Picture of a 17th Lancer in 1829 wearing a 1796 LCS

[Queequeg]

Originally Posted by fernando

Let me take the advantage of having a few members here who are within the Cavalry issue and ask you guys the following:
How late are Cavalry charges recorded to have taken place; you know, horsemen, lances, sabres and all ... with or without images ?
... Taking that the one at Balaclava wasn't surely the last one.
Thank you.

There have been a few articles about the U.S. Special Forces on horseback in Afghanistan; swords included:

U.S. Special Forces Joined Charge On Horseback Against Taliban

Washington -- U.S. special forces working with the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan have ridden in cavalry charges against Taliban militia positions, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said. ``In Afghanistan, a country we think of in somewhat medieval terms, our special forces have taken a page from the past, from the history of the horse cavalry with our soldiers armed with swords and rifles, maneuvering on horseback,'' Wolfowitz said in a speech last night...

Monument honors U.S. 'horse soldiers' who invaded Afghanistan

Demossville, Kentucky (CNN) -- The U.S. special operations teams that led the American invasion in Afghanistan a decade ago did something that no American military had done since the last century: ride horses into combat...

[fernando]

Originally Posted by Queequeg

... swords included: ...

If you don't mind, i'll take that as a figure of speech .

[sirupate]

I never knew that about the US special forces acting as a kind of modern light dragoon, fabulous!

[fernando]

It is not difficult to assimilate that horses are a functional alternative for accessing areas where motorized vehicles can not reach but, swords why not horse riding with assault rifles?

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by fernando

It is not difficult to assimilate that horses are a functional alternative for accessing areas where motorized vehicles can not reach but, swords why not horse riding with assault rifles?

Oh Nando!!! Where is your panache' ????? Actually in the Sahara the Tuaregs carry AK-47s, but still faithfully wear their takoubas.

[sirupate]

[kronckew]

A lot of Afghanis will cheerfully charge at you thru a hail of bullets, they believe if they get hit, it is the will of Allah and they will go to Paradise if they die. being charged by a man with a big knife, or sword is, however, a different thing altogether. If they have a bit lopped off by an edged weapon, that's how they go into paradise and that is forever. Best not take any chances against a crazy Ferengi who brings a sword to a gun fight. Allah just might be helping HIM!.

A sword, or fixing bayonets is a statement of intent and commitment that they will be getting up close and personal and do not themselves mind dying. A proper Brit bayonet charge against Argentinian troops not all that long ago, who had been resisting strongly, scared the excrement out of them and they surrendered in droves.

Ref:https://www.businessinsider.com/the-...2-10?r=US&IR=T

https://www.businessinsider.com/6-of...5-10?r=US&IR=T

In spite of the bean counter REMFs, sharp pointy things are not yet obsolete, because they ultimately still work.

Doing it old school: https://vimeo.com/277556631