Evening star., 1937-05-22

WdQe Hampton,
| A THOUGH there are repeated
stories in Civil War records Of
Infantry outmarching Cavalry there
is little likelihood that even the best
OF StoneWall Jacksons famous Foot
Cavalry would be able to keep up
With the modern Army horse. Cavalry
| reports OF today describe records OF
endurance on the part of the modern
| Cavalry horse which would have
startled the cavalrymen of earlier
days.
There Is, for instance, a 150-mils
endurance race made by lieutenants
OF the 9th Cavalry over a grueling
mountain and desert terrain from
Fort Bliss. Horses and riders we're
pushed throughout with one of the
primary purposes thorough testing
OF the toughness and stamina of
mounts and men
The winner, Lieut.. Charles P. Walk
er on a 900-pound, 7-year-old horse
named Boono, covered the $50 miles
IN 27 hours II minutes 20 seconds.
Ihe horse carried a weight of 1870
pounds and lost As pounds in weight
durlng the race. The actual riding
time was 20 hours II minutes 20
seconds, which meant that the average
rate was 7,42 miles per hour, not al
lowing for Straying from the direct
course. The horse finished in very
good condition. His condition the next
Gay was considered excellent, and he
was judged capable of doing another
70 miles in five hours, one of the con-
oltlons OF the race. Many OF the
horses finished in good fettle, one Of
them taking a 6-foot ditch cleanly
and with ease near the finish and sew
eral finishing at full gallop.
Systematic breeding of Army horses
Tor qualities desired in the military
service Is going on constantly at such
| posts as the Army remount depot at
Front Royal, Va. The improvement of
STOCK is not confined exclusively to
Army mounts. The fine Army stations
are made available to horse raisers in
the nearby Virginia counties for stud
purposes, and the quality of Virginia
horseflesh, long famous. is improving
along with the service animals.
A ND the Army is making the best
possible use of its horses, despite
the entertainments of the mechanical
age. Horse Cavalry regiments are
! maintained at the Cavalry posts and
are used as freely in the working out of
military problems, as are the mechan-
lied regiments. Each type has its place
in the Army, and each is regarded as a
Vltauy necessary part of the service.
For this reason, although the horse
and the mule have disappeared alto
gether from the fully mechanical Cav
airy regiments, the role of the horse
actually is becoming more important
all the time
Although the horse still is holding
his own in the Cavalry, however. there
has been tremendous change in the
cavalry regiments. This, of course, is
especially noticeable in the case Of
the mechanical regiments. but also is
true even of the horse regiments.
Where the peace-time Cavalry regi.
ment of the Mexican punitive expedi.
ton Of 1917 had 1923 horses and 1863
mules, today's horse regiment has only
TIA horses, Of which 68 are pack ami
mails, and no mules. The mechanized
Cavalry regiment has no animals at
all, their places having been taken by
229 motor vehicles.
The 1917 Cavalry regiment had a.
train OF 33 escort wagons. Today's
horse regiment has none OF these
wagons, but has instead seven trailers.
which may be rse-dravn but which
more often are truck-draWn. There
are neither escort wagons nor trailers
In the mechanized regiment.
Although the 1917 Cavalry regiment
had no motor vehicles, the present
horse regiment has "a motor vehicles,
this number including motor cycles,
proposed as standard equipment for
such regiments.
THE change in the weapons of the
Cavalry regiment is even more
surprising. The Cavalry regiment Of
the Pershlng punitive column which
penetrated deep into Mexico carried
six machine guns. The 1887 Cavalry
regiment, horse, is armed with 50
machine or submachine guns, and the
fully mechanized Cavalry regiment of
today carries the amazing total of 522
machine and submachine guns. The
saber has vanished as Cavalry
weapon and the rife has diminished
in Importance. The 1917 regiment
carried 885 rifles and 800 sabers. Tho
present horse regiment is armed with
sol rifles and these are to be replaced
by semi-automatic rifles as rapidly as
possible. The "mecz' regiment has
but 40 rifles, which are to be semi
automatic. The cannon is becoming a
part Of the Cavalry regiments equip
ment. The Cavalry regiment of 1917
had no cannon. The horse regiment
today has two 37-mm. guns and the
mechanical regiment six 4.2-inch NOR.
tars.
Since one of the primary missions
Of Cavalry is the gathering of in
formation. the radio is coming to
play an increasingly important part.
Pershing's Cavalry regiments Of 1917
carried no radio equipment. Today
the horse regiment has seven radio
outfits authorized and it is proposed
to increase the number to 10. The
mecz, it is planned, will carry A radio
sets into action; they now have 3s
sets authorized
All Of these changes in the Cavalry
regiments have not been effected
without corresponding changes In per-
sonel. The enlisted strength Of the
1917 Cavalry regiment was 1907. The
strength of the present peace time
horse regiment Is 693 enlisted men
and of the mechanized regiment TAG
enlisted men.
THE changes, according to Maj.
Robert w. Grow, Cavalry, are
among the most striking and revolu-
tionary Of the many changes In mill
tary practice which have altered the