Battle of Mars-la-Tour - Von Bredow's "Death Ride"

Von Bredow's "Death Ride"

The Battle of Mars-La-Tour is also notable for one of the very few successful cavalry charges of modern warfare. Harassed by French artillery each time he redeployed his forces following a French attack, his infantry reserves exhausted and fearing that his shaky left flank was about to be charged by French cavalry, General von Alvensleben sent a message to the commander of the nearby 12th Cavalry Brigade, Major-General Friedrich Wilhelm Adalbert von Bredow, demanding that he silence French General François Canrobert's artillery and forestall a French cavalry charge with one of his own.

Noting that "it will cost what it will", von Bredow took his time to organize the brigade, consisting of the 7th Cuirassiers, 19th Dragoons, and 16th Uhlans. In what would become known as "Von Bredow's Death Ride" the cavalrymen rode out from Prussian lines at 14:00, von Bredow using the terrain and gun smoke to mask movements from French observers until the very last moment. Bursting into view some 1000 meters from the French lines, the Prussian cavalry charged into and broke through the French gun lines, causing widespread panic and scattering Canrobert's soldiers in all directions. Two brigades of French cavalry attempted to counter-charge into Bredow's flank and rear, but were partially dispersed by Canrobert's infantry, who gunned down any cavalrymen they could see without discrimination.

Having silenced the French artillery, neutralized the French cavalry, and panicked the French infantry, von Bredow's brigade managed to extricate itself and withdrew to their own lines. Of the 800 horsemen who had started out, only 420 returned. Among the wounded from the 12th Brigade was Lieutenant Herbert von Bismarck, son of the Prussian chancellor Otto von Bismarck.