Dragoons were hybrid cavalry-infantry troops during the English Civil Wars (1642-1651). They usually dismounted before fighting and were used primarily as support troops. Dragoons were frequently tasked with capturing and holding strategically valuable areas of a battlefield such as bridges and passes that facilitated infantry movements, natural rises for artillery batteries, and cover such as buildings, trees, and hedges for musketeers.

? ? ? ? ? 龍騎兵（簡稱龍兵，最早是一種“騎馬步兵”的兵種，大多出現(xiàn)于17世紀晚期至18世紀早期的歐洲軍隊，是同時接受馬術與步兵戰(zhàn)斗技巧的訓練，以馬匹運輸、步行戰(zhàn)斗的士兵）是英格蘭內戰(zhàn)（1642-1651年）期間騎兵與步兵的混合部隊。他們通常在戰(zhàn)斗前下馬，主要用作支援部隊。龍騎兵的任務通常是奪取并占領戰(zhàn)場上具有戰(zhàn)略價值的區(qū)域，如方便步兵行動的橋梁和通道、炮臺的天然高地，以及火槍手的掩體，如建筑物、樹木和樹籬。（此名詞有可能是來自一種由法國陸軍攜帶的銃，這種銃被稱作“龍”，因為它們開火時會吐煙。另外在法語中，龍騎兵與龍（西方龍）使用的是同一個單字。中文翻譯是意譯，但也可能同時受《宋史》中記載的禁軍部隊“龍騎”影響，該軍“號有馬步人，見陣即步斗”）

Armed with muskets or carbines and more lightly armoured than full cavalry, dragoons became very valuable utility troops charged not only with operations during battles but also such duties as guarding camps and supplies, scouting, and policing. As European warfare developed, cavalry became less heavily armed and armoured so that they often became indistinguishable from dragoons, a term that in later periods came to be used as a synonym for light or medium cavalry.

? ? ? ? ? 龍騎兵裝備火槍或短銃，裝甲比正裝騎兵輕，成為非常有價值的實用部隊，不僅負責戰(zhàn)斗中的行動，還負責守衛(wèi)營地和補給、偵察和維持治安等任務。隨著歐洲戰(zhàn)爭的發(fā)展，騎兵的武器和裝甲越來越輕，因此他們往往與龍騎兵難以區(qū)分，龍騎兵在后來被用作輕型或中型騎兵的同義詞。

一種特殊的騎兵部隊

In this period, dragoons were sometimes called "dragooners" or "dragons". It was the form of carbine weapon these soldiers carried, the dragon, which gave them their name. Dragoons typically rode inferior horses to the cavalry proper because they usually dismounted for battle, at least in the early part of the war. The historian M. Marix Evans explains how this happened in practice: "They rode ten abreast, and when they fought nine dismounted, throwing their reins over the neck of the horse next to them so the tenth could hold the horses of a whole rank" (24). For this reason, for many military theorists of the period, dragoons were classified more as mounted infantry than lightly armed cavalry who remained on their horses at all times. Essentially, the horse was merely a means to get the infantryman to a particular place on the battlefield faster than an ordinary musketeer or pikeman. Over time, the role of dragoons became more sophisticated as commanders tried to better their counterparts on what was becoming a much more dynamic battlefield.

? ? ? ? ? 在這一時期，龍騎兵有時被稱為“龍兵”或“龍”。這些士兵攜帶的短銃武器“dragon”就是他們的名字由來。龍騎兵通常騎著比騎兵差的馬，因為他們經(jīng)常下馬作戰(zhàn)，至少在戰(zhàn)爭初期是這樣。歷史學家馬里克斯·埃文斯 (M. Marix Evans)解釋了實際情況：“他們十人并排騎馬，戰(zhàn)斗時九人下馬，將韁繩甩到旁邊馬的脖子上，這樣第十人就可以牽著一整隊的馬”（24）。因此，對于當時的許多軍事理論家來說，龍騎兵更多地被歸類為騎馬步兵，而非始終騎在馬上的輕裝騎兵。從根本上說，馬只是一種讓步兵比普通火槍手或長槍兵更快到達戰(zhàn)場上特定地點的手段。隨著時間的推移，龍騎兵的作用變得越來越復雜，因為指揮官們試圖在變得更加動態(tài)的戰(zhàn)場上發(fā)揮龍騎兵更多的優(yōu)勢。

Dragoons were present in both English Parliamentary and Royalist armies, as well as the Scottish army that fought at the battle of Dunbar in 1650. The best-documented dragoons are those in the Parliamentary armies, although even here, descriptions are inconsistent and patchy in their details. Parliament's New Model Army was created in 1645 with 11 cavalry regiments, 12 infantry regiments, and one dragoons regiment. This was the first time the dragoons had been so organised as previously they tended to be distributed amongst the other cavalry regiments, one troop of 100 dragoons per regiment.

