From ‘The War of the Nations’ Vol 1 no. 11 October 31 1914 by William le Queux

 

The Fall of Antwerp

CHAPTER XX

The Siege of Antwerp - British in the Defense - The Bombardment-of Malines - Antwerp Abandoned -

 

 

Before we begin to describe the siege of Antwerp and all the remarkable events which led up to the taking of that town, let us again examine the conditions which existed at that moment throughout the various war areas. The Allies' line at this time stretched from east to west on the following points - the, districts of Pont-a-Mousson, Apremont, the Meuse in the. neighborhood of St. Mihiel, the hills to the north of Scada, and the heights of the Meuse to the south-west of Verdun. Between Verdun and Rheims the general front was represented by a line passing through the region of Varennes, to the north of Souain, and along the Roman road which ends at Rheims. The line continued by way of Rheims, outskirting along the high road from Rheims to Berry-an-Bac, on the right bank of the Aisne5 From here the line followed the Aisne closely as far as Soissons, and between Soissons and the Foret de l'Aigle it included the first plateau on the -tight bank of. the Aisne. Between the Oise and the Somme, the line ran from Lassigny, which was at that time occupied by the enemy; Roye, which was in the possession of the French; and Chaulnes, which was also in the enemy's hands. To the north .of-.the Somme the Anglo- French front continued- along the plateau between Albert and Combles. Now, if there was one thing more. certain than another - it was this - that the northward reach of the Anglo-French-line was inevitable. That line went north remorselessly.

Fresh troops appeared as it were from nowhere, and it was necessary for the Kaiser's Generals to scrape together every available man, to fling them upon the lengthening line which reached first Arras, and then Lille, and finally came up to Armentieres.

But long before that happened the enemy decided upon reducing Antwerp. He could not afford to have an army of any size upon his right flank, and an army, too, protected by three lines of forts; and reduction of Antwerp was decided upon as soon as the trend of the new battle line disclosed itself. The defenses of Antwerp were of a modern and elaborate character. The forts had been reconstructed at the same time as the Liege and the Namur defenses had been put into shape, by General Brialmont.

It is unnecessary here to detail the character of those defenses. One of these forts covered Malines; indeed, was within a mile or so of that town. The outer forts were modern, the second line of forts were of an older type, and the inner lines were more or less obsolete. It is doubtful, too, whether some of the outer line of forts were in a complete condition to resist attack; but it is known that the King of the Belgians, with characteristic energy, made a most complete tour of the forts without any preliminary announcement of his intention, and that, as a result of that tour, many of the deficiencies which undoubtedly existed were rectified.

The Belgian Army, which had retired upon Antwerp before the occupation of Brussels, had unquestionably been a thorn in the side of the invader. Attack after attack was delivered upon the Landsturm divisions, which guarded the lines of communications; and time and time again were they driven back in such disorder that it was necessary to bring up whole German Army Corps to their assistance. By the time the Army Corps had arrived the Belgian Army would be safely back within their defenses, and so this method of warfare proceeded for the greater part of a month.

Lines of communication were cut, whole regiments of Germans were wiped out, and as the line of the Allies crept farther and farther north, it must have become evident to the Kaiser and his advisers that Antwerp would have to be settled once and for all.

Thus, with their usual obedience to that peculiar form of culture, which is. the German's very own, Zeppelins were sent over the city, not to bombard the forts and the fortified works of Antwerp, but to drop their bombs upon the defenseless citizens and their habitations, and by the establishment of a Reign of terror make a speedy capitulation certain when the German struck this first blow. In this the enemy was considerably disappointed, for not even the murderous assaults from the skies; repeated as they were, succeeded in damping the military ardor of the gallant little city.

Nothing could intimidate. this gallant little handful of Belgians, the garrison of the last of Belgium's great fortress towns. On the 7th of September the bombardment began. The Germans had taken Namur and Liege, chiefly through the instrumentality of their 42 centimeter howitzers. This immense gun, which is built in three parts, and requires not only the services of thirty traction engines to draw it to its appointed place, but also requires a special staff to work it, and an expressly prepared concrete platform on which it must be mounted, is known to the Germans as the "Bertha Krupp," being named after the woman who is at the head of that mighty arms-producing works at Essen.

Only eight of these guns are known to be in existence, and they are of such a complicated character that, as has been said, it is necessary to employ only expert engineers to fire her. She throws a shell of I000 lbs. charged with a high explosive, and it was calculated that no more than two of these shells were necessary to destroy the greatest and the strongest fort that has ever been erected. The guns had also reduced Maubeuge, and were on their way to Paris at the time the German Army was confidently expecting to enter the capital of France when a counter attack, delivered with such spirit by General Joffre and Field-Marshal French, threw the Germans back upon the defensive at the Aisne; From then it was apparent that there was no longer any occupation for the "Berthas,” and by this time the urgent necessity for reducing Antwerp and capturing its garrison must have decided the Great General Staff upon the course which they subsequently took.

