Cavalry in Twilight 2000

[Olefin]

There are a couple of other small cavalry units that you missed in your writeup or at least units still using horses.

You have the Caisson Platoon of the Third Infantry Regiment in DC - dont know if they survived the nuclear attack though.

Connecticut has a very interesting unit - 1st and 2nd Company Governors Horse Guard - its a state militia unit that is an actual cavalry unit that is trained in military tactics and small arms (specifically 9mm and 45's).

They very likely are now being used as for real cavalry, most likely with the addition of carbines or perhaps Uzis to their pistols for arms.

[Medic]

The Finnish non-mechanized infantry (Infantry Brigade type 80) usea bicycles and agricultural tractors as means of conveyance of a great deal of its troops and by the time I was in service, the bicycle marches were very common (not to mention formation drills with bicycles and skis).

I would not mock a bicycle as a means of conveyance, as it saves the military a bunch on resources. You have to feed only the rider and veterinary services are provided by a couple of bicycle mechanics (in Finnish nicknamed as "pumppuluumu", literally a pump prune), who are often the not-so capable soldiers in the Headquarters and Supply Company (when I was in service, the conscript bicycle mechanics and others in support or supply roles were mostly either very much uninterested in serving or the slightly impaired ones - poor sight, cognitive problems etc.).

Last horses in the Finnish Army were sold in late 90'ies. The military slang said, the army horses had "service days on their asses" - they had a registry number shaved on their behinds. Nowadays the Army Dragoon Band is the only unit to use horses, but as far as I know, the horses are privately owned.

[James Langham]

Originally Posted by Medic

The Finnish non-mechanized infantry (Infantry Brigade type 80) usea bicycles and agricultural tractors as means of conveyance of a great deal of its troops and by the time I was in service, the bicycle marches were very common (not to mention formation drills with bicycles and skis).

I would not mock a bicycle as a means of conveyance, as it saves the military a bunch on resources. You have to feed only the rider and veterinary services are provided by a couple of bicycle mechanics (in Finnish nicknamed as "pumppuluumu", literally a pump prune), who are often the not-so capable soldiers in the Headquarters and Supply Company (when I was in service, the conscript bicycle mechanics and others in support or supply roles were mostly either very much uninterested in serving or the slightly impaired ones - poor sight, cognitive problems etc.).

Last horses in the Finnish Army were sold in late 90'ies. The military slang said, the army horses had "service days on their asses" - they had a registry number shaved on their behinds. Nowadays the Army Dragoon Band is the only unit to use horses, but as far as I know, the horses are privately owned.

Again really useful info, I am far from being an expert on the Finnish forces but will add some detail in the next rewrite.

[Medic]

Originally Posted by James Langham

Again really useful info, I am far from being an expert on the Finnish forces but will add some detail in the next rewrite.

I don't claim to be an expert, but having served in the said Army, I have some useful knowledge about it. If you wonder about anything, drop me a PM and I'll see what I can dig up.

[Olefin]

"Useful info thanks.

Any particular reason why Uzis? "

Was thinking of something small that they could carry easily with a unit that was trained only on pistols. From the research I have been able to do they didnt have the unit trained on rifles or larger weapons. However something like the smaller Uzi's you would think would fit into such a unit pretty easily and offer more firepower than just the pistols they were trained with.

[Medic]

An MP-5 would be a highly more likely weapon for such an unit than Uzi, being in activeuse by the U.S. armed forces as well as a number police departments. As for ease of use, I'm pretty sure the men would have been trained with a rifle in basic training, so the MP-5 would be a logical choice for a longarm, if not carbines or assault rifles.

[Olefin]

An MP-5 is a great idea for them Medic, especially as they are considered almost a police unit as they are currently constituted - so once things started going bad and pistols werent enough firepower adding that to their weapons makes a lot of sense.

Thank you!

[James Langham]

Originally Posted by Olefin

There are a couple of other small cavalry units that you missed in your writeup or at least units still using horses.

You have the Caisson Platoon of the Third Infantry Regiment in DC - dont know if they survived the nuclear attack though.

Connecticut has a very interesting unit - 1st and 2nd Company Governors Horse Guard - its a state militia unit that is an actual cavalry unit that is trained in military tactics and small arms (specifically 9mm and 45's).

They very likely are now being used as for real cavalry, most likely with the addition of carbines or perhaps Uzis to their pistols for arms.

Useful info thanks.

Any particular reason why Uzis?