Vienna. 5:00 PM. First Polish attacks in the heart of the Turkish camp. The king orders the first charge of a select company of husaria composed of twenty men. The knights charge on their enormous horses, and just before plunging into the compact mass of Turks, each lowers the tip of his very long lance. The loud crash of the lances breaking as they hit their mark can be heard above the din of battle. Very few of the twenty husaria survive the ensuing melee, but the king considers the attempt a success. He orders a massed advance of all three columns into the heart of the Ottoman camp. The Grand Vizier leaves the tent with the Prophet’s standard in his hand. When they see him depart, the Ottoman soldiers panic: thousands of Turks flee in retreat.
