05-03-2007, 12:37 PM
Sorry, me again. I know I already waffled on too long, but I just had to share these bits about the Battle of Aliwal in 1846 which just shows what highly-motivated cavalry can do, even if it defies all the rational arguments against it being possible. This is lifted from the Marquess of Anglesey's History of the British Cavalry, vol. 1 1816-1850 The 16th Lancers successfully attacked enemy cavalry, then infantry with artillery support in defensive positions. These infantry were European-trained and well disciplined.
The 3rd, it is said, wavered; but not so the 16th, which charged in fine stylw without them. Trooper Pearman saw them 'coming on at a trot, then a gallop. I took off my cap and hollered out...Such cutting and stabbing I never saw before or since'. Crashing into the mass of the enemy horse, the Lancers hunted the enemy towards the river. Bere then rallied his men for the return, only to find his way barred by Sikh infantry. These were part of the finest regular battalions in the Khalsa... They at once threw themselves into squares, or rather equilateral triangles, which were the Sikh equivalents [fewer vulnerable corners!]:
'We went at them', wrote a trooper in Bere's squadron, 'and on coming within 40 yards they gave us a volley, a ball from which struck the chain of my lance-cap just over the left cheek bone. They then threw away their muskets, and, taking their large shields, came at us sword in hand'. [How different to a shower of pila followed by gladii and scuta?]
Of this charge Corporal Cowan wrote that his troop
'moved on like a flash of lightning, clearing everything before us, guns, cavalry and infantry. As for myself, I went through cavalry and infantry squares repeatedly. At the first charge I dismounted two cavalry men, and on retiring we passed through a square of infantry, and I left three on the ground killed or wounded .... My comrade on my left, just as we cheered before charging, had his heart torn from his side by a cannon-ball, but my heart sickens at the recollection of what I witnessed that day. The killed and wounded in my squadron alone was 42.
After the first charge self-preservation was the grand thing, and the love of life made us look sharp, and their great numbers required all our vigilance.
Our lances seemed to paralyse them altogether, and you may be sure we did not give them time to recover themselves. There was no quarter given or taken. We did spare a good many at first, but the rascals afterwards took their preservers' lives, so we recieved the order to finish everyone with arms.'
.... Almost simultaneously with this charge, Captain Fyler's squadron, which, with Bere's, formed the left wing of the regiment, was ordered to attack another mass of Avatibile's infantry. This charge, too, was successful and Fyler joined Bere. Before he had done so the two remaining squadrons, which formed the right wing of the 16th were sent against
'a battalion of the enemy's infantry and a battery of 9 and 12-pounder guns....We had a splendid man for commanding officer, Major Rowland Smyth', wrote seargent Gould of C Troop.... '''Now'', said Major Smyth, ''I amgoing to give thw word to charge, three cheers for the Queen''. There was a terrific burst of cheering of cheering in reply and down we swept upon the guns. Very soon they were in our possession. A more exciting job followed. We had to charge a square of infantry. At them we went, the bullets flying around like a hailstorm. Right in front of us was a big sergeant, Harry Newsome. He was mounted on a grey charger, and with a shout of 'Hullo, boys, here goes for death or a commission'', forced his horse right over the fornt rank of kneeling men, bristling with bayonets. As Newsome dashed forward he leant over and grasped one of the enemy standards, but fell from his horse pierced by 19 bayonet wounds.
Into the gap made by newsome we dashed, but they made fearful havoc among us. When we got out on the other side of the square our troop had lost both lieutenants, the cornet, troop-sergeant-major, and two sergeants. I was the only sergeant left. Some of the men shouted, ''Bill, you've got command, they're all down.'' Back we went through the disorganised square, the Sikhs peppering us in all directions....We retired to our own line....'
Bere's squadron now made yet another assault against a square and broke it. Finally the whole regiment, supported by nearly all the rest of the cavalry present, charged triumphantly forward for the last time.
Just in case you are thinking these Sikhs were obviously a worthless, undisciplined rabble, there is this bit:
The fire of the disciplined Sikh infantry, wrote Lieutenant-Colonel Maude in 1903, was 'in the opinion of the survivors of the Peninsula and Waterloo..., both better delivered and better aimed than that of Napoleonic infantry... Even when broken, these men fought to the death as no other infantry, except the Russians at Zorndorf, [1758] have ever done before or since'.
