, on 18 June 1941, declared that the primary mission of the Romanian air arm was to defend Romania and the Romanian oilfields. Only when those forces were sufficient, could they divert the remaining forces to ground support operations for Barbarossa . On 21 June 1941, it possessed a balanced fleet of 53 Squadrons; 11 bomber (five modern), 17 fighter (nine modern), 15 reconnaissance, six liaison, two flying boat , one transport and one air ambulance unit. On the 22 June, there was 160 fighters and 82 bombers in service. Total strength amounted to 380 aircraft. Only 30 of the Romanian fighters were Bf 109s, of the E model.[12] However, this small force did not remain inferior in numbers for along. Despite a weak inter-war economy, the aircraft industry was run very efficiently, and they were able to produce some very capable aircraft; such as the IAR 37 and IAR 39 . Unlike the army that stagnated, it was able to garner the cream of the Romanian officer corps. With the right support, organisation and modern equipment, it was able to grow in number and match its enemies in quality. In air defence and ground support operations it performed well, but failed in strategic bomber and naval operations owing to a lack of doctrine.[13] Within a few weeks of Barbarossa beginning, it was able to put up 1,061 aircraft, including 400 trainers.[14] The modern combat aircraft were focused into one unified Air Combat Command, or GAL (Gruparea Aeriana Lupta), while the obsolete types were given the Romanian Fourth Army , operating under the German Army Group South .[15]
Soviet [ ]
Organisation [ ]
Since 1935, Soviet military aviation had been divided between the army (VVS KA) and the navy (VVS VMF). The VVS KA had been split into four different organisations owing to faulty conclusions drawn from the Winter War . Owing to a lack of coordination in close support operations with the Red Army , the entire VVS KA was subordinated to the field armies. The existence of too many different branches under separate commands in Soviet air power caused coordination problems (made worse by Axis bombing during Barbarossa ). Most Soviet bomber units could not coordinate with fighter aviation, consequently they did not have fighter escort for long periods.[16]
The total strength of the VVS amounted to 61 divisions; 18 fighter, nine bomber and 34 mixed. Five brigades were also included.
The Front Air Forces were divided into Districts (later 'Fronts') and the home defence, the PVO. This element had 40.5 per cent of the Soviet air strength. The Army Air Forces comprised 43.7 per cent of the VVS' strength. The liaison squadrons were a collection of individual squadrons assigned to different army corps of the ground army (KAE). They comprised only 2.3 per cent.[16]
The Soviet order of battle :
Leningrad and Baltic Fronts [ ]
VVS Leningrad Military District , later the
(1st SAD), subordinate to the 14th Army
10 BAP (Bomber Aviation Regiment)
137 BAP
145th Fighter Aviation Regiment (145 IAP)
147 IAP
55th Composite Aviation Division (55 SAD) (subordinated to the 7th Army )
72 SBAP (High Speed Bomber Aviation Regiment)
153rd Fighter Aviation Regiment
5 SAD (subordinated to the 23rd Army )
41 SAD (subordinate to the 23rd Army)
201 SBAP
202 SBAP
205 SBAP
3rd Fighter Aviation Division (IAD)
191 Fighter Aviation Regiment (IAP)
44 IAP
54 IAD
2 SAD
2 SBAP
SBAP 44
58 SBAP
65 ShAD (Ground Attack Aviation Division)
39 IAD
The total strength of the front was 1,270 aircraft.[17]
VVS Baltic Special Military District, later the
8 SAD
57 IAD
7 SAD
10 IAP
9 SBAP
46 BAP
241 SBAP
6 SAD
21 IAP
31 SBAP
40 BAP
148 IAP
4 SAD
38 IAP
35 SBAP
50 SBAP
53 SBAP
The total strength of the front was 1,211 aircraft.[17]
Western and South Western Fronts [ ]
VVS Western Military District, later the
313 RAP
314 RAP
9 Mixed Air Division (SAD) (attached to 10th Army near Bialystock )
