PLAYING AT WAR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13006, 25 October 1905, Page 1 (Supplement)

PLAYING AT WAR.

DISASTROUS OHAP.GE BY GERMAN

DRAGOONS. An extraordinary accident happened recently during some military manoeuvres on the sand marshes of the Serine, in Westphalia.

The general gave an order to a 'regiment of Bavarian dragoons to perform some operation against two regiments of Hessian dragoons, which were formed up in line half a mile away, (bring to some confusion the Balaclava blunder was repeated. The instruction was misinterpreted as an order to charge the Hessians.

The Bavarians charged rnadlv across the plain, cheering, and waving their swords and lances. Expecting that the charging regiment ivould swerve when within striking distance, _ the Hessians stood their ground, behaving as interested, but quite unconcerned spectators. To their horror the Bavarians did not change front. They crashed at full speed into the Hessian line. Horses and men were thrown into confusion. Many on both sides were hurled to the ground. The commanders were unhorsed and trampled under foot. Every officer of the brigadier's staff was swept, off his horse, and some of them were seriously, injured. In the excitement many : of the H««sians drew their swords to defend themselves, and some nasty wounds were inflicted. A lieutenant had his leg broken.

The worst accident happened to one of the subalterns of the Hessians. A Bavarian dragoon, maddened by the excitement- of the charge, and unable to pull up his horse, inadvertently drove his lance through the lieutenant's body. ° Staff officers galloped up to stop the scuffle. Called to atieution by the bugle, the dragoons looked at each other iu amazement. scarcely understanding what had happened. Fifty horses were struggliNg cm the ground, and many of them were .so seriously injured that they had to be shot. Such incidents, although rare iu' England, are eompartively frequent in the German manoeuvres.

Last year's " Kaiser's Manoeuvres" at Lubeck, personally directed by the Emperor, had a long casualty list. A private was shot dead, and another blinded: a hussar was killed by a lance thrust, and fifty men were injured in a cavalry charge; a gunner lost' both his legs; a corporal was killed by the explosion of a balloon; a major was thrown from his horse and killed, and a dragoon and hiu horse were lost in a bog.