German advances during the opening phases of Operation Barbarossa
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.
Commanded by Feldmarshal Wilhelm von Leeb
(Chief of Staff - Lt.Gen. Kurt Brennecke)
Commanded by Feldmarshal Fedor von Bock
(Chief of Staff - Maj.Gen. Hans von Greiffenberg)
Commanded by Feldmarshal Gerd von Rundstedt
(Chief of Staff - Lt.Gen. Georg von Sodenstern)
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
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Lieutenant General Mikhail Lukin
- 32nd Rifle Corps - Major General Trofim Kolomiets
- 46th Rifle Division - Major General Alexander Filatov
- 152nd Rifle Division - Colonel Pyotr Chernyshov
- 5th Mechanized Corps - Major General Ilya Alexeyenko
- 13th Tank Division - Colonel F.W. Grachev
- 17th Tank Division - Colonel Ivan Korchagin
- 109th Motor Rifle Division - Colonel Nikolai Krasnoretsky
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Lieutenant General Ivan Konev
- 38th Rifle Division - Colonel Maxim Kirillov
- 25th Rifle Corps - Major General Sergey Chestohvalov
- 127th Rifle Division - Major General Timofey Korneyev
- 134th Rifle Division - Major General Vladimir Kuzmich Bazarov
- 162nd Rifle Division - Colonel Nikolai Kolkunov
- 34th Rifle Corps - Major General Raphael Khmelnitsky
- 129th Rifle Division - Major General Auxentios Gorodnyansky
- 158th Rifle Division - Colonel V.I. Novozhilov
- 171st Rifle Division - Major General Alexander Budyho
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Lieutenant General Fedor Remezov
- 18th Rifle Division - Colonel Karp Sviridov
- 61st Rifle Corps - Major General Fedor Bakunin
- 110th Rifle Division - Colonel Vasily Khlebtsov
- 114th Rifle Division - Major General Mikhail Pronin
- 172nd Rifle Division - Major General Mikhail Timofeyevich Romanov
- 69th Rifle Corps - Major General Yevdokim Mogilovchik
- 73rd Rifle Division - Colonel Alexander Ivanovich Akimov
- 229th Rifle Division - Major General Mikhail Ivanovich Kozlov
- 233rd Rifle Division - Colonel Grigory Kotov
- 7th Mechanized Corps - Major General Vasily Ivanovich Vinogradov
- 14th Tank Division - Colonel Ivan Dmitrievich Vasilyev
- 1st Motor Rifle Division - Colonel Yakov Kreizer
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Lieutenant General Vasyl Herasymenko
- 63rd Rifle Corps - Lieutenant General Leonid Petrovsky
- 53rd Rifle Division - Colonel Ivan Bartenev
- 148th Rifle Division - Colonel Filipp Cherokmanov
- 167th Rifle Division - Major General Vasily Rakovsky
- 66th Rifle Corps - Major General Fyodor Sudakov
- 61st Rifle Division - Major General Nikolay Prishchepa
- 117th Rifle Division - Colonel Spyridon Chernyugov
- 154th Rifle Division - Colonel Yakov Fokanov
- 25th Mechanized Corps - Major General Semyon Krivoshein
- 50th Tank Division - Colonel Boris Bakharov
- 55th Tank Division - Colonel Vasily Badanov
- 219th Motor Rifle Division - Major General Pavel Korzun
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- 51st Rifle Corps
- 98th Rifle Division
- 112th Rifle Division
- 153rd Rifle Division
- 62nd Rifle Corps
- 170th Rifle Division
- 174th Rifle Division
- 186th Rifle Division
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- 52nd Rifle Corps
- 91st Rifle Division
- 119th Rifle Division
- 166th Rifle Division
- 53rd Rifle Corps
- 107th Rifle Division
- 133rd Rifle Division
- 178th Rifle Division
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General Colonel Markian Popov
The front was the Leningrad Military District until 24 June.
