Battle of Raseiniai

Overview

The Battle of Raseiniai was a large tank battle that took place in the early stages of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. The battle was fought between the elements of the German 4th Panzer Group and the Soviet 3rd Mechanized Corps with the 12th Mechanised Corps, in Lithuania, 75 km (47 mi) north-west of Kaunas. The Red Army tried to contain and destroy the German troops that had crossed the Neman River but was unable to prevent them from advancing.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Raseiniai was fought in Lithuania in the opening days of Operation Barbarossa, pitting elements of the German 4th Panzer Group against the Soviet 3rd and 12th Mechanized Corps roughly 75 km north-west of Kaunas. Despite a significant Soviet numerical advantage in armor — 749 vehicles against between 235 and 245 German tanks — the Red Army suffered overwhelming losses, with 704 of its armored vehicles destroyed or captured. The Soviet effort to contain and destroy the German forces that had crossed the Neman River failed completely, leaving the German advance unimpeded.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (4)