For the attack, the Hussar’s banner was lined up in three or more lines. The first ranks were the most experienced and well-armed warriors, and the back ranks – their postal, which developed success in the event of an enemy breakthrough.
The Hussars launched an attack from a distance of approximately 100 steps from the enemy. At first, the hussars rode at a walk, then at a trot, then at a gallop, at a distance of a few steps from the enemy the first rank passed into the quarry.
Such an increasing rate of attack allowed to save the horses’ strength and reduce the losses from the enemy’s firearms, which was effective only at close range. In addition, there is a version that during the attack from the flanks the hussars shifted to the center, even more compacting the front of the banners, some chroniclers even mention the construction of “knee to knee”, thereby, allegedly, increasing the density and impact force. However, the list of commands given during the attack refutes this hypothesis. Rows closed up before the attack, and not during it.
After the first strike with spears, which often broke or were lost, the hussars went into melee, using the long konchars or other weapons hanging on the right arm on the straps, corresponding to the density of the fight, as well as the equipment and weapons of the enemy.
In a battle in an open field, it was often the one attack of the Hussars that solved everything. If you failed to break through the line from the first time, then the enemy’s resistance broke with successive waves of cavalry. For example, in the battle of Klushin, the hussar attacked 7 times. Commands were given with the help of pipe signals or through mounted orderlies. At that time hetmans personally participated in battles, often in the forefront.
After the hussars broke through the line, they chopped and chased the enemy. However, at the time of the break in battle, the charter required caution and prudence, prohibiting arbitrary attacks. This was especially true of the battles with the Tatars and Zaporizhzhya Cossacks, who often practiced a false retreat.
Opposition to hussars
Given the widespread Hussars on the battlefields of Europe for several centuries, the opponents of the Commonwealth had to develop various tactics to counter attack the hussar mouths and banners. Basically, opponents of the Hussars used various engineering structures:
“Pig feathers” – short rams, driven into the ground at an angle a few steps ahead of the infantry front and directed towards the enemy; chains stretched between stakes;
” Spanish goats ” – horizontal beams installed in front of and parallel to the infantry front, in which (forming goats) sharpened poles of the same length are inserted, at an angle of 90 degrees between each other. Other names for this design are “Spanish Horseman”, “Spancaster”, “ Slingshot ”, “Ostrost”, “Sharp Outpost”. The constructions were light and easily carried by infantry from place to place;
“Mare” is a construction made of wood, in the style of “Spanish goats”, however, a whole tree was used, the branches of which were shortened to an equal length and sharpened.
Carts interconnected by chains;
trenches , redoubts , ditches and wolf holes – were dug out secretly on the night before the battle;
“ Garlic ” – forged iron “hedgehogs”, which were pushed against the ground by three spikes, and the fourth spike stuck up vertically. This design was not visible to riders. Each infantryman could have a few garlics and secretly scatter them ahead of the ranks.
Sources:
Polish winged hussars 1576-1775 / ed. V.I. Kiseleva. – Artyomovsk: New soldier: military-historical almanac
Soldatenko A. Polish hussary 1500–1776
Brzezinski R. Polish Winged Hussar 1576-1775
Żygulski Z. Husaria polska