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Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d9bda6c --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #51905 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/51905) diff --git a/old/51905-0.txt b/old/51905-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 7e37ef3..0000000 --- a/old/51905-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,18547 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Invasion of 1910, by William le Queux - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: The Invasion of 1910 - with a full account of the siege of London - -Author: William le Queux - -Release Date: May 1, 2016 [EBook #51905] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE INVASION OF 1910 *** - - - - -Produced by Brian Coe, Chuck Greif and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) - - - - - - - - - - - THE INVASION OF 1910 - - - - - THE INVASION OF - 1910 - - WITH A FULL ACCOUNT OF - THE SIEGE OF LONDON - - BY - - WILLIAM LE QUEUX - - NAVAL CHAPTERS BY H. W. WILSON - - INTRODUCTORY LETTER BY - FIELD-MARSHAL EARL ROBERTS, K.G., K.P., ETC. - - Toronto - THE MACMILLAN COMPANY OF CANADA, LIMITED - 1906 - - _All rights reserved_ - -[Illustration: letter] - - - - -PREFACE - - -“_I sometimes despair of the country ever becoming alive to the danger -of the unpreparedness of our present position until too late to prevent -some fatal catastrophe._” - -This was the keynote of a solemn warning made in the House of Lords on -July 10th of the present year by Earl Roberts. His lordship, while -drawing attention to our present inadequate forces, strongly urged that -action should be taken in accordance with the recommendations of the -Elgin Commission that “no military system could be considered -satisfactory which did not contain powers of expansion outside the limit -of the regular forces of the Crown.” - -“_The lessons of the late war appear to have been completely forgotten._ -The one prevailing idea seems to be,” said Earl Roberts, “to cut down -our military expenditure without reference to our increased -responsibilities and our largely augmented revenue. History tells us in -the plainest terms that an Empire which cannot defend its own -possessions must inevitably perish.” And with this view both Lord Milner -and the Marquis of Lansdowne concurred. But surely this is not enough. -If we are to retain our position as the first nation in the world we -must be prepared to defend any raid made upon our shores. - -The object of this book is to illustrate our utter unpreparedness for -war, to show how, under certain conditions which may easily occur, -England can be successfully invaded by Germany, and to present a picture -of the ruin which must inevitably fall upon us on the evening of that -not far-distant day. - -Ever since Lord Roberts formulated his plans for the establishment of -rifle-clubs I have been deeply interested in the movement; and after a -conversation with that distinguished soldier the idea occurred to me to -write a forecast, based upon all the available military and naval -knowledge--which would bring home to the British public vividly and -forcibly what really would occur were an enemy suddenly to appear in our -midst. At the outset it was declared by the strategists I consulted to -be impossible. No such book could ever be written, for, according to -them, the mass of technical detail was far too great to digest and -present in an intelligible manner to the public. - -Lord Roberts, however, gave me encouragement. The skeleton scheme of the -manner in which England could be invaded by Germany was submitted to a -number of the highest authorities on strategy, whose names, however, I -am not permitted to divulge, and after many consultations, much -criticism, and considerable difference of opinion, the “general idea,” -with amendment after amendment, was finally adopted. - -That, however, was only a mere preliminary. Upon questions of tactics -each tactician consulted held a different view, and each criticised -adversely the other’s suggestions. With the invaluable assistance of my -friend Mr. H. W. Wilson, we had decided upon the naval portion of the -campaign; but when it came to the operations on land, I found a wide -divergence of opinion everywhere. - -One way alone remained open--namely, to take the facts exactly as they -stood, add the additional strength of the opposing nations as they will -be in 1910, and then draw logical conclusions. This, aided by experts, -was done; and after many days of argument with the various authorities, -we succeeded at last in getting them in accord as to the general -practicability of an invasion. - -Before putting pen to paper it was necessary to reconnoitre carefully -the whole of England from the Thames to the Tyne. This I did by means of -a motor-car, travelling 10,000 miles of all kinds of roads, and making a -tour extending over four months. Each town, all the points of vantage, -military positions, all the available landing-places on the coast, all -railway connections, and telephone and telegraph communications, were -carefully noted for future reference. With the assistance of certain -well-known military experts, the battlefields were carefully gone over -and the positions marked upon the Ordnance map. Thus, through four -months we pushed on day by day collecting information and material, -sometimes in the big cities, sometimes in the quietest and remotest -hamlets, all of which was carefully tabulated for use. - -Whatever critics may say, and however their opinions may differ, it can -only be pointed out, first, that the “general idea” of the scheme is in -accordance with the expressed and published opinions of the first -strategists of to-day, and that, as far as the forecast of events is -concerned, it has been written from a first-hand knowledge of the local -colour of each of the scenes described. The enemy’s Proclamations -reproduced are practically copies of those issued by the Germans during -the war of 1870. - -That the experts and myself will probably be condemned as alarmists and -denounced for revealing information likely to be of assistance to an -enemy goes without saying. Indeed, on March 15th last, an attempt was -made in the House of Commons to suppress its publication altogether. Mr. -R. C. Lehmann, who asked a question of the Prime Minister, declared that -it was “calculated to prejudice our relations with the other Powers,” -while Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman, in a subsequent letter apologising to -me for condemning in the House a work he had not read, repeated that it -was likely to “produce irritation abroad and might conceivably alarm the -more ignorant public at home.” - -Such a reflection, cast by the Prime Minister upon the British nation, -is, to say the least, curious, yet it only confirms the truth that the -Government are strenuously seeking to conceal from our people the -appalling military weakness and the consequent danger to which the -country is constantly open. - -Mr. Haldane’s new scheme has a number of points about it which, at first -sight, will perhaps commend themselves to the general public, and in -some cases to a proportion of military men. Foremost among these are the -provision made for training the Militia Artillery in the use of -comparatively modern field-guns, and the institution of the County -Associations for the administration of the Volunteers and the -encouragement of the local military spirit. Could an ideal Association -of this kind be evolved there is little doubt that it would be capable -of doing an immense amount of good, since administration by a central -staff, ignorant of the widely differing local conditions which affect -the several Volunteer corps, has already militated against getting the -best work possible out of their members. But under our twentieth-century -social system, which has unfortunately displaced so many influential and -respected county families--every one of which had military or naval -members, relations or ancestors--by wealthy tradesmen, speculators, and -the like, any efficient County Association will be very hard to create. -Mr. Haldane’s scheme is a bold and masterly sketch, but he will find it -very hard to fill in the details satisfactorily. Unfortunately, the -losses the Army must sustain by the reduction of so many fine battalions -are very real and tangible, while the promised gains in efficiency would -appear to be somewhat shadowy and uncertain. - -To be weak is to invite war; to be strong is to prevent it. - -To arouse our country to a sense of its own lamentable insecurity is -the object of this volume, and that other nations besides ourselves are -interested in England’s grave peril is proved by the fact that it has -already been published in the German, French, Spanish, Danish, Russian, -Italian, and even Japanese languages. - -WILLIAM LE QUEUX. - -LONDON, _July 26, 1906_. - - - - -CONTENTS - - -BOOK I - -CHAP. PAGE - -I. THE SURPRISE 3 - -II. EFFECT IN THE CITY 20 - -III. NEWS OF THE ENEMY 30 - -IV. A PROPHECY FULFILLED 48 - -V. OUR FLEET TAKEN UNAWARES 60 - -VI. FIERCE CRUISER BATTLE 77 - -VII. CONTINUATION OF THE STRUGGLE AT SEA 94 - -VIII. SITUATION IN THE NORTH 108 - -IX. STATE OF SIEGE DECLARED 118 - -X. HOW THE ENEMY DEALT THE BLOW 131 - -XI. GERMANS LANDING AT HULL AND GOOLE 154 - -XII. DESPERATE FIGHTING IN ESSEX 171 - -XIII. DEFENCE AT LAST 202 - -XIV. BRITISH SUCCESS AT ROYSTON 221 - -XV. BRITISH ABANDON COLCHESTER 235 - -XVI. FIERCE FIGHTING AT CHELMSFORD 255 - -XVII. IN THE ENEMY’S HANDS 266 - -XVIII. THE FEELING IN LONDON 279 - -BOOK II - -I. THE LINES OF LONDON 287 - -II. REPULSE OF THE GERMANS 299 - -III. BATTLE OF EPPING 310 - -IV. BOMBARDMENT OF LONDON 326 - -V. THE RAIN OF DEATH 344 - -VI. FALL OF LONDON 357 - -VII. TWO PERSONAL NARRATIVES 372 - -VIII. GERMANS SACKING THE BANKS 393 - -IX. WHAT WAS HAPPENING AT SEA 413 - -X. SITUATION SOUTH OF THE THAMES 444 - -XI. DEFENCES OF SOUTH LONDON 456 - -XII. DAILY LIFE OF THE BELEAGUERED 466 - -XIII. REVOLTS IN SHOREDITCH AND ISLINGTON 477 - - -BOOK III - -I. A BLOW FOR FREEDOM 495 - -II. SCENES AT WATERLOO BRIDGE 511 - -III. GREAT BRITISH VICTORY 520 - -IV. MASSACRE OF GERMANS IN LONDON 531 - -V. HOW THE WAR ENDED 540 - - - - -LIST OF MAPS AND PLANS - - -BOOK I - - PAGE - -POSITION OF THE IVTH GERMAN ARMY CORPS TWELVE -HOURS AFTER LANDING AT WEYBOURNE, NORFOLK 57 - -POSITION OF THE SAXON CORPS TWENTY-FOUR HOURS -AFTER LANDING IN ESSEX 148 - -POSITION OF THE GERMAN FORCES TWENTY-FOUR HOURS -AFTER LANDING AT GOOLE 157 - -GERMANY’S POINTS OF EMBARKATION 167 - -BATTLE OF PURLEIGH, 6TH SEPTEMBER 193 - -BATTLE OF SHEFFIELD 218 - -POSITIONS OF OPPOSING FORCES, 8TH SEPTEMBER 227 - -BATTLE OF ROYSTON, SUNDAY, 9TH SEPTEMBER 232 - -BATTLE OF CHELMSFORD. POSITION ON THE EVENING OF 11TH SEPTEMBER 258 - -THE DEFENCE OF SHEFFIELD 268 - - -BOOK II - -THE LINES OF LONDON 288 - -BATTLE OF HARLOW--FIRST PHASE 296 - -BATTLE OF HARLOW--FINAL PHASE 307 - -GERMAN ATTACK ON THE LINES OF LONDON 315 - -THE BOMBARDMENT AND DEFENCES OF LONDON ON 20TH AND 21ST SEPTEMBER 337 - -LONDON AFTER THE BOMBARDMENT 365 - -DAMAGE DONE IN THE CITY BY THE BOMBARDMENT 369 - -DAMAGE DONE IN WESTMINSTER BY THE BOMBARDMENT 384 - -SHETLAND ISLANDS 433 - -THE DEFENCES OF SOUTH LONDON ON 26TH SEPTEMBER 457 - -SCENE OF THE STREET FIGHTING IN SHOREDITCH ON 27TH SEPTEMBER 478 - - - - -BOOK I - -THE ATTACK - - - - -CHAPTER I - -THE SURPRISE - - -Two of the myriad of London’s night-workers were walking down Fleet -Street together soon after dawn on Sunday morning, 2nd September. - -The sun had not yet risen. That main artery of London traffic, with its -irregular rows of closed shops and newspaper offices, was quiet and -pleasant in the calm, mystic light before the falling of the smoke-pall. - -Only at early morning does the dear old City look its best; in that one -quiet, sweet hour when the night’s toil has ended and the day’s has not -yet begun. Only in that brief interval at the birth of day, when the -rose tints of the sky glow slowly into gold, does the giant metropolis -repose--at least, as far as its business streets are concerned--for at -five o’clock the toiling millions begin to again pour in from all points -of the compass, and the stress and storm of London life at once -recommences. - -And in that hour of silent charm the two grey-bearded sub-editors, -though engaged in offices of rival newspapers, were making their way -homeward to Dulwich to spend Sunday in a well-earned rest, and were -chatting “shop” as Press men do. - -“I suppose you had the same trouble to get that Yarmouth story through?” -asked Fergusson, the news-editor of the _Weekly Dispatch_, as they -crossed Whitefriars Street. “We got about half a column, and then the -wire shut down.” - -“Telegraph or telephone?” inquired Baines, who was four or five years -younger than his friend. - -“We were using both--to make sure.” - -“So were we. It was a rattling good story--the robbery was mysterious, -to say the least--but we didn’t get more than half of it. Something’s -wrong with the line, evidently,” Baines said. “If it were not such a -perfect autumn morning, I should be inclined to think there’d been a -storm somewhere.” - -“Yes--funny, wasn’t it?” remarked the other. “A shame we haven’t the -whole story, for it was a first-class one, and we wanted something. Did -you put it on the contents-bill?” - -“No, because we couldn’t get the finish. I tried in every way--rang up -the Central News, P.A., Exchange Telegraph Company, tried to get through -to Yarmouth on the trunk, and spent half an hour or so pottering about, -but the reply from all the agencies, from everywhere in fact, was the -same--the line was interrupted.” - -“Just our case. I telephoned to the Post Office, but the reply came back -that the lines were evidently down.” - -“Well, it certainly looks as though there’d been a storm, but----” and -Baines glanced at the bright, clear sky overhead, just flushed by the -bursting sun--“there are certainly no traces of it.” - -“There’s often a storm on the coast when it’s quite still in London, my -dear fellow,” remarked his friend wisely. - -“That’s all very well. But when all communication with a big place like -Yarmouth is suddenly cut off, as it has been, I can’t help suspecting -that something has happened which we ought to know.” - -“You’re perhaps right after all,” Fergusson said. “I wonder if anything -_has_ happened. We don’t want to be called back to the office, either of -us. My assistant, Henderson, whom I’ve left in charge, rings me up over -any mare’s nest. The trunk telephones all come into the Post Office -exchange up in Carter Lane. Why not look in there before we go home? It -won’t take us a quarter of an hour, and we have several trains home from -Ludgate Hill.” - -Baines looked at his watch. Like his companion, he had no desire to be -called back to his office after getting out to Dulwich, and yet he was -in no mood to go making reporter’s inquiries. - -“I don’t think I’ll go. It’s sure to be nothing, my dear fellow,” he -said. “Besides, I have a beastly headache. I had a heavy night’s work. -One of my men is away ill.” - -“Well, at any rate, I think I’ll go,” Fergusson said. “Don’t blame me if -you get called back for a special edition with a terrible storm, great -loss of life, and all that sort of thing. So long.” And, smiling, he -waved his hand and parted from his friend in the booking-office of -Ludgate Hill Station. - -Quickening his pace, he hurried through the office and, passing out by -the back, ascended the steep, narrow street until he reached the Post -Office telephone exchange in Carter Lane, where, presenting his card, he -asked to see the superintendent-in-charge. - -Without much delay he was shown upstairs into a small private office, -into which came a short, dapper, fair-moustached man with the bustle of -a person in a great hurry. - -“I’ve called,” the sub-editor explained, “to know whether you can tell -me anything regarding the cause of the interruption of the line to -Yarmouth a short time ago. We had some important news coming through, -but were cut off just in the midst of it, and then we received -information that all the telephone and telegraph lines to Yarmouth were -interrupted.” - -“Well, that’s just the very point which is puzzling us at this moment,” -was the night-superintendent’s reply. “It is quite unaccountable. Our -trunk going to Yarmouth seems to be down, as well as the telegraphs. -Yarmouth, Lowestoft, and beyond Beccles seem all to have been suddenly -cut off. About eighteen minutes to four the operators noticed something -wrong, switched the trunks through to the testers, and the latter -reported to me in due course.” - -“That’s strange! Did they all break down together?” - -“No. The first that failed was the one that runs through Chelmsford, -Colchester, and Ipswich up to Lowestoft and Yarmouth. The operator found -that he could get through to Ipswich and Beccles. Ipswich knew nothing, -except that something was wrong. They could still ring up Beccles, but -not beyond.” - -As they were speaking, there was a tap at the door, and the assistant -night-superintendent entered, saying-- - -“The Norwich line through Scole and Long Stratton has now failed, sir. -About half-past four Norwich reported a fault somewhere north, between -there and Cromer. But the operator now says that the line is apparently -broken, and so are all the telegraphs from there to Cromer, Sheringham, -and Holt.” - -“Another line has gone, then!” exclaimed the superintendent-in-charge, -utterly astounded. “Have you tried to get on to Cromer by the other -routes--through Nottingham and King’s Lynn, or through Cambridge?” - -“The testers have tried every route, but there’s no response.” - -“You could get through to some of the places--Yarmouth, for instance--by -telegraphing to the Continent, I suppose?” asked Fergusson. - -“We are already trying,” responded the assistant superintendent. - -“What cables run out from the east coast in that neighbourhood?” -inquired the sub-editor quickly. - -“There are five between Southwold and Cromer--three run to Germany, and -two to Holland,” replied the assistant. “There’s the cable from Yarmouth -to Barkum, in the Frisian Islands; from Happisburg, near Mundesley, to -Barkum; from Yarmouth to Emden; from Lowestoft to Haarlem, and from -Kessingland, near Southwold, to Zandyport.” - -“And you are trying all the routes?” asked his superior. - -“I spoke to Paris myself an hour ago and asked them to cable by all five -routes to Yarmouth, Lowestoft, Kessingland, and Happisburg,” was the -assistant’s reply. “I also asked Liverpool Street Station and King’s -Cross to wire down to some of their stations on the coast, but the reply -was that they were in the same predicament as ourselves--their lines -were down north of Beccles, Wymondham, East Dereham, and also south of -Lynn. I’ll just run along and see if there’s any reply from Paris. They -ought to be through by this time, as it’s Sunday morning, and no -traffic.” And he went out hurriedly. - -“There’s certainly something very peculiar,” remarked the -superintendent-in-charge to the sub-editor. “If there’s been an -earthquake or an electrical disturbance, then it is a most extraordinary -one. Every single line reaching to the coast seems interrupted.” - -“Yes. It’s uncommonly funny,” Fergusson remarked. “I wonder what could -have happened. You’ve never had a complete breakdown like this before?” - -“Never. But I think----” - -The sentence remained unfinished, for his assistant returned with a slip -of paper in his hand, saying-- - -“This message has just come in from Paris. I’ll read it. ‘Superintendent -Telephones, Paris, to Superintendent Telephones, London.