M1913 "Patton" sabre

[PhilB]

This sabre, which seems to have a marked resemblance to the British 1908 pattern sabre, is criticised on Wiki as follows:-

"According to KJ Parker, Patton's saber was light, slim, exceptionally ergonomic and well-balanced – in short, "more or less perfect, the best sword ever issued to an army."^[ Amberger, on the other hand, considered the weapon to be poorly suited for the cavalry use intended, since at the speed of a cavalry charge, a thrust that transfixed an opponent could not be withdrawn quickly enough, and thus the attacker must either abandon his blade, break his wrist or dislocate his sword arm by holding on to it, or risk worse consequences: "At worst, his dead opponent would drag him off his own horse-- making him an unarmed foot soldier in an ocean of falling saber blades and trampling hooves." ^"

^{I was once on fatigues eyeing potatoes in the cookhouse at Arborfield (now long gone) in the company of a civilian employee who had served in the cavalry in WW1. He regaled us with tales of yore including how they were specifically trained to impale an enemy while at the gallop and, passing by, to withdraw the sword or lance as they carried on. The secret was in holding the sword/lance correctly and a broken arm or wrist was a distinct possibility if not done correctly. Nevertheless, it was standard practice. So, who was right?}

[calibre792x57.y]

I once worked with a chap who had served in India pre-War, he was keen on horses, playing polo, etc. For a regatta in the Sixties he gave a demonstration of horsemanship which included use of lance and sword. He spitted the target sack and withdrew the sword exactly as described above. As for the lance the same. His routine included 'tent pegging' using the same technique - SW