THE BOMBARDMENT OF LIEGE

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2226, 12 August 1914, Page 5

THE BOMBARDMENT OF LIEGE

AN EYE-WITNESS'S NARRATIVE GERMANS SILENCE GUNS OF FORT FLERON BELGIANS THROW BACK BATTALION AFTER BATTALION By Telegraph—Pices Association-Copyright (Rec. August 12, 0.10 a.m.) . Tho London "Daily Telegraph's" Liege correspondent ing began at 11.30 o'clock on Wednesday night. Thero was a full mo6n, and th German attack. wa 3 directed against Forts Flcron and Boncclles. The art Her practice was perfect; shell after sb U exploded fairly on the ramparts. V* couV not jute tho effect of the Beta return fire, as the German gun positions wot .admirably conceal;*!.- Apparently no siego guns wero used. The Germans use, a. high explosive shell, bursting with extraordinary vividness. At threo o'cloe] m tho morning infantry fire commenced in the woods to the west of tho nvc Ourthe, between Einbourg and Boncelles, held by tho ninth and fourteenth Belriui infantry regimonte, the ninth bearing the burnt of the attacks, which were re pniMd all along tho line. At daybreak ve could see the Germans.in closo order ■i a engagement reached its fiercest stage at five o'clock when Port Floron wa silenced. Wβ heard afterwards that the Gorman firo had smashed much of thi mechanism of the disappearing gun carriages. Small parties of German caval" T.cre seen at intervals between the infantry battalion, but there was no afctemp at a cavalry attack". • r "Towards eight o'clock there was a lull in the attack, which was checked all alon. tin, lino, battalion after battalion being thrown back by the Belgians, whose nint regiment fought like demons. . • l "It is doubtful how many Germans remain in Liege. One report says 120 000 but probably only a few hundred are lofi to control the citizens, as it would bi madness to put a large force within, the oircle of uncaptured forts. The Belgian' did not shell the Gennnns, not desiring: to risk tho destruction of tho eitv Thi Gorman troops outside aro recovering their spuits and strength ntter revictual ling. "Almost a continuous bombardment of the forts-continuei,"~ GERMAN CAVALRY AT TONGRES. (Ecc. August 12, 1.15 a.m.) 'The Bofean General Staff points out that tho Eiege of the.principal roads by which tEo Germans can advance, and it would bo impossible- for them to receive supplies, ammunition, and armaments. German cavalry in some strength, have crossed the Heuse, andreachfdWngres, twelve miles north-west of Liege. The report of the surrender of seven German regiments is not confirmed, but tho oayairy was bovcrely handled, Germany losing many. TERRIFIC SLAUGHTER BEFORE FORTS. ~ „ ,„, „ / Brussels, August 0 ine General Staff report that tho position of the German troops has hardly changed since Saturday. Their edvanco cavalry retreated under irresistible presKure »y tlie J-'rench troops, who aio in considorablo forco in tho country eouth of the Meuse, which they are dealing of Germans. ' Iho trench and Belgians will take the offensive simultaneously. At Liege the Belgians charged repeatedly. They saw red, and nothing ■■ Kerned to stop them. Every time they charged the Germans turned and ran and were struck in the back' and killed like cafHβ. Then the cavalry charged them KeJjest estimates stato that the Germans lost fifteen -.thousand men around Another account etates that the Germans gained a' footing on the riacis nnder tho great guns, and believed"themselves safe, bbing. utterly forgetful of •fe 1 ? a T menttho <l hQiß - **» •""¥* -K ™» w "h blood The Belgians.in the trenches were not satisfied with firing their rifles.at fifty The attack continued unabated throughout Thursday. Thousands of broken bodias of German troops massed in the fields were ploughed by the terrific A Zeppelin ond : an aeroplane assisted In the attack. It is reported that