The Story of the Great War, Volume 2: History of the European War from Official Sources
History
The Story of the Great War, Volume 2: History of the European War from Official Sources
World War, 1914-1918
Early on Friday morning of August 21, 1914, forts Andoy, Dave, St.
Heribert and Malonne were subjected to a similar furious bombardment.
After three hours of the cannonade Andoy, Dave and St. Heribert
surrendered. During the morning the Germans thrust a force into the
southern angle of the Sambre and Meuse. Here the Belgian infantry
offered a vigorous resistance. It was hoped that the French at Dinant
would hasten to their relief. But Dinant was for the second time within
a few days the scene of conflict. Some 6,000 French Turcos and artillery
did arrive, but too late to be of use in helping to save Namur. Shells
now began to drop in the city while aeroplanes flung down bombs. A
thunderstorm rumbled in combination with the continuous roar of the
German guns. A panic took hold of the citizens. Distracted men, women
and children huddled together in spellbound terror, or sought the
shelter of their cellars. The more superstitious pronounced this to be
the end of all things, from the eclipse of the sun which darkened the
sky. Fort Malonne succumbed sometime during the afternoon of August 21,
1914.
As at Liege, with General Leman, so in Namur General Michel foresaw the
city and forts' fate was imminent. Only the northwest forts Suarlee,
Emines and Cognelee held out. The Belgians and French had been defeated
by the Germans in the angle of the Sambre and Meuse. The horizon
revealed no sign of a French army advancing. General Michel, therefore,
decided upon the evacuation of the city by the Belgian infantry. It was
successfully accomplished, though even more in the nature of a flight
than at Liege. But General Michel went with them, instead of remaining,
like General Leman, to fight the defense of his fortress to the last.
The retreating Belgians on August 22, 1914, had some adventurous
wandering before them. They had first to cut their way through a body of
German troops, then to become involved with a French force near
Charleroi. It took them seven days to reach Rouen by way of Amiens.
There they were embarked for sea transport to Ostend. At Ostend, they
joined the main Belgian army after its retreat from Antwerp.
On Sunday morning, August 23, 1914, the Germans began the bombardment of
Fort Suarlee. This fort repeated the heroic resistance of Fort
Boncelles at Liege. It held out until the afternoon of August 25. It was
apparently then blown up by the explosion of its own magazine, thus
again repeating the end of Fort Loncin at Liege. Meantime the Germans
had succeeded in reducing Forts Cognelee and Emines.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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