STILL OF USE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 193, 17 August 1939, Page 9

STILL OF USE.

VALUE OF THE HORSE.

JOBS FOR MOUNTED RIFLES.

]>xnarcß or dominion.

(By M.R.)

Anyone who followed the fortunes of our mounted troops in Palestine during] 1918-18 will agree that they put up anj excellent demonstration of hard-hitting mobile warfare under far from ideal conditions, a demonstration which has not been bettered since Genghis Khan and his Mongols rode ruthlessly over most of Asia and Eastern Europe.

If even one brigade of yeomanry or mounted rifles or light horse could suddenly materialise to ride once more the tracks through that broken country, which they knew so well, would General O'Connor, G.OrC. in Palestine, consider such first-class cavalry were useless and obsolete T Far from it. I venture to suggest that his feelings of relief would be tremendous —possibly eclipsed in magnitude by the gToom of the Bedouins, who remember the Anzac horsemen very well indeed.

"That's all right," says the critic once again. "There may be a case for

mounteds in New Zealand where the chance of rodern war is remote. Howabout Europe? Germany is said to have 10,000 aeroplanes and doesn't seem worried about the "12 gallons per hour." Surely there is no place for the horse with Maginot lines and autobahns." Full Use of Horses.

On the contrary, it is significant that all Continental armies, while pushing ahead at full speed with the development of armoured and other mechanised forces, are making full use of the horse. Germany is buying horses as fast as possible, eveu paying fabulous prices for the-i. France has doubled her remount services and mixes horse and mechanised cavalry in the majority of her mobile units. Even Switzerland, always a realist in tackling defence problems, has this same mixture of "horse power." Turning to Russia, where everything is done on the jrrand scale, we find that the famous Cossack element is being thoroughly exploited; the Red Army includes millions of horsemen as well as thousands of tanks.

"Be modern!" says the critic. "In the < next war all that fast-moving and hard- i hitting business will be aone by the tanks and the air. Cavalry as policemen, may be useful, but for real fighting the horse has gone! Armour and the petrol engine provide the answer!" It is true that when we think of cavalry we still include the horse, although it was eliminated as an effective fighting weapon 70 yeara ago and, next to man on his feet, is the slowest means of modern transportation. Yet in broken country the horse (or mule) still furnishes the best mobility, particularly if properly supplemented by motor transport. Impassable on Wheels. New Zealand is a case in point. Large areas between our main roads are impassable on wheels. In many localities only first-class bushmen would get

Yet the British Army has gone in for a wholesale policy of mechanisation and motorization. Most regular cavalry un'ts are rapidly changing over to light tanks or armoured cars; only three, or fit most four, famous resriments remain horsed. In the case of the Scots Greys national pride wss so outraged and out-i spoken when orders were issued to disposp of the magnificent grey chargers that the conversion was dropped quickly. They are now doing excellent work in Palestine. —

through with pack horses. The latter There was a possibility that even the are the natural complement to mechani- Bengal Lancers and other Indian cavalry, sation in providing fighting transport for together with the few remaining our territorial infantry and mounted yeomanry regiments, would also swap rifles. the sabre for the spanner. But the pace After all, under frew Zealand con- of "modernisation" has slackened in the ditions, there is so much mounted rifle- last few months and the gospel of "drop men can do which tanks will never do. the horse' is not being preached so They have the advantage of being able zealously. Possibly this slowing-up is to move with ease at night, without the result of experience in the wars (or noise and without lights. They can non-wars) of Spain and China. live on the country—which mechanised It is, therefore, reasonable to ssfy forees never, or at least very seldom, that under modern conditions in New can do. When you think that a modern Zealand, where movement off the roads aeroplane loads, roughly, 12 gallons of is so difficult, and', what is equally impetrol per engine per hour, you begin portant, where natural concealment to realise the immense problems that from the air is so plentiful mounted the supply of mechanised forces will infantry are an essential part of our entail. defence forces. But they must have

modern weapons and complete fighting equipment.

New Zealand's Effort. 1 Since the Boer War, when the New - Zealand contingents set such a high standard of efficiency in fighting and in horsemanship, the mounted rifle regiments have always kept their ranks full. The reason is not far to seek. Their methods of fighting satisfy the spirit of adventure which is so strong in all of us. Quick moving and quick thinking brings a variety and interest into their training. Again, there is always that affinity between'man and horse whieh is fully appreciated only by those who have experienced it. Onerous Duties. Following the example of several famous British cavalry regiment® with which they are allied, some mounted rifles units have exchanged their hor3es for mechanised transport—lorries, motor cycles, and, we hope, ultimately, tanks of some description. Both with British and New Zealand regiments, the change has been made with regret at losing the good old horse. Whether mounted on horses or tanks or motor cycle, the mounted rifles share with the infantry the most onerous duties of home defence; and in undertaking these duties the horse is not exterminated by, nor does it compete with, mechanisation. We must strike a balance without rushing to extremes.

For hundreds of years the horse reigned supreme both in war and in peace. Under modern conditions do not let the pendulum swing too far in the .reverse direction. .