2nd Mechanized Corps ( Soviet Union ) The 2nd Mechanised Corps was a formation in the Soviet Red Army during the Second World War . Initially formed in June 1940 in response the German victories of 1940 it was attached to the Odessa Military District , & attached to the 9th Army in the Odessa fortified region in Soviet Union It was under the command of Lieutenant General Iu . V . Novoselsky when the German Operation Barbarossa began in June 1941 . It initially comprised the 11th and 16th Tank Division s , & the 15th Mechanized Division . On 22 June 1941 2nd Mechanized Corps comprised 32 , 396 men , 517 tanks , 186 armoured cars , 162 artillery pieces , 189 mortars , 3794 vehicles , 266 Tractors & 375 Motorcycles including lighter models T - 26 , Bt 7 , & T - 28 ' s & 60 of the newer T - 34 & KV - 1 models . On 22 July 1941 2nd Mechanized Corps consisted of 11th Tank Division 181 ( 81 Operational ) tanks , 1070 vehicles & 71 tractors . 16th Tank Division with 99 tanks , 870 vehicles & 16 tractors & 15th Mechanized Division with 188 ( 102 operational ) tanks , no vehicles & 122 tractors . After the invasion began the Odessa Military District was renamed Southern Front , Commanded by Colonel General I . V . Tiulenev . The front fielded the 9th and 18th Armies . The 2nd Mechanized Corps was heavily involved in the first battles of Operation Barbarossa , taking part with Colonel General A . K . Cherevichenko ' s 9th Army in Operation München to defend Soviet occupied Bessarabia . Against " Generaloberst " Schobert ' s 11th Army , which had penetrated Soviet defenses , captured Iassy & reached the Prut River on the first day of action . However after initially withdrawing to behind the Dniester River on Tiulenev ' s orders Stavka ordered 6th Army & 2nd Mechanized Corps to recapture the Prut River line . By 18 July Schobert ' s 11th Army , had crossed the Dniester River & Stavka finally realised that the 6th , 12th & 18th Armies faced encirclement & ordered the 2nd Mechanized Corps to the Uman region to halt the German advance into Southern Front ' s rear . The line was already in German hands & this decision was far too late . Mikhail Kirponos commander of Southwestern Front now ordered 26th Army to wheel about & cover their withdrawal & for 6th & 12th Armies to attack eastwards to meet up . By 20 July , 2nd Mechanized Corps was holding open a narrow corridor upon to the east between LVIII Panzer Corps & 17th Army . Two days later the trap was shut , and although the 2nd Mechanized Corps tried to free the surrounded armies on 8 August the fighting was over : 107 , 000 officers & men , including Generals Pondelin & Muzychenko , four corps commanders & 11 division commanders , 286 tanks & 953 guns were captured . Another two corps commanders & six division commanders perished in the fighting . 2nd Mechanized Corps was largely destroyed . Rkkaww2 states : The residual men of the 11th Tank Division joined the 12th Army . The division ' s remnants were reorganised into the 132nd Tank Brigade ( 21 Aug . 1941 ) , later the 4th Guards Tank Brigade . The entire headquarters of the 15th Motorised Division was captured . However , later , the divisional commander , Colonel Laskin , managed to escape from captivity . The residual personnel of the 14th Tank Regiment eventually formed the 71st Separate Tank Battalion , which joined the 12th Rifle Corps of the Southern Front .