Charge of the Savoia Cavalleria at Izbushensky
Cavalry charge in World War II
The Charge of the "Savoia Cavalleria" at Izbushensky was a clash between the Italian cavalry Regiment "Savoia Cavalleria" (3rd) and the Soviet 812th Rifle Regiment (304th Rifle Division) that took place on 24 August 1942, near the hamlet (khutor) of Izbushensky (Избушенский), close to the junction between the Don and Khopyor rivers. Though a minor skirmish in the theatre of operation of the Eastern Front, the Izbushensky charge had great propaganda resonance in Italy, and it is still remembered as one of the last significant cavalry charges in history.
Background
On 20 August, the Soviets launched an offensive on the Don River. The Italian 2nd Infantry Division Sforzesca was unable to withstand the enemy attack, and in two days it was routed. The Regiment "Savoia Cavalleria" (3rd) under command of Colonel Alessandro, Count Bettoni Cazzago, was sent as a relief force in the area, with orders to occupy "objective spot height 213,5". During the evening of 23 August, it set camp 1,000 metres short of its objective, ready to occupy it the next morning. During the night, two squadrons (first and second) of the Soviet 812th Rifle Regiment deployed on the objective. They entrenched themselves in an arc facing the Italian camp about 1,000 metres wide, waiting until sunrise to attack.
Charge
On 24 August at 3:30 am, an Italian mounted patrol, sent to recon the objective, made contact with the Soviets. The Soviets, having lost the element of surprise, opened fire on the entire line.
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The record creator and administrative purpose are central evidence, because official documentation reflects both action and institutional priorities. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 23, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q3658595. Authority coordinates are 49.937, 42.557. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1942.
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