Friday 27 June 1941

Finnish soldiers replace the barrel of a Pz. II. Suomussalmi, Kuivajärvi, Finland - 27 June 1941 (Source: SA-kuva).

Eastern Front: Purportedly in response to the controversial (because the actual source of it is unclear) air attack on Kassa on the 26th - but almost certainly stemming from deeper impulses - Hungary declares war upon the Soviet Union. While not exactly a major military power, Hungary does have a capable army and a geopolitically important location in the heart of Europe. Hungary's main beef, however, is not with the Soviets, but with its neighbor to the south - Romania. For the time being, those differences will be set aside in the hope that everyone will acquire vast new holdings in the East.

The Finnish sector remains quiet. The Finns are preparing plans for an invasion of the Karelian Isthmus but are not yet ready to attack, while the Soviets are hard-pressed against the Germans and are pulling troops away from the northern sector.

In the Army Group North sector, Adolf Hitler has directed the leading panzer elements of Field Marshal von Leeb's forces to consolidate their positions while the infantry catches up. This includes reinforcing the small bridgehead across the Dvina River secured by German commandos at Daugavpils. German 18th Army advancing along the coast takes the port of Liepaja.

Germans using a captured French Cavalry Tank, a Somua S35 Nr282 from Panzerzug Nr 28, and a T-26B from the German 45 Infantry Division during the battle at the Brest fortress. 25-27 June 1941. The tanks are being prepared to attack the fortress.

In the Army Group Center sector, General Guderian's 2nd Panzer Group completes an encirclement by hooking up with General Hoth's 3rd Panzer Group. The German advance forms two pockets: one around Bialystok, and the other west of Minsk. Inside the pockets are large elements of the Soviet 3rd, 4th, 10th, 11th, and 13th Armies. German 9th and 4th Armies will invest the pocket while the panzers are released to advance further east. Eventually, the Germans claim to have captured 324,000 Soviet troops, 3,300 tanks, and 1800 artillery pieces.

In the Army Group South sector, the German 17th Army continues advancing toward Lviv. Advance elements of the German 11th Panzer Division reach Ostrog, which is 30 km behind Soviet lines. However, the main story is the frantic Soviet effort to stop or blunt the German advance.

A Soviet counterattack against the advancing 1st Panzer Group from both north and south continues at the Battle of Brody. The Soviet 9th, 19th, and 8th Mechanized Corps are involved, but the Soviet attacks are uncoordinated and self-supporting. Some of the Soviet attacks miss the fast-moving panzers and instead hit the following German 6th Army's 297th Infantry Division.

German column passes a Soviet heavy tank KV-2 which has been destroyed by its own crew, 27 June 1941. This is at the commencement of the 41st Panzer Division move from Kovel (Federal Archive).

The major attack of the day occurs by the tanks of Soviet Lieutenant-General Nikolai Popel, commander of the 8th Tank Corps. A People's Commissar and thus subject to execution if caught by the Germans, Popel has about 300 tanks, including 100 T-34 and KV tanks which are the only types the Soviets have which are giving the Germans trouble. Popel hits the rear of the 11th Panzer Division, cutting its line of communications and taking the crossroads town of Dubno. General Franz Halder writes in his diary:

In the Army Group South sector, heavy fighting continues on the right flank of Panzer Group 1. The Russian 8th Tank Corps has effected a deep penetration of our front and is now in the rear of the 11th Panzer Division. This penetration has seriously disrupted our rear areas between Brody and Dubno. The enemy is threatening Dubno from the southwest ... the enemy also has several separate tank groups acting in the rear of Panzer Group 1, which are managing to cover considerable distances.

Popel decides to dig in at Dubno and await reinforcements. Other Soviet forces hear of Popel's success and plan their own attacks on the 28th.

However, the Soviet leadership is doubtful that Popel's attack will lead to good things. General Kirponos orders a halt to the counteroffensive, fearing that advancing into the Wehrmacht's flanks will simply make it easier for the panzers to encircle them. In fact, Kirponos is so fearful that, rather than try to exploit Popel's success, he orders a general retreat.

German troops of the 45th Infantry Division using a captured Soviet T-26B during the battle around the Brest Fortress, 25 or 27 June 1941. Using "found" weapons is a common practice - in fact, behind the T-26 you can see a Somua S-35 French Cavalry Tank from Panzerzug Nr. 28.

When Chief of Staff Georgy Zhukov hears of this, he immediately countermands Kirponos' orders. Even though Kirponos' orders to retreat stand for only two hours, they cause confusion throughout the widely scattered Soviet forces. Some Soviet commanders, such as the commander of the 9th Mechanized Corps General Rokossovsky, agree with Kirponos and decide to simply ignore Zhukov's new orders to attack - a very brave decision in the Soviet Union. All of this leads to recriminations that are typical of this period within the Soviet military.

The Luftwaffe continues to have dominance over Soviet skies. However, it is taking losses. One of those today is 34-victory ace Heinz "Pietzsch" Bretnütz, shot down over Lithuania in the opening operations of Operation Barbarossa. Lithuanian farmers hide him from Soviet soldiers for several days, but just after the Wehrmacht arrives, he dies today from a leg injury. Bretnütz was the leader of II./JG 53. While the Luftwaffe has a broad spectrum of pilots who are among the best in the world, it does not have a tremendous amount of depth - so losses of top pilots like Bretnütz matter.

