Halen 10 – German Jaeger’s Attack 2
0810 Hours. At the Gete River bridge, the 3rd Company/Cy Battalion at the railroad station fired on a German reconnaissance patrol. A handwritten report by Company Commander Capt. Derenne stated, “0810 hours: One section of Cyclists and one machine gun opened fire at 100 meters on a dozen German horsemen. These were marching along the Herk-de-Stad-Halen Road. Five horses were killed, four horsemen killed, two wounded—one of them a Wachtmeister [a very senior sergeant], one prisoner of war.” Another report described that a “lightly wounded trooper grateful for the good care he received advised us to retreat as ‘the Belgians will be attacked by six Cavalryalry regiments and will be crushed’.”
The Dragoner Regiment Nr 17 history identified the patrol as commanded by Lt. von Flotow of 2nd Squadron He had eight additional riders. They determined that the Halen river crossing was still occupied, even barricaded. It was impossible to come closer, as this landscape was bordered with wire fences. The Unteroffizier who rode besides Flotow was shot, as well as Flotow’s horse—shot out from under his body. Flotow scrambled back on foot to report his findings. But by then, Jäger Battalion Nr 9 was already dispersing. The Belgian Cyclists in the village stood firm until shelled by German artillery. The rudimentary defense of the Gete Bridge would not hold for long. “I am told that Capt. Derenne is in the brewery near the bridge, next to the barricade. . . . This barricade consists of American petrol carts connected to each other. Just behind these carts and further on behind a few hedges lie a few Cyclists-Carabineers.” “From a roof window we watch the assault by the gray silhouetted soldiers, almost invisible although barely 200 meters away.”
0830 Hours. Belgian 1st Army ‘s Division issued a detailed order to 4th Mixed Brigade at Sint-Margriete-Houtem. This order was received at 0850 hours. The 4th Mixed Brigade was part of 1st Army Division stationed in the Tienen region.
0845 Hours. Gen. Lt. Marwitz of HKK 2 issued the order to 4th Cavalryalry Division to “Open the Halen gap.” He quickly embraced the German plan: The 17th Cavalryalry Brigade would have to conquer Halen and driveway some artillery from Loksbergen, while 3rd Cavalryalry Brigade crossed the Gete River south of the village. The 17th Cavalryalry Brigade would then encircle the Belgian troops that would be attacked by 3rd Cavalryalry Brigade. It would be a small operation to occupy Halen.
0900 Hours. Two platoons from 1st Company/Cy Battalion arrived from Loksbergen, south of 3rd Company/Cy Battalion at Halen along the Gete River. “At the square [market] in the middle of the village [Halen] our bicycles were stored . . . never to be seen again. Our first position was along the Gete River. At the beginning, all was calm and quiet. It seemed to be abandoned with some brushwood. Now and then a burst of rifle fire rang, causing no casualties to us.”
De Braeckeleer’s account told a slightly different tale and gave the impression that 1st and 3rd Company/Cy Battalion were merged and then split into the three platoon positions at this time, not the day before: “In the village, 1st and 3rd Companies split up in three groups. The first one left of the village; the third at the right, just outside the village; and the second in between both groups. I’m in the group on the right.”
Still, a third account gives a third story. “The general orders me [Lt. Van Overstraeten] to reinforce the village with the Cyclist Company in reserve . . . and to go to see Capt.-Commandant Van Damme [1st Company/Cy Battalion] at the road to Halen. We agree that he will position his company behind the hedge of the railroad—thus protecting the southern edge of the village.”
0915 Hours. Jäger Battalion Nr 9, reinforced by a Company from Jäger Battalion Nr 7, came forward from their attack positions. These Jäger wore green-gray uniforms with their easily identified tschako. They were backed up by dismounted elements of Ulanen Regiment Nr 16 and Kürassier Regiment Nr 2 from Donk, which would advance up to 100 meters from the Gete River. Participants from each side reminisced:
“At the southern edge of the village of Halen, hidden in orchards, stood the Bicycle Company (Radfahrer Komp.) of the German Jäger Battalion Nr 9 and dismounted elements of the German Cavalryalry Division in a firefight with the Belgians. Hptm. Von Kalckstein desperately wanted to take the village but he did not succeed to do so. Fierce and partly well-aimed machine-gun fire from men hidden in the houses, behind hedges, and garden fences welcomed us. We had to wait and see now.”
“German Cavalry and Jäger bicyclists (Radfahrer) are in a wood in front of us. They attack us several times, aiming their rifles. Every time they are driven back the fire from our machine guns and our good Mausers.”
The report reached de Witte that the Cyclists had engaged the patrol at 0810 hrs. De Witte prepared another order, slightly changing the deployment of 1st Cavalry Brigade. He ordered them to lengthen the 2nd Cavalry Brigade line by having dismounted troopers occupy a sector between the Velp River and the Loksbergen-Halen Road. Additionally, the Guides were instructed to reconnoiter across the right bank of the Velp. This order changed de Witte’s initial plan to let the Guides (1st Brigade) act in the mounted configuration. They could operate both mounted and dismounted depending on the situation. The two 2nd Guides Regiment Squadrons in fact ended up just north of the Rothem Mill, and the 1st Guides Regiment ended up about 100 meters in front of the northeast corner of the Loksbergen Wood, leaving the 2nd Guides Regiment to understand that it had to occupy Velpen. The unclear character of the terrain caused the commander of the 2nd Guides Regiment to take position near the Rothem Mill. The 1st Guides Regiment took the positions ordered by the brigade commander and covered the gap between the Lancers (2nd Brigade) and the 2nd Guides Regiment. The Cavalry Division Staff assumed the Guides were further east. Positioning was finished by 1200 hours. The all-important village of Velpen was not occupied.