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Northern Alliance Charges Tanks with Horses (My Title)
Reuters ^
| November 07, 2001 08:38 PM ET
| Deborah Zabarenko
Posted on 11/07/2001 7:36:46 PM PST by rwb
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To: Don Myers
The U.S. Army was using horse cavalry as late as the 40's. Obviously in armour-hostile terrain such as this region, they still have an application. I've been discussing this with several military types (U.S. and others) who were confidentially wishing they still had a small mounted corps, even if it was just pack mules.
21
posted on
11/07/2001 8:41:55 PM PST
by
coydog
To: rwb
Is it just me or is it a really dumb idea to ride a horse against a tank? Depends. You'd think that a soldier on foot would be at a distinct disadvantage amongst tanks, but that's a situation that tankers try to avoid. I don't think they are launching cavalry charges, sabers drawn, like the gallant but doomed Polish Army against the Nazis. They are probably using them to provide the mobility in "shoot and scoot" tactics using anti-tank rockets.
22
posted on
11/07/2001 8:42:59 PM PST
by
LouD
To: rwb
one can only hope the Poles built the tanks...then there might be a chance.....lmao
To: cactusSharp; GeronL
Does anyone know what kind of tanks they have? 55's or 62's ?
24
posted on
11/07/2001 8:55:46 PM PST
by
rwb
To: rwb
Russia said they were giving the Northern Alliance 40 of the T-55 tanks.
25
posted on
11/07/2001 8:59:35 PM PST
by
GeronL
To: GeronL
T-55's, huh?! Well then its safe to say that they're not going to be winning any wars anytime soon.
Maybe after the 'banis get bombed into the Stone Age, then the T-55 will be an 'uber' weapon.
And to think that just a few years ago Russia didn't know how to get rid of its surplus junk. Ha Ha Ha !
26
posted on
11/07/2001 9:08:35 PM PST
by
rwb
To: rwb
The NA might also have some BMP's and newer (than 55's) that were captured from the Soviet war.
27
posted on
11/07/2001 9:16:48 PM PST
by
GeronL
To: rwb
Actually, the Soviet Red Army used their Cavalry Guards until the end of WWII.
The Northern Alliance needs alot of vehicles and I have not seen any stories about us sending them trucks (I say send them SUV's as well, just to upset the wacko environmentalists) to make their forces more mobile.
To: KC_Conspirator
Speaking of environmentalists ... are DU rounds being used in Af'stan?
29
posted on
11/07/2001 9:42:02 PM PST
by
rwb
To: Scott from the Left Coast
"...it is highly unlikely (no known instances) that any such units used horses to advance against armor. ..."Some interesting info from World War II Almanac, 1931--1945 , by Robert Goralski, page 91---
Quote--"Sept. 2, 1939--Two Polish divisions were destroyed in an attempt to pull back through the Corridor. A Polish cavalry brigade was shattered when mounted lancers attacked German tanks."
Also, "The German ground forces possessed well over a half-million horses on Sept. 1, 1939. By the time the war ended, a total of 2,700,000 horses had served the Wehrmacht. That is nearly twice the number used by the Germans in World War I...." [page 96 ].
30
posted on
11/07/2001 9:53:37 PM PST
by
gatex
To: rwb
Don't underestimate the ability of horse-mounted RPG or LAW rocket-equipped cavalry. A horse can go anywhere a man go can without using his hands to climb, so they will control the high ground. These people are expert horseman.
![](http://www.dslextreme.com/users/surferslim/martyr.gif)
To my knowledge, there are no F-16s in Afghanistan.
To: rwb
Well, everybody knows, as was depicted in the great and visionary epic "Planet of the Apes" that the horse is the preferred mode of travel in the future. I expect any day to see large monkey looking creatures manning the trench lines.
32
posted on
11/08/2001 1:13:15 AM PST
by
Rokke
To: rwb
This would have happened during ambushes, since established defensive positions were protected by the liberal use of minefields. You're absolutely right. They employed the tactic when the Russians were on the move.
33
posted on
11/08/2001 10:47:50 AM PST
by
Hamza01
Comment #34 Removed by Moderator
To: rwb
In an area without roads or gasoline supplies, If, you do not have a horse, you are walking.
One of the primary advantages of a horse is that it can get you to a battlefield quickly. With more equipment than you can carry alone. You can then get off to fight in a fairly fresh physical condition. The other advantage is that soldiers can withdraw quickly by simply remounting and riding away.
Under present circumstances with FLIR imagery being used, horse soldiers with the Northern Alliance would be easy to spot and identify.
Old tech and new tech working together.
35
posted on
11/08/2001 11:21:19 AM PST
by
Inge_CAV
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