The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-08-26
FRENCH CAVALRY ON FOOT WINS. GLORY IN RECENT BATTLE.
After Long Inaction These Brave Soldiers Are Given Chance to "Go at" the
 Germans

French Front August Correspond ence of the Associated Press.)-Cav- airy on foot took brilliant part in the recent attack and capture from the Germans of the Laffaux Hill, the key position of the famous Chemin- des-Dames. and in the vain effort 10 reconquer the stronghold the German commanders have since seen their crack regiments wither away
 These French cavalrymen who had during the entente retreat to the Marne in August. 1914. covered them selves with glory while acting as shield between the pursuing Germans and their own army, had been chafing with impatience to cross weapons once more with the enemy. Trench warfare, however, did not lend itself to cav airy fighting. Most of the soldiers of the cavalry regiments are men be- longing to the active army who were In full permanent training when hos tilities began in 1914 and the various units still are under the command of their regular commissioned and non- commissioned officers They had suf- fered some losses during the earlier engagements of the war but to all in tents and purposes the regiments re- mained intact
 The military authorities considered
 
 best to employ the splendid fighting material composing these regiments, which were eating their heads off in comparative idleness behind the lines for lack of opportunity to join in the conflict as cavalry. The cavalrymen themselves were spelling for a fight"
 Eventually it was decided to separ- ate the men of some of the regiments from their mounts and to form them into infantry battalions, regiments and brigades, Officers and soldiers greeted the order with enthusiasm.
 The first to be transformed from horsemen into footmen were the cuir- assier regiments, and it was these dis mounted cavaliers who gave such good account of themselves in the struggle for the Laffaux Mill, whose capture will form one of the most daring episodes recorded on their flag, which bore already the names of many historic hattles fought by them in the last century.
 When the order to go lover the top" was given al daybreak, the improvised infantrymen leaped from the trenches with the dash of youth-for the majority of them were of the best military age, from 23 to 26-and followed across the rising ground the barriage fire from the French artillery. whose curtain of pro- Jectiles raised an impossible screen be- Tore them ana QrOVe the German QeIenQ- CTS to shelter when it did not crush them together with their field works By far the greater number of the men were natives of the districts invaded by the Germans and their anxiety to get to grips with their enemies was great. They reached the plateau in their first dash and then after taking breath they started forward again, their objective this time being two strong lines of trenches fortified by cement shelters here and there and with nests of ma chine guns which enfiladed the advance. The first line of trenches was carried without much trouble but, in the cen ter of the attack, Laffaux Mill resisted as did also several bloekhouses bristling with machine guns. The dismounted cav alrymen saw the futility of attacking these places from the front, so noncom- missioned officers with parties of men filtered through between them until they were surrounded. Then a section of tanks was ordered up to deal with the points of resistance, which they did while the first wave of cuirassiers passed on to attack the next line.
 The second line was defended with the courage of despair by the German troops, and progress could be made by the cuir- assers only very slowly, every foot of ground having to be earned In individual combats with hand grenades and bayo- nets.