This past weekend Memorial Day was celebrated as a way to remember those military veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice and didn’t return home to continue their lives after the conflict into which they were thrust. While the East Point Horspice herd didn’t stand around a barbeque tossing back some barley pops, it got us wondering about horses and their involvement as a tool of war.
While accurate numbers are still being estimated, it is thought that between 1 and 3 million horses and mules died during the American Civil War (1861-1865). It is also estimated that during the Battle of Gettysburg (July 1-3, 1863) alone, 3000 horses became casualties. Compared to all other forms of life, including humans, horses suffered the greatest losses in killed and in wounded statistics.
Estimates of equine death for World War 1 are believed to be around 8 million. Prior to the war, calvary units were regarded as the most effective battle groups an army could muster. Every major player in the war began their efforts with horses as the chosen method of transportation, troop transport and means of delivery of weapons and supplies. Even as mechanized vehicles and machine guns were being developed, horses were still better at running though deep mud and rough terrain. It was later discovered that psychologically the presence of horses in a camp increased a soldier’s morale at the front. What started the downfall for horses as war machines was their vulnerability to machine gun and tank fire, and like other animals used in the war effort, like dogs, the horses created an unfortunate burden in requiring feed rations to be provided and their contribution of poor sanitary conditions leading to disease because of their dung and carcasses. As the war continued, Germany was not allowed to replace their supply of horses through allied embargos; this is believed to be a leading factor in Germany’s eventual loss in the war.
As World War 2 was being contemplated, horses were put back into duty do to their reliability and proven effectiveness of fast attacks and retreats. While the estimates of equine loss range from 2-5 million, it should be noted that allied forces were using far fewer equines than in WW1. However, Germany and Russia employed more than 6 million equines, but as the war continued the utilization of horses was proving to be more of a taxing burden than an efficient military choice. Mechanization through trucks, tanks, and small vehicles demonstrated a tactical advantage putting less and less priority on wartime equines. According to Wikipedia, the last horse cavalry charge by a U.S. Army cavalry unit took place against Japanese forces during the fighting in the Bataan Peninsula, Philippines, in the village of Morong on 16 January 1942, by the 26th Cavalry Regiment of the Philippine Scouts.
While EPH has no wartime veterans in the herd, their importance and reverence as meaningful and honored members has no less significance. Perhaps we can remember to take a minute to memorialize those around us without the need for a national holiday.