July 1941

Eastern Front

A single tank division of the X Mechanized Corps attacks elements of the Finnish IV Corps pushing south toward Vyborg. Initial fighting sees the Soviets advance two miles, but a counterattack by the Finns quickly throw the Soviets back.

Hoeppner's 4th Panzer Group complete its regrouping operation on the Dvina and attack from Jekabpils and Daugavpils with the goal of reaching the Velikaya. Reinhardt's XLI Panzer Corps hits the XII Mechanized Corps hard, forcing the remnants of this corps and its 35 remaining tanks to withdraw. Maj-Gen Dmitry Lelyushenko's XXI Mechanized Corps fights hard to hold off the LVI Panzer Corps.

Behind the combat line the Soviets move the I Mechanized Corps down from the Northern Front to Pskov. 4 rifle divisions of the XLI Rifle Corps concentrate around Pskov, while the XXII Rifle Corps deploys at Porkhov with 2 divisions and the XXIV Rifle Corps at Ostrov with another 2 divisions.

Timoshenko begins to take positive steps to deal with the next phase of the German offensive. Taking over direct control of the West Front, he appoints Eremenko his deputy and incorporates Marshal Budenny's Reserve Front into the West Front, bringing the 19th, 20th 21st and 22nd Armies into the combat line.

On the northern wing of Army Group Center, the XIX Panzer Division of the LVII Panzer Corps reached the Disna but is unable to cross in the face of fierce Soviet resistance. The LVII is meeting resistance from the forward elements of the 22nd Army to the west and the 11th Army to the north. The latter force is compelled to abandon its exposed positions west of the Dvina due to this latest German advance, hastily evacuating its remaining forces to the east bank.

To the south, elements of the battered 13th Army counterattack at Borisov where the 18th Panzer Division of the XXXIX Panzer Corps manages to establish another bridgehead over the Berezina River. Bitter fighting follows, but despite repeated counterattacks, the West Front is unable to dislodge the Germans. Just a little farther down stream, the XLVII Panzer Corps is forcing its way east from Minsk toward the Berezina at Berezino, while the XLVI Panzer Corps struggles to catch up and create a link between the XLVII and XXIV Panzer Corps.

The 1st Panzer Group begins to develop its attacks along the road to Kiev. Mackensen's III Panzer Corps pushes forward on the left wing toward the Irpen River at Radomyshl, while the XIV Panzer heads for Zhitomir and the XLVIII for Berdichev. Once again the supporting infantry, incorporated into the panzer group or with the 6th Army, provide support and flank cover.

On the road east from Lvov, fierce fighting rages as the German 17th Army pushes the Soviet 26th Army steadily back. Stuplnagel is pushing his forces forward along the general line of the Lvov railway, advancing toward Tarnopol and Proskurov.

Schobert's 11th Army makes slow progress in Moldavia as the Soviet 9th and 18th Armies put up stiff resistance. Rumanian soldiers cross the Prut at Stefanesti to support the XXX Corps capturing Patrusheny after a brief struggle.