Air Operations, Europe

• The Germans bomb Leningrad. The Russians attack Bucharest.
• The Kassa Incident occurs. 2 aircraft bomb the Hungarian border town of Kassa killing 20 and injuring 41. Hungary blames the USSR, but the raid was probably fabricated by the Luftwaffe.

  Civilians view damage to residential area after bombing of Kassa on June 26 1941

  Civilians View Damage

Diplomatic Relations

Finland declares war on the USSR.

Eastern Front

In the northern sector Hoeppner's IV Panzergruppe spreads out into Lithuania and takes Daugavpils on the Dvina, establishing a bridgehead across the river. In Army Group Center's sector, Guderian's and Hoth's tanks make their first contact at Slonim, between Baranovichi and Bialystok.

The siege of Hangö begins. A Russian garrison holds out in the naval base west of Helsinki until they are evacuated in December 1941.

Russian destroyers shell Constanta where a munition train explodes. During the bombardment the destroyer Moskva is damaged when it hits a mine and is sunk later by coastal artillery.

The Soviets launch an abortive attack from the Murmansk area.

The Soviet III and XII Mechanized Corps are destroyed beteen Siauliai and Rasainiai. As Manstein's panzers race ahead, the infantry of the 18th and 16th Armies struggle to keep up with the armored units.

The lead elements of the 3rd Panzer Group are now only 18 miles north of Minsk and the 2nd Panzer Group is approaching from the south. The jaws are closing on the Soviet units around the city. The Soviet 10th Army begins to fall apart and the 4th Army struggles to extricate itself. The Western Front is collapsing, and in desperation Timoshenko decides to build a second defensive line east of Minsk.

German Soldiers Advancing through a Burning Russian Village

Kirponos launches his counterattack against the 6th Army and 1st Panzer Group. However, the attacks by the XV, XXII, XIX and IX Mechanized Corps fail. The Soviet 6th and 26th Armies are ordered to retire through Lvov, while the 16th Army struggles to hold Shepetovka from attack by the XIV Panzer Corps (the town is major Red Army supply base).[MORE]

Italy, Home Front

In Verona Mussolini reviews the Torino Div, which is being sent to the Russian front.

German Raiders

The German raider Kormoran sinks the British steamer Mareeba (3472t) east of Ceylon with the loss of 26 of her crew. 25 crewmen are rescued and made prisoners of war. The raider next sinks the Yugoslav steamer Velebit (4153t) with the loss of 7 crewmen. 12 are made prisoners of war.

Mediterranean

• Over the next few days in two operations, first by Ark Royal alone and then by Ark Royal and Victorious together, 57 Hurricanes are flown off to Malta. More planes are embarked but cannot be sent because of malfunctions in the launching equipment of the carriers.
• The British submarine Severn sinks the Italian steamer Polinnia (1292t) southeast of Ischia.
• The British submarine Utmost sinks the Italian steamer Enrico Costa (4080t) 4 miles off Cape Todaro.