--Have obtained -direct telegraphic communication with operators of all five cables to -England. Haarlem, Zandyport, Barkum, and Emden all report that cables -are interrupted. They can get no reply from England, and tests show that -cables are damaged somewhere near English shore.’” - -“Is that all?” asked Fergusson. - -“That’s all. Paris knows no more than we do,” was the assistant’s -response. - -“Then the Norfolk and Suffolk coasts are completely isolated--cut off -from post office, railways, telephones, and cables!” exclaimed the -superintendent. “It’s mysterious--most mysterious!” And, taking up the -instrument upon his table, he placed a plug in one of the holes down the -front of the table itself, and a moment later was in conversation with -the official in charge of the traffic at Liverpool Street, repeating the -report from Paris, and urging him to send light engines north from -Wymondham or Beccles into the zone of mystery. - -The reply came back that he had already done so, but a telegram had -reached him from Wymondham to the effect that the road-bridges between -Kimberley and Hardingham had apparently fallen in, and the line was -blocked by débris. Interruption was also reported beyond Swaffham, at a -place called Little Dunham. - -“Then even the railways themselves are broken!” cried Fergusson. “Is it -possible that there’s been a great earthquake?” - -“An earthquake couldn’t very well destroy all five cables from the -Continent,” remarked the superintendent gravely. - -The latter had scarcely placed the receiver upon the hook when a third -man entered--an operator who, addressing him, said-- - -“Will you please come to the switchboard, sir? There’s a man in the -Ipswich call office who has just told me a most extraordinary story. He -says that he started in his motor-car alone from Lowestoft to London at -half-past three this morning, and just as it was getting light he was -passing along the edge of Henham Park, between Wangford village and -Blythburgh, when he saw three men apparently repairing the telegraph -wires. One was up the pole, and the other two were standing below. As he -passed he saw a flash, for, to his surprise, one of the men fired -point-blank at him with a revolver. Fortunately, the shot went wide, and -he at once put on a move and got down into Blythburgh village, even -though one of his tyres went down. It had probably been pierced by the -bullet fired at him, as the puncture was unlike any he had ever had -before. At Blythburgh he informed the police of the outrage, and the -constable, in turn, woke up the postmaster, who tried to telegraph back -to the police at Wrentham, but found that the line was interrupted. Was -it possible that the men were cutting the wires, instead of repairing -them? He says that after repairing the puncture he took the village -constable and three other men on his car and went back to the spot, -where, although the trio had escaped, they saw that wholesale havoc had -been wrought with the telegraphs. The lines had been severed in four or -five places, and whole lengths tangled up into great masses. A number of -poles had been sawn down, and were lying about the roadside. Seeing that -nothing could be done, the gentleman remounted his car, came on to -Ipswich, and reported the damage at our call office.” - -“And is he still there?” exclaimed the superintendent quickly, amazed at -the motorist’s statement. - -“Yes. I asked him to wait for a few moments in order to speak to you, -sir.” - -“Good. I’ll go at once. Perhaps you’d like to come also, Mr. Fergusson?” - -And all four ran up to the gallery, where the huge switchboards were -ranged around, and where the night operators, with the receivers -attached to one ear, were still at work. - -In a moment the superintendent had taken the operator’s seat, adjusted -the ear-piece, and was in conversation with Ipswich. A second later he -was speaking with the man who had actually witnessed the cutting of the -trunk line. - -While he was thus engaged an operator at the farther end of the -switchboard suddenly gave vent to a cry of surprise and disbelief. - -“What do you say, Beccles? Repeat it,” he asked excitedly. - -Then a moment later he shouted aloud-- - -“Beccles says that German soldiers--hundreds of them--are pouring into -the place! The Germans have landed at Lowestoft, they think.” - -All who heard those ominous words sprang up dumbfounded, staring at each -other. - -The assistant-superintendent dashed to the operator’s side and seized -his apparatus. - -“Halloa--halloa, Beccles! Halloa--halloa--halloa!” - -The response was some gruff words in German, and the sound of scuffling -could distinctly be heard. Then all was silent. - -Time after time he rang up the small Suffolk town, but in vain. Then he -switched through to the testers, and quickly the truth was plain. - -The second trunk line to Norwich, running from Ipswich by Harleston and -Beccles, had been cut farther towards London. - -But what held everyone breathless in the trunk telephone headquarters -was that the Germans had actually effected the surprise landing that had -so often in recent years been predicted by military critics; that -England on that quiet September Sunday morning had been attacked. -England was actually invaded. It was incredible! - -Yet London’s millions in their Sunday morning lethargy were in utter -ignorance of the grim disaster that had suddenly fallen upon the land. - -Fergusson was for rushing at once back to the _Weekly Dispatch_ office -to get out an extraordinary edition, but the superintendent, who was -still in conversation with the motorist, urged judicious forethought. - -“For the present, let us wait. Don’t let us alarm the public -unnecessarily. We want corroboration. Let us have the motorist up here,” -he suggested. - -“Yes,” cried the sub-editor. “Let me speak to him.” - -Over the wire Fergusson begged the stranger to come at once to London -and give his story, declaring that the military authorities would -require it. Then, just as the man who had been shot at by German advance -spies--for such they had undoubtedly been--in order to prevent the truth -leaking out, gave his promise to come to town at once, there came over -the line from the coastguard at Southwold a vague, incoherent telephone -message regarding strange ships having been seen to the northward, and -asking for connection with Harwich; while King’s Cross and Liverpool -Street Stations both rang up almost simultaneously, reporting the -receipt of extraordinary messages from King’s Lynn, Diss, Harleston, -Halesworth, and other places. All declared that German soldiers were -swarming over the north, that Lowestoft and Beccles had been seized, and -that Yarmouth and Cromer were isolated. - -Various stationmasters reported that the enemy had blown up bridges, -taken up rails, and effectually blocked all communication with the -coast. Certain important junctions were already held by the enemy’s -outposts. - -Such was the amazing news received in that high-up room in Carter Lane, -City, on that sweet, sunny morning when all the great world of London -was at peace, either still slumbering or week-ending. - -Fergusson remained for a full hour and a half at the Telephone Exchange, -anxiously awaiting any further corroboration. Many wild stories came -over the wires telling how panic-stricken people were fleeing inland -away from the enemy’s outposts. Then he took a hansom to the _Weekly -Dispatch_ office, and proceeded to prepare a special edition of his -paper--an edition containing surely the most amazing news that had ever -startled London. - -Fearing to create undue panic, he decided not to go to press until the -arrival of the motorist from Ipswich. He wanted the story of the man who -had actually seen the cutting of the wires. He paced his room excitedly, -wondering what effect the news would have upon the world. In the rival -newspaper offices the report was, as yet, unknown. With journalistic -forethought he had arranged that at present the bewildering truth should -not leak out to his rivals, either from the railway termini or from the -telephone exchange. His only fear was that some local correspondent -might telegraph from some village or town nearer the metropolis which -was still in communication with the central office. - -Time passed very slowly. Each moment increased his anxiety. He had sent -out the one reporter who remained on duty to the house of Colonel Sir -James Taylor, the Permanent Under-Secretary for War. Halting before the -open window, he looked up and down the street for the arriving -motor-car. But all was quiet. - -Eight o’clock had just boomed from Big Ben, and London still remained in -her Sunday morning peace. The street, bright in the warm sunshine, was -quite empty, save for a couple of motor-omnibuses and a sprinkling of -gaily dressed holiday-makers on their way to the day excursion trains. - -In that centre of London--the hub of the world--all was comparatively -silent, the welcome rest after the busy turmoil that through six days in -the week is unceasing, that fevered throbbing of the heart of the -world’s great capital. - -Of a sudden, however, came the whirr-r of an approaching car, as a -thin-faced, travel-stained man tore along from the direction of the -Strand and pulled up before the office. The fine car, a six-cylinder -“Napier,” was grey with the mud of country roads, while the motorist -himself was smothered until his goggles had been almost entirely -covered. - -Fergusson rushed out to him, and a few moments later the pair were in -the upstairs room, the sub-editor swiftly taking down the motorist’s -story, which differed very little from what he had already spoken over -the telephone. - -Then, just as Big Ben chimed the half-hour, the echoes of the -half-deserted Strand were suddenly awakened by the loud, strident -voices of the newsboys shouting-- - -“_Weekly Dispatch_, spe-shall! Invasion of England this morning! Germans -in Suffolk! Terrible panic! Spe-shall! _Weekly Dispatch_, Spe-shall!” - -As soon as the paper had gone to press Fergusson urged the -motorist--whose name was Horton, and who lived at Richmond--to go with -him to the War Office and report. Therefore, both men entered the car, -and in a few moments drew up before the new War Office in Whitehall. - -“I want to see somebody in authority at once!” cried Fergusson excitedly -to the sentry as he sprang out. - -“You’ll find the caretaker, if you ring at the side entrance--on the -right, there,” responded the man, who then marched on. - -“The caretaker!” echoed the excited sub-editor bitterly. “And England -invaded by the Germans!” - -He, however, dashed towards the door indicated and rang the bell. At -first there was no response. But presently there were sounds of a slow -unbolting of the door, which opened at last, revealing a tall, elderly -man in slippers, a retired soldier. - -“I must see somebody at once!” exclaimed the journalist. “Not a moment -must be lost. What permanent officials are here?” - -“There’s nobody ’ere, sir,” responded the man in some surprise at the -request. “It’s Sunday morning, you know.” - -“Sunday! I know that, but I must see someone. Whom can I see?” - -“Nobody, until to-morrow morning. Come then.” And the old soldier was -about to close the door when the journalist prevented him, asking-- - -“Where’s the clerk-in-residence?” - -“How should I know? Gone up the river, perhaps. It’s a nice mornin’.” - -“Well, where does he live?” - -“Sometimes ’ere--sometimes in ’is chambers in Ebury Street,” and the -man mentioned the number. - -“Better come to-morrow, sir, about eleven. Somebody’ll be sure to see -you then.” - -“To-morrow!” cried the other. “To-morrow! You don’t know what you’re -saying, man! To-morrow will be too late. Perhaps it’s too late now. The -Germans have landed in England!” - -“Oh, ’ave they?” exclaimed the caretaker, regarding both men with -considerable suspicion. “Our people will be glad to know that, I’m -sure--to-morrow.” - -“But haven’t you got telephones, private telegraphs, or something here, -so that I can communicate with the authorities? Can’t you ring up the -Secretary of State, the Permanent Secretary, or somebody?” - -The caretaker hesitated a moment, his incredulous gaze fixed upon the -pale, agitated faces of the two men. - -“Well, just wait a minute, and I’ll see,” he said, disappearing into a -long cavernous passage. - -In a few moments he reappeared with a constable whose duty it was to -patrol the building. - -The officer looked the strangers up and down, and then asked-- - -“What’s this extraordinary story? Germans landed in England--eh? That’s -fresh, certainly!” - -“Yes. Can’t you hear what the newsboys are crying? Listen!” exclaimed -the motorist. - -“H’m. Well, you’re not the first gentleman who’s been here with a scare, -you know. If I were you I’d wait till to-morrow,” and he glanced -significantly at the caretaker. - -“I won’t wait till to-morrow!” cried Fergusson. “The country is in -peril, and you refuse to assist me on your own responsibility--you -understand?” - -“All right, my dear sir,” replied the officer, leisurely hooking his -thumbs in his belt. “You’d better drive home, and call again in the -morning.” - -“So this is the way the safety of the country is neglected!” cried the -motorist bitterly, turning away. “Everyone away, and this great place, -built merely to gull the public, I suppose, empty and its machinery -useless. What will England say when she learns the truth?” - -As they were walking in disgust out from the portico towards the car, a -man jumped from a hansom in breathless haste. He was the reporter whom -Fergusson had sent out to Sir James Taylor’s house in Cleveland Square, -Hyde Park. - -“They thought Sir James spent the night with his brother up at -Hampstead,” he exclaimed. “I’ve been there, but find that he’s away for -the week-end at Chilham Hall, near Buckden.” - -“Buckden! That’s on the Great North Road!” cried Horton. “We’ll go at -once and find him. Sixty miles from London. We can be there under two -hours!” - -And a few minutes later the pair were tearing due north in the direction -of Finchley, disregarding the signs from police constables to stop, -Horton wiping the dried mud from his goggles and pulling them over his -half-closed eyes. - -They had given the alarm in London, and the _Weekly Dispatch_ was -spreading the amazing news everywhere. People read it eagerly, gasped -for a moment, and then smiled in utter disbelief. But the two men were -on their way to reveal the appalling truth to the man who was one of the -heads of that complicated machinery of inefficient defence which we so -proudly term our Army. - -Bursting with the astounding information, they bent their heads to the -wind as the car shot onward through Barnet and Hatfield, then, entering -Hitchin, they were compelled to slow down in the narrow street as they -passed the old Sun Inn, and afterwards out again upon the broad highway -with its many telegraph lines, through Biggleswade, Tempsford, and Eaton -Socon, until, in Buckden, Horton pulled up to inquire of a farm labourer -for Chilham Hall. - -“Oop yon road to the left, sir. ’Bout a mile Huntingdon way,” was the -man’s reply. - -Then away they sped, turning a few minutes later into the handsome -lodge-gates of Chilham Park, and running up the great elm avenue, drew -up before the main door of the ancient hall, a quaint many-gabled old -place of grey stone. - -“Is Sir James Taylor in?” Fergusson shouted to the liveried man who -opened the door. - -“He’s gone across the home farm with his lordship and the keepers,” was -the reply. - -“Then take me to him at once. I haven’t a second to lose. I must see him -this instant.” - -Thus urged, the servant conducted the pair across the park and through -several fields to the edge of a small wood, where two elderly men were -walking with a couple of keepers and several dogs about them. - -“The tall gentleman is Sir James. The other is his lordship,” the -servant explained to Fergusson; and a few moments later the breathless -journalist, hurrying up, faced the Permanent Under-Secretary with the -news that England was invaded--that the Germans had actually effected a -surprise landing on the east coast. - -Sir James and his host stood speechless. Like others, they at first -believed the pale-faced, bearded sub-editor to be a lunatic, but a few -moments later, when Horton briefly repeated the story, they saw that -whatever might have occurred, the two men were at least in deadly -earnest. - -“Impossible!” cried Sir James. “We