Heinz "Pietzsch" Bretnütz (24 January 1914 – 27 June 1941).

Syrian/Lebanon Campaign: While major operations are in a lull after the capture of Damascus, the Australians continue consolidating their position. The 2/3 Battalion makes a major effort to capture Jebel Mazar in the Merdjayoun sector. While this mainly consists of simply organizing a party to climb the massif, the Vichy French cannot fail to see this. They immediately send units of the I/17th Senegalese, V/1st Moroccan, and other foreign troops in an unsuccessful counterattack.

Elsewhere, the Vichy French continue to resist fiercely. At Palmyra, site of a major French airbase, the French continue to hold out against the British Habforce lingering in the area.

Royal Navy light cruisers HMS Hotspur, Jervis, Kingston, and Naiad bombard Damour, Lebanon (south of Beirut) at dawn to aid the arduous Australian advance up the coast.

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command attacks Bremen (108 bombers) and Vegesack (28) during the night.

During the day, RAF Fighter Command sends 23 planes on a Circus mission over Lille. The RAF also conducts two sweeps over the French coast.

German  45th Infantry Division using a captured T-26B during the fight at the Brest-Litowsk fortress, 25 or 27 June 1941. Near the T-26 is a Somua S-35 from Panzerzug Nr. 28.

East African Campaign: The East African 22nd Infantry Brigade captures Dembi in Galla-Sidamo, Abyssinia. The RAF attacks Italian fortifications at Debra Tabor.

Battle of the Baltic: German motor torpedo boats S.59 and S.60 torpedo and sink Soviet submarine S.10 in the Irben Strait.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks Soviet G-5 motor torpedo boats N. 27 and No. 47 off Estonia.

German motor torpedo boats S-43 and S-107 hits a mine and blows up north of Hiiumaa.

Soviet submarine L-3 lays mines off of Memel. Finnish ships also lay mines.

The Soviets scuttle freighter Mariampol at Riga as they prepare to retreat.

The Wehrmacht captures many ships of the Latvian State Shipping Co. at the Port of Liepaja, including:

• MV AUSEKLIS (SU 1700 grt)
• MV VELTA (SU 3100 grt)
• MV VENTA (SU 2830 grt) 
• MV KAIA (SU 244 grt) 
• MV OGRE (SU 416 grt) 
• MV RAUNA (SU 3100 grt) 
• MV SPIDOLA (SU 4650 grt) 

Undoubtedly there also are many smaller ships captured in this and other ports.

Soldiers on both sides are dying in massive numbers on the Eastern Front. Gunner Heinz Sagawe, killed June 27, 1941

Battle of the Atlantic: It is a haphazard day at sea, with heavy losses by both sides. In particular, it is a bad day for Axis submarines, with two sunk and others suffering furious depth-charge attacks.

U-556 (Kptlt. Herbert Wohlfarth), on its second patrol out of Lorient and operating midway between southern Greenland and Iceland, attacks Convoy HX-133 but attracts the attention of convoy escorts. U-556 is sunk by depth charges from the British Flower-class corvettes HMS Nasturtium, Celandine, and Gladiolus. Five of the crew are killed and 41 (including Wohlfarth) survive. U-556 has sunk six ships totaling 29,552 tons and damaged another of 4,986 tons.

U-564 (KrvKpt. Reinhard Suhren), on its first patrol out of Kiel and operating in the mid-Atlantic, also attacks Convoy HX-133. He is a little luckier. The U-boat sinks two ships and damages a third:

8812-ton Dutch tanker Maasdam8651-ton British tanker Malaya II
9467-ton Norwegian tanker MV Kongsgaard

Some sources state that the Kongsgaard was damaged on the 24th, but most agree it was during this attack. In any event, it initially is abandoned by its crew, but they later reboard and Kongsgaard ultimately makes it to Belfast Lough. Incidentally, given that both U-556 and U-564 attack the convoy and only U-564 makes it back, there is always the possibility, however remote, that one of these hits was made by U-556 and not U-564.

Colonel-General Adolf Strauss (with Knight's Cross, right) discussing the situation with a captain over the map, 27 June 1941 (Lessmann, Federal Archive, Bild 146-1985-037-34A).

U-79 (Kptlt. Wolfgang Kaufmann), on its first patrol out of Kiel and also operating in the mid-Atlantic southwest of Iceland, also attacks Convoy HX-133. It torpedoes and damages 10,356-ton Dutch tanker Tibia. The Tibia makes it to the Tyne for repairs.

Royal Navy destroyer HMS Wishart spots Italian submarine Glauco west of Gibraltar and moves in to attack. After the submarine is damaged, the Glauco's crew scuttles it and goes into captivity. All 51 aboard the submarine survive.

U-69 (Kptlt. Jost Metzler), just ending its third patrol out of Lorient and operating off the west African coast, sights Convoy SL-78. It torpedoes and sinks two ships about 200 nautical miles (370 km; 230 mi) southeast of the Azores:

7603-ton British transport Empire Ability (two deaths, 107 survive)
5423-ton British freighter River Lugar (38 dead, 6 survivors rescued by convoy escorts Burdock and Armeria).

