Photos of the Aftermath of the Battle of Halen, Belgium, During World War 1 (1914)

Thanks SGT John " Mac " McConnell for reminding us about the Battle of Haelen which was a cavalry battle similar to the ones fought in centuries past.
Lancers and sabers charging into a line of infantrymen.
In 1914 the warfare was fluid in the Great War. Uniforms were colorful and flamboyant . By the end of the year, drab uniforms became the norm.
Images: Dead soldiers and horses in a corner of the battlefield near the village of Haelen, Belgium; "The Battle of Haelen, known as 'The Battle of the Silver Helmets' in Belgian folklore and fought on 12 August 1914, comprised the first cavalry action of the war.; dead horses in a road after the battle of Haelen fought by German cavalry; Slag van Halen
It was fought at a river crossing at Haelen in Belgium, around 30km from the main Belgian line at Louvain. The significance of the engagement lay chiefly in its being the first cavalry attack of the war, although the Belgian army's success in driving back repeated German cavalry charges all day on the 12th was also worthy of note.
It was also one of the few setbacks encountered by the Germans during their successful invasion of neutral Belgium. Advance squadrons of Georg von der Marwitz's cavalry corps proved unable to defeat a single Belgian cavalry division under de Witte guarding the Haelen bridge, despite numerous attempts with sabres and lances from early in the morning.
De Witte repulsed the German cavalry attacks by ordering his men (which included a company of cyclists and another of pioneer engineers) to dismount and meet the attack with massed rifle fire, which succeeded in inflicting significant casualties upon the Germans.
Although the Belgian success was hailed by some as a huge setback to German ambitions - it wasn't - it did provide an early demonstration of the modern-day irrelevance of the cavalry in offensive situations.
In all the Germans suffering 150 dead, 600 wounded and some 200-300 prisoners; the number of dead horses was placed at around 400. Belgian losses totalled approximately 500."
From firstworldwar.com/battles/haelen.htm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVLVpjsfnvo
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Thank you John for the great pictures and article

SGT John " Mac " McConnell Have not heard of this battle before. Thanks for the
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