THE CAVALRY IN 1914

by Frank Gardner

Were the cavalry irrelevant in the Great War? Most students of that war think so but is this fair? Take the Household Cavalry for example. The 1st and 2nd Life Guards and The Royal Horse Guards, did not go to France in August 1914 due, no doubt, to their unique association with the Monarch whose personal regiments they were and to their Public Duties commitments in Whitehall which dated back to an edict of James II. However, each regiment provided a squadron to form a Composite Regiment which landed in France on 16 August 1914 as part of the 4th Cavalry Brigade.

In October 1914 the three regiments landed in Belgium with the 7th Cavalry Brigade. It was part of a force intended to relieve Antwerp but was too late and was therefore moved to the Salient where the First Battle of Ypres was at its height. The squadrons in the composite regiment then rejoined their regiments.

During the opening months of the war the cavalry played a vital scouting role. When trench warfare set in, however, they were used dismounted in a defensive role. At First Ypres the situation was desperate and the cavalry were used to plug the gaps torn in the British lines. The Household Cavalry particularly distinguished themselves in the defense of trenches at Zillebeke.

The war now became a frustrating one for the cavalry: although one or two cavalry charges were attempted with unhappy results, they were mostly waiting for the big breakthrough. They were frequently called upon to leave their horses behind near the front while they manned the trenches. The horses then suffered dreadfully. At home they had been most carefully looked after but now they were kept in the open with no dry standings and exposed to torrential rain and winter snow and had to exist on reduced rations because of shipping shortages. Their ranks were decimated by enemy shelling. It broke the troopers' hearts to see their mounts suffer and even the aristocratic officers resented the staff officers and indeed it is recorded that Haig despised the Household Cavalry, a feeling that dated back to the South Africa War when they arrived late and withdrew early. He was to change his mind about them.

The army was, of course, heavily dependent upon the horse (and the mule) and in the first two weeks 100,000 men landed with the BEF taking with them 165,000_., horses. Throughout the war 268,958 horses and mules died or were destroyed or killed.

On March 1918 the Household Cavalry Regiments became the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the Guards Machine Gun Regiment. (For two years an infantry battalion composed of men of the Household Cavalry reserve regiments served on the Western Front.)

So were the cavalry irrelevant? Their war certainly was not as they had anticipated except, perhaps, during the first weeks of open warfare, but they had not been idle. And they were the only mobile troops available should circumstances favorable to their use arise. Of course Haig and the cavalry generals never gave up hope of a breakthrough in. which the massed cavalry.. would charge- to _:final victory but 'You can't have a cavalry charge until the enemy's last machine gun has been captured.' And that never happened.

OTHER CAMPAIGNS

7 Italy

by Bob Butcher

Although Italy was -a member of the Triple . Alliance it did not join Germany and Austria on the outbreak of war but declared neutrality although national sentiment was pro Allies. However, enticed by the prospect of getting a share of the. victor's spoils in the form of Austrian territory., Italy declared. war on Austria on 23 May 1915 and on Germany on 27 August the following year.

The Italian army had not replenished its material and stores used up in its Libyan War but never the less on 29 June commenced the first of eleven Battles of the Isonzo in an attempt to capture the Italian-speaking Trieste area of Austria. The last such battle was in August 1917. During that time the Italians also had to fight several defensive actions. None of these battles was decisive, but the Italian soldiers fought with great determination and suffered very heavy casualties.. The Italians lacked sufficient heavy artillery so, early in 1917, several British and French heavy batteries were transferred to Italy. At the same time detailed plans were made for the transfer of British and French divisions to the Italian front should that become necessary.

That happened in October when a strong offensive led by a German army smashed through the Italians at Caporetto. Their Second Army was routed and fled back in disorder. French and British divisions began arriving there from France within a week. However, the Italians had taken stern measures to restore order and had established themselves behind the Piave. The situation was more

or less under control and the Anglo French force was not called upon to engage in any serious fighting. Some of the divisions, however were returned to France following the German Spring Offensive of March 1918.

In June 1918 the Austrians launched a big offensive, this time without German help. It was defeated everywhere but the British did lose some ground which they recovered within twenty-four hours. In October the Allies in Italy launched an offensive that culminated in the decisive Battle of Vittorio Veneto and the Austrian surrender. The battle had been made possible by a fine feat of British arms on the Piave.

The British XI Corps served in Italy from December 1917 until March 1918 and- the XIV Corps .from November 1917 until the end of the war. The 7th, 23rd and 48th Divisions served in Italy from November 1917 until the end of the war, the 7th and 41st from November 1917 until April 1918. Total British battle casualties were 6321 killed, died of wounds, wounded, missing and prisoner of war.

 

The Bulletin of the Birmingham Branch of the WFA

Compiled by Bob Butcher

September 2007