German cavalry in World War I

The history of the German Cavalry in World War I is one of an arm in decline.

Pre-war

The peacetime Imperial German Army was organised as 25 Corps (Guards, I - XXI and I - III Bavarian) each of two divisions (1st and 2nd Guards, 1st - 42nd and 1st - 6th Bavarian). Each division included a cavalry brigade (of two regiments) numbered as their parent division with the following exceptions: The Guards Corps had four cavalry brigades organised as the Guards Cavalry Division, the only peacetime cavalry division in the Army The Leib Hussar Brigade was assigned to 36th Division and there was no 36th Cavalry Brigade Three corps had an extra cavalry brigade: 43rd Cavalry Brigade attached to 2nd Division of I Corps 44th Cavalry Brigade attached to 12th Division of VI Corps 45th Cavalry Brigade attached to 34th Division of XVI Corps This gave a total of 55 brigades and 110 regiments.

+Pre-war regimental assignments Brigade Peacetime Corps Peacetime Division Regiment Regiment1st Guards CavalryGuards CorpsGuards Cavalry DivisionGarde du CorpsGuards Cuirassiers2nd Guards CavalryGuards CorpsGuards Cavalry Division1st Guards Uhlans3rd Guards Uhlans3rd Guards CavalryGuards CorpsGuards Cavalry Division1st Guards Dragoons2nd Guards Dragoons4th Guards CavalryGuards CorpsGuards Cavalry DivisionGuards Hussars2nd Guards Uhlans1st CavalryI Corps1st Division3rd Cuirassiers1st Dragoons2nd CavalryI Corps2nd Division12th Uhlans9th Jäger zu Pferde3rd CavalryII Corps3rd Division2nd Cuirassiers9th Uhlans4th CavalryII Corps4th Division3rd Grenadiers zu PferdeGrenadiers zu Pferde literally Horse Grenadiers or Mounted Grenadiers. Ranked as 3rd Dragoons.12th Dragoons5th CavalryIII Corps5th Division2nd Dragoons3rd Uhlans6th CavalryIII Corps6th Division6th Cuirassiers3rd Hussars7th CavalryIV Corps7th Division10th Hussars16th Uhlans8th CavalryIV Corps8th Division7th Cuirassiers12th Hussars9th CavalryV Corps9th Division4th Dragoons10th Uhlans10th CavalryV Corps10th Division1st Uhlans1st Jäger zu Pferde11th CavalryVI Corps11th Division1st Leib Cuirassiers8th Dragoons12th CavalryVI Corps12th Division4th Hussars6th Hussars13th CavalryVII Corps13th Division4th Cuirassiers8th Hussars14th CavalryVII Corps14th Division11th Hussars5th Uhlans15th CavalryVIII Corps15th Division8th Cuirassiers7th Hussars16th CavalryVIII Corps16th Division7th Jäger zu Pferde8th Jäger zu Pferde17th CavalryIX Corps17th Division17th Dragoons18th Dragoons18th CavalryIX Corps18th Division15th Hussars16th Hussars19th CavalryX Corps19th Division19th Dragoons13th Uhlans20th CavalryX Corps20th Division16th Dragoons17th Hussars21st CavalryXVIII Corps21st Division6th Dragoons6th Uhlans22nd CavalryXI Corps22nd Division5th Dragoons14th Hussars23rd CavalryXII Corps23rd DivisionSaxon Heavy Cavalry17th Uhlans24th CavalryXIX Corps24th Division19th Hussars18th Uhlans25th CavalryXVIII Corps25th Division23rd Guard Dragoons24th Leib Dragoons26th CavalryXIII Corps26th Division25th Dragoons26th Dragoons27th CavalryXIII Corps27th Division19th Uhlans20th Uhlans28th CavalryXIV Corps28th Division20th Leib Dragoons21st Dragoons29th CavalryXIV Corps29th Division22nd Dragoons5th Jäger zu Pferde30th CavalryXV Corps30th Division15th Dragoons9th Hussars31st CavalryXXI Corps31st Division7th Dragoons7th Uhlans32nd CavalryXII Corps32nd Division18th Hussars20th Hussars33rd CavalryXVI Corps33rd Division9th Dragoons13th Dragoons34th CavalryXVI Corps34th Division14th Uhlans12th Jäger zu Pferde35th CavalryXVII Corps35th Division5th Hussars4th Jäger zu PferdeLeib HussarXVII Corps36th Division1st Leib Hussars2nd Leib Hussars37th CavalryXX Corps37th Division10th Dragoons11th Dragoons38th CavalryXI Corps38th Division2nd Jäger zu Pferde6th Jäger zu Pferde39th CavalryXV Corps39th Division14th Dragoons3rd Jäger zu Pferde40th CavalryXIX Corps40th DivisionSaxon Carabiniers21st Uhlans41st CavalryXX Corps41st Division5th Cuirassiers4th Uhlans42nd CavalryXXI Corps42nd Division11th Uhlans15th Uhlans43rd CavalryI Corps2nd Division8th Uhlans10th Jäger zu Pferde44th CavalryVI Corps12th Division2nd Uhlans11th Jäger zu Pferde45th CavalryXVI Corps34th Division13th Hussars13th Jäger zu Pferde1st Bavarian CavalryI Bavarian Corps1st Bavarian Division1st Bavarian Heavy Cavalry2nd Bavarian Heavy Cavalry2nd Bavarian CavalryI Bavarian Corps2nd Bavarian Division4th Bavarian Chevaulégers8th Bavarian Chevaulégers3rd Bavarian CavalryII Bavarian Corps3rd Bavarian Division3rd Bavarian Chevaulégers5th Bavarian Chevaulégers4th Bavarian CavalryII Bavarian Corps4th Bavarian Division1st Bavarian Uhlans2nd Bavarian Uhlans5th Bavarian CavalryIII Bavarian Corps5th Bavarian Division1st Bavarian Chevaulégers6th Bavarian Chevaulégers6th Bavarian CavalryIII Bavarian Corps6th Bavarian Division2nd Bavarian Chevaulégers7th Bavarian Chevaulégers

