At the Axis invasion of the Soviet Union, Pikalov was in 9th grade. In May 1941, he entered the in Rostov-on-Don, at which he graduated from an accelerated course in February 1942. He took part in the Second World War, seeing combat with the Western, Don, Stalingrad, the Steppe and the 2nd Belorussian fronts, participating in the liberation of Kursk, Minsk, Poznan, and as well as the storming of Berlin. He was wounded three times. He fought in artillery as a platoon commander, battery commander, assistant chief of staff of artillery division on reconnaissance, adjutant of a senior artillery division, reconnaissance officer of the regiment.