reconsidering_division_cavalry_squadrons_114315.html

"On the morning of Feb. 27, after a tactical pause, the Big Red One resumed movement toward the Iraqi Republican Guard. Quarterhorsecontinued its flank screen with aero scouts conducting reconnaissance ahead, ground scouts traveling along the projected screenlineand tanks moving to the inside as quick-response forces. The squadron, and TroopAin particular, destroyed 26 enemy tanksand 25personnel carriers during the advance, though many appeared abandoned. The division, after pausing again in the afternoon to coordinate with VII Corps, resumed its drive to cut off the retreating Iraqi army by blocking the Basra Highway,which led north into Iraq. Rhame then ordered 1-4 Cavto protect his northern flank with a defensive position astride the highway,while his 2ndBrigade blocked farther south.11 Quarterhorse, with its air scouts far to the front, conducted a hasty reconnaissance-in-force to seize itsassigned blocking positions. However, when itlost all communications with the division,it became apparent it had moved too far east and had separated from 2ndBrigade. The error, originating from confusion in the division headquarters, left them exposed and beyond friendly-support range as the easternmost element of VII Corps. That afternoon the squadron destroyed several retreating Iraqi tanks and soon encountered thousands of Iraqi soldiers straggling north toward the international border. As darkness fell, Wilson ordered his troops into a defensive coil to wait out the night. By morning,they re-established contact with 2ndBrigade and had taken more than2,000 prisoners.12 Similar to the Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm featureda variety of divisional cavalries with varying compositions. XVIII Corps, as the allies’ most diverse corps, benefited from three squadrons that each organized differently. While 1stSquadron, 17thCavalry Regiment, supported 82ndAirborne Division with one humvee-mounted troop and three air troops, 2ndSquadron, 4thCavalry Regiment, supported 24thInfantry Division
(Mechanized) with one CFV troop, two tank and CFV mixed troops, and two air troops. The 2ndSquadron, 17thCavalry Regiment, enabled the fast-moving 101stAirborne Division with a purely aerial squadron. This variance in mobility profiles allowed each cavalry force to support its parent division according to specific informational requirements."