was in position before
Namur, three miles from its defenses. Darkness fell upon a hot
and sultry August atmosphere. Presently the flashes and boom of
the German guns began a bombardment of the trenches between forts
Cognelee and Marchovelette. It continued through the night. But
the Belgian fortress guns were outranged. It would have been a mere
waste of ammunition to reply. Neither could the Belgian infantry
venture on a counterattack, for the Germans were clearly observed
in overwhelming strength. At the outset the Germans devoted their
efforts to clearing the trenches of the Belgian infantry, leaving the
forts for subsequent demolition. The unfortunate Belgian infantry,
therefore, could do nothing but fire intermittent rifle volleys,
without any effect upon the Germans. They bravely bore this storm
of shells for ten hours. Not a man who lifted his head above the
German machine gun-swept parapets but was not instantly killed or
wounded. Thus the majority of the officers were killed, and the
ranks within the trenches decimated.

Toward morning on August 21, 1914, the Belgians could stand the
tornado of death no longer. The demoralized troops fled from the
trenches, leaving the gap between forts Cognelee and Marchovelette
open. The Germans then opened fire on the forts. In comparison
with the new German siege howitzers, the old-fashioned Belgian
guns proved to be weak weapons. The tremendous pounding of the
German shells not only smashed the fort cupolas, and crumpled into
ruin the interior stone and steel protective armor, but quickly put
the Belgian guns out of action. Thus while fort Maizeret received
some 1,200 German shells at the speed of twenty to the minute, it was
able to reply with only ten shots. Forts Marchovelette and Maizeret
were the first to fall. Seventy-five men of the Marchovelette garrison
were found dead amid its ruins--nearly its total complement.

[Illustration: FRENCH INVASION OF ALSACE-LORRAINE]

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 co