A complete list of the pre-war regiments, their peacetime corps assignments and garrisons is shown here.

Mobilisation On mobilisation, the pre-war cavalry brigades were withdrawn from their divisions (as detailed below). 33 brigades (66 regiments) were used to form the 11 cavalry divisions. The remaining 22 brigades (44 regiments) were broken up and their regiments were employed as divisional cavalry for the 50 active divisions. This necessitated 6 regiments being raised to a strength of 6 squadrons before being split into two half-regiments of 3 squadrons each. The regiments involved were: 3rd Hussars assigned as divisional cavalry to 5th & 6th Divisions of III Corps 10th Hussars assigned as divisional cavalry to 7th & 8th Divisions of IV Corps 16th Uhlans assigned as divisional cavalry to 13th & 14th Divisions of VII Corps 16th Dragoons assigned as divisional cavalry to 17th & 18th Divisions of IX Corps 17th Hussars assigned as divisional cavalry to 19th & 20th Divisions of X Corps 6th Cuirassiers assigned as divisional cavalry to 22nd & 38th Divisions of XI Corps The other active regiments had a strength of 4 squadrons.

33 Reserve Cavalry Regiments, 2 Landwehr Cavalry Regiments and an Ersatz Cavalry Regiment were also formed and assigned to field formations. Each of these had a strength of 3 squadrons. Finally, there were 38 Landwehr squadrons (assigned to the mixed Landwehr brigades) and 19 Ersatz detachments (assigned to the mixed Ersatz brigades).