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Lieutenant General Filip Danilovich Gorelenko[6]
- 54th Rifle Division - Maj. Gen. I.V. Panin
- 71st Rifle Division - Col. V.N. Fedorov
- 168th Rifle Division - Col. A.L. Bondarev
- 237th Rifle Division - Maj. Gen. D.F. Popov
- 55th Mixed Aviation Division - Colonel Alexander Bogradetsky
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Lieutenant General Valerian A. Frolov
- 14th Rifle Division - Col. A.A. Zhurba
- 52nd Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. N.N. Nikishin
- 1st Tank Division - Mj.Gen. V.I. Baranov
- 42nd Rifle Corps - Major General Roman Ivanovich Panin
- 104th Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. S.I. Morozov
- 122nd Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. P.S. Shevchenko
- 1st Mixed Aviation Division
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Lieutenant General Pshennikov P.S.
- 19th Rifle Corps - Major General M.N. Gerasimov
- 142nd Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. S.P. Mikul’skii
- 115th Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. V.F. Kon’kov
- 50th Rifle Corps - Major General V.I. S'cherbakov
- 43rd Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. V.V. Kirpichnikov
- 123rd Rifle Division - Col. Ye.Ye. Tsukanov
- 10th Mechanized Corps - Major General I. G. Lazarev
- 21st Tank Division - Col. L.V. Bunin
- 24th Tank Division - Col. M.I. Chesnokov
- 198th Motor Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. V.V. Kryukov
- 5th Mixed Aviation Division
- 41st Bomber Aviation Division
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Front Assets
- 177th Rifle Division - Col. A.F. Mashoshin
- 191st Rifle Division - Col. D.K. Luk’yanov
- 1st Mechanized Corps - Major General M. L. Cherniavsky
- 3rd Tank Division - Col. K.Yu. Andreev
- 163rd Motor Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. N.M. Kuznetsov
Frontal aviation
- 2nd Mixed Aviation Division
- 39th Fighter Aviation Division
- 3rd PVO Fighter Aviation Division
- 54th PVO Fighter Aviation Division
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General Colonel Fyodor Isodorovich Kuznetsov
Source:[7]
Baltic Special Military District until 22 June.
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Lieutenant General P.P. Sobennikov
- 10th Rifle Corps - Major General I.F. Nikolaev
- 10th Rifle Division - Col. I.I. Fadeev
- 48th Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. P.V. Bogdanov
- 90th Rifle Division - Col. V.P. Evdokimov
- 11th Rifle Corps - Major General M.S. Shumilov
- 11th Rifle Division - Col. N.A. Sokolov
- 125th Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. P.P. Bogaichuk
- 12th Mechanized Corps - Major General N.M. Shestopalov
- 23rd Tank Division - Col. T.S. Orlenko
- 202nd Motor Rifle Division - Col. V.K. Gorbachev
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Lieutenant General V. I. Morosov
- 23rd Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. V.F. Pavlov
- 126th Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. M.A. Kuznetsov
- 128th Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. A.S. Zotov
- 16th Rifle Corps - Major General F.S. Ivanov
- 5th Rifle Division - Col. F.P. Ozerov
- 33rd Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. K.A.Zheleznikov
- 188th Rifle Division - Col. P.I. Ivanov
- 29th Rifle Corps - Major General A.G. Samokhin
- 179th Rifle Division - Col. A.I. Ustinov
- 184th Rifle Division - Col. M.V. Vinogradov
- 3rd Mechanized Corps - Major General A.V. Kurkin
- 2nd Tank Division - Mj.Gen. E.N. Solyankin
- 5th Tank Division - Col. F.F. Fedorov
- 84th Motor Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. P.I. Fomenko
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Lieutenant General N. E. Berzarin
- 16th Rifle Division - Maj.Gen. I.M. Lyubovtsev
- 67th Rifle Division - Maj.Gen. N.A. Dedaev
- 3rd Rifle Brigade
- 22nd Rifle Corps - Major General M.P. Dukhanov
- 180th Rifle Division - Col. I.I. Missan
- 182nd Rifle Division - Col. I.I. Kuryshev
- 24th Rifle Corps - Major General K. Kachalov
- 181st Rifle Division - Col. P.V. Borisov
- 183rd Rifle Division - Col. P.N. Tupikov
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Front Assets
- 5th Airborne Corps - Major General Ivan Bezugly
- 9th Airborne Brigade
- 10th Airborne Brigade
- 201st Airborne Brigade
Frontal aviation
- 57th Fighter Aviation Division
- 4th Mixed Aviation Division
- 6th Mixed Aviation Division
- 7th Mixed Aviation Division
- 8th Mixed Aviation Division
- 21st PVO Fighter Aviation Division
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General Colonel Dmitry Grigorevich Pavlov
Western Special Military District until 22 June.
