The sun., 1918-04-09
CAVALRY DOING
NOBLY IN FIGHT
Mounted and DismOuntcd, tho
Troopers Arc Engaged
Every Minute.
RARE REAR GUARD WORK
In Covering Withdrawal Of
Infantry They Were Mixed
In With the Germans.
RARE REAR GUARD WORK
~ PERRY ROBINSON.

Special Cable Despatch 10 THB SrS from fA'
london Tirrs.
Copyright. 1918: all ,iohn rese,rs6
BRITISH ARMY HEADQUARTERS IN
FRANCE, April Z (delayed).- AT no other
time since the early days Of the war
has the cavalry been able 70 play 90
largo a par. in any operation. I spent
much OF to-day with the officers and men
Of one OF the cavalry units who. In spite
Of the q terrible time they have been
through and in spite Of their losses.
which were fairly severe. are happy and
rejoicing. The cavalry at last has had
a chance to do its share. 1t certainly
did II.
These particular troops were the first
engaged in battle with the German in
fantry. Thereafter, for eight or nine
days. they were almost continuously on
the move. fighting either as cavalry or
dismounted. They we're split into sec
tions, each Of which supported section
Of infantry. In the withdrawal all alike
found themselves in tho thick Of the
battle. which nowhere was fought harder
than around Ham. where the cavalry. on
March %, held the line Of the canal
from Ham to Olezy, whore tho Germans
still were pressing forward In their
original masses.
Scots Greys Were Cat OF.
A. the infantry fell back that evening
Q party Of the Scots Greys. covering the
withdrawal Of tropps on the LETT, WAS
cut ~ entirely aNd spaat the night
somewhere mixed up with the Germans.
sids q the canal early Next morning.
That day the cavalry. while still fall
Ing back, was able to get horses again
and once more felt like eeif-respectins
cavalry force. Now il was that parties
Of the sections mentioned above were de-
tached to form nucleus for mixed
force which had fought its way through
the long retreat. The mounted men
made themselves extraordinarily useful
The Germans continued to push on with
ali their weight. The thick mist OF the
early mornings helped them enormously.
On. one occasion the nght.rg became
so mixed that a divisional headquarters
four times found itself under machine
gun FIRE. Hard fighting went oil In the
area o: Gu!scard and Guivry. the cav
airy falling back and protecting the In
fantry until the Noyon area was rea ched.
Then the horsemen held the line OF the
Disc about Pontoise.
Fought Their way hack.
On March 25 Noyon had been evacu-
ated and the Germans presumably were
IN the town. The cavalry held the line
lust south. on tho right bank OF the Disc,
| hy Pont Leveque. when night orders
came to 60 ou, and hold the wooded Pirt
! Ouericourt ridge, west and northwest OF
Noyon. They started soon after mid
night. as our cavalry does, hell FOR
| leather" through tho night. but It was
impossible TO gain the Suzoy front at
Bo!s dos Essarts. Oficers who saw
II ray the advance OF tho cavalry was
magnificent.
! Later In the day. with Canadian cav
airy to the left and contact to the north
with French troops holding Mount He
maud. below Lareboys. they continued to
push the enemy back and were In fair
way to get him clean of the ridge when
In accordance with general orders. the
infantry was compelled to fall back to
the Divette River. The cavalry held on
until the infantry was all back and the
Germans had leaked around Its nanks
Then came some Wild nghtlng. wher
lancers. hussars and Canadian cavalry
|
| In the presence Of Grea. numbers OF
Germans, to positions OH the Divettt
front,
! Gallant Work Of French.
French infantry did gallant hghtinl
at Mont Henaud which they recap
tured in fine counter attack. 20 check
, ing the German advance on this side
, To the left, or north, however, tho Ger
I mans were pushing on very fast ant
by afternoon were reported at Mont
! didier. They were at several place.
between that point and the cavalr!
positions along the Dlvette. The cav
airy. therefore. was ordered hack to hol,
the positions Of Mont Gehain and tn,
Bois de Morliehe. Then. however, cam,
that brilliant French operation which
recovered lie Meenii and permanent!
checked the German thrust In this dl
rection.
The cavalry now wes holding the lin
from Ferrieres to Plainv.lle and Broye
and things seemed moro quiet. bu
orders came to 60 help cover the ap
proaches to Amiens. Starting at ono
they arrived at midnight on March q
at Boves. Next morning carly> the:
learned that the Germans were Il
Morsuii wood and must be put ou,
Then followed some Of thc hardest night
Ing. The Germans evidently were Il
full possession OF tho wood when tn
cavalry attacked.
Clarke by the Canadians.
The Canadians got In fine mounte
charge. They rode up. then d!smounte
and fought afoot. BY midday they ha
gone clean through the wood, KILN
great numbers Of the enemy and estah
fishing themselves firmly on a lire alon
the Moreuil-Demuin road. While the
held this line word came that the Ger
man thrust In nearby area was yer
threatening and dragons and lancer
we're sent up to head II OF. Hero the
coOperated with Australian infantr!
and afterward the commanding Office