LEIGE CARNAGE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 114, 7 October 1914, Page 8

LEIGE CARNAGE

SLAUGHTER OF GERMAN VTTACKERB.

IpPERATB WORK AT PORTS W,ry graphic accounts of the fighting papers in August. J)r. , D , Uoa f verv striking messages. An ore-witness' account of the dus pwate by futile attempt made by tlvo P'eked German Brandenburg corns n capture the fortified place oi Liege may he summarised as follows, ho wrote in ene message: The invading array, at first expected a mere nominal resistance. Disappointed, they despatched forces to the the IT *?$ h Tt » f W <W- where are. the forts of Barchou, north of Evconco ™f ,e 7V? d Chadf o nlai »° to the*«Jr *u° Jf bour S an<l Boneellos to the south, lie attacks proceeded at various points along thia front last night and this morning. * The position at Liego is defended by orts and also by field works, trenches, iiiii-bed-wire entanglement, and mines, with artillery served by mobile troops, vnder improvised cover, wh» occupy the Ryaces between tho forts, but hidden behind them so that tho Germans who endeavoured to pass through these spaces if order to surround the forts wore unable to determine, the- position ■ of tho field worka and direct their aitillc">hre against them. This piece of strategy proved fatal to the enemy's troops who were exposed to artillery fi re fron ttie torts, and cat down (piecemeal by th- defenders witlliin the space. The country is favorable to the inouters, owing to the ravines, woods and winding! loads, which enable them to -d vance under natural cover. Despite thL advantage, the Belgians, who displayed genuine heroism, drove them foack with slaughter, hut not without themselves making heavy! sacrifices, which they did with a degree of valor which commands universal admiration. During the night a tremendous aswutlt was undertaken by the Germans Hi which the entire Seventh Army Corps' took part. Th D Belgians manfully held their positions, while the Whole country around, illuminated by dazzling searchlijrhts, quaked as/ if sliaiked by a soismi" convulsion The grey light of morning revealed hundreds of German corps** and alio the advanco of the Genrnn iore.es against Fort Barchou. The Belgians hawng formed a mixed bri<*ad: of two regiments, proceeded to effect n daring counter-attack from tho heights of Wandre.

Iheir advance was aa irresisitrhle a. iin oceanic tide. The Germans stood a tew minutes awaiting (he onset, and i-eii lied panic-stricken. The Seventh Corps was broken, and a few hours later i-tm fugitives passed by Maastricht where they wene revived, fed, and, curiously enough, sent to Aix-la-Caapcllo. It (his last item of news bo correct, it raises an international problem) of som» ii oment.

On the south the spaces between I>' forts of KWbourg were, the objective oi a resolute attack. The invaders, advancing within 300 yd* of tho Garde Civique, were first, 'deprived of their lolonel, wiiom a Roddiur shot dead, and were then literally mown down like grass before a ravine. Meanwhile the German avtilun-y fire was concentrated upon the Chateau of l-angres, opposite Fort Kmbourg. Under cover of n beavtyt amtillery fire, a liodv of German troops surrounded the Chatcm, when suddenly a grey cloud with tlaivje arose, followed b|r a tcrrifio explosion, T.he Belgians, having mined the Chateau, had Mown it up and' many Germans with it.

The unsliot of tiiig brilliant fttdnd made by the 'Belgians is the maintenance of all the forts, (fte capture of the nuimerousi prisort«ra and seven nuns, the death of BQO, oaixl the disablement '.>t thousands of tho enemy, arid' the defeat of two of the crack conns! of Brandcnburp. After thig defeat ffhc Gewnans sent a iparlementaire to demand tke surrender of Iflegc, threatening the attack of a Zeppelin airship, aa the alternative, ©eneral Leman's (refusal was speedily followed by an advance executed by the Tenth Army Corps. It was Wjutegi,