July 28 - August 4 , 08 AM

Belgian artillery on the move.

To have an overview of the international events that preceded the outbreak of war go to : Prelude of war, June - August 1914.

Tuesday July 28, 1914

To be prepared for every eventuality Lieutenant-Général Leman gives order to bring the fortresses in a state of defence. Barbed wire, grenades, telephone equipment, bicycles, binoculars etc. are distributed. An inventory of all the ammunition in the city (and of the possibility to manufacture some) is made, the ventilation in the fortresses checked, telephone lines from the central exchange to the fortresses doubled and communication between the fortresses checked. Plans are made to build the first line of defence between the fortresses.

The position was divided into 4 sectors :

  Sector     Fortresses  
  A     Pontisse - Barchon  
  B     Evegnée - Fléron - Chaudfontaine  
  C     Embourg - Boncelles - Flémalle  
  D     Hollogne - Loncin - Lantin - Liers  

Sectors A & C were considered as defensive while B & D had a more offensive nature. This because sector B was right in the path of the German aggressor and D on the road which the Belgian army could use to advance in the direction of Liége.

Map
Wednesday July 29, 1914

A warning is issued to the commanders of the fortresses that they should prepare for mobilisation.
11.00 : The Belgian army's Chief of Staff proposes to bring all the garrisons into a strengthened peace footing.
That same day the government calls the conscription years 1912, 1911 and 1910 back into service.

Thursday July 30, 1914

Lieutenant Général Leman goes to Bruxelles. Just at this moment the G.Q.G. (Headquarters Belgian army) decides to redraw the 3° division from Liége. King Albert I however was against this and he orders Prime Minister de Broqueville to cancel the order. (More about this later.)

Friday July 31,1914

Morning : Leman decides to send several detachments of army engineers to prepare the destruction of railway tunnels.
So Sous-Lieutenant Van Billoen went to Hombourg, Capitaine Commandant Baudry to Nasproué, Sous-Lieutenant Beaupain to Trois ponts and Lieutenant Dindal to Stavelot.

11.50 : G.Q.G. (Headquarters Belgian army) telephones to Leman and forbids him to start digging trenches and defence lines 'To not arouse suspicion in Berlin'.
A few hours later Ministre de Broqueville (Prime minister and Minister of war) cancelled this order and authorised the work to begin.

Afternoon : G.Q.G. orders Leman to guard all the bridges from Huy to Visé and to observe Maastricht.
So Leman orders the second bataljon of the 12° Régiment de Ligne to the bridges from Visé and Argenteau and special units of the Garde civique to the bridges up the river at Engis, Ombret and Huy.

19.00 : Belgian government declares general mobilisation.
Immediately in Liége, just like in any other town or village in Belgium, all the private houses and public buildings are decorated with the national flag and oriflammes. A spirit of patriotism waves trough the country.
Mobilisation in Liége was fast and without stragglers. In the artillery and the Génie de Forteresse, were the recruits came from the local communities, many soldiers reported for duty only 30 minutes after the order for mobilisation was given.

Starting this day 2 regiments were formed in each Brigade mixte.
At the 3° Division :

The 14° Régiment de Ligne had 1 company in each fortress. They left the 3° platoon as garrison in the fortresses and divided themselves to form the 34° Régiment de Ligne. The 34° Régiment de Ligne moves in the afternoon to Bellaire. While the companies of the 14° Régiment de Ligne stay in the vicinity of the fortresses to complete their mobilisation.

The warehouses and buildings used for the the mobilisation of the 3° division are all in Liége :

In the evening all the fortresses are prepared to open fire.

Saterday August 1, 1914

Lieutenant Baesens (2° Régiment Lanciers) and his squadron go to Berneau to guard the Dutch border in the direction of Maastricht.
Two other reconnaissance squadrons of the 2° Régiment Lanciers (Lieutenant Istasse and Lieutenant De Selliers De Moranville) go into the direction of Battice and the German border.

07.00 : The battalion of Major Collyns the II bataljon of the 12° Régiment de Ligne (+-400 soldiers, the mobilisation wasn't completed) is posted on the left bank of the river Meuse. One company near the bridge at Argenteau, another near the bridge at Visé and a platoon of aprox. 30 soldiers at the 'Gué the Lixhe'. Observation units are posted on the right bank of the river to guard the roads to Mouland, Berneau, Bombay and Dalhem. The rest of the battalion is posted at Haccourt.

The 11° Régiment de Ligne arrives in Liege (coming from their garrison in Hasselt) as do some detachments of the 12° Régiment de ligne (those that are garrisoned in Verviers and Tongeren) and the 9° Régiment de ligne.

