I must say that we are returning the hope that not all is lost. With such people no weather is terrible for us.

The Soviets assembled at Mtsensk the 1st Guards Rifle Corps made up of the 4th and 11th Tank Brigades,36th Motorcycle Regiment,201th Air Brigade,6th Guards Rifle Division and cadets of the Tula artillery school.The Tank Brigades were re-equipped with brand new T-34 tanks and by this time "General Winter" was introducing himself to the German army.The 4th deployed itself in a series of open fields and took on the leading columns of German tanks.The advance of the 4th Pz Division was halted at Mtsensk and it was three days before the Division was able to resume its advance and enter the town. Colonel Katukov had the time to set up a careful defense,infantry was placed along the front line to catch the attention of the approaching Germans,behind them,tanks were carefully hidden at various points that offered a good field of fire. General Zhukov made mention of it in one of his reports, stating,"For the first time, our 4th and 11th Brigades hit the enemy vehicles from ambush." The 4th attacked again and this time the division was badly mauled. Guderian noted: "we have enjoyed tank superiority, but this is no longer the case!" He requested that a commission be sent to study the T-34 and incorporate its features into German designs and AT guns capable of destroying it be provided.For strong resistance and unprecedented actions 4th Tank Brigade was transformed into the 1st Guards Tank Brigade.
