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Remembered Today:

Cavalry slaughter .


steve140968

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;) Cheers Adam ! Steve .
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Also in the famous 'charge from Orange Hill' were the Northamptonshire Yeomanry. They suffered dreadful casualties. It was described in the Regimental History this:

Advancing in open order the dash for Monchy (about a mile and a half) was made under very intensive shellfire, but the objective was gained, which enabled the infantry to get over in sufficient numnbers to hold it. Col. Seymour being injured.

A member of my family took part, Captain Gerald Murland, his actions on that day won him an MC.

The regiment suffered 72 casualties of whom 15 were killed or subsequently died of wounds. No mention is made of the number of horses killed.

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;) Thanks Jerry . It looks like then that it was the 10th Hussars , Essex and Northhamptonshire Yeomanry making the assault with the 3rd Dragoons in support ! Regards , Steve .
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Interesting you mention the 10th Hussars, Gerald Murland's Brother, Capt. William Sydney Murland was in the 10th hussars, I'll have to see if they were in the same action together. william also won an MC. these two were quite a pair it would seem.

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Here are some details from the Marquess of Anglesey's book on the history of the British Cavalry:

'The infantry attack went in at 5 am (on 11th April) and nearly two hours later the 3rd Dragoon Guards reported that Monchy was 'held by us but our troops apparently have not gained eastern edge'. Bulkeley-Johnson, on hearing the news, although he had not heard that the sunken road leading north-east from the village had also been taken, (a condition imposed by the divisional commander) decided to advance. At 8.30 the Essex Yeomanry, followed by the 10th Hussars, with the Royal Horse Guards, the third regiment of the 8th Cavalry in reserve, received the order. [bJs verbal orders to his assembled commanding officers were: 'Sieze the ridge Bois des Audepines to Pelves Mill; Essex Yeomanry on right, Tenth Hussars on left. When this is achieved, proceed to first objective, namely Bois du Sart - east end of Pelves, including Hatchet and Jigsaw Woods. Dividing line between Essex and Tenth, north side of Keeling Copse - north end of Hatchet Wood - south edge of Jigsaw Wood. To each leading regiment, two subsections of machine guns. Rest of brigade to follow in the order, G Battery RHA, Blues, remainder of Machine Gun Squadron.']. The 3rd Dragoon Guards also did so at the same time. It was the leading regiment of the 6th Cavalry Brigade. It and the Essex Yeomanry, their commanding officers having conferred together, advanced more or less parallel to each other. The leading squadron of the 3rd soon reached its first objective, the ridge south of Monchy, under slight shelling. It was followed by a second squadron. Both squadrons were subjected to 'heavy shell and machinegun fire, suffering a good many casualties both in men and horses'. After one intermediate bound, they reached their objective, encountering an enemy party digging in front of four guns which they speedily abandoned. By 9.5 am the leading troop of the 3rd had reached the main road to Cambrai at the southern exit of Monchy. Here it dismounted in a partially completed enemy trench and was soon joined by most of the rest of the regiment. Hotchkiss posts were pushed forward to deal with a threatened German advance from the north-east and machine-gun fire from Guémappe to the south. Two sections of 'C' Battery, RHA soon joined in, as also did a machine gun section. Later two squadrons of the North Somerset Yeomanry, the VI Corps Cavalry, arrived to strengthen the line. By midnight fresh infantry came up to relieve the 3rd Dragoon Guards, the North Somerset Yeomanry and the attendant machine-gun squadron. These withdrew to spend another miserable night in the quagmire of the Arras racecourse.'

To be continued...

Robert

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Strangely in all the official accounts I have read the involvement of the Northamptonshire Yeomanry is not mentioned. The quote I posted earlier comes from an unpublished account of the NY Great war service. It is backed up by some excellent diary accounts of the same action. All these sources are in the Northamptonshire Records Office. The personal diaries of soldiers who were actually in the charge make facinating reading. Anyone who wants a copy of those I have photographed can email me & I'll send it along.

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'The Essex Yeomanry and the 10th Hussars, meanwhile, were told by Bulkeley-Johnson that, should they come under machine-gun fire from the north-east (which had been experienced on the previous day), they were to ignore their orders to move to the north of Monchy. Instead they were to go straight for the western entrance to the village. In the event the advance squadrons of both regiments, each with two Vickers machine guns, (riding forward "in line of troop columns, preceded by one troop, which in its turn threw out patrols to gallop to local objectives"), did, as expected encounter intense fire from the area of Roeux. This came not only from machine guns but also from artillery, and it hit the horsemen as they emerged from the crest of Orange Hill about 1,500 yards from the village.

