Marshal Mikhail Katukov (1900-1978) commanded tank forces in the Red Army during World War II. In 1941, his tank brigade, equipped with T-34 tanks, defeated the German 4th Panzer Division. As a result, the Germans failed to capture Tula, an important town on the road to Moscow. Later in the war Katukov commanded a tank army at the Battle of Kursk, Operation Bagration,and the Battle of Berlin. He was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union twice.