On June 1, 1941, its commanding officer, Straube, was promoted to "Lieutenant General", as German forces prepared for Operation Barbarossa, which the division was to take part in. It was made a component of "General of the Artillery" Wilhelm Fahrmbacher's "VII Army Corps", itself part of Army Group Centre's Second Army. The division took part in successful actions in the opening weeks, with the Brest Fortress being stormed and large portions of the Soviet Western Front being encircled at the Battle of Białystok–Minsk.