should surely have heard something of -it if such were actually the case! The coastguard would have telephoned -the news instantly. Besides, where is our fleet?” - -“The Germans evidently laid their plans with great cleverness. Their -spies, already in England, cut the wires at a pre-arranged hour last -night,” declared Fergusson. “They sought to prevent this gentleman from -giving the alarm by shooting him. All the railways to London are already -either cut, or held by the enemy. One thing, however, is clear--fleet or -no fleet, the east coast is entirely at their mercy.” - -Host and guest exchanged dark glances. - -“Well, if what you say is the actual truth,” exclaimed Sir James, -“to-day is surely the blackest day that England has ever known.” - -“Yes, thanks to the pro-German policy of the Government and the false -assurances of the Blue Water School. They should have listened to Lord -Roberts,” snapped his lordship. “I suppose you’ll go at once, Taylor, -and make inquiries?” - -“Of course,” responded the Permanent Secretary. And a quarter of an hour -later, accepting Horton’s offer, he was sitting in the car as it headed -back towards London. - -Could the journalist’s story be true? As he sat there, with his head -bent against the wind and the mud splashing into his face, Sir James -recollected too well the repeated warnings of the past five years, -serious warnings by men who knew our shortcomings, but to which no -attention had been paid. Both the Government and the public had remained -apathetic, the idea of peril had been laughed to scorn, and the country -had, ostrich-like, buried its head in the sand, and allowed Continental -nations to supersede us in business, in armaments, in everything. - -The danger of invasion had always been ridiculed as a mere alarmist’s -fiction; those responsible for the defence of the country had smiled, -the Navy had been reduced, and the Army had remained in contented -inefficiency. - -If the blow had really been struck by Germany? If she had risked three -or four, out of her twenty-three, army corps, and had aimed at the heart -of the British Empire? What then? Ay! what then? - -As the car swept down Regent Street into Pall Mall and towards -Whitehall, Sir James saw on every side crowds discussing the vague but -astounding reports now published in special editions of all the Sunday -papers, and shouted wildly everywhere. - -Boys bearing sheets fresh from the Fleet Street presses were seized, -and bundles torn from them by excited Londoners eager to learn the -latest intelligence. - -Around both War Office and Admiralty great surging crowds were -clamouring loudly for the truth. Was it the truth, or was it only a -hoax? Half London disbelieved it. Yet from every quarter, from the north -and from across the bridges, thousands were pouring in to ascertain what -had really occurred, and the police had the greatest difficulty in -keeping order. - -In Trafalgar Square, where the fountains were plashing so calmly in the -autumn sunlight, a shock-headed man mounted the back of one of the lions -and harangued the crowd with much gesticulation, denouncing the -Government in the most violent terms; but the orator was ruthlessly -pulled down by the police in the midst of his fierce attack. - -It was half-past two o’clock in the afternoon. The Germans had already -been on English soil ten hours, yet London was in ignorance of where -they had actually landed, and utterly helpless. - -All sorts of wild rumours were afloat, rumours that spread everywhere -throughout the metropolis, from Hampstead to Tooting, from Barking to -Hounslow, from Willesden to Woolwich. The Germans were in England! - -But in those first moments of the astounding revelation the excitement -centred in Trafalgar Square and its vicinity. Men shouted and -threatened, women shrieked and wrung their hands, while wild-haired -orators addressed groups at the street corners. - -Where was our Navy? they asked. Where was our “command of the sea” of -which the papers had always talked so much? If we possessed that, then -surely no invader could ever have landed? Where was our Army--that brave -British Army that had fought triumphantly a hundred campaigns, and which -we had been assured by the Government was always ready for any -emergency? When would it face the invader and drive him back into the -sea? - -When? - -And the wild, shouting crowds looked up at the many windows of the -Admiralty and the War Office, ignorant that both those huge buildings -only held terrified caretakers and a double watch of police constables. - -Was England invaded? Were foreign legions actually overrunning Norfolk -and Suffolk, and were we really helpless beneath the iron heel of the -enemy? - -It was impossible--incredible! England was on the most friendly terms -with Germany. Yet the blow had fallen, and London--or that portion of -her that was not enjoying its Sunday afternoon nap in the smug -respectability of the suburbs--stood amazed and breathless, in -incredulous wonder. - - - - -CHAPTER II - -EFFECT IN THE CITY - - -Monday, 3rd September 1910, was indeed Black Monday for London. - -By midnight on Sunday the appalling news had spread everywhere. Though -the full details of the terrible naval disasters were not yet to hand, -yet it was vaguely known that our ships had been defeated in the North -Sea, and many of them sunk. - -Before 7 a.m. on Monday, however, telegrams reaching London by the -subterranean lines from the north gave thrilling stories of frightful -disasters we had, while all unconscious, suffered at the hands of the -German fleet. - -With London, the great cities of the north, Liverpool, Manchester, -Sheffield, and Birmingham, awoke utterly dazed. It seemed incredible. -And yet the enemy had, by his sudden and stealthy blow, secured command -of the sea and actually landed. - -The public wondered why a formal declaration of war had not previously -been made, ignorant of the fact that the declaration preceding the -Franco-German War was the first made by any civilised nation prior to -the commencement of hostilities for one hundred and seventy years. The -peril of the nation was now recognised on every hand. - -Eager millions poured into the City by every train from the suburbs and -towns in the vicinity of the metropolis, anxious to ascertain the truth -for themselves, pale with terror, wild with excitement, indignant that -our land forces were not already mobilised and ready to move eastward to -meet the invader. - -As soon as the banks were opened there was a run on them, but by noon -the Bank of England had suspended all specie payments. The other banks, -being thus unable to meet their engagements, simply closed the doors, -bringing business to an abrupt standstill. Consols stood at 90 on -Saturday, but by noon on Monday were down to 42--lower even than they -were in 1798, when they stood at 47¼. Numbers of foreigners tried to -speculate heavily, but were unable to do so, for banking being suspended -they could not obtain transfers. - -On the Stock Exchange the panic in the afternoon was indescribable. -Securities of every sort went entirely to pieces, and there were no -buyers. Financiers were surprised that no warning in London had betrayed -the position of affairs, London being the money centre of the world. -Prior to 1870 Paris shared with London the honour of being the pivot of -the money market, but on the suspension of cash payments by the Bank of -France during the Franco-German War, Paris lost that position. Had it -not been that the milliards comprising the French War indemnity were -intact in golden louis in the fortress of Spandau, Germany could never -have hoped to wage sudden war with Great Britain before she had made -Berlin independent of London in a money sense, or, at any rate, to -accumulate sufficient gold to carry on the war for at least twelve -months. The only way in which she could have done this was to raise her -rate so as to offer better terms than London. Yet directly the Bank of -England discovered the rate of exchange going against her, and her stock -of gold diminishing, she would have responded by raising the English -bank-rate in order to check the flow. Thus competition would have gone -on until the rates became so high that all business would be checked, -and people would have realised their securities to obtain the necessary -money to carry on their affairs. Thus, no doubt, the coming war would -have been forecasted had it not been for Germany’s already prepared -war-chest, which the majority of persons have nowadays overlooked. Its -possession had enabled Germany to strike her sudden blow, and now the -Bank of England, which is the final reserve of gold in the United -Kingdom, found that as notes were cashed so the stock of gold diminished -until it was in a few hours compelled to obtain from the Government -suspension of the Bank Charter. This enabled the Bank to suspend cash -payment, and issue notes without a corresponding deposit of the -equivalent in gold. - -The suspension, contrary to increasing the panic, had, curiously enough, -the immediate effect of somewhat allaying it. Plenty of people in the -City were confident that the blow aimed could not prove an effective -one, and that the Germans, however many might have landed, would quickly -be sent back again. Thus many level-headed business men regarded the -position calmly, believing that when our command of the sea was again -re-established, as it must be in a day or two, the enemy would soon be -non-existent. - -Business outside the money market was, of course, utterly demoralised. -The buying of necessities was now uppermost in everyone’s mind. Excited -crowds in the streets caused most of the shops in the City and West End -to close, while around the Admiralty were great crowds of eager men and -women of all classes, tearful wives of bluejackets jostling with -officers’ ladies from Mayfair and Belgravia, demanding news of their -loved ones--inquiries which, alas! the casualty office were unable to -satisfy. The scene of grief, terror, and suspense was heartrending. -Certain ships were known to have been sunk with all on board after -making a gallant fight, and those who had husbands, brothers, lovers, or -fathers on board wept loudly, calling upon the Government to avenge the -ruthless murder of their loved ones. - -In Manchester, in Liverpool, indeed all through the great manufacturing -centres of the north, the excitement of London was reflected. - -In Manchester there was a panic “on ’Change,” and the crowd in Deansgate -coming into collision with a force of mounted police, some rioting -occurred, and a number of shop windows broken, while several agitators -who attempted to speak in front of the Infirmary were at once arrested. - -Liverpool was the scene of intense anxiety and excitement, when a report -was spread that German cruisers were about the estuary of the Mersey. It -was known that the coal staithes, cranes, and petroleum tanks at -Penarth, Cardiff, Barry, and Llanelly had been destroyed; that Aberdeen -had been bombarded; and there were rumours that notwithstanding the -mines and defences of the Mersey, the city of Liverpool, with all its -crowd of valuable shipping, was to share the same fate. - -The whole place was in a ferment. By eleven o’clock the stations were -crowded by women and children sent by the men away into the -country--anywhere from the doomed and defenceless city. The Lord Mayor -vainly endeavoured to inspire confidence, but telegrams from London -announcing the complete financial collapse, only increased the panic. In -the Old Hay Market and up Dale Street to the landing-stages, around the -Exchange, the Town Hall, and the Custom House, the excited throng -surged, talking eagerly, terrified at the awful blow that was -prophesied. At any moment the grey hulls of those death-dealing cruisers -might appear in the river; at any moment the first shell might fall and -burst in their midst. - -Some--the wiseacres--declared that the Germans would never shell a city -without first demanding an indemnity, but the majority argued that as -they had already disregarded the law of nations in attacking our fleet -without provocation, they would bombard Liverpool, destroy the shipping, -and show no quarter. - -Thus during the whole of the day Liverpool existed in hourly terror of -destruction. - -London remained breathless, wondering what was about to happen. Every -hour the morning newspapers continued to issue special editions, -containing all the latest facts procurable regarding the great naval -disaster. The telegraphs and telephones to the north were constantly at -work, and survivors of a destroyer who had landed at St. Abb’s, north of -Berwick, gave thrilling and terrible narratives. - -A shilling a copy was no unusual price to be paid in Cornhill, Moorgate -Street, Lombard Street, or Ludgate Hill for a halfpenny paper, and the -newsboys reaped rich harvests, except when, as so often happened, they -were set upon by the excited crowd, and their papers torn from them. - -Fleet Street was entirely blocked, and the traffic stopped by crowds -standing before the newspaper offices waiting for the summary of each -telegram to be posted up upon the windows. And as each despatch was -read, sighs, groans, and curses were heard on every hand. - -The Government--the sleek-mannered, soft-spoken, self-confident Blue -Water School--were responsible for it all, was declared on every hand. -They should have placed the Army upon a firm and proper footing; they -should have encouraged the establishment of rifle clubs to teach every -young man how to defend his home; they should have pondered over the -thousand and one warnings uttered during the past ten years by eminent -men, statesmen, soldiers, and writers: they should have listened to -those forcible and eloquent appeals of Earl Roberts, England’s military -hero, who, having left the service, had no axe to grind. He spoke the -truth in the House of Lords in 1906 fearlessly, from patriotic motives, -because he loved his country and foresaw its doom. And yet the -Government and the public had disregarded his ominous words. - -And now the blow he prophesied had fallen. It was too late--too late! -The Germans were upon English soil. - -What would the Government now do? What, indeed, could it do? - -There were some who shouted in bravado that when mobilised the British -troops would drive the invader into the sea; but such men were unaware -of the length of time necessary to mobilise our Army for home -defence--or of the many ridiculous regulations which appear to be laid -down for the purpose of hindering rather than accelerating the -concentration of forces. - -All through the morning, amid the chaos of business in the City, the -excitement had been steadily growing, until shortly after three o’clock -the _Daily Mail_ issued a special edition containing a copy of a German -proclamation which, it was said, was now posted everywhere in East -Norfolk, East Suffolk, and in Maldon in Essex, already occupied by the -enemy. - -The original proclamation had been found pasted by some unknown hand -upon a barn door near the town of Billericay, and had been detached and -brought to London in a motor-car by the _Mail’s_ correspondent. - -It showed plainly the German intention was to deal a hard and crushing -blow, and it struck terror into the heart of London, for it read as will -be seen on next page. - -Upon the walls of the Mansion House, the Guildhall, outside the Bank of -England, the Royal Exchange, and upon the various public buildings -within the City wards a proclamation by the Lord Mayor quickly appeared. -Even upon the smoke-blackened walls of St. Paul’s Cathedral, where, at -that moment, a special service was being held, big posters were being -posted and read by the assembled thousands. - -There was a sullen gloom everywhere as the hours went slowly by, and the -sun sank into the smoke haze, shedding over the giant city a blood-red -afterglow--a light that was ominous in those breathless moments of -suspense and terror. - -Westward beyond Temple Bar proclamations were being posted. Indeed, upon -all the hoardings in Greater London appeared various broadsheets side by -side. One by the Chief Commissioner of Police, regulating the traffic in -the streets, and appealing to the public to assist in the preservation -of order; another by the Mayor - - +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ - | [Illustration] | - | | - | =PROCLAMATION.= | - | | - | =WE, GENERAL COMMANDING THE 3rd GERMAN ARMY,= | - | | - | HAVING SEEN the proclamation of His Imperial Majesty the Emperor | - | William, King of Prussia, Chief of the Army, which authorises the | - | generals commanding the different German Army Corps to establish special | - | measures against all municipalities and persons acting in contradiction | - | to the usages of war, and to take what steps they consider necessary for | - | the well-being of the troops, | - | | - | HEREBY GIVE PUBLIC NOTICE: | - | | - | (1) THE MILITARY JURISDICTION is hereby established. It applies to all | - | territory of Great Britain occupied by the German Army, and to every | - | action endangering the security of the troops by rendering assistance to | - | the enemy. The Military Jurisdiction will be announced and placed | - | vigorously in force in every parish by the issue of this present | - | proclamation. | - | | - | (2) ANY PERSON OR PERSONS NOT BEING BRITISH SOLDIERS, or not showing by | - | their dress that they are soldiers: | - | | - | (_a_) SERVING THE ENEMY as spies; | - | | - | (_b_) MISLEADING THE GERMAN TROOPS when charged to serve as guides; | - | | - | (_c_) SHOOTING, INJURING, OR ROBBING any person belonging to the German | - | Army, or forming part of its personnel; | - | | - | (_d_) DESTROYING BRIDGES OR CANALS, damaging telegraphs, telephones, | - | electric light wires, gasometers, or railways, interfering with roads, | - | setting fire to munitions of war, provisions, or quarters established by | - | German troops; | - | | - | (_e_) TAKING ARMS against the German troops, | - | | - | =WILL BE PUNISHED BY DEATH.