East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1914-08-11
STORY OF FIGHTING
At UEGE AS TOLD
BY THE DISPATCHES
COLLECTIVE NARRATIVE GIVES
IDEA OF WHAT GREAT
RATTLE Is LIKE.

force before Liege. Belgium, declared !
that $4,000 Belgians were engaged
against 10000 Germans. The fight
ing began at 4 a. m. Thursday. Aug.
s, the German 10th army corps at
tacking the Chaudfontaine and Bou-
celles forts from the southeast, while
their artillery bombarded the forts at
Fiemaille on the opposite bank of
the river Meuse, five miles southwest
Of Iicge.
u this preliminary engagement the
Ec.gians captured seven guns and
sevclal prisoners.
The attack on Liege was executed
Icy one German army corps, while the
Atlg'sn force consisted OF a mixed
brigade, supported by the artillery of
the forts.
Battle Partly in Open Fie. Ids.
The battle was fought along q wide
front and partially in the open fields.
The forts made fierce resistance and
were not damaged materially.
At about noon Thursday the Ger
man infantry attempted to carry by
I assault Fort Barchon to the north
+ east Of Liege. The attacking infan-
+ Try crept up under cover Of heavy ar
ullery discharges, but the Belgian de-
. Tenders reserved their fire until the
I Germans had come to close quarters,
when at a given signal the Belgians
opened with a hail OF bullets from
rifles and machine guns which
wrought havoc among the Germans
The attackers soon lay in heaps of
dead and wounded around the fort
At the same time Fort Chaudfon-
taine to the southeast of Liege kept
up hot fire on another body Of Ger
mans, which had siezed a neishbor-
ing castle. The Belgian artillery re-
duced the building to a mass of smok-
ing ruins
Germans Eventually Driven Back.
After heavy and continuous fight
ins the Germans were repulsed and
the Belgian troops carried out several
furious counter attacks. throwing the
! Germans back and pursuing them up
to their original positions
Not an inch of ground was gained
by the Germans and their loss in dead
and wounded was severe, being esti-
r.; ted by the Belgians at 5000 men.
y" figures are given of the Belgian
casualties. but they are said to have
teen far less.
One newspaper says the German
losses amounted to between 1000 and
100 men, while they abandoned sew
en- zen machine guns.
A squadron of Belgian lancers. ac-
cording to another report. was com
pletely wiped out, after it had killed
$50 German Uhlans.
Pursue Fleeing Prussions
Following the counter attack oe
the Belgian defenders. it was suppos-
ed that the German 7th army corps
had been put TO roCt, but the report
has not been confirmed in its en-
tIrety. The facts as given by the
Brussels Gazette are that the Belgian
, nth brigade. after successfully re-
sisting the German attack pursued the
fleeing Prussions with such energy
that the Belgian commander was i'm
,elled TO order his troops to turl
ba' X, a they we're getting outside
the range OF the guns of the Belgian
icrts The enthusiasm of the Belgian
tlogrs is described as magnificent
Auto> Pick Up Wounded.
After the nattle and the -epulsa Oi
b. the German army the task % collect
ing the wous Ced was begun. Ei-tt
hundred vvuuGod Germans g. ..,on
transferred 10 l7e city OF ~.is.e. where
;.iIargert nts we're made % o. a.; -
them mr., ds of autoInJ; nsz Iefl
Brussels during the night for the
battlefield to pick up the wounded.
The first prisoner Of war brought
in was a wounded German captair
rsraed Forfstner.
The fact that many wounded Ger,
mans fled 10 Dutch territory gave rise
10 the rumor which afterward prov
cd untrue that the kaiser's army hac
been completely routed. After the re
| pulse tf the Germans the Belgian
soldiers. inflamed with enthusiasm
awaited with great assurance / nigh
attack They had been strousiy re
| e7fOrced srd were eager to re.cw tn
conflict
Must Resort TO Siege.
II No iuuhcr attack. however. va
| male frcm The fortlfications by tn
/ Nt.tfaltfN fAt&1 anu lNE Op'TNl pre-
vailed among the military u.lDritie
At Brmsscls that the Germans wnui
be unable to take Liege by assault
and would have to begin a regula
siege.
II was pointed out by the Belgia
experts that the German howitzerl
which were their main dependence
were too small 10 be efficaciou
against the heavy artillery Of tn
forts.
| Further It was the general oplnio
that II the Belgians could hold out a
t.iege against any OF the re-ensol cl
ments that the German empef1
might send within a reasonable TIM
one OF the decisive battles Of the ~
might be fought there soon. This
| provided that help comes from Frenc
Or English sources.
Crown Prince on the Way.
| strengthening Of the Germln arm
- in the vicinity of LAege is hourly e1
pected. the German crown prince.
is announced. being on his way (
revive the shattered forces with 30
600 fresh troops II is reported near