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 conflict.  Some 6,000 French Turcos and artillery did arrive, but too late to be of use in helping to save Namur.  Shells now began to drop in the city while aeroplanes flung down bombs.  A thunderstorm rumbled in combination with the continuous roar of the German guns.  A panic took hold of the citizens.  Distracted men, women and children huddled together in spellbound terror, or sought the shelter of their cellars.  The more superstitious pronounced this to be the end of all things, from the eclipse of the sun which darkened the sky.  Fort Malonne succumbed sometime during the afternoon of August 21, 1914.

As at Liege, with General Leman, so in Namur General Michel foresaw the city and forts’ fate was imminent.  Only the northwest forts Suarlee, Emines and Cognelee held out.  The Belgians and French had been defeated by the Germans in the angle of the Sambre and Meuse.  The horizon revealed no sign of a French army advancing.  General Michel, therefore, decided upon the evacuation of the city by the Belgian infantry.  It was successfully accomplished, though even more in the nature of a flight than at Liege.  But General Michel went with them, instead of remaining, like General Leman, to fight the defense of his fortress to the last.