13 SBAP
41 Fighter Aviation Regiment (IAP)
124 IAP
126 IAP
129 IAP
10 SAD (attached to 4th Army near Brest-Litovsk )
33 IAP
74 ShAP
123 IAP
39 SBAP
11 SAD (attached to 3rd Army near Grodno -Lida )
12 BAD (Vitebsk )
6 SBAP
43 SBAP
128 SBAP
209 SBAP
215 SBAP
43 IAD (Minsk and Smolensk )
160 IAP
161 IAP
162 IAP
163 IAP
13 BAD (Bobruysk )
24 SBAP
97 SBAP
121 SBAP
125 SBAP
130 SBAP
The total strength of the front was 1,789 aircraft.[17]
VVS Kiev Special Military District, later the
315 RAP and 316 RAP
14 SAD (5th Army , Lutsk area)
62 BAD (Kiev )
52 SBAP
94 SBAP
243 SBAP
245 SBAP
15 SAD (attached to the 6th Army ), Lvov )
23 IAP
28 IAP
66 ShAP
164 IAP
16 SAD (attached to 6th Army ), Ternopol )
86 SBAP
87 IAP
92 IAP
226 SBAP
227 SBAP
63 SAD (attached to 26th Army ), Stryy )
20 IAP
62 IAP
91 IAP
165 IAP
64 SAD (12th Army ), Stanislav
12 IAP
149 IAP
166 IAP
246 IAP
247 IAP
17 BAD (Proskurov )
48 SBAP
224 SBAP
225 SBAP
242SBAP
244 SBAP
36 IAD (Kiev)
2 IAP
43 IAP
254 IAP
255 IAP
19 BAD (Bila Tserkva )
44 IAD (Vinnitsa )
88 IAP
248 IAP
249 IAP
252 IAP
The total strength of the front was 1,913 aircraft.[17] [18]
Odessa Front and Long Range Aviation [ ]
VVS Odessa Military District, later the
146 RAP
317 RAP
20 SAD (Beltsy and )
4 IAP
45 SBAP
55 IAP
211 SBAP
21 SAD (Bolgrad -Vorms)
5 BAP
69 IAP
67 IAP
168 IAP
299 ShAP
The total strength of the front was 950 aircraft.[19]
DBA (Long-range Strategic Bomber Aviation)
1 BAK (Bomber Aviation Group) (Novgorod )
40 DBAD
53 DBAD
200 DBAD
7 TDBAP
2 BAK (Kursk )
35 DBAD
100 DBAD
219 DBAD
223 DBAD
48 DBAD
51 DBAD
220 DBAD
221 DBAD
222 DBAD
3 BAK (Smolensk )
52 DBAD
3 TBDAP
98 DBAD
212 DBAD
42 DBAD
1 TBDAP
96 DBAD
207 DBAD
4 BAK (Zaporozhye )
22 DBAD
8 DBAD
11 DBAD
21 DBAD
50 DBAD
81 DBA
299 DBAP
231 DBAP
228 DBAP
18 DBAD (Independent Division) ( and Boryspil )
The total strength of the front was 1,332 aircraft; 1,122 DB-3s, 20 TB-3s, and nine TB-7s.[19]
Notes [ ]
^ "HGR. Nord, German Army, 22.06.1941" .
^ Glantz 2002, p. 531
^ "HGR. Mitte, German Army, 22.06.1941" .
^ "HGR. Süd, German Army, 22.06.1941" .
^ Hungary declared war on the Soviet union on 27 June 1941; the Hungarian Fast Corps went into action as part of Army Group South on 1 July 1941.
^ Operation Barbarossa 1941 (2): Army Group North (Campaign) (v. 2)= . Osprey Publishing. 2005. p. 29. ISBN 978-1-84176-857-1 .
^ Ammentorp, Steen. "The Generals" . Retrieved 27 July 2013 .
^ Operation Barbarossa 1941 (2): Army Group North (Campaign) (v. 2) . Osprey Publishing. 2005. p. 30. ISBN 978-1-84176-857-1 .
^ Operation Barbarossa 1941 (3): Army Group Center (Campaign) (v. 3) . Osprey Publishing. 2007. p. 31. ISBN 978-1-84603-107-6 .
^ a b Operation Barbarossa 1941 (1): Army Group South (Campaign) (v. 1) . Osprey Publishing. 2003. p. 31. ISBN 978-1-84176-697-3 .
^ Plocher 1968, pp. 9, 28-29.
^ Statiev 2002, pp. 1091-1092.
^ Statiev 2002, p. 1112.
^ Statiev 2002, p. 1093.
^ Statiev 2002, pp. 1093, 1097.
^ a b Bergström 2007, p. 134.
^ a b c d Bergström 2007, p. 131.
^ Niehorster, Air Forces, Western Special Military District
^ a b Bergström 2007, p. 132.
Bibliography [ ]
Bergström, Christer. Barbarossa - The Air Battle: July–December 1941 , London: Chevron/Ian Allan, 2007. ISBN 978-1-85780-270-2 .
Plocher, Hermann. The German Air Force versus Russia, 1941 . United States Air Force Studies, Washington, 1968. ISBN 978-0-405-00044-7
Plocher, Hermann. The German Air Force versus Russia, 1942 . United States Air Force Studies, Washington, 1968. ISBN 978-0-405-00045-4
Statiev, Alexander. Antonescu's Eagles against Stalin's Falcons: The Romanian Air Force, 1920-1941 , in 'The Journal of Military History', Volume 66, No. 4 (Oct. 2002), pp. 1085–1113
Glantz, David M. (2002). The Battle for Leningrad 1941-1944 . Kansas University Press. ISBN 0-7006-1208-4 .
External links [ ]