THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
199 
In Tactics, 
the Germans declare the theory that regular cavalry, so far from 
having had its scope diminished by the power of the new 
' u musketry, has become more than ever necessary in pitched 
battle : for since the unsupported attack of infantry, by infantry, 
has become almost impossible, owing to the assailants suffering 
such loss during the time of transit as to become inefficient before 
they can arrive, the speed of cavalry offers the most ready means of 
delivering an attack in a fraction of the time and consequently with 
a fraction of the loss. Good cavalry, they reckon, attacking formed 
infantry in the open, will, in its charge, leave half its numbers on 
the ground, but will arrive to the infantry, and there dispose of it: 
a grave measure, only to be adopted in emergent cases 5 but then, 
though expensive, beyond all price. 
In this connection, Count von Schmettow, who led the charge of 
the Bismarck Cuirassiers at the battle of Vionville-Besonville, told 
me that he would feel confident of being able to deliver a cavalry 
charge home to any French infantry (such as it had then become) in 
the open, commencing from the farthest range of their weapons; 
but that he would not feel so sure against infantry such as it was at 
the beginning of the war, with its morale yet unshaken. As to the 
particular charge named, on the 16th August the one German corps 
that had struck Bazaine’s retreating army being exhausted and 
sorely pressed, orders had been issued for all the cavalry that could 
be got forward anyhow to attack at once wherever it could; the 
Count, with a regiment of cuirassiers and one of hussars, passing 
along a hollow perpendicularly through his own lines, emerged 
forming to his right about 1,000 yards in front of them, and at once 
led, across the front of the army, for a French force coming into 
position opposite to its right; he had 800 or 1,000 yards to go, a 
wood full of French skirmishers touching his left all the way, but he 
got on to the first line (guns, as it happened) before more than two 
or three of them had been brought fairly to bear on him, and sabred the 
gunners, a line of French infantry some 300 yards in rear of the 
guns firing at best speed into the melee of friends and foes; he had 
soon ridden over this infantry also, (which partially got up again and 
opened fire on him when past), and on over another line of guns 
which was ready for him about 600 yards off with infantry behind 
it of the same distance, behaviour, and fate as the first: he charged 
back again over the same two lines, receiving a damaging attack 
from French cuirassiers on the way and having now the wood full of 
skirmishers on his right instead of his left, and regained his original 
position with the loss of half his rank and file, and with only one 
officer uninjured in person or in horse; but having achieved the 
object of relieving, for the time, the German right from French pres¬ 
sure : if that right could only hold on there until the arrival of the 
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