Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisF202
The cavalry saber that was personally designed by George Patton in the early 1900s. It was called the perfect saber ever made ... but it was never used in combat!
M1913 Patton Sword History |
Sabers have no real use in combat situations anymore. In Teddy Roosevelts book about the Spanish American War, he complained bitterly about his saber constantly getting hung up in the brush and never used it as a weapon.
The last time cavalrymen wished they had sabers was the charge of the Australian Light Horse at Beersheba. You can't fire an enfield or even a Webley accurately while at full charge so they used their bayonets like sabers.
At least in those days they used bayonets with 14 to 16-inch long blades which gave them some sword-like use.
But during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the Operation Freedom liberation of Afghanistan many Afghan cavalrymen did use their sabers. Against T-54 tanks. They could charge fast enough that the tanks could only get off one round apiece. Then the horsemen would be among them slashing at ground crews and any stupid tank crewmen trying to get out of his open hatch.