? ? ? ? ? 英國議會和保皇黨軍隊中都有龍騎兵，1650年參加鄧巴戰(zhàn)役的蘇格蘭軍隊中也有龍騎兵。記載最多的龍騎兵是議會軍隊中的龍騎兵，但即使在議會軍隊中，描述也不一致，細節(jié)也不完整。議會新模范軍成立于1645年，下轄11個騎兵團、12個步兵團和1個龍騎兵團。這是龍騎兵第一次成建制出現(xiàn)，因為在此之前，他們往往分布在其他騎兵團中，每個團100名龍騎兵。

The first notable commander of the Parliamentary dragoons regiment proper was Colonel John Okey (1606-1662) who commanded 676 men and officers at the Battle of Naseby in 1645. The New Model Army grew in size over the years, and eventually, there were four dragoons regiments. Each regiment bore the name of its commanding colonel, and the dragoons regiments reported to the overall commander of the cavalry, otherwise known as the Lieutenant-General of the Horse. He, in turn, reported to the commander-in-chief, the first being Sir Thomas Fairfax (1612-1671) and then, from 1650, Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658).

? ? ? ? ? 議會龍騎兵團的第一位著名指揮官是約翰·奧基上校（John Okey，1606-1662 年），他在1645年的納西比戰(zhàn)役（Battle of Naseby）中指揮了676名官兵。新模范軍的規(guī)模逐年擴大，最終形成了四個龍騎兵團。每個團都以其指揮官上校的名字命名，龍騎兵團向騎兵總指揮官（又稱騎兵中將）報告。騎兵總指揮官又向總司令報告，第一任總司令是托馬斯·費爾法克斯爵士(1612-1671)，從1650年開始是奧利弗·克倫威爾（1599-1658 年）。

A dragoons regiment had a theoretical maximum of 1,000 men and was divided into ten companies, although the size of companies varied depending on the tasks set them and the availability of riders. If there was a shortage, it was usual for commanders to recruit dragoons from local militia units in the various counties where they were a relatively common type of soldier (their equipment being less expensive than cavalry). Each company was led by a captain or the colonel or his second-in-command, a lieutenant-colonel. A company had its own quartermaster and a cornet officer who carried the company colours. These colours were a variation of the regimental flag with a number indicating that company. The flags were like the cavalry flags and took the form of a square but ended in a swallow-tail on the right side. Illustrating its hybrid status between cavalry and infantry, there was a trumpet or cornet player (distinct from the officer of that name) and two drummers, the former being a typical element of a cavalry company, while the latter were only present in infantry companies. The cornet player and drummers gave signals for manoeuvres when the dragoons were, respectively, mounted or dismounted.

? ? ? ? ? 一個龍騎兵團理論上最多有1000人，并分為10個連，但各連的規(guī)模因任務和騎手的情況而有所不同。如果缺乏騎兵，指揮官通常會從各郡的當?shù)孛癖筷犞姓心箭堯T兵，因為龍騎兵是相對常見的兵種（他們的裝備比騎兵便宜）。每個連由一名上尉或上校或其副手（中校）領導。每個連隊都有自己的軍需官和一名攜帶連隊軍旗的司號員。連旗是團旗的變體，上面標有該連的編號。連旗與騎兵連旗一樣，呈正方形，但在右側以燕尾形結束。為了說明其騎兵和步兵的混合地位，連里有一名小號手或圓號手（有別于該名稱的軍官）和兩名鼓手，前者是騎兵連的典型成員，而后者只出現(xiàn)在步兵連中。當龍騎兵上馬或下馬時，吹號手和鼓手分別發(fā)出機動信號。

In terms of pay, a Parliamentary dragoon received 1 shilling 6 pence per day (compared to 8 pence for an infantryman and 2 shillings for a cavalry rider). Deductions could be made for the cost of clothing, equipment, and food (bread, biscuits and cheese when on the move).

