From what I am putting together on Kenya (which may actually be done soon) -
1st Kenyan Mounted Cavalry Regiment
The Regiment was organized in 1998, starting with a cadre of fifty horsemen and two hundred horses that had been used previously for horse safari tours, organized by a retired veteran of the Household Mounted Cavalry Regiment of the British Army who immigrated to Kenya in 1988 after twenty years service along with twelve White Kenyans who had formed a Victorian Cavalry re-enactor group in early 1992.
While originally the idea of a cavalry unit was not supported by the Kenyan military and government, as petroleum supplies were restricted after the air and nuclear strikes on the Saudi and Iranian oil fields they changed their minds and gave them the resources and equipment needed to begin forming a regimental size cavalry force.
Its personnel are all trained horsemen and women, drawn mostly from the white population of Kenya who traditionally owned almost all the horses in the country. Of Kenya’s population of 2000 horses in 1997, some 1400 remain. In addition another 5000 horses have been obtained from Ethiopia in trade for gasoline, ammunition and other items traded to the warlords fighting the central government there.
Eventually some 500 horses were allocated to the regiment to be fully trained as war horses, with enough being trained by mid 1999 for the regiment to be considered ready for combat.
At full strength, the regiment consists of a headquarters squadron, three cavalry squadrons, and a horse drawn heavy weapons squadron, with a total of ten officers and 242 enlisted personnel. Enlisted privates are referred to as Troopers, while NCO’s are either a Lance Corporal of Horse (Corporal), a Corporal of Horse (Sergeant), or a Corporal Major of Horse (Sergeant Major). Officer ranks follow normal Kenyan practice.
It is modeled on the British Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, with each cavalry squadron consisting of two divisions, each of one officer and twenty four enlisted personnel, while the headquarters squadron consists of only one division. The heavy weapons squadron consists of two divisions, one being of one officer and eighteen enlisted men with machine guns, the other division being of one officer and twenty enlisted men armed with mortars, with specially built gun caissons used for transporting the weapons and ammunition.
In addition, it is supported by a training squadron of one officer and thirty six enlisted men who are tasked as follows:
• Eighteen soldiers who care for the horses themselves, including eight trained blacksmiths who specialize in shoeing the horses
• Six soldiers who do maintenance and upkeep on the tack and gear for the regiment
• Twelve soldiers responsible for training new riders and breaking in new horses
Each squadron has one trained combat medic and each division has one man designated as the cook.
As of April 1, 2001 its current strength is 10 officers and 198 enlisted, with another 50 men in training, with a total of 384 horses available for the regiment after losses due to combat and illness from the last two years. Of these, forty horses were designated as breeders with the rest being available for use.
Weapons
The HQ and Cavalry squadrons of the Regiment are armed with 9mm Browning pistols and G3 rifles, while the heavy weapons squadron is armed with the Sterling MkIV instead of the G3. In addition, for additional firepower each cavalry division has a Bren light machine gunner (instead of the G3) and two M79 grenade launchers.
The heavy weapons squadron is armed with three M2HB MG and two L-16 81mm mortars. In addition it has the only dedicated anti-tank weapons in the regiment, two captured RPG-7 launchers and four missiles.
Tactics
The Regiment fights as dragoons, using the horses for transport but not taking them into battle if it can be helped. On at least three occasions, due to ambushes, they have been forced to fight from horseback, with serious losses in horses and men each time. When in combat, one man from each six is tasked to handle the horses while the rest deploy to fight.
Usually the Regiment deploys without the heavy weapons squadron for patrols, only using that for missions where the heavier firepower will be needed, as the caissons slow them down and have broken down in rough terrain before.
The unit has proven itself to be very effective against many of the irregular forces that are in Kenya and has grudgingly earned the respect of those who originally thought there was no place left anymore for cavalry in the modern world.
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