The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-04-09

the retirement of infantry. Their
work has been brilliant and sney
thoroly enjoyed every minute OF H.
despite the gruellins engagement
Horses and Men Ready.
The correspondent saw long lines
of cavalry on the road yesterday
They were battle-worn and PLAINLY
showed the marks of hard fighting
More than one trooper led rideriess
horse But the mems heads were up
ana their lances described defiant
circles. while the horses cavorIed as
tho they, too, were ready for m6're
trouble.
In the first three day. of the Ger
man drive the cavalry fought mostly
on foot and did valuable work
wa; dismounted cavalry that heid tne
OIlezy- Ham line on March %, whlie
the infantry withdrew. There was
terrific fighting here. One party CT
dragons was cut off at night during
which time they were out in the open
cut a way thru the German IN IS AT
JuSsy by main force.
On the 23rd, the cavalry came INTO
its own, for the horses were brought
forward and the troopers began
series of spectacular feats.
When Noyon was first threatened
cavalry was sent to hold the line or
the Disc west of the town.
The British infantry was forced to
fall back on the 26th and the cavalry
was pulled back also with the lnten-
ton of occupying the ridge near the
village of Porquericourt in the vicin-
ity of Noyon. The Germans also were
after this hill.
Cavalry Rushes Thru Forest.
A race developed between the horse
men and the enemy infantrymen
across the rolling ground. The Ger
mans reached the northern part or the
wood but the cavalry arrived at the
other side at about the same time and
went rushing thru the forest against
the Germans. An intense battle at
close quarters enSued and the cavalry
| was doing great execution when the
order came for them to fall back in
order to cover the retirement of the
infantry which had succumbed to
pressure at other points. The troop
ers withdrew from the wood and
brought up the rear, pausing often to
| fight rear guard action with the hot
| ly pressing enemy.
| The next big action was on March
| 80, when the Germans got into wood
| northwest of oMreuil. Word came
| from the British command that the
wood must be cleared out. The posi-
ton was filled with enemy infantry
who had brought forward great num-
| bers of machine guns which were
mounted in every available vantage
point even in trees. The cavalry was
/ called upon. They responded and
came pounding up to the wood in a
picturesque manner. Here a part of
them dismounted and went in on foot
| but the Canadian Horse tore on into
| the forest and hurled themselves on
| the enemy. AS one trooper later
put it:
Fought Calamity and StubbornIy
There was a hell of a fight STEP
by step the Germans gave way before
| the onslaught until the western part
of the wood had been cleared between
Moreuil and Demuin. On the 31st the
| Germans again attacked in force and
| once more the British infantry, althe
fighting calamity and stubbornly, was
compelled to pull back because of the
| overwhelming weight of the numbers
| opposed to them. During the after
noon the cavalry again attacked here
and drove most of the Germans bach
somewhat but the enemy still clung te
the high ground and kept sending for.
ward supporting infantry.
| Charged Nest of Machine Guns
April 1 the cavalry again attacked
and no more splendid fight has beer
seen than that presented when they
came charging across the field as il
the days of old and drove straigh
into the banks of machine guns scat
tered among the trees. The frs
charge gave the horsemen a footing
in the wood. They reformed ant
surged forward again. This time the!
got to the center of the forest, One,
more they drove their horses full til
against the German line. The latte
held for a little and then sagged ant
broke and the British stormed thei
way clear thru to the eastern side o
the wood, the enemy fleeing befor,
them. Behind them the ground wa
strewn with German dead ant
wounded.
The enemy Immediately organize,
for a counter attack and here horS
gunners got in some fine work. A
the Germans massed in the open tn
artillerymen poured shell after shell
into their ranks. one battery alone fir
ing 1000 rounds at this magnificen
target. For an hour the German in
fantry was marching under a hail O
death. They kept coming forwa rd
but only a few of them reached tn
wood and the attack was smashe
easily by the troopers.