Copyright 2006 T. Sheil & A. Sheil All Rights Reserved
The cavalry lance remained a potent weapon in the 17th Century. Armored lancers still had their place, but it was becoming more limited. Gunpowder made the change. Other types of cavalry armed with guns, such as curaissiers and hussars, became more plentiful. Lancers remained in use, however. They were used in Europe into the beginning of World War I. The famed German cavalry known as Uhlans were lancers. Manfred von Richtofen had been a Uhlan before he became the Red Baron.
The lancers of the Napoleonic Era originated in Poland.
The best use of lancers in the late 19th Century was against native troops. They were especially successful in the Sudan.
A myth about lancers involved Polish cavalry in 1939. The Poles maintained lancer units, but the lances themselves were more ceremonial than anything else. Stories of Polish lancers charging tanks were a fabrication. The Polish cavalry relied on firepower rather than rash bravado.
Depicted here are two sets of lancers. One is from Germany about the 1830s to 1850. It shows dismounted drills and methods of attack and defense on horseback. The second set has four images of early 17th Century lancer training in full armor. This was identical to the way knights had trained in earlier centuries. It was also the way lancers trained until the were obsolete.
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On the left are Lancer drills. On the right, a lancer thrusts to the side. |
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Lancer practices hitting a target while charging. This training method is identical to that used in the 16th and 17th Century |
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A high thrust. In this series, attacks are shown against an infantryman with bayonet. |
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Forward thrust |
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Thrusting at infantry. |
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Low thrust |
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Another low attack |
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17th Century Armored Lancers
The target is a ring |
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Each time, the target is lowered |
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The lancer must pick up the scarf or the hat. |
Disclaimer: the fighting methods shown here are for illustrative purposes only. They are not intended as actual instruction in bayonet fighting and should not be used as such. Close combat training is dangerous. It can be as dangerous for the user as it is for the target. If you wish to learn close combat, seek a qualified instructor. One should never attempt close combat without the instruction and supervision of a qualified expert instructor .
