While the Soviet cavalry was the most combat-ready arm of the Soviet ground forces, its tanks and trucks were in a deplorable state of operational readiness. Early in the war,
tank and
paratrooper units were put under the
cavalry command during the most difficult situations. This demonstrates the significant role of the cavalry on the Frontline as it was the most mobile force available during 1941–43. It is also important to note that; the cavalry usually fought under-strength of 3000 men at full strength for a division, while often being thrown into the hardest parts of the battle. A full-strength cavalry Corps of 18,000 men had to do the same output as an army of 60,000-100,000 men on the given task. Some legendary cavalry units often surpassed those expectations given to them by
STAVKA as most famously
Pavel Belov and
Lev Dovator. Later in their place with the same units
Issa Pliyev and
Viktor Kirillovich Baranov would perform with most proficiency even in worst situations they always found the way to keep fighting never being captured or destroyed throughout the war. The cavalry operated successfully during the whole war, particularly during the difficult early stages of the war. The speed of the German advance often spread out the units thinly, allowing Soviet cavalry formations to launch raids into its enemy's rear. At dawn on August 28, 1941, Col. Lev Dovator led a cavalry group of three thousand sabers (accompanied by medium and light machine guns but no artillery or armor) in a mounted attack which, broke through the 450th German Infantry Regiment. Over the next two days, Dovator's command inflicted some twenty-five hundred casualties on the Germans; they overran two regimental headquarters and the topographical department of the Sixth Army; they destroyed two hundred motor vehicles, two tanks, four armored cars, four artillery pieces, and six mortars; and they captured fifteen hundred rifles and automatic weapons, which were used to arm a partisan detachment left behind the German lines. Despite the name, for the most part, the troops of the cavalry corps operated primarily as
dismounted infantry. Soviet cavalry doctrine emphasized that cavalry should dismount to fight unless specific circumstances existed to attack mounted. Mounted attacks were called for when the enemy was weak and his defense unorganized. The enemy must be unaware of the cavalry's presence and the
terrain must favor its approach. After the enemies retreated they were able to pursue the enemy on horses along with tanks resulting in great enemy losses. Their horses were the only units able to negotiate terrain that would prove difficult to motor vehicles, while at the same time being able to conduct rapid
raids into the rear of the enemy positions. Often fighting along with other penetrating or later shock units, this was often done in the most crucial parts of the battlefield. During
Battle of Moscow, in the central part, both generals
Lev Dovator whose cavalrymen and
Ivan Panfilov and his men were KIA during the dire days of the battle, their sacrifice bought crucial time for the Soviets to shift forces into the region and stabilize the front at the gates of Moscow. In the south
Pavel Belov and his cavalrymen played a pivotal role in helping to lead and destroy
Guderian army group that was enveloping Moscow from the south thus helping the nearly encircled
50th Army in Tula. Later during the crucial encirclement of the
Battle of Stalingrad, the cavalry units
Issa Pliev with their mobility were the first to close the circle entrapping the German 6th Army. These heroic actions were done often throughout the war resulting in another stunning achievement for the cavalry as they were the first to fully encircle
Berlin and bring another great achievement with them. Its key contributions through the war were one of the key reasons that Stalin chose the Cavalry to meet with the Allies on the Elbe. During the
Battle for Moscow, elements of
Generaloberst Heinz Guderian's
2nd Panzer Group tried to seize
Kashira, a town that was vital to the Soviet defenses on the
Western Front on 18 November 1941. Kashira was 80 kilometres north-west of
Tula and 120 kilometers south-south-west of
Moscow. In a desperate attempt to defend the town,
STAVKA hurled
Major General Pavel Belov's
2nd Cavalry Corps, later renamed
1st Guards Cavalry Corps on 26 November,
112th "Revolutionary Mongolia" Tank Brigade, a battalion of
BM-13 Katyusha rocket launchers and air support at the Germans. The defense and counter-attack were utterly successful, and the fascist troops were driven back by 40 kilometres. Total cavalry numbered roughly 50,000 in the battle of which some consisted of
Cossacks. These elite troops achieved great success from their advantage in cavalry, superior physicality, bravery, and mental strength made up for their small numbers. Cavalry was constantly on the move to disrupt lines with little sleep, as they fought by day and moved and raided at night. As was demonstrated during the 1941-42 Moscow counter-offensive, rifle units penetrated enemy lines, which were then successfully exploited by cavalry, supported by tanks. These mobile formations effectively disrupted the German rear, allowing Soviet riflemen to push back German lines. This cavalry tank tactic created a higher operational tempo, making it difficult for the Germans to re-establish a defensive line. These tactics were most famously applied by
Lev Dovator who fell during the counteroffensive in the Battle of Moscow. Additionally
Pavel Belov demonstrated this art of war successfully against Guderian's
2nd Panzer Group in the south part of the city, which later resulted in his famous 5-month raid behind the
German 9th Army. Belov attacked the headquarters on a few occasions, while slipping away every time. This got the attention of
Franz Halder who later had 7 German divisions on the pursue, this was over 100,000 men resulting in one of the greatest chases in world history earning him the nickname the
Fox. More significantly, the raid so unnerved the German
high command that it slowed its advance in that sector, withdrawing units from the frontline. Aircraft, armor, and motorized infantry all failed to intercept Dovator as he weaved across the country and passed safely back through the lines. By late summer, a number of new cavalry formations had been established, and the Soviet army would eventually field eight full cavalry corps. The contributions of Belov and Dovator in slowing down the Nazi advance were recognized, and they were given command, respectively, of the 1st and 2nd Guards Cavalry Corps. In the
Battle for Stalingrad, three cavalry corps, the
8th (including the 21st, 55th, and 112th cavalry divisions), the
3rd Guards (including the 5th and 6th Guards and 32nd cavalry divisions) and the
4th Cavalry Corps (61st and 81st cavalry divisions) participated in the counter-offensive. These varied in strength between 22,500 and 10,200 personnel and had from 18,000 to 9,000 horses. Between April 1942 and July 1942, the Red Army, suffering a shortage of horses, disbanded 41 cavalry divisions. The lack of horses was the deciding factor in the reduction in the cavalry units. Soviet cavalry was incorporated into a Cavalry Mechanized Group, which was very well equipped to perform shock attacks able to penetrate and pursue the enemy. It remained an important factor in later stages of the war. For instance,
Operation Bagration might have not been as successful if it wasn't for mechanized cavalry units using deep battle penetration to keep up with the tanks upon breakthrough. Until the end of the war, the Soviet cavalry remained to be respected and feared by its enemies. In the final months, it demonstrated once more how effective cavalry could be in a modern age when applied properly, as they successfully encircled
Berlin and later were instrumental in the Japanese in 1945 during the
Battle of Manchuria, cementing their legacy as one of the finest units of the war. ==Corps and time of formation ==