The start of Operation Barbarossa on 22 June 1941 found Colonel Korne in command of the 6th Motorized Roșiori Regiment from the 5th Cavalry Brigade, which was stationed in Northern Moldavia. On 4 July, as part of Operation München, the brigade crossed the Prut River and advanced with a detachment commanded by Korne towards Lipnic, reaching the Dniester River on 7 July. After forcing the river on 17 July and breaking through the Stalin Line, situated on the left bank, his regiment advanced to the Bug River, reaching it at the beginning of August. By the end of the month his regiment was at the Dnieper River; crossing the river on 19 September, it continued to advance north of the Sea of Azov. On 25 September, at the start of the Battle of the Sea of Azov, the 5th Cavalry Brigade faced the powerful Soviet offensive carried out by the 9th and 18th Armies, being attacked by a much superior force in the Yakymivka area. The 6th Motorized Roșiori Regiment stood its ground, even though the rest of the brigade was pushed back. The offensive ran out of steam after several days and the German–Romanian counterattack led to the encirclement and destruction of the two Soviet armies. For his actions during the battle, Colonel Korne was awarded on 12 February 1942 the Order of Michael the Brave, 2nd class by King Michael I.