The battle was staged in the style of Frederick the Great's earlier cavalry successes. It was planned so that the German 4th Cavalry Division, which was excellently equipped and trained, would charge into glory with sabres rattling. Hundreds of horses would thunder into battle. Instead, 24 German officers, 468 men and 843 horses were lost in no fewer than eight different attacks that day. The entire right wing of the Imperial German Army, according to the famous Schlieffen Plan, comprised only nine cavalry brigades, and in a battle on 12 August 1914, two of these brigades were severely hit. The battle has not been researched in English, as it took place before the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) landed in the Channel ports and long before American involvement. British historians have generally focused on the German efforts to invade Belgium through the fortifications at Liège, east of Halen. However, the Battle of the Silver Helmets had an impact on the centuries-old tradition of cavalry. Understanding the battle explains why there were never again any large-scale cavalry attacks on the Western Front.
Group
Books (first-hand)
Author
Robinson, Joe/Hendriks, Francis/Robinson, Janet
Title
The Last Great Cavalry Charge
Details
English text, paperback, 16 plates with bw-photos, maps. 156 pages.
State
new
Subtitle
The Battle of the Silver Helmets. Halen 12 August 1914
Fonthill Media Millview, Toadsmoor GL5 2TB Road, Stroud, Vereinigtes Königreich
