German encounter of Soviet T-34 and KV tanks



Prior to the invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II, the German armed forces were not aware of two newly developed Soviet tanks, the T-34 and KV. As a result they were surprised when they met them in combat in June 1941. The German's standard anti-tank weapons were found ineffective against these new Soviet tanks. This experience prompted a notable leap in tank development in Nazi Germany, mainly in an effort to counter these new threats.

By June 22, 1941, the Red Army deployed almost 1,000 T-34 and over 500 KV tanks, concentrating them into five of their twenty-nine mechanized corps.

Initial encounters
At the beginning of Operation Barbarossa, Germany expected little more of the opponent's forces than the old T-26 and BT tanks. While most of the Soviet Union's tank forces were composed of such tanks, they also surprised the enemy with two new notable designs; the T-34 and KV tanks. Both types were encountered very quickly, on the second day of the invasion – 23 June 1941.

The KV tanks were usually assigned to the same units as the more numerous T-34, and although they were much larger in size their overall performance was quite similar; many sources discuss impact of both types together. The most used model of KV tank was the KV-1. It was in the Battle of Raseiniai where German forces encountered the Soviet KV tanks for the first time. The Soviet 2nd Tank Division from 3rd Mechanized Corps attacked and overran elements of the German 6th Panzer Division near Skaudvilė on 23 June. German Panzer 35(t) light tanks and antitank weapons were practically ineffective against the Soviet armored giants—some of them were out of ammunition, but closed with and destroyed German antitank guns by literally driving over them. An account by the Thuringian 1st Panzer Division describes this battle.

The next day, at a crossroads near Raseiniai, a single KV heavy tank managed to block the advance of elements of the 6th Panzer Division, which had established bridgeheads on the Dubysa. It stalled the German advance for a full day while being attacked by a variety of anti-tank weapons, until it finally ran out of ammunition.

Tank versus tank engagements
Historians initially believed the new tanks were "scattered" among the army in small numbers, but recent scholarship identifies the exact opposite. The new tanks had been produced in large numbers, and concentrated into a dedicated type of formation, mechanized corps.

Among the mechanized corps (MC), four formations were especially well equipped; on the day of German invasion, about 70% of the total T-34 and KV tanks produced at that time were deployed in the 6th, 4th, 8th, and 15th MC. The 6th MC operated in Białystok area, and all of the others in the Soviet Ukraine. All of their engagements with German tanks happened during or just before the Battle of Brody (1941):
 * the 15th MC destroyed 43 German tanks for the loss of 13 KV, 6 T-34, and 32 BT tanks from 22 to 26 June 1941;
 * the 8th MC lost up to 95% of tanks fiercely fighting in Dubno area between 26 June and 1 July 1941.

Tank-to-tank battles were rare at the beginning of operation Barbarossa as Germans did not seek them; they preferred to bypass the Soviet armor when possible. The two standing-out formations, 4th and 6th MC, lost almost all of T-34 and KV tanks during movement, not coming under any German attack. Both corps tried to assemble counterattacks against German infantry (not against panzers), but the counterattacks had no impact and were barely noticeable. Same pertained to the 15th MC after 26 June.

In the first two weeks of invasion, the Soviet Union suffered the loss of most of its T-34 and KV tanks, as well as the loss of most of the older tanks:
 * By 12 July 1941, the 4th MC had 45 new tanks out of the original 414.
 * By 27 June 1941, the 6th MC had ceased to exist having lost all 450 new tanks.
 * By 7 July 1941, the 8th MC had 43 tanks (both old and new) out of original 899.
 * By 7 July 1941, the 15th MC had 66 tanks (both old and new) out of original 749.

On one hand, these corps had within weeks lost most of their T-34 and KV tanks, but on the other hand, German reports did not note such a massive elimination in combat. The number of non-combat losses was unprecedented.

German anti-tank capability
In the first weeks of the invasion, the main German anti-tank weapon was the 3.7 cm Pak 36 gun. The new 5 cm Pak 38 gun had just begun to enter service in small numbers, with a maximum of two guns per infantry regiment. Both types were practically useless against the T-34.

German tanks of the time used similar types of guns, ineffective against the armor of new Soviet tanks. Generally the T-34 clearly outclassed the existing Panzer III and Panzer IV medium tanks.

Attempts to destroy the T-34 and KV tanks concentrated on first immobilising them by firing at their tracks and then by tackling them with field artillery, anti-aircraft guns, or by blowing them up at close range by shaped charge grenades.

Impact on tank design worldwide
At the insistence of General Heinz Guderian, a special Panzerkommision arrived on 20 November 1941 on the Eastern Front to assess the T-34. To respond to the Soviet tanks, the Germans were forced to adopt new, heavier designs such as the Panther and Tiger, which in turn forced upgrades to the Soviet, United States and British tank fleets.