a-Belgian airman lost his life in destroying a Zeppelin with his aeroplane ' M HI % destroyed Gorman aeroplanes. TorrenHal rains on Thursday night added to the .suffering of the wounded. ' _-The bombardment of the forts lasted forty-eight hours without 'relaxation \- Thirteen and , fifteen -centimetre cannon and fifteen centimetre mortars produced' no,effect on the.cupolas._pe Germans are now awaiting mortars of th e Ptwontyeight centimetre type. ■ Even if the cupolas are put out of action, tho excellent disposition of the fosses and counter scarps would enablo the forts to continue the resistance. ..'■: . : ' ... V ■ ■ . ■• ■ MrLieinan, in jjharge of .the, dofeijtes, prepared the field with mines to tho north of Liejte. and sent a detachment to tho north of the fie] J The German* immediately fell into, tho trap. They attempted to cut oft tho small force tho cuTi-ent was switched on, and the whole Gorman force was destroyed Similarlv . the death and capture of two Uhlnn patrols was due to M. Leimari'<! msn in making the Uhlans believe they wonld capture him. ■ • Mlmans ruso ln The Germans, on Thursday evenin?, found spaces between the forts open and Bihall parties, including Goneral von Emmich, commander of the Tenth Armv Corps, and his staff, entered the citadel. General von Emmich informed tho Gov crnnient and the Burgomaster that unless the .towns and forts surrendered the Germans would bombard and raze the town completely. On the orders of the Belgian Government the Governor left tho town. On Friday ni»ht, seventeen notables, headed by the Bishop and several Deputies aiftl Senators beusod Bcneral von Emmich not to bombard the town. Tho wliolo deputation 'was detained as hostages. '■•■■•. Tho Germans admit two panics at Liege, where German soldiers fired at their {omradKs in mistake, . ' ■ . AMAZING ENTERPRISE OF GERMAN SCOUTS. The enterprise, of the German scouts was amazing. One prisoner had ridden rfjyentoer. kilometres. Their method is to rido in small parties with the object of ieizing tho passage of tho Mnuse.. None of their attempts succeeded. A German pontoon bridge across the Metise .was shot away, and tho German . Nineteenth and Twenty-fifth Eegiments, which were supporting the bridge build, ers, were-mown down by. the quickfiring guns. ( Forty thousand Belgian volunteers who offered to servo have been formed into twenty speoial regiments. Three gardeners.fired :upon two hundred Germans at Soiron. Tho gardeners wore shot and the "inhabitants killed. The Germans are advancing chiefly through li'sch-sur-.'Uzejte. Tlwy razed Merle. ,

j EAELY DAYS.OF PORT ARTHUR RECALLED: ~..,.„ ■ ■ London, August 10. in» id ii m ■ Donollol! ' the "Daily Chronicle's" correspondent at Brussels, says: j 'liort Boncolles, on the cxtromo south, bore the brunt, as the ground was nioro favourable for tho attack. The attack in'mass recalled the early days of Port Arthur, wheii General Nogi sacrificed thousands. Tho attack on Liege failed ; lamenta&ly, tiianks to tho undaunted courage of tho mere handful of Belgian defenders. Tno Germans finally ran short of rifle ammunition, and towards tho oml of the general attack tho men, despite tho threats and exhortations of their officers, refused, to -face tho Belgian .fire. The German wounded begged pitcously for water. They were without food fov two days, tho army having been -rushed to the front without waiting for supplies." • OCCUPATION OF TOWN UNIMPORTANT. ' ' Brussels, August 10. ' Ten thousand Germans entoved Liege between the forts at Eyignee and Fleron, and are now .living in the University, schools, and public buildings. They, are > conducting themselves well. , Tho Belgian Staff consider the German occupation of the town of Liege unimportant while the forts control the approaches. The Germans are too weak to attack tno forts. The Belgian Army is rapidly