Cavalry tactics

Hello All,

I too would be very interested in photos of cavalry equipment; I have a couple of WW2 Polish cavalrymen that I was thinking of trying to convert them to Romanian cavalry in WW2, which leads me to ask this question; the models are in action poses (charging) did the Romanian cavalry engage in combat mounted or did they dismount before engaging the enemy??

Obviously they dismounted before initiating combat.

Well yes major combat but was wondering if any actions like coming up on a small detachment and charging their position to overcome them quickly, that sort of thing.

Obviously they dismounted before initiating combat.

Are 3 heroic charges of romanian cavalry, one of them is remebered by a statue with an wounded soldier who shoot with his carbine above his wounded horse.

Iama

That was WW1, not WW2.

The only reason I asked this question was due to the fact that the cavalry figures I have are in a action pose of charging and after studing the figures Polish uniforms it would not take much effort to convert them to Romanian calvary soldiers but due to the action poses of the figures and horses I did not want to innacurately depict two Romanian calvary in a charge if such actions did not occur during WW2.
I have been collecting all kinds of research for some armor models and figures depicting the Romanian army in WW2 and after reading some stories on how Russian cavalry came upon small parties of Germans or emplacments they charged to overcome them quickly so I had become curious to know if any such small calvary actions may have occured with the Romanian calvary as I have these models and thought it would be a very interesting subject to depict.

Although somewhat off topic (as it involves Hungarian cavalry), here is how such an (othwerwise rare) cavalry charge on the Eastern Front was witnessed by a German onlooker:
“It happened in early August 1941, south of Uman, in the area of Pervomajsk. German troops were pinned down behind a railway embankment by strong Red Army forces. Germans infantry attacked four times the enemy but were repulsed each time by superior forces. The battalion commander cursed and tried to push his men to a new attack. In vain, as the Russians hold steadily their positions. It was then, when instead of the artillery barrage we were repeatedly asking for, a Hungarian cavalry squadron showed up. We were laughing: what do these guys want to do here with their sleek horses, armed only with swords? Suddenly, we were stunned by astonishment: these Hungarians went mad! Squadron followed the others, coming from our rear. Following a loud command, the Huszárs drew their swords and charged the enemy, virtually glued to their horses, with the swords’ metal blade shining in the sun. They were lead by a middle-age, sword-swinging Colonel, with silver rank insignia sparkling on his uniform’s collar. Several light armored cars covered the flanks. Seydlitz [Friedrich Wilhelm von Seydlitz, Prussian soldier, one of the greatest cavalry generals of history, active in the XVIII Century], must had had charged in the same fashion, I thought! Forgetting the imminent danger, we stood up and watched stunned the unbelievable scene. It looked like an extraordinary cavalry movie.
The Russians initially fired at their unlikely attackers, but the shots became more sporadic and finally ceased. We saw astonished how the Soviet battalion, which thus far fanatically defended its positions, panicked and hastily retreated under the pressure of the charging cavalry. The Hungarians, savoring their success, cut the running soldiers down with their swords. This time, incredibly, ancient weapons and war technique triumphed over modern technology.”
(Excerpt from Erich Kern “Der Grosse Rausch”, Zürich, Switzerland, 1948, page 54-55).

Gen. Dénes

Fascinating story...

I think there is also an episode of cavalry charge in the series "Veteranii pe drumul onoarei si jertfei" - with recollections of veterans. As usual, the memories or recollections must be taken with a grain of salt. While I don't deny that cavalry charges happened, I think they were against regulations, since it's obvious that in face of an enemy armed with automatic firepower and will to resist, the charging horsemen would be mowed down in seconds.

The only veteran from the cavalry troops I have ever spoken with, told me that every time they were about to engage the enemy, they left the horses far behind, and acted like infantry.

There is a charge of troops from the 1st Cavalry Division on 19 November 1942 mentioned in Third Axis, Fourth Ally. It failed to achieve results.

My father kept a collection of newspapers from the World War 2 era (he was 15 when the US entered the war, and was in the US Army in the Pacific in 1945 for the final push against Japan). There are special editions covering the US Army and Navy from early 1942. In the Army edition there is a page with the headline "Cavalry Has a Place in Modern War!".

One of the more interesting sets of photos is of the "horse squadron portee" which carries the horses (and I suppose riders too) in the backs of trucks. They get to a wooded area impassable to the trucks, the horses unload, the riders mount, and everybody rides off through the woods.

I can see why it might be useful, but it seems like a very specialized situation. You can only do it once, then the horses and trucks are separated. If the trucks can just drive around the woods, why not do that, and leave the horses at home?

I did not see any sabers. It looks like they fought as dragoons, just using the horses for mobility.

Short off topic questions: Is Romania mentioned in these newspapers? If yes, from what point of view? Thanks.

There were cavalry charges on the Eastern Front in WW 2, I will describe an Italian example.

It happened in august 1942 during the battle of the river town Serafimovich fought between the Italians and the Soviets, The Soviets were attacking from a bridgehead near Serafimovich to turn back the Italians holding the Don, and was also intended to stem the flood of materials going to Stalingrad, some 80 miles southeast.

Elements of the Savoia Cavalry came upon a Soviet force on the Isbuschenski steppe, estimated number some 2000 men with mortar and artillery support, still the Italian regiment (some 600 men) struck, counting on surprise to even the odds.

Early on 24 august, one squadron hit the Soviet front on foot, while a second rode around the enemy lines on horseback and attacked the flank, facing machine-gun fire with sabers, they charged at the cry " Avanti Savoia " and overran the Soviet positions. A third squadron, also mounted then threw itself against the softened front.

By 9.30 AM, the charge had ended in a clear Italian victory, Two Soviet battalions were wiped out, and another was send packing across the Don, leaving behind 500 POW's, four big guns, 10 mortars, 50 machine guns, and a collapsed attack.