The last Cavalry charge??

[Laurent Daniel]

The victorious charge of the Italian Savoia Cavalry Regiment during the Battle of Isbuschenskij - Chebotarevsky on August 24th 1942 is said to be the last cavalry charge in military history.
Any one here can confirm?
Sorry if this question has been already asked here.
An account of this battle, gathered from several web sites and forums:

In 1941 Mussolini decided to sent Italian troops to Russia alongside the German Ally and a first rather small contingent was sent, the C.S.I.R. (Corpo Spedizione Italiano in Russia) 60.000 men strong. It was renamed the A.R.M.I.R. (Armata Italiana In Russia, AKA 8th Army) by fall of 1942 rising to over 200.000 men strength.

In Aug. 1942 the Russian started an offensive on the flank of the Axis involving the Italian forces, which at first crushed under the pressure (only some strongholds resisting beyond all expectations).

The Savoia Cavalleria was sent to try and fill the gap. Led by Col. Bettoni, former spear tip of the Italian jumping team in the time between the World Wars, the Regiment started moving against the flood of disbanded units in perfect order. It is told that the “show” of discipline and calmness given by the cavalrymen helped a lot reorganising the troops retreating, then on Aug. 23rd it halted near Chebotarewsky, at the Isbuschenskyj plains. At dawn of the 24th which also was the anniversary of the foundation of the regiment (200th if I’m not mistaken) events went more or less as follows:

The 812th Fusiliers Russian Regiment approached during the night to a short distance in front of the Italian lines and waited in "light entrenchment" to start an attack. Their position was quite concealed from view by the very high grass present in the zone, and by several folds of the ground. At dawn pickets of the Savoia noticed the presence of the enemy forces, and the commander of the Savoia, Col. Bettoni, ordered an immediate charge. The formation of the regiment was, at the moment, on two lines (first line - left to right - 4th and 3rd Squadrons: second line - left to right 1st, 5th and 2nd Squadrons).

The 5th Squadron (MG Squadron) moved forward, dismounted, and fixed with its fire the front line of the Russians, while the 2nd Squadron started to move in a large circle to the right, apparently away from the Russians, in columns of platoons. But as soon as it had gained a slightly advanced position it performed a quick left wheel by platoons, and charged with good elan in the middle of the Russian formation in line formation, crossing all their position diagonally, accompanied by a section of MMG of the 5th Squadron that, having found no time to dismount, charged swords in hand with the rest.

Having reached the back of the Russian lines, the Squadron quickly reformed and charged back along the same line. Utterly surprised and heavily disrupted by the quickness and violence of the charge, the Russians reacted immediately and very creditably, moving forward against the Italian main position with decision and severely engaged the now hard pressed 2nd Squadron.

To extricate the 2nd Squadron and break the impetus of the Russian advance Col. Bettoni launched the dismounted 4th Squadron in a frontal "dismounted charge" (cavalry slang!) that managed to stall for a few moment the Russian assault. At this critical point the 3rd Squadron was launched in a mounted charge too, diagonally like the 2nd, while the dismounted 1st Squadron started a turning movement on the left flank. A vicious hand-to-hand fight followed, until the Russians broke the field.

As proof of the bitterness of the fight both side's losses were heavy; the Savoia were 39 KIA and 79 WIA (about 20% of the engaged force) the Russians lost about 150 KIA and about 900 to prisoners (over 300 of them WIA). This included 4 76mm field guns 10 82mm mortars and about 50 MGs.

After the battle Col. Bettoni made his squadrons march in line along the battleground with downed swords saluting the fallen of both sides.
The Italian cavalrymen were mostly armed with guard less Cossacks swords (war prey) which were much heavier than the Italian mod. 1871 and could crash a helmet (and the pertaining head) like a nut.
A German officer who witnessed the action was really impressed. Complimenting Col. Bettoni, he told him “We [the Germans] aren’t able to perform such things anymore”.

This action coupled with the successful counteroffensive of Sefarovich filled the gap and stabilised the front on the positions previous to the Russian offensive.

