Natural and artificial obstacles - the mortal enemy of the cavalry

We continue to analyze Imperial cavalry business card - Russian cavalry attacks in World War I, focusing on the actions of the 27 Don Cossack Regiment in the village of Der. Rudka-Chervyshche 7 August 1916 (see “Business card of the imperial cavalry. Russian cavalry attacks in the First World War ").

Attack!

Description of the fight

But the description of this momentous battle in relation to the 28-th DCT (RGVIA. F. 2007. Op. 1. D. 61. CH 2.):

“7 August 1916 of the year in 1 hour 30 min. The 1 Brigade, pursuant to the order for division No. 56, under the command of the regimental commander Colonel Yakushov, moved in the direction of the village of Rudka-Chervishche. On the way to the headquarters of the 2-th consolidated Cossack division, indicative data was obtained, and it turned out that the forest where the brigade was heading was occupied by the enemy.

In 5 hours, a brigade under enemy artillery fire crossed the bridge over the r. Stokhod and concentrated in the village Rudka-Chervishche.

The situation was as follows: the enemy occupied the village. Art. Chervishche and Yuzhn. the edge of the forest, which is south of this village and sowing. zapadn. D. Toboly, then his front went through the forest that is western. G. dv. Chervishche and D. Rudka-Chervysche directly to the south to the provincial border, west of the heights. 78,0 and then a sharp turn not east sowing. D. Gelenin to p. Stokhodu. Our infantry (pivotal corps as part of 27 infantry divisions and 1 brigade 1 Siberian rifle division and 73 infantry brigade ranged between Art. Chervishche-Toboly and the very village Toboly; brick factory and the eastern edge of the forest, which is west of the village of Rudka-Chervishche Khut. Chenchelovo, occupied by a team of 2 consolidated. kaz divisions and further south to the heights. 78,0 inclusive, and then east to the river. Stokhoda was located at the position 4-I Finnish Rifle Division, to the west. bank Stokhoda near the village of Rudka Chervishche stood 1-I Orenburg Kaz. battery, and vost. R. The stand (in 1– 1 ½ ver. South-west. High. 71,7) was a 2 heavy battery. Fighting area from the brick factory, which is south of the village. Tobols to the road Rudka-Chervishche hut. Chenchelovo was commanded by the commander of the brigade of the 2 consolidated Cossack division, General Guslavsky, and further south to the height. 78,0 inclusive and east to r. Stokhoda Head of the 4 of the Finnish Infantry Division, General Selivachev. Around 7 hours in the village of Rudka-Chervishche arrived chief of the 2-th consolidated Cossack division, General Krasnov. The General Chief of the unifying action of all the parts located in the Chervishchensky tete-de-pone was not appointed. The general plan of action was developed by the chief of the 4 of the Finnish division, General Selivachev, and reported to the army commander by telephone, and since the telephone did not work from the 4 division headquarters because of damage to the wires, General Selivachev traveled for the purpose to Stodot for the heavy battalion .

According to General Selivachev, the breakthrough indicated in the order of the army commander was hardly feasible, because the dismounted Austrian cavalry on this front was replaced by the German infantry, which had time to dig in and be covered with wire, so he asked to limit the task while expanding Chervishchensky tet-de - from high. 78,0 to height 76,4 t Lv. Otrina (zap. Der. Toboly).

The army commander agreed with this proposal. Returning from the observation point, General Selivachev informed us of a new, more modest task. In 13 hour. The commander of the brigade, Colonel Yakushov, received a telephone message from the commander of 4 of General Gelenschmidt's cavalry corps that he had to send a rifle regiment of Colonel Mikhailov from the reserve of the Army Commander. This telephone message was compiled in the following expressions: “To enhance your actions, it was sent from the reserve of the Army Commander 4-th Siberian regiment arrived to Griva. Upon arrival, Rudka-Chervishche will definitely require the most active actions to complete the task set by my 8907 number. Your energetic movement on 76,4 and on Chenchelovo will draw the flank of the Finders. Slowness will give the enemy dig in and intensify. General Krasnov with all parts fully support the blow 8914 you are delivering. Gelendshmidt.

Here and below - Cossack attack

At the same time, a notice was received from General Krasnov that the commander of the 4 of the cavalry corps handed the order through his Chief of Staff about the command of our brigade and the 4 of the Siberian rifle regiment to him - General Krasnov. According to the intercourse with the 4 Chief of the Finnish Rifle Division, it was decided to launch a horse attack after the infantry and artillery broke through the enemy’s barbed wire, for which the 4 rifle regiment immediately arrived upon arrival along the Rudka-Chervishche-Chenchelovo road arriving by this time Plastuny XNXX On that night, the combined Cossack divisions that had been replaced from the position were taken to the 2-th brigade chain of their division.

