Chapter 439 Cavalry
Lieutenant General Sponek discovered that something was wrong when he retreated to the defense line of the Romanian 8th Cavalry Brigade... The 8th Cavalry Brigade built the defense line on the open snow field, directly blocking the middle of the road.
Lieutenant General Sponeck immediately found Major General Efrem, commander of the 8th Cavalry Brigade, and the two had a fierce dispute.
"You can't build a defense line like this!" Lieutenant General Sponeck said: "I mean without any cover, the Russian tanks can find you and shoot at you from a kilometer away!"
"But we are cavalry, General!" Major General Efrem replied: "We have our own defensive tactics!"
"Oh, really?" Lieutenant General Sponeck spread his hands, "Tell me about your tactics!"
"What?"
"Tell me about your tactics! Your defensive tactics!"
Major General Efrem stepped forward helplessly, pointed to the map and said, "First of all, I must emphasize that the defense of the cavalry requires both offense and defense..."
"Hmm!" Lieutenant General Sponek raised his eyebrows.
"Our defensive line is vulnerable, but it is also good for cavalry to attack!" Major General Evrem replied: "You know, if we build our positions on high ground or other places, all of us must dismount and become infantry Already!"
This is indeed an embarrassment for the cavalry. If the war horses are only used for maneuvering, they are no different from ordinary horses. At the same time, the cavalry does not need to practice hard riding or tactics.
"So what now?" Lieutenant General Sponeck asked, "What can you do now?"
"Now!" Major General Efrem pointed to the map and replied: "When the enemy attacks our defense line, we can send cavalry to quickly outflank the attack from both wings..."
"God, you mean outflanking with cavalry?" Lieutenant General Sponek rolled his eyes.
"Yes!" Major General Efrem asked, "Is there any question?"
"They only need to set up a few machine guns to stop your outflanking, Major General!"
Major General Efrem puffed out his chest, with a look of dissatisfaction on his face, as if he felt insulted.
"General!" Major General Efrem replied: "I think you imagined us too fragile. The 8th Cavalry Brigade has a glorious history of combat, and my subordinates are well-trained..."
"Oh, really? That was the history of the last war!" Sponeck retorted: "The battle is different now, Major General!"
"Although it is true that there are differences, our fighting spirit and courage will not change!" Major General Efrem replied: "We will prove that the 8th Cavalry Brigade is not a disgraceful force, General!"
Lieutenant General Sponek was a little helpless.
The two of them do not seem to be in the same dimension. One is talking about the reality of the battlefield, and the other is about courage and experience... This may be because Romania’s main enemy is the Soviet Union. If the Soviet Union still retains cavalry, Romania will of course also retain cavalry.
Lieutenant General Sponek could not convince Major General Efrem, so he could only contact Manstein.
"General!" Lieutenant General Sponeck said, "They will only get themselves into trouble. They actually want to use cavalry to outflank the enemy's armored forces. The Russians will teach them a lesson!"
"You take over the command of the 8th Cavalry Brigade, Lieutenant General!" Manstein said: "In any case, try to stop or delay the Russian offensive!"
"Yes, General!"
However, it was too late. While Manstein and Sponek were discussing, the battle had already begun.
Lieutenant General Sponek put down the phone and ran towards the headquarters of Major General Efrem, hoping to take over the command and correct Major General Efrem's mistakes, but he failed to find Major General Efrem .
"Where is the major general? Where is your commander?" Lieutenant General Sponeck anxiously asked the staff officer who was busy answering the phone.
"The general is on the battlefield!" The staff officer replied: "He personally led the cavalry to attack the Russians!"
Major General Efrem has a deep-seated hatred for the Soviets. He is from Bisabiraya. Two years ago, when the Soviets occupied this place, his family died at the hands of Soviet soldiers.
"Can he be reached?" Lieutenant General Sponek asked.
"Is there any problem, general?" A colonel's staff greeted him: "The major general ordered me to take charge of the command here. If you have any questions, you can tell me directly!"
At this time, Lieutenant General Sponek knew that there was no room for redemption.
Lieutenant General Sponeck guessed right. At this time, the Romanian cavalry was divided into two parts, one on the left and one on the right, outflanking the Soviet army. Major General Efrem led one of them, and he waved it on his running horse. Holding a saber, shouting and charging towards the Soviet flank...
If it was in the past, during the First World War, this tactic might have been useful.
But now, several tanks greeted them, followed by more than a dozen half-track armored vehicles, and after an order, machine guns and tank guns roared.
In an instant, the horse neighed and thundered, and the war horse was hit by the bullet and fell down. Under the huge inertia, it ruthlessly threw the owner on the back to the ground. One after another, there was an endless stream of horses. The corpses of people and horses, and many unowned war horses ran around after being frightened.
If there is something worth mentioning about the cavalry in combat, it is that they can maneuver faster in the snow, so they can find the enemy's weak point and attack quickly under certain special circumstances, and then win the battle.
But this advantage is almost negligible in front of the 1st Guards Tank Brigade, because they have half-track armored vehicles.
Compared with cavalry, half-track armored vehicles have the same speed and off-road performance as horses. In addition, they have better defense, stability, firepower...almost all performances have been fully improved.
It is no wonder that cavalry will be eliminated after that. A machine gun on a jeep frame will be more applicable on the battlefield than cavalry.
If the charge of these cavalry can bring any losses to the Soviet army, it is that the ammunition consumption is too large...
"We're running low on ammunition!" the instructor reported to Shulka.
"Comrade Maximovich!" Shulka shouted to the deputy battalion commander: "Let them hurry up and bring up another batch of ammunition!"
The occupation of the high ground in the rear ensured that the 1st Guards Tank Brigade penetrated the transportation line of Zhankoy. From this perspective, there is a good side to the high ground on the way forward.
"They're crazy!" The instructor looked at the Romanian cavalry who were still trying to charge after their wings were beaten badly: "Do they think this will be of any use?"
"Don't be surprised by this, Comrade Instructor!" Shulka replied helplessly: "Because not long ago, our cavalry did the same thing!"
(end of this chapter)