U-69 still has not returned to port since the sinking of US freighter Robin Moor, which caused an international incident. However, having just used its last two torpedoes and low on fuel, U-69 now breaks off the attack and heads back to port at St. Nazaire. However, it notifies U-boat headquarters in Paris of the convoy's location, and Admiral Doenitz vectors in U-66 and U-123 for further attacks.

U-123 (Kptlt. Karl-Heinz Moehle), on its fifth patrol out of Lorient, then also attacks Convoy SL-78. It sinks two ships:

5646-ton British ship P.L.M. 22 (32 dead, 12 survive)
1996-ton Dutch freighter Oberon (6 dead)

U-123 then takes the full fury of the Royal Navy escorts' fury at having lost so many ships in one day. In an epic 11-hour depth-charge attack, Moehle has to dive to an unheard-of 654 feet (199 m) to escape destruction.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Clyde departs from Gibraltar on Operation Vigorous. This is a patrol near the Canary Islands looking for a German supply ship that has been reported in the area.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 324-ton Royal Navy minesweeping trawler HMT Force off Great Yarmouth.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 6790-ton Dutch freighter Montferland off Great Yarmouth. Everyone survives.

German 8068-ton blockade runner Regensburg (Kpt. Harder) arrives in Bordeaux, France. It successfully has made passage halfway around the world from Dairen (aka Dalian, Port Arthur), China. These blockade runners are vital to the German economy because they bring materials such as rubber that are becoming scarce.

Royal Navy submarine Submarine L-26 grounds on the west coast of Mull, Scotland. She is refloated on the 28th, taken to Ardrossan and then Plymouth for repairs, and is out of service until February 1942.

Danish freighter Knud Villemoes hits a mine and sinks in the North Sea 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) northeast of Steingrun Prik, Heligoland, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.

Convoy WS-9B (Winston Special) departs from Avonmouth (the convoy doesn't formally start until the 30th) ultimately bound for Suez, Convoy OB-340 departs from Liverpool, Convoy SL-79 departs from Freetown bound for Liverpool.

"A 3.7-inch anti-aircraft gun in the Western Desert, 27 June 1941." © IWM (E 3870).

Battle of the Mediterranean: Royal Navy submarine HMS Triumph intercepts and sinks 650-ton Italian submarine Salpa off Marsa Matruh.

Italian submarine Jantina attacks Australian sloop HMAS Parramatta off Marsa Matruh. The torpedo misses, and Parramatta launches an unsuccessful depth charge attack against the submarine along with destroyer HMS Stuart. However, the Jantina escapes.

Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal, pursuant to Operation Railway, delivers 21 Hawker Hurricane fighters to Malta (one other is lost). Furious then sails back to Gibraltar.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Osiris makes an unsuccessful attack on a freighter in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

An Axis convoy of four ships with escorts departs from Taranto bound for Tripoli. It has a heavy escort (some at a distance) including two cruisers and seven destroyers.

Over Malta, the RAF continues to have success against the Regia Aeronautica. A formation of Hawker Hurricanes intercepts a large formation of Italian Macchi fighters - considered to be among Italy's best. The British shoot down six of the Italian planes and damage several others. This is Italy's version of RAF Circus operations over France, as the large formation of Macchi's only escort one SM-79 bomber that is there only to entice the Hurricanes into battle.

Battle of the Black Sea: Soviet submarine SC-206 spots a ship and attacks it. Unfortunately for the crew of the SC-206, it is a fellow Soviet ship, Flotilla Leader Kharkov, which is returning from operations off Romania. The Soviet ships escorting the Kharkiv quickly attack and sink SC-206.

Battle of the Pacific: German raider Komet makes a rendezvous with captured whaler Adjutant, which has just completed laying mines off of New Zealand. With its usefulness at an end, Adjutant is scuttled and Komet sails off on its next mission.

British war casualties notice published on 27 June 1941 in the Times and the Clitheroe Advertiser.

War Crimes: This is always a controversial section, and not everyone will agree that something is a war crime - that's what trials are for, and most suspected war crimes during World War II were not adjudicated at any time. Many such incidents during the war occur simply due to ignorance or misunderstandings by the parties involved and not due to malevolence. This appears to be one of them. However, I place suspect incidents here for you to judge for yourself.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 288-ton Latvian ferry Vieniba, apparently being used as a hospital ship, near Libava (Libau). The ship sinks close enough to land for eight crewmen to swim to shore, and five other people are rescued later. However, an unknown number of people estimated at around 800 perish in the sinking, including many Latvians. The ship reputedly is carrying a large number of wounded soldiers.

There is a major caveat to the "loss" figures, as some claim that many Estonian crewmen survive the sinking. However, according to these rumors, they decide not to reveal their survival because they do not wish to get killed in the war. So, the figure of 800 dead may be somewhat lower - but not necessarily.

The reason this is a controversial sinking is (with the proviso that these are unreliable sources) the Wehrmacht knows that the Vieniba is a hospital ship and agree not to attack it. However, this information does not get to the Luftwaffe, which sinks it anyway.

