page_title: United States Cavalry
section_title: World War II
hierarchical_section_title: United States Cavalry / Post-World War I / World War II
caption_attribution_description: 26th Cavalry (PS) [Philippine Scouts] moving into Pozorrubio pass a General Stuart light tank, M3.
context_page_description: The United States Cavalry, or U.S. Cavalry, was the designation of the mounted force of the United States Army by an act of Congress on 3 August 1861. This act converted the U.S. Army's two regiments of dragoons, one regiment of mounted riflemen, and two regiments of cavalry into one branch of service. The cavalry branch transitioned to the Armored Forces with tanks in 1940, but the term "cavalry", e.g. "armored cavalry", remains in use in the U.S. Army for mounted reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition units based on their parent Combat Arms Regimental System regiment. Cavalry is also used in the name of the 1st Cavalry Division for heraldic/lineage/historical purposes. Some combined arms battalions are designated as armor formations, while others are designated as infantry organizations. These "branch" designations are again, heraldic/lineage/historical titles derived from the CARS regiments to which the battalions are assigned.
context_section_description: Going into the Second World War, the Cavalry consisted of three Regular, four National Guard, and six Organized Reserve cavalry divisions as well as the independent 56th Cavalry Brigade. Because of a shortage of men, on 15 July 1942, the 2d Cavalry Division was inactivated to permit organization of the 9th Armored Division. White cavalrymen were assigned to the 9th Armored Division, and the all-black 4th Cavalry Brigade became a nondivisional formation.
  The 106th Cavalry was before World War II a National Guard unit based in Chicago, Illinois. Prior to World War I and the Spanish–American War it had been known as the 1st Illinois Volunteer Cavalry. The 106th underwent a number of different reorganizations until 1 September 1940, when it was redesignated the 1st Squadron, 106th Cavalry (Horse-Mechanized).
  On 25 February 1943 the 2nd Cavalry Division was (re)activated. The 27th Cavalry Regiment was attached to the 5th Cavalry Brigade (Colored) on 25 February 1943. It was deactivated 27 March 1944 and personnel later reorganized into the 6400th Ordnance Battalion (Ammo) (Provisional) 12 June 1944.
  The 28th Cavalry Regiment (Colored), 2nd Cavalry Division, activated February 1942 and attached to the 5th Cavalry Brigade (Coloured) on 25 February 1943. It was deactivated 31 March 1944 and personnel later reorganized into the 6400th Ordnance Battalion (Ammo) (Provisional) 12 June 1944.
caption: 26th Cavalry moving into Pozorrubio
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