Aleksander’s Book Corner
With another sunday upon us it’s time to blow dust off old books and make a new blog post. This time we will have a look at the experiences of the 17th Brunswick Hussar Regiment as they fought rearguard actions against the French after crossing the Sambre. From their regimental diary:
“It was on August 23, 1914, the crossings over the Sambre had been conquered the day before. Our half regiment had bivouacked for a few hours in the park of the Château d’Oultremont, and in the early morning of August 24th had advanced ahead of the 39th Light Infantry Battalion as far as Gougnies. We were close to the village to provide cover for the artillery and had been shot at during noon by local inhabitants. After a short retaliation of the fire, we cleared the village, hostages were rounded up, and the houses from which shooting had occurred were set ablaze. From this direction we now had peace.
Small patrols were deployed to search the woods ahead of us in the evening before we went over to the bivouac. Private Denkmann had to report back to the regiment. As dusk fell he got lost in the forest. While searching for the right way, he suddenly came under fire from a great distance. He was faced by a Zouave patrol of 9 men. His horse fell. A bullet had pierced the neck of the faithful animal. Denkmann immediately took cover behind the horse’s body, resting his rifle on the saddle and calmly aiming at the approaching Zouaves. His first clip took down 3 opponents. The others were shocked, so he was able to reload anew and with the next shots sent the surviving six men fleeing. By foot, he delivers his report and sadly reports that his horse ‘Zerline’ had died.
It’s impossible to describe our astonishment when we passed the place where the Zouaves, fallen by Denkmann’s steady hand, at dawn on August 24th: As if nothing had happened, “Zerline” was standing there at the edge of the forest, nibbling on a twig. She still rendered many a faithful service to the escadron and later carried the regimental adjutant on many orderly rides.”
The following account deals with a peculiar encounter between German Hussars and Algerian Tiralleurs called ‘Turcos’ on August 24 1914. Cavalry Master von Finckh narrates what happened:
“A few hundred meters from the village we came upon two Turcos, one of whom shot himself before our eyes, the other we let go.” Afterwards, the Hussars approached a village. They noticed a priest standing next to a red brick house, armed with a shotgun. Immediately they came under heavy fire from the surrounding houses. They fired back from while mounted on their horses, before retreating from the scene.
“A Belgian officer, who was aiming at me, was shot down by a trooper riding right behind me, as were several other Belgian soldiers who did not immediately put away their weapons when ordered. A reserve sergeant lay wounded under his wounded horse and called out to me: ‘Mr. Cavalry Master, Mr. Cavalry Master, help me!’ But it was impossible, the only salvation was going Forward.
I met the reserve sergeant mentioned earlier three years later in Braunschweig. He told me that when he was lying on the road under his horse, about an hour after the squadron had left the place, he received first aid by the Turco who had been released by us. The Turco would have told him, ‘The Germans have not harmed me, for this I will help you.’ He then fetched a Belgian nurse and did not leave him until he was placed in the military hospital in Florennes. So it had been worthwhile to let the Turco run free….”
Source:
Die Braunschweiger Husaren im Weltkriege 1914-1918. Hier Band 1. 1914 – 1915.