Cavalry in T2K

[kalos72]

So one of the big drawbacks to horse cavalry is the innate lack of heavy weapons...or the inability to utilize them while on horseback right?

What if you had saddles with like "arms" to sit a SAW on as you rode, helping stabilize the barrel?

Or maybe a mk19?

I also dabble in D&D and saw a painting of a saddle that had a brace for a heavy lance off to the side.

[kato13]

My understanding of modern cavalry (up to WWII) was that weapons were primarily fired while dismounted. The only cavalry stories I can recall from the 20th century had the units using bladed weapons when they were forced to fight when mounted.

Somewhere in the wealth of T2k material there is a discussion of the 10th man in a cavalry squad staying with horses, while the remaining 9 progress into the battle on foot. I think this would be far more common that fighting on horseback.

The importance of cavalry is to provide a short term speed boost in movement. Infantry while slower can actually cover the same (or even more) distance long term.

[rcaf_777]

What about using a horse cart or wagon for heavy weapons, see examples below

[kalos72]

When I think Cavalry from the Wild West...I see guys flying around on horseback firing their rifles as they ride. Might be mostly Hollywood there...not sure.

I will read through the board map and see about related discussions...

[kalos72]

Regarding the 10th man,my squads will need to be pretty independent.

I was thinking of a farrier type person and 2-3 "hands" to support 20-25 horses or something.

[kalos72]

Originally Posted by kalos72

Regarding the 10th man,my squads will need to be pretty independent.

I was thinking of a farrier type person and 2-3 "hands" to support 20-25 horses or something.

Ok so for the most part heavy weapons are out...what about 2-3 people and a farrier to watch 20-25 horses of the rest of the squad?

These squads will be long range patrols through particular counties in Texas.

[mikeo80]

What I have read about Civil War and the Indian Wars of the 1870's - 1880's,
seem to indicate that most of the time, cavalry was used for reconnaissance. J.E.B. Stuart was one of the primary officers fir this kind of work. It can be argued that the Battle of Gettysburg was a mistake because JEB went off on a Recon Raid, but did not keep General Lee informed of where he was and what he saw.

During the Civil War and beyond the cavalry would ride up, dismount, and engage the enemy. I have read that as many as 1 in 4 men were used as horse holders. The recovered evidence at Little Big Horn seems to bear this out. Custer and his men formed a long skirmish line. While the attacking Indians were at a distance, this was fine, the Springfield trap rifle had the ability to keep opponents at long range. Once the Indian fighters got closer, using terrain, the fire power of their repeating Winchesters and Henrys overwhelmed the 7th Cav. Of course being outnumbered about 9 -1 did not help.

My $0.02

Mike

[stormlion1]

Use of Horses is a good idea as long as feed and supply chain is reasonably intact, even a lot of there care and feeding is easily doable in the field like feeding them and changing there shoes. As for the carrying of heavy equipment even that is doable if its broken down and carried by more than one horse. A Saw could be carried by a pack horse and its ammunition by two others easily enough. Not all gear was carried by individual horses after all. They had a supply train. Not sure of the numbers but I THINK I remember the 7th Calvary when they went off to Little Big Horn were supposed to have had at least a several supply carrying horses. Not that they went with Custer, I think he left them behind or they were with Benteen. He had the packs after all with the additional ammunition supply.
The big problem will be horse supply, quite a few will not survive the events that plague the world with refugees eating them, being worked to death, and general disease's and other factors like people hoarding there's to do things like travel and plowing fields. Even a Race Horse can plow a field if that's all that's available to a farmer and he will hide that horse when troops show up looking for a ride to draft.
Wish I still had that book on the 7th Calvary, it had a lot of details on the Calvary that operated during the Civil War and the Indian Wars.

[mikeo80]

Storm Lion, you are exactly correct as far as 7th Cav is concerned. Custer DID have a supply train. Relatively small, but as you said, extra ammo. In fact, the last contact from Custer was a note he sent. To quote from the note,

Benteen

Come on. Big Village.

Be quick. Bring packs.

W. W. Cooke

P.S. Bring Packs.

Custer also did away with his heavy weapons. He refused a battery of 2 - 3 Gatling guns. (there are records of both numbers, so hard to tell.)

All the weapons of the 7th Cav consisted of the Springfield Trapdoor Rifles and Colt revolvers. Custer even ordered the troops to NOT bring their sabers.

My $0.02

Mike

[CDAT]

Originally Posted by kalos72

So one of the big drawbacks to horse cavalry is the innate lack of heavy weapons...or the inability to utilize them while on horseback right?

What if you had saddles with like "arms" to sit a SAW on as you rode, helping stabilize the barrel?

Or maybe a mk19?

I also dabble in D&D and saw a painting of a saddle that had a brace for a heavy lance off to the side.

I could maybe see the SAW, but the MK19 is way to heavy and has way to much recoil I would think. But my understaning is the same as most of the others that modern cavalry was more like dragoons.