Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-05-06
LANCERS LEADING
CAVALRY CHARGES
With Wild Yells, Indian Horse
men Sweep Across Trenches
of Germans.
EQUALS OF LIGHT BRIGADE
No Holding Them, Once the
Beggars Get
Taste of It.

LONDON. May 5.-Cavalry has once
more come into play as an important
factor in modern warfare. says let
ter received from British officer now
on the front in France.
In telling Of the preparations made
Gates that the Indian Lanccrs kept
UP tho best traditions OF the British
service by capturing the German po-
sitions in a terrific charge that can
Light Brigade"
He continues:
Machine guns meant nothing TO
them. with lanccs in boo, and pen.
nants fiuttering they bore down on
the first line positions with wild
yelis. The main defenses were on
the top OF a hill and from this point
OF vantage a murdcrous fire was pour
cd down into the advancing ranks.
Tho Indians. however. kept on. Up
tho hill they charged. squadron az
ter squadron, and TO the amazcment
OF all OF US they gained the ridge and
cleared It. sticking Germans with
their lanccs as IL they we're hunting
Wild bears in their native land. There
was no holding them once they got
a taste OF II. Down the opposite bank
they charged. driving the Boches be-
fore them like frightened sheep.
We gained tho ridge and secured
the position with artillery. which soon
got into action and shcllcd the main
German lines farther back. The lane
crs. realizing that they were we'll sup
ported swept on, and VIC brought up
reserves and consolidated position after
position.
The Indians we're hcnds for fight
ing, and 1t was long past dark when
they returned 10 our lines. driving
many prisoners before them"
THAT'S THE WAY
TO TAKE \ VILLAGES"
Speaking Of tho Euuancourt ad-
vance, the writer SAYS
when tho cavalry charged at
Epuancourt a body % British infan-
try. who had como onto tho ground
six hours earlier than tho uccd have
done. in order ,as they saidD no, 10
miss tho show. chccrcd them ON with
the widest enthusiasm. Look a,
those bcCEars. shouted ono man as
tho cavalry swcpt past: that's tho way
to take a village, No bliEhtcd bombs
for them. and hell for leather all the
way"
'Eauancour; ard little wood in
tho front OF ii we're held by Germans
with machine guns. and another viii
laSe to the right named Sorel was de-
Tended in tho same way. and com
nanded the field Of fire before Euuan-
court.
The cavalry had two spurs Of
ground in front Of them divided by
two narrow Guilics OF rc-cntrants
One gully ran straight TO the village
OF Equancour: but was directly in
front OF tho German machine gun en-
placements. The other gully was to
the right. and il was through this that
the cavalry rode. sweeping round in
curve to EQuancourt in two parties.
Before the charge third party was
posted on the left OF the rising ground
and swept the wood below Equan-
court with machine gun fire. and a
smaller body OF cavalry TO the right oc-
cupied the attention OF the enemy in
Sorel In the same way.
Then tho two attacking parties
were -launchcd and rode hard at
pace of twen'y-thrcc miles an hour
The enemy did not stand. After
few bursts Of machine-gun fire. which
only hit "a few o: our mounted men
they fed behind the shelter of rail
way embankmcnt beyond the village
and most OF them escaped.
This cavalry attack is typical Of
the others, and one strange revelation
OF them is tho comparative harmless
ness OF machine fire against n
cavalry target. Fly the time the ma
chine-gunncrs have fired their first
shots the horsemen have swept on. and
the machine Sunners either lose their
nerve or their mark. When our cav
airy came out OF Roiscl they were UNI
der obscrVat ior from kite balloons and
under fire from machine and field guns
but. riding very hard. they came
through with onl% one or two casual