[serg3d]

Actually they weren't so rare in the first month of the Barbarossa. SU had around 1800 of T-34 and KV before the war (and 23 thousands of other tanks, in the different degree of repair) against 3300 of all German East front tanks. But most of them were burned in the fierce battles of the first weeks of the war, due to poor coordination and general lack of infantry in Red Army. Yes, it was a paradox - Red Army had a lot of tanks and not enough infantry in the first months of the war, and exactly opposite later. And of cause poorly trained crews and inexperienced generals and officers against battle-hardened Germans.