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Pattern 1908 cavalry sword

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pattern 1908 cavalry sword
Pattern 1908 cavalry sword
Place of originUnited Kingdom
Service history
In service1908–1918
Used byBritish Army
Australian Army
Canadian Army
WarsFirst World War
Production history
DesignerRobert Mole & Sons
Designed1903–1908
ManufacturerRobert Mole & Sons and
Wilkinson Sword
Produced1908–present
VariantsPattern 1912 cavalry officer’s sword
Specifications
Length42 in (1,100 mm)
Blade length34+34 in (880 mm)
ReferencesImperial War Museum[1] &
Royal Armouries[2]

The Pattern 1908 cavalry trooper's sword (and the 1912 Pattern, the equivalent for officers) was the last service sword issued to the cavalry of the British Army. It has been called[3][4] the most effective cavalry sword ever designed, although its introduction occurred as swords finally became obsolete as military weapons. In use, it, like other thrust-based cavalry swords, is best described as a one-handed lance, due to its complete lack of utility for anything but the charge. In fact, the closely related US Model 1913 Cavalry Saber was issued with only a saddle scabbard, as it was not considered to be of much use to a dismounted cavalryman. Colonial troops, who could expect to engage in melee combat with opposing cavalry frequently carried cut and thrust swords either instead of, or in addition to, the P1908/1912.

In military circles, there had long been the debate over whether the use of the point or the edge was the better method of attack for a cavalryman. In the Napoleonic period, British cavalry doctrine as shaped by John Gaspard Le Marchant favoured the cut, resulting in the dramatically curved Pattern 1796 light cavalry sabre. With the introduction of the 1822 patterns, the British Army adopted a series of "cut and thrust" swords with slightly curved blades that were stiff enough for a thrust. The 1822 swords and their descendants were inevitably compromises, but the Army considered the adaptability to be of more importance.[citation needed] By contrast, the 1908 pattern was designed from the outset purely to give point (thrust) from horseback.

The sword has lived on as the ceremonial sword for the British, Canadian, and Australian cavalry units.

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Transcription

NARRATOR: The man responsible for improving both the swords and the training of british cavalry was Major-General John Gaspard Le Marchant. He suggested patterns of swords for use by all light and heavy cavalry, which were then issued in 1796. In the same year the war office published a manual containing Le Marchant's ideas on the sword exercises that all regiments of cavalry should adopt. These exercises were not haphazard cuts and slashes each one was carefully defined and described in Le Marchant's manual, to teach the trooper to both cut effectively and to use his sword, to defend himself against attack. Le Marchant's exercises included six specific cuts… LE MARCHANT: Cavalry striking by sudden surprise on the flank of unprepared infantry, may produce a great effect. NARRATOR: During the napoleonic wars, the elegant pattern 1796 light cavalry sword, proved a truly formidable slashing weapon. But because of its strongly curved blade it could not be used to thrust effectively. A disadvantage that was recognised even at that time. Throughout the 19th century the British army's authorities tried to find the ideal shape of cavalry sword blade which would, cut and thrust effectively. One of the patterns adopted, is this of 1853, issued during the Crimean war. OFFICER : Once for all, in attacking accessible infantry the cavalry must throw doubts and hesitation aside. Coming on thus, where are the means of resistance that can enable modern infantry to withstand the fury of the shock. The cut and the thrust blade always remain something of a compromise. Cutting was not always successful, thrusting was thought to be more effective.

Design of the 1908 pattern

With the introduction of the 1908 sword, however, the era of the compromise design was over. The 1908 sword was purely optimized for thrusting. The skewer-like blade had a thick "T" cross-section, much narrower but thicker than a traditional blade design making it far stiffer in the "weak" axis for a given weight so as to resist buckling in the thrust. The blade ended in a sharp "spear" point. The large, sheet steel bowl guard gave considerable protection to the hand. The rounded rectangular section chequered grip was of a semi-pistol configuration. Although not as extreme as modern fencing pistol or orthopedic grips, this design caused the blade to naturally align with the arm when the arm was extended, in position for a charge using the point. A thumb stop was indented on top of the grip, just behind the guard. The large pommel helped to keep the point of balance of the sword close to the guard, balancing the sword for its length.

The original official specification called, once again, for a "cut and thrust" blade and the final 18 inches (460 mm) of the blade was theoretically supposed to be sharpened, but little more than lip-service was paid to cutting ability. The straight blade prevented the slicing action of a curved sabre and the concussive force would be compromised by the hilt-biased balance. Furthermore, the narrow blade was weak in the cutting axis, and the pistol grip with specialised thumb placement, ideal for thrusting, was awkward for the cut.

