[Illustration: BATTLE OF STAFFARDA, 1690. (_From a contemporary
engraving._)]
[Illustration: ACTION ON THE BULGANAK, 1854. (_From a lithograph by W.
Simpson._)]
[Illustration: GERMAN GUARD DRAGOONS. (_Photo, Gebruder Haeckel._)]
Tactical scouting, now as always, is invaluable for securing the safety
of the marching and sleeping troops, and brigade, divisional and corps
commanders will remain dependent upon their own squadrons for the
solution of the immediate tactical problem before them; but, since both
sides will employ mounted men to screen their operations, intelligence
will generally only be won by fighting, and the side which can locally
develop a marked fire superiority will be the more likely to obtain the
information it requires. In this direction the introduction of the motor
car and of cyclists is likely to exercise a most important influence,
but, whatever may be the conveyance, it must be looked upon as a means
of advance only, never of retreat. The troops thus conveyed must be used
to seize villages or defiles about which the cavalry and guns can
manoeuvre.
_Formations and Drill._--Cavalry, when mounted, act exclusively by
"shock" or more precisely by "the threat of their shock," for the
immediate result of collision is actually decided some instants before
this collision takes place. Experience has shown that the best guarantee
for success in this shock is afforded by a two-deep line, the men riding
knee to knee within each squadron at least. Perfect cavalry can charge
in larger bodies without intervals between the squadrons, but,
ordinarily, intervals of about 10 yds. between adjacent squadrons are
kept to localize any partial unsteadiness due to difficulties of ground,
casualties, &c. The obvious drawbacks of a two-deep line are that it
halves the possible extent of front, and that if a front-rank horse
falls the rear-rank horse generally tumbles over it also. To minimize
the latter evil, the charge in two successive lines, 150 to 200 yds.
apart, has often been advocated, but this has never stood the test of
serious cavalry fighting; first, because when squadrons are galloping
fast and always striving to keep the touch to the centre, if a horse
falls the adjacent horses close in with such force that their sidelong
collision may throw down more and always creates violent oscillation;
and secondly, because owing to the dust raised by the first rank the
following one can never maintain its true direction. It is primarily to
avoid the danger and difficulty arising from the dust that the ranks in
manoeuvre are closed to within one horse's length, as, when moving at
speed, the rear rank is past before the dust has time to rise.
Of all formations, the line is the most difficult to handle, and,
particularly, to conceal--hence various formations in column are
necessary for the preliminary manoeuvres requisite to place the
squadrons in position for the final deployment previous to the charge.
Many forms of these columns have been tried, but, setting aside the
columns intended exclusively for marching along roads, of which
"sections" (four men abreast) is most usual in England, only these
survive:--
Squadron column.
Double column of squadrons.
Half column.
In _squadron column_, the troops of the squadron formed are in line one
behind the other at a distance equal to the front of the troop in line.
The ideal squadron consists of 128 men formed in two ranks giving 64
files, and divided into four troops of 16 files--a larger number of
troops makes the drill too complicated, a smaller number makes each
troop slow and unhandy. When the squadron is weak, therefore, the troop
should still be maintained as near 16 files as possible, the number of
troops being if necessary reduced. Thus with only 32 files, two troops
of 16 files would be better than four of only 8 files.
All other formations of the regiment or brigade are fundamentally
derived from the squadron column, only varying with the order in which
the squadrons are grouped, and the intervals which separate them. Thus
the regiment may move in _line of squadron columns_ at close interval,
i.e. 11 paces apart or in _double column_ as in the diagram. To form
_line_ for the charge, the squadrons open out, still in column, to full
interval, i.e. the width they occupy when in line; and then on the
command "Line to the front," each troop moves up to its place in line as
shown in the diagram. When in line a large body of cavalry can no longer
vary its direction without sacrificing its appearance of order, and as
above pointed out, it is this appearance of order which really decides
the result of the charge before the actual collision. Since, however,
the enemy's movements may compel a change, an intermediate formation is
provided, known as the "half column." When this formation is ordered,
the troops within each squadron wheel half right or left, and each
squadron is then able to form into column or line to the front as
circumstances demand, or the whole line can be formed into column of
troops by continuing the wheel and in this formation gallop out into a
fresh direction, re-forming line by a simple wheel in the shortest
possible time.
[Illustration: Formations]
BIBLIOGRAPHY.--G.H. Elliot, _Cavalry Literature_ (1893); v. Bismarck,
_Uses and Application of Cavalry in War_ (1818, English translation by
Lieut.-Col. Beamish, 1855); G.T. Denison, _A History of Cavalry_
(1877); Prince Kraft zu Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen, _Letters on Cavalry_
and _Conversations on Cavalry_ (English translations, 1880 and 1892);
Colonel Mitchell, _Considerations on Tactics_ (1854) and _Thoughts on
Tactics and Organization_ (1838); E. Nolan, _Cavalry, its History and
Tactics_ (1855); Roemer, _Cavalry, its History, Management and Uses_
(New York, 1863); Maitland, _Notes on Cavalry_ (1878); F.N. Maude,
_Cavalry versus Infantry and Cavalry, its Past and Future_; C. von
Schmidt, _Instructions for the Training, Employment and Leading of
Cavalry_ (English translation, 1881); V. Verdy du Vernois, _The
Cavalry Division_ (1873); Maj.-Gen. Walker, _The Organization and
Tactics of the Cavalry Division_ (1876); C.W. Bowdler Bell, _Notes on
the German Cavalry Regulations of 1886_; F. de Brack, _Light Cavalry
Outposts_ (English translation); Dwyer, _Seats and Saddles_ (1869); J.
Jacob, _Views and Opinions_ (1857); F. Hoenig, _Die Kavallerie als
Schlachtenkorper_ (1884); Sir Evelyn Wood, _Achievements of Cavalry_
(1893); H.T. Siborne, _Waterloo Letters_; Desbriere and Sautai, _La
Cavalerie de 1740 a 1789_ (1806); Warnery, _Remarques sur la
cavalerie_ (1781); v. Canitz, _Histoire des exploits et des
vicissitudes de la cavalerie prussienne dans les campagnes de Frederic
II_ (1849); Cherfils, _Cavalerie en campagne_ (1888), _Service de
surete strategique de la cavalerie_ (1874); Bonie, _Tactique
francaise, cavalerie en campagne, cavalerie au combat_ (1887-1888);
Foucart, _Campagne de Pologne, operations de la cavalerie, nov.
1806-jan. 1807_ (1882), _La Cavalerie pendant la campagne de Prusse_
(1880); De Galliffet, _Projet d'instruction sur l'emploi de la
cavalerie en liaison avec les autres armes_ (1880), _Rapport sur les
grandes manoeuvres de cavalerie de 1879_; Kaehler, _Die preussische
Reiterei 1806-1876_ (French translation, _La Cavalerie prussienne de
1806 a 1876_); _Cavalry Studies_ (translated from the French of Bonie
and the German of Kaehler, with a paper on U.S. cavalry in the Civil
War); v. Bernhardi, _Cavalry in Future Wars_ (English translation,
1906); P.S., _Cavalry in the Wars of the Future_ (translated from the
French by T. Formby, 1905); D. Haig, _Cavalry Studies_ (1907); v.
Pelet Narbonne, _Die Kavalleriedienst_ (1901). _Cavalry on Service_
(English translation, 1906); _Erziehung und Fuhrung von Kavallerie_.
The principal cavalry periodicals are the _Revue de cavalerie_, the
_Kavalleristische Monatshefte_ (Austrian), the _Cavalry Journal_
(British), and the _Journal of the U.S. Cavalry Association_.
(F. N. M.)