The Fall of Antwerp

The sky above Antwerp shook with the thunder of German guns, on October 8th 1914 the last great Belgian

fortress faced its trial, King Albert and eighty thousand defenders held the

city while General von Beseler brought massive siege artillery including the giant Big Bertha howitzers,

the bombardment tore through the outer forts, concrete walls crumbled and garrisons were

buried, British marines of the Royal Naval Division rushed in to help but the

firepower was overwhelming, by the 9th the inner defenses were collapsing, civilians fled in panic,

the Belgian army retreated west to fight another day, and Antwerp fell into German hands