German Eastern Front

It can safely be said that Hitler and his OKH (Oberkommando dcs Heeres) grossly underestimated the strength of the Soviet Army when drawing up plans for the invasion of Russia under the codename 'Barbarossa'. A confident Hitler endorsed Directive No. 21 ordering 146 divisions, comprising seven armies and four panzer groups with 3,580 armoured and 600,000 other vehicles, and 7,184 guns to attack across a wide front at 03.15 hours on the morning of 22nd June, 1941. The German force was deployed in three elements, Army Groups, North, Centre and South.
The initial attacks took the Red Army by surprise. The Northern Group thrust over 40 miles into Russian Territory; within 36 hours the Germans had taken over 300,000 Soviet prisoners and captured a large amount of Soviet vehicles, many of which were in running order and were impressed into German service. By the 9th of July the Germans were crossing the Dvina and Dniepr rivers and two days later, Army Group South were within 10 miles of Kiev. July 16th saw the Germans of Army Group Centre at Smolensk, but strong Soviet counter­attacks and stiff opposition held them away from the city interior.