= | - | | - | IN EACH CASE the officer presiding at the Council of War will be charged | - | with the trial, and pronounce judgment. Councils of War may not | - | pronounce ANY OTHER CONDEMNATION SAVE THAT OF DEATH. | - | | - | THE JUDGMENT WILL BE IMMEDIATELY EXECUTED. | - | | - | (3) TOWNS OR VILLAGES in the territory in which the contravention takes | - | place will be compelled to pay indemnity equal to one year’s revenue. | - | | - | (4) THE INHABITANTS MUST FURNISH necessaries for the German troops daily | - | as follows:-- | - | | - | 1 lb. 10 oz. bread. 1 oz. tea. 1½ pints beer, or 1 | - | 13 oz. meat. 1½ oz. tobacco or 5 cigars. wine-glassful of | - | 3 lb. potatoes. ½ pint wine. brandy or whisky. | - | | - | The ration for each horse:-- | - | | - | | - | 13 lb. oats. 3 lb. 6 oz. hay. 3 lb. 6 oz. straw. | - | | - | | - | (ALL PERSONS WHO PREFER to pay an indemnity in money may do so at the | - | rate of 2s. per day per man.) | - | | - | (5) COMMANDERS OF DETACHED corps have the right to requisition all that | - | they consider necessary for the well-being of their men, and will | - | deliver to the inhabitants official receipts for goods so supplied. | - | | - | WE HOPE IN CONSEQUENCE that the inhabitants of Great Britain will make | - | no difficulty in furnishing all that may be considered necessary. | - | | - | (6) AS REGARDS the individual transactions between the troops and the | - | inhabitants, we give notice that one German mark shall be considered the | - | equivalent to one English shilling. | - | | - | =The General Commanding the Ninth German Army Corps, | - | VON KRONHELM.= | - | | - | BECCLES, _September the Third, 1910_. | - +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ - -of Westminster, couched in similar terms to that of the Lord Mayor; and -a Royal Proclamation, brief but noble, urging every Briton to do his -duty, to take his part in the defence of King and country, and to unfurl -the banner of the British Empire that had hitherto carried peace and -civilisation in every quarter of the world. Germany, whose independence -had been respected, had attacked us without provocation; therefore -hostilities were, alas, inevitable. - -When the great poster printed in big capitals and headed by the Royal -Arms made its appearance it was greeted with wild cheering. - -It was a message of love from King to people--a message to the highest -and to the lowest. Posted in Whitechapel at the same hour as in -Whitehall, the throngs crowded eagerly about it and sang “God Save our -Gracious King,” for if they had but little confidence in the War Office -and Admiralty, they placed their trust in their Sovereign, the first -diplomat in Europe. Therefore the loyalty was spontaneous, as it always -is. They read the royal message, and cheered and cheered again. - -As evening closed in yet another poster made its appearance in every -city, town, and village in the country, a poster issued by military and -police officers and naval officers in charge of dockyards--the order for -mobilisation. - -The public, however, little dreamed of the hopeless confusion in the War -Office, in the various regimental dépôts throughout the country, at -headquarters everywhere, and in every barracks in the kingdom. The armed -forces of England were passing from a peace to a war footing; but the -mobilisation of the various units--namely, its completion in men, -horses, and material--was utterly impossible in the face of the -extraordinary regulations which, kept a strict secret by the Council of -Defence until this moment, revealed a hopeless state of things. - -The disorder was frightful. Not a regiment was found fully equipped and -ready to march. There was a dearth of officers, equipment, horses, -provisions, of, indeed, everything. Some regiments simply existed in -the pages of the Army List, but when they came to appear on parade they -were mere paper phantoms. Since the Boer War the Government had, with -culpable negligence, disregarded the needs of the Army, even though they -had the object-lesson of the struggle between Russia and Japan before -their eyes. - -In many cases the well-meaning efforts on the part of volunteers proved -merely a ludicrous farce. Volunteers from Glasgow found themselves due -to proceed to Dorking, in Surrey; those from Aberdeen were expected at -Caterham, while those from Carlisle made a start for Reading, and found -themselves in the quiet old city of Durham. And in a hundred cases it -was the same. Muddle, confusion, and a chain of useless regulations at -Aldershot, Colchester, and York all tended to hinder the movement of -troops to their points of concentration, bringing home to the -authorities at last the ominous warnings of the unheeded critics of the -past. - -In that hour of England’s deadly peril, when not a moment should have -been lost in facing the invader, nothing was ready. Men had guns without -ammunition; cavalry and artillery were without horses; engineers only -half-equipped; volunteers with no transport whatever; balloon sections -without balloons, and searchlight units vainly trying to obtain the -necessary instruments. - -Horses were being requisitioned everywhere. The few horses that, in the -age of motor-cars, now remained on the roads in London were quickly -taken for draught, and all horses fit to ride were commandeered for the -cavalry. - -During the turmoil daring German spies were actively at work south of -London. The Southampton line of the London and South-Western Railway was -destroyed--with explosives placed by unknown hands--by the bridge over -the Wey, near Weybridge, being blown up, and again that over the Mole, -between Walton and Esher, while the Reading line was cut by the great -bridge over the Thames at Staines being destroyed. The line, too, -between Guildford and Waterloo was also rendered impassable by the -wreck of the midnight train, which was blown up half-way between -Wansborough and Guildford, while in several other places nearer London -bridges were rendered unstable by dynamite, the favourite method -apparently being to blow the crown out of an arch. - -The well-laid plans of the enemy were thus quickly revealed. Among the -thousands of Germans working in London, the hundred or so spies, all -trusted soldiers, had passed unnoticed, but, working in unison, each -little group of two or three had been allotted its task, and had -previously thoroughly reconnoitred the position and studied the most -rapid or effective means. - -The railways to the east and north-east coasts all reported wholesale -damage done on Sunday night by the advance agents of the enemy, and now -this was continued on the night of Monday in the south, the objective -being to hinder troops from moving north from Aldershot. This was, -indeed, effectual, for only by a long _détour_ could the troops be moved -to the northern defences of London, and while many were on Tuesday -entrained, others were conveyed to London by the motor-omnibuses sent -down for that purpose. - -Everywhere through London and its vicinity, as well as in Manchester, -Birmingham, Sheffield, Coventry, Leeds, and Liverpool, motor-cars and -motor-omnibuses from dealers and private owners were being requisitioned -by the military authorities, for they would, it was believed, replace -cavalry to a very large extent. - -Wild and extraordinary reports were circulated regarding the disasters -in the north. Hull, Newcastle, Gateshead, and Tynemouth had, it was -believed, been bombarded and sacked. The shipping in the Tyne was -burning, and the Elswick works were held by the enemy. Details were, -however, very vague, as the Germans were taking every precaution to -prevent information reaching London. - - - - -CHAPTER III - -NEWS OF THE ENEMY - - -Terror and excitement reigned everywhere. The wildest rumours were -hourly afloat. London was a seething stream of breathless multitudes of -every class. - -On Monday morning the newspapers throughout the kingdom had devoted -greater part of their space to the extraordinary intelligence from -Norfolk and Suffolk and Essex and other places. - -That we were actually invaded was plain, but most of the newspapers -happily preserved a calm, dignified tone, and made no attempt at -sensationalism. The situation was far too serious. - -Like the public, however, the Press had been taken entirely by surprise. -The blow had been so sudden and so staggering that half the alarming -reports were discredited. - -In addition to the details of the enemy’s operations, as far as could as -yet be ascertained, the _Morning Post_ on Monday contained an account of -a mysterious occurrence at Chatham, which read as follows:-- - - -“Chatham, _Sept. 1_ (11.30 p.m.). - - “An extraordinary accident took place on the Medway about eight - o’clock this evening. The steamer _Pole Star_, 1200 tons register, - with a cargo of cement from Frindsbury, was leaving for Hamburg and - came into collision with the _Frauenlob_, of Bremen, a somewhat - larger boat, which was inward bound, in a narrow part of the - channel about half-way between Chatham and Sheerness. Various - accounts of the mishap are current, but whichever of the vessels - was responsible for the bad steering or neglect of the ordinary - rules of the road, it is certain that the _Frauenlob_ was cut into - by the stem of the _Pole Star_ on her port bow, and sank almost - across the channel. The _Pole Star_ swung alongside her after the - collision, and very soon afterwards sank in an almost parallel - position. Tugs and steamboats carrying a number of naval officers - and the port authorities are about to proceed to the scene of the - accident, and if, as seems probable, there is no chance of raising - the vessels, steps will be at once taken to blow them up. In the - present state of our foreign relations such an obstruction directly - across the entrance to one of our principal warports is a national - danger, and will not be allowed to remain a moment longer than can - be helped.” - - -“_Sept. 2._ - - “An extraordinary _dénoûement_ has followed the collision in the - Medway reported in my telegram of last night, which renders it - impossible to draw any other conclusion than that the affair is - anything but an accident. Everything now goes to prove that the - whole business was premeditated and was the result of an organised - plot with the object of ‘bottling up’ the numerous men-of-war that - are now being hurriedly equipped for service in Chatham Dockyard. - In the words of Scripture, ‘An enemy hath done this,’ and there can - be very little doubt as to the quarter from which the outrage was - engineered. It is nothing less than an outrage to perpetrate what - is in reality an overt act of hostility in a time of profound - peace, however much the political horizon may be darkened by - lowering warclouds. We are living under a Government whose leader - lost no time in announcing that no fear of being sneered at as a - ‘Little Englander’ would deter him from seeking peace and ensuring - it by a reduction of our naval and military armaments, even at - that time known to be inadequate to the demands likely to be made - upon them if our Empire is to be maintained. We trust, however, - that even this parochially minded statesman will lose no time in - probing the conspiracy to its depths, and in seeking instant - satisfaction from those personages, however highly placed and - powerful, who have committed this outrage on the laws of - civilisation. - - “As soon as the news of the collision reached the dockyard the - senior officer at Kethole Reach was ordered by wire to take steps - to prevent any vessel from going up the river, and he at once - despatched several picket-boats to the entrance to warn in-coming - ships of the blocking of the channel, while a couple of other boats - were sent up to within a short distance of the obstruction to make - assurance doubly sure. The harbour signals ordering ‘suspension of - all movings,’ were also hoisted at Garrison Point. - - “Among other ships which were stopped in consequence of these - measures was the _Van Gysen_, a big steamer hailing from Rotterdam, - laden, it was stated, with steel rails for the London, Chatham, and - Dover Railway, which were to be landed at Port Victoria. She was - accordingly allowed to proceed, and anchored, or appeared to - anchor, just off the railway pier at that place. Ten minutes later - the officer of the watch on board H.M.S. _Medici_ reported that he - thought she was getting under way again. It was then pretty dark. - An electric searchlight being switched on, the _Van Gysen_ was - discovered steaming up the river at a considerable speed. The - _Medici_ flashed the news to the flagship, which at once fired a - gun, hoisted the recall, and the _Van Gysen’s_ number in the - international code, and despatched her steam pinnace, with orders - to overhaul the Dutchman and stop him at whatever cost. A number of - the marines on guard were sent in her with their rifles. - - “The _Van Gysen_ seemed well acquainted with the channel, and - continually increased her speed as she went up the river, so that - she was within half a mile of the scene of the accident before the - steamboat came up with her. The officer in charge called to the - skipper through his megaphone to stop his engines and to throw him - a rope, as he wanted to come on board. After pretending for some - time not to understand him, the skipper slowed his engines and - said, ‘Ver vel, come ‘longside gangway.’ As the pinnace hooked on - at the gangway, a heavy iron cylinder cover was dropped into her - from the height of the _Van Gysen’s_ deck. It knocked the bowman - overboard and crashed into the fore part of the boat, knocking a - big hole in the port side forward. She swung off at an angle and - stopped to pick up the man overboard. Her crew succeeded in - rescuing him, but she was making water fast, and there was nothing - for it but to run her into the bank. The lieutenant in charge - ordered a rifle to be fired at the _Van Gysen_ to bring her to, but - she paid not the smallest attention, as might have been expected, - and went on her way with gathering speed. - - “The report, however, served to attract the attention of the two - picket-boats which were patrolling up the river. As she turned a - bend in the stream they both shot up alongside out of the darkness, - and ordered her peremptorily to stop. But the only answer they - received was the sudden extinction of all lights in the steamer. - They kept alongside, or rather one of them did, but they were quite - helpless to stay the progress of the big wall-sided steamer. The - faster of the picket-boats shot ahead with the object of warning - those who were busy examining the wrecks. But the _Van Gysen_, - going all she knew, was close behind, an indistinguishable black - blur in the darkness, and hardly had the officer in the picket-boat - delivered his warning before she was heard close at hand. Within a - couple of hundred yards of the two wrecks she slowed down, for fear - of running right over them. On she came, inevitable as Fate. There - was a crash as she came into collision with the central - deck-houses of the _Frauenlob_ and as her bows scraped past the - funnel of the _Pole Star_. Then followed no fewer than half a dozen - muffled reports. Her engines went astern for a moment, and down she - settled athwart the other two steamers, heeling over to port as she - did so. All was turmoil and confusion. None of the dockyard and - naval craft present were equipped with searchlights. The - harbourmaster, the captain of the yard, even the admiral - superintendent, who had just come down in his steam launch, all - bawled out orders. - - “Lights were flashed and lanterns swung up and down in the vain - endeavour to see more of what had happened. Two simultaneous shouts - of ‘Man overboard!’ came from tugs and boats at opposite sides of - the river. When a certain amount of order was restored it was - discovered that a big dockyard tug was settling down by the head. - It seems she had been grazed by the _Van Gysen_ as she came over - the obstruction, and forced against some portion of one of the - foundered vessels, which had pierced a hole in her below the - water-line. - - “In the general excitement the damage had not been discovered, and - now she was sinking fast. Hawsers were made fast to her with the - utmost expedition possible in order to tow her clear of the - piled-up wreckage, but it was too late. There was only just time to - rescue her crew before she, too, added herself to the under-water - barricade. As for the crew of the _Van Gysen_, it is thought that - all must have gone down in her, as no trace of them has as yet been - discovered, despite a most diligent search, for it was considered - that, in an affair which had been so carefully planned as this - certainly must have been, some provision must surely have been made - for the escape of the crew. Those who have been down at the scene - of the disaster report that it will be impossible to clear the - channel in less than a week or ten days, using every resource of - the dockyard. - - “A little later I thought I would go down to the dockyard on the - off-chance of picking up any further information. The Metropolitan - policemen at the gate would on no account allow me to pass at that - hour, and I was just turning away when by a great piece of good - fortune I ran up against Commander Shelley. - - “I was on board his ship as correspondent during the manœuvres - of the year before last. ‘And what are you doing down here?’ was - his very natural inquiry after we had shaken hands. I told him that - I had been down in Chatham for a week past as special - correspondent, reporting on the half-hearted preparations being - made for the possible mobilisation, and took the opportunity of - asking him if he could give me any further information about the - collision between the three steamers in the Medway. ‘Well,’ said - he, ‘the best thing you can do is to come right along with me. I - have just been hawked out of bed to superintend the diving - operations which will begin the moment there is a gleam of - daylight.’ Needless to say, this just suited me, and I hastened to - thank him and to accept his kind offer. ‘All right,’ he said, ‘but - I shall have to make one small condition.’ - - “‘And that is?’ I queried. - - “‘Merely to let me “censor” your telegrams before you send them,’ - he returned. ‘You see, the Admiralty might not like to have too - much said about this business, and I don’t want to find myself in - the dirt-tub.’ - - “The stipulation was a most reasonable one, and however I disliked - the notion of having probably my best paragraphs eliminated, I - could not but assent to my friend’s proposition. So away we marched - down the echoing spaces of the almost deserted dockyard till we - arrived at the _Thunderbolt_ pontoon. Here lay a pinnace with steam - up, and, lighted down the sloping side of the old ironclad by the - lantern of the policeman on duty, we stepped on board and shot out - into the centre of the stream. We blew our whistles and the - coxswain waved a lantern, whereupon a small tug that had a couple - of dockyard lighters attached gave a hoarse ‘toot’ in response, and - followed us down the river. We sped along in the darkness against a - strong tide that was making up-stream, past Upnor Castle, that - quaint old Tudor fortress with its long line of modern powder - magazines, and along under the deeper shadows beneath Hoo Woods - till we came abreast of the medley of mud flats and grass-grown - islets just beyond them. Here, above the thud of the engines and - the plash of the water, a thin, long-drawn-out cry wavered through - the night. ‘Someone hailing the boat, sir,’ reported the lookout - forward. We had all heard it. ‘Ease down,’ ordered Shelley, and - hardly moving against the rushing tideway we listened for its - repetition. Again the voice was raised in quavering supplication. - ‘What the dickens does he say?’ queried the commander. ‘It’s - German,’ I answered. ‘I know that language well. I think he’s - asking for help. May I answer him?’ - - “‘By all means. Perhaps he belongs to one of those steamers.’ The - same thought was in my own mind. I hailed in return, asking where - he was and what he wanted. The answer came back that he was a - shipwrecked seaman, who was cold, wet, and miserable, and implored - to be taken off from the islet where he found himself, cut off from - everywhere by water and darkness. We ran the boat’s nose into the - bank, and presently succeeded in hauling on board a miserable - object, wet through, and plastered from head to foot with black - Medway mud. The broken remains of a cork life-belt hung from his - shoulders. A dram of whisky somewhat revived him. ‘And now,’ said - Shelley, ‘you’d better cross-examine him. We may get something out - of the fellow.’ The foreigner, crouched down shivering in the - stern-sheets half covered with a yellow oilskin that some - charitable bluejacket had thrown over him, appeared to me in the - light of the lantern that stood on the deck before him to be not - only suffering from cold, but from terror. A few moments’ - conversation with him confirmed my suspicions. I turned to Shelley - and exclaimed, ‘He says he’ll tell us everything if we spare his - life,’ I explained. ‘I’m sure I don’t want to shoot the chap,’ - replied the commander. ‘I suppose he’s implicated in this “bottling - up” affair. If he is, he jolly well deserves it, but I don’t - suppose anything will be done to him. Anyway, his information may - be valuable, and so you may tell him that he is all right as far as - I’m concerned, and I will do my best for him with the Admiral. I - daresay that will satisfy him. If not, you might threaten him a - bit. Tell him anything you like if you think it will make him - speak.’ To cut a long story short, I found the damp Dutchman - amenable to reason, and the following is the substance of what I - elicited from him. - - “He had been a deck hand on board the _Van Gysen_. When she left - Rotterdam he did not know that the trip was anything out of the - way. There was a new skipper whom he had not seen before, and there - were also two new mates with a new chief engineer. Another steamer - followed them all the way till they arrived at the Nore. On the way - over he and several other seamen were sent for by the captain and - asked if they would volunteer for a dangerous job, promising them - £50 a-piece if it came off all right. He and five others agreed, as - did two or three stokers, and were then ordered to remain aft and - not communicate with any others of the crew. Off the Nore all the - remainder were transferred to the following steamer, which steamed - off to the eastward. After they were gone the selected men were - told that the officers all belonged to the Imperial German Navy, - and by orders of the Kaiser were about to attempt to block up the - Medway. - - “A collision between two other ships had been arranged for, one of - which was loaded with a mass of old steel rails into which liquid - cement had been run, so that her hold contained a solid - impenetrable block. The _Van Gysen_ carried a similar cargo, and - was provided with an arrangement for blowing holes in her bottom. - The crew were provided with life-belts and the half of the money - promised, and all except the captain, the engineer, and the two - mates dropped overboard just before arriving at the sunken vessels. - They were advised to make their way to Gravesend, and then to shift - for themselves as best they could. He had found himself on a small - island, and could not muster up courage to plunge into the cold - water again in the darkness. - - “‘By Jove! This means war with Germany, man!--War!’ was Shelley’s - comment. At two o’clock this afternoon we knew that it did, for the - news of the enemy’s landing in Norfolk was signalled down from the - dockyard. We also knew from the divers that the cargo of the sunken - steamers was what the rescued seaman had stated it to be. Our - bottle has been fairly well corked.” - -This amazing revelation showed how cleverly contrived was the German -plan of hostilities. All our splendid ships at Chatham had, in that -brief half-hour, been bottled up and rendered utterly useless. Yet the -authorities were not blameless in the matter, for in November 1905 a -foreign warship actually came up the Medway in broad daylight, and was -not noticed until she began to bang away her salutes, much to the utter -consternation of everyone! - -This incident, however, was but one of the many illustrations of -Germany’s craft and cunning. The whole scheme had been years in careful -preparation. - -She intended to invade us, and regarded every stratagem as allowable in -her sudden dash upon England, an expedition which promised to result in -the most desperate war of modern times. - -At that moment the _Globe_ reproduced those plain, prophetic words of -Lord Overstone, written some years before to the Royal Defence -Commission: “Negligence alone can bring about the calamity under -discussion. Unless we suffer ourselves to be surprised we cannot be -invaded with success. It is useless to discuss what will occur or what -can be done after London has fallen into the hands of an invading foe. -The apathy which may render the occurrence of such a catastrophe -possible will not afterwards enable the country, enfeebled, dispirited, -and disorganised by the loss of its capital, to redeem the fatal error.” - -Was that prophecy to be fulfilled? - -Some highly interesting information was given by Lieutenant Charles -Hammerton, 1st Volunteer Battalion Suffolk Regiment, of Ipswich, who -with his company of Volunteer cyclists reconnoitred the enemy’s position -in East Suffolk during Monday night. Interviewed by the Ipswich -correspondent of the Central News, he said: - -“We left Ipswich at eight o’clock in order to reconnoitre all the roads -and by-roads in the direction of Lowestoft. For the first twelve miles, -as far as Wickham Market, we knew that the country was clear of the -enemy, but on cautiously entering Saxmundham--it now being quite -dark--we pulled up before Gobbett’s shop in the High Street, and there -learnt from a group of terrified men and women that a German -reconnoitring patrol consisting of a group of about ten Uhlans under a -sergeant, and supported by other groups all across the country to -Framlingham and Tannington, had been in the town all day, holding the -main road to Lowestoft, and watching in the direction of Ipswich. For -hours they had patrolled the south end opposite Waller’s, upon whose -wall they posted a copy of Von Kronhelm’s proclamation. - -“They threatened to shoot any person attempting to move southward out of -the town. Three other Germans were on the old church tower all day -making signals northward at intervals. Then, as night closed in, the -Uhlans refreshed themselves at the Bell, and with their black and white -pennants fluttering - - +------------------------------------------------------------+ - | | - | [Illustration] | - | | - | PROCLAMATION. | - | | - | CITIZENS OF LONDON. | - | | - | | - | THE NEWS OF THE BOMBARDMENT of the | - | City of Newcastle and the landing of the German Army | - | at Hull, Weybourne, Yarmouth, and other places along | - | the East Coast is unfortunately confirmed. | - | | - | THE ENEMY’S INTENTION is to march upon | - | the City of London, which must be resolutely defended. | - | | - | THE BRITISH NATION and the Citizens of | - | London, in face of these great events, must be energetic | - | in order to vanquish the invader. | - | | - | The ADVANCE must be CHALLENGED FOOT | - | BY FOOT. The people must fight for King and | - | Country. | - | | - | Great Britain is not yet dead, for indeed, the more | - | serious her danger, the stronger will be her unanimous | - | patriotism. | - | | - | GOD SAVE THE KING. | - | | - | HARRISON, _Lord Mayor_. | - | | - | Mansion House, | - | London, _September 3rd, 1910_. | - | | - +------------------------------------------------------------+ - - THE LORD MAYOR’S APPEAL TO LONDON. - -from their lances, clattered backward in the direction of Yoxford. - -“I had sent scouts off the main road from Woodbridge, through -Framlingham, Tannington, and Wilby, with orders to push on if possible -to Hoxne, to join the main road to Harleston, which I judged must be on -the enemy’s flank. Each man knew those difficult crossroads well, which -was necessary, we having to travel noiselessly without lights. - -“In the bar-parlour of the Bell at Saxmundham we held consultation with -a sergeant of police and a couple of constables, from whom we gathered -some further information, and then decided to push cautiously north and -ascertain into what positions the Uhlans had retired for the night, and, -if possible, the whereabouts of the enemy’s march outposts. I had with -me twelve men. Nine of us were in uniform, including myself, but the -other four preferred to go in mufti, though warned of the risk that they -might be treated as spies. - -“Carefully, and in silence, we got past the crossroad, to Kelsale, on -past the Red House, and down into Yoxford village, without meeting a -soul. We were told in Yoxford by the excited villagers that there were -foreign soldiers and motor-cyclists constantly passing and repassing all -day, but that soon after seven o’clock they had all suddenly retired by -the road leading back to Haw Wood. Whether they had gone to the right to -Blythburgh, or to the left to Halesworth, was, however, unknown. Our -expedition was a most risky one. We knew that we carried our lives in -our hands, and yet the War Office and the whole country were anxiously -waiting for the information which we hoped to gain. Should we push on? I -put it to my companions--brave fellows every one of them, even though -the Volunteers have so often been sneered at--and the decision was -unanimous that we should reconnoitre at all costs. - -“Therefore, again in silence, we went forward, determining to take the -Lowestoft high road. Where the enemy’s outposts were, we had no idea. -Quietly we skirted Thorington Park, and were just ascending the bridge -over the Blyth, before entering Blythburgh, when of a sudden we saw -silhouetted on the slope against the star-lit sky a small group of -heavily-accoutred German infantry, who had their arms piled beside the -road, while two were acting as sentries close at hand. - -“At once we were challenged in German. In an instant we flung ourselves -from our machines, and took shelter in a hedge opposite. Several times -was the gruff challenge repeated, and as I saw no possibility of -crossing the bridge, we stealthily turned our cycles round and prepared -to mount. Of a sudden we were evidently perceived, and next second shots -whistled about us, and poor Maitland, a private, fell forward upon his -face in the road--dead. We heard loud shouting in German, which we could -not understand, and in a moment the place seemed alive with the -foreigners, while we only just had time to mount and tear away in the -direction we had come. At Haw Wood I decided to pass the river by a -by-road I knew at Wissett, avoiding Halesworth on the right. As far as -Chediston Green all was quiet, but on turning northward to Wissett at -the cross-roads outside the inn we perceived three men lurking in the -shadow beneath the wall. - -“With one of my men I abandoned my machine, and crept softly in their -direction, not knowing whether they were farm labourers or the enemy’s -outposts. Slowly, and with great caution, we moved forward until, on -listening intently, I heard them in conversation. They were speaking in -German! On my return to my section, Plunkett, one of the privates in -mufti, volunteered to creep past without his machine, get to Aldous -Corner, and so reconnoitre the country towards the enemy’s headquarters, -which, from Von Kronhelm’s proclamation, we knew to be at Beccles. - -“Under our breath we wished him God-speed, and a moment later he -disappeared in the darkness. What afterwards happened we can only -surmise. All we know is that he probably stumbled over a length of -barbed wire stretched across the road, for of a sudden the three lurking -Germans ran across in his direction. There was a sound of muffled oaths -and curses, a quick shuffling of struggling feet, and the triumphant -shout in German as a prisoner was secured. - -“The truth held us breathless. Poor Plunkett was captured as a spy! - -“We could do nothing to save him, for to reveal ourselves meant capture -or death. Therefore we were compelled to again retire. We then slipped -along the by-roads until we reached Rumburgh, narrowly avoiding -detection by sentries stationed at the fork leading to Redisham. -Rumburgh was the native place of one of my men named Wheeler, and -fortunately he knew every hedge, wall, ditch, and field in the vicinity. -Acting as our guide, he left the main road, and by a series of footpaths -took us to the main Bungay Road at St. Lawrence. Continuing again by -circuitous footpaths, he took us to the edge of Redisham Park, where we -discovered a considerable number of German infantry encamped, evidently -forming supports to the advance line of outposts. It then became -difficult how to act, but this dilemma was quickly solved by Wheeler -suggesting that he being in mufti should take the other two -plain-clothes men and push on to Beccles, we having now safely passed -the outposts and being actually within the enemy’s lines. No doubt we -had penetrated the advance line of outposts when we struck off from -Rumburgh, therefore there only remained for us to turn back and make -good our escape, which we did by crossroads in the direction of Bungay. -Wheeler and his two brave companions had hidden their cycles and rifles -in the ditch outside the park, and had gone forward with whispered -good-byes. - -“Presently we found ourselves at Methingham Castle, where we again saw -groups of Germans waiting for the dawn, while squadrons of cavalry and -motor-cyclists were apparently preparing to move out along Stone Street -to scour all the country to the south-west. These we at once gave a wide -berth, and succeeded at last in getting down to the Waveney and crossing -it, little the worse, save for a wetting. Near Harleston, four miles to -the south-west, we came across two of our men whom we had left at -Woodbridge, and from them learnt that we were at last free of the enemy. -Therefore, by three o’clock we were back again in Ipswich, and -immediately made report to the adjutant of our regiment, who was -anxiously awaiting our return to headquarters. The scene during the -night in Ipswich was one of terror and disorder, the worst fears being -increased by our report. - -“Would Wheeler return? That was the crucial question. If he got to -Beccles he might learn the German movements and the disposition of their -troops. Yet it was a terribly risky proceeding, death being the only -penalty for spies. - -“Hour after hour we remained in eager suspense for news of the three -gallant fellows who had risked their lives for their country, until -shortly after eight I heard shouts outside in the street, and, covered -with mud and perspiration, and bleeding from a nasty cut on his -forehead, the result of a spill, Wheeler burst triumphantly in. - -“Of the others he had seen nothing since leaving them in the -market-place at Beccles, but when afterwards he secured his own cycle, -the two other cycles were still hidden in the ditch. Travelling by paths -across the fields, however, he joined the road south of Wissett, and -there in the grey morning was horrified to see the body of poor Plunkett -suspended from a telegraph pole. The unfortunate fellow had, no doubt, -been tried at a drum-head court-martial and sentenced to be hanged as a -warning to others! - -“During the two and a half hours Wheeler was in Beccles, he made good -use of eyes and ears, and his report--based upon information given him -by a carter whom the enemy had compelled to haul supplies from -Lowestoft--was full of deepest interest and most valuable. - -“From my own observations, combined with Wheeler’s information, I was -enabled to draw up a pretty comprehensive report, and point out on the -map the exact position of the German Army Corps