World War Two developed the Atomic Bomb, jet fighters and S21 and S23 silent running submarines. Anachronistically both sides on the Ostfront made extensive use of mounted cavalry units.
Red Army Cavalry Units
In 1941, Red Army T26 tanks were obsolete and were spread among infantry divisions as support units. The cavalry were the only mobile troops of the Red Army. Red Army cavalry squadrons of 100 men had a field gun and mortars. The small Steppe ponies could move 100km in one night in snow, mud or terrain where tanks and trucks were useless. Mounted troops could traverse the worst terrain and could disperse and conceal. Cavalry units were invaluable in mobile fighting.
During the winter of 1941 Siberian ponies could withstand temperatures far below zero which immobilised German Panzers. Cavalry could be perceived as an anachronism in the 1940s, and suffered heavy casualties in direct encounters with tanks and well armed infantry, yet proved highly maneuverable.
Red Army cavalry was recruited from Don-, Sawadno-, Terek- and Kuban-Cossacks and Kalmyks who spent their lives in the saddle. The soldiers in the cavalry units were trained to fight as infantry, covering great distances over poor terrain while towing field artillery. Russian cavalry units played an important part in the encirclement of the German Sixth Army at Stalingrad, November, 1942.
8 SS Kavallerie Division Florian Geyer
Formed as a brigade in August 1941, this unit was under the command of the Kommandostab RFSS (HQ Staff of Reichsfuhrer-SS Himmler). Cavalrymen were recruited from mounted units of the Totenkopfverbande and were deployed against partisans and Red Army troops cut off and surrounded behind German lines on the OstFront. Upgraded to divisional status in 1942 this unit was in action around Vjasma, Briansk and Rzhev. This unit was in action against Tito's partisans until finally forming part of the Budapest garrison where it was annihilated in February 1945.
22 SS Kavallerie Division Maria Theresa
This unit was formed in Hungary, mid-1943 from a cadre transfered from Florian Geyer which was built up from Hungarian 'volunteers' who were natural horsemen. In October 1944 it fought against partisans and Red Army units in Transylvania from where it withdrew into Budapest and was annihilated. These troops wore Hungarian uniforms with the gorget 'Tabori Biztonsag' (Field Security).
37 SS-Freiwilligen Kavallerie Division Lutzow
This late war creation was formed from Florian Geyer and Maria Theresa survivors and fought in the defence of Vienna before surrendering to the Red Army in May 1945.
Kosaken Division
Operation Blau, 1942, secured the allegiance of six regiments of Russian cavalry, in May 1943 these fine horsemen with horse drawn support units, ensured this Kosaken Division was the equivalent of a German mountain division but lacking tank protection. The wide open steppes ensured cavalry could range over vast areas at speed and destroy Russian troop concentrations and withdraw. Motor transport could not traverse this type of terrain at such speed. German Cavalry were mounted infantry rather than true cavalry.
The Don-Kosak Reiterregiments fought loyally with German forces until May 1945 when they were forcibly returned from Austria to the Red Army, and certain death, by British troops.
Cavalry Uniits Earned a Fierce Fighting Reputation
German cavalry units fought to annihilate the threat to vital rail and road transport networks in rear areas of German operations on der OstFront. Silent and swift attacks demoralised partisans ensuring security of vital rear areas was entrused to cavalry security units.
Sources:
- German Army Handbook 1939-45 by W.J.K. Davies, Military Book Society 1973
- German Security and Police Soldier 1939-45 by Gordon Willianson Osprey Publishing 2002
- German Army in the Balkans by Nigel Thomas Osprey Military 2000
Michael Manning - ' The best lack all conviction while the worst are full of passionate intensity' W.B.Yeats