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Lieutenant General Vasily Kuznetsov
- 4th Rifle Corps- Major General E. A. Jegorov
- 27th Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. A.M. Stepanov
- 56th Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. S.P. Sakhnov
- 85th Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. A.V. Bondovskii
- 11th Mechanized Corps - Major General D.K. Mostevenko
- 29th Tank Division - Col. N.P. Studnev
- 33rd Tank Division - Col. Mikhail Panov
- 204th Motor Rifle Division - Col. A.M. Pirogov
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Lieutenant General Alexander A. Korobkov
- 49th Rifle Division - Col. C.F. Vasil’ev
- 75th Rifle Division - Col. Nedwigin
- 28th Rifle Corps - Major General V.S. Popov
- 6th Rifle Division - Col. M.A. Popsiu-Shapko
- 42nd Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. I.S. Lazarenko
- 14th Mechanized Corps - Major General Stepan Oborin
- 22nd Tank Division - Mj.Gen. V.P. Puganov
- 30th Tank Division - Col. Semen Bogdanov
- 205th Motor Rifle Division - Col. F.F. Kudjurov
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Lieutenant General K. D. Golubev
- 1st Rifle Corps - Major General F.D. Rubtzov
- 2nd Rifle Division - Col. M.D. Grishin
- 8th Rifle Division - Col. N.I. Fomin
- 5th Rifle Corps - Major General A.V. Garnov
- 13th Rifle Division - Col. A.Z. Naumov
- 86th Rifle Division - Col. M.A. Zashibalov
- 113th Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. Kh.N. Alaverdov
- 6th Cavalry Corps - Major General I.S. Nikitin
- 6th Cavalry Division - Mj.Gen. M.P. Konstantinov
- 36th Cavalry Division - Mj.Gen. E.S. Zybin
- 6th Mechanized Corps - Major General M.G. Khatskilevich
- 4th Tank Division - Mj.Gen. A.G. Potaturchev
- 7th Tank Division - Mj.Gen. S.V. Borzilov
- 29th Motor Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. I.P. Bikdjanov
- 13th Mechanized Corps - Major General P.N. Akhliustin
- 25th Tank Division - Col. N.M. Nikiforov
- 31st Tank Division - Col. S.A. Kalikhovich
- 208th Motor Rifle Division - Col. V.I. Nichiporovich
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Front Assets
- 2nd Rifle Corps - Major General A.N. Ermakov
- 100th Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. I.N. Russiyanov
- 161st Rifle Division - Col. A.I. Mikhailov
- 21st Rifle Corps - Major General V.B. Borisov
- 17th Rifle Division - Col. T.K. Batsanov
- 24th Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. K.N. Galitskii
- 37th Rifle Division - Col. A.E. Chekharin
- 44th Rifle Corps - Major General V.A. Yushkevich
- 64th Rifle Division - Col. S.I. Iovlev
- 108th Rifle Division
- 47th Rifle Corps - Major General S.I. Povetkin
- 50th Rifle Division - Col. V.P. Evdokimov
- 55th Rifle Division - Col. D.I. Ivanyuk
- 121st Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. P.M. Zykov
- 143rd Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. D.P. Safonov
- 4th Airborne Corps - Major General Aleksey Semenovich Zhandov
- 7th Airborne Brigade
- 8th Airborne Brigade
- 214th Airborne Brigade
- 17th Mechanized Corps - Major General Mikhail Petrovich Petrov
- 27th Tank Division - Col. A.O. Akhmanov
- 36th Tank Division - Col. S.Z. Miroshnikov
- 209th Motor Rifle Division - Col. A.I. Murav'ev
- 20th Mechanized Corps - Major General A.G. Nikitin
- 26th Tank Division - Mj.Gen. V.T. Obukhov
- 38th Tank Division - Col. S.I. Kapustin
- 210th Motor Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. F.A. Parkhomenko
Frontal aviation
- 43rd Fighter Aviation Division
- 12th Bomber Aviation Division
- 13th Bomber Aviation Division
- 9th Mixed Aviation Division
- 10th Mixed Aviation Division
- 11th Mixed Aviation Division
- 184th PVO Fighter Aviation Division
- Additionally 59th and 60th Fighter Aviation Divisions were forming.