Anyway, really must go and do that work now... except that it's now lunchtime here. Doesn't time fly...
Phil Sidnell
The 3rd, it is said, wavered; but not so the 16th, which charged in fine stylw without them. Trooper Pearman saw them 'coming on at a trot, then a gallop. I took off my cap and hollered out...Such cutting and stabbing I never saw before or since'. Crashing into the mass of the enemy horse, the Lancers hunted the enemy towards the river. Bere then rallied his men for the return, only to find his way barred by Sikh infantry. These were part of the finest regular battalions in the Khalsa... They at once threw themselves into squares, or rather equilateral triangles, which were the Sikh equivalents [fewer vulnerable corners!]:
'We went at them', wrote a trooper in Bere's squadron, 'and on coming within 40 yards they gave us a volley, a ball from which struck the chain of my lance-cap just over the left cheek bone. They then threw away their muskets, and, taking their large shields, came at us sword in hand'. [How different to a shower of pila followed by gladii and scuta?]
Of this charge Corporal Cowan wrote that his troop
'moved on like a flash of lightning, clearing everything before us, guns, cavalry and infantry. As for myself, I went through cavalry and infantry squares repeatedly. At the first charge I dismounted two cavalry men, and on retiring we passed through a square of infantry, and I left three on the ground killed or wounded .... My comrade on my left, just as we cheered before charging, had his heart torn from his side by a cannon-ball, but my heart sickens at the recollection of what I witnessed that day. The killed and wounded in my squadron alone was 42.
After the first charge self-preservation was the grand thing, and the love of life made us look sharp, and their great numbers required all our vigilance.
Our lances seemed to paralyse them altogether, and you may be sure we did not give them time to recover themselves. There was no quarter given or taken. We did spare a good many at first, but the rascals afterwards took their preservers' lives, so we recieved the order to finish everyone with arms.'
.... Almost simultaneously with this charge, Captain Fyler's squadron, which, with Bere's, formed the left wing of the regiment, was ordered to attack another mass of Avatibile's infantry. This charge, too, was successful and Fyler joined Bere. Before he had done so the two remaining squadrons, which formed the right wing of the 16th were sent against
'a battalion of the enemy's infantry and a battery of 9 and 12-pounder guns....We had a splendid man for commanding officer, Major Rowland Smyth', wrote seargent Gould of C Troop.... '''Now'', said Major Smyth, ''I amgoing to give thw word to charge, three cheers for the Queen''. There was a terrific burst of cheering of cheering in reply and down we swept upon the guns. Very soon they were in our possession. A more exciting job followed. We had to charge a square of infantry. At them we went, the bullets flying around like a hailstorm. Right in front of us was a big sergeant, Harry Newsome. He was mounted on a grey charger, and with a shout of 'Hullo, boys, here goes for death or a commission'', forced his horse right over the fornt rank of kneeling men, bristling with bayonets. As Newsome dashed forward he leant over and grasped one of the enemy standards, but fell from his horse pierced by 19 bayonet wounds.
Into the gap made by newsome we dashed, but they made fearful havoc among us. When we got out on the other side of the square our troop had lost both lieutenants, the cornet, troop-sergeant-major, and two sergeants. I was the only sergeant left. Some of the men shouted, ''Bill, you've got command, they're all down.'' Back we went through the disorganised square, the Sikhs peppering us in all directions....We retired to our own line....'
Bere's squadron now made yet another assault against a square and broke it. Finally the whole regiment, supported by nearly all the rest of the cavalry present, charged triumphantly forward for the last time.
Just in case you are thinking these Sikhs were obviously a worthless, undisciplined rabble, there is this bit:
The fire of the disciplined Sikh infantry, wrote Lieutenant-Colonel Maude in 1903, was 'in the opinion of the survivors of the Peninsula and Waterloo..., both better delivered and better aimed than that of Napoleonic infantry... Even when broken, these men fought to the death as no other infantry, except the Russians at Zorndorf, [1758] have ever done before or since'.
Anyway, really must go and do that work now... except that it's now lunchtime here. Doesn't time fly...
Phil Sidnell
D
