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The largest land invasion in military history commenced on this day 85 years ago...
Posted on 6/22/26 at 11:55 am
Posted on 6/22/26 at 11:55 am
June 22, 1941.
Operation Barbarossa. Nazi Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union featured between 3.5-3.8 million men attacking along a front that stretched from 1,800 miles from north to south. 153 German divisions, grouped into three separate army groups, were backed by 3,600 tanks and some 600,000 motor vehicles.
Army Group North, led by Field Marshal Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb, would drive through the Baltic states with the ultimate goal of seizing Leningrad. Army Group Center, commanded by Field Marshal Fedor von Bock, was tasked with smashing into the heart of Russia and seizing Smolensk before moving onto Moscow. Army Group South, commanded by Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt, was to drive into Ukraine and seize the city of Kiev.
Despite repeated warnings from the British and other third parties, the Russians were taken totally by surprise in those first hours. In what was the most destructive single day in the history of air warfare, some 3,000 German aircraft of the vaunted Luftwaffee destroyed between 1,800-2,000 Soviet planes while they sat uselessly on the ground. While some Red Army units fought valiantly and held their positions for hours or even days, the front line of the Russian front disintegrated very quickly. By the end of the week, the entire Russian army was in full retreat under the enormous weight of the German onslaught.
A good video for the opening hours of the German invasion of Russia can be found at the embedded link below:
Operation Barbarossa. Nazi Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union featured between 3.5-3.8 million men attacking along a front that stretched from 1,800 miles from north to south. 153 German divisions, grouped into three separate army groups, were backed by 3,600 tanks and some 600,000 motor vehicles.
Army Group North, led by Field Marshal Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb, would drive through the Baltic states with the ultimate goal of seizing Leningrad. Army Group Center, commanded by Field Marshal Fedor von Bock, was tasked with smashing into the heart of Russia and seizing Smolensk before moving onto Moscow. Army Group South, commanded by Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt, was to drive into Ukraine and seize the city of Kiev.
Despite repeated warnings from the British and other third parties, the Russians were taken totally by surprise in those first hours. In what was the most destructive single day in the history of air warfare, some 3,000 German aircraft of the vaunted Luftwaffee destroyed between 1,800-2,000 Soviet planes while they sat uselessly on the ground. While some Red Army units fought valiantly and held their positions for hours or even days, the front line of the Russian front disintegrated very quickly. By the end of the week, the entire Russian army was in full retreat under the enormous weight of the German onslaught.
A good video for the opening hours of the German invasion of Russia can be found at the embedded link below:
This post was edited on 6/22/26 at 11:56 am
14
Posted on 6/22/26 at 12:01 pm to RollTide1987
Just finished the Barbarossa WWII with Tom Hank’s episode. The speed at which they advanced into the Soviet Union the first few weeks was jaw dropping followed closely behind by the Einsatzgruppen.
General Yamashita copied the German blitzkrieg for their invasion of the Philippines.
General Yamashita copied the German blitzkrieg for their invasion of the Philippines.
Posted on 6/22/26 at 12:07 pm to RollTide1987
The largest land invasion (not in military history) is currently occurring in Texas.
Posted on 6/22/26 at 12:59 pm to RollTide1987
Before someone posts that Hitler shouldn't have invaded Russia, let me reiterate that it was a core element, and really the core element of Nazi ideology. Everything else Hitler did since 1932 was merely setting conditions for conquering Russia. It wasn't a poorly chosen option, it was the centerpiece of his worldview.
This post was edited on 6/22/26 at 1:27 pm
Posted on 6/22/26 at 1:06 pm to Jim Rockford
If Hitler launches Barbarossa in early May, who knows how the war goes. Those 5 weeks were key.
Posted on 6/22/26 at 1:07 pm to RollTide1987
quote:
153 German divisions
I never once grasped that scale until this moment.
That is over 12 times the size of the coalition forces in Desert Storm, which breaks my brain.
Posted on 6/22/26 at 1:07 pm to RollTide1987
German would have won WWII in Europe if they had:
1) demolished the troops at Dunkirk
2) continued bombing the RAF bases instead of switching to civilian targets (would likely not have even been necessary had they done #1 because Britain would almost certainly have sued for peace)
3) bypassed Stalingrad and beelined for the Caucasus oil fields and Moscow
4) not declared war on the USA
1) demolished the troops at Dunkirk
2) continued bombing the RAF bases instead of switching to civilian targets (would likely not have even been necessary had they done #1 because Britain would almost certainly have sued for peace)
3) bypassed Stalingrad and beelined for the Caucasus oil fields and Moscow
4) not declared war on the USA
Posted on 6/22/26 at 1:09 pm to Shexter
quote:
The largest land invasion (not in military history) is currently occurring in Texas.
Probably the '47 Partition.
Posted on 6/22/26 at 1:17 pm to RollTide1987
Because we are used to "big numbers" in the West like 2k to 3k KIA, so just for perspective on the Eastern Front of WWII:
From June 22, 1941 to VE day on May 8, 1945 (a period of just under 4 years) the Soviets had approximately 1500 KIA every...single...day (and about double that of civilians). Now, Stalin did some of that and blamed it on Hitler, but still.