+Reserve, Landwehr and Ersatz Regiments raised on mobilisation Regiment Raised by Divisional assignment Corps assignment.Reserve Guards UhlansGuards Corps3rd Guards DivisionGuards Reserve CorpsReserve Guards DragoonsGuards Corps1st Guards Reserve DivisionGuards Reserve Corps1st Reserve UhlansI Corps1st Reserve DivisionI Reserve Corps1st Reserve HussarsXVII Corps36th Reserve DivisionI Reserve Corps2nd Reserve DragoonsIII Corps5th Reserve DivisionIII Reserve Corps3rd Reserve UhlansIII Corps6th Reserve DivisionIII Reserve Corps1st Reserve Schwere ReiterIV Corps7th Reserve DivisionIV Reserve Corps1st Reserve Jager zu PferdeXI Corps22nd Reserve DivisionIV Reserve Corps3rd Reserve DragoonsV Corps9th Reserve DivisionV Reserve Corps6th Reserve UhlansV Corps10th Reserve DivisionV Reserve Corps4th Reserve HussarsVI Corps11th Reserve DivisionVI Reserve Corps4th Reserve UhlansVI Corps12th Reserve DivisionVI Reserve Corps5th Reserve HussarsVII Corps13th Reserve DivisionVII Reserve Corps8th Reserve HussarsVII Corps14th Reserve DivisionVII Reserve Corps5th Reserve UhlansX Corps15th Reserve DivisionVIII Reserve Corps2nd Reserve Schwere ReiterVIII Corps16th Reserve DivisionVIII Reserve Corps6th Reserve HussarsIX Corps17th Reserve DivisionIX Reserve Corps7th Reserve HussarsIX Corps18th Reserve DivisionIX Reserve Corps2nd Reserve UhlansII Corps2nd Guards Reserve DivisionX Reserve Corps6th Reserve DragoonsX Corps19th Reserve DivisionX Reserve CorpsReserve Saxon HussarsXII Corps23rd Reserve DivisionXII Reserve CorpsReserve Saxon UhlansXIX Corps24th Reserve DivisionXII Reserve CorpsReserve Wurttenberg DragoonsXIII Corps26th Reserve DivisionXIV Reserve Corps8th Reserve DragoonsXIV Corps28th Reserve DivisionXIV Reserve Corps7th Reserve DragoonsXI Corps21st Reserve DivisionXVIII Reserve Corps4th Reserve DragoonsXVIII Corps25th Reserve DivisionXVIII Reserve Corps1st Reserve BavarianI Bavarian Corps1st Bavarian Reserve DivisionI Bavarian Reserve Corps5th Reserve BavarianIII Bavarian Corps5th Bavarian Reserve DivisionI Bavarian Reserve Corps5th Reserve DragoonsII Corps3rd Reserve DivisionDirectly subordinated to 8th Army9th Reserve HussarsIII Corps30th Reserve DivisionFortress Strassburg2nd Reserve HussarsIV Corps33rd Reserve DivisionFortress Metz3rd Reserve Schwere ReiterXX Corps35th Reserve DivisionFortress Thorn1st Reserve DragoonsXX Corpsn/aFortress Königsberg1st Landwehr CavalryV Corps3rd Landwehr DivisionLandwehr Corps2nd Landwehr CavalryVI Corps4th Landwehr DivisionLandwehr CorpsErsatz CavalryVI Corps4th Landwehr DivisionLandwehr Corps

Regiments

The 110 active regiments were assigned to the Field Army on mobilisation. Each regiment formed a depot squadron which remained in Germany and took 4 squadrons into the field. 6 regiments were brought up to a strength of 6 squadrons and split into two half regiments; they joined the two divisions of their Corps. 33 Reserve Regiments, 2 Landwehr Regiments and 1 Ersatz Regiment also joined the Field Army, but were only at a strength of 3 squadrons.

+Establishment of each regimentSquadronsOfficersNCOs and other ranksriding horsesdraught horsesbridge wagonstelephone wagonsmedical wagonsbaggage wagonssupply wagonsfodder wagons43668870960211555651101710577621077732751153236000444

Cavalry Divisions

In September 1916, the establishment of cavalry regiments within the Cavalry Divisions was reduced to 675 horses instead of 769. The Supreme Command did not stop there, but also took away the horses of entire regiments and used them as infantry. These regiments were redesignated as Cavalry Schützen Regiments (as detailed below). By the end of the war, just 22 Cavalry Regiments remained mounted, a fifth of the active regiments mobilised in 1914.

Divisional Cavalry A measure was put into force through the War Ministry at the beginning of August 1916 whereby every division and autonomous brigade in the Army of the West was to command just one squadron of cavalry. The measure also came into force immediately in the Army of the East. The Landwehr and Ersatz formations, together with the individual squadrons and Reserve Detachments set up during the war for the new divisions were dissolved.

For the cavalry regiments allocated as individual squadrons to the divisions, the regimental unit ceased to exist for all practical purposes. The Regimental Staffs were not dissolved, but were for the most part left with the divisions they happened to find themselves with, to be used for special purposes. 16 Regimental Commanders found new employment as horse inspectors; Retained their designations, responsible for tours of inspection and balancing the stock of horses within certain districts. two Regimental Staffs were changed into Infantry Regiment Staffs; The Staff of 86th Cavalry Regiment became Staff of 433rd Infantry Regiment and Staff of 1st Reserve Uhlan Regiment became Staff of 434th Infantry Regiment and three Regimental Staffs were changed into Jäger Regiment Staffs. The Staff of 4th Dragoons became Staff of 11th Jäger Regiment, the Staff of 2nd Uhlans became Staff of 12th Jäger Regiment and the Staff of 8th Bavarian Chevaulégers became Staff of 13th Jäger Regiment

By the end of war, about 250 individual mounted squadrons remained, representing 61 active and 22 reserve cavalry regiments.

Nomenclature Although the various regiments were divided into a number of different categories (cuirassiers, dragoons, hussars, uhlans, etc.) all had the same role. Regiments bore a number within its category, a state (or province in the case of Prussian regiments) and usually an honour title. For example,