The Battle of Halen, also known as the Battle of the Silver Helmets (Dutch: Slag der Zilveren Helmen, French: Bataille des casques d'argent) because of the many cavalry helmets left behind on the battlefield by the German cuirassiers, took place on 12 August 1914 at the beginning of the First World War, between German forces led by Georg von der Marwitz and Belgian troops led by Léon De Witte. The name of the battle alludes to the Battle of the Golden Spurs (11 July 1302), when 500 pairs of golden spurs were recovered from the battlefield. Halen (Haelen in French) was a small market town and a convenient river crossing of the Gete and was situated on the principal axis of advance of the Imperial German army.[a] The battle was a Belgian tactical victory but did little to delay the German invasion of Belgium.
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