15th September 1914, Namur
The fighting at Namur had almost reached the River Sambre, the Franco Belgian line had been pushed back to within 200m of the river in several places. The German army was becoming increasingly effective in its attack tactics, coupled with ever heavier artillery. Of the town itself scarcely a single house or building remained standing days of unrelenting shelling had demolished everything, but the piles of rubble and burnt out buildings provided ample cover for entrenchment. The ruin of St Aubin’s Cathedral a mound of blasted brick and stone more than 20m high was taken and retaken changing hands 5 times before the Belgians finally pushed the Germans back at the cost of almost 200 dead.
Supplies were only moving at night, the bridges over the Sambre having been destroyed by artillery fire earlier in the siege. There was one bridge to the east bank of the Meuse, it had been hit several times but remained standing all be it badly battered. Casualties had been high, the defenders having fed several divisions into the siege, receiving back shattered brigades in exchange, for the attackers it was an abattoir, a charnel house, apocalypse. Regiments went into the attack and were mown down with artillery and every where machine guns, the Belgian Lewis guns more portable than the French hotchkiss guns were seemingly everywhere. Defending a trench line or a strong point one minute then leading a swift counter attack the next.
The majority of the Belgian fortresses had mostly been silenced by this stage but their blasted concrete carcasses were just another rubble mound to defend.
Fort de Dave was still holding out, it guarded the southern flank of the East bank of the Meuse, its garrison of 350 had been reinforced by both Belgian and French troops who had dug in and prevented its capture. The heavy 21cm gun and one 12cm twin turret were still effective and had helped to prevent the Germans from clearing the river side. The heavy guns of Fort d’ Andoy had been silenced but it was still being held by the remnant of its garrison, a number of the 57mm guns still in use, like every fort which was uncaptured the defenders had been reinforced. The Fort de Maizeret had been captured, destroyed by German siege mortars and then stormed. A defensive line anchored on the ruins of Fort d’ Andoy and running back to the river was being held against numerous bloody attempts to breach it.
French and German aviators provided sterling service, spotting balloons attempted to peer into the enemies lines from both sides, providing useful artillery observation services. Their tethers and support facilities were absolute priority targets for the opposing artillery, much chaos and destruction was caused attempting to disrupt spotting.
Artillery observation was also carried out using any high points were available, playing a vital role, with many enterprising young officers going to observe and direct fire on the enemy from any and all vantage points. Many of these keen young officers paid for their courage with their lives, as shellfire and machine guns fire was frequently brought down on their observation posts. In addition a number of German soldiers had taken to sniping at anyone who showed themselves adding just a little more risk to what was already a dangerous hellscape.
The French had assembled as many heavy guns as their emphasis on the 75mm had allowed them. Some 60 of the old de bange 155mm guns had been deployed, dragged out of reserve and hurried forward they were the few guns with the range and weight of shellfire to do battle with the much more numerous German heavy guns and howitzers. Relatively Immobile they needed many hours to move and lacking any form of recuperator they moved out of battery with every shot. There was work going on to adapt them for more modern hydro-mechanical recuperators but that work would take months to bear fruit even with the frantic pace demanded for the survival of France.
Alongside the the obsolete de bange 155mm, there were also 16 of the equally elderly 120mm de bange guns. Similar in design to their heftier sisters, the 120mm gun suffered many of the same faults but could throw a round at least as far and given Frances chronic shortage of heavy artillery, they were not to be dispised.
Eight of the Schneider 105mm guns had also arrived and were adding valuable support as they had nearly as great a range as the 155 L de Bange.
As Namur held it was being further reinforced with men, guns and supplies, it was a vital crossing point and railway juncture and by holding it the Franco-Belgian forces were greatly impeding the German plans. Namur would be the rock to break the German assault.