When one thinks of World War 2, the term 'cavalry' does not pop easily into one's mind. Yet these units existed in many of the world's armies and even as late as 1942, there were still horse-mounted units in the US Army. In fact, the last US horse-mounted cavalry charge came during the Philippines operation of 1942 by the 26th (Philippino Scouts) Regiment.

Of course, during the later periods of the war, these units went into battle without their horses. This was especially true of the Pacific theater where there was not room to maneuver in the classic way. So cavalry units fought unmounted. However, unlike the standard infantry units, cavalry units were not as heavily armed so went into battle at a bit of a disadvantage. This did not stop them from being instrumental in the successes of the various theaters of operation in which they found themselves. From New Guinea to Burma these units fought well and with distinction.

In this book in the Elite series, author Gordon Rottman takes a look at the pre-war disposition of US cavalry units and their organization. Then the book goes into how these units operated during the war, with particular attention given to the 26th Cavalry Regiment, the Texan National Guard units that fought in the Southwest Pacific and in the Burma theathers, as well as the 1st Cavalry Division (Special) and its operations in the Philippines late in the war.

All of this is superbly illustrated by artist Peter Dennis and by a fine collection of period photographs. As this series is as much a uniforms and equipment  book as it is a history, that aspect is covered as well.

In all, a fascinating look at portion of US military history that is often overlooked.

January 2010

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