Last known cavalry charge

[Rodgers]

Can anyone tell me the last time the cavalry charge was used in warfare? (ie a time and a place and the outcome of that encounter)

I've heard this debate quite a few times, so sorry if it's cropped up here before, but every time I HAVE heard it there was never a satisfactory outcome.

The last one I'm aware of was in the 1939 German invasion of Poland - apparently desperate Polish troops charged German tanks (but I think this may have been denied by some Polish warfare buffs)

Anyway - I bet you guys can sort it out

 

[baseballtwin86]

Originally posted by Rodgers
Can anyone tell me the last time the cavalry charge was used in warfare? (ie a time and a place and the outcome of that encounter)

I've heard this debate quite a few times, so sorry if it's cropped up here before, but every time I HAVE heard it there was never a satisfactory outcome.

The last one I'm aware of was in the 1939 German invasion of Poland - apparently desperate Polish troops charged German tanks (but I think this may have been denied by some Polish warfare buffs)

Anyway - I bet you guys can sort it out

This is what I have heard in school. I don't know if there has been any cavalry charges since.

 

[Hurricane]

Originally posted by Rodgers
The last one I'm aware of was in the 1939 German invasion of Poland - apparently desperate Polish troops charged German tanks (but I think this may have been denied by some Polish warfare buffs)

Yes, this myth has recently turned out to be false. Apparently, the polish successfully charged against infantry, but quickly retreated when some German light armor showed up. War correspondents are known to have fabricated lots of stories throughout WW2, and this is one of those. But as an answer to your actual question, yes there was a cavalry charge. But definitely not the last. On the Russian front, horses were used in combat, but I don´t have at hand any facts of actual cavalry charges.

edit: What do you know. I immediately found a nice link. Seems the polich incident isn´t seen as a "real" cavalry charge, but more as a simple cavalry attack.

This source claims the "The last great cavalry charge in history" was the Australian 4th Light Horse Brigade charging the Turkish defenses at Beersheba in 1917: http://www.bluestarbase.org/anzacs1.htm

Britain´s last cavalry charge was in 1898, with Churchill participtaing: http://www.time.com/time/time100/leaders/profile/churchill.html

 

[Hurricane]

This site claims the Italians made the last cavalry charge, in 1942. On the Russian front, as I already suspected in my last post.

CAVALRY CHARGE. The last Cavalry charge in history took place on August 23, 1942 at Izbushensky on the River Don. The Italian Savoia Cavalry Regiment, commanded by Colonel Bettoni, and consisting of 600 mounted Italian troops, charged against 2,000 Soviet troops who had opened a breach between the German 6th.Army and the Italian Army. The Italian Lancers destroyed two Soviet Infantry armoured vehicles before being forced to withdraw with slight losses, about thirty-two casualties.

Don´t be too surprised if I find something else.

 

[Rodgers]

Cool links The Australian one seems a bit jingoistic - wonder if it's 100% reliable? - but good story all the same.

Maybe I should have said this at the start but there may have been one in the post-war period - did El Salvador's guerillas use cavalry? - they are shown as doing so in Oliver Stone's film "Salvador"

EDIT - we posted simultaneously - keep searchin'

 

[Hurricane]

I´m back again!

This site moves the date one year forward, to early 1943. This story, however, very much sounds like a made-up myth, so don´t take it as a fact. I´ll see if I can get some more info about it.

1943 - THE LAST CAVALRY CHARGE
When the German Panzer divisions crossed the Polish border in 1939, they confronted an adversary which symbolized the end of the mounted soldier - or so they thought. Pathetically, the Polish Cavalry attempted to stall the invasion by charging the German tanks on horseback. To say the least, the valiant Poles were quickly overrun. Four years later the cavalry had a final say. In the cold winter of 1943, on the steppes of the Ukraine, the German tanks were literally frozen in their tracks. Cossacks descended on the tanks, mounted on ponies which were descendants of the horses of the ancient Scythians, the first masters of cavalry.

The Cossacks swept over the frozen plain firing machine guns and throwing grenades into the German forces with deadly effect. The Cossacks fled on their swift horses before the astonished Germans had time to react.