? ? ? ? ? 在軍餉方面，一名議會龍騎兵每天可領取1先令6便士（步兵為8便士，騎兵為2先令）?？梢钥鄢b、裝備和食物（行軍時的面包、餅干和奶酪）的費用。

服? ? ?裝

Dragoons began as mounted infantry, and so some even carried pikes, but their value as mobile troops soon meant they carried similar arms to ordinary cavalry. Their particular weapons then determined the best clothing to wear. Clothing and weapons were sometimes issued by the army, but there was no standard uniform as such. Coloured sashes were often worn, most often around the waist or diagonally across the chest, in order to distinguish who was who on the battlefield. Officers of any branch of the military continued to wear whatever suited them, only from the 1680s did a uniform become standard for them.

? ? ? ? ? 龍騎兵最初是騎馬步兵，因此有些甚至攜帶長矛，但他們作為機動部隊的價值很快就意味著他們攜帶與普通騎兵類似的武器。他們的特殊武器決定了最好的服裝。服裝和武器有時由軍隊發(fā)放，但并沒有標準的制服。為了在戰(zhàn)場上區(qū)分誰是誰，人們通常會佩戴彩色腰帶，最常見的是腰間或胸前斜掛的腰帶。任何軍種的軍官都可以繼續(xù)穿著適合自己的服裝，只有從17世紀80年代起，他們才開始統(tǒng)一著裝。

Dragoons usually wore less armour or none at all, and probably no helmet, preferring instead either the simple woollen or leather Monmouth cap or the soft felt hat with a wide brim that musketeers wore. Personal decoration might take the form of a few feathers or a coloured scarf where today a hat would have a band.

? ? ? ? ? 龍騎兵通常穿戴較少的盔甲或根本不穿盔甲，可能也不戴頭盔，而是喜歡戴簡單的羊毛或蒙茅斯皮帽，或者火槍手戴的寬邊軟氈帽。個人裝飾的形式可能是幾根羽毛或一條彩色圍巾，而后來的帽子上會有一條帶子。

A typical dragoon could be dressed like a musketeer in other respects with breeches that ended at the knee and stockings. They had a short jacket, possibly in the Parliamentary Venetian red that some other troops came to wear as the war wore on. Alternatively, a dragoon might wear the leather 'buff coat' of a cavalryman, which protected the upper legs. In cold or wet weather, a long-buttoned coat or cassock was worn. Long leather boots that reached the knee but which could be folded down were likely worn when more riding was required than footwork, otherwise, leather shoes would have been worn. It may be that some dragoons compromised between the two alternatives and wore shorter boots than the full cavalry version. It is clear from the historical record that dragoons were a still-evolving branch of the military, and the variations in clothing reflect this.

? ? ? ? ? 典型的龍騎兵在其他方面的穿著可能與火槍手相似，馬褲及膝，長筒襪。他們有一件短夾克，可能是議會的威尼斯紅，隨著戰(zhàn)爭的進行，其他一些部隊也開始穿這種紅色短夾克。另外，龍騎兵還可能穿上騎兵的皮質“淺黃色外套”，以保護上肢。在寒冷或潮濕的天氣里，則穿長扣大衣或長袍。當需要騎馬多于步行時，可能會穿著長及膝蓋但可折疊的長皮靴，否則就會穿皮鞋?？赡苡行堯T兵在這兩種選擇之間做出了妥協(xié)，穿上了比普通騎兵版更短的靴子。從歷史記錄中可以清楚地看出，龍騎兵是一個仍在不斷發(fā)展的軍種，服裝上的變化也反映了這一點。

馬? ? ?匹

Another distinction from ordinary cavalry was that dragoons had inferior horses, usually smaller and less sturdy animals. This fact is indicated in records such as the New Model Army purchasing a number of horses in 1645. The price paid for a cavalry horse was ￡7 10 shillings, significantly more than the ￡4 paid for a horse destined for a dragoon. Another indication of the lower status of dragoons is the price Parliament paid for their saddles: 7 shillings 6 pence compared to the 16 shillings 6 pence paid for a cavalry saddle. The lack of quality horses and saddles was not such a problem as dragoons usually dismounted before actually fighting, and because they did not usually clash with the enemy on horseback, they did not need the extra supports at the back and front of their saddles that cavalry riders had. Most dragoons brought their own horse when first recruited, but an animal that died in battle or became too old for use was, at least in theory, replaced at the cost of the army and not the individual dragoon.

