The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-10-12
STORY OF SIEGE AND' FALL OF ANTWERP
Eyewitness Gives Story of German Investment and
 Action by Days

London. October 12.--t2:os a. n,.)-In the form of diary. the story of the siege of Antwerp and the German plan of at tack are given in the following dispatch by the Central News from it's Ostend correspondent. dated Satuday: Saturday September 26.-Belgians re- tired from positions east, south and west of Malines to the line of outer forts September 27-Germans bombarded and occupied Malines.
 september 27.--Bombardment of forts others on southern line by 1l-inch how itzers.
 September 29.-Magazine of Fort De Waelhem blown up by shell fire. Fort De Wavre, St. Catherine put out of ac- tion; forts at Lierre bombarded
 September S0-F'orts De waelhem and St. Catherine completely destroyed. WaterworlSs behind Fort De Waelhem blown up. Belgian infantry continued to hold their entrenchments in the face of veritable hell of shell fire. The water supply in Antwerp is greatly curtailed
 October 1-Lierrei forts destroyed. Ger man infantry attacks were repulsed with heavy losses.
 October 2-There was a heavy bom- bardment of the Belgian trenches. The Begians retired at night in good order and lined the River Nethe. The Ger mans began to occupy the outer ring forts. A German aeroplane flew over the city and dropped pamphlets urging the Inhabitants to surrender and save themselves suffering.
 British Troops Arrive October 3-Arrival of fresh British troops who relieve fatigued Belgians on the southeastern section. Here the Ger mans concentrate their attack, which is now almost exclusively an artillery at tack.
 October 4-Quiet until evening, when the Germans began furious lombard ment of the Lierre and the river bank trenches.
 October 5-The Germans cross the river and occupy Lierre and Duffel. The main Belgian army began retirement west ward.
 "Oetober 6-Departure of King Albert, the government and the foreign ministers. Heavy bombardment of the allied posi- tion. The allied troops retired during the night on second line of forts. October Ex-Governor General De Guise announces that a bombardment of the city is imminent The Germans empace batteries for this purpose and at midnight a heavy bombardment begins.
 October S-Exodus of the population. The bombardment of the town is con tinued with violence. The petrol tanks arc ablaze. Berchem, a southern sub urb, is in flames as also are many houses in the city. The defending troops on the southwest section are offering violent re- sistance. It is decided to evacuate the city and the British and Belgian forces leave during the night
 October 9-The fall and occupation of Antwerp
 Resistance Stubborn Tt will thus be seen that the Germans took a fortnight to drive their wedge into the southeastern section of the de- fences,' the correspondent continues, land this speaks volumes for the stub bornnness of the defense. British ma- rines were hurried across last sunday and conveyed to Antwerp with all speed With them were some bluejackets. They came without overcoats or kits, but cheerfully endured the cold and rain as well as the pulverizing fire.
 Their reception all round was enthu- siastic.
 After Monday it merely was a ques- tion of enduring the terrible fire as long as possible. A large proportion of the Belgian troops went westward Monday and Tuesday to insure an eventual line of retreat. large additional force of British marines arrived Tuesday morning.
 "Evenutally the Germans mounted their 42-centimetre guns. They were enabled to fire with great accuracy, thanks to their observation balloons. although on account of the cold and heavy rain their operations sometimes were suspended. The British naval gunners brought one balloon down with a round of lyddite. after shrapnel had proved ineffective
 Ability to hit back, weight for weight, was the one crying need at Antwerp whose fate points to one irresistible conclusion-that the day of forts is over The supposed impregnable forts proved broken reeds against the giant Howitzers.
 "One of Rrialmonts' great works sank almost bodily from sight in consequence of the cavities made all around its foun- dations by the terrific explosions rne others are shattered beyond recognition.
 q understand that the British naval force saved all it's wounded and guns. Tho Ralgiap n army ctiIl ic int ot