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General Colonel Mikhail Kirponos
Kiev Special Military District until 22 June.
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Lieutenant General M.I. Potapov
- 15th Rifle Corps - Major General Ivan Fedyuninsky
- 45th Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. G.I. Sherstyuk
- 62nd Rifle Division - Col. M.P. Timoshenko
- 27th Rifle Corps - Major General P.D. Artememko
- 87th Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. F.F. Alyabushev
- 124th Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. F.G. Sushii
- 135th Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. F.N. Smekhotvorov
- 22nd Mechanized Corps - Major General S.M. Kondrusev
- 19th Tank Division - Mj.Gen. K.A. Semenchenko
- 41st Tank Division - Col. P.P. Pavlov
- 215th Motor Rifle Division - Col. P.A. Barabanov
- Transferred to 5th Army from Front command on evening of June 22nd
- 9th Mechanized Corps - Major General K.K. Rokossovsky
- 20th Tank Division - Col. M.E. Katukov
- 35th Tank Division - Mj.Gen. N.A. Novikov
- 131st Motor Rifle Division - Col. N.V. Kalinin
- 19th Mechanized Corps - Major General N.V. Feklenko
- 40th Tank Division - Col. M.V. Shirobokov
- 43rd Tank Division - Col. I.G. Tsibin
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Lieutenant General I.N. Muzyrchenko
- 6th Rifle Corps - Major General I.I. Alekseev
- 41st Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. G.N. Mikushev
- 97th Rifle Division - Col. N.M. Zakharov
- 159th Rifle Division - Col. I.A. Mashchenko
- 37th Rifle Corps - Major General S.P. Zibin
- 80th Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. V.I. Prokhorov
- 139th Rifle Division - Col. N.L. Loginov
- 141st Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. Ya.I. Tonkonogov
- 5th Cavalry Corps - Major General F.V. Kamkov
- 3rd Cavalry Division - Mj.Gen. M.F. Maleev
- 14th Cavalry Division - V.D. Kryuchenkin
- 4th Mechanized Corps - Major General Andrey Vlasov
- 8th Tank Division - Col. P.S. Fotchenkov
- 32nd Tank Division - Col. E.G. Pushkin
- 81st Motor Rifle Division - Col. P.M. Varipaev
- Transferred to 6th Army from 26th Army on evening of June 22nd
- 8th Mechanized Corps - Major General Dmitry Ryabyshev
- 12th Tank Division - Mj.Gen. T.A. Mishanin
- 34th Tank Division - Col. I.V. Vasil'ev
- 7th Motor Rifle Division - Col. A.G. Gerasimov
- Transferred to 6th Army from Front command on evening of June 22nd
- 15th Mechanized Corps - Major General I.I. Karpezo
- 10th Tank Division - Mj.Gen S.Ya. Ogurtsov
- 37th Tank Division - Col. F.G. Anikushkin
- 212th Motor Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. S.V. Baranov
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Lieutenant General P.G. Ponedelin
- 13th Rifle Corps - Major General N.K. Kirillov
- 44th Mountain Division - Mj.Gen. S.A. Tkachenko
- 58th Mountain Division - Mj.Gen. N.I. Proshkin
- 192nd Mountain Division - Col. S.D. Gubin
- 17th Rifle Corps - Major General I.V. Galanin
- 60th Mountain Division - Mj.Gen. M.B. Salikhov
- 96th Mountain Division - Mj.Gen. I.M. Shepetov
- 164th Rifle Division - Col. A.N. Chervinskii
- 16th Mechanized Corps - Major General A.D. Sokolov
- 15th Tank Division - Col. V.I. Polozkov
- 39th Tank Division - Col. N.V. Starkov
- 240th Motor Rifle Division - Col. I.V. Gorbenko
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Lieutenant General F. Ya. Kostenko
- 8th Rifle Corps - Major General M.G. Snegov
