Tank Warfare on the Eastern Front, 1941-1942: Schwerpunkt

A mixed German armoured Kampfgruppe begins the attack into the Soviet Union. By June 1941, the Germans were well-versed in combined arms tactics, which gave them an overwhelming advantage in the early border battles. (Ian Barter)

Abandoned Soviet T-26 light tanks from Oborin’s 14th Mechanized Corps in Kobrin, 23 June 1941. Panzergruppe Guderian demolished this Red Army formation after crossing the Western Bug River. (Author)

A knocked-out T-26 light tank and a victim of the early border battles. The T-26 was the most common Soviet tank in 1941 and the German panzerjägers were well-equipped to defeat them. (Ian Barter)

A Pz.38(t) light tank from the 12.Panzer-Division, which was part of Hoth’s Panzergruppe 3. The German dependence on Czech light tanks was an indication of Hitler’s attempt to fight a total war on the cheap. (Ian Barter)

A German infantryman approaches a dead Soviet tanker next to his burning BT-7 fast tank, Ukraine, June 1941. The Soviet tank took a hit on the hull, probably from a 3.7cm round, which ignited the fuel tank. (Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-020–1268–36, Foto: Hähle, Johannes)

A 15cm sIG 33 (sf), probably from 1.Panzer-Division, passes an abandoned KV-2 heavy tank in June 1941. The Germans were awed by the great bulk of the KV-2, even though it performed very poorly in battle. (Author)

During the Battle of Dubno on 26 June 1941, the Soviet 12th Tank Division attempted to attack the German-held village of Leshnev, but advancing into marshy terrain along the Syten’ka River they lost three T-34 tanks that got bogged down. Note that the tank in the foreground is a T-34 Model 1940 armed with the L-11 gun, while the other two are Model 1941.

A T-34 Model 1941 which overran and crushed a German l.FH18 10.5cm howitzer. The T-34 was a very advanced tank for 1941, but many went into battle with limited ammunition and fuel, and used ramming tactics as an expedient. (Author)

A StuG III assault gun crossing a river in the early stages of Operation Barbarossa. The wooden road bridge has been damaged by the retreating Red Army, forcing the Germans to use a ford to get across. River-crossings dictated the tempo of armoured operations in Russia. (Author)