which had landed at -Lowestoft. - -“Repeated briefly, it is as follows:-- - -“Shortly before three o’clock on Sunday morning the coastguard at -Lowestoft, Corton, and Beach End discovered that their telephonic -communication was interrupted, and half an hour later, to the surprise -of everyone, a miscellaneous collection of mysterious craft were seen -approaching the harbour; and within an hour many of them were high and -dry on the beach, while others were lashed alongside the old dock, the -new fish-docks of the Great Eastern Railway, and the wharves, -disembarking a huge force of German infantry, cavalry, motor-infantry, -and artillery. The town, awakened from its slumbers, was utterly -paralysed, the more so when it was discovered that the railway to London -was already interrupted, and the telegraph lines all cut. On landing, -the enemy commandeered all provisions, including the stock at Kent’s, -Sennett’s, and Lipton’s, in the London Road, all motor-cars they could -discover, horses and forage, while the banks were seized, and the -infantry falling in, marched up Old Nelson Street into High Street and -out upon the Beccles Road. The first care of the invaders was to prevent -the people of Lowestoft damaging the Swing Bridge, a strong guard being -instantly mounted upon it, and so quietly and orderly was the landing -effected that it was plain the German plans of invasion were absolutely -perfect in every detail. - -“Few hitches seemed to occur. The mayor was summoned at six o’clock by -General von Kronhelm, the generalissimo of the German Army, and briefly -informed that the town of Lowestoft was occupied, and that all armed -resistance would be punished by death. Then, ten minutes later, when the -German war-flag was flying from several flagstaffs in various parts of -the town, the people realised their utter helplessness. - -“The Germans, of course, knew that irrespective of the weather, a -landing could be effected at Lowestoft, where the fish docks and -wharves, with their many cranes, were capable of dealing with a large -amount of stores. The Denes, that flat, sandy plain between the upper -town and the sea, they turned into a camping-ground, and large numbers -were billeted in various quarters of the town itself, in the -better-class houses along Marine Parade, in the Royal, the Empire, and -Harbour hotels, and especially in those long rows of private houses in -London Road South. - -“The people were terror-stricken. To appeal to London for help was -impossible, as the place had been cut entirely off, and around it a -strong chain of outposts had already been thrown, preventing anyone from -escaping. The town had, in a moment, as it seemed, fallen at the mercy -of the foreigners. Even the important-looking police constables of -Lowestoft, with their little canes, were crestfallen, sullen, and -inactive. - -“While the landing was continuing during all Sunday the advance guard -moved rapidly over Mutford Bridge, along the Beccles Road, occupying a -strong position on the west side of the high ground east of Lowestoft. -Beccles, where Von Kronhelm established his headquarters, resting as it -does on the River Waveney, is strongly held. The enemy’s main position -appears to run from Windle Hill, one mile north-east of Gillingham, -thence north-west through Bull’s Green, Herringfleet Hill, over to Grove -Farm and Hill House to Ravingham, whence it turns easterly to Haddiscoe, -which is at present its northern limit. The total front from Beccles -Bridge north is about five miles, and commands the whole of the flat -plain west towards Norwich. It has its south flank resting on the River -Waveney, and to the north on Thorpe Marshes. The chief artillery -position is at Toft Monks--the highest point. Upon the high tower of -Beccles Church is established a signal station, communication being made -constantly with Lowestoft by helio by day, and acetylene lamps by night. - -“The enemy’s position has been most carefully chosen, for it is -naturally strong, and, being well held to protect Lowestoft from any -attack from the west, the landing can continue uninterruptedly, for -Lowestoft beach and docks are now entirely out of the line of any -British fire. - -“March outposts are at Blythburgh, Wenhaston, Holton, Halesworth, -Wissett, Rumburgh, Homersfield, and Bungay, and then north to Haddiscoe, -while cavalry patrols watch by day, the line roughly being from Leiston -through Saxmundham, Framlingham, and Tannington, to Hoxne. - -“The estimate, gleaned from various sources in Lowestoft and Beccles, is -that up to Monday at midday nearly a whole Army Corps, with stores, -guns, ammunition, etc., had already landed, while there are also reports -of a further landing at Yarmouth, and at a spot still farther north, but -at present there are no details. - -“The enemy,” he concluded, “are at present in a position of absolute -security.” - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -A PROPHECY FULFILLED - - -This authentic news of the position of the enemy, combined with the -vague rumours of other landings at Yarmouth, along the coast at some -unknown point north of Cromer, at King’s Lynn, and other places, -produced an enormous sensation in London, while the Central News -interview, circulated to all the papers in the Midlands and Lancashire, -increased the panic in the manufacturing districts. - -The special edition of the _Evening News_, issued about six o’clock on -Tuesday evening, contained another remarkable story which threw some -further light upon the German movements. It was, of course, known that -practically the whole of the Norfolk and Suffolk coast was already held -by the enemy, but with the exception of the fact that the enemy’s -cavalry vedettes and reconnoitring patrols were out everywhere at a -distance about twenty miles from the shore, England was entirely in the -dark as to what had occurred anywhere else but at Lowestoft. Attempts -similar to that of the Ipswich cyclist volunteers had been made to -penetrate the cavalry screen at various points, but in vain. What was in -progress was carefully kept a secret by the enemy. The veil was, -however, now lifted. The story which the _Evening News_ had obtained -exclusively, and which was eagerly read everywhere, had been related by -a man named Scotney, a lobster-fisherman, of Sheringham, in Norfolk, who -had made the following statement to the chief officer of coastguard at -Wainfleet, in Lincolnshire:-- - - “Just before dawn on Sunday morning I was in the boat with my son - Ted off the Robin Friend taking up the lobster pots, when we - suddenly saw about three miles offshore a mixed lot of - curious-looking craft strung out right across the horizon, and - heading apparently for Cromer. There were steamers big and little, - many of them towing queer flat-bottomed kind of boats, lighters, - and barges, which, on approaching nearer, we could distinctly see - were filled to their utmost capacity with men and horses. - - “Both Ted and I stood staring at the unusual sight, wondering - whatever it meant. They came on very quickly, however--so quickly, - indeed, that we thought it best to move on. The biggest ships went - along to Weybourne Gap, where they moored in the twenty-five feet - of water that runs in close to the shore, while some smaller - steamers and the flats were run up high and dry on the hard - shingle. Before this I noticed that there were quite a number of - foreign warships in the offing, with several destroyers far away in - the distance, both to east and west. - - “From the larger steamships all sorts of boats were lowered, - including apparently many collapsible whale-boats, and into these - in a most orderly manner, from every gangway and - accommodation-ladder, troops--Germans we afterwards discovered them - to be to our utter astonishment--began to descend. - - “These boats were at once taken charge of by steam pinnaces and - cutters and towed to the beach. When we saw this we were utterly - dumbfounded. Indeed, at first I believed it to be a dream, for ever - since I was a lad I had heard the ancient rhyme my old father was - so fond of repeating: - - “‘_He who would old England win,_ - _Must at Weybourne Hoop begin._’ - - “As everybody knows, nature has provided at that lonely spot every - advantage for the landing of hostile forces, and when the Spanish - Armada was expected, and again when Napoleon threatened an - invasion, the place was constantly watched. Yet nowadays, except - for the coastguard, it has been utterly unprotected and neglected. - - “The very first soldiers who landed formed up quickly, and under - the charge of an officer ran up the low hill to the coastguard - station, I suppose in order to prevent them signalling a warning. - The funny thing was, however, that the coastguards had already been - held up by several well-dressed men--spies of the Germans, I - suppose. I could distinctly see one man holding one of the guards - with his back to the wall, and threatening him with a revolver. - - “Ted and I had somehow been surrounded by the crowd of odd craft - which dodged about everywhere, and the foreigners now and then - shouted to me words that unfortunately I could not understand. - - “Meanwhile, from all the boats strung out along the beach, from - Sheringham right across to the Rocket House at Salthouse, swarms of - drab-coated soldiers were disembarking, the boats immediately - returning to the steamers for more. They must have been packed as - tightly as herrings in a barrel; but they all seemed to know where - to go to, because all along at various places little flags were - held by men, and each regiment appeared to march across and - assemble at its own flag. - - “Ted and I sat there as if we were watching a play. Suddenly we saw - from some of the ships and bigger barges, horses being lowered into - the water and allowed to swim ashore. Hundreds seemed to gain the - beach even as we were looking at them. Then, after the first lot of - horses had gone, boats full of saddles followed them. It seemed as - though the foreigners were too busy to notice us, and we--not - wanting to share the fate of Mr. Gunter, the coastguard, and his - mates--just sat tight and watched. - - “From the steamers there continued to pour hundreds upon hundreds - of soldiers who were towed to land, and then formed up in solid - squares, which got bigger and bigger. Horses innumerable--quite a - thousand I should reckon--were slung overboard from some of the - smaller steamers which had been run high and dry on the beach, and - as the tide had now begun to run down they landed only knee-deep in - water. Those steamers, it seemed to me, had big bilge keels, for as - the tide ebbed they did not heel over. They had, no doubt, been - specially fitted for the purpose. Out of some they began to hoist - all sorts of things, wagons, guns, motor-cars, large bales of - fodder, clothing, ambulances with big red crosses on them, - flat-looking boats--pontoons I think they call them--and great - piles of cooking pots and pans, square boxes of stores, or perhaps - ammunition, and as soon as anything was landed it was hauled up - above high-water mark. - - “In the meantime lots of men had mounted on horseback and ridden - off up the lane which leads into Weybourne village. At first half a - dozen started at a time; then, as far as I could judge, about fifty - more started. Then larger bodies went forward, but more and more - horses kept going ashore, as though their number was never-ending. - They must have been stowed mighty close, and many of the ships must - have been specially fitted up for them. - - “Very soon I saw cavalry swarming up over Muckleburgh, Warborough, - and Telegraph Hills, while a good many trotted away in the - direction of Runton and Sheringham. Then, soon after they had - gone--that is, in about an hour and a half from their first - arrival--the infantry began to move off, and as far as I could see, - they marched inland by every road, some in the direction of Kelling - Street and Holt, others over Weybourne Heath towards Bodham, and - still others skirting the woods over to Upper Sheringham. Large - masses of infantry marched along the Sheringham Road, and seemed to - have a lot of officers on horseback with them, while up on - Muckleburgh Hill I saw frantic signalling in progress. - - “By this time they had a quantity of carts and wagons landed, and a - large number of motor-cars. The latter were soon started, and, - manned by infantry, moved swiftly in procession after the troops. - The great idea of the Germans was apparently to get the beach clear - of everything as soon as landed, for all stores, equipment, and - other tackle were pushed inland as soon as disembarked. - - “The enemy kept on landing. Thousands of soldiers got ashore - without any check, and all proceeding orderly and without the - slightest confusion, as though the plans were absolutely perfect. - Everybody seemed to know exactly what to do. From where we were we - could see the coastguards held prisoners in their station, with - German sentries mounted around; and as the tide was now setting - strong to the westward, Ted and I first let our anchor off the - ground and allowed ourselves to drift. It occurred to me that - perhaps I might be able to give the alarm at some other coastguard - station if I could only drift away unnoticed in the busy scene now - in progress. - - “That the Germans had actually landed in England was now apparent; - yet we wondered what our own fleet could be doing, and pictured to - ourselves the jolly good drubbing that our cruisers would give the - audacious foreigner when they did haul in sight. It was for us, at - all costs, to give the alarm, so gradually we drifted off to the - nor’-westward, in fear every moment lest we should be noticed and - fired at. At last we got around Blakeney Point successfully, and - breathed more freely; then hoisting our sail, we headed for - Hunstanton, but seeing numbers of ships entering the Wash, and - believing them to be also Germans, we put our helm down and ran - across into Wainfleet Swatchway to Gibraltar Point, where I saw the - chief officer of coastguard, and told him all the extraordinary - events of that memorable morning.” - -The report added that the officer of coastguard in question had, three -hours before, noticed strange vessels coming up the Wash, and had -already tried to report by telegraph to his divisional inspecting -officer at Harwich, but could obtain no communication. An hour later, -however, it had become apparent that a still further landing was being -effected on the south side of the Wash, in all probability at King’s -Lynn. - -The fisherman Scotney’s statement had been sent by special messenger -from Wainfleet on Sunday evening, but owing to the dislocation of the -railway traffic north of London, the messenger was unable to reach the -offices of the coastguard in Victoria Street, Westminster, until Monday. -The report received by the Admiralty had been treated as confidential -until corroborated, lest undue public alarm should be caused. - -It had then been given to the Press as revealing the truth of what had -actually happened. - -The enemy had entered by the back door of England, and the sensation it -caused everywhere was little short of panic. - -Some further very valuable information was also received by the -Intelligence Department of the War Office, revealing the military -position of the invaders who had landed at Weybourne Hoop. - -It appears that Colonel Charles Macdonald, a retired officer of the -Black Watch, who lived in the “Boulevard” at Sheringham, making up his -mind to take the risk, had carefully noted all that was in progress -during the landing, had drawn up a clear description of it, and had, -after some narrow escapes, succeeded in getting through the German lines -to Melton Constable, and thence to London. He had, before his -retirement, served as military attaché at Berlin, and, being thoroughly -acquainted with the appearance of German uniforms, was able to include -in his report even the names of the regiments, and in some cases their -commanders. - -From his observations it was plain that the whole of the IVth German -Army Corps, about 38,000 men, had been landed at Weybourne, Sheringham, -and Cromer. It consisted of the 7th and 8th Divisions complete, -commanded respectively by Major-General Dickmann and Lieutenant-General -von Mirbach. The 7th Division comprised the 13th and 14th Infantry -Brigades, consisting of Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Dessau’s 1st Magdeburg -Regiment, the 3rd Magdeburg Infantry Regiment, Prince Louis Ferdinand -von Preussen’s 2nd Magdeburg Regiment, and the 5th Hanover Infantry -Regiment. Attached to this division were the Magdeburg Hussars No. 10, -and the Uhlan Regiment of Altmärk No. 16. - -In the 8th Division were the 15th and 16th Brigades, comprising a -Magdeburg Fusilier Regiment, an Anhalt Infantry Regiment, the 4th and -8th Thuringen Infantry, with the Magdeburg Cuirassiers, and a regiment -of Thuringen Hussars. The cavalry were commanded by Colonel Frölich, -while General von Kleppen was in supreme command of the whole corps. - -Careful reconnaissance of the occupied area showed that immediately on -landing, the German position extended from the little town of Holt, on -the west, eastward, along the main Cromer Road, as far as Gibbet Lane, -slightly south of Cromer, a distance of about five miles. This -constituted a naturally strong position; indeed, nature seemed to have -provided it specially to suit the necessities of a foreign invader. The -ground for miles to the south sloped gently away down to the plain, -while the rear was completely protected, so that the landing could -proceed until every detail had been completed. - -Artillery were massed on both flanks, namely, at Holt and on the high -ground near Felbrigg, immediately south of Cromer. This last-named -artillery was adequately supported by the detached infantry close at -hand. The whole force was covered by a strong line of outposts. Their -advanced sentries were to be found along a line starting from Thornage -village, through