For the tank men the opening weeks of the offensive had gone like clockwork. However, all of the lessons From the Polish campaign had obviously not been fully assimilated and the German forces once again found themselves drawn into fighting for towns and cities, with resulting high casualties in men and machines.
In attacking a town or village, the German tactics were to employ flanking and encircling tactics. They attempted to cut off water, electricity, gas, and other utilities. While carrying out the flanking manoeuvre, they tried to pin down the defenders with heavy artillery fire and aerial bombardment. When it was necessary to make a direct assault, the German tactics were to concentrate all available heavy weapons, including artillery and air units, on one target. They favoured as targets for their massed fire the forward edges of the community, especially detached groups of buildings and isolated houses. During the artillery fire concentration the infantry would assemble and attack their objective immediately upon termination of artillery barrage. Tanks and assault guns accompanied the infantry, and with their fire immobilised any new enemy forces which appeared. They also supported the infantry in sweeping away barricades, blasting passages through walls and crushing wire obstacles. Guns and mortars were used against concealed positions, with anti-tank guns to cover side streets against possible flanking operations. Machine guns engaged snipers on roofs.
The immediate objective of the German thrust into a built-up area was to divide the area occupied by the enemy. These areas were then isolated into as many smaller areas as possible, in order to deny freedom of movement.
Russian armoured warfare was inhibited by Stalin’s disenchantment with tank divisions, which had led him in the 30’s to utilise his armour only in the support of infantry formations. After witnessing German successes on the western front, Stalin changed his mind, but a reorganisation on that scale meant that the reshuffle of Russian armour was not completed before the launch of Barbarossa. Even though Russian tanks outnumbered German two to one at the front and six to one overall, tactical ineffectiveness, obsolete models and widespread disrepair tipped the advantage overwhelmingly in favour of Germany during the first stages of the conflict.
But ground forces were only part of a Blitzkrieg operation, which saw German advances of up to fifty miles per day. The fast-moving Panzer Groups were again supported by Junkers Ju-87 two-seater bombers, which were protected by Messerschmit 109 fighters. The Ju-87, more familiarly known as the Stuka, was one of the most versatile machines of all time. Used as a night bomber, torpedo launcher, trainer, long range reconnaissance aircraft and for a host of other specialist taasks, it was at its most fearsome as a dive-bomber. Screeching out of the sky like some furious bird of prey, its air brakes allowed it to slow to a speed which enabled its bomb load to be delivered with almost pinpoint accuracy.