bub

The last cavalry charge of Western Europe was carried out on 19th October 1918 in Burkel, by the 1st Regiment of the Guides.

I've found a description of the charge there:
Le combat de HAELEN

I've translated it (thanks for 1069 & IT_2002 for their help!), then I have searched for images/videos of this regiment. Unfortunately, the photos were rare and I found no film (the footages in the movie I made are footages from the Polish Cavalry, who had roughly the same uniform). Then, I've added the march of the 5th and 4th Squadrons of the 1st Regiment of the Guides.

I hope you like it!




Here's the full translation of the text:

The last cavalry charge in Western Europe, sabre in hand, was carried on by the 1st Regiment of the Guides at Burkel, near Maldeghem, on 19th October 1918.

On 19th October 1918, the Cavalry division of the Belgian Army was fighting around Oedelem, 5 miles south of Bruges. Like during the trench warfare, our cavalrymen were fighting on foot; however, the landscape was open, and the horses weren’t far away…how great would it be to charge!

The sun was setting, our infantry had repelled the German rear-guards, but the enemy, concealed in Kattine forest, looked determined to defend this position. Several defence lines with machine guns forced our men to go to ground.

At 4.30pm, Major Van Strydonck, commanding the 2nd squadron of the 1st Regiment of the Guides, receives an order from the headquarters: “Cross the enemy lines by surprise. Once arrived at Burkel, attack the enemy from behind. Two armoured cars will precede your column”

A charge: the dream of every cavalryman. The order is spreading among the soldiers, who are clenching their sabres. Their eyes are shining with joy. Among them, a young adjutant who can’t control his impatience: he walks to and fro, inspects his men and his horse, starring at the road on which he is going to leap.

Heavy gunfire is underway in front of Kattine. Our infantrymen are trying to draw the enemy fire while our artillery is bombing them with a deadly rain of shells.

Bridle down, a cavalrymen rushes towards the officers: “It’s time, sir!”. It was Count F. de Meuus, Captain-Commandant in the 1st Regiment of the Guides, bringing the order of attack.
Major Van Strydonck stands up on his stirrups, drawing his sabre.
__________________________________________________ ________________________

The column of horses slowly moves off and disappears in the greyness of the evening. Between the gunfire, you could hear the horses walking and breathing loudly. Erected ears, open nostrils, they feel that the battle is coming. The eyes of the cavalrymen are starring at the horizon, towards the enemy, towards the battle.

The open landscape is crossed, the horses are trotting now. The noise of their hoofs striking the ground gets mixed up with the jingle of the sabres.

Suddenly, in the evening’s mist, they discern the edges of Kattine’s forest. Abruptly, the major draws his sabre: “Charge, my fellows, for the King!”. In the plain, a huge clamour is rising: “Hourra! Long live the King!”.

The charge! Trumpets are calling! The two armoured cars, protected by their steel shell, are speeding along the column of cavalrymen, now at full gallop.

Soon, the first line of enemy machine-gunners is crossed by the Guides brandishing their sabres. The charge goes on towards the wood around Burkel. There, the panic-stricken German soldiers watch the roaring stream leaping towards them…”take aim!”

The two leaders, laying on their horses, speed up again. Suddenly, hundreds of glowing flashes lighten Burkel’s wood. The vanguard’s horses collapse, de Meuus is instantly killed and disappears in the dreadful whirlwind. His 20-years old adjutant replaces him on the spot, sabre aimed at the Germans.

A new volley of shots rattles from Burkel, the horses rear up, leap above the trenches, run over the Germans…the armoured cars are stuck. “On foot!”. The cavalrymen drop their sabres and draw their rifles. They spread in the wood and harry the enemy, who is disconcerted by the sudden arrival of troops while they believed they were protected by their defence lines.

5pm, the fire ceases…the Germans are fleeing.

In the wood, the units are gathering, and a roll call is carried out. “Adjutant Vander Cruysen?”
A deep voice answers: “Killed in action”

__________________
===|:-)

Tashah

Thanks bub. Interesting stuff. This is for Western Europe right? If I'm not mistaken, both the Poles and Russians still used cavalry in WWII.

__________________

bub

Yes, that's for Western Europe. And that is an anecdote: because of the machine-guns, it was suicidal to charge like that, and they usually fought on foot since 1914.

The Australians have also carried out a succesful charge at Beersheba in 1917.

I have read that the Poles have done charges too, they were the last country in the world with such a cavalry (and the footages I used are from Polish films). Charge at Krojanty - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Other armies still had a lot of horses (the Germans for example) but they were used to carry guns and food, while they were replaced by tanks for the attacks.

By the way, in many armies, the tank divisions are still called "cavalry divisions". The crewmen of the Leopard tanks in the Lancer and Guide regiments are still called "cavalrymen"!

Tashah

I disagree. Well into the Eastern Front war when the Red Army was pushing the Germans away from Moscow (the Voronezh Front), there was a large battle for a town (Zyazma?) in the Pripet Marsh area of Ukraine/Russia. A complete Russian Cavalry Division (all horse mounted soldiers) was decimated in the attack to retake the town (which later fell to the Red Army). As far as I am aware, this was the last battle of World War II in which thousands of horse mounted cavalry directly engaged the enemy.

bub

Indeed, there was a cavalry charge in Russia in 1942, but it was carried on by Italians!

Charge (warfare - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

However, that list isn't complete and I wouldn't be astonished if there was a Russian charge too, as you said.

Tashah

This book has quite a bit of detail (photos also) about the Russian Cavalry in World War II. Composition, engagements, dates, maps, etc.

Absolute War: Soviet Russia in the Second World War
Chris Bellamy - Alfred A. Knopf / 2007 / 814 pp. / 24 pages of photographs and 75 maps and figures

gunner

I nice read Bub

I have always took a keen interest in the use of Cavalry charges. The "Charge of the Light Brigade" is a particular favorite, probably one of the most famous, not necessarily for the right reasons.


Charge of the Light Brigade - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

An extremely brutal charge with heavy casualties, but for me the bravery of men from this era, shines through no end.

Paul.

__________________
Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.

bub

I've always been interested in it too: I've got comic books about the US cavalry at home ( Les Tuniques Bleues - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ). It's just comic books, but there are lots of historic details.

I've watched the "charge of the light brigade" on youtube (there is also a movie about the charge at beersheba), and I would not have liked to be there!!

Tashah

I love horses also and ride whenever I can. Sometimes I think I was born in the wrong era lol. Images of a heavily armed Scythian warrioress on horseback amid the streets of ancient Greece dance in my head

gunner

Or the exhilarating adrenaline rush from charging into battle. It must have been an intimidating sight for a defender, perhaps only feeling safe in a "formed square" formation.
I have to agree with being born in the wrong era, i,m abit of a romantic when it comes to old style warfare. That really is me my profile pic, a chivalric knight at heart

Paul.