From the 27 regiment, the 1 platoon was equipped with workers to arrange the passage in the former Austrian wire fences and trenches located in 150 - 200 steps to the south-west of the southern edge of the village. Rudka-Chervyshche. In the 4 th Siberian rifle regiment from the 27 regiment an officer was sent to communicate with instructions to monitor the development of the advance of the infantry and to report on everything in detail. The commanders of rifle regiments were to inform General Krasnov about the beginning of the attack by telephone. In 15 hours artillery preparation began.

Opponent artillery responded weakly. The brigade was in full readiness for the attack, and the attack had to be carried out by echelon (waves) on 2 hundreds in each echelon in the head of the 27 regiment. At 16 ½, our infantry and squad went on the offensive; from the headquarters of the 4 Infantry Division and the officer of the 27 regiment stationed for communication in the 4 Siberian Infantry Regiment information was received to General Krasnov that the shooters were successfully advancing, the first line of trenches was being taken, machine guns were taken, the number of which had not yet been clarified and then crawled to the barriers and cut the wire.

Subsequent reports did not mention machine guns. In 18 hours of 50 minutes, the artillery fire of an enemy of heavy and light batteries on the advancing chains of our infantry was noticeably weakened. All who are in the village. Rudka-Chervyshche, it was obvious that the moment of the attack was ripe.

At the beginning of the 20 hour, shouts of infantry were heard: “Cavalry Ahead”, picked up by a ribbon of a large number of wounded, returning to the village. Rudka-Chervyshche. The senior adjutant of the 2 consolidated division received a confirmation by telephone that our infantry shouted “cavalry forward” from Chenchelovo. General Krasnov ordered the brigade to quickly advance in the direction of the village of Chenchelovo and develop the success achieved by the infantry.

The first from the village jumped out of the 27 regiment to direct the strike of the brigade, followed by hundreds of reconnaissance 1 Volga Regiment, and then 27 and 28 regiments. Hundreds had to debush out of the southern outskirts of the village. Rudka Chervyshche and a narrow passage made in Austrian wire fences located in 150 - 200 steps southwest. this village.

Before the hundreds of 27 regiments were able to break free, German airplanes discovered our intention and, sending a signal to their batteries, began to drop bombs and bombard the defile we’re debuffing with machine guns. Heavy battery on the same defile opened a fierce fire. At that moment, one of the heavy shells killed a sentry, a denominator and a sentry officer were wounded, and two other sentries and an assistant were seriously contused, and the 8 banner was pierced with fragments of this shell in the 28 field. Despite the fierce fire of the enemy, after just ten minutes, the 6-e echelons deployed to attack, having the 27 regiment to the left, and 28 to the right of the dor. Rudka-Chervishche-Chenchelovo, in the general direction to the khut. Chenchelovo.

Jumping close to the eastern edge of the forest, that zap. der. Rudka-Cervice, the first echelon of the 27 regiment, rested against impassable swamps. 4 hundred 27 regiment located in the last 2-x echelons took to the left and went in the direction of the height 78,0 Ivankovo. 3 hundreds of 28 regiment also rested in the swamp, and the rest went right along the road to Ur. Chase. Hundreds of 27 regiments heading for heights. 78,0 passed through the chains of their infantry, which shouted to them: “wherever you rush, the enemy has not yet been knocked out of the trenches”, but met with strong fire from the enemy’s heavy and light artillery and machine guns, and seeing German trenches entangled in wire, they backed away a little.

Hundreds of 28 regiments marching along the road to Ur. Pogon, passing infantry chains also stumbled upon German trenches with wire obstacles and met with fierce machine-gun fire from the enemy, were forced to go back. Several horses enthusiastic for a rapid attack ahead, having lost their riders hung on the enemy's wire obstacles.

Convinced of the untimely and fruitlessness of the cavalry attack and, in order not to make an unprofitable impression of their infantry with their withdrawal, the brigade was ordered to dismount, joining the chains of infantry, to conduct a firefight, which was done.

