Dragoon

A dragoon was traditionally a soldier trained to fight on foot, but transport himself on horseback. In other words, he moved as cavalry but fought as infantry. The name derives from the dragoon's primary weapon, a carbine or short musket called the dragon. Sometimes, dragon carbines are said to have been so-called because they "breathed fire" — a reference to the smoke they emitted when fired.

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Dragoons were organized not in squadrons or troops like the horse, but in companies like the foot, and their officers and non-commissioned officers bore infantry ranks. However, dragoons were at a disadvantage when engaged against true cavalry, and constantly sought to improve their horsemanship and armament to the cavalry standard. Thus, "dragoon" had come to mean medium cavalry by the time of the early wars of Frederick the Great, in the 1740s. By the late 18th century, it was the usual designation for cavalry regiments.

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The term "to dragoon" dates from the earlier mounted infantry period. Dragoons were the most efficient and economical form of cavalry for police work and guerrilla warfare.

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From the late 18th century, some regiments started to be designated as Light Dragoons, who rode faster and lighter horses and carried lighter sabres. They were trained in reconnaissance, skirmishing and other work requiring speed. In the early 19th century, the British Light Dragoon regiments converted to Lancers and Hussars.

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A current unit designated as Dragoons is the United States Army's 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment. Known as the "2nd Dragoons", it was organized as the Second Dragoon Regiment until it was renamed the Second Cavalry Regiment in 1860. It is the oldest active combat unit in the U.S. military and uses HMMWVs in the same manner that horses were once used.

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In the present-day British Army, one regiment is designated The Light Dragoons and three as Dragoon Guards. In the Territorial Army, one of the five squadrons of the Royal Yeomanry, W (Westminster Dragoons) Squadron, also bears the title.

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In Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police have the status of a regiment of Dragoons.

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Soldier: A soldier is a person who has enlisted with, or has been conscripted into, the armed forces of a sovereign country and has undergone training and received equipment (such as a uniform and weapon) to defend that country or its interests. In most countries, the term soldier is limited to such people ...

Horse: :This article discusses ungulate mammals. For other meanings of horse, see Horse (disambiguation)....

Cavalry: :This article is about cavalry, mounted soldiers. Cavalry is also a common misspelling of the biblical hill Calvary....

Dragoon related Images and Photos (experimental)

Operation Dragoon the Successful Allied Invasion of Southern France	The Departure of the Dragoon Guard 1774-1819	The Chevalier d'Eon as a Dragoon 1779	The Chevalier d'Eon as a Dragoon 1779
Missions of the 17th Century: the Missionary Dragoon Forcing a Huguenot to Sign His Conversion