Cavalry Division

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A cavalry division was a large military unit ( division ) whose combat force core consisted entirely or predominantly of cavalry . In addition, there were the usual staff and combat support troops. The artillery of the cavalry division was usually also mounted.

The structure varied greatly depending on the state and epoch. Cavalry divisions usually appeared as independent operational units because they were faster and more mobile than other troops. They could also stand in an army corps association with several infantry divisions or be combined with other cavalry divisions to form a cavalry corps . Their tactical importance already waned during the First World War . In the Second World War , mounted cavalry divisions were largely out of date compared to the new large motorized formations or tank divisions and were only relevant where the terrain did not allow the use of motor vehicles .

Cavalry divisions in individual states

Germany

1871 to 1918

In peacetime the only cavalry division in the German Army was the Guard Corps of the Prussian Army , the Guard Cavalry Division .

During the mobilization in 1914, regardless of the previous peace structure, the army cavalry was combined into cavalry divisions (1st to 9th and Royal Bavarian Cavalry Division ) with three cavalry brigades each into two cavalry regiments. In addition, the division troops each had a mounted department of the field artillery, a machine gun department and a pioneer department. Due to the trench warfare that offered no possible uses of the cavalry, and the increasing shortage horses gave most divisions from autumn 1916 their horses, and were used as cavalry rifle divisions infantry used. At the end of the war only the 1st , 2nd , 4th and Bavarian divisions remained.

Two to three cavalry divisions were subordinate to so-called Higher Cavalry Commands (HKK), which were assigned to individual armies . At the beginning of the war there were four HKKs that were deployed on the Western Front . After the transition to trench warfare, HKK No. 2 and 4 were dissolved, HKK No. 1 and 3 relocated to the Eastern Front. In the course of the German offensive there in 1915, HKK No. 5 and 6 were reorganized. All HKK were converted into general commands in 1916 for special use in leading mixed units.

1919 to 1934

By the arms limitations of the Versailles Treaty that was imperial army of the Reichswehr limited to a strength of 100,000 men. In addition to 7 infantry divisions , there were 3 cavalry divisions with a total of 18 regiments. The cavalry regiments were xx. Reiter-Regiment (xx is a placeholder for the number of the respective regiment). Historical names of old associations were not adopted, but the tradition of the old regiments was continued.

1934 to 1945

In the Wehrmacht , the 3rd Cavalry Division was reclassified into a "light division" in 1934, and in 1936 the two remaining cavalry divisions were dissolved. The 1st Cavalry Brigade was formed from Cavalry Regiments 1 and 2 in East Prussia and reclassified into the 1st Cavalry Division in October 1939 . 13 regiments remained to form reconnaissance units of the infantry divisions and the cavalry platoons of the infantry regiments.

Especially in rough terrain, the need for cavalry patrols increased during operations on the Eastern Front . In 1943 the "Boeselager Reiterverband" was set up in the area of ​​Army Group Center from the cavalry squadrons of Reconnaissance Departments 6, 34, 35 and 102, after its successful deployment in 1943 with the Army Groups in the east, the Cavalry Regiments "Center", " North "and" South "were set up, from which in 1944 the cavalry brigades 3 - renamed in February 1945 to" 3rd Cavalry Division "- and 4 - renamed in February 1945 to" 4th Cavalry Division "- were formed. Together with the 1st Hungarian Cavalry Regiment, they formed the I. (Army) Cavalry Corps.

The Waffen-SS in particular relied on cavalry units to fight partisans. It provided a total of 3 cavalry divisions, the 8th SS cavalry division "Florian Geyer" , the 22nd SS volunteer cavalry division and the 37th SS volunteer cavalry division "Lützow" from the remains of the two former.

The first voluntary Cossack (cavalry) division was set up as early as 1941, through further setting up of Cossack associations it became the 1st Cossack Cavalry Division in 1943 and on February 1, 1945 the XV. Cossack cavalry corps with three divisions set up and transferred to the Waffen SS .

In the Wehrmacht , the color of the cavalry weapons was golden yellow.

Austria-Hungary

Within the imperial-royal army there were a total of eight so-called cavalry divisions and three Landwehr cavalry brigades , divided into kuk hussars , kuk dragoons and kuk uhlans .

Soviet Union

The Red Army possessed on June 22, 1941, six cavalry divisions into three cavalry corps. The exact structure of the war can be found in the corresponding overview .

literature

  • Klaus Christian Richter, The history of the German cavalry 1919-1945 , Motorbuch Verlag Stuttgart, 1st edition 1978, ISBN 3-87943-603-7 .
  • Klaus Christian Richter, Die feldgrauen Reiter The mounted and horse troops in the Reichswehr and Wehrmacht , Motorbuch Verlag Stuttgart, 1986, ISBN 3-613-01100-X .
  • Isaak Babel: The cavalry army (Budjonny's cavalry army). Malik, Berlin 1926; from d. Soot. new translation, ed. u. come over. v. Peter Urban. Friedenauer Presse, Berlin 1994 (Orig. I. Babel: Konarmija. Moskva / Leningrad 1926). ISBN 3-921592-84-4 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Order of the Ministry of War of November 20, 1916
  2. ↑ On October 15, 1935, parts of this division formed the 1st Panzer Division .

Remarks

  1. ↑ Especially with the artillery and the train.
  2. ↑ with cavalry rifle commands as brigades and cavalry rifle regiments
  3. ↑ not referred to as corps because they had no corps troops.
  4. ↑ For the Reichswehr, the maintenance of tradition was decreed for all units of the Reichswehr by the Chief of Army Command Colonel General Hans von Seeckt with effect from August 24, 1921 .
  5. ↑ The 24th Panzer Division was formed from the division in the winter of 1941/1942