? ? ? ? ? 龍騎兵與普通騎兵的另一個區(qū)別是，龍騎兵的馬匹品種較差，通常體型較小，也不結實。新模范軍在1645年購買了一批馬匹等記錄表明了這一事實。一匹騎兵馬的價格為7英鎊10先令，大大高于龍騎兵的4英鎊馬。龍騎兵地位低下的另一個表現(xiàn)是議會為他們的馬鞍支付的價格：7先令6便士，而騎兵馬鞍的價格為16先令6便士。缺乏優(yōu)質馬匹和馬鞍并不是一個大問題，因為龍騎兵通常會在實際戰(zhàn)斗前下馬，而且由于他們通常不會在馬背上與敵人交手，因此不需要像騎兵那樣在馬鞍后部和前部提供額外的支撐。大多數(shù)龍騎兵在首次招募時都會自備馬匹，但如果馬匹在戰(zhàn)斗中死亡或過于年老而無法使用，至少從理論上講，更換馬匹的費用由軍隊而非龍騎兵個人承擔。

武? ? ?器

Swords were worn by dragoons in a scabbard held in a belt around the waist or across the chest, but the particular style was up to the individual. Most swords had an iron hilt and a wide steel blade. Like cavalry, the dragoons carried firearms, either a musket or the shorter-barrelled carbine. Unlike most musketeers, dragoons typically had weapons with the faster and safer flintlock or wheellock mechanism (which used flint to create an ignition spark) and not the matchlock type. A matchlock firearm required a constantly lit match to operate, and so this was not a practical weapon for use on horseback regardless of whether the dragoon dismounted to fire it or not. The firearm was often carried over the shoulder or chest using a sling.

? ? ? ? ? 龍騎兵佩劍時將劍鞘插在腰間或胸前的腰帶上，但具體樣式由個人決定。大多數(shù)劍都有鐵質劍柄和寬大的刀刃。與騎兵一樣，龍騎兵也攜帶火器，可以是火槍，也可以是短火銃。與大多數(shù)火槍手不同，龍騎兵的武器通常采用更快、更安全的燧發(fā)槍或輪鎖槍（使用打火石產(chǎn)生點火火花），而不是火繩槍?；鹄K槍需要持續(xù)燃燒的火繩才能使用，因此無論龍騎兵是否下馬射擊，這種武器都不適合在馬背上使用?；鹌魍ǔＳ玫鯉煸诩缟匣蛐厍?。

Like cavalrymen, some dragoons, especially officers, also had pistols, carried in a holster at the front of the saddle. As pistols fired a smaller bullet than a musket, they were usually only fired at a very close range to the enemy, even point-blank range if one's adversary was wearing armour. For greater ease of movement, dragoons may have kept their ammunition in leather cartridge boxes slung around the waist, rather than the more cumbersome bandolier belt worn across the chest by musketeers, since it was in this way easier to keep ammunition dry in wet weather when the box could easily be kept within the protection of a cloak.

? ? ? ? ? 與騎兵一樣，部分龍騎兵，尤其是軍官，也配有手槍，裝在馬鞍前部的槍套里。由于手槍發(fā)射的子彈比火槍小，因此通常只能在距離敵人很近的地方發(fā)射，如果對手穿著盔甲，甚至可以近距離射擊。為了更方便行動，龍騎兵可能會將彈藥放在腰間的皮革彈匣中，而不是火槍手胸前佩戴的笨重腰帶，這樣在潮濕的天氣里更容易保持彈藥干燥，這個子彈盒可以很容易地用斗篷保護起來。

龍騎兵的戰(zhàn)略運用

During the English Civil Wars period, the dragoon has been rather neglected by military theorists and in the contemporary accounts of the conflict compared to other troop types, but as the military historian J. Tincey notes, "In the day-to-day conduct of the Civil War, the dragoon proved to be the most useful of all soldiers" (23).

? ? ? ? ? 在英國內戰(zhàn)期間，與其他兵種相比，龍騎兵在軍事理論家和當代沖突描述中一直被忽視，但正如軍事歷史學家約翰·廷西 (John Tincey)所指出的，“在內戰(zhàn)的日常指揮中，龍騎兵被證明是所有士兵中最有用的”（23）。

Only rarely were dragoons used like full cavalry, charging the enemy on horseback in a tight group, but they did do this at Naseby with success, where the Parliamentary dragoons led by Okey routed a group of Royalist infantries, captured their colours, and took 500 prisoners. Okey's dragoons then faced and beat a body of Royalist cavalry.

