The Invasion of 1910, with a full account of the siege of LondonLe Queux, William
Science
The Invasion of 1910, with a full account of the siege of London
Le Queux, William
Great Britain -- Defenses; Imaginary wars and battles
On the 24th the rumour became current, too, that during the night German
wagons had moved large quantities of specie from the Bank of England out
to their base at Southminster; but, though it was most probable, the
news was not confirmed. On this date the position as regards London,
briefly reviewed, was as follows:--
London north of the Thames, eastward to the sea, and the whole of the
country east of a line drawn from the metropolis to Birmingham, was in
the hands of the Germans. The enemy’s Guard Corps, under the Duke of
Mannheim, who had landed at King’s Lynn, had established their
headquarters at Hampstead, and held North London, with a big encampment
in Regent’s Park. The Xth Corps, under Von Wilberg, from Yarmouth, were
holding the City proper; the IXth Corps, from Lowestoft, were occupying
the outskirts of East London, and keeping the lines of communication
with Southminster; the IVth Corps, from Weybourne, under Von Kleppen,
were in Hyde Park, and held Western London; while the Saxons had been
pushed out from Shepperton through Staines to Colnbrook, as a safeguard
from attack by Lord Byfield’s force, so rapidly being reorganised at
Windsor. The remnants of the beaten army had gone to Chichester and
Salisbury, but were now coming rapidly north, as the British
Commander-in-Chief, had, it appeared, decided to give battle again,
aided by the infuriated populace of Southern London.
At no spot south of the Thames, except perhaps the reconnoitring parties
who crossed at Egham, Thorpe, and Weybridge, and recrossed each night,
were there any Germans. The ground was so vast and the population so
great, that Von Kronhelm feared to spread out his troops over too great
an area. The Saxons had orders simply to keep Lord Byfield in check, and
see that he did not cross the river. Thus it became for the time a drawn
game. The Germans held the north of the Thames, while the British were
continually threatening and making demonstrations from the south.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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