Swords were carried into battle in 1914.

[aussiesoldier]

A selection of the very few images showing German and allied officers carrying their swords into combat areas.

[Chip]

Officers found out pretty quickly that it didn't pay to carry a sword. 

[ccj]

I like this topic. Sure swords were worn into combat in 1914. I think swords continued to be carried to some extend in the lines and behind the lines during the war for many years. I don't think they were used as combat weapons during assaults. As for cavalry I'm not sure if the sword was maintained by all or not but I bet someone on he forum knows.

[aussiesoldier]

Swords withdrawn from most of the cavalry in 1915

 

By the beginning of 1915 with the solidifying of the trench system, they could no longer find employment on the Western Front. II and IV Cavalry Corps were dissolved and I and III Cavalry Corps were transferred to the East. With less use as pure Cavalry formations, each underwent a series of re-designations according to their particular role from time to time.

 

The dismounted divisions were converted to Cavalry Schützen Divisions. Here, the cavalry brigades were renamed Cavalry Schützen Commands and performed a similar role to that of an infantry regiment command. Likewise, the cavalry regiments became Cavalry Schützen Regiments and alloted the role of an infantry battalion and their squadrons acted as infantry companies.

 

I can't find a photo of cavalry on the Western Front after 1916 that shows a German cavalryman with KD89 attached to the horse saddle.  Basic equipment by then seems to have been lance and carbine.  

 

However, many images of officers behind the lines still wearing their swords.  

Edited February 22, 2015 by aussiesoldier

[joerookery]

There were some strange anomalies early in the war on the German side. For instance at the start they had 9 foot lances and swords but no bayonets. So the intent was to keep the lance should the rider be unhorsed. Might seem odd but that is exactly what happened during the battle of Halen. The cavalry really changed in 1915. The actually became a corps sized organization with all the trimmings. Prior to that they were HKK which had real limitations and were not well thought out.

[ccj]

Btw, when will the book be available for shipping? I ordered mine the moment I saw it in December. Amazons been taking pre orders.

I have interest in what happened to the cavalry during WW1.

[joerookery]

Btw, when will the book be available for shipping? I ordered mine the moment I saw it in December. Amazons been taking pre orders.

I have interest in what happened to the cavalry during WW1.

Isn't that this $64,000 question! I could bore you with whatever  details I had but I am told it will be available at the end of April in the UK and in July in the USA. One can only hope. I seem to be always operating under a cloud when it comes to publishers. "The Great War Dawning" has been out for a while and there is a lot of cavalry stuff in there. The poor use of cavalry forces is one of the three cracks discussed in detail in that 4 1/2 pound tome. There are some pretty fun self critiques in some relatively unpublished German sources related there. All of that was August and September 1914 whose Centennial has now passed.  That is available at Naval and military press or the publisher. The publisher could not deal with the Amazon terms.  http://www.militaria.at/Book.aspx?book=2277660&Language=en

[aussiesoldier]

There is a very ordinary ebook called "Lancers Charge" that has much of the organisational information on the German cavalry prior to the war.  I searched extensively for wartime info and very little beyond 1914 is available. The Eastern Front was an area of considerable activity for German cavalry yet even on the net there is almost no coverage.  1918 is all about the British use of cavalry. Some of the best info I got was from internet copies of the US Army Cavalry magazine from the 1920's.  The real gem there was an article that covered the poor support given to cavalry regiments = no continous supply of remounts, no meaningful supply of fodder, few opportunities to rest horses.  The author was not suprised that German cavalry performed so badly considering.  Indeed, the absence of experienced cavalry officers on the General Staff (where would they have gotten experience - at least the British had the experience of the Boar War) seems to have led to this poor state of affairs.

 

I have not read any reference to this in any other source.  Almost everything is British cavalry - even the French don't get much of a mention.  I have tried to cover some of these points in my gallery!

[ccj]

A good book "In the Field 1914-1915" by Marcel DuPont is a pretty good story of a lieutenant of Chasseurs and the battles fought by his unit. They are mounted for the most part.

Edited March 3, 2015 by ccj

[Trajan]

1) The wearing of swords by officers was ended with an order of 19th July 1915, which stipulated that from then on they were to wear a S.98/05, with the exception of airmen and airship personnel who were allowed to wear the kS.98. The Bavarians issued a similar order four weeks later on 20th August. However, photographic evidence is clear that in spite of the regulations many officers preferred to carry the kS.98 or another knife bayonet. 

 

2) An Imperial decree issued in late 1914 ordering that the various cavalry units of the ‘Reichsheer’, which had begun the war with the Kar/98a or Kar/98AV but no bayonet, be issued with the short S.84/98, evidently in response to the way that cavalrymen were increasingly being employed more usefully in a dismounted capacity. This process was certainly under way by February 1915. However, from what I can remember (I will have to check when I get back home), the order for cavalry units to hand back their swords to depots was not issued until about May 1915.

[Bayern]

Hello : Cavalry never vanished during WWI Austria Hungary as example , retained until the end two Kavallerie truppendivisionen ,each of two brigades each brigade with two regiments . These regiments have three sabre squadrons and one of MG s with 4 machines , The division comprised also a mounted artillery division ( a group ) All on horseback . the riders armed with carbines , bayonets and sabres . NCOS and musicians with pistol and sabre . they all weared the sthalhelm ,and the pelzulanka . The two mounted divisions were deployed in the east front especially in Ucraina .The frenchs by thear side maintained mounted cavalry in the Salonika front and this cavalry of the Armee de Orient under general Jouinott Gambetta , three regiments one of spahis and the other two chasseurs d afrique , all on horseback , attacked the 14th September 1918 and avanced speedly capturing Uskub Skoplie the HQ of the Bulgaro german enemies . they avanced by surprise using goat paths until reached the heights dominatin Uskub and then descend suddenly . A brave action not much recognized in France inclusive The only support of Jouinott brigade was a section of Automitralleuses a WT station on a ox cart and a section of 65mm guns .