Cavalry and Carriages

CAVALRY & HORSE EQUIPMENT

Cavalry Leather Gaiters.

Center of gravity line between horse and rider.

Postcard Colegio Militar.Collection FP France. Courtesy of Historian Frédéric Pineau.

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Horse Grenadiers, "Granaderos a Caballos".

Left: Model 1936 Uniform. Center and Right: Model 1967 Uniform. R.R. M. 44

Shako and jacket are original from the Grenadier horseback corps. The shoulder boards (epaulettes), 18th century Spanish style cartidge box and band, and sabre do not typically go with the uniform. They were used to complete the uniform until I get the real thing!

Historic uniform from the Grenadier horseback corps, custodians for the government house or Casa Rosada ("Pink House") as well as escorts. The uniform was approved with a regulation of 1909/1913 Chapter IV.
Source: Los Cuerpos Militares en la Historia Argentina 1550-1950 by Julio Mario Luqui-Lagleyze

Horseback Grenadiers circa 1900.

It would be difficult to synthesize the history of the Argentine cavalry or its innumerable actions, its tactics as an almost entirely cavalry army until the mid-19th century, and its contributions to the country. Argentina itself has a great equestrian tradition with talented riders that have shown their bravery throughout history.

WWI German cavalry with M1917 leather gasmask and lance. Mask is precautionary for possible chemical warfare.

At the beginning of the 20th century the modern cavalry was formed based on European tactics brought back by military personnel who spent time training in the Old World. For example, in a complete fluke of Argentine history, Lieutenant Pedro Pablo Ramirez went to Germany for training with the Fifth Hussars cavalry in Kaiser Wilhelm's Prussian Army. He actually fought in WWI as a member of the Reichleer German Imperial Army returning to Argentina with an advanced rank as a specialist in cavalry tactics. Some time after the war, Ramirez briefly became president of Argentina.

A squadron of the Argentine Cavalry awaiting orders to charge. All cavalry regiments carry lances, small Mauser 1891 carbines, and sabres. Observe the M1910 spike helmet.

Towards the end of the 19th century, the appearance of the Gatling machine gun (capable of firing 200 shots per minute) along with the polygonal cannons and rifles, etc. marked a definitive before and after in modern warfare. This also saw the decline of the romantic cavalry charges that were seen during the Franco-Prussian War that had ended in so many authentic massacres.

From there the cavalry began to transform into armored units, although there were still some legendary cavalry charges in the world wars. Those charges may have been anachronic but were filled with the spirit of body and bravery like in an episode of 1942. Among the sunflowers in Isbucensky the Italian cavalry regiment of Savoy, armed only with sabres, overcame 2 Soviet battalions using machine guns.

Sources: World War I in Photographs by J.H.J Andriessen
Universal Military Service in Argentina by George Marvin.
Supplementary info found on Wikipedia