About the result of the attack in 19 hour. 30 min. the commander of the brigade was sent a report to General Krasnov, who soon sent him an order to report to him personally. At 21, by the order of General Krasnov, the brigade commander gave orders to his deputy, Colonel Pivovarov, at nightfall, to assemble the entire brigade in small units on foot. Rudka-Chervyshche, to the reserve of General Krasnov. During the day of the loss, the following figures were expressed: 1 officer was contused, 18 was killed by lower ranks, 103 was wounded and contused; horses killed 67, injured 69. "

We see that enemy fire of all kinds could not delay and restrain a Cossack attack (Donts even had to turn around for an attack under artillery fire and an air strike) - it was stopped only by unbroken artificial obstacles, primarily wire obstacles.

And 6 of August of the same year, hundreds of 16 and 17 of the Don Cossack regiments were also there, at Rudka-Chervishche they were deployed under the fire of bombs and machine guns of three German airplanes, which fell so much that they could see the machine guns and the faces of the pilots. But the attack still took place - moreover, over bridges and gatiyam, in a column of three, one and two each. The Cossacks jumped into their own breakthroughs and enemy wire barriers, jumped through the trenches and struck a cruel blow to the Austrians, taking prisoners and a machine gun. But they also stopped in swamps and forests - before the second line of enemy trenches. Esaul 17 General Baklanov Don Cossack Regiment F. Korshunov became Knight of St. George weapons for the fact that “in the 6 battle of August 1916 of the year near the village of Rudka-Chervyshche, commanding hundreds in the equestrian ranks, under the devastating fire of the enemy, attacked the enemy infantry and, despite being wounded, continued to attack, first to break into the enemy trench” .

1 — The Prerequisite for an Effective Mounted Attack — Cavalry-Access Terrain

So, we see that the first most important prerequisite for a successful horse attack is terrain that does not hamper the maneuverability of cavalry - a clean field, the absence of formidable or insurmountable obstacles. The terrain must be under the force of both horses and riders. So, for example, the attack of Kizlyar-combmen and Dagestanis, thrown at the German infantry from a five-kilometer distance in the village of Neple in August 1915, was scattered, and the attackers suffered very heavy losses not because the Germans were fiercely strong, but because the weak exhausted and insufficiently trained horses could not ride 5 km along smelted viscous fields, sometimes swamped, and stood up. The attack barely moved, representing at the last moment not a formidable, but a pitiful sight - and the Germans quietly shot the Cossacks (their own infantry did not support the Cossacks, leaving them to themselves).

An eyewitness observed the field of attack of the New-Mirgorod ulans on the village of Volchetsk, June 24 of 1916, just a few hours after the attack. Ulan corpses and horses lay mainly along two ditches, not wide, but with steep steep banks, dug along houses. Here the horses hardened, it happened that they threw themselves. And these suspended horsemen and their horses were killed from the windows of houses by German infantrymen. Where the field was clear, the attack swept almost without loss.

To be continued ...

Comments

[Brutan]

This is very important, important for the proper use of cavalry
then the result is appropriate!

[Hunghuz]

Exactly! Art commander

[heavy division]

and to achieve this result is worth a lot

[Hunghuz]

Well done Cossacks, and the fire is not a hindrance
But the obstacles slowed down

[XII legion]

and fire is not a hindrance
But the obstacles slowed down

Absolutely right! In both cases

[Seal]

but because the weak exhausted and insufficiently trained horses could not ride 5 km through the plowed viscous fields, swampy in some places, and stood up.

It’s strange. But according to the assurances of historians, Mongolian horses in the 13th century supposedly quietly moved about in snowy fields with a height of snow about a meter, in meadows with one and a half meter grass, ravines did not notice at all.

[Adjutant]

Again, pull the owl on the globe and see what you want Seal?
I quote the article:

weak exhausted and insufficiently trained horses could not ride 5 km through the fragrant viscous fields, swampy in some places, and stood up.

what is strange I ask you that

weak exhausted and insufficiently trained horses

couldn’t slip through the viscous fields? Are you an expert on horse exhaustion? or a specialist in the degree of under-training of horses?
And in the next article in the Neviska episode, fresh and trained horses attacked their belly in the snow - and everything is super. So what?
And what relation do Mongolian horses have here? Allegedly? Is it calm? Did not notice?
It’s strange for me to read the opuses of such seals Sergey Petrovich. That's really really strange)

[Seal]

That is, our Cossacks had

the weak emaciated и insufficiently trained horses couldn’t ride 5 km through the scattered viscous fields, swampy in some places

??
In my opinion, you are together in the author of the article doing this very owl of yours. Why should I agree that for some reason our Cossacks instead of war horses had insufficiently trained, weak, and besides, exhausted horses ??

It’s strange for me to read the opuses of such seals Sergey Petrovich. That's really really strange)

Yes, what about the oddities of various adjutants? Well, is it strange to you? So what ?