Hunworth, Edgefield, Barningham Green, Squallham, -Aldborough, Hanworth, to Roughton. In rear of them lay their picquets, -which were disposed in advantageous situations. The general line of -these latter were at North Street, Pondhills to Plumstead, thence over -to Matlash Hall, Aldborough Hall, and the rising ground north of -Hanworth. These, in their turn, were adequately supplemented by the -supports, which were near Hempstead Green, Baconsthorpe, North -Narningham, Bessingham, Sustead, and Melton. - -In case of sudden attack, reserves were at Bodham, West Beckham, East -Beckham, and Aylmerton, but orders had been issued by Von Kleppen, who -had established his headquarters at Upper Sheringham, that the line of -resistance was to be as already indicated--namely, that having the -Holt-Cromer Road for its crest. Cuirassiers, hussars, and some -motorists--commanded by Colonel von Dorndorf--were acting independently -some fifteen miles to the south, scouring the whole country, terrifying -the villagers, commandeering all supplies, and posting Von Kronhelm’s -proclamation, which has already been reproduced. - -From Colonel Macdonald’s inquiries it was shown that on the night of the -invasion six men, now known to have been advance agents of the enemy, -arrived at the Ship Inn, at Weybourne. Three of them took accommodation -for the night, while their companions slept elsewhere. At two o’clock -the trio let themselves out quietly, were joined by six other men, and -just as the enemy’s ships hove in sight nine of them seized the -coastguards and cut the wires, while the other three broke into the -Weybourne Stores, and, drawing revolvers, obtained possession of the -telegraph instrument to Sheringham and Cromer until they could hand it -over to the Germans. - -The panic in both Sheringham and Cromer when the astounded populace -found the enemy billeted on them was intense. There were still many -holiday-makers in the Grand and Burlington Hotels in Sheringham, as also -in the Metropole, Grand, and Paris at Cromer, and these, on that -memorable Sunday morning, experienced a rude awakening from their -slumbers. - -At Cromer the enemy, as soon as they landed, took possession of the post -office, commandeered all the stores at shops, including the West-End -Supply Stores and Rust’s; occupied the railway station on the hill, with -all its coal and rolling stock, and made prisoners of the coastguards, -the four wires, as at Weybourne, having already been cut by advance -agents, who had likewise seized the post office wires. A German naval -party occupied the coastguard station, and hoisting the German flag at -the peak of the staff in place of the white ensign, began to make rapid -signals with the semaphore and their own coloured bunting instead of our -coastguard flags. - -In the clean, red-brick little town of Sheringham all the grocers and -provision-dealers were given notice not to sell food to anyone, as it -was now in possession of the invaders, while a number of motor-cars -belonging to private persons were seized. Every lodging-house, every -hotel, and every boarding-house was quickly crowded by the German -officers, who remained to superintend the landing. Many machine guns -were landed on the pier at Cromer, while the heavier ordnance were -brought ashore at the gap and hauled up the fishermen’s slope. - -Colonel Macdonald, who had carefully marked a cycling road-map of the -district with his observations driving in his own dog-cart from one -point to the other, met with a number of exciting adventures. - -While in Holt on Monday evening--after a long day of constant -observation--he suddenly came face to face with Colonel Frölich, -commanding the enemy’s cavalry brigade, and was recognised. Frölich had -been aide-de-camp to the Emperor at the time when Macdonald was attaché -at the British Embassy, and both men were intimate friends. - -They stopped and spoke, Frölich expressing surprise and also regret that -they should meet as enemies after their long friendship. Macdonald, -annoyed at being thus recognised, took the matter philosophically as the -fortunes of war, and learnt from his whilom friend a number of valuable -details regarding the German position. - -The retired attaché, however, pushed his inquiries rather too far, and -unfortunately aroused the suspicions of the German cavalry commander, -with the result that the Englishman’s movements were afterwards very -closely watched. He then found himself unable to make any further -reconnaisance, and was compelled to hide his map under a heap of stones -near the Thornage Road, and there leave it for some hours, fearing lest -he should be searched and the incriminating plan found upon him. - -[Illustration: POSITION OF THE IVTH GERMAN ARMY CORPS TWELVE HOURS AFTER -LANDING AT WEYBOURNE, NORFOLK - -GEORGE PHILIP & SON L^{TD}.] - -At night, however, he returned cautiously to the spot, regained -possession of his treasure, and abandoning his dog-cart and horse in a -by-road near North Barningham, succeeded in getting over to Edgefield. -Here, however, he was discovered and challenged by the sentries. He -succeeded, nevertheless, in convincing them that he was not endeavouring -to escape; otherwise he would undoubtedly have been shot there and then, -as quite a dozen unfortunate persons had been at various points along -the German line. - -To obtain information of the enemy’s position this brave old officer had -risked his life, yet concealed in his golf-cap was the map which would -condemn him as a spy. He knew the peril, but faced it boldly, as an -English soldier should face it. - -His meeting with Frölich had been most unfortunate, for he knew that he -was now a marked man. - -At first the sentries disbelieved him, but, speaking German fluently, he -argued with them, and was at last allowed to go free. His one object was -to get the map into the hands of the Intelligence Department, but the -difficulties were, he soon saw, almost insurmountable. Picquets and -sentries held every road and every bridge, while the railway line -between Fakenham and Aylsham had been destroyed in several places, as -well as that between Melton Constable and Norwich. - -Through the whole night he wandered on, hoping to find some weak point -in the cordon about Weybourne, but in vain. The Germans were everywhere -keeping a sharp vigil to prevent anyone getting out with information, -and taking prisoners all upon whom rested the slightest suspicion. - -Near dawn, however, he found his opportunity, for at the junction of the -three roads near the little hamlet of Stody, a mile south of Hunworth, -he came upon a sleeping Uhlan, whose companions had evidently gone -forward into Briningham village. The horse was grazing quietly at the -roadside, and the man, tired out, lay stretched upon the bank, his -helmet by his side, his sabre still at his belt. - -Macdonald crept up slowly. If the man woke and discovered him he would -be again challenged. Should he take the man’s big revolver and shoot him -as he lay? - -No. That was a coward’s action, an unjustifiable murder, he decided. - -He would take the horse, and risk it by making a dash for life. - -Therefore, on tiptoe he crept up, passing the prostrate man, till he -approached the horse, and in a second, old though he was, he was -nevertheless in the saddle. But none too soon. The jingle of the bit -awakened the Uhlan suddenly, and he sprang up in time to see the -stranger mount. - -In an instant he took in the situation, and before the colonel could -settle himself in the saddle he raised his revolver and fired. - -The ball struck the colonel in the left shoulder, shattering it, but the -gallant man who was risking his life for his country only winced, cursed -his luck beneath his breath, set his teeth, and with the blood pouring -from the wound, made a dash for life, and succeeded in getting clean -away ere the alarm could be raised. - -Twelve hours later the valuable information the colonel had so valiantly -gained at such risk was in the hands of the Intelligence Department at -Whitehall, and had been transmitted back to Norwich and Colchester. - -That the Fourth German Army Corps were in a position as strong as those -who had landed at Lowestoft could not be denied, and the military -authorities could not disguise from themselves the extreme gravity of -the situation. - - - - -CHAPTER V - -OUR FLEET TAKEN UNAWARES - - -The first news of the great naval battle, as generally happens in war, -was confused and distorted. It did not clearly show how the victory had -been gained by the one side, or what had brought defeat upon the other. -Only gradually did the true facts appear. The following account, -however, of the sudden attack made by the Germans upon the British Fleet -represents as near an approach as can ever be made, writing after -events, to the real truth: - -On the fateful evening of September 1, it appears that the North Sea -Fleet lay peacefully at anchor off Rosyth, in the Firth of Forth. It -mustered sixteen battleships, four of them of the famous Dreadnought -class, and all powerful vessels. With it, and attached to it, was a -squadron of armoured cruisers eight ships strong, but no destroyers, as -its torpedo flotilla was taking part in the torpedo manœuvres in the -Irish Sea. Some excitement had been caused in the fleet by orders -received on the previous day, directing it to remain under steam ready -to put to sea at an hour’s notice. Officers and men had read the reports -in the papers announcing some friction with Germany, and had recalled -with ironical amusement certain speeches of the Premier, in which he had -declared that since his advent to power war was impossible between -civilised nations. On the morning of the First, however, the orders to -hold the fleet in readiness were cancelled, and Admiral Lord Ebbfleet -was instructed to wait at his anchorage the arrival of reinforcements -from the reserve divisions at the great naval ports. The Admiral had -reported some shortage of coal and ammunition, and had asked for further -supplies of both. A promise was made him that more coal should be sent -to Rosyth, but ammunition, he was told, it would be inconvenient and -unnecessary to forward at this juncture. There was no reason for -precipitation or alarm, a cipher telegram from Whitehall ran: Any sign -of either would irritate Germany and endanger the situation. He was -peremptorily enjoined to refrain from any act of preparation for war. -The estimates could not be exceeded without good reason, and the -necessary economies of the Admiralty had left no margin for unexpected -expenses. Even the commissioning of the reserve ships, he was told, was -not to be considered in any sense as pointing to the imminence of war; -it was merely a test of the readiness of the fleet. - -This remarkable despatch and the series of telegrams which accompanied -it were produced at the Parliamentary investigation after the war, and -caused simple stupefaction. There was not a hint in them of the peril -which menaced the North Sea Fleet. Not the safety of England, but the -feelings of the enemy, were considered. And yet the same utter absence -of precautions had characterised the policy of the Government during the -Fashoda crisis, when Mr. Goschen indignantly denied to an approving -House of Commons the suggestion that the dockyards had been busy or that -special efforts to prepare for war had been needed. In the North Sea -crisis again, the safety of England had been left to chance, and the -British fleets carefully withdrawn from the waters of the North Sea, or -placed in a position of such weakness that their defeat was a -probability. - -Lord Ebbfleet, the Admiral, however, was wiser than the Admiralty. There -were too many busybodies about, and the ships were too plainly under -observation, to make the full battle toilet. But all that afternoon his -crews were active in removing the woodwork, which could not, -unfortunately, be sent ashore or thrown into the water--that would have -caused excessive suspicion. He would personally have preferred to weigh -anchor and proceed to sea, but his instructions forbade this. A great -admiral at such a juncture might have disobeyed, and acted on his own -responsibility; but Lord Ebbfleet, though brave and capable, was not a -Nelson. Still, as well as he could, he made ready for war, and far into -the night the crews worked with a will. - -Torpedo-nets were got out in all the large ships; the guns were loaded; -the watch manned and armed ship; the ships’ torpedo boats were hoisted -out and patrolled the neighbouring waters; all ships had steam up ready -to proceed to sea, though the Admiralty had repeatedly censured Lord -Ebbfleet for the heinous offence of wasting coal. Unhappily, the -fortifications on the Firth of Forth were practically unmanned and -dismantled. Many of the guns had been sold in 1906 to effect economies. -In accordance with the policy of trusting to luck and the kindness of -the Germans, in fear, also, of provoking Germany, no steps had been -taken to mobilise their garrisons. Under the latest scheme of defence -which the experts in London had produced, it had been settled that -fortifications were not needed to protect the bases used by the fleet. -The garrison artillery had gone--sacrificed to the demand for economy. -It was considered amply sufficient to man the works with mobilised -Volunteers when the need arose. That the enemy might come like a thief -in the night had seemingly not occurred to the Government, the House of -Commons, or the Army reformers. - -Thus the Admiral had to trust entirely to his own ships and guns. The -very searchlights on the coast defences were not manned; everything -after the usual English fashion was left to luck and the last minute. -And, truth to tell, the pacific assurances of the Ministerial Press had -lulled anxiety to rest everywhere, save, perhaps, in the endangered -fleet. The nation wished to slumber, and it welcomed the leading -articles which told it that all disquietude was ridiculous. - -It was equally disastrous that no destroyers accompanied the fleet. The -three North Sea flotillas of twenty-four boats were conducting exercises -in the Irish Sea, whither they had been despatched after the grand naval -manœuvres were over. No flotilla of destroyers, and not even a single -one of those worn-out, broken-down torpedo boats which the Admiralty had -persisted in maintaining as a sham defence for the British coast, was -stationed in the Forth. For patrol work the Admiral had nothing but his -armoured cruisers and the little launches carried in his warships, which -were practically useless for the work of meeting destroyers. The mine -defences on the coast had been abolished in 1905, with the promise that -torpedo boats and submarines should take their place. Unluckily, the -Admiralty had sold off the stock of mines for what it would fetch, -before it had provided either the torpedo boats or the submarines, and -now five years after this act of supreme wisdom and economy there was -still no mobile defence permanently stationed north of Harwich. - -At nightfall six of the battleships’ steam torpedo boats were stationed -outside the Forth Bridge, east of the anchorage, to keep a vigilant -watch, while farther out to sea was the fast cruiser _Leicestershire_ -with all lights out, in mid-channel, just under the island of Inchkeith. -Abreast of her and close inshore, where the approach of hostile torpedo -craft was most to be feared, were three small ships’ torpedo boats to -the north and another three to the south, so that, in all, twelve -torpedo boats and one cruiser were in the outpost line, to prevent any -such surprise as that of the Russian fleet at Port Arthur on the night -of February 8, 1904. Thus began this most eventful night in the annals -of the British Navy. - -Hour after hour passed, while the lieutenants in charge of the torpedo -boats incessantly swept the horizon with night glasses; and on the -bridge of the _Leicestershire_ a small group of officers and signalmen -directed their telescopes and glasses out to sea. The great cruiser in -the darkness showed not a glimmer of light; gently her engines moved her -to and fro upon her beat; she looked through the blackness like a -monstrous destroyer herself; and as she went to and fro her guns were -always kept trained out seawards, with the watch ready. Towards 2 a.m. -the tide began to set strongly into the Forth, and at the same time the -weather became misty. Captain Cornwall, noting with uneasiness that the -horizon was becoming obscured, and that the field of vision was -narrowing, exclaimed to his fellow-watchers on the bridge that it was an -ideal night for destroyers--if they should come. - -Barely had he spoken thus when he was called aft to the wireless -telegraphy instruments. Out of the night Hertzian waves were coming in. -The mysterious message was not in the British code; it was not in the -international code; and it bore no intelligible meaning. It was in no -language that could be recognised--was evidently a cipher. For two or -three minutes the recorder rattled off dots and dashes, and then the -aërial impulse ceased. Immediately, with a noise like the rattle of -pistol shots, the _Leicestershire’s_ transmitters began to send the news -of this strange signal back to the flagship at the anchorage. The -special tuning of the British instruments kept for fleet work would -prevent a stranger taking in her news. - -While the _Leicestershire’s_ wireless instruments were signalling, a -steamer was made out approaching Inchkeith. From her build she was a -tramp; she carried the usual lights, and seemed to be heading for -Queensferry. A flashlight signal was made to her to ask her name and -nationality, and to direct her not to approach, as manœuvres were in -progress. She made not the faintest response to these signals--a by no -means unusual case with British and foreign merchant steamers. In the -dim light she looked to be of about 2500 tons displacement as she -steered straight for the _Leicestershire_. Captain Cornwall ordered one -of the inshore torpedo boats to proceed to her, and examine