Battle of Haelen

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Haelen


caption=
partof=World War I
date=August 12, 1914
place=Halen, Belgium
result=Tactical Belgian Victory
combatant1=flagicon|Belgium Belgian Army
combatant2=flagicon|German Empire German Imperial Army
commander1=Leon De Witte
commander2=Georg von der Marwitz
strength1= 5 regiments
strength2= 6 regiments
casualties1=160 killed, 320 wounded
casualties2=150 killed, 600 wounded, 300 captured

The Battle of Haelen was the first Belgian victory in World War I. It took place on August 12, 1914 between the German forces lead by Georg von der Marwitz and the Belgians led by Leon De Witte and was largely a cavalry battle. The Belgian Army succeeded in driving back repeated German cavalry charges all day on the 12th.

Battle of Haelen

August 11

Belgian military command was convinced the Germans would advance towards Hasselt and Diest. To block the German advance the single Belgian cavalry division under general Leon de Witte was sent to guard the Haelen bridge over the river Gete. During an evening meeting, the Belgian officers convinced de Witte to fight on foot as to negate the German's numerical advantage in machine guns.

August 12

Out of wire intercepts, the Belgians discovered that the Germans were heading towards de Witte's position in force so during the early morning hours the 4th brigade was sent to reinforce the cavalry division.

The first fighting erupted around 8 o'clock when a German scouting party advancing from Herk-de-Stad came under fire of the Belgians. About 200 Belgian troopers fortified themselves in the old brewery but when the Germans brought up artillery they were driven out. By this time the Belgian engineers had dynamited the bridge but the bridge only partly collapsed leaving it partly traversable for the Germans who used it to bring about 1000 men into Halen town.

The Belgians' central defense line was positioned west of Halen in a landscape which gave the attacker only an obstructed view. The relatively easy capture of Halen town made the Germans become overconfident and they made numerous attempts with sabres and lances to capture the position. Towards the end of the day the Germans were forced to retire towards their main armies.

Tactics

De Witte repulsed the German cavalry attacks by ordering his men (which included a company of cyclists and another of pioneer engineers) to dismount and meet the attack with massed rifle fire, which succeeded in inflicting significant casualties upon the Germans. The battle demonstrated the advent of the irrelevance of horse cavalry on the battlefield.

Outcome and effects

Although hailed as a great Belgian victory, the loss of the battle had little consequence to the Germans who conquered Belgium in several weeks.

The Germans had 150 dead, 600 wounded and some 200-300 prisoners with a loss of approx 400 horses. The Belgians had 160 dead and some 320 wounded.

The battle has been nicknamed the "Battle of the Silver Helmets" for the many silvered helmets the cuirassiers left behind on the battlefield.

External links

* [http://www.firstworldwar.com/battles/haelen.htm The Battle of Haelen] at FirstWorldWar.com
* [http://users.skynet.be/fonck/zilhelm.html Museum of battle of Haelen]
* [http://www.ars-moriendi.be/DE_WITTE_DE_HAELEN.HTM General De Witte]
* [http://www.greatwardifferent.com/Great_War/Haelen_Battlefield/Haelen_Battlefield_01.htm greatwardifferent.com]