- 72nd Mountain Division - Mj.Gen. P.I. Abramidze
- 99th Rifle Division - Col. N.I.Dement'ev
- 173rd Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. S.V.Verzin
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Front Assets
- 31st Rifle Corps - Major General Anton Lopatin
- 193rd Rifle Division - Col. A.K. Berestov
- 195th Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. V.N. Nesmelov
- 200th Rifle Division - Col. I.I. Ljudnikow
- 36th Rifle Corps - Major General P.V. Sisoev
- 140th Rifle Division - Col. L.G. Basanets
- 146th Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. I.M. Gerasimov
- 228th Rifle Division - Col. A.M. Il’in
- 49th Rifle Corps - Major General Ivan Alekseyevich Kornilov
- 190th Rifle Division - Col. G.A. Zverev
- 197th Rifle Division - Col. S.D. Gubin
- 199th Rifle Division - Col. A.N. Alekseev
- 55th Rifle Corps - Major General Konstantin Koroteev
- 130th Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. V.A. Vizzhili
- 169th Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. I.E. Turunov
- 189th Rifle Division - Combrig A.S. Chichkanov
- 1st Airborne Corps - Major General M.A. Usenko
- 1st Airborne Brigade
- 204th Airborne Brigade
- 211th Airborne Brigade
- 213rd Motor Rifle Division - Col. V.M.Osminskiy
- 24th Mechanized Corps - Major General A.V. Kurkin
- 45th Tank Division - Col. M.D. Solomatin
- 49th Tank Division - Col. K.F. Shvetsov
- 216th Motor Rifle Division - Col. A. Sarkisyan
Frontal aviation
- 44th Fighter Aviation Division
- 64th Fighter Aviation Division
- 19th Bomber Aviation Division
- 62nd Bomber Aviation Division
- 14th Mixed Aviation Division
- 15th Mixed Aviation Division
- 16th Mixed Aviation Division
- 17th Mixed Aviation Division
- 63rd Mixed Aviation Division
- 36th PVO Fighter Aviation Division
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General Colonel Ivan Tyulenev
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Lieutenant General Yakov Cherevichenko
- 14th Rifle Corps - Major General E.G. Egorov
- 25th Rifle Division - Col. A.S. Zakharchenko
- 51st Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. P.G. Tsirul’nikov
- 35th Rifle Corps - Major General I.F. Dashichev
- 95th Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. A.I. Pastrevich
- 176th Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. V.M.Martsinkevich
- 48th Rifle Corps - Major General Rodion Malinovsky
- 30th Mountain Division - Mj.Gen. S.G. Galaktionov
- 74th Rifle Division - Col. F.Ye. Sheverdin
- 150th Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. I.I. Khorun
- 2nd Cavalry Corps - Major General Pavel Alexeyevich Belov
- 5th Cavalry Division - Col. V.K. Baranov
- 9th Cavalry Division - Col. A.F. Bychkovsky
- 2nd Mechanized Corps - Major General Y.V. Novoselsky
- 11th Tank Division - Col. G.I. Kuzmin
- 16th Tank Division - Col. M.I. Mindro
- 15th Motor Rifle Division - Col. N.N. Belov
- 18th Mechanized Corps - Major General P.V. Volokh
- 44th Tank Division - Col. V.P. Krimov
- 47th Tank Division - Col. G.S. Rodin
- 218th Motor Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. F.N. Shilov
- 20th Mixed Aviation Division
- 21st Mixed Aviation Division
- 45th Mixed Aviation Division
- 65th Fighter Aviation Division (forming)
- 66th Fighter Aviation Division (forming)
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Front Assets
- 7th Rifle Corps - Major General K.L. Dobroserdov
