Cavalry in T2K

[Raellus]

Canon also mentions that by 2000, that warfare has largely devolved into raiding between cantonments. Cavalry (i.e. dragoons) would be well suited to these types of hit-and-run operations.

I'm not sure there would be horse population numbers or adequate forage to support cavalry divisions at WWII strength levels but the numbers of troops for cavalry "divisions" in T2K canon are much more modest and realistic. We're not talking Attila or Genghis Khan type horse armies here.

As for HW that T2K cavalry could deploy, on the WTO side, the Vasilek 82mm automortar could be towed by a couple of horses and has both indirect and direct fire capability. You could also have a HW section equipped with AGS-17 "Plamya" 30mm AGLs (fired dismounted, of course). Coupled with LMGs and RPGs, a T2K cavalry unit could pack as much firepower as an equivalent leg infantry unit, save some of the heavier artillery support. WWII era Soviet cavalry had horse-drawn 120mm mortar batteries and 76mm DP guns as well, so there's no reason a T2K WTO cav unit couldn't have a few 120mm mortars as well.

On the old forums, I posted a TOE for a T2K Soviet/WTO Cavalry division based on the structure of a WWII Soviet cavalry division (c.1943). I will post it again if anyone's interested.

[chico20854]

Originally Posted by Raellus

WWII era Soviet cavalry had horse-drawn 120mm mortar batteries and 76mm DP guns as well, so there's no reason a T2K WTO cav unit couldn't have a few 120mm mortars as well.

There were still some of those 76mm guns floating around in the Soviet war reserves, so they might be used again too!

Originally Posted by Raellus

On the old forums, I posted a TOE for a T2K Soviet/WTO Cavalry division based on the structure of a WWII Soviet cavalry division (c.1943). I will post it again if anyone's interested.

Please do!

[Raellus]

This is the WWII TOE that I used as a starting point. It's from David Glantz's Slaughterhouse: The Handbook of the Eastern Front.

Soviet Cavalry Division c. 1943 (overall strength, 6000 personel)

Three cavalry regiments consisting of four troops each.

One artillery regiment consisting of 2 battalions of horse-drawn 120mm motrars and 1 battalion of 76mm guns.

One regiment of tanks consisting of 2 battalions of T-34s and 1 battalion of T-70s

One HQ company, one detatched cavalry battalion, one AAA battalion, one sapper company, one signals company and one services company.
_______ _______ ________

For T2K, I would scratch all of the armor, thereby eliminating a couple of hundred men. I would replace the 76mm gun battery with 82mm Vasileks (although, as Chico pointed out, some units could still be equipped with the venerable 76mm guns).

The AAA battalion would be equiped with truck or horse-towed, quad 14.5mm guns or possibly ZU-23-2s. In the absence of an enemy air threat, they would mostly be used in the anti-personel/anti-material role. I could also see one of the AAA gun batteries being supplanted by a few SA-7 Grail SAMs which could easily be carried on horseback.

Each sub-unit's strength should be reduced somewhat in order to get it down to T2K divisional strength levels.

I realize that most T2K GMs don't deal with division sized units; unfortunately, I can't break it down any smaller.

Not terribly useful, I'll admit, but perhaps it can give an enterprising GM a place to start.

[Legbreaker]

Simple question.

Which would you rather eat, horse or rat?

Now somebody try to tell me horses populations aren't going to drop drastically...

[jester]

Originally Posted by Legbreaker

Simple question.

Which would you rather eat, horse or rat?

Now somebody try to tell me horses populations aren't going to drop drastically...

I would venture to guess that only in some areas for the following reason.

Most horses are in rural areas away from the population centers where the starving masses who clamor for horse flesh will be. For the horses in the region of the megatropolises, yes, they will be casualties of the event as well, but also, they will be one of the first animals to be eaten too.

Now, for the ones in the country on farms and ranches, good luck! Those folks have more room to be self sustaining, they love their horses and they have guns and know how to use them. And I know many horse people who care more for thier horses than people.

As for the tens of thousands of horses in the Wild, well they are in remote and isolated areas where the starving masses won't go. And if they made it that far, well, they would be in some pretty rough shape.

[Mohoender]

Originally Posted by Legbreaker

Simple question.

Which would you rather eat, horse or rat?

Now somebody try to tell me horses populations aren't going to drop drastically...

Rat would be my answer. If I had a horse at hand I would keep it for other tasks. Eventually, I'll be willing to eat the guy who would have tried to carve a steak out of that horse. I only would think about eating horses in the case of outermost despair. However, I'm sure that many among the city dwellers would look at it with envy. It seems that this is going back to the subject on "State of the mind".

However, that horse wouldn't be available for cavalry as well. I might react in the same way toward cavalry than toward the horse eater.