No, they did not. See my post above.
Some of them yes. This is exactly how cataphracts were intended to be used.
Because no enemy is stupid enough to wait to get killed.
What distance? If they broke through infantry formation then it was game over for the infantry formation. All they needed to do was to run infantry down.
Medieval European
knights attacked in several different ways, implementing
shock tactics if possible, but always in formations of several knights, not individually. For defense and
mêlée a formation of horsemen was as tight as possible next to each other in a line. This prevented their enemy from charging, and also from surrounding them individually. The most devastating
charging method was to ride in a looser formation fast into attack. This attack was often protected by simultaneous or shortly preceding ranged attacks of
archers or
crossbowmen. The attack began from a distance of about 350 metres and took about 15–20 seconds to cross the contemporary long range weapon's effective distance. A most important element, and one not easily mastered, was to stay in one line with fixed spaces while accelerating and having the maximum speed at impact. Often knights would come in several waves, with the first being the best equipped and armored. The lance as primary weapon pierced the enemy. If an enemy soldier was hit in full gallop by a knight's lance couched under the armpit, he was thrown backwards with such a momentum that he knocked over several of his compatriots, and was more often than not, killed; in some cases, the lance would even skewer the man and kill or wound the soldier behind him. The heavy lances were dropped after the attack and the battle was continued with secondary weapons (swords, axes, or maces, for example).
The Persians deployed their
cataphracts in mixed formations with light archers in the rear ranks, supporting the charge with arrows.
[4] Mongolian heavy cavalry improved upon the charging effect by attaching hooks to their lances to take enemies down when bypassing. Usually, employed a two-ranks deep formation of heavy cavalry charging the enemy. They were supported by three ranks of light cavalry, delivering rapid closeup shots with heavy armour-breaking arrows.
Chinese cavalry and
samurai often used polearms. Both handled their primary weapons in the two-handed Asian style. This method of charging attack was very effective, but it depended very much on favourable ground on the chosen battlefield.[
citation needed]
Many knights during
Medieval battles fought on foot.[
citation needed] Attacks would be carried out on horseback only under favorable conditions. If the enemy infantry was equipped with polearms and fought in tight formations it was not possible to charge without heavy losses. A fairly common solution to this was for the men-at-arms to dismount and assault the enemy on foot, such as the way Scottish knights dismounted to stiffen the infantry
schiltron or the English combination of
longbowmen with dismounted men-at-arms in the
Hundred Years' War. Another possibility was to bluff an attack, but turn around before impact. This tempted many infantrymen to go on the chase, leaving their formation. The heavy cavalry then turned around again in this new situation and rode down the scattered infantry. Such a
tactic was deployed in the
Battle of Hastings (1066).
A further improvement of fighting ability was the use of well-armed infantry reserves during knightly battles on horseback. After some time, the battle would often split into several small groups, with space in between, and both sides would become exhausted. Then, an infantry rush could concentrate on selected targets and rout the enemy. Infantry also helped knights to remount in battle and aided the wounded.
Polish hussar formation at the
Battle of Klushino 1610 – painting by
Szymon Boguszowicz 1620
The
Polish-Lithuanian hussars' primary battle tactic was the charge. They carried the charge to, and through the enemy. The charge started at a slow pace and in a relatively loose formation. The formation gradually gathered pace and closed ranks while approaching the enemy, and reached its highest pace and closest formation immediately before engagement. They tended to repeat the charge several times until the enemy formation broke (they had supply wagons with spare lances). The tactic of a charge by heavily armoured hussars and horses was effective for nearly two centuries. The hussars fought with long lances (a hussar's lance usually ranged from 4.5 to 6.2 metres in length), a
koncerz (stabbing sword), a
szabla (sabre), one or two pistols and often with a carbine or arquebus, known in Polish as a
bandolet. Winged hussars also carried other weapons, such as a
nadziak type of war hammer and battleaxes. The lighter, Turkish-style saddle, allowed for more armour to be used by both the horses and the warriors. Moreover, the horses were bred to run very fast with a heavy load and to recover quickly. This was achieved by breeding old Polish horses with Eastern horses, usually from Tatar tribes. As a result, these horses could walk hundreds of kilometres, loaded with over 100 kilograms and still be able to charge in an instant. Also, hussar horses were very quick and manoeuvrable. This allowed hussars to fight with any cavalry or infantry force, from Western heavy
kissaiers, to quick Tatars. They were widely regarded as the most powerful cavalry in the world. In the battles of
Lubiszew in 1577,
Byczyna (158
,
Kokenhausen (1601),
Kircholm (1605),
Kłuszyn (1610),
Chocim (1621),
Martynów (1624),
Trzciana (1629),
Ochmatów (1644),
Beresteczko (1651),
Połonka (1660),
Cudnów (1660),
Chocim (1673),
Lwów (1675),
Vienna (1683) and
Párkány (1683), the Polish-Lithuanian hussars proved to be the decisive factor, often against overwhelming odds. For instance, in the
Battle of Kłuszyn, during the
Polish-Muscovite War, the
Russians and
Swedes outnumbered the commonwealth army five-to-one, yet were soundly defeated.
[5][6]
