blitzkrieg65

I got this off a wbsite, I just wonder does anyone have any research on the US 2nd Cav took part in tank maneuvers in WWII?

The Blitz



Horse Cavalry Usage in WWII
May 16, 2008 6:18 AM
Horse cavalry had been used in warfare for thousands of years. Although WWII is said to be the first all-mechanized war, horses were still employed by several armies.

The German Army used horses in most of their second-line divisions for hauling guns and supply carts. There were also several regular army and Waffen SS Cavalry divisions in the early parts of Operation Barborossa. The Russian Army used their own cavalry against them with their Cossack Regiments in the Caucasus Mountains.

The US Army still had some horse cavalry regiments in 1940 & 41 and the 2nd Cav took part in maneuvers with tank units.


The British Army had fully mechanized, as the last cavalry regiments changed over to armored cars around the same time. A few remaining yeomanry regiments with horses served in Palestine. The last British campaign to involve horses was the liberation of Syria in July 1941.

Its been rumored that the Polish cavalry attacked German tank units in 1939. That is not untrue however it is misleading. Italian news correspondence wanted to convince Western nations Poland was not a valuable allie (which soon proved to be the case for Italy actually.)

Polish veterans said the Germans commonly drove their tanks with the engine compartments open to cool down the engine. Sometimes a brave cavalryman (if he was close enough) would ride up to cut a fuel hose that was exposed.

Actually, Polish cavalry moved on horses but fought using infantry tactics. The units were equipped with machineguns, 75mm horse guns, 37mm Bofors anti-tank guns, a small numbers of Bofors 40mm anti-air guns and anti-tank "Ur 1935" rifles. A cavalryman also had a saber and a lance but these weapons were not included in their 1939 tactics.

The most effective battle of Polish cavalry was at Mokra , where the Wolynska cavalry brigade, supported with an armored train stopped and caused serious losses to 4th Panzer division (about 50 tanks and 500-800 troops).

Cavalry charges in Polish Campaign of 1939;

1 Sep Krojanty
18th Pomorski Regiment stopped 2nd Motorized division advance with a charge. Polish commander Col Kazimierz Mastalerz and about 20 men died. Germans loses are unknown but Gen Guderian had taken notice of this battle.


1 Sep - Mokra
1st and 2nd squadron of 19th Wolynski Regiment charged Grodzisko forest

Sep 11 - Osuchow
1st squadron of 20th Cav Reg was encircled and escaped with a successful charge

13 Sep - Maliszew
1st squadron of 27th Reg charged and was repelled by heavy machinegun fire. The attack continued on foot and was a success.

19 Sep - Wolka Weglowa
14th Jazlowiecki and a part of 9th Malopolski Regiments charged. About 100 cavalrymen were killed but the charge opened the way for encircled "Poznan" army to Warsaw. Uniquely, Italian correspondents described this charge with admiration.

21 Sep- Unknown cavalry action at Kamionka Strumilowa

23 Sep- Krasnobrod
1st squadron of 25th Wielkopolski regiment. Only 30 Polish cavalrymen survived but the city was taken and German 8th Infantry division headquarters was captured.

25 Sep - Husynne near Hrubieszow
400 cavalrymen of 14th reserve cavalry regiment + Police cavalry squadron successfully charged a Red Army unit

26 Sep - Unknown cavalry action at Sep Morance

27 Sep - A cavalry regiment unsuccessfully charged a German infantry battalion. 80 Polish cavalrymen were killed and the Germans had minimal losses.

pattoncommander

Phil, I have also done some reading into the 2 Cav history, but there's really not much there as to where they trained. I checked the Carolina Maneuvers of 41 and don't find the 2AC there. In that time frame they would have been running M-1 Combat Cars, M-2A4 tanks and early M-3 Stuarts and many M-3 Scout cars. The 2 AC served in ETO and PTO but after the war they became Constabulary units for border patrol. One unit was on the Fulda border in Germany and were known as the Circle C Cowboys. The insignia was a circle with a C in the middle. They used M-8 armored cars and M-24 Chafees with a tank company of Shemans in Delta Troop. The 14th AC took over in the late 50's-early 60's and went from M-47s to M-48A2s then eventually M-60s in 1962. All those Kasernes are now de-milled and are civilian housing units.

blitzkrieg65

Hey Bill,

Thanks, I was checking the local store for the Howitzers to see if they are stocking them and they had these Army guys on horseback, justcurious if I could add my growing allied attack!

The Blitz