A Guide to the usage Cavalry (Part 1)

Imperial Guard Cavalry Tactica 

1. General

Cavalry (commonly known as Rough Riders) are the forces within the Imperial Guard organized to perform missions requiring great mobility and fire power.  It can be comprised of a simple horse, a motor bike, or any of the local variant animals that can carry a man.  For the purposes of this document we will focus on the cavalry units within the Vallivar Sub-Sector, and more specifically those raised on the planet Scansin. Rough rider Regiments raised on Scansin have been equipped with standard horses as long as records show.  The horses themselves have been breed to show only the characteristics that make a good cavalry horse.  Horse mounted cavalry can operate in close cooperation with other elements of the Imperial Guard, which is highly recommended, or if the situation requires, separately.

As stated previously the key advantage of cavalry is its mobility, and this depends upon the condition of its mounts.   To maintain horses during a campaign requires continues care, supervision foresight and planning. Due the extreme breeding policies on Scansin their horses require much less care then others, but even they would require care. With this in mind, a cavalry unit can renew and replenish its strength wherever they happen to be.  Scansin cavalry can march up to 45 miles a day for extended periods and still be in a fighting condition.  The advantage to their mobility is that they can operate in any type of terrain and under practically all types of weather conditions. 

The firepower in a cavalry Regiment includes mostly of small arms; rifle, lance and close combat weapons that can be found in a line Infantry Regiment.  Melta Guns and Flamers may be issued as required but there is an utter lack of heavy weapons.  This is due to the nature of cavalry, they must be mobile and have the ability to strike fast.  Heavy weapons and artillary can be brought up by other Imperial Guard Regiments in support. Because of the lack of heavy weapons, cavalry units must rely on other Regiments of the Imperial Guard when dealing with heavy infantry, armor, or aircraft. Although it is a common occurrence that some supporting units will be directly assigned to a cavalry Regiment these are typically deployed at the Regiment or Troop Headquarters. 

Surprise is the important feature in all successful cavalry operations.  Cavalry can best achieve surprise by using its mobility in properly timed and directed operations. Surprise attacks delivered against the flanks and rear of the enemy from different directions greatly increase the chances of success.

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So, There's a few Imperail documents that I've wanted to write for a while.  One of them consists of that which you have just read.  It's focus is around the Cavalry units raised on Scansin, this will be a short 3 part series just lays out a few ideas in my head.  Next time around "Offensive Combat"

And maybe sometime in the future "The Infantry Company in the Defense" and if I ever get around it the "Offense".