This site claims the last American cavalry charge was during the fall of the Philippines in 1942, under a unit led by Edwin Price Ramsey.

This site again claims the last cavalry charge was in 1941:

The last cavalry charge happened in November 1941, when a division of Mongols charged a German infantry division near Moscow. Two thousand cavalrymen died, and not one German.

Still no past-WW2 links, though.

 

[Rodgers]

Ah well, thanks for tryin'

 

[napoleon526]

I think that cavalry was last used in a decicive battle in Palestine in 1918, by the Arab troops under the command of Sir Edmund Allenby.

 

[Vrylakas]

OK, some clarification is definitely required here.

This myth of the "valiant Poles" charging tanks is a load of huey, but it is still widely reported in Western history books. The whole story is a fabricated piece of Nazi propaganda based loosely around an incident on the closing day of the Bzura River battles in September 1939 when withdrawing Polish horse cavalry found itself encircled by a Nazi light tank unit. They did what every military unit in that situation does, they fought their way out. Horses were faster and more maneuverable than tanks in 1939 so as soon as they broke out they ran, which is the sensible thing to do in that situation. They did not charge steel tanks with their lances; give us some credit. The Nazis used this incident as propaganda to illustrate how vastly superior Nazi tactics and equipment were, and how backward and hopelessly medieval (i.e., history) the Poles were. I may remind you that for as short as the Nazi invasion of Poland lasted, 35 days, it was still 5 days longer than the combined French, BEF, Dutch and Belgian forces lasted in 1940 with far greater advantages in numbers, equipment and terrain than the Poles had.

As for horse cavalry; the roads in 1940s Eastern Europe, especially as one traveled progressively eastward from Warsaw, deteriorated in quality to such an extent that tanks, trucks and heavy vehicles became useless, especially in the Spring and Autumn wet seasons. Throughout the entire war both the Nazis and Soviets maintained large horse cavalry divisions, mostly for transport and hunting partisans. Western Europe had wonderful and complex road networks that allowed motor vehicles virtual free reign in all seasons, but horses were still more effective for parts of the year in the East.

As for the last (horse) cavalry charge in history; it may still be happening. I'll bet that if you dug into the records on last year's American-led overthrow of the Taliban in Afghanistan, you will find an example of a charge by horse-bound units. I know parts of Arabia and among the more remote Berbers of North Africa horses still dominate military culture, as they still do in many parts of Afghanistan and Central Asia.

 

[Hurricane]

This myth of the "valiant Poles" charging tanks is a load of huey, but it is still widely reported in Western history books.

Thanks, Vrylakas. As you no doubt saw in my first post in this thread, I already said the headlong charge against tanks is a myth. But thanks for giving some more insights. I posted a more detailed description of this event in a thread earlier, but can´t seem to find it.

As for horse cavalry; the roads in 1940s Eastern Europe, especially as one traveled progressively eastward from Warsaw, deteriorated in quality to such an extent that tanks, trucks and heavy vehicles became useless, especially in the Spring and Autumn wet seasons. Throughout the entire war both the Nazis and Soviets maintained large horse cavalry divisions, mostly for transport and hunting partisans. Western Europe had wonderful and complex road networks that allowed motor vehicles virtual free reign in all seasons, but horses were still more effective for parts of the year in the East.

Yes, the German army had (if I remember correctly) about 600.000 horses in the campaign against Soviet, and a few thousand tanks/trucks.

As for the last (horse) cavalry charge in history; it may still be happening. I'll bet that if you dug into the records on last year's American-led overthrow of the Taliban in Afghanistan, you will find an example of a charge by horse-bound units. I know parts of Arabia and among the more remote Berbers of North Africa horses still dominate military culture, as they still do in many parts of Afghanistan and Central Asia.

I very much doubt that. Yes, horses are in widespread use in for example Afghanistan, but troops always dismount before engaging in battle. Maybe a small skirmish against unarmed civilians, but I have a very hard time believing anything like a concentrated cavalry charge has happened during the last 50 years. One or two men with AK:s would create a bloodbath on the attacking cavalrymen.

 

[Rodgers]

I wasn't too interested in small bands of horsemen or bandit types - more the kind of properly organised state military outfit.