her, and -direct her, if she was not British, to go into Leith, thus taking upon -his shoulders the considerable responsibility of interfering with a -foreign ship in time of peace. But she paid no attention to the torpedo -boat. She was about 3000 yards off the _Leicestershire_ when the order -to the boat was given, and she had now approached within 1500 yards. -Disquieted by her proceedings, Captain Cornwall ordered one of the -3-pounders to fire a shot across her bow, and then, as this did not stop -her, followed it up with two shots from a 3-pounder directed against her -hull. - -At the first shot across her bows she swung round, now little more than -a thousand yards away from the British cruiser, bringing her broadside -to bear. There was the noise of a dull report like the discharge of -torpedo tubes, as an instant later the 3-pounder shells struck her hull. -Immediately, at Captain Cornwall’s order, the _Leicestershire_ opened -fire with all her guns that would bear. Through the water came two -streaks of bubbles and foam, moving with lightning speed. One passed -right ahead of the _Leicestershire_; the other swept towards the British -cruiser’s stern; there was a heavy explosion; the whole hull of the -cruiser was violently shaken and lifted perceptibly up in the water; a -spout of water and smoke rose up astern, and the engines ceased to work. -The _Leicestershire_ had been torpedoed by the stranger. - -The stranger caught the cruiser’s fire and reeled under it. The British -gunners took their revenge. The searchlights came on; four 7.5’s, in -less time than it takes to tell, planted shell after shell upon her -waterline, and the steamer began slowly to founder. Clouds of smoke and -steam rose from her; her engine was apparently disabled, and the British -launches closed about her to seize those of her crew that survived. In -ten minutes all was over. The steamer had disappeared, her side torn -open by a dozen 7.5-in. shells charged with lyddite. But the -_Leicestershire_ was in serious plight. The damage done by the German -torpedo was of the gravest nature. The British cruiser was heavily down -by the stern; her port engine and propeller would no longer revolve; two -compartments on the port quarter had filled, and water was leaking into -the port engine-room. Very slowly, with the help of the starboard -engine, Captain Cornwall took her in towards Leith and beached his ship -on the shoals near the new harbour. - -The opening act had been cleverly thought out by the German staff. While -the torpedo boats were picking up the crew of the steamer, three -divisions of German torpedo craft, each six boats strong, had passed -into the Forth under the shadow of the northern coast. They glided like -shadows through the darkness, and they do not seem to have been seen by -the British vessels off Inchkeith, whose crews’ attention was riveted -upon the _Leicestershire_. A fourth division, moving rapidly in the -shadow of the southern coast, was seen by the _Leicestershire_ and by -the British launches about her and with her, and at once she opened fire -upon the dim forms. But, bereft of motive power, she could not use her -battery to advantage, and though it was thought that one of the -destroyers disappeared in the water, the others sped up the estuary, -towards the British fleet. - -Warned by wireless telegraphy that destroyers had been sighted, the -British crews were on the _qui vive_. There was not time at this -eleventh hour to weigh and put out to sea; the only possible course was -to meet the attack at anchorage. The fleet was anchored off Rosyth, the -battleships in two lines ahead, headed by the flagships _Vanguard_ and -_Captain_. The _Vanguard_ and _Captain_, the leading ships in the -starboard and port lines respectively, were just abreast of the Beamer -Rock and Port Edgar. The seven armoured cruisers were moored in the St. -Margaret’s Hope Anchorage. To torpedo craft coming from the sea and -passing under the Forth Bridge, the fleet thus offered a narrow front, -and comparatively few of its guns would bear. - -About 2.30 a.m. on Sunday morning, the lookout of the _Vanguard_ -detected white foam, as from the bows of a destroyer, just under Battery -Point; a few seconds later, the same sign was seen to the south of -Inchgarvie, and as the bugles sounded and the 12-in. guns in the three -forward turrets of the British flagship opened, and the searchlights -played their steady glare upon the dark waters just under the Forth -Bridge, the forms of destroyers or torpedo boats fast approaching were -unmistakably seen. - -In a moment the air trembled with the concussion of heavy guns; the -quick-firers of the fleet opened a terrific fire; and straight at the -battleships came eighteen German destroyers and large torpedo boats, -keeping perfect station, at impetuous speed. The sea boiled about them; -the night seemed ablaze with the flashing of the great guns and the -brilliant flame of exploding shells. Now one destroyer careened and -disappeared; now another flew into splinters, as the gunners sent home -their huge projectiles. Above all the din and tumult could be heard the -rapid hammering of the pom-poms, as they beat from the bridges with -their steady stream of projectiles upon the approaching craft. - -Four destroyers went to the bottom in that furious onrush; ten entered -the British lines, and passed down them with the great ships on either -side, not more than 200 yards away, and every gun depressed as much as -it could be, vomiting flame and steel upon the enemy; the others turned -back. The thud of torpedo firing followed; but the boats amid that -tempest of projectiles, with the blinding glare of the searchlights in -their gunners’ eyes, aimed uncertainly. Clear and unforgettable the -figures of officers and men stood out of the blackness, as the -searchlights caught the boats. Some could be seen heaving heavy weights -overboard; others were busy at the torpedo tubes; but in the blaze of -light the pom-poms mowed them down, and tore the upper works of the -destroyers to flinders. Funnels were cut off and vanished into space; a -conning-tower was blown visibly away by a 12-in. shell which caught it -fairly, and as the smitten boat sank there was a series of terrific -explosions. - -Fifth ship in the starboard British line from the _Vanguard_ lay the -great battleship _Indefatigable_, after the four “Dreadnoughts” one of -the four powerful units in the fleet. Four torpedoes were fired at her -by the German destroyers; three of the four missed her, two of them only -by a hair’s breadth, but the fourth cut through the steel net and caught -her fairly abreast of the port engine-room, about the level of the -platform deck. The Germans were using their very powerful 17.7-in. -Schwartzkopf torpedo, fitted with net-cutters, and carrying a charge of -265 lb. of gun-cotton, the heaviest employed in any navy, and nearly a -hundred pounds heavier than that of the largest British torpedo. - -The effect of the explosion was terrific. Though the _Indefatigable_ had -been specially constructed to resist torpedo attack, her bulkheads were -not designed to withstand so great a mass of explosive, and the torpedo -breached the plating of the wing compartments, the wing passage, and the -coal-bunker, which lay immediately behind it. The whole structure of the -ship was shaken and much injured in the neighbourhood of the explosion, -and water began to pour through the shattered bulkheads into the port -engine-room. - -The pumps got to work, but could not keep the inrush down; the ship -rapidly listed to the port side, and though “out collision mat” was -ordered at once, and a mat got over the huge, gaping hole in the -battleship’s side, the water continued to gain. Slipping her anchors, at -the order of the Admiral, the _Indefatigable_ proceeded a few hundred -yards with her starboard screw to the shelving, sandy beach of Society -Bank, where she dropped aground. Had the harbour works at Rosyth been -complete, the value of them to the nation at this moment would have been -inestimable, for there would have been plenty of time to get her into -the dock which was under construction there. But in the desire to effect -apparent economies the works since 1905 had been languidly pushed. - -The calamities of the British fleet did not end with the torpedoing of -the _Indefatigable_. A few seconds later some object drifting in the -water, probably a mine--though in the confusion it was impossible to say -what exactly happened--struck the _Resistance_ just forward of the fore -barbette. It must have drifted down inside the torpedo nets, between the -hull and the network. There was an explosion of terrific violence, which -rent a great breach in the side of the ship near the starboard fore -torpedo tube, caused an irresistible inrush of water, and compelled her -captain also to slip his anchors and beach his ship. - -Two of the British battle squadron were out of action in the space of -less than five minutes from the opening of fire. - -Already the shattered remnants of the German torpedo flotilla were -retiring; a single boat was steaming off as fast as she had come, but -astern of her four wrecks lay in the midst of the British fleet devoid -of motive power, mere helpless targets for the guns. - -As they floated in the glare of the searchlights with the water -sputtering about them, in the hail of projectiles, first one and then -another, and finally all four, raised the white flag. Four German boats -had surrendered; four more had been seen to sink in the midst of the -fleet; one was limping slowly off under a rain of shells from the -smaller guns of the _Vanguard_. - -The British cruiser _Londonderry_ was ordered to slip and give chase to -her, and steamed off in pursuit down the Forth. A caution to “beware of -mines” was flashed by the Admiral, and was needed. The German destroyers -must have carried with them, and thrown overboard in their approach, a -large number of these deadly agents, which were floating in all -directions, greatly hampering the _Londonderry_ in her chase. - -But with the help of her searchlights she picked her way past some -half-dozen mines which were seen on the surface, and she was so -fortunate as not to strike any of those which had been anchored in the -channel. Gathering speed, she overhauled the damaged destroyer. The crew -could offer little resistance to the guns of a powerful cruiser. - -A few shots from the three-pounders and a single shell from one of the -_Londonderry’s_ 7.5’s did the work. The German torpedo boat began to -sink by the stern; her engines stopped; her rudder was driven by the -explosion of the big projectile over to starboard, and the impulse of -the speed at which she was travelling brought her head round towards the -British vessel. The boat was almost flush with the water as one of her -crew raised the white flag, and the fifth German boat surrendered. - -The prisoners were rescued from the water with shaken nerves and quaking -limbs, as men who had passed through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, -who had endured the hail of shells and faced the danger of drowning. - -So soon as the survivors of that most daring and gallant attack had been -recovered from the water, and possession had been taken of the battered -hulls in which they had made their onset, the Admiral ordered his -torpedo launches to drag the channel for mines. - -And while the dragging was proceeding, the prisoners were taken on board -the flagship and interrogated. They would disclose little other than the -fact that, according to them, war had been already declared. The ship -which had attacked the _Leicestershire_, they said, was a tramp fitted -for mine-laying and equipped with three torpedo tubes. Half of them were -more or less seriously wounded; all admitted that the slaughter on board -their boats caused by the British fire had been terrific. One lieutenant -stated that all the men at one of his torpedo tubes had been mown down -twice by the hail of small shells from the pom-poms, while a 12-in. -shell which had hit the stern of his boat had blown it completely away. -Yet the remnant of the boat had still floated. - -Lord Ebbfleet surveyed the scene with rueful eyes. The _Indefatigable_ -and _Resistance_, two of his powerful battleships, were out of action, -and could take no more part in operations for weeks. The -_Leicestershire_ was in the same plight. From sixteen battleships his -force had fallen to fourteen; his armoured cruiser squadron was reduced -from eight ships to seven. To remain in the anchorage without destroyers -and torpedo boats to keep a lookout would be to court further torpedo -attacks, and perhaps the even more insidious danger from German -submarines, and might well imperil the safety of the British reserve -ships. Only one course remained--to weigh and proceed to sea, -endeavouring to pass south to meet the reserve ships. - -Efforts to communicate his intention to the Admiralty failed. The roar -of firing had awakened Leith and Edinburgh; people were pouring into the -streets to know what this strange and sudden commotion meant, and what -was the cause of the storm. - -The windows at Queensferry had been shattered; the place was shaken as -by a great earthquake. The three heavy bursts of firing, the continuous -disquieting flashes of the searchlights, and the great hull of the -_Leicestershire_ ashore off Leith, indicated that something untoward had -befallen the fleet. - -For a moment it was thought that the Admiral had fallen to manœuvres -at a most unseasonable hour, or that some accident had occurred on board -the injured cruiser. Then suddenly the truth dawned upon the people. The -crowd ashore, constantly increasing, as it gazed in alarm towards the -anchorage, realised that war had begun, and that for the first time -since the Dutch sailed up the Medway, more than two hundred years -before, the sanctity of a British anchorage had been invaded by an -enemy. - -The coastguardsmen, who had been placed under the control of the civil -authorities as the result of one of the numerous reforms effected in the -interests of economy, had for the most part forgotten the art of quick -signalling or quick reading of naval signals, else they might have -interpreted to the crowd the history of that night, as it was flashed to -the wireless station at Rosyth, for transmission to London. - -But, as has been said, the attempt to despatch the news to headquarters -failed. The private wire from the dockyard to Whitehall would not work, -and though the post office wires were tried no answer could be obtained. -It appeared that, as on the famous night of the North Sea outrage, there -was no one at the Admiralty--not even a clerk. It was, therefore, -impossible to obtain definite information. - -Lord Ebbfleet had meantime received a report from his torpedo launches -that a precarious passage had been cleared through the mines in the -channel, and about four o’clock on Sunday morning he ordered the -armoured cruiser squadron to put to sea and ascertain whether the coast -was clear, preceding the battle squadron, which, minus the two damaged -battleships, was to follow at six. - -The interval of two hours was required to take on board ammunition from -the damaged ships, to land woodwork and all the impedimenta that could -possibly be discarded before battle, and also to complete the -preparations for action. - -It was now almost certain that a German fleet would be encountered, but, -as has been said, the risk of remaining in the Forth was even greater -than that of proceeding to sea, while the Commander-in-Chief realised -the full gravity of the fact that upon his fleet and its activity would -depend the safety of England from invasion. - -He knew that the other main fleets were far distant; that the reserve -ships were much too weak by themselves to meet the force of the German -Navy, and that the best chance of averting a fresh disaster to them was -to effect as speedily as possible a junction with them. Where exactly -they were or whether they had moved from the Nore he was not yet aware; -the absence of information from the Admiralty left him in the dark as to -these two important points. - -The armoured cruisers were ordered, if they encountered the German -cruisers in approximately equal or inferior force, to drive them off and -push through them, to ascertain the strength and whereabouts of the -German battle fleet; if, however, the Germans were in much superior -force, the British squadron was to fall back on the battle fleet. One by -one the armoured cruisers steamed off, first the _Polyphemus_, with the -Rear-Admiral’s flag, then the _Olympia_, _Achates_, _Imperieuse_, -_Aurora_, and _Londonderry_, and last of all the _Gloucester_ bringing -up the rear. - -Upon these seven ships the duty of breaking through the enemy’s screen -was to devolve. As they went out they jettisoned their woodwork and -formed a line ahead, in which formation they were to fight. - -Unfortunately, the shooting of the squadron was very uneven. Three of -its ships had done superbly at battle practice and in the gun-layers’ -test; but two others had performed indifferently, and two could scarcely -be trusted to hit the target. - -For years the uneven shooting of the fleet had been noted as a source of -weakness; but what was needed to bring the bad ships up to the mark was -a lavish expenditure of ammunition, and ammunition cost money. Therefore -ammunition had to be stinted. - -In the German Navy, on the other hand, a contrary course had been -followed. For the two months before the war, as was afterwards disclosed -by the German Staff History, the German ships had been kept constantly -at practice, and if the best ships did not shoot quite so well as the -best units in the British fleet, a far higher average level of gunnery -had been attained. - -Increasing the number of revolutions till the speed reached 18 knots, -the cruiser squadron sped seawards. The east was flushed with the glow -of dawn as the ships passed Inchcolm, but a grey mist lay upon the -surface of the gently heaving sea and veiled the horizon