[Lupo Solitario]

properly speaking not.
For what concerns the italian army the very last charge was launched at Poloj in Croatia in October 1942 by "Alessandria Light Horse" regiment.
Anyway Isbuschenkji is more well known and was the last one against a regular army

For other armies, I ignore

[Pirx]

The victorious charge of the Italian Savoia Cavalry Regiment during the Battle of Isbuschenskij - Chebotarevsky on August 24th 1942 is said to be the last cavalry charge in military history.
Any one here can confirm?

March 1st 1945 near Bobrujsk (former German-Polish Border) was last charge of cavalary regiment.

[sid guttridge]

Hi Daniel,

It depends what you mean by "cavalry charge".

If you just mean mounted charge, there were apparently some in Afghanistan within the last decade.

I can also personally also confirm that a mounted infantry section under my command, but without me present (I can't ride), conducted a mounted charge into fire on the farm of Simon Bell in the Mtoko Commercial Farming District of Rhodesia the morning after the ceasefire came into effect in late December 1979. There were no casualties on either side as the horses couldn't follow the terrs into broken hill terrain.

However, if you mean a mounted unit wielding sabres, I would guess you may have to go back to the Chinese Civil War in the late 1940s or possibly in Tibet in the 1950s.

in WWII, a unit of the Romanian 1st Cavalry division also reportedly launched a mounted charge on the Don, like the Italians, but three months later on 19 November. It failed.

There were probably many Soviet cavalry charges later in the war. For example, a Soviet cavalry corps was surrounded in the Carpathian foothills in September 1944 while trying to break into Slovakia and had to fight its way out.

Cheers,

Sid.

[Laurent Daniel]

Hi, everybody,

Hi Daniel,
It depends what you mean by "cavalry charge".
If you just mean mounted charge, there were apparently some in Afghanistan within the last decade.
Cheers,
Sid.

So, the Director of the movie "Rambo Number-I-forgot" was correct to close his movie with a charge of Afghan cavalry

Thanks for all those info, it helps in a little polemic we have in a French history Newsgroup. I won't tell them that I got my new science from an English language forum, they would bash me

[Doktor Krollspell]

Hello Gentlemen!

I just found an interesting description concerning the end of the Cossacks in Dr. Rudolf Gschöpf's "Mein Weg mit der 45. Inf.-Div." (2nd ed. 2002). Could this be evidence of the last actual Cavalry charge with drawn swords???

"In der Nacht zum 23. März 1945 unternahm die 1. Abteilung des 4. Kuban-Kosaken-Regiments unter Führung von Major Mach noch eine Attacke mit blanker Waffe gegen bulgarische Artillerie und brachte 450 Gefangene ein."

Apart from the part about the Cossacks, the book by Gschöpf (originally published in 1955) is a detailed and very interesting study of a Ostmark (Austrian) Infantry Division that fought from September 1939 to the Soviet summer offensive of 1944. Yes, it was raised again as the 45. VGD and as such fought to the very end. A highly recommended book!


Regards,

Krollspell

[rommel_gaj]

For what concerns the italian army the very last charge was launched at Poloj in Croatia in October 1942 by "Alessandria Light Horse" regiment.

Mr.Solitario,

Could you elaborate a bit, please?

Gaius

[Doktor Krollspell]

And while we're at it...

Franz-Wilhelm Mach recieved the RK on 30.04.1945 as a Major commanding I./Kuban-Kos.Reit.Rgt. 4.

Does anyone know about the reasons and circumstances that rendered Mach the RK? Could it have been the (eventual) cavalry charge against bulgarian artillery positions which brought in a fair amount of POW's? Looking forward to some information/input on Franz-Wilhelm Mach...

Major Mach was executed on 26.02.1946 by the Soviets.


Regards,

Krollspell

[Jan-Hendrik]

Wow , good find , old Friend

Another one missing in my list of Kavallerie-RKTs



Jan-Hendrik