A FATAL CHARGE NINTH LANCERS RIDE AT THE GUNS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue LXXXVIII, 12 September 1914, Page 7

A FATAL CHARGE NINTH LANCERS RIDE AT THE GUNS

MOWED DOWN BY MAXIMS. (Received September 12, 8 a.m.) LONDON, 11th September. Details of th& fatal charge of the 9th Lancers during the British action at Compiegne show that the Lancers went into action against the German guns singing and shouting like schoolboys. The artillery fire emptied but a few saddles, and the guvs seemed to be within reach of the leaders, when suddenly the tragedy came. Full in the face of the oncoming cavalry, the Germans opened a murderous fire from twenty concealed machine-guns, at a distance of not more than 150 yards. The Vicomte De Vauvineux, who rode with the brigade as interpreter, was instantly killed. The bulk of the brigade swerved to the right for a hundred yards across the face of the guns ; a few men rode desperately on, as if bearing charmed lives, but only for a few yards. Wire entanglements were buried in the grass thirty yards in front of the guns, and riding full into these, the riders fell and were taken prisoners. Three regiments of the best of the British cavalry went into the charge; finally there mustered 220 of the Lancers regiment. The 18Ch Hossars and the 4th Dragoons also suffered severely, but not to the same extent. [A cavalry Tegiment is composed of about 550 men of all ranks.]