This is out of period but had to share this for the cavalry fans:
This link has a few C19 and C20th Cavalry charges:
link
But my personal favourite is the WWII action of the 250-year old Italian 3rd Dragoons Savoia Cavalleggeri (Cavalry Regiment) of the Prince Amedeo Duke of Aosta "Fast" (Celere) Division while fighting the Soviets on the Eastern Front.
The officers dined in full dress with regimental silver and linen the night before whilst the regiments were in square as a defensive measure on the steppe,then in the morning formed up.
"On August 24, 1942, after a day of masking movements and light skirmishing Colonel Bettoni decided a charge against the Soviet positions stood a chance of stopping them.
At dawn of the next day, on a wet Ukrainian morning the regiment assembled. Mounting the charge to flying regimental flags, bugles, drawn sabers and a combined cry of hundreds of men calling "Savoia!, Savoia!" and "Caricat" (charge) the three mounted squadrons of Italians rode forward at a gallop into the Soviet lines.
They transitioned through the traditional thousand year old practice of starting at a trot, then a canter then a full gallop. Supported by the dismounted 4th Squadron and the regiment's machine gun squadron they broke the back of the 2000-strong Siberian 812th Infantry Regiment.
In the victorious charge the Italians lost 40 cavalrymen (including the commander of the 4th Squadron, Captain Abba) with another 79 wounded and almost 100 precious horses but they inflicted over 150 casualties on the Soviets and captured some 900 unfortunate Siberians along with a collection of sixty mortars, artillery pieces and machine guns.
The regiment, founded in 1692, by Gian Piossasco de Rossi from one of the oldest Italian noble families, won two gold medals and 54 silver medals for that day….and every old horse soldier in Valhalla shed a tear."
The "Last" Charge (from Flames of War resource)
The Savoia Cavalleria Regiment, reinforced by the "Horse
Artillery" group, reached Hill 213 on the afternoon of
23 August and engaged strong enemy forces. Colonnello
Bettoni, commander of the column, decided then to regroup
and rest for the night and renew the attack in the morning,
thus he formed a square with his squadrons. During the
following day early scouting revealed a strongly held
position just a few hundred meters away, in which at least
two Soviet battalions were entrenched and supported by
many automatic weapons, artillery and mortars.
Despite his inferior numbers Bettoni decided to attack. He concentrated all the automatic fire of his regiment on the Soviet position.
Meanwhile he sent the 2nd Squadron around the Soviet left in an enveloping manoeuvre. The 2nd squadron began its flanking movement by moving out of the square at a trot. After they had positioned themselves on the Soviet flank they began their charge and forced the Soviets off of the position. After the initial success they slowed down their advance, but then renewed the assault to coincide with the rest of the regiment.
At this point 4th squadron began it own attack on the front of the Soviet position dismounted, while the 3rd squadron was sent mounted to the other Soviet flank to carry out their own charge led by the Gruppo Squadroni commander, Maggiore Litta.
The charge continued and almost destroyed all the Soviet
opposition, but at the Soviet command post it was halted
by a wall of fire, which inflicted heavy losses on the 3rd
squadron.
Maggiore Litta was wounded, but continued to
fight until he was hit a second time and mortally wounded.
During the operation every member of Litta's staff was
wounded or killed. Capitano Abba, commander of the 4th
squadron, was also killed. The charge destroyed two Soviet
battalions, and dispersed a third. The regiment captured a
hundred prisoners and four guns.
goes to sea with the Terrain Mat.
