Cavalry in the West Exhibit- World War I

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon: The Cavalry in the West
A Temporary Exhibit April 12-August 17, 2008

World War I
1910-1918

General explanatory text for this case.

During the pre- WW1 period the U.S. Cavalry switched to olive drab and khaki uniforms more suited for combat conditions than the traditional blue uniforms. The last combat saber, the Model 1913 designed by later General George S. Patton, was adopted and mounted cavalry charges were still an official tactic, but the widespread use of Machine Guns would reduce the chances of ever being used in battle again.

Context for the period

World War I began in August 1914, but the U.S. did not enter until April 1917, and learned a lot as the nations of Europe wiped out a generation of young men on the battle field. The widespread use of machine guns and massed artillery eliminated most opportunities for maneuvering, and warfare became a meat grinder where thousands of men died trying to take a few hundred yards of trench line across a hellish "no man's land" between opposing trench lines.

While Europe was fighting, the United States was coping with Mexican revolutionary bandit Pancho Villa who crossed the border and destroyed the town of Columbus, New Mexico, killing 18 and wounding 8 Americans. This resulted in the Mexican Expedition where American forces under the the command of General John "Black Jack" Pershing chased Villa deep into Mexico. This was an important event as it marked the early use of aircraft in support of Army troops on the ground, and other tactical innovations and serious attention to logistics needs which would be vital when the U.S. entered WW1.

Recommended References for further study:
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This soldier exhibits the heavy olive drab wool overcoat of World War I, with the Model 1912 garrison belt and holster. He is also wearing the service hat, which indicates he was serving within the continental limits of the United States (the steel helmet was worn in the field in Europe 0 ).

Dressed in the 1911-pattern service uniform, this sergeant wears the new field cartridge belt with LTD (Lift the Dot) fasteners and the new russet strap leggings. The Sixth Cavalry sailed for France in the spring of 1918, without horses. The Armistice was signed just as the regiment was preparing for front line combat.

While actually a straight blade designed primarily as a thrusting weapon, it was nevertheless designated a “saber” in all official publications. Purportedly designed by Lieutenant George Patton (later the famous armored cavalry leader of World War II), it superseded the curved blade that had been the standard since the beginning of the mounted service. Mounted charges with sabers, however, was not a viable tactic against machine guns. Sabers were formally discontinued in the cavalry in 1934.

First issued to some cavalry in late 1911, the Colt pistol remained the service sidearm until all the cavalry was dismounted in 1943. Another invention by Utah 's John M. Browning, it used a seven round magazine or "clip" for fast reloading. Two additional clips were carried in a magazine pouch on their web belt.

Machine guns changed the face of war. Invented by John M. Browning of Ogden , Utah , this weapon entered the service late in World War I. The gun was water-cooled, recoil-operated, and belt-fed, capable of firing 450 rounds per minute.

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Cavalry Exhibit Main Gallery	Barracks Life 1880s		Opening Events
1857-1863	1861-1865	1872-1887	1898-1902
1902-1910	1910-1918	1918-1940	1940-1943