Yes, the principle of soldiers that fight on foot but travel on horseback had existed for centuries. See dragoons.
robw963 said:@ Cegorach: haha! really? I've never heard about the American's charging Japanese tanks. Makes me curious to look into that and learn more about it.
robw963 said:@ Cegorach: haha! really? I've never heard about the American's charging Japanese tanks. Makes me curious to look into that and learn more about it.
The last American mounted tactical cavalry unit in combat was the 26th Cavalry (Philippine Scouts) in Philippines, stationed at Ft Stotsenburg, Luzon, 1942, which fought both mounted and dismounted against Japanese invasion troops in 1942. On the Bataan Peninsula, the 26th Cavalry (PS) staged a mounted attack against the Japanese on 16 January 1942. The battered, exhausted men of the 26th Cavalry climbed astride their horses and flung themselves moments against the blazing gun muzzles of Japanese tanks. This last mounted pistol charge was led by Ed Ramsey in command of G troop, 26th Cavalry. It was the last mounted charge in America's annals, and proved the climax of the 26th Cavalry's magnificent but doomed horseback campaign against the Imperial Japanese Army during the fall of the Philippines in 1941-42. According to a Bataan survivor interviewed in the Washington Post (10 April 1977), starving US and Philippine troops ate all the regiment's horses.
I believe there was even a Polish film (made in the 60's or 70's?) that depicted the lances versus armor myth. Weird how these little lies take on a life of their own. I suppose in the example of the Polish film, it somehow symbolized the brave futility of the struggle...more metaphorical than literal.
Polish cavalry in 1939 were the elite of the Polish Army. You'll find images of Polish cavalry from this era carrying lances, however these were more ceremonial than anything. As mentioned above, Polish cavalry typically dismounted and fought like infantry on foot. Make no mistake though. These guys knew how to kill a man from horseback...and did on some occasions do just that...with a gun or a sabre.
I regret there isn't a leader trait in this game for a cavalry leader. Cavalry just aren't cool enough I guess.
@trekaddict
Quote:
Originally Posted by robw963
@ Cegorach: haha! really? I've never heard about the American's charging Japanese tanks. Makes me curious to look into that and learn more about it.
Considering that reportedly some Japanese "Tanks" had armour that was so thin it could be pentrated by a bolt-action rifle it isn't all that outlandish.
@germanpeon
It seems like Poland should get its own kind of dragoon divisions. Same stats and requisite techs as Infantry, but more mobile.
hmmm but what is missing anyway are any new cavalry techs between 1939 and 1946. i think that if poland survived fall weiss cavalry would be upgraded just as the infantry was. i guess it should get a status like the specialist infantry forces (mountain, naval and airborne infantry) have.cegorach said:There is no reason for that. Polish cavalry was exactly like any other, more effficient and better trained maybe, but no different.
It might got some starting experience - like 10 points (like it is done in CORE) to reflect its more successful use during the war, but apart from that nothing really.
cegorach said:About 2/3 od cavalry charges in 1939 succeeded and of course they were used in only some critical situations.
The main factror was the fact that in the times where a rifle can kill from a long distance hand to hand combat becomes less frequent and most soldiers do not expect it too often and don't experience it in usual circumstances.
For this reason exactly like a surprise night raid or heavy urban fighting it requires nerves of steel to fight well against cavalry, though it is much more futile to combat a man on a horseback with a certain promise of really nasty death in his hand.
That is why the psychological factor was the main thing here and no wonder that just a squadron or a regiment was enough to shake morale of entire combat groups - division or corps sized.
cegorach said:About 2/3 od cavalry charges in 1939 succeeded and of course they were used in only some critical situations.
The main factror was the fact that in the times where a rifle can kill from a long distance hand to hand combat becomes less frequent and most soldiers do not expect it too often and don't experience it in usual circumstances.
For this reason exactly like a surprise night raid or heavy urban fighting it requires nerves of steel to fight well against cavalry, though it is much more futile to combat a man on a horseback with a certain promise of really nasty death in his hand.
That is why the psychological factor was the main thing here and no wonder that just a squadron or a regiment was enough to shake morale of entire combat groups - division or corps sized.
gooy said:hmmm but what is missing anyway are any new cavalry techs between 1939 and 1946. i think that if poland survived fall weiss cavalry would be upgraded just as the infantry was. i guess it should get a status like the specialist infantry forces (mountain, naval and airborne infantry) have.
robw963 said:As cool as I think cavalry is, especially Polish cavalry, I don't imagine that they would have continued to upgrade their cavalry units for much longer. In fact, they had already begun the process of converting cavalry units into mechanized units which is really the logical progression for cavalry units in this era.
In the US, cavalry units eventually become armored recon units or air cavalry (helicopter-borne infantry) in Vietnam. The movies Apocalypse Now or We Were Soldiers both portray that pretty well.
cegorach said:Actually if you check the OOB of the modern day Polish Army you would notice that armoured brigades and the air cavalry brigade are named in the style of cavalry units and their patrons' names are usually of some famous cavalry commanders (unless its tank commanders as gen. Maczek of course).
trekaddict said:And they even use German Panzers!
Jedrek said:Okay, okay, just gimmie those Polish taking Essen ^^
I anticipate the Second Polish-Bolshevik war. I hope you won't turn into yet another WC-ing campaign. Annex Eastern Poland (Ukraine? What the heck?!), put someone competent on the Russian throne (vivat the Romanovs!) and enjoy a new, powerful Poland ^^
No need to be sorry, it's actually a really good idea, although, as you suspected, something that's already been suggested. Piłsudski's Prometheism concept has been raised, but this is the first time I've heard the term Międzymorze. Others have made references to plans for Czech/Polish unions, Lithuanian/Polish unions, Ukrainian/Polish unions, etc. I'll be incorporating elements of these ideas as I shape Poland's future. I have an event which is (mis)named Wielkopolska which will award cores in a fairly broad area outside of Poland's national boundaries. They won't be as broad as suggested in the map in the link you provided since I'm restricting myself to areas which had ethnic Polish populations in the World War II time frame. Thanks for the link though, very interesting to read.Carlstadt Boy said:Maybe you could use this idea in your post-war plans?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Międzymorze
Sorry if anyone has already proposed it.