advancing from Louvain, 19 miles east of Brussels, and forty miles distant north-west of Liege. . . '; . , Accounts of tho fighting state that the Germans were gloomy and bewildered, and fearful regarding the terrible Cossaoks, who wore about to enter and devour . their country. This sullen army met the Belgians, who wero animated with passionate patriotism, Incredible.as it seems, the Germans iero marched todeath aTinost shoulder to shoulder. A mighty fusillade was opened upon the men, who were being driven forward by their officers, terror dividing, itself between diecjplino and death. Fresh detachments were rushed upon the trenches, but recoiled shattered; yet again they were driven liked sheep ruthlessly to tho slaughter, according to finje-tablo, without tho slightest allowance for ohnnged circumstances. . . . . . • \ ' ■ '.. A wounded Belgian lancer states that it was tragic to see the Germans ._ driven up to tho guns, "They came in massed formation, but ep reluctantly and evidently under compulsion. The men were only five pacß9 apart, with fifteen paces between the ranks—a solid mass, which a woman would hit. Our guns cut Jong avenues, in their ranka, Port Arthur was nothing to' it." GERMANS CONCENTRATING AT HERSTAL. ' . Amsterdam. August 10. The Germans aTe concentrating at Herstal, three , miles north-east of Liego, where they have rebuilt a pontoon under heavy fivo, to permit of tho passage of siege.guns across the Meuse. •■ ■• Some <rre already'at Liege; others have gone to Namur, where the Gorman artillery is concentrating. • . . ' jiffy Uhlans woro captured and disarmed at Maestricht. They have been interned at Alkniriiw. ' ~ • .. PRINCES DEAD AND CAPTURED. ' . (Eec. Auguet 11, 7.50 p.m.) ■ ' Brussels, August 10, Evening. ' It- is' officially reported that SOOQ Gorman prisoners have been captured, olid that Prince William of. Lippe and his eon were -killed during' the assault ou Liege. "■■■■'■ \ ' . There is no Prince 'William.of Lippe. Prince Frederick Wilhera of Lippe is a colonel in the Prussian infantry, but his .only sou is fin infant of two years, ' ' . '.. ■ . . London, August 10. : Prince George,'the.Knieer's nophe'ff, m a prisoner in Brussels. The only Prince George who is a nephew of the Kaiser is the Crown Prineo of Greece The Crown Prince of Grceco is %i years old, arid besides being a. 'lieutenant jn the Greek infantry, also holds a commission in the First Regiment of Prussian Guards, He te a nephew of Quoon Alexandra, jiud a first OTsiu of - the King, ■'. ■ ■ '...■■''. BRITISH.. ARMY'' JOINS FRENCH AND' BELGIANS' AN UNCONFIRMED REPORT .-.•'■ ■ ... ■: (Rec. August 11, 5.5 p.m.) - . . > . ' Sydney, August 11. An Independent Cablo Association megsago snys official roports from Brussels state that a junction has been ;cffeoted between the British, Belgian, «nd ■-French troops acrQss the German line of advance. '. AUSTRIA ADVANCES AGAINST FRANCE : ' TWO ARMY CORPS FOR ALSACE ■ ; WAR BETWEEN FRANCE AND AUSTRIA DECLARED '-. •-. . 'I- . - London, August 10. . Two Austrian 1 Army Corps are proceedings with 'German assistance;' up tho Rhine. : - ■•.,.-' - • ■ One company has reached tho Swiss city of- Basle and the other Lake Constance. .. .. The Grand Duke of Tuscany commands the lith Army Corps, which was ivithdrawn from the Tyrol to prevent it being sent against Servia.' The corps proceeds from Basle, to Istein, about twenty miles from, JUulhausen, whore the Germans aro cncauiped. . • ' Brussels, August 9, The fact that two : o'f Austria's' finest army corps, the -14th,- from Innsbruck, , and the 3rd from Graz,'are being brought to the. Rhine is regarded as proof fiat- Germany's positioa is- gravely involved Ly the failure at Liege. . ■ • - ■■ (I{ec. August 11, 0.35 p.m.) ' . ■■<■:■ : ■•• ■ ' •■■■. Paris, August 10. . War between France, and Austria has been, formally declared. ,