Partisans: The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia appoints Joseph Broz "Tito" as Commander-in-Chief of the Yugoslavian Peoples Army. This is one of two competing partisan forces that are in the embryonic phase in Yugoslavia - and they have a very difficult relationship.

Battleship Iowa under construction New York Navy Yard, New York, United States 27 June 1941.

Spy Stuff: The Japanese decide that getting charts of the Panama Canal zone out of the Zone is too dangerous because all departing passengers and luggage are being searched. However, they still want the charts, which they plan to use in a future attack on the Panama Canal. The Japanese continue exerting diplomatic efforts through various sources (such as the Japanese minister in Mexico) to prevent airline authorities (specifically Pan American Airways) from searching diplomatic luggage.

Propaganda: In public, the Soviet government pretends that all is well. Today, it announces:

Our troops are fighting fiercely against large Fascist armoured units in the Minsk area. The battle is still going on. Violent armored conflicts have been waged all day near Lutsk [in western Ukraine; in Polish, it means "Luck"]. Our operations have proceeded favorably.

In fact, operations are not proceeding favorably at all. These "happy statements" mirror those of previously besieged regimes, particularly the Poles (and Baghdad Bob decades later, but that's another story).

This isn't fooling anyone. According to British correspondent Alexander Werth in "Russia at War 1941 to 1945" (London 1964), savvy Soviet citizens know how to read between the lines and "decode" official statements. When a communique says that there is successful fighting "in the direction or" or "in the area" of such-and-such place, it simply means the fighting has reached that city and it is about to fall. Thus, the official statements are a handy way of keeping track of how far the German invasion has penetrated. They also provide clues as to how much time is left before the readers themselves will have to seek refuge or welcome the invaders.

"A Bren gunner of the Norwegian Brigade takes aim during training at Dumfries, Scotland, 27 June 1941." © IWM (H 11120).

Anglo/Soviet Relations: A British military mission led by Ambassador Sir Stafford Cripps arrives in Moscow. Privately, the members fear they will have to be evacuated soon - when the Germans arrive.

German/Soviet Relations: At some point during this week - details are very sketchy - Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin attempts to broker a peace deal with Hitler through a Bulgarian diplomat, Ivan Stamenov. Foreign Minister Molotov has Lavrentiy Beria arrange this by using one of Beria's subordinates, NKVD officer Pavel Sudoplatov, who has a "casual" lunch at a Moscow restaurant with the diplomat. Sudoplatov explains to Stamenov what to say to Hitler. Stalin is willing to offer huge concessions for peace, including Ukraine and all of the areas granted to him in the "secret protocol" to the 23 August 1939 Molotov/Ribbentrop Pact in the Baltic States. Stalin does, though, demand to know why Hitler invaded the USSR.

Hitler turns Stalin down flat and will not even consider the offer. This is one of Hitler's biggest mistakes. These revelations were hidden for many years but came to light during the period after Stalin died from natural causes in the 1950s. There are few other details of this little-known incident, but there is no reason to doubt that it happened. This peace offer was classified as treason and was one of the charges used to condemn Beria to death. The others involved - including the Bulgarian Stamenov diplomat used as the go-between - submitted affidavits confirming the incident. Sudoplatov confessed to it under interrogation and also was convicted of treason, serving 15 full years in prison (yes, there are many questions about the validity of such "proof," but there was a lot of corroboration). Molotov was never tried for treason despite his deep role in the incident, but gradually fell out of favor, lost his positions one by one, and by 1962 was a "non-person" in the Soviet bureaucracy.
Danish/Soviet Relations: Denmark - nominally independent though under German "protection" - breaks diplomatic relations with the USSR.

Japanese/Dutch Relations: The Japanese conclude negotiations with the government in the Dutch East Indies. They have not gotten what they wanted, which is complete control of all exports.

Soviet Military: The government mobilizes members of the Komsomol - the Soviet equivalent of the Hitler Youth - as "political soldiers."

Douglas XB-19.

US Military: The Douglas XB-19 experimental long-range bomber (XBLR-2) makes its first flight over Santa Monica, California. It is the largest bomber in the world. The four-engined bomber has a length of 132.25 feet (40,34 meters), a wingspan of 212 feet (64.62 meters), an empty weight of 86,000 pounds (39,009 kilograms), a normal range of 5,200 miles (8,369 km) and a maximum range of 7,710 miles (12 408 kilometers). It is contemplated that the X-19 will have a normal complement of 16 crew.

This first flight goes well, though the four 2,000 hp Wright R-3350 air-cooled radials engines show a tendency to overheat. The real problem is that this flight is over three years since the construction contract was awarded. During that time, the B-17 has gone from the drawing board to airfields in England. Already, the expensive XB-19 bomber is considered past its prime and virtually obsolete, but the US Army Air Force considers it a useful test-bed for future bombers. Douglas is not particularly happy about the contract - it has sunk $4 million of its own money into the bomber's development above and beyond the $1.4 million that it has received from the USAAF.

Kaunas, Lithuania, Jewish men dragging a German tank under the supervision of German soldiers and local militiamen, 27 June 1941 (Source: Yad Vashem Photo Archive).

