Originally posted by AThousandYoungIm not in the military, but cavalry are soldiers on horse back 😉
What are the definitions and differences between these words, used in a modern military context?
Infantry
Cavalry
Mechanized Infantry
Armor
The first and last are obvious, I think...guys with rifles, and tanks. What are the middle two? Are they identical?
Infantry (or Infantrymen) are soldiers who fight primarily on foot, using personal weapons
Cavalry fight from the backs of their mounts, which most often are horses or camels. Infantry travelling by horse and fighting on foot are instead known as dragoons.
Mechanized infantry are infantry troops that use armoured fighting vehicles for transport and as heavy weapons support in combat.
1 edit
Originally posted by AThousandYoungI think I can help here..
What are the definitions and differences between these words, used in a modern military context?
Infantry
Cavalry
Mechanized Infantry
Armor
The first and last are obvious, I think...guys with rifles, and tanks. What are the middle two? Are they identical?
Infantry- like you said, your basic soldiers, guys on foot carrying rifles.
Cavalry- Think of the classical definition (guys on horses, light armor, light to medium weapons, highly mobile)- now, they perform the same functions, but are modernized. So, today, they are guys in light armored highly mobile vehicles carrying light to medium weapons. They are normally in smaller numbers than the infantry and are the "first-strike" component of a ground war.
Mechanized Infantry- Pretty much like it sounds. A division of basic ground troops, but moderized with vehicles (so they don't have to walk). Similar to the cavalry but in larger numbers and not as fast moving. Normally accompany the infantry into battle.
Armor- I think you are referring to a type of division, as in a heavy armor division. This is the big heavy stuff that has heavy armor and heavy weapons, like tanks.
A ground battle resembles a chess games quite a bit.
First, both sides would dig in with physical defenses (pawns).
The next thing in is your quick moving cavalry (knights) to disrupt your enemy from mounting an attack.
Next would be your mechanized infantry and infantry (bishops, maybe pawns) which would be the main body of the attack.
Of course the medium armored divisions (rooks) and heavy armored division (queen) would in the rear firing at enemy strongholds to support the infantry.
I'm not an absolute expert. Natural Science, feel free to correct me. 🙂