Compare this to U.S. KIA of about 2500 on D-Day, 2404 on December 7 or even more modern, or about 3k on 9/11.
The Soviets lost an average of 1/2 to 2/3 of a D-Day, Pearl Harbor or 9/11 EVERY DAY OF THE WAR IN THE EAST - TROOPS ONLY - and about twice that (1x to 1.5x) in civilians.
From June 22, 1941 to VE day on May 8, 1945 (a period of just under 4 years) the Soviets had approximately 1500 KIA every...single...day (and about double that of civilians). Now, Stalin did some of that and blamed it on Hitler, but still.
Compare this to U.S. KIA of about 2500 on D-Day, 2404 on December 7 or even more modern, or about 3k on 9/11.
The Soviets lost an average of 1/2 to 2/3 of a D-Day, Pearl Harbor or 9/11 EVERY DAY OF THE WAR IN THE EAST - TROOPS ONLY - and about twice that (1x to 1.5x) in civilians.
This post was edited on 6/22/26 at 1:18 pm
Posted on 6/22/26 at 1:26 pm to udtiger
German would have won WWII in Europe if
—if Hitler wasn’t Hitler
—if Hitler wasn’t Hitler
Posted on 6/22/26 at 1:26 pm to cypresstiger
quote:
German would have won WWII in Europe if
—if Hitler wasn’t Hitler
Posted on 6/22/26 at 3:07 pm to udtiger
quote:
1) demolished the troops at Dunkirk
Stopping Rommel’s tanks because Hitler’s ego and his wanting to have full control of the military was insanely stupid. They had dunkirk in the bag until they halted.
The war would’ve gone differently if Hitler would’ve humbled himself and listened to his intelligent generals.
Posted on 6/22/26 at 3:09 pm to RollTide1987
That was Chapter 1 of the Eastern Front.
Chapter 2: Winter in Russia is a bitch
Chapter 2: Winter in Russia is a bitch
Posted on 6/22/26 at 3:22 pm to sledgehammer
quote:
General Yamashita copied the German blitzkrieg for their invasion of the Philippines.
thought he was in command of the Malayan Offensive in 41/42 and then was in command of the Philippines in 44/45 during the defense....
Posted on 6/22/26 at 3:45 pm to tigeraddict
quote:
quote:
General Yamashita copied the German blitzkrieg for their invasion of the Philippines.
thought he was in command of the Malayan Offensive in 41/42 and then was in command of the Philippines in 44/45 during the defense....
I believe Homa was in charge of the Philipines invasion in 1941/42.
Posted on 6/22/26 at 3:48 pm to tigeraddict
You’re correct. I got mixed up. That’s part of the reason why they took Malaya and Singapore so quickly.
Eta: In dec 1940, Gen. Yamashita went to Germany to visit Hitler. “Hitler wanted to pressure the Japanese military into declaring war on Britain and the United States…. Yamashia hoped to inspect Germany’s military techniques and improve Japan’s own prospects at war”
Eta: In dec 1940, Gen. Yamashita went to Germany to visit Hitler. “Hitler wanted to pressure the Japanese military into declaring war on Britain and the United States…. Yamashia hoped to inspect Germany’s military techniques and improve Japan’s own prospects at war”
This post was edited on 6/22/26 at 3:57 pm
Posted on 6/22/26 at 4:35 pm to Jim Rockford
quote:
Before someone posts that Hitler shouldn't have invaded Russia, let me reiterate that it was a core element,
Hitler/Nazi Germanay needed the oil fields in the Black Sea area. If he had gotten those the war might have taken a different tack. Fortunately, Russia chose that as one of the hills to literally die on...
Posted on 6/22/26 at 4:37 pm to Obtuse1
quote:
quote:
153 German divisions
I never once grasped that scale until this moment.
That is over 12 times the size of the coalition forces in Desert Storm, which breaks my brain.
And if you took those same Desert Storm forces vs all 153 German divisions, you'd wipe the Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe out faster than we blasted Saddam. I wonder if we will ever see massed humanity like that again outside of China attacking someone.
Posted on 6/22/26 at 5:37 pm to RollTide1987
quote:
Operation Barbarossa. Nazi Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union featured between 3.5-3.8 million men attacking along a front that stretched from 1,800 miles from north to south. 153 German divisions, grouped into three separate army groups, were backed by 3,600 tanks and some 600,000 motor vehicles.
Despite all this, the vast majority of those 153 divisions were still leg infantry and relied on horses and wagons for transportation of their artillery and supply columns.
The German order of battle for Barbarossa had 15 motorized infantry and 19 panzer divisions. The other 119 divisions moved no different than did the armies of Napoleon when he invaded Russia 2 days shy of 129 years earlier, namely at the speed men could march and horses could pull wagons.
Posted on 6/22/26 at 6:00 pm to RollTide1987
I always enjoy reading about the eastern front. The death toll in all the battles is just staggering.
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