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.