FIERCE GERMAN ASSAULT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 17 August 1914, Page 5

FIERCE GERMAN ASSAULT

'ON LIEGE FORTS. "WHOLE COLUMN DECIMATED. BY BELGIAN" MACHINE GUNS. BRUSSELS, August 15. The Germans at Liege are' devoting ffcheir energies to the forts on the left ibank of the Me use, particularly those of •de Pontisse, which prevent the free use of' the'Herstal bridge. , .The Germans attempted to rush the front >by main, force in the middle of Thursday night, and the fight developed with great fierceness,' the Germans holding .the profit of a few hours of darkness. They did not reach beyond, the glacis, where they were mown dowfl. The Germans were, provided with /bundles of wood and mattresses to fill the ditches, but they were unable to use them. "Fort De Liers, the next on .the north side, 'boldly assisted de Pontisse, and all tile forts were fighting bravely.' :.No attack was reported on Friday. jßeconnaissances show that the Uhlans have fallen-back on. the main body, except, in the extreme north, where a few made daring raids close to the forts defending Antwerp. They retreated before' Belgian cavalry, which attempted to cut off the Uhlans- ' The Kinjj of the Belgians is constant-; ly. among the troops, and he has .passed; several; .nights in foivouac. He travels , in.a car attended by a single *>ffi- V cer, and so simply attired that he- -is I often not recognised. . During the attack on Fort de tisse, Germans armed with hand grenades and huge wire-cutters reached "• the outworks. The Belgians detected 'their presence, and when the German artillery - fired starshells, which lit up the neighbourhood, the Belgian machine, guns decimated the columns. The attackers were provided with steel shields ■and?' hand bags containing entrenching tools, in order to dig themselves into tover, similar to the Japanese at . Port ; Arthur. .Two hundred cyclist carabineers on Thursday surrounded and surprised 300 Germans. They <krilled seventy captured forty. The rest , were dispersed. The arrival of .the prisoners escorted by cyclists led to an extraordinary scene at Namur. The whole papulation turned out, and decked the victors with flowers. : Namur is heavily garrisoned, and its hiilv situation makes, it stronger than Many Freiich are holding the left bank' of the Meuse, supported by mitrailleuses. They are in high spirits, and •anxious for fighting. It is .understood that the transportation of the French troops has been completed. All the inhabitants of Namur have been disarmed in order that the Germans shall; have no. .pretext ■ for at- i the civil' population. . The Minister .of War has decided, in view of the present dispositions of the French and Belgian armies, that, no further, announcement of their movements should be made.. The Government, relies the,.patriotism *of the press to preserve absolute silence.