Having said that does anyone know if the Mao's Communist guerillas in China ever used cavalry? It seems the sort of thing they MIGHT have done

 

[Supernaut]

Originally posted by napoleon526
I think that cavalry was last used in a decicive battle in Palestine in 1918, by the Arab troops under the command of Sir Edmund Allenby.

Yep, it was on the Plain of Meggido in Palestine - otherwise known as Armageddon!!

Actually, bought a book recently that analysed every battle fought at Meggido - apparently it is a crucial strategic place in that area so has been frequently fought over. Unfortunately the book was a present for someone else and I have yet to borrow it back

 

[Knight-Dragon]

Originally posted by Rodgers
Having said that does anyone know if the Mao's Communist guerillas in China ever used cavalry? It seems the sort of thing they MIGHT have done

No, North China had never been known for massive horse-breeding. Too much intensive river plains agriculture. South China is worse.

Thru out history, China's imperial rulers sought to control the North-west where the imperial stud farms were to be located. Dynasties which didn't control this vital region would tend to be militarily weak thru out their entire span (e.g. the Song dynasty). Due to lack of horses for the army. Very important considering China's worst enemies were mounted nomads fr the steppes to the north.

Mao's guerillas were almost entirely infantry. Until late in the civil war with the KMT (late 40s) when large numbers of KMT troops deserted (along with all their Japanese and American equipment), then only would they begin to field armor, artillery etc units.

 

[Hurricane]

Originally posted by Knight-Dragon
No, North China had never been known for massive horse-breeding. Too much intensive river plains agriculture. South China is worse.

And China´s UU is the Rider? Is Firaxis trying to forge history?

 

[Ozz]

Last charge of cavalry using swords and lances.

anything else is just mounted infantry.

 

[Thuloid]

Last charge of cavalry using swords and lances.

anything else is just mounted infantry.

What if your infantry primarily uses swords and lances? Then they are all dismounted cavalry?

Cavalry fights on horseback, infantry fights on foot. Weaponry is irrelevant.

 

[Ozz]

Originally posted by Thuloid


What if your infantry primarily uses swords and lances? Then they are all dismounted cavalry?

Cavalry fights on horseback, infantry fights on foot. Weaponry is irrelevant.

No Infantry has ever used lances - Pikemen use Pikes
(the weapons have differient balances)

A horse is a dog if you want to call it one.
The US still uses cavalry as a name for it's armoured units.
The point of cavalry is using the horse's momentum as a weapon
to impact a enemy formation and disorganize it.

 

[Thuloid]

So mounted units which attack from a distance, throwing javelins or shooting bows (or firearms) aren't cavalry?

A lance is simply another name for a spear, more often used for the weapon as employed by a horseman, but not necessarily so. Specifics may vary, but the point is the same (a long pointy stick).

The US uses cavalry as a name for reasons of tradition, not similarity of tactics. Modern tanks don't charge formations, they attack from great distances as mobile armored fire platforms.

 

[Ozz]

Originally posted by Thuloid
So mounted units which attack from a distance, throwing javelins or shooting bows (or firearms) aren't cavalry?

A lance is simply another name for a spear, more often used for the weapon as employed by a horseman, but not necessarily so. Specifics may vary, but the point is the same (a long pointy stick).

The US uses cavalry as a name for reasons of tradition, not similarity of tactics. Modern tanks don't charge formations, they attack from great distances as mobile armored fire platforms.

The question is
"Last known cavalry charge" not last known use of horses for mobility in battle, which would be yesterday somewhere in the world.

A cavalry charge is using impact to disorganize the enemy formation.

 

[napoleon526]

Originally posted by Supernaut


Yep, it was on the Plain of Meggido in Palestine - otherwise known as Armageddon!!

Actually, bought a book recently that analysed every battle fought at Meggido - apparently it is a crucial strategic place in that area so has been frequently fought over. Unfortunately the book was a present for someone else and I have yet to borrow it back

King Josiah of Judea was killed in battle by the Egyptians at Meggido, and the Egyptians also fought the Hittites there several times. I don't know where the idea that armageddon will be fought there comes from (MEGGIDO -- arMAGEDDOn)