Zvezda 1:72 Soviet Cavalry 1935-1942

1:72 scale unpainted plastic figures,c ontains two riders on horses.

Snap kit no glue required

The cavalry corps represented the foundation of large mobile formations in the Red Army, and most were converted to mechanized and motorized corps during the 1930s. However, due to severe losses in vehicles by the Red Army following the German invasion of USSR many more cavalry corps were raised. The Soviet Cavalry Corps was the largest of the cavalry units and was equal to an army on the battlefield, however during major operations cavalry groups such as Dovator and Belov were established. During the Second World War the cavalry corps were used primarily as components of the Cavalry Mechanized Groups that were inserted into the breakthrough sector of the Front following an offensive, paired with either a tank corps or a mechanized corps, providing additional mobile infantry component that could escort tanks and support them against enemy anti-tank defenses. Sometimes dismounted cavalrymen were used as tank desant to ensure closer cooperation between tanks and cavalry.

These corps initially included two cavalry divisions, two self-propelled artillery regiments, and a signals battalion and a tank battalion of 31 tanks. These light cavalry divisions were 3,447 me, 3,890 horses, eight 76.2mm guns twelve, 72.6mm howitzers, eight 45mm anti-tank guns, eight 120mm mortars, forty-eight 50mm mortars, nine12.7mm anti-aircraft machine guns, forty-eight heavy machine guns, 113 light machineguns. Medium tanks were often replaced with light tanks, tankllets, or armoured cars. This new smaller division considerably accelerated mobilization and proved easier to command for the great mass of inexperienced officers.