The Argentinian soldiers

I'm something of a military history buff. I was interested in the look, eqipment and uniforms of the Argentinian army of the late 1800s time period. European influence is very strong. The Argentinian soldiers wear the style of European military uniform introduced by the French Army, circa 1850, which was also adopted by the American Union and Confederate armies. As can be expected, there are indigenous influences on the uniforms and equipment. The Argentinian enlisted men wear very baggy trousers. Many also wear some sort of apron skirt wrapped around the waist and upper legs. Common to all ranks is the draping of a neatly folded, short, sometimes colorful woolen blanket on the shoulders so that both ends are on the chest. Odd to westerners, it makes sense considering that the Argentinian Pampas (vast prairie plains) could be bitterly cold at night in spite of warm day temperatures. To be caught on the pampas at night in the event of a big temperature drop without adequate warm clothing and blankets could mean death by hypothermia. This is aptly demonstrated in the movie when Argentinian army captain (Robert Taylor) finds himself on horseback at night on the pampas. He is depicted having undraped his shoulder blanket and wrapped it around his torso to ward off the bitter cold wind as he gallops off into the night.

The rifles shown at the movies's beginning carried by two army deserters turn out to be Remington rolling block, single-shot rifles. The Remington rolling block, single-shot rifle was a superior rifle, next to the British Martini-Henry single shot of its time. Many countries adopted the rolling block, except the U.S. Army, but it was popular with American civilians. A trained infantryman could reputedly get off 10 to 15 rounds per minute with the rolling block. That compared to 2 to 4 rounds per minute with the old, muzzle-loading Springfield musket from the U.S. Civil War. Battlefield reality would place reasonable rates of fire at 6 to 10 rounds for the rolling block versus 1 to 2 rounds per minute for the Springfield. This allowed for more reasonable time for target acquisition and deliberate, steadied aiming, under combat conditions as opposed to simply speed shooting on a peaceful firing range.

Some soldiers, civilian horseback riders, and local Indians wrap throwing bolas around their waists. The bola originated as a ranching tool to ensare animals but was often used in warfare. Depicted brilliantly in the movie, the bola was also used in hand-to-hand combat, similar to a Japanese kusari gama chain weapon or the manriki-kusari, to strike an enemy or wrap around his neck or limbs.

THE ARGENTINE ARMY OF THE LATE 1800s

Savage Pampas gives an illuminating glimpse into the Argentine Army, circa end of the 1800s, somewhere between 1880 and 1899. The Argentine Army looks be behind the times, still in the 1860s, judging by the uniforms and equipment. The one concession to modern weaponry is the single-shot Remington rolling block rifles. But even by the late 1800s, major European armies were transitioning into bolt-action, repeating rifles. Still even the U.S. Army was utilizing its single-shot, Springfield, Allin-trapdoor rifles. The single-shot cartridge rifle, whether a Remington rolling block, Springfield trapdoor, or a British Martini-Henry, was capable of a high sustained rate of fire in the hands of a trained soldier carrying a copious supply of metallic cartridges. Under battle conditions, realistic fire rates were 2 to 3 shots per minute for obsolete muzzleloaders compared to 6 to 10 shots per minute for the metallic cartridge single shot rifles. Ideal, firing range conditiions were of course, higher, but unrealistic.
The Argentine Army is not depicted in a very good, professional light. Its soldiers appear to be comprised of society's lowest class citizens, the desperate, and criminal and political prisoners. The level of army professionalism seems to be low. Keeping such an ill-disciplined lot of soldiers requires sometimes draconian or near brutal discipline by NCOs and commissioned officers. It is no place for the more cultured British, Canadian, and American commissioned officers whose army cultures do not include commissioned officers striking or placing their hands on lower enlisted soldiers. But in the rough and tough Argentinian Army, a leader had to be ready to apply physical and corporal punishment himself. The Argentinian Army officer corps shows that approaches to professionalism have only just begun with the recent institution of a military academy. The movie reveals close to the beginning that even a lieutenant had deserted the Pampas fort some time ago. The rough-edged army captain (Robert Taylor) is a grizzled army veteran who tolerates no fools under his command and can afford to show little affection or sympathy towards his men if he's going to be able to maintain even a semblence of order and discipline among them. His superior, a visiting brigadier general, is fortuitously a conscientious and competent flag officer, considering the historical anecdotes of ingrained incompetency, corruption, and unprofessionalism among the higher ranking officer corps. Savage Pampas starts its movie plot based on the presence of two competent, experienced army officers who back each other up.