Cavalry and Tanks

First World War

Cavalry and Tanks

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Transcript

Horses.

A soldier standing with a horse

Horses running over the rough terrain with debris scattered all around

A group of horses marching in line and many soldiers and horses standing among equipment

Essential tools of war for over 5,000 years began to see the end of their usefulness during the First World War.

Soldiers riding horseback in line coming from a buidling

At the onset, many predicted that leaps in technology would spell the

Soldier saddling up a horse putting a cover over the horse's mouth

end of mounted warfare,

Soldiers walking horses to trough of water

but cavalry units were still very much part of attack strategies on all

Horses held by soldiers and horses coming through the gates

sides of the conflict. However, at the battle of Cambrai in 1917,

Piles of ammunition line the ares with horses and wagons in the background

the first Allied cavalry charge to be truly

Group of soldiers get on their horses back and march off

mowed down by Central Powers’ machine-gun

Soldiers riding horses with some horses only carrying gear

fire had everyone rethink their use, and fast!

Two soldiers walk the wounded

Trench warfare also made them redundant.

Rough terrain

Anyone trying to charge through a maze

Blasts of smoke in the distance overlooking rough terrain

of dugouts, tunnels and barb wire wouldn’t get far.

Horses being ridden over the rough terrain with blasts of artillery firing behind them

Soldiers walking with horses and wagons towards a barbwire fence

This marked a transition period. Horses still played a significant role

Soldiers on foot leading horses carrying supply of equipment on their back

Horse and wagon caravan going at a fast pace through rough terrain

throughout the war but mostly for reconnaissance,

Soldiers riding horse and wagon pulling artillery and supplies

carrying messages, pulling artillery, ambulances, field kitchens and supply wagons through deep mud

Soldiers walking with horses through the mud and rough terrain

and rough terrain.

Horses pulling wagons through rough terrain and wheels hitting the mud holes

A new tool of war was about to replace

Horses tethered on the roadside

the horse in shock tactics: the tank.

Soldiers riding horseback getting away from the distant blasts of artillery fire and black clouds of smoke

Front view of the tank

Tanks didn’t succumb to

Tank travelling over rough terrain with blasts of artillery and black smoke firing in the distance

machine gun fire.

Rounds of ammunition going through machine gun as it fires artillery

Tanks didn’t get skin conditions or

View underneath the tank of heavy rubber tracks riding over the rough terrain

Soldier dressing the wound of the leg of an injured horse

need veterinary hospitals. Tanks’ dead carcasses didn’t cause disease.

Soldier maintaining operation of the tank

Dead horse carcasses lay on the ground while soldiers repair the damaged wagon

Tanks left no waste contributing to poor hygiene in camps.

Soldier's camp set up constructed on side of mountain, smoke coming from the make shift flu

Progressively tanks took over the role

A line up of tanks on their side

of horses, but not completely.

Tank in motion going towards rough terrain

On March 30, 1918 a Canadian regiment,

Tanks showing defensive action while blasts of artillery is fired with huge clouds of black smoke

Soldier riding horseback while a parade of soldiers is marching in the background.

Lord Strathcona's Horse,

A group of soldiers and horses pulling wagons

led one of history's last great cavalry charges against superior German positions,

Stampede of horses travelling across the rough terrain

well protected by machine guns,

Soldiers crouched down protecting themselves from machine gun fire

at Moreuil Wood. The Germans surrendered,

Group of soldiers marching on

but seventy-five of the Canadian soldiers were killed or wounded.

Soldiers loading the stretchers of wounded comrades onto the back of Red Cross ambulances

Nursing sisters caring for the wounded

Symbolically, and soon very practically,

Tanks going over the rough terrains causing clouds of grey smoke

the era of the horse was over. The future belonged to the tank -- and to armoured regiments. But many Canadian armoured regiments

Soldiers on the back of tanks

proudly strut their equine past to this day --

Soldier engraving the Canadian Maple Leaf logo on back of tank while another soldier looks on

like Lord Strathcona's Horse

Soldier rides by on horesback

Group of soldiers riding horseback

(Royal Canadians), the very unit

Huge number of soldiers stand by as caravan of horses and wagons go by

Huge cavalry of horses stampede the countryside

that led that last cavalry charge.

Description

Narration on archival images evoking the use of horses during the First World War and the passage of cavalry charges to tanks.

Meta Data

Medium:: Video
Owner:: Veterans Affairs Canada
Recorded:: November 4, 2015
Duration:: 2:11

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Cavalry and Tanks

First World War