NEW CAVALRY FORCE IN RUSSIA.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 177, 31 March 1915, Page 2

NEW CAVALRY FORCE IN RUSSIA.

TURKOMAN VOLUNTEERS. (By a Russian Officer). The successes which have atlernev the Russian armies are in great part due to the introduction of a no*v \s*. 1 ■ ry force in the Russian rimy. I hi:OcUilry is -sntircly composed oi i'lirac mans. These men. as is known, are tac inhabitant s of Turkestan, of Kh ore son in Persia, nad of some pin cos in Ihi Caucus us. as well of of some of the Trans-Caspian provinces. They wore famous fighters in the time of iamelia ne and G;eughiz-Kluui. cud they have not lost since then their fighting' "apv. cities. The genius ot General t-r-oue-loff, the well-known "white general ’; who made his name during the Russian Turksih war. first discovered and re ve:iled them to the world. The Turkomans arc free from mill fury service, but at the critical no nr roof the present wav it war, thought eV nrable that they should enlist a s voi uuteers. They gave to the appeal oi the Russian Government a ready am prompt answer. WARRIORS BORN. The Turkomans spend the greatc part of tlmir life on horseback. Wbl diihlren of other nations begin i creep, the Turkoman children are pm on u horse. These men fear nod he; hardships nor danger. 'They are pas! masters in the art or! cavalry, am their display of skill on horseback 1.even greater than that of the fam-;-.. Cossacks. Their cavalry is mostly com posed of youths, for whom war is tin. great and only poem, their uniepu dream and faith. The desert. Si e oaAland the steppes of the Trans-Caspmi provinces, together with Caucasia, can produce 300,000 of these bold riders. Nemirowich-Dnuchenko, the famous Russian writer, who is at present at the front, and has already seen tl.-i cavalry in action, writes in !Rouiko> Slovo: “These Turkomans, just like shad ows, can creep up to the lines of thGerman rearguard and dc.Rroy ib supply columns of the enemy, thhampering very much the advance o the German army. You ought to > ■ what these knights of mo lalain; nr--deserts are doing here. With the i ■ most courage they charge and beat id German infantry, no! 1: nil Ist.’ i.d ’. numbers. Their "dmrgcs are m amide that it is impossible to foresee them still less to, avoid them. "For instance, the German squan formation showing on all sides a thied. forest of bayonets would cause the Cossacks themselves to hesitate to deliver an attack, but the Turkomans mnot afraid of this. '1 hey jump ovc.tho first rows and in a , moment firui themselves in the thick of the enemies, who, taken aback, are annihilated be- I fore they can reform their square : Even batteries of artillery tiro of n< • avail against them. They come m rushing like a storm on the guns, do- ; tdroying or putting to flight the covering- infantry." THE TURKOMANS' HORAE. Formerly sceptics had thought that these Turkomas were merely hordes ; Uhout duciplina - but they have proved > •.» be like regular fromps, and they | 'mu r v eli dis>-i]-,lined :mi mm-! 'rondod body in the hands of thoir hiefs. The latter are rnortly sow-.- • •heir princes, kins red beds v'-i. evo.—.- Tn'fon’-rn !.■ '' te. ■.-'.endship from er ,dy eh 'Uheod. 'i ! i d'in-rioii for their le- dc.v expi; i; s • ] - Ihe field t!i or form like a strong a i d ■ *t. d family, iheir long-legged horses, with bc:.ili'nl head and siic-.t body, never .serin j ■ get tired and appear to possess aI- i most human intelligence. The Turko- j itin s ■' love for his horse can only be j o: a pared to the love of the in cl her to I ■■•hild. He v> jil never cue cr drink 1 before he Ims satisfied his horse b j vaid's. ; ni . I iuri-iomnns in many respects re- i se-mble Cossacks, but there is never! ho- : toss v. great difference bet wen the two. •i peace time the Cossack, if not: in •Hive aervice, is a farmer, while lu■ Turkoman is chieJv a \ ; rrior. Tft. : sever looks at gardening and agricui- ! uro as his chief occupation, although ] l times ho makes a living out cf them, j His rifle is his first toy. His wornenfoiT i we imbued with as much warlike ! spirit as himself, and are his trim com- { rades during all his adventurous ]'f*- i This explains why, although thev are I Mohammedan they enjoy the greatest j freedom. | The war against the Germans is i most popular amongst the Turkoman ! and the name of "yellow devils. ’ j •vl, lcli tlio Germans give to those no- I T the best proof of how much they -r } feared. j