The two leading troops of the Essex Yeomanry were almost annihilated. The survivors and the rest of the regiment served to their right and found some cover from the trees and some houses which were still standing. The hussars, seeing the yeomanry's wheel, divined the reason and "bent its course southward... and entered the village at the same moment, having suffered little loss.

The led horses were then concentrated in the centre of the village. This was, of course, observed by the enemy, who "put every gun he had on the village and the losses in horses were very heavy indeed"'.

Nichols, in his book 'Cheerful Sacrifice' noted that:

'Upon seeing the British cavalry enter Monchy, the German artillery laid down a severe box-barrage which gradually drew inwards, trapping the cavalry and infantry in the village.

At midday, concerned as to what was happening in the village and impatient for news, Bulkeley-Johnson had walked up to assess the situation. Meeting Captain D W J Cuddeford of the Highland Light Infantry, he asked him to show him the enemy dispositions. Cuddeford later wrote "I told him it could be done but... the greatest caution was required, and that if the German snipers spotted us it would be necessary to dodge them by sprinting from shell hole to shell hole. Nevertheless the General insisted on going against my advice. I led the little procession and as soon as we reached the ridge, a fusilade of bullets hummed around our ear. We had not gone far when one skimmed past me and struck the General full on the cheek bone. I shall never forget his piercing shrieck as he tumbled down and rolled over on the ground."

All horses of C Squadron, 10th Hussars, were killed. The losses in horses to the 8th Cavalry Brigade are not recorded but after the action 600 remounts were drawn.'

The cavalry were relieved in the evening, though 'two squadrons and the machine guns stayed' to help out the infantry.

Robert

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;) Thankyou very much indeed Jerry and Robert . What facinating accounts which make very interesting reading . Jerry , i have PM'd you ! Regards , Steve .
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I have some more quotes from troopers who were involved in the 'charge' and the battle to hold Monchy. Will try and post these when I get the chance.

Robert

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Just looked at the Northamptonshire Yeomanry stuff I have, a note by a diarist of 170 of the regiment's horses killed or wounded in the action. Together with the horse casualties from the other units it must have been carnage.

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;) "Carnage" - absolutely , Unimaginable slaughter ! Thankyou Robert , i look forward to it . Jerry , thankyou i have e-mailed you ! Regards , Steve .
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Steve I have sent you some more material about the charge and a couple of sketches made at the time. Gerry Murland's citation for his MC indicates he was collecting wounded cavalrymen, remounting them on strays and bringing them back under the intense shellfire that was going on.

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No luck with that address Steve, email returned to me. Email me your postal address & I'll send the stuff by snail mail next week

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A silly question... would attacking infantry have faired better?

The 3rd Dragoons took part in 2 charges in 1918, one in which about 100 Germans were "Sabered" (150 cavalry against 250 Germans with 3-4 MGs).

The speed of the cavalry had them through the field (1.5km approx) and into the fray, something the pinned down infantry did not manage to do.

best

Chris

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Chris, I think it highly unlikely infantry would have done better. Many units were exhausted with the advance and the weather conditions. Speed got the cavalry into Monchy, along with the relatively less well coordinated German defences. The approach to the village was obviously under observation. Infantry did manage to get forward though. It is difficult to know how much the German focus on the cavalry already in Monchy enabled this to happen. Infantry might have achieved the same outcome, but not better - IMHO.

Robert

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A silly question... would attacking infantry have faired better?

.........

Chris

I don't think so. Cavalry would make a faster moving target much higher off the ground than a man. A lot of MGs fired on fixed lines. They would have to be reset.

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;) Thankyou very much Jerry , i will e-mail you my address . Thanks Chris for an excellent account . These accounts have led me to think of the advantages of sending in the cavalry . Before i would think that there was no place for them whilst up against machine guns , artilllery etc . But having thought some more , the main advantage i can see is the speed by which they were able to 'get amongst them'. Once in amongst them they must have caused considerable mayhem and panic . Has anyone information on the weapons used by the various units ? Regards , Steve .
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The Yeomanry Adjutant wrote:

'As soon as we topped Orange Hill the shells began to fall, first in ones and twos, then in half-dozens, then in a continuous stream. We started trotting, then galloping, in a sort of loose formation. I should think we galloped like this for a mile until we arrived at the north-western edge of Monchy.'

