In 1939-1940, the volume of production of the Soviet war industry had increased. In 1940, for example, 8,331 combat aircraft were manufactured, but these were mostly aircraft of an outdated type. However, it was during this period that the Lavochkine, Yakovlev, Mikoyan-Gurevitch fighters, the famous Stormovik of Ilyouchine, the dive bomber of Petlyakov were created, aircraft whose behavior was brilliant during the war.
In the first half of 1941, 2,650 aircraft of these types had been manufactured, but this was not yet enough to tip the scales in favor of modern Soviet aircraft. At the same time, German industry had manufactured 11,000 devices of the recent type.
A similar situation prevailed in the armored units. In 1939-1940, the best tanks of that time, the T-34 medium tank and the KV heavy tank, already existed. But when the war broke out, the factories had produced only 636 KV and 1,225 T-34s. Thus, the armored units were mainly equipped with aged tanks, with thin armor and insufficient armament. It should be noted in this regard that in 1941 German factories produced 5,200 tanks and armored vehicles.
The war had surprised the Red Army in full reorganization and in the process of rearmament.
On January 1, 1941, its manpower amounted to 4,207,000 men. The fundamental mass of infantry was concentrated in the territories of the western military regions bordering the borders.
In total, with the navy and air force, it had 2.9 million men divided into 170 divisions, 2 brigades equipped with 1,540 aircraft of recent type and a considerable number old models, more than 34,000 mortars and artillery pieces, 1,800 medium and heavy tanks (including 1,475 of recent type). In addition, a fairly large number of light tanks of an outdated type and, moreover, with a tired engine, were in service with these units.
The Soviet Union had a fairly large navy. powerful, especially with regard to submarines (218 in service on the eve of the war).
The Wehrmacht forces which were to attack the U.S.S.R. numbered 5.5 million men. They included 190 divisions, 3,712 tanks (including 2,786 medium tanks), 4,950 modern combat aircraft, more than 47,000 mortars and artillery pieces and 193 warships.
Thus, in terms of the ratio of forces, the enemy outclassed the Soviet troops, in the number of men, by 1.8 times, for medium and light tanks, by 1.5 times, for combat aircraft of recent type, 3.2 times, for artillery and mortars, 1.25 times. In the sectors of the main offensives, the superiority of the enemy was even more considerable.