More than 18000 workers requisitioned at the factories in Liége and under surveillance of the factory engineers start digging the trenches that make up the first line of defence between and around the fortresses.
In this they were assisted by the 34° Régiment de Ligne, the Bataillon divisionnaire du Génie, the 32° Régiment de Ligne, the 12° Régiment de Ligne the compagnies de Sapeurs-mineurs de Forteresse and the Pontonniers de Forteresse.

Leman gives the order to build three pontoon bridges across the river Meuse. This to make the movement of troops within the city more easy. Only two of those are finished on august 5.

Military intendance start requisitioning cattle, horses, cars, wagons and vehicles of all kind. Wagons loaded with ammunition supply the fortresses.

The population hurries to hoard. Shops and stores are overwhelmed by the demand. At the banks and savings-bank people gather to retrieve their money and this in coins, paper money isn't appreciated..
People take the tramway only to change a banknote. Coins disappear completely from circulation The National Bank is particularly besieged and although they receive an additional extra of several millions francs, send from Bruxelles, they have to cancel the change. (This phenomenon occurred everywhere in Belgium)
National bank in Bruxelles announces the emission of a banknote of five francs.

A minister of the government inspecting the defence lines is frightened by the scale in which these are undertaken and afraid that this would compromise the Belgian neutrality he goes to Leman and talks about law and constitution.
Leman answers (roughly translated) : 'Law, constitution, I don't care. My only objective is the defence of Liége. If war doesn't begin they can degrade me and take my stars, but if it does begin ... they will thank me on their knees.'

In the evening the different units of the 3° division and the P.F.L are quartered as follows :

  Unit     Location  
  Headquarters   Liége, Rue Sainte Foy
  9° Brigade Mixte   In Bruxelles (without the Artillerie 9° Brigade Mixte). Mobilised troops off the 9 and 29° Régiment de Ligne and the Compagnie de mitrailleurs are in Liége. They have orders to await the arrival off their units. The artillery group of the 9° Brigade Mixte is at St-Nicolas, they arrived from their garrison in St-Truiden during the day.
  11° Brigade Mixte   Complete at Herstal
  12° Brigade Mixte   Complete at Grivignée and Bois de Breux.
  14° Brigade Mixte   14° Régiment de Ligne had one company in and around each fortress. 34° Régiment de Ligne, artillerie group of the 14° Brigade Mixte and compagny mitrailleurs 14° Brigade Mixte at Bellaire.
  3° Rég. d'Artillerie   At La Chartreuse, they leave on august 2 to camp at Grivignée.
  Bat. div. du Génie   At Beyne Heusay.
  3° Comp. d'admin.  At the hospital Saint Laurent (Liége)
  2° Lancier  At 'La Caserne des Ecoliers, they go to Milmort during august 2 (H.Q. and 2 squadrons) and at Vottem (2 squadrons).
  Corps de Tansport   At Ans (Parc de campagne) without the motor cars wich are parked on the Boulevard d'Avroy and the goods-train which is at the Plaine de Bressoux.
  9° Rég. de Fort.   At Jupille
  11° Rég. de Fort.   At Ans
  12° Rég. de Fort.   At the fortress La Citadelle and the suburb of Ste Walburge.
  14° Rég. de Fort.   At Angleur
  Bat. du Génie de F.  Left in the morning the old fortress La Chartreuse to work on the defence lines. The different companies are camped in the neighbourhood of these defence lines and complete their mobilisation while working. The two companies de Sapeurs-mineurs are at Milmort. The Compagnie Télégraphiste at Hologne and the Compagnie de Pontonniers at Boncelles.
  Art. de Fort.  In the fortresses and at La Citadelle and La Chartreuse for the 13°, 14°, 15°, and 16° batteries de reserve.

22.54 : Sous-Lieutenant Van Billjoen telephones from Hombourg (where he was preparing the destruction of a train tunnel) to H.Q in Liége that more than 10000 German soldiers are assembled in Lontzen (he received this information from the Commander of the Gendarmerie at Moresnet).

Sunday August 2, 1914

In the morning a meeting is held at the palace in Liége. attending : Mr. le Ministre Berryer, Lieutenant Général Leman, Baron de Menten de Horne, M. de Formanoir (both generals from the Garde Civique) and M. Kleyer the mayor of Liége.

In the evening all the units off the 3° division and the P.F.L had completed their mobilisation.
Their is however a great shortness in commanding officers. This is especially so in the units of the P.F.L. were some companies are commanded by Adjudants or 1° Sergent-Majors.
Although every soldier in these units is properly dresses, armed and disposes of 120 bullets, they lack camping equipment and haversacks.