German Government: Adolf Hitler remains planted at his new headquarters in Rastenburg, East Prussia. This enables him to pose as "leading from the front" in headlines around the world, though he could have as much control over operations by sitting at his desk in the Chancellery in Berlin.

While this situation meets Hitler's needs, his staff privately is grumbling about the environment. General Alfred Jodl's staff diarist writes in a private letter:

We are being plagued by the most awful mosquitoes.  It would be hard to pick on a more senseless site than this—deciduous forest with marshy pools, sandy ground, and stagnant lakes, ideal for these loathsome creatures.

Having little to do seems to focus Hitler on the minutiae of operations, something that previously he largely left to the generals. He begins coming to the conclusion - as he had at Dunkirk in May 1940 - that the panzers are rushing ahead too fast and need to be restrained, especially in the Army Group North sector.

The massacre of 68 Jews in the Lietukis garage of Kaunas (Lithuania) on either 25 or 27 of June 1941.

Holycaust: The Einsatzgruppen (special execution squads) are enthusiastically following closely behind the front lines and quickly going to work. Mass liquidations of Jews in Bialystok begin. There also is a notorious massacre at a Kaunas (Kovno) garage which some place on this date, and others on the 25th (and may, in fact, take place on both dates).

Without taking anything away from the culpability of the Einsatzgruppen, many of these pogroms are public and entirely in the open, with locals eagerly participating. In fact, often local citizens take up crowbars or other blunt instruments and beat their victims in front of laughing crowds.

American Homefront: New York Yankee Joe DiMaggio gets a home run and another hit in three at-bats against the Philadelphia Athletics. This extends his hitting streak to 39 games.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer releases "They Met in Bombay," starring Clark Gable and Rosalind Russell. Gable and Russell play jewel thieves whose plans fall apart when Gable's character inadvertently becomes a war hero.

Future History: Krzysztof Kieślowski is born in Warsaw, Poland. He grows up to become a top European director perhaps best known for "Dekalog" (1989), "The Double Life of Veronique" (1991), and the "Three Colors trilogy" (1993–1994).

Demonstration on the occasion of a visit by Government Commissioner Seyss-Inquart and Anton Mussert, leader of the N.S.B. Asked if the invasion of the Soviet Union five days earlier was to have led to German rule over the European continent: "Yes, even over the whole world," according to Seyss-Inquart.

June 1941

June 1, 1941: Farhud Pogrom
June 2, 1941: Massacres on Crete
June 3, 1941: Kandanos Massacre
June 4, 1941: Kaiser Wilhelm Passes Away
June 5, 1941: Death in Chungking
June 6, 1941: Hitler's Commissar Order
June 7, 1941: Commandos Strike at Pessac
June 8, 1941: British Invade Syria and Lebanon
June 9, 1941: Litani River Battle
June 10, 1941: British Take Assab
June 11, 1941: Hitler Thinking Beyond Russia
June 12, 1941: St. James Agreement
June 13, 1941: Lützow Damaged
June 14, 1941: Latvian June Deportations
June 15, 1941: Operation Battleaxe
June 16, 1941: The Old Lion
June 17, 1941: British Spanked in North Africa
June 18, 1941: Turkey Turns Its Back
June 19, 1941: Cheerios Introduced
June 20, 1941: Birth of US Army Air Force
June 21, 1941: Damascus Falls
June 22, 1941: Germany Invades Russia
June 23, 1941: A Soviet KV Tank Causes Havoc
June 24, 1941: Kaunas and Vilnius Fall
June 25, 1941: Finland Declares War
June 26, 1941: Bombing of Kassa
June 27, 1941: Encirclement At Minsk
June 28, 1941: Minsk Falls
June 29, 1941: Brest Fortress Falls
June 30, 1941: Mölders Becomes Top Ace

2020

Monday 23 June 1941

Soviet troops head to the front, 23 June 1941 (© SPUTNIK/ ANATOLIY GARANIN).

Eastern Front: Slovakia declares war on the USSR on 23 June 1941, joining Germany and Italy. Hungary and Finland remain on the sidelines, though both are gearing up for war. Croatia offers to send troops to assist the Wehrmacht.

Operation Barbarossa continues, with action on all the major axes of advance.

In Army Group North (Field Marshal Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb), the German 4th Panzer Group faces an ineffective counterattack by Soviet 3rd and 12th Mechanized Corps in the Battle of Raseiniai. The Germans are barely slowed, but the Soviets continue attacking because they don't have another plan. By the end of the day, the German tanks have advanced about 50 miles.

A Soviet KV-1 heavy tank.

The Battle of Raseiniai is significant not because of its tactical effect, but because the Germans experience a severe shock at Soviet tank strength. Specifically, at one point a single Soviet KV-1 or KV-2 tank pierce the German lines and winds up at a column of German trucks of the  6th Panzer Division. When four 50-mm anti-tank guns prove ineffective in stopping it, the Germans move up a heavy 88-mm Flak gun to about 730 meters (800 yards), but the Soviet tank destroys it before it can fire (Flak guns have no protection and are very immobile). This standoff lasts until the 25th when another 88-mm gun and some German panzers finally destroy it. This proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that German military intelligence was sorely lacking about Soviet tank strength.

