Osprey - Elite 129 - World War II US Cavalry Groups. European Theater.pdf

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World War II
US Cavalry Groups
European Theater
GORDON L. ROTTMAN
ILLUSTRATED BY PETER DENNIS
© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
Elite • 129
World War II
US Cavalry Groups
European Theater
GORDON L. ROTTMAN
ILLUSTRATED BY PETER DENNIS
Series editor
Martin Windrow
© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
THE PRE-WAR CAVALRY REGIMENTS
Regiments, squadrons, and troops
4
5
THE CAVALRY GROUP (MECHANIZED)
Organization: Headquarters and Headquarters Troop – Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadrons
(Mechanized) – Troops Cavalry Group armament and vehicles
7
CAVALRY GROUP MISSIONS
Doctrine and practice
Group and squadron tactics
Task-organization for combat
16
CAVALRY GROUP DEPLOYMENTS
THE TEST OF BATTLE
Representative examples of cavalry groups in action: 113th Cavalry Group reconnaissance mission
– 4th Cavalry Group screening mission – 113th Cavalry Group in the defense – 6th Cavalry Group
in the offensive – 2nd Cavalry Group in defense of a river – 2nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron
in a river assault – 316th Cavalry Brigade in the offensive – 101st Cavalry Group, miscellaneous
missions – 3rd Cavalry Group in the pursuit
32
42
CONCLUSIONS
Assessments
The post-World War II mechanized cavalry
58
SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX
63
64
© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
WORLD WAR II
US CAVALRY GROUPS
EUROPEAN THEATER
INTRODUCTION
The World War II battlefield accomplishments of the mechanized cavalry
groups go largely unreported. These predecessors of the armored cavalry
regiments of the late 1940s to early 2000s carried the lineages of pre-war
cavalry regiments. Supporting field armies, corps, and divisions, the lightly
armed, fast-moving cavalry groups performed not only their primary roles
of reconnaissance and security missions, but also both offensive and defensive
operations, as well as a variety of unforeseen special missions. Reinforced by
other combat units, they often formed the core of special task forces.
When the United States was swept into World War II the horse cavalry
was in terminal decline, and the existing cavalry regiments met different fates.
Many had already been reorganized as mechanized reconnaissance units.
Others retained horses, being known as “horse-mechanized” units, since the
The “horse-mechanized”
cavalry regiments traded in
some of their horses for
motorcycles and scout cars.
Instead of bolt-action .30cal
M1903 Springfield rifles, the
troopers were armed with
.45cal M1928A1 Thompson
submachine guns; note also
this scout’s .45cal M1917
revolver (Colt or S&W) – a
longtime favorite sidearm of
cavalrymen. Harley-Davidson
motorcycles were used until
replaced by jeeps; they could
not negotiate extremely rough
ground, mud, sand, or snow,
were difficult to handle on ice,
and were also noisier than
jeeps. (Tom Laemlein,
Armor Plate Press)
4
© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
Most jeeps in combat zones
had the canvas top removed to
improve observation, and the
chance to return fire and bale
out rapidly if they came under
fire, but some crews risked
retaining it for weather
protection. Note the canvas
cover protecting bedrolls
on a rear rack. This is almost
certainly a jeep belonging to
a headquarters element rather
than a scout platoon. (Tom
Laemlein, Armor Plate Press)
horses were transported in truck-trailers; these still conducted the traditional
cavalry roles of reconnaissance and security. Some of these units were
disbanded; others were converted to modern fully-mechanized
reconnaissance units; and others still were dismounted, to fight as infantry
in the Pacific and Burma.
1
Some were inactivated, and their assets transferred
to armored regiments that bore their proud old numbers within armored
divisions. While the tank would dominate the European battlefield, there
was still a need for traditional cavalry roles; these would now be conducted
by new mechanized cavalry, lightly armored but very well armed.
On the eve of America’s entry into World War II there were 23 cavalry
regiments on active duty, nine of which were National Guard units inducted
into Federal service. Of these 23, three were mechanized for reconnaissance,
eight horse-mechanized, and 12 still horse-mounted.
This book’s focus is on the 13 cavalry groups that fought in the European
Theater. Cavalry groups fought in no other theater; three remained in the
States, and two separate squadrons served in Italy and Southern France. The
mechanized reconnaissance squadrons and armored reconnaissance
battalions organic to armored divisions are not discussed here, nor are the
infantry divisions’ cavalry reconnaissance troops. (Those units are covered
in Osprey Battle Orders 3,
US Armored Divisions,
and Battle Orders 17,
US
Army Infantry Divisions.)
PRE-WAR CAVALRY REGIMENTS
Prior to and early in the war there were 15 horse and mechanized cavalry
regiments on active duty. There were three existing mechanized cavalry
regiments (1st, 6th & 13th), and five more regiments (2nd, 3rd, 4th, 15th
& 16th) were either newly raised or converted to mechanized. Others
remained horse or horse-mechanized until converted to mechanized
or infantry.
1 See Elite 175,
World War II US Cavalry Units, Pacific Theater
5
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