American Civil War Game Club (ACWGC)

What is the best way to use calvary. I seem to be really good at getting it killed![V]

Fld Lt Kyle FitzMaurice
4th Engineers, 2nd Inf Div, I Corps,
Army of Alabama

Sir,

Apologies in advance - I just couldn't resist! [:D]

The trick seems to be to kill more of your enemy's cavalry than your own! I must admit that I'm not that good at it yet! [:(!]

Regards

Maj Gen Mark Oakford
1/XVIII, AoJ

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Mark Oakford</i>
The trick seems to be to kill more of your enemy's cavalry than your own! <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

So that's the great secret!

I wish someone had told me earlier.

Gen. Walter, USA
AoS / War College

As Patton said "make the other poor sob die for his country"[:D] but on a more useful note, it depends[:(].

Every situation requires different tactics but rule of thumb is don't use cavalry for infantry. Use infantry. Cavalry is best for scouting and delaying an approaching column. Generally keep your cavalry mobile because once it dismounts it is difficult to extract from a bad situation. Only go into line if you have to hold something (and infantry is coming to the rescue) or the terrain is so rough that you can't be out flanked or driven back.

In HPS games with the high VP value of cavalry and artillery, cavalry should be used mainly to scout and screen. Once the enemy arrives it should fall back to cover flanks and rear (especially the artillery) from enemy cavalry.

Also go to the Southern Raiders and Confederate War College sites for more discussions on this subject.

Hoped this helped some.

Col. Kennon Whitehead
Chatham Grays
1st Div, I Corps, AoM (CSA)

Dismounted, right in front of a stack of 1000 Union infantry [}:)]

Col. Gary McClellan
1st Division, XXIII Corps
AoO,USA

As pointed out I think that the focus should always remain with the cavalry's mobility. Cavalry should stay mounted. Rarely should it be deployed or used in line to defend a position especially against infantry. Only if mobile cavalry cannot surround the position or that it is so critical that you are willing to lose the force. Once it is deployed it will be committed, subject to outflanking and destruction if not supported.

Always cover the approaches; any roads leading to your concentration or forward units should be blocked, if only to see if anyone is coming.

Another important characteristic of cavalry is that infantry cannot melee mounted cavalry which allows for effective if not costly delay tactics.

I like to use the small units for reconnoitering, with the main force concentrated (as much as possible) for support. An important thing to remember with a reconnoitering force is that you should be prepared to lose it, in other words don’t send a force too big that you cannot afford to lose it. Having 2 or 3 units covering fords spread out over a wide area is not a good way to do it. It prevents you from concentrating quickly in the area of the main push. Keep a minimum 1 or two and the rest in the rear ready to move.

I do not like to stack cavalry preferring to cover a wide area, negating the enemy’s cavalry’s ability to surround. There is the disadvantage in not being stacked with the enemy’s ability to concentrate and get higher melee odds, but the advantage is that you have defense in depth, and a concentrated reserve for a counterstroke. Keeping it concentrated (does not mean stacked), as much as possible is very important. If it is to be used to attack, you want to overwhelm the enemy position and get out of there as fast as possible.

The best way to cause casualties is to melee and to do it effectively you need to surround. Keeping your cavalry mobile will allow you to get around and to the rear against an enemy that deploys in line. Unless you are able to do so it is not wise to attack.

USA cavalry have carbines, which are effective,however they can be negated by superior mobility and eventual surrounds by CSA.

Important principles.

1) Mobility: Keep it mounted for speed and maneuver and to keep the initiative.
2) Economy of force: Minimum force for recon/delay
3) Concentrate.

Common errors I see are that players tend to try and defend everything and therefore are subject to an opponents use of 1,2 and 3. Another big error is that roads are not effectively covered, many times not at all, which allows for penetration and subsequent use of the high cavalry movement rates to get behind enemy lines and create all kinds of havoc.

There are obvious subtleties with the above as well as numerous occasions were you should vary from the above. When both forces are mobile I think that advantage or initiative will fall with the side that keeps it’s mobility.


Best Regards,

General Pierre D.
CSA Reserve Corps

I'll make the pitch I would have thought Gen Walters would have already made...

Ell-Tee, you joined the wrong side! Had you chosen the UNION, you'd be perusing the fine instituion of our War College and have the expertise of many fine officers' dedicated research into topics such as the use of cavalry! Right at your fingertips...

Of course, the Alabama school system would have made it difficult for you to read anything there...[:D][B)][:0] (very bad, I know...)[^]



Lt. General Jeff Laub
I Corps, Fighting First
Army of the Potomac, USA
http://www.geocities.com/laubster22/I_Corps/