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War Tactics - Cavalry
| The next important factor influencing cavalry efficiency was locality. No combat
unit was
as dependent on locality as cavalry.
Mellow soil could force galloping horses into a slower trot and quickly
exhausted them. Small obstacles, easily jumped by a single horseman,
could break an otherwise excellent cavalry formation as the horses
stumbled, and finally lead to defeat. Cavalry charged in
various different formations. The charge was carried out en muraille
(with no gaps left between the assault squadrons), with gaps (squadrons separated by intervals of 10-20
yards) or en echelon (the
squadrons charged the enemy consecutively, rather than
simultaneously). Horsemen approached the enemy at a slow pace, gradually
falling into a trot. The
attack started at a distance of 300 - 150 yards, and the cavalry turned to canter. At 23 - 30 yards the horses were at full speed, the squadrons
breaking into the heart of the enemy's army. To guarantee the most effective blow, the horsemen
not only held tight formations, stirrup to
stirrup, knee to knee, but also left no intervals between the squadrons. The popular military leader von Zeidlitz used to say that the cavalry
won its
battles not by sabre, but by whip, underlining the importance of preserving
a formation during an attack. Light cavalry was more suitable for
a one-man fight. It
charged mainly in loose formations, inflicting crafty strokes in the enemy's rear, carrying out bold diversionary raids. The speed and
manoeuvres made up for the lack of strength. Light horsemen were also used
to cover armies and unit transports. |
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