In Army Group Center, 2nd Panzer Group and 3rd Panzer Group break out past the Bug River. General Guderian's 2nd Panzer Group shrugs off Soviet 4th Army, bypasses Brest Fortress, and takes the main road toward Minsk. General Hermann Hoth's 3rd Panzer Group sidesteps Soviet 3rd Army and heads toward Vilnius, which its forward units reach late in the day.

In Army Group South, the terrain is advantageous to the defense, and this axis of advance gives the Wehrmacht the most problems. German 1st Panzer Group and 6th Army have broken through Soviet 5th Army, but late on the 23rd, the Soviets make their first serious counterattack in the Battle of Brody (considered the largest tank battle of the war up until the Battle of Kursk in July 1943). Soviet 22nd and 15th Mechanized Corps, containing new T-34 medium and KV heavy tanks, hit the flanks of the advancing 1st Panzer Group from north and south, respectively. This develops into a lengthy battle, but eventually, the German III Motorized Corps destroys the 22nd Mechanized Corps, while the 6th Army's 297th Infantry Division handles the Soviet 15th Motorized Corps.

Soviet bombers attack Constanta. Lieutenant Horia Agarici, flying a Hurricane from Mamaia Airfield, shoots down three bombers and disperses the formation. According to Romanian practice which counts twin-engined aircraft as a "double kill," this makes Agarici an "ace in a day" with six confirmed kills. Lt. Agarici quickly becomes a celebrity due to the happenstance that his brother-in-law composes a rhyming ditty which roughly goes, "Agarici is fighting the Bolshevici."

Luftwaffe fighter ace Max-Hellmuth Ostermann claims two Soviet bombers downed

Soviet prisoner of war with a loaf of bread (Lessmann, Federal Archives Bild 146-1991-039-03).

Australian troops of the 2/33 Battalion attempt to outflank the Vichy French in Merdjayoun by capturing Ibeles Saki. However, the Vichy French there continue to hold out.

During the night of the 22/23, French destroyer Guepard sorties briefly from Beirut Harbor and runs into Royal Navy light cruisers HMS Leander and Naiad, along with three Royal Navy destroyers. After a brief exchange of gunfire, both Guepard and Leander are lightly damaged and Guepard retires to Beirut.

The British establish a 5000-man 1st Greek Brigade in Palestine under the command of Colonel Ev. Antoniou. This formation, however, requires training and cannot be used right away.

New York Times, 23 June 1941.

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command raids Cologne with 62 aircraft and Dusseldorf with 41 bombers. After dark, it raids Kiel with 26 bombers.

RAF Bomber Command sends 39 aircraft on anti-shipping missions and other planes on Circus missions to Chocqueres and Mardyck. Luftwaffe ace "Pips" Priller of I,/JG 26 shoots down a Spitfire. Both sides take losses, with the Luftwaffe losing 8-victory ace Carl-Hans Röders when he is killed during the melee and the RAF losing two bombers.

The RAF completes its first chain of GEE guidance stations, with three now set up. These will be used to guide RAF bombers to their targets.

Battle of the Baltic: The Soviets scuttle a number of submarines at the Latvian port of Libau to avoid capture: M-71, M-80, Ronis, and Spidola. In the confused actions today, some of these might be sunk by German forces, but that is unclear.

U-144 (Friedrich von Hippel) torpedoes and sinks 206-ton Soviet submarine M.78 east of Ventspils and west of Windau, Latvia. All 15 men on board perish. This is the only victory in the career of U-144.

German motor torpedo boat S-60 engages in a surface gun battle with Soviet submarine S-3 off Libau. After the Soviet submarine submerges, S-60 sinks it with depth charges. Everybody on S-3 perishes.

German motor torpedo boats S-35 and S-60 torpedo and sink Soviet submarine S.3 off Steinort, Poland.

German motor torpedo boat sinks Soviet lightship Khiumadal in the Baltic.

German motor torpedo boat S-44 torpedoes and sinks Soviet freighter Alf off Tallin, Estonia.

Soviet cruiser Maksim Gorki hits a mine in the Baltic. This causes extensive damage, blowing off its bow all the way to the first turret. The cruiser makes it to Leningrad for repairs.

Soviet destroyer Gnevny its a mine north of Hiiumaa, Estonia. It apparently makes it back to port, but there are conflicting accounts that say it sinks today.

Map of the opening stages of Operation Barbarossa.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-203 (Kptlt. Rolf Mützelburg) begins shadowing Convoy HX-133 and calls for assistance from other U-boats. Eventually, ten U-boats engage the convoy. This begins a major convoy battle that develops over several days.

The crew of German supply ship Alstertor scuttles it after being intercepted by Royal Navy destroyers Faulknor, Foresight, Forester, Foxhound, and Fury of the 8th Destroyer Flotilla. Included among the survivors picked up by the destroyers are 78 British prisoners of war taken from British freighters Rabaul and Trafalgar.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 5265-ton British freighter Trelissick near Sheringham Buoy, Cromer. There are two deaths.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 1351-ton British freighter Tolworth a few miles off Cromer. The Tolworth makes it to the Tyne for repairs.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages Royal Navy transport HMT Nogi off Cromer. Two other transport ships, Contender and Solon, take Nogi in tow, but it eventually sinks.