? ? ? ? ? 只有在極少數(shù)情況下，龍騎兵才會像正式騎兵一樣，以密集隊形騎馬向敵人沖鋒，但在納西比，他們確實成功地做到了這一點。在那里，約翰·奧基率領的議會龍騎兵擊潰了一隊?；庶h步兵，繳獲了他們的軍旗，并俘虜了500人。奧基的龍騎兵隨后迎戰(zhàn)并擊敗了一隊?；庶h騎兵。

Besides these rare heroics, commanders more typically sent companies of dragoons to secure specific areas of the battlefield which would be advantageous to control. This might involve occupying an area, clearing it of enemy troops, or holding on to it under attack. Examples of these strategically valuable points were hamlets and villages, gatehouses, fortification walls, a rise where artillery might be stationed, a bridge or pass that would allow an attack or some form of retreat, or a wooded area or stretch of hedgerows which could provide cover for musketeers.

? ? ? ? ? 除了這些罕見的英雄事跡外，指揮官通常會派遣龍騎兵連去保衛(wèi)戰(zhàn)場上有利于控制的特定區(qū)域。這可能涉及占領一個地區(qū)、清除敵軍或在遭受攻擊時堅守該地區(qū)。這些具有戰(zhàn)略價值的地點包括hamlets（這個詞來自盎格魯-諾曼語hamelet，對應古法語hamelet，古法語hamel的縮寫，意思是一個較小的村莊）和村莊、門樓、防御工事圍墻、可能駐扎火炮的高地、允許進攻或某種形式撤退的橋梁或隘口，或者可以為火槍手提供掩護的林區(qū)或灌木叢。

Dragoons were also used to provide covering fire or general support for cavalry troops, to conduct ambushes, to draw the enemy into the range of an awaiting body of infantry, and as small raiding parties behind the enemy's lines. Dragoons were also ideal for mopping up fleeing infantry after a battle. Other roles frequently given to dragoons included acting as camp guards, searching out supplies and foraging, accompanying artillery and the baggage train, and acting as scouts.

? ? ? ? ? 龍騎兵還可用于為騎兵部隊提供火力掩護或一般支援，進行伏擊，將敵人吸引到等待步兵的射程內，以及作為小型突擊隊深入敵后。龍騎兵也是戰(zhàn)斗后掃蕩逃跑敵步兵的理想選擇。龍騎兵經(jīng)常扮演的角色還包括擔任營地警衛(wèi)、搜尋補給品和糧草、護送炮兵和輜重車隊以及充當偵察兵。

The New Model Army officially gave its dragoon regiment a full cavalry regiment status in 1650. However, as a result of dragoons being given such diverse tasks, it was rare for all ten Parliamentary companies to be present in the same field of operation. The term dragoon continued to be used for the four regiments of that type in the New Model Army of the 1650s and in other European armies, but, as field commanders moved towards lighter and lighter cavalry to gain greater speed on the battlefield, dragoons became less obviously a different type of mounted troops so that, eventually, they became a synonym for light or medium cavalry.

? ? ? ? ? 1650年，新模范軍正式賦予龍騎兵團正式騎兵團的地位。然而，由于龍騎兵被賦予的任務如此多樣，很少有十個議會龍騎兵連都出現(xiàn)在同一戰(zhàn)場上的情況。在17世紀50年代的新模范軍和其他歐洲軍隊中，龍騎兵一詞繼續(xù)被用于四個該類型的團，但隨著戰(zhàn)地指揮官為了在戰(zhàn)場上獲得更快的速度而使得騎兵越來越輕量化，龍騎兵已不再是獨特的騎兵部隊，它最終成為輕騎兵或中型騎兵的代名詞。

參考書目：

Asquith, Stuart & Warner, Chris. New Model Army 1645-60. Osprey Publishing, 1981.

Evans, Martin Marix & Turner, Graham. Naseby 1645. Osprey Publishing, 2007.

Gaunt, Peter. Essential Histories 58. Osprey Publishing, 2003.

Reid, Stuart & Turner, Graham. Dunbar 1650’s most famous victory. Osprey Publishing, 2004.

Tincey, John & McBride, Angus. Soldiers of the English Civil War. Osprey Publishing, 1990.

原文作者：Mark Cartwright

????????? 駐意大利的歷史作家。他的主要興趣包括陶瓷、建筑、世界神話和發(fā)現(xiàn)所有文明的共同思想。他擁有政治哲學碩士學位，是《世界歷史百科全書》的出版總監(jiān)。

原文網(wǎng)址: https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1935/dragoons-in-the-english-civil-wars/