"Bertha" was brought before Antwerp, and in some miraculous manner a foundation bed was found for her. It was less of a miracle, however, than a piece of carefully prepared strategy, if strategy is not too good a word to apply to an act of gross treachery shown to a friendly nation.

At Maubeuge the Germans had found their platform on the foundation of a factory which had been laid out by German capitalists, though the building was never erected. There is no doubt at all that that foundation was planned primarily to provide a platform for heavy siege guns when France arid Germany should be at war And as it was at Maubeuge, so it was at Antwerp, although the fact is only known in very restricted circles. One of the most beautiful villas outside of the Antwerp defenses, a gorgeous palace of a place at which a number of the naval airmen was billeted, was in reality built upon the very platform that the Germans required.

No sooner tad they occupied that part of the country than, without any more to do, they destroyed the house. sweeping it with its lovely tapestries and its oak paneling, and its concealed lights, into the rubbish heap.

Underneath they found not only the platform they sought, but they also discovered what they knew was there another gun, already mounted, for turning against Belgium. This story was told me by one who was in a position to know, and I have no reason at all to doubt his word. This gorgeous villa was built upon a concealed battery; guns had been smuggled in by some mysterious means more than a year ago, and Krupp's workmen had erected them ready for use.

On the 27th of September, Malines, which is a town just outside the fortifications, was bombarded whilst the population were assembled in church for divine service; and the first evidence that Antwerp, the city, had of the Germans intentions was the sight of all the roads to Antwerp leading from the outlying towns crowded with refugees, each having his or her little worldly possessions tied up as best they could be tied. It was no new sight to Antwerp, no new sight, indeed, to the whole of Belgium, which had seen the country devastated and witnessed towns go up in smoke and a great civil population, innocent of any designs against the Germans, turned loose, wanderers upon the face of the earth.

But Antwerp read into this new exodus from the outer towns a greater significance. Antwerp knew that its time had come, when, on the 28th, the Germans, some 80 000 strong, made a general advance, taking the towns of Alles on the one flank, and Heyst-op-den-Berg on the other, pushing their line up to Malines. Instantly the heavy artillery attack began on the forts of the southern sector - Liezel, Waealhem, Catherine St Wavre, and Lierre.

This latter fort occupied a most important position in the sector, and it was around this that most of the fierce fighting occurred in which the British were engaged.

I say the British, because at the last moment the Admiralty, in answer to an appeal from Antwerp, decided to send a number of Royal Naval and Royal Marine units, together with some of the Brigade which was training at that time at the Crystal Palace, in order to offer some slight encouragement and assistance to our brave Allies. The force in all was less than 10 000 strong, but our handy men were able to take over some 9.2 in. guns, which were effectively employed during the siege.

The dispatch of that force has been criticized, but no criticism is possible until it is known, as it will be shown in a later part of this volume, how important was the Allies' plan for saving Antwerp from falling into the hands of the enemy. There is no doubt that those plans were very elaborate. If Antwerp could have held out for another week we might have just saved it.

In twenty-four hours Fort Catherine St. Wavre was put out of action. This war has taught us that we cannot rely upon fortifications against modern artillery, and from the lesson we have learned, not only at Antwerp, but at the other forts which have fallen, it is hardly likely that we shall again see any country depend upon stationary forts; that is to say, forts where guns are in a certain position from which they cannot be moved. The fort of the future will be the "travelling fort," which moves behind simple earthworks on a line of rail, so that it will be possible to fire a big gun and immediately transport it to a place a quarter of a mile away. The same afternoon Fort Waealhem was badly struck, and the bombardment was resumed the next morning, when Commandant Dewit resorted to a ruse which must stand as one of the cleverest of the war.

For suddenly the fire from Fort Waealhem diminished in strength, and from the forts inside and out, flames were seen rising, and a huge column of smoke testified to the effect of the German fire. Presently Waealhem's guns ceased altogether, and the Germans came on into the open, confident that they had silenced their enemy.

But they were met with a withering fire, not only from the big guns but from the supporting field batteries, and it is said that the enemy left 8 000 dead upon the field. To the heavy guns of the big forts valuable assistance was lent by that famous light artillery of Belgium which throughout the war has proved its superiority over the similar arms of the German Army. But all to no purpose. The heavy shells continued to fall upon Waealhem, smashing the complicated machinery which worked only the guns but the cupola, and presently the enemy's heavy guns found the waterworks and the reservoir which supplies Antwerp with water. This is situated immediately behind Fort Waealhem, and - indeed the presence of the fort there is intended as a protection against the attack of an enemy. Huge shells burst on the banks of the reservoir, and the water poured out in such extreme volume that it was only with difficulty that some of the Belgian batteries could make their escape. The enemy did not content himself with his superiority of metal: he attacked all along the line with his infantry, but in this he was not well advised.

Mechanically he was always the superior of the Belgian and British forces holding the outer sector of Antwerp. Man for man, he had no chance; and these fierce attacks, developing in the night and at dawn, were repulsed all along the line, and, indeed, the Germans again lost very heavily The Zeppelin which had dropped bombs upon the innocent citizens of the town had been missing, but on the morning of the 1st the great lumbering gas-bag put in its appearance, flying at a height which precluded any effective operations by anti-aircraft guns, and made an attempt to assist in the bombardment of the forts. It was this attempt, the only serious one that had been made since the war started, to give the Zeppelin an effective military value, ended in complete failure, as all who have made a study of aircraft knew it would. Let any reader who imagines that it is possible to drop a bomb upon a given spot make the experiment the next time he goes to the seaside, and lying upon the cliff endeavor to drop a pebble in any one particular spot. He will be surprised to find that he cannot, except by the greatest of good luck, hit anywhere within twenty yards of his objective. So it was with the Zeppelin at eight or ten thousand feet attempting to drop a 100 lb. bomb upon the fairly large area of Fort Waealhem.

All this time the Germans were bombarding Lierre, a town on the Nethe, which gives its name to the protecting fort. In the course of this bombardment, which extended to every little town within the fortified area, the inhabitants fled, and piteous scenes were witnessed oh the way to Antwerp and in the city itself Despite their failures the Germans again put forward infantry to the attack.

The trenches between the forts were now fully occupied. In one section the British force replied steadily to the enemy's fire, driving them back in confusion. So it was with the Belgian force which defended Vermont; but at Duffel the infantry gave way under the attack, in consequence of which it was. found necessary for the whole line to retire. On the 2nd of October Lierre was again bombarded, and Waealhem was still in a position to give back blow for blow, though she was sadly crippled and her heroic commandant wounded; and when German shell fire had destroyed the bridge which gave them their only way of retirement, they threw a ladder across the moat and retired, after a very noble and spirited defense. Indeed, there seemed every reason for confidence, despite the fall of Waealhem; and possibly, had not the Belgian troops at Duffel given before superior numbers and a perfect tornado of shell fire, a different story might have been told of the defense of Antwerp. As it was, no blame can be attached to men who had been incessantly fighting for two months, under the most distressing conditions, who had been unnerved and depressed by the terrible havoc which they witnessed on all sides as the result of the German advance.

The Belgians were heroes to the very last, and even when Antwerp was fallen they were still able to fight, as will be told in another number.

But Lierre was still holding out. The heroic- force on the banks of the Nethe threw back attack after attack. For three days longer the defenders were able to reply handsomely, and every attempt to throw infantry across the river was defeated. So splendid was the fire of our men and the Belgian infantry who were with us, that the German who left his entrenched position was courting death. At Waealhem the Belgian infantry and artillery continued to resist every advance.. There can be little doubt that Antwerp's ultimate capitulation was the direct result of espionage and treachery on the part of the enemy's agents. The range and the direction of the enemy's shell fire was obviously the result of a careful system of signals between the enemy's gunners and some person on the field of battle itself who was able to tell the enemy exactly where he was to aim. The town was alive with spies from beginning to end. Any- attempt at a counter attack was invariably met by the Germans, who knew the plans of the General Staff almost before they were in writing.

Belgium had not only been overrun in the interests of the German Intelligence department, for what information could be extracted for the benefit of the Great General Staff when it came to operate. in Belgium; it had also for many years been the headquarters of the European espionage system, and particularly that branch which was employed in obtaining information from naval and military sources in England. As Ostend was the head-quarters for Western Europe, so was Antwerp the headquarters for Belgium itself. Germany, capturing the trade of Belgium, had established a whole army of merchants and tradesmen of all kinds, and had concentrated them at Antwerp, where a very large number were allowed to remain, even after war was declared, and indeed remained up to the time when General De Guise, whose rapid promotion was one of the extraordinary features of the war, was appointed Governor in Antwerp. After his appointment they were cleared out most unceremoniously.

On the 8th the German Commander summoned the town to surrender, but the request was disdained. The Germans had not only advanced along the Nethe, but had forced the passage of the Scheldt; and on the 8th began the withdrawal of the force which had made such an heroic defense. The British, who had suffered very little, offered to cover that retirement; but the offer, though appreciated, was not accepted, and the British were the last but one of the division to leave the firing line. Long before the lines had withdrawn, however, the citizens of Antwerp were evacuating the town itself, and terribly pitiable scenes were witnessed as women and children and old men left the homes which had been theirs, to find, with very few personal belongings, a place of safety over the Dutch border. Ships crowded with refugees passed down the Scheldt to Ostend, Calais, and to England. The British. did not arrive until Sunday, October 4th, and they were reinforced the next day.

It was on Thursday, the 8th, that the town fell, and early on the next morning that the Burgomaster surrendered the city.

But if the Germans expected to corner the garrison they were doomed to disappointment. The Belgian Army and their British allies had retired in good order; and; but for the extraordinary and regrettable mistake which carried a division of Belgian infantry and 2000 of the British force across the borders of Holland, where they were promptly interned, the retirement would have been carried out without any casualties.