British 717-ton freighter Hull Trader hits a mine and sinks near No. 57C Buoy off Cromer. There are 11 deaths.

British 324-ton freighter Camroux II hits a mine and is damaged off Flamborough Head. The Camroux II makes it to Immingham in tow.

Royal Navy destroyers HMS Eggesford, Melbreak and Tantaside are laid down.

U-519 is laid down.

"Forgive Me, Comrade." Cartoon published on 23 June 1941 in the London Daily Mail depicting Hitler's betrayal of his 1939 pact with Stalin (Copyright ©Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved).

Battle of the Mediterranean: During the early morning hours, the Luftwaffe raids Alexandria Harbor for just under two hours. They manage a near-miss of battleship HMS Warspite. This floods two bulges, and the ship needs repairs.

The Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica bomb Tobruk.

The RAF based on Malta attacks Syracuse Harbor. The British damage a hangar, some barracks, and some flying boats.

Battle of the Black Sea: The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks Soviet destroyer Bystry in the port of Sevastopol. The Soviets later salvage the Bystry.

Soviet destroyer Dnepr hits a mine and sinks in Sevastopol Harbor.

Soviet military tug SP-12 hits a mine and sinks in Sevastopol Harbor.

A junior German officer over a fallen comrade on the second day of the invasion of Russia, June 23, 1941.

Propaganda: The German News Service announces:

Early Sunday morning 9 Russian Glenn Martin bombers flew into East Prussia and 7 of them were shot down by German fighter planes. In another attempted raid on military installations in the General Government of Poland close behind the front lines, all but 2 out of 35 Russian bombers were destroyed by German fighter planes.

The Soviet Stavka issues Communique No. 1:

Early in the morning of June 22, the troops of the German-Fascist Wehrmacht attacked our border forces along the entire line extending from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. The enemy Luftwaffe bombed a number of our airfields and villages, but everywhere it encountered energetic resistance from our fighter planes and ground defenses, which inflicted heavy losses on the Hitlerite Fascists. Sixty-five German aircraft were shot down.

These dueling versions of reality serve to reinforce the preferred narratives of each combatant. The Germans are pushing the narrative that it has been attacked and is responding, while the Soviets are anxious to show that national morale is terrific and its troops are competently warding off the invaders. Neither narrative is accurate, with both attempting to create false impressions in order to stiffen troop and civilian resolve.

Field Marshal Walther von Brauchitsch and Hitler over the map at Fuhrer headquarters, Rastenburg, East Prussia, June/July 1941. How Hitler allowed himself to be photographed at the map table varies throughout the war - at this stage, he prefers to be seen dominating the map while his military figure stands off submissively to the side.

German/Soviet Relations: German Foreign Minister Joachim Ribbentrop sends a cable to Tokyo requesting that they declare war on the Soviet Union via Manchuria (Manchukuo). The Japanese take this into consideration, but ultimately decide to wait until the Germans take Moscow, Stalingrad, and other key objectives in the western USSR. The Japanese military forms a committee to look into the desirability of either attacking north (into the USSR) or south (against the British and Dutch).

At some point during this week - details are very sketchy - Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin attempts to broker a peace deal with Hitler through a Bulgarian diplomat, Ivan Stamenov. Foreign Minister Molotov has Lavrentiy Beria arrange this by using one of Beria's subordinates, NKVD officer Pavel Sudoplatov, who has a "casual" lunch at a Moscow restaurant with the diplomat. Sudoplatov explains to Stamenov what to say to Hitler. Stalin is willing to offer huge concessions for peace, including giving the Reich all of Ukraine and all of the areas granted to him in the "secret protocol" to the 23 August 1939 Molotov/Ribbentrop Pact in the Baltic States. Stalin does, though demand to know why Hitler invaded the USSR.

Hitler turns Stalin down flat and will not even consider the offer. This is one of Hitler's biggest mistakes. These revelations were hidden for many years but came to light during the period after Stalin died from natural causes in the 1950s. There are few other details of this little-known incident, but there is no reason to doubt that it happened. This peace offer was classified as treason and was one of the charges used to condemn Beria to death. The others involved - including the Bulgarian Stamenov diplomat used as the go-between - submitted affidavits confirming the incident. Sudoplatov confessed to it under interrogation and also was convicted of treason, serving 15 full years in prison (yes, there are many questions about the validity of such "proof," but there was a lot of corroboration). Molotov was never tried for treason despite his deep role in the incident, but gradually fell out of favor, lost his positions one by one, and by 1962 was a "non-person" in the Soviet bureaucracy.

German/Italian Relations: Mussolini offers to send a corps (three divisions) of Italian troops to the eastern front. The Germans are glad for the help but expect more.

Soviet/Finnish Relations: The Soviets evacuate their embassy in Helsinki.

Soviet KV-2 tank at the Battle of Raseiniai.

