What Happened When Generals Ordered Cavalry Charges In WWII?
One expected outcome and one total surprise
World War II is known for many high-tech advancements in warfare, including the emergence of the main battle tank, advanced aircraft, new radar systems, and eventually, the nuclear bomb. When people think of World War II, they imagine columns of tanks rolling across open ground, planes diving out of the sky, and massive battleships. They don’t often think about horses and men on horseback leading cavalry charges. Cavalry charges are something associated with Medieval warfare, not 20th-century warfare. But they did happen during World War II.
What happened when commanders ordered cavalry charges during the Second World War? One was a notable failure while another was a surprising success.
A Failure: The Mongolian 44th Cavalry (1941)
During the Battle of Moscow, there are hazy reports of a desperate cavalry charge conducted by the Mongolian 44th Cavalry. This unit was comprised of roughly 2,000 mounted soldiers. But they were not mounted on armored cars or in APCs. They were mounted on horseback. At this point in the war, the Russians were getting desperate to stop the German advance. Officers were terrified of retreating too early and getting executed for their…
