Cazadores de Alcántara-Valladolid,Spain - Equestrian Statues on Waymarking.com

-History in Europe

The Alcantara appears from the need of the armies of Felipe IV to increase the mounted troops outstanding in the Seventeen Provinces, for which it was authorized to create several cavalry corps. One of them was the one organized and directed by the field master Juan Francisco Nestién with base in eight companies that happened to pay of the region of Brussels the 19 of February of 1656 like Third of Nestién.
Its standard was of crimson damask, bordered and embroidered with silver, bearing on the obverse the royal arms and on the reverse the crowned mantle and the scallop or cross of the Military Order of Alcántara, with the motto "HOEC NUBILA TOLLUNT OBSTANTIA SICUT SOL" (Rides like the sun, dissipates the clouds in its path). The first squadron sported a white damask banner.
Framed in the army of Juan Jose of Austria, in 1656 it participated in the battle of Valenciennes surrounded by the French, loading and slashing 18 squadrons. He participated in the battles of the Dunes (1658), Lille (1667), Seneffe (1674), where he fought all day and retired victorious at midnight, Saint-Denis (1687) and Fleurus (1690), where he resisted the shock of the enemy cavalry to then take the initiative and destroy it.

History in Spain

Six years later he was in Spain, fighting during the campaign of Catalonia. He went to Italy during the War of Succession, commanded personally by Felipe V, fought in Luzzara against the Austrians. In 1710 he returned to Spain and fought in Zaragoza, Igualada and Portugal.
In 1769, in front of his band of trumpets, there was a rider dressed in Turkish style and beating some metal sticks. The origin of such insignia does not correspond to the Alcantara, but to the Bramante who in 1720 defeated the Austrian Starhemberg Cavalry Regiment, taking prisoner, among others, the Turk who carried such chopsticks, and Philip V to perpetuate such victory granted such a prerogative, which when merging with the Alcantara in 1731 transmitted this honor to him by royal order of January 11, 1769.
War of Independence

In the year 1808 it was called the Cavalry Regiment of Alcantara No. 7 and consisted of 42 chiefs and officers, 589 troops and 490 horses. He had two squads destined in Portugal; they were taken prisoner by the French as a result of the Cintra Agreement and on October 25 they managed to disembark in San Carlos de la Rápita with the rest of the Spanish units imprisoned. The other three squadrons of the regiment were in the field of San Roque and formed the base of the 2nd Alcántara Cavalry Regiment.
He participated in the War of Spanish Independence receiving the crosses of distinction of Aranjuez, Almonacid and Valls for actions of outstanding heroism.In 1823 was dissolved as Regiment of Alcantara, 7th Cavalry.

19th and 20th Centuries

In 1844 it was again created as the Lanceros Regiment of Alcántara, 16th Cavalry, with a garrison in Alcalá de Henares. For years it underwent several changes of garrison, organization and uniformity, and in 1859, when it was stationed in Ciudad Real with a detachment in Almagro, it was transformed into the Cazadores de Alcántara Regiment, the 16th Cavalry Regiment.
Upon accessing the Alfonso XII throne, the Army was reorganized, remaining as Alcántara Cavalry Regiment, 14th Cavalry Regiment, alternating garrisons in Reus, Lérida and Barcelona, ??from where it sailed for Cuba in 1895, where it was fought until the end of the war.
With the new century, Alcántara was sent to Valencia, where it remained until September 8, 1911, when it was moved to Melilla, where 10 years later it carried out the aforementioned events.
In 1921 in the disaster of Annual, the regiment was practically annihilated after protecting the forces that were retreating. The balance of casualties was: 4 Heads, 3 dead and 1 injured. Of 30 officers, 21 dead, 4 injured and 4 prisoners. Of 6 NCOs, 5 dead and 1 prisoner. Of 20 Sergeants, 18 wounded and 1 prisoner. Of 14 blacksmiths, 11 dead and 2 prisoners. Of 63 corporals, 53 dead and 6 prisoners. Of 13 Trumpets, 13 dead. Of 17 Soldiers of 1st, 14 dead and 2 injured. Of 524 Soldiers of 2nd, 403 dead and 53 prisoners. In short, 691 members of the Regiment, 541 dead, 7 injured and 67 prisoners. For this reason it is the only regiment of the Spanish Army that was collectively granted the Grand Cross Laureate of San Fernando dated June 1, 2012.3
"... in order to recognize the heroic events that occurred between July 22 and August 9, 1921, when the Regiment gave protection to the withdrawal of Spanish troops from their positions in Annual to Mount Arruit, a feat in which most of its members died: 28 of the 32 officers and 523 of the 685 troop members ... "
Royal Decree granting the Laureate Cross of San Fernando to the 'Cazadores de Alcántara' Regiment, 14 of Cavalry ', 4
On January 22, 1927 is reorganized by merging with the Regiments of Vitoria and Taxdirt, going to Ceuta, where soon after it merges with the Villarrobledo Regiment, moving to Badajoz as Alcántara Cavalry Regiment, 14th Cazadores. In 1931 it is converted into a Group of Auto-machine guns based in Aranjuez, where the Civil War surprises and is dissolved.
In 1939 the Exploration Group No. 9 of Morocco was created with a garrison in Larache, and a year later it formed part of the Cavalry Mixed Brigade as an Independent Cavalry Regiment No. 19 to be later renamed the Mechanized Cavalry Regiment. .º 19.
In 1943 he changed his name as Dragons of Alcántara Cavalry Regiment No. 15.
In 1958 it was reorganized as Cavalry Regiment of Hunters of Alcántara No. 15, absorbing the Tables of Cavalry No. 1 and 2, going to Jaén, where the following year assumed the name of Agrupación de Alcántara No. 15 of Chivalry.
In 1963 it became the Alcántara Armored Cavalry Regiment No. 15
In 1966 it is called Light Armored Regiment of Cavalry Alcántara No. 10 and returns to Melilla.
In 1974 it takes the name of Armored Cavalry Regiment Alcántara No. 10.
In 1992, the city of Melilla awarded him his Gold Medal, a distinction that is combined with five Collective Military Medals2 and the awards mentioned above.
In 2012 the Council of Minister decided to grant the Regiment the Laureate of San Fernando for its performance in the Annual Disaster where their squads were covered in glory.

Identity of Rider: Cazadores de Alcántara Identity of Horse: Unknown Name of artist: Mariano Benlliure Date of Dedication: 25/06/1931 Material: Bronze Unusual Features: Hunter set Position: Two Hooves Raised

Visit Instructions:
Enjoy your visit, tell your story and post a picture.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   02/12/2023 JoseLu61 visited it 02/15/2022 Malevo80 visited it

View all visits/logs