Soviet Military: The Soviet Main Military Council, now reduced from eleven to seven members, is renamed the "Stavka" (General Headquarters) of the High Command. The change is made by eliminating six deputy defense commissars and adding General Voroshilov and Admiral Kuznetsov. Other members include Generals Timoshenko, Semen Budenny and Zhukov, Foreign Minister Molotov, and of course Stalin. There are numerous "advisors" to the Stavka: Beria, Shaposhnikov, Meretskov, Vatutin, Kulik, Zhigarev, Voronov, Mikoyan, Kaganovich, Voznesensky, Zhdanov, Malenkov, and Mekhlis. However, only the seven are permanent members.

While there are seven members of the Stavka, it is understood by everyone that Stalin has the last word on everything. This is long-established Soviet (and Russian) practice, with someone (such as Stalin) holding the de facto power while someone else holds the de jure power. Timoshenko technically is the chairman of the Stavka, but Stalin has the real power. As Zhukov says at one point, the difference between Stalin and the highest-ranking Soviet Marshal is the same as between a Marshal and a private. This lineup will remain intact and function effectively through crises, with some of the members there due to ability (such as Zhukov) and others there simply because they are Stalin's cronies (such as Budenny).

Already, recriminations are raining down from Stalin on military figures that he feels are failing in their defense of the country. Soviet Bomber Commander General Kopets commits suicide, the first of many. By some accounts, Stalin is in the midst of a personal crisis brought on by Operation Barbarossa.

Full conscription is introduced throughout the Soviet Union.

Junkers Ju 87B Stukas being escorted by Bf 109s during the early stages of Operation Barbarossa, June 1941.

US Military: Admiral Stark, US Navy Chief of Operations, orders the 1st Defense Battalion of the Fleet Marine Force to Wake Island.

German Government: Adolf Hitler, aboard his command train Amerika, reaches his forward headquarters at Rastenburg, the Wolf's Lair (Wolfschanze) at about 01:30. This is his first visit to the Wolf's Lair, which is still under construction (and will be throughout the war).

Lithuania: Lithuanian partisans led by Juozas Ambrzevicius (Juozas Brazaitis) liberate Vilnius and Kaunas. Leonas Prapuolenis of the Lithuanian Activist Front broadcasts an announcement of Lithuanian independence over the radio, introducing the Provisional Government of Lithuania and its leaders. This begins a trend during World War II in which a prime military objective is to seize radio stations quickly in order to make declarations such as this. Ambrzevicius serves as the Provisional Government's first (acting) prime minister.

While most Soviets flee quickly, some decide to stay. These include some Soviet security personnel. When the rebels find them on 23 June, they lock the Soviets (who allegedly include some Jews) in a garage. Eventually, in a very controversial incident, the Soviets are killed - exactly by whom is the controversy. Some say the Soviets are killed by the Germans, others recently that recently liberated political prisoners kill them.

The Kaunas pogrom at the Lietukus Garage, June 1941. This shows the captives being sprayed with hoses prior to execution.

Latvia: German 18th Army crosses the border into Latvia.

Croatia: Serbs in eastern Herzegovina rebel against the controlling Italian authorities in the Independent State of Croatia. About 200 Ustaše state police encounter a group of rebels they estimate to number between 600 and 1,000 and take severe casualties. This apparently spontaneous uprising lasts well into July. This is sometimes termed the first operation by Tito's partisans, but it is unlikely that he is involved at this stage.

Soviet Homefront: The secret police (NKVD) arrest and imprison about 3000-4000 Ukrainians in Lviv as a security measure, kill some indiscriminately. The Soviet government rightly suspects the loyalties of Ukrainians - because of Soviet actions like this.

British Homefront: Railway workers get the Southern Railway Central Station in London back into operation after damage from a Luftwaffe raid on the night of 21/22 June.

American Homefront: Life Magazine publishes pictures of the sinking of Egyptian passenger liner Zamzam by commerce raider Atlantis on 17 April taken by photographer David E. Sherman in its 23 June 1941 issue. This article has a big influence on US public opinion about the war.

Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin.

June 1941

June 1, 1941: Farhud Pogrom
June 2, 1941: Massacres on Crete
June 3, 1941: Kandanos Massacre
June 4, 1941: Kaiser Wilhelm Passes Away
June 5, 1941: Death in Chungking
June 6, 1941: Hitler's Commissar Order
June 7, 1941: Commandos Strike at Pessac
June 8, 1941: British Invade Syria and Lebanon
June 9, 1941: Litani River Battle
June 10, 1941: British Take Assab
June 11, 1941: Hitler Thinking Beyond Russia
June 12, 1941: St. James Agreement
June 13, 1941: Lützow Damaged
June 14, 1941: Latvian June Deportations
June 15, 1941: Operation Battleaxe
June 16, 1941: The Old Lion
June 17, 1941: British Spanked in North Africa
June 18, 1941: Turkey Turns Its Back
June 19, 1941: Cheerios Introduced
June 20, 1941: Birth of US Army Air Force
June 21, 1941: Damascus Falls
June 22, 1941: Germany Invades Russia
June 23, 1941: A Soviet KV Tank Causes Havoc
June 24, 1941: Kaunas and Vilnius Fall
June 25, 1941: Finland Declares War
June 26, 1941: Bombing of Kassa
June 27, 1941: Encirclement At Minsk
June 28, 1941: Minsk Falls
June 29, 1941: Brest Fortress Falls
June 30, 1941: Mölders Becomes Top Ace

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