The Last Cavalry Charge

[Vince Noir]

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 here but it is in French.

Then I stumbled across this tranlsated version which is more than adequate.

The march of the 5th and 4th Squadrons of the 1st Regiment of the Guides

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”

Footage and photos proved to be extremely rare - I found a video on YouTube that is based on the previous information but using video footage from that of the Polish Cavalry, who had roughly the same uniform. It has been quite skillfully put together. Have a watch.

[Farnan]

But not last Cavalry Charge by Western troops...

[DAVIDE]

from what i know, the last massive cavalry charge was the epic one of Isbuschenskij, made by Savoian Cavalry in Aug 1942

[AnthoniusII]

I thaught that the Polish cavalry charges in 1940 were the last of the kind..But still the Soviet army despite the fact that used since 1937 huge numbers of tanks,had also a vast number of cavalry units even 1941!!!
No info for clear charges of those horsemen though...
I am certain only for the Polish...There are pictures that they are attacking against german tanks!!!!!

[Vince Noir]

Yes, there had been in Western Europe but somwhat of an anecdotal failure. Machine-guns effectivly rendered a charge such as this, suicidal.

The Australians have also carried out a succesful charge at Beersheba in 1917 I beleive. I have read that the Poles have done charges too, they were the last country in the world with such a cavalry. Charge at Krojanty - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Today 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!

[Farnan]

Well Mazr-i-Sharif in 2001 involved a team of US Special Forces and 200 Northern Alliance fighters and was a classical cavalry charge... Supported by laser-guided missiles.

And in 1942 was the last cavalry charge by the US before then, when a platoon of Cavalrymen charge a Japanese Infantry and Tank formation and won.

[Dodge]

Cavalry charges happened in Afghansitan as late as 2005 involving US Special forces and local Afghan fighters.

[Vince Noir]

Cavalry charges happened in Afghansitan as late as 2005 involving US Special forces and local Afghan fighters.

Your quite right. That is why I used the term Western Europe.

And in 1942 was the last cavalry charge by the US before then, when a platoon of Cavalrymen charge a Japanese Infantry and Tank formation and won.

Out of interest, do you have more information on this?

I thaught that the Polish cavalry charges in 1940 were the last of the kind.

The last (large scale) horse cavalry charge in history was on 24th August 1942. The Italian cavalry unit Savoia Cavalleria (600 men) charged 2400 Russian infantry (plus artillery and mortars) at Isbushenskij (Russia). The charge was successful.

As for the last cavalry charge of WW1, it took place at Lessines, Belgium, on November 11th 1918, with only 10 minutes to spare before the Armistice ceasefire. A squadron of the British 7th Dragoons galloped 10 miles to capture the bridge across the river Dendre (or Dender). Although opposed by dug-in German infantry, with machine guns, British records claim that the charge succeeded, taking the bridge and over 100 prisoners for no British fatalities.

But Burkel was the last of its kind in Western Europe I believe, a full charge of the traditional, romantisized sense.

[Farnan]

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m...7/ai_n14685812

[Kara Kolyo]

It's funny that people here talk about everything else, but not for the country that had the largest cavalry forces in the world during WW2 and often used them successfully - i mean USSR. The soviet cavalry corps wasn't meant for saber charges but practiced them from time to time. Even the germans recognised their value and created ss cossack cavalry divisions. Operation MARS was probably the last large scale use of massed cavalry forces http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Mars. You can look up more for the use of cavalry then. After all the soviets and germans kept their cavalry units till the end of the war.