The length of the blade at just over 35 inches (890 mm) was said to be able to match the reach of the lance (still in use with some armies at the turn of the 20th century) or the bayonet with the sword arm fully extended.

King Edward VII described the sword as "hideous" when the pattern was submitted to him for formal approval, and had to be persuaded of its utility before eventually conceding the point.

1912 Pattern cavalry officer's sword

British Pattern 1912 cavalry officer's sword with dress and field service scabbards
British Pattern 1912 officer's sword hilt

Whereas swords for troopers and NCOs were issued by the Army, officer's swords were privately purchased by the officers themselves. Until 1912, officers continued to carry their pierced "honeysuckle" hilted or three-bar hilted cut-and-thrust swords. The three-bar hilt was officially discontinued for light cavalry officers in 1896, in which year it was required that they adopt the heavy cavalry form. However army regulations also stated that on the introduction of a new pattern an officer's sword need not be replaced until his existing one was no longer serviceable; use of the three-bar hilt thus continued well into the 20th century.

In 1912 however, an officer's pattern was introduced which mirrored that carried by the men. The 1912 Pattern cavalry officer's sword is of the same basic form as the 1908 trooper's version, but in a more decorative form. The blade, plain for troopers, was usually engraved or etched (although during World War I expediency sometimes led to plain blades being fitted to officer's swords). The grip is of the same form, but the chequered rubber or bakelite grip was replaced by grey ribbed sharkskin, bound with German-silver wire. The pommel, plain on the trooper's version, was chequered and decorated.

On the front of the bowl guard, the 1912 sword had an engraved floral pattern, mimicking the honeysuckle pattern which had been common on officer's swords throughout the 19th century.

Officers' scabbards came in two forms: the dress scabbard was of nickel-plated steel, with two loose hanging rings affixed to the back edge, and the field service 'Sam Browne' form was of wood (other than the metal mouthpiece) and covered in leather.

Variants

The Army of India variant of the 1908 sword featured a smaller grip to match the generally smaller hands of cavalry troopers recruited in the sub-continent.

As private purchases, officer's swords sometimes showed some variation from the standard pattern. Occasionally whole regiments would have their own variation on the theme. In particular, the fashion-conscious officers of the 10th Royal Hussars carried a bizarre version combining the pistol grip and blade of the 1912 pattern with a three-bar hilt from their earlier 1821 Pattern Light Cavalry sword, giving a unique but decidedly odd effect.

Criticism

The 1796 Light cavalry sabre
The 1913 Patton Sword

Although the 1908 and 1912 patterns can be seen as the penultimate expressions of the thrusting cavalry sword (the U.S. Army adopted its similar Patton saber in 1913), the debate over the relative virtues of the edge and the point remained. John Gaspard le Marchant, the great trainer and leader of British cavalry at the turn of the 19th century, felt that the weapon employed in the charge was almost irrelevant, as the shock value stemmed from the momentum of the combined horse and rider. The sword came into its own during the "desultory" encounters after the charge, for which a slashing sword was best suited. The British cavalry's last pure cutting sword, the spectacularly curved Pattern 1796 light cavalry sabre, was a design resulting from a collaboration between Le Marchant and Henry Osborn (a noted Birmingham-based sword manufacturer of the time).

The most compelling criticism of use of the point in cavalry combat, however, lies in the possibility of it becoming the victim of its own success. With the force of a fast-moving horse and rider behind it, a well-aimed sword thrust would certainly achieve considerable penetration, even up to the hilt. As the horse and rider passed the unfortunate recipient of the thrust, the sword would be very difficult to drag clear of the body, leaving the rider at best disarmed or at worst unhorsed or with a broken wrist.

The Patton saber

The U.S. Army's Model 1913 cavalry saber had a large, basket-shaped hilt mounting a straight, double-edged, thrusting blade designed for use by heavy cavalry. Generally known as the "Patton" saber, after its designer Lieutenant (later General) George S. Patton, it may have been influenced by the British 1908 and 1912 Patterns[citation needed].

See also

References

  1. ^ Imperial War Museum, "Sword, Cavalry, Trooper, Pattern 1908, Mark I", iwm.org.uk, retrieved 9 February 2019.
  2. ^ Henry Yallop, "Pattern 1908 cavalry sword", royalarmouries.org, retrieved 9 February 2019.
  3. ^ Robson, Brian (1996) [1975]. Swords of the British Army, The Regulation Patterns 1788 to 1914 (Revised ed.). Chelsea: National Army Museum. ISBN 0-901721-33-6.
  4. ^ Wilkinson Latham, John (1966). British Military Swords from 1800 to the Present Day. Hutchinson & Co. ISBN 0-09-081201-8.

External links

This page was last edited on 17 January 2024, at 14:21
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