At Waterloo, Trip’s heavy brigade was in action the entire afternoon of June 18th :
“In his official report Trip noted: “ I discovered that a strong body of enemy cuirassiers was assembling in the plain and in front of the mentioned plateau (to the right and behind La Haye Sainte) and was making progress to move to that point. I immediately brought my brigade back in her earlier position, on the heights behind the English, Hannoverian and Nassau infantry, and had scarcely arrived there or the cuirassiers came forward for the charge”.
Across the valley, dozens of French trumpets signalled the advance and a compact body of some 5000 horsemen came in motion. The attack was an oblique manoeuvre in the direction of the allied centre in echelons of columns by squadrons. In front were the impressive cuirassiers, followed on the right and left wing by the lancers and chasseurs of the imperial guard en echelon. The whole mass of horsemen came streaming down the valley and then rode up the slope of the ridge, the pace being reduced to a slow canter because of the elevation and the muddy ground.
The front rank of horsemen was at least 500 abreast, riding stirrup to stirrup and behind them were at least a dozen other ranks of equal strength. In the gap between the orchards of La Haye Sainte and the heavily contested grounds of Chateau Hougoumont, the ranks contracted a little to avoid the musket-fire. Some of the horses in the middle were actually lifted off the ground by the pressure. Beyond the farms the line expanded again and climbed towards the guns on the ridge, a spectacle of awful grandeur that thrilled both friend an foe who watched in amazement. When the guns stopped roaring on the allied side, the pounding of the hoofs could be heard and the shouts of triumph mingled with the eternal outcry: "VIVE L'EMPEREUR!!!" The echelons on the right wing of the French formation were directed against the batallions of Kielmansegge, Ompteda and Sir Colin Halkett. The cuirassiers on the left, followed by the lancers and the chasseur à cheval of the Guard, turned obliquely towards the British infantry brigade of Maitland” [ ]
“ When General Trip saw the French ascending the ridge and engulf the squares, the Regiment of Carabiniers nr. 1 was brought forward in step and later in trot, while the 2 nd Carabiniers were held in reserve. Trip´s report continued:
“ I also brought my brigade in motion, but had to reduce the pace, because the enemy line was still too far away for it to be attacked with success”. To some it may have seemed hesitation, but it was only sensible tactics. The reduction of the pace gave the Dutch-Belgian cavalry a considerable advantage over the French, since it allowed them to keep a solid formation, save the horses breath and choose the right place for the shock. In contrast, their adversaries had to cover a much larger distance over soddy ground under constant artillery and musket fire and therefore could not develop sufficient speed and cohesion for a full impact. In fact, some of the horses were already exhausted when they came up on top, especially since they had been without any food, shelter or rest the previous night. Moreover, there were so many French horsemen on the narrow front that none of them were able to manoeuvre or avoid the approaching Dutch-Belgian cavalry.
When the enemy was sufficiently near, the Generals Collaert and Trip placed themselves with their staff at the head of the carabiniers and conducted, in between the allied squares, under the eyes of the Duke of Wellington and the Prince of Orange, a full charge in the flank of the 7th and 12th Regiments of Cuirassiers under the command of Major-General Etienne Travers”.
