Despite the fact that WWII was a war of tanks and the glory days of dashing cavalry attacks were long gone, horses still played an important role in the conflict.
All-out attacks by cavalry units were a rare sight, since they led to huge casualties among the animals. However, sometimes cavalry units were used for rapid breakthroughs and pursuing the retreating enemy. But more often than not, Soviet cavalrymen were used to dismount and fight as regular infantry.
Armed with light artillery guns, Soviet cavalrymen appeared where the enemy wasn't expecting them and bombarded the Germans. Such tactic was very useful during the Battle of Moscow in 1941, where cavalry units made up almost a quarter of all Soviet divisions.
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