Australian Light Horse

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Darren
Posts: 88
Joined: Wed Dec 14, 2016 1:44 am
Location: Sydney, Australia

Australian Light Horse

Post by Darren »

Hi,

I'm preparing to play my first ITLSU game using 6mm models.

Do I organise my Light Horse s Cavalry (3 bases per troop), Or, organise them as Infantry (4 bases per troop).

Bearing in mind Light Horse were mounted infantry and not armed with Cavalry weapons. Yes, some units were armed and trained as Cavalry after Beersheba, their main function was still as mounted infantry.

My opinion is to organise Light Horse 3 bases per troop as historically their firing line was substantially less than an infantry platoon.

What do other people think?

Darren
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Nellkyn
Posts: 174
Joined: Thu Sep 05, 2013 9:36 pm
Location: Sacriston, County Durham

Re: Australian Light Horse

Post by Nellkyn »

My gut feeling is go with a three base troop. All Empire cavalry was really 'mounted infantry' by 1914, if not earlier. The need to allocate horse-holders would have reduced the number of rifles brought to bear by by any cavalry unit.
fourpipers
Posts: 10
Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2015 10:06 pm

Re: Australian Light Horse

Post by fourpipers »

I am researching an Australian Light Horse force for ITLSU.

The excellent “Australia’s Palestine Campaign” in the Australian Army Series # 7 by Jean Bou is quite clear that light horse regiments were organised along cavalry lines. Rather than mounted infantry they were a type of cavalry called mounted rifles. Its dismounted tactics were the same as used by the British and Indian Cavalry.

According to the thoughts of pasha nick on the yahoogroup

Dismounted Cavalry - clarification [#27293]
Dismounting cavalry retain their original number of bases (eg a mounted
squadron of three bases becomes a dismounted squadron of 3 bases) because
the rules (9.4) take account of horse holders by modifying their firing ability.

Therefore 3 base troop is the way to go. Horse holders are not represented when dismounted but count -1 D6 firer is dismounted cavalry.
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