- 116th Rifle Division - Col. Ya.F. Eremenko
- 196th Rifle Division - Maj. Gen. K.E. Kulikov
- 206th Rifle Division - Col. S.I. Gorshkov
- 9th Rifle Corps - Major General Pavel Batov
- 106th Rifle Division - Combrig M.S. Tkachev
- 156th Rifle Division - Mj.Gen. P.V. Chernyaev
- 32nd Cavalry Division - Col. A.I. Batskalevich
- 3rd Airborne Corps - Major General Vasili Glazunov
- 5th Airborne Brigade - Colonel Alexander Rodimtsev
- 6th Airborne Brigade - Colonel Viktor Zholudev
- 212th Airborne Brigade - Colonel Ivan Zatevakhin
- 47th Rifle Division
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Air Forces
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.[10]
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.[11] 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.[12] Within a few weeks of Barbarossa beginning, it was able to put up 1,061 aircraft, including 400 trainers.[13] 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.[14]
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.[15]
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.[15]
The Soviet order of battle:
Leningrad and Baltic Fronts
- VVS Leningrad Military District, later the VVS Northern Front
- 1st Composite Air Division (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)
- 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)
- 19 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.[16]
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- VVS Baltic Special Military District, later the VVS North-Western Front
- 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.[16]
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Western and South Western Fronts
- VVS Western Military District, later the VVS Western Front
- 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.[16]
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- VVS Kiev Special Military District, later the VVS South-Western Front
- 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.[16][17]
|
- VVS Odessa Military District, later the VVS Southern Front
- 146 RAP
- 317 RAP
- 20 SAD (Beltsy and Tiropol)
- 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.[18]
|
- 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) (Skomorokhy and Boryspil)
The total strength of the front was 1,332 aircraft; 1,122 DB-3s, 20 TB-3s, and nine TB-7s.[18]
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Notes
- ↑ http://niehorster.org/011_germany/41-oob/ag-nord/_ag_nord.html
- ↑ Glantz 2002, p. 531
- ↑ http://niehorster.org/011_germany/41-oob/ag-mitte/_ag_mitte.html
- ↑ http://niehorster.org/011_germany/41-oob/ag-sued/_ag-sued.html
- ↑ Operation Barbarossa 1941 (2): Army Group North (Campaign) (v. 2)=Robert Kirchubel. 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) Robert Kirchubel. Osprey Publishing. 2005. p. 30. ISBN 978-1-84176-857-1.
- ↑ Operation Barbarossa 1941 (3): Army Group Center (Campaign) (v. 3)Robert Kirchubel. Osprey Publishing. 2007. p. 31. ISBN 978-1-84603-107-6.
- 1 2 Operation Barbarossa 1941 (1): Army Group South (Campaign) (v. 1)Robert Kirchubel. 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.
- 1 2 Bergström 2007, p. 134.
- 1 2 3 4 Bergström 2007, p. 131.
- ↑ Niehorster, Air Forces, Western Special Military District
- 1 2 Bergström 2007, p. 132.
Bibliography
- Bergström, Christer. Barbarossa - The Air Battle: July–December 1941, London: Chervron/Ian Allen, 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