[Adjutant]

That is, our Cossacks had

In this case, yes, they were. Or prove the opposite ??))
and what does your Mongolian horses have to do with it?

In my opinion, you are together in the author of the article doing this very owl of yours.

What other owl?
First of all, you insult the author of an article based on documents, by the way. And if in this case depleted horses were present in a particular part, then the fact was the case.

Why should I accept

I personally do not care what some bile narcissistic ignoramus agrees with. If I'm an owl - then you are a stupid online owl)

[Dalton]

We see that cavalry was used in any situation, even in positional warfare.
terrain, obstacles left a major imprint. both terrain must be accessible by tank and cavalry accessible. Yes sir

[Albatroz]

Speed ​​is the main weapon of the cavalry, and when it stalls it is fraught

[heavy division]

A very interesting cycle, in development,
Thank you!

[Ekzutor]

We look forward to continuing!

[Antipatr]

Krasnov is certainly an authority, but ... No need in the twentieth century. throw cavalry on a frontal attack. Even the talentless Count Kutuzov did not do this in XIX. They hung on a thorn, ran into a swamp - all this is evidence of the disgusting work of the headquarters and the principle "maybe the soldiers will come up with something, but no - women will give birth to new ones."

[Albatroz]

Krasnov, of course, authority, but.

a very thoughtful conclusion ... but an excellent cavalry commander, imagine

Not necessary in the twentieth century. throw cavalry into a frontal attack. Even the talentless Count Kutuzov did not do this in XIX. Hanging on a thorn, ran into a swamp - all this is evidence of the disgusting work of the headquarters and the principle "maybe the soldiers will come up with something, but no - women will give birth to new ones"

Thanks to the 21st century sofa thinker for your hackneyed theory.
yes, only REAL FACTS 100 years ago show that a horse attack is more successful than, given certain conditions, which the author analyzes. Even the windshield.
And they are always flaws, the main thing is not to allow them

[Dalton]

That's right, Manfred. And Krasnov is an excellent cavalryman. Under Chulchits, his Cossacks destroyed a German battalion during a night equestrian attack (by the way, also frontal), stopping the movement of an entire division for 5 days. And the 1st Siberian CP brought up by him near Ardogan destroyed a regiment of selected Turkish infantry, and there are many more examples.
And on Stokhod (August 16, examples above in the article) you can see the excellent preparation of the Cossacks: in lines of 2 to 3, turn around to attack under the fire of guns and airplanes, and even carry out an attack under fire. Yes, the barriers turned out to be intact, which did not allow in the first case to complete the attack (a common thing in the WWII, the shortcomings of the gunners), and in the second

the attack passed anyway - and on bridges and gatami, in a column of three, one and two. Cossacks rushed into the breakthroughs of their and enemy wire fences, jumped through the trenches and inflicted a fierce blow to the Austrians, capturing prisoners and a machine gun. But also stopped in the swamps and forests - in front of the second line of enemy trenches. Esaul of the 17th General Baklanov of the Don Cossack Regiment F. Korshunov became a gentleman of the St. George Arms for the fact that “in the battle on August 6, 1916 near the village of Rudka-Chervishche, commanding a hundred in horse riding, under destructive fire of the enemy, he attacked the enemy infantry and despite the fact that he was wounded, continued to advance, the first to burst into the enemy’s trench. "

Even in conditions of positional war!

[Antipatr]

October 13, 1854. Balaclava, Crimea.
“At ten minutes past eleven, our light cavalry brigade went on the attack ... When it moved forward, the Russians met it with cannon fire from the redoubt on the right, rifle and choke volleys. We could not believe our eyes! Was this handful of people going to attack a whole army, lined up in battle formation? Alas, it was so: their desperate courage knew no bounds, so much so that what was called her most faithful companion - prudence was forgotten. " (William Russell).

The attack began suddenly for the Russians themselves. The English light cavalry brigade managed to cross under the crossfire of Russian artillery and infantry from the Fedyukhin and Balaklava (Kadikoy) heights, topple the 1st Ural Cossack regiment, break through to Russian guns and chop down the servants. The Kiev and Ingermanland hussar regiments behind the artillery could not organize a counterattack by the British light cavalry brigade because of the crowding in their battle formations, reinforced by the retreating Urals. Because of this, the hussars did not have any time or room for maneuver to move on to counterattack actions. But, as a result of a flank attack of three squadrons of the Consolidated Lancer Regiment of Lieutenant Colonel Eropkin, the light cavalry brigade of the British was dispersed and retreated with heavy losses. I had to retreat again under the crossfire of Russian artillery and infantry, which further increased the number of dead and wounded.

