| 81st Cavalry Division (September 1, 1941 – May 22, 1943) | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1941–1943 |
| Country |  Soviet Union |
| Branch | &sq=&lang=&file=File:Red_Army_flag_(Fictitious).svg){kind=small} Red Army |
| Type | Division |
| Role | Cavalry |
| Engagements | Battle of Stalingrad Operation Uranus Operation Winter Storm Rostov Offensive Operation |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Col. Dmitrii Ivanovich Gushtichev Col. Vasilii Grigorevich Baumshtein Col. Anton Filippovich Skorokhod |
The 81st Cavalry Division was a mounted division of the Red Army that served in the first years of the Great Patriotic War. It was formed in the autumn of 1941 and served in the region south of Stalingrad while the German Army besieged that city in the autumn of 1942. During the first stages of the Soviet counteroffensive, Operation Uranus, the 81st was given a prominent role in the exploitation to the southwest, but became overextended and vulnerable to the mobile German reinforcements arriving to attempt a breakthrough to their 6th Army. The division was badly mauled in the opening stages of Operation Winter Storm, but continued to serve in Southern Front's advance on Rostov and on into the Donbass. It was finally disbanded in May, 1943.