[6] At the start of the German invasion of the Soviet Union, he was posted as Chief of Staff of the Red Army's 36th Cavalry Division.

Despite his Jewish heritage, unique with the Cossacks, they accepted Dovator as one of their own and considered him a great leader, superb horseman, and master of sabre.

The cavalry pressed its advance into the German rear in a dispersed formation, traveling along cart roads and forest trails.

They were reportedly able to shoot standing on the back of a galloping horse or, conversely, by firing from underneath its belly, which influenced the development among Germans of the myth of the "wild Russian".

[citation needed] The formation created an illusion that their riding force was much larger than 3,000 sabres, which had a great psychological effect on the Germans.

Dovator's famous raid in early 1941 was conducted with only 3000 sabres and sixty-five machine guns carried on packhorses.

[citation needed] Dovator was posthumously awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union[9] two days afterwards, as well as the Order of Lenin.

[10] Lev Dovator is buried alongside Ivan Panfilov, as they fought together to stop the 9th Army (Wehrmacht) from reaching Moscow.