“So, we watched them burst into the battery; then, to our delight, we saw that they were returning, breaking through a column of Russian infantry, scattering it like a haystack. And here they - lost their ranks, scattered across the valley - swept the flank volley of batteries on the hill. The cavalrymen, wounded and having lost their horses, running towards our positions, more eloquently than any words testified to their sad fate - yes, they failed, but even the demigods could not have done more ... At 11:35 there were no more British soldiers left before the damned Moscow guns, except dead and dying ... "

“It is magnificent, but it is not war: it is madness” (Pierre Bosque, French General).

[Albatroz]

So what? First, you need to correctly choose the environment for the attack, the object of attack and the moment of attack. And do not climb on the rampage.
Secondly, in the WWI we observe the opposite.
If you read the 1st part of the article.

In the pre-war period, there was a point of view that modern military equipment would not allow horse attacks, and if there wouldn’t be, then the Russian cavalry doesn’t need strong horses like the Zadonsky horses, and that it has enough of the stock of outbred horses that Russia possessed without the Zadonskaya steppe. Voices sounded that the peak in the 1877th century is an anachronism, a doquil, only burdening the cavalryman, whose main weapon is a rifle with a bayonet. To a large extent, these considerations were based on the experience of Russian-Turkish 78-1904. and Russian-Japanese 1905-XNUMX. wars, which showed an almost complete absence of horse attacks.

so your post only confirms the above

[Seal]

Quote: Adjutant

What other owl?

Yes, apparently the very one, your owl. Forgot ? Let me remind you.

Adjutant (Svyatoslav) June 11, 2019 08:22 +4
Pull again owl on globe and see what you want Seal?

About exhaustion.

And if in this case depleted horses were present in a particular part, then there was a fact.

Hmm, but what, the author somewhere laid out the Act of checking the condition of the horse composition of the Cossack regiment, where it is written that "The Commission, having checked the horse composition, established .... including exhaustion ??"
How, then, was the regiment sent into battle on an "exhausted horse train"? Where and who is this "enemy of the people"?
Moreover, the equestrian staff is not only exhausted, it is also not trained enough. Well, who and by what act determined the adequacy / insufficiency of the training of the horse-drawn composition of the Cossack regiment? How was it determined? The exercises were carried out or so, by eye? Or do you think that the Cossacks completely scored in the service, sold their trained horses somewhere or lost cards, took their untrained (and exhausted horses) from the local peasants and went on the attack on these horses? Bullshit? In my delirium !!!

What does the Mongolian horse have to do with it?
Yes, despite the fact that this nonsense about the super-duper of the ancient Mongolian horses and of the super-duper of the ancient Mongolian riders was tired. And here is a wonderful example of the fact that the Cossacks, whose equestrian composition is head and shoulders above the traditional Mongol horses and combat training are also higher than the military training of the nomads, were somehow not at all up to the mark. And everyone agrees with this. But Mongolian super-duper horses and super-duper riders are sacred. And do not touch.

[denatured alcohol]

Hmm, but what, the author somewhere laid out the Act of checking the condition of the horse composition of the Cossack regiment, where it is written that "The Commission, having checked the horse composition, established .... including exhaustion ??"

The author is almost the only one on the site who works with documents. Yes, imagine.
The commissions during the database are not needed, the regiment’s command staff estimates.

How, then, was the regiment sent into battle on an "exhausted horse train"?

What do you mean sent? Cavalry could not go out of battle for a long time, gradually exhausting the equestrian staff. Work with documents, read the memoirs of cavalry officers, so as not to say anything stupid Sergey Petrovich. Moreover, the episode with exhausted horses dates back to August 1915.
So delirium is your quote below -

Or do you think that the Cossacks completely scored in the service, sold their trained horses somewhere or lost cards, took their untrained (and exhausted horses) from the local peasants and went on the attack on these horses? Bullshit? In my delirium !!!

And you are a connoisseur of Mongolian horses as well as all others, which your quote shows below.
By the way, fluffy

What does the Mongolian horse have to do with it? Yes, despite the fact that this nonsense about the super-duper of the ancient Mongolian horses and of the super-duper of the ancient Mongolian riders was tired. And here is a wonderful example of the fact that the Cossacks, whose equestrian composition is head and shoulders above the traditional Mongol horses and combat training are also higher than the military training of the nomads, were somehow not at all up to the mark. And everyone agrees with this. But Mongolian super-duper horses and super-duper riders are sacred. And no touch