Halen 28- Charge Six and Seven
The 5th Squadron/Kü Nr 2, released from its guarding mission, came via the Halen-Velpen-Loksbergen Road to the last houses of Velpen. The 5th Squadron had to stay behind the Ulanen during their approach. They had received the same order as the previous squadrons: eliminate the riflemen. They advanced in the direction of the IJzerwinning Farm. Their charge came up to the farm itself before the attack collapsed under the combined fire of the 4th and 5th Lancers, 3rd Comp/Cy Bn, and 2nd Guides Regt. The German Cavalry retreated towards the Betserbaan. The clouds of dust were so thick, the horsemen could barely see each other during the assaults.
The 5th Squadron deployed with one platoon in line, three paces between each horse. One hundred meters further back, the three other platoons deployed in one line, one pace between each horse. The leading platoon immediately came under heavy fire. Almost every horse was hit. The other three platoons came under heavy fire as well. The Rittmeister rode for about 200 meters over a fairly flat field with sheaves, then into another unmown wheat field of moderate size. The shooting came not only from the front but also from the left. A pasture bordered by a hedge, a ditch, and barbed wire blocked the front of the attack field. In front of the squadron, the fence was fairly high. To the left, the hedge and wire were a bit lower (probably the fences surrounding the IJzerwinning Farm). Lt. von Ploetz jumped the fence. This is Ploetz’s own account:
We caught fire from the front and from the direction of Loksbergen as we were already riding and a change of front was impossible now. We rode on, clad in a gigantic cloud of dust. . . . In the direction we were heading lay a field surrounded by wire, hedges, and ditches with a square cutout. Here we entered, as in a trap. Behind that field, at the other side, lay the Belgian riflemen with machine guns [??], so that we received heavy fire from up front. While most of the survivors were in this cutout, I jumped, together with some of the men, this obstacle in the field. Now the Belgians concentrated their fire on us, making sure we fled via the same way that we came in. Under continuous fire, we rode back and followed the others towards the sunken road that offered us cover [i.e., the Betserbaan. He probably turned around near the south of the IJzerwinning Farm]. About twenty troopers were left.
All of this effort by the Kürassier Regt Nr 2 is considered Charge Six. Charge Seven was entirely the domain of the Ulanen Regt Nr 9. While 5th Squadron/Kü Nr 2 finished charging, Ulanen Regt Nr 9 came up to the battlefield. The first elements of Ulanen Regt Nr 9 already were charging towards the IJzerwinning Farm. Their 1st Squadron landed in the south part of the sunken Betserbaan; the 5th Squadron immediately followed and suffered the same fate. The charge was aborted due to the confxusion caused by the rifle fire from the IJzerwinning Farm defense, along with the turmoil and clutter of the fallen troopers and horses.