The engagement was orchestrated on the previous successes of the cavalry of Frederick the Great. It was staged so that the German Fourth Cavalry Division, which was magnificently equipped and trained, would charge into glory with sabers rattling. Hundreds of horses would thunder into combat. Instead, 24 German officers, 468 men and 843 horses were lost during no less than the eight separate charges that were conducted that day. The entire right wing of the imperial German Army included only nine cavalry brigades in the well-known Schlieffen Plan, and in one battle on 12 August 1914; two of those brigades were seriously impacted. The battle has not been explored in the English language because it took place before the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) landed in the channel ports and well before any American involvement. British historians have generally focused on Germany's efforts to enter Belgium through the forts at Liege, which are east of Halen. But the Battle of the Silver Helmets impacted century-old cavalry tradition. An understanding of the battle explains why large-scale cavalry charges would not be attempted on the Western front again.

Joe and Janet Robinson are both retired colonels from the US Armed Forces. They have authored several books. Their last work was "The Great War Dawning". Both are graduates of the US Army War College. They are married to each other, retired, and live in San Antonio Texas. Francis Hendriks is a military history enthusiast. After 32 years in the Belgian Army he and his wife Sabine live in the picturesque town of Veurne in Flanders, Belgium. All of the authors have spent time together combing the battlefield at Halen.