A trooper from the Northamptons, Bertie Taylor, noted:

'We got over the top of the rise and there it stood, red bricks showing - Monchy! The snow was lying thick and I remember at this point some of our horses collapsed, buckling the swords of their riders. We extended into one long line, a bugle sounded and we charged! Over open ground, jumping trenches, men swearing, horses squealing - a proper old commotion! The bugle sounded three times - and we had come under quite heavy shell fire and some of the saddles had been emptied. But the horses knew what to do better than we did, and galloping by me came these riderless horses. Mine, poor devil, had been wounded badly in the coronet so I pulled him up and dismounted and had a look at him. [He] perked up, so we galloped off after the others. Eventually I caught up with our officer, who was riding a few yards ahead when a shell exploded just beneath his horse. Both horse and rider were killed instantly. Next we got into the village and the streets were so narrow that tiles from the roofs were raining down on us - that's what caused a lot of injuires. The shell fire was so hot that the bugles sounded the retirement and back we went, led by the riderless horses!'

Robert

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This excerpt from Trooper Clarence Garnett, 8th Machine Gun Squadron, Essex Yeomanry:

"I was riding a little horse called Nimrod and leading another with a pack saddle on his back loaded with boxes of machine gun ammunition. We had not gone far when a huge shell burst to my right. The pack horse fell, and as I was holding on to him so tightly, he pulled me out of the saddle. I let go and managed to stay on Nimrod, regaining my balance, but then my saddle slipped under his stomach. I rode on, hanging on for dear life, on his bare back. All the rest of the column had left me and seeing a huge hawthorn tree, I got behind it and adjusted the saddle. I remounted and rode on alone to where the others had gone and quickly entered the village where I saw a dead pack-horse with ammunition on his back, so I dismounted and took a box. Galloping along the street I soon reached the building marked 'Château' on my map, where I was stopped by an officer who demanded my box of ammunition and told me to follow him. By now there were a few of us and the shelling had become very heavy, so the officer ordered us to lie down under the shelter of a wall. As I was lying in a gap between two cottages, I immediately got up, still holding my horse, and lay down under the wall of the cottage opposite. I had not been there long when a light shell came through the gap in the cottages and cut down the officer and most of the others. Nimrod was terrified and he reared up violently, dragging me along the street for some yards until I was forced to let go. I never saw him again after that. As it was pointless staying in that spot, I wandered along the street and into the main square which was simply covered with dead horses and men. Later in the morning it started to rain and I swear the streets of Monchy ran red with blood."

Robert

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Lt Col Whitmore, commanding the Essex Yeomanry, recorded:

"At the N Western entrance to the village only shell fire was met with, but many casualties occurred on account of the buildings and the hard roads offering greater resistance to the high explosive shell. The two advanced squadrons then proceeded as follows:- Essex Yeomanry via central road leading to the Square and thence by the sunken road leading NE towards Pelves, the 10th Hussars following the Essex Yeomanry to the centre of Monchy, thence running due N until they reached the outskirts of the village. On emerging from the village, both these squadrons were held up by machine gun fire.

By this time the remainder of the two regiments were already in the village and the whole force of the German artillery seemed to be concentrated on it, causing many casualties to officers, men and horses.

Machine guns and Hotchkiss automatic rifles were brought up at once from both regiments and distributed in positions surrounding the South-east, East and North of the village. At this time, Lt Col Hardwick commanding 10th Hussars, with one squadron... endeavoured to make his way round the northern flank, but again met with severe machine gun fire on the Northern outskirts of the village and was forced to turn in a South-easterly direction through the wood [where he and his adjutant were both wounded]

The scattered remnants of the 111th and 112th Infantry Brigades were occupying isolated places in and West of the château [reduced to about seventy men, who were mostly dead tired and taking cover in cellars and no officer to be seen]. These were collected and they, together with the 10th Hussars and Essex Yeomanry [all by now dismounted], the whole being under [my command], consolidated the positions gained on the Northern and Eastern outskirts of Monchy."

Robert

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These accounts have led me to think of the advantages of sending in the cavalry . Before i would think that there was no place for them whilst up against machine guns , artilllery etc . But having thought some more , the main advantage i can see is the speed by which they were able to 'get amongst them'.

Steve. This is a very specific instance. Crucially, there were very few obstacles once the cavalry got underway. Had there been major wire entanglements, decent trenches or very muddy, wet ground, the cavalry 'charge' would have been a complete disaster. The weather helped. Visibility was affected by the snow and rain. Otherwise the open ground would have been more difficult to cross unscathed. Note that most casualties appear to have occurred once the artillery was able to acquire them in the village itself.

This action was not really a charge in the classic sense of 'getting amongst them'. It was a good example of a rapidly mobile force getting quickly to a tactically important feature and then providing sufficient fire power to hold it. The German defences were reforming and reorganizing after the severe but not fatal battering of the previous British attacks in the Battle of Arras. The outcome would have been very different on a clear day and with very well prepared defences.

Robert

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;) Thanks Robert . It would seem that everything taken into account it was near an ideal scenario for the cavalry . I just wonder whether as you say the weather had have been clear they would still have been sent in with fatal results ! Steve .
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