Also in the evening the H.Q. in Liege is warned that the German army assembled troops near the vicinity off the border.
Starting from this day, More than 20 German cavalry regiments, 13 infantry regiments and several other units (The German Maas Armee) assemble between Aachen and the Belgian border. In a hotel in Aachen the H.Q. of 'Das Maas armee' makes the latest preparation to the plan of capturing Liége.
General Van Emmich arrived from Hanover in the morning together with his Chief of staff Kolonel Von Lambsdorf and General-Major Ludendorf who came from Strasbourg where he commanded a brigade.
The commander off each brigade received a map in which every detail of the operation was described and an additional officer was attached to each brigade, officer coming directly from Berlin. This man was familiar with the terrain in and arround Liége as he had spend each vacation the last few years in and around this city.

Interesting detail : In 1912 Von Emmich was charged by the German Kaiser to welcome King Albert in Liége.

Monday August 3, 1914

03.00 : General alarm to all troops, it is believed that German units invade Nederlands Limburg.

04.00 : Several detonations bring the people in Liége in panic. Each fort had released 5 canonshots, with one minute interval, this to alarm the garrison.
Also several buildings and other structures in the vicinity of the fortresses and hindering the gunnery are dynamited.

05.16 : Leman orders the 2° Rég. Lancier to go to Fall et Mehr (Valmeer) to guard the Dutch border between Lanaken en Visé.

06.45 : Leman orders the squadrons of Lieutenant Istasse and Lieutenant De Selliers De Moranville (2° Rég. Lancier) to move in the direction of the German border. The first in the direction of Eupen the second to Gemmenich.
They have strict orders not to cross the German border.

Morning : To maintain order soldiers of the Garde Civique are placed on strategic places like banks, shops etc.
At the palace a new meeting is held. Général Leman announces that he gave the order to destruct the tunnels of Halinsart, Nasproue, de Hombourg and Trois Ponts.
(Eventually only those of Nasproue and Trois ponts are properly destroyed)

10.00 : Given an order of the G.Q.G the 12° Brigade Mixte (without the II/12 that had to stay in Visé) have to move to Tongeren (They leave at 13.30).

On the roads to Germany engineers and foresters chop down trees to block the advance of a possible invader.

The H.Q. of the 9° Brigade Mixte the 9 & 29° Régiment de ligne and the Compagnie mitrailleuse of the 9° Brigade Mixte arrive at Liége and go to Montegnée and St Nicolas close to the bivouac of the artillery of the 9° Brigade Mixte.

Around the fortresses work goes one, fields of barbed wire are installed, trenches dug and lines of fire cleared. The factories in town are deserted all the workers being in the field to build the lines of defences.

Police and detachments of the Garde civique go around and destroy all the privat telegraph equipment and release the pigeons.

The quarter of Bressoux resembles Noah's ark, with all the assembled and requisitioned cattle, sheep, pigs etc.

In the air Sergeant Crombez in his monoplane Deperdussin fly's a patrol looking for the invader. He precedes the squadron of Lieutenant Demanet that comes from the airport at Kiewit.

Capitaine Fisette is send to Visé and Argenteau to prepare the destruction of the bridges over the Meuse.
At Visé these preparations are already started by Colonel Loiselette and Mr. Delattre. So Capitaine Fisette goes to Argenteau.

Evening : All the fortresses are in communication with their observations posts.

20.00 : Lieutenant Général Leman receives a telephone indicating that the Germans have crossed the border at Welkenraedt.

20.30 : Sous-Lieutenant Van Billoen at Hombourg, Capitaine Commandant Baudry at Nasproue, Sous-Lieutenant Beaupain at Trois ponts and Lieutenant Dindal at Stavelot blow up the rail way tunnels after receiving the order from Leman.

22.00 : Lieutenant Général Leman orders the bridges at Argenteau and Visé to be blown. The first attempt failed and Lieutenant Brouchon was send from Liége for a second try.

22.40 : Lieutenant Général Leman orders :

These orders were issued only a few minutes when a telephone call denounced the previous message that the Germans had crossed the border at Welkenraedt.

Night : The artillerists of the Fortress Boncelles set light to the private houses and church of the village that are in the vicinity off the fortress and could give cover.

Tuesday August 4, 1914

03.20 The 2° Rég. Lanciers is ordered to take disposition as follows :

Al these units must be in place at 06.00. (They will however only leave at 07.00).

04.00 : The Bridge at Visé is destroyed.
Sous-Lieutenant Beaupain, who came back from Stavelot, was ordered the destruction of the bridges at Hermalle sous Huy and Engis. The bridge at Engis is destroyed that same day at 16.00 H. and at Hermalle sous Huy on august 5 at one in the morning.

The destroyed bridge at Visé

05.00 : The Bridge at Argenteau is destroyed.

08.00 : Capitaine Clemens is ordered to dynamite the bridge at Ombret. That same day at 12 the bridge is destroyed.

08.00 : The German army invades Belgium.

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Date of last maintenance : 01 January 2000.
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