SIEGE AND FALL OF ANTWERP
The siege of Antwerp began on September 29, 1914, and in less than
two weeks, October 10, 1914, this historic city, one of the most
important trade centers of the world and one of the strongest fortresses
in Europe, was forced to capitulate, though it had always been
believed to be impregnable.
During the latter part of September, 1914, the forces of the
belligerents were driving northward in that memorable race for the
Channel in which both sides had the same object; each was trying
to be the first to turn the other's front and crumble his line.
At the same time the German forces, then in the vicinity of Brussels,
under the command of General van Beseler, pushed toward Antwerp,
on which the Belgian army had fallen back to make its last stand.
This move was necessary in order to cut off all danger of rear
attacks which would menace General von Kluck's drive to the coast,
a movement which had reached Douai on October 1, 1914.
The German General Staff had decided to take Antwerp at all cost.
General von Beseler on the last day of September, 1914, reached
a point within range of Antwerp's farthest outer forts.
In order to understand the record of the following successive steps
in the siege of Antwerp, a description of this city's position and
the location of its double circle of forts is necessary. Antwerp
was considered one of the most formidable strongholds in the world.
The elaborate defenses of Antwerp evolved from the original
fortifications of thirty years ago through continual additions.
The location of the city offers very many natural advantages for
its defense, and the engineering genius controlling the work made
full use of these opportunities. From the north Antwerp has access
to the sea by the river Scheldt, of which the arm nearest to the
city is narrow, with six strong forts on each bank, including the
citadel.
Any armies approaching from the south must cross the rivers Rupel
and Nethe, which practically, in the shape of a semicircle, swing
around the city to the south at a distance varying from about six
to twelve miles. Within this circle of flowing water, and about two
miles from the city, is another circle, formed by twelve powerful
forts. At a point almost due east from the center of the city and
commanding the railroad to Holland, by way of Turnhout, is located
the first of eight forts, designated by numbers. From there they
swing to the south and west, with fort eight very close to the
Scheldt and directly south to the village of Hoboken. On the other
side of the river are Forts de Cruibeke and Zwyndrecht, the latter
commanding the railroad to Ghent. Further north and right on the
banks of the Scheldt are Forts St. Marie, la Perle, and St. Philip,
the first two on the left bank and the last on the right, all three
opposite the new harbor and docks. In the northeast Fort de Merkem
guards the railroad to Rotterdam. Outside of this circle and in the
south, outside of the Nethe-Rupel line, there is another complete
circle of nineteen even stronger forts, at a distance from the
city varying between five and ten miles. Starting again in the
east--due east from fort one--and swinging south, these forts are
named: Oeleghem, Broeckem, Kessel, Lierre, Koningshoyckt, Wavre
St. Catherine, Waelhem--the last two only a few miles north of
Malines--Breendonck, Liezel, Bornem, Rupelmonde, Haesdonck, Doel,
Blauwgaren--the last two guarding the Scheldt at the point of its
entrance into Holland, one on each bank--Stabroek, Ertbrand, Brasschaet,
Schooten, and Gravenwezel. Between these outer forts there were
redoubts of considerable strength, which were armed with 4-inch
guns. The forts of the inner ring are placed at regular intervals
of 2,200 yards and at a distance of about 3,500 yards from the
enceinte of the city, which itself had powerful defenses as well.
[Illustration: LIEGE FORTS, SHOWING GERMAN ATTACK]
[Illustration: SIEGE AND FALL OF ANTWERP]
Add to these defenses the important fact that the entire district
surrounding Antwerp was subject to inundation to such a depth that
all approach to the city could be made impracticable to an enemy
force with heavy cannon and ammunition. Military authorities held
Antwerp to be of incomparable strength and as nearly impregnable
as engineering genius could make it.
During the latter part of September, 1914, several of the outer
forts were subjected to bombardment, and many of these had become
useless as defenses.
General von Beseler's advance was still barred by the river Nethe,
upon the opposite bank of which the defense was concentrated. During
the engagements which now ensued the German aircraft kept the commanders
advised as to conditions behind the enemy's lines, now and then
dropping bombs, apparently doing considerable damage.
On October 2, 1914, General von Beseler scattered from "Taube"
aeroplanes a number of printed papers over the entire district.
These circulars contained a proclamation to the Belgian soldiers,
advising them to stop fighting for England and Russia and to return
home to their wives and children, as Germany was ready to help
and befriend them.
The Belgian Government, which had established itself in Antwerp
after the occupation of Brussels, decided to leave the city as soon
as possible. Two small steamers were ordered to be held in readiness.
The foreign legations also decided to go with the Government.
Throughout this day a steady fire was kept up on the nearest outer
forts, but the Belgian soldiers contested every inch of ground
against the German advance. This fighting continued throughout the
entire day following, during which two of the minor outer forts
were silenced.
Rapid progress by the Germans was very difficult owing to the peculiar
conformation of the course of the river Scheldt at the point of
attack. This made especially difficult the laying of concrete
foundations for the heavy guns.
The first detachment of British troops, numbering about 8,000 marines,
reached Antwerp on October 3, 1914. This buoyed up the spirits of
the Belgian soldiers and redoubled their efforts. Under cover of
the continuous fire of their guns, the Germans made determined
efforts to cross the river Nethe at Waelhem. Desperate fighting,
which lasted all night and until early in the morning of October
4, took place. This attempt, however, failed. Later in the day
the Germans succeeded in putting a pontoon bridge in place. Troops
in solid masses hurried across; but as they reached the other side
some well-directed shots from the Belgian guns blew the pontoon
bridge to pieces, killing many.
Throughout the night of October 4, 1914, and the day and night
of October 5, the battle raged about Lierre with savage ferocity.
The British marines had by this time relieved the Belgians. The
German fire, however, compelled the defenders to draw back a
considerable distance.
At four o'clock in the morning of October 6, 1914, the Germans
succeeded in crossing the river in force, and now the defenders
were obliged to give way, as the outer forts had ceased to afford
them any protection. Late in the afternoon the members of the Belgian
Cabinet and their official families went aboard one steamer, while
the French and British Legations boarded another, both sailing
early on October 7.
The Belgian troops had begun to withdraw the evening before. All the
defending forces now hastened their retreat. The actual evacuation
had indeed begun. Time was taken, however, to put out of commission
some thirty steamships lying at their docks and to set afire all the
large oil tanks on the west side of the river Scheldt. The streets
in Antwerp presented scenes of almost indescribable confusion.
Even before the bombardment had been long in operation almost the
entire civil population became panic-stricken. Hither and thither,
wherever the crowd drifted, explosions obstructed their paths;
fronts of buildings bent over and fell into the streets, in many
cases crushing their occupants. Although the burgomaster had issued
a proclamation advising the people to remain calm--indoors, if
possible--nothing could stop the stampede.
The defending troops withdrawing through the city from the firing
line destroyed everything that might possibly be of use to the
enemy. The suburbs of Antwerp seemed to be ablaze in every direction;
the village of Waerloos had been burning for some days; Contich,
Duffel, and Lierre also, and Have, Linth, and Vieux Dieu had been
destroyed by shell fire. Mortsel was practically obliterated by
the Belgians clearing the range for the guns of the inner forts.
In the preparation for defense the Belgians destroyed upward of
ten thousand buildings within a radius of twenty miles.
The exodus of the civil population began in earnest on October
8, 1914. Some of the streets in the heart of the city were choked
with people, while other streets in the same vicinity were dead
and deserted. The withdrawal of the troops was well screened from
the German guns, but their retreat to the west had been cut off
to a great extent, and Holland was now the only refuge for many.
The Germans did not use their heaviest guns and high-explosive
shells in bombarding the city.
During this terrible time, in utter darkness and confusion, crowds
amounting to many thousands--men, and women with babies, and children
of all ages--streamed through the streets that led to the quays or
to the turnpike to Holland. All sorts of vehicles, from dogcarts
to motor trucks, the former drawn by dogs, men, and horses, carried
the belongings of the fugitives that could not be carried away in
person.
The bombardment continued with varying severity throughout October
8, 1914. As the Germans drew nearer to the city all the inner forts
on the south and east sides of the circle took part in replying
to the cannonade. Some of these forts--notably two, three, four,
and five--were badly battered. By afternoon the city seemed
deserted--nothing but débris of fallen buildings and wreckage met
the eyes, and a small remnant of the population was still struggling
for escape.
Along all the wayside immense crowds of men, women, and children
gathered. The railway stations were choked with struggling humanity.
Their condition was pitiable. These scenes continued all day and
throughout the entire night.
On the morning of October 9, 1914, the struggle to get away continued.
Long lines formed on the quay where it had been reported that two
boats would leave for Ostend by eleven o'clock, and all those that
could pay struggled to get their passage booked. There were between
35,000 and 40,000 people on the quays, every one buoyed up by the
hope that safety was in sight at last. But the boats failed to
sail and a murmur of disappointment rose from this vast multitude
of unfortunates.
However, there were other means of escape available, such as tugboats,
plying between Flushing, Rotterdam, and other adjacent points in
Holland. These tugs had no great accommodations for passengers
and comparatively few people escaped by this means. No trains were
scheduled to run and in despair the crowds started to cross the
bridge and make for the road to the Dutch frontier. Altogether
from 150,000 to 200,000 of the population of the city escaped by
one means or another.
During a continuous bombardment of twelve hours the cathedral stood
unharmed. The southern part of Antwerp was a desolate waste of ruins.
In some streets all the homes were ablaze, the flames leaping hither
and thither with the wind. The great oil tanks burning fiercely on
the opposite bank of the River Scheldt were fired upon by some
well-directed shots to check the blaze, a huge black volume of
thick smoke now rising from the flames. To add to the difficulties
and confusion the water supply had been cut off during the early
stages of the bombardment through the destruction of the city's
waterworks which were located in one of the suburbs to the south,
and the consequences threatened to become alarming. Everywhere
fires were burning.
This was the tragic scene when the German army entered the conquered
city of Antwerp on October 10, 1914. It is probable that a large
part of the city would have been burned, if the Germans had not
entered in time to check the conflagration. Without loss of time,
forces were put to work fighting the fires and clearing the streets,
propping up unsafe buildings and making order out of chaos, with
the usual Teuton efficiency. As soon as the bombardment had ceased
proclamations were pasted on walls and houses throughout the city
urging everyone to surrender any arms in their possession and begging
for a calm demeanor when the German troops pass through the streets.
About noon on October 10, 1914, a patrol of cyclist-mounted police
escorted the burgomaster to the gate of the city to receive the
German forces. When they entered order was restored without delay.
Soldiers were immediately detached from their special command and
formed into gangs under competent foremen and all put to work at
once each according to his trade, fitness or adaptability. The
forts that had been dismantled were hastily patched up and new guns
mounted for emergency use.
On October 11, 1914, Field Marshal van der Goltz, the Governor
General of Belgium, came from Brussels and made a tour of inspection
of the double girdle of forts. Upon examination it was found that the
actual damage done to the city by the bombardment was comparatively
slight.
During the last days of Antwerp's reign of terror fully 300,000
fugitives sought shelter in Bergan-op-Zoom about twenty-five miles
northward across the Dutch frontier. Most of these were in a condition
almost indescribable, ragged, travel-worn, shoeless, and bespattered
and hungry. Few had money; valuables or other resources. All they
owned they carried on their backs or in bundles. The little Dutch
town of Bergen-op-Zoom with but 15,000 inhabitants was swamped; but
the Hollanders did their best to meet this terrible pressure and
its citizens went without bread themselves to feed the refugees.
Slowly some sort of order was organized out of the chaos and when
the Dutch Government was able to establish refugee camps under
military supervision the worst was over. A majority of this vast
army was by degrees distributed in the surrounding territory where
tent accommodations had been completed. The good Hollanders provided
for the children with especial care and sympathy. They supplied milk
for the babies and children generally. Devoted priests comforted many;
but military organization prevailed over all. Among the thousands
of these poor refugees that crossed the frontier at Maastricht and
besieged the doors of the Belgian consul there was no railing or
declaiming against the horror of their situation. The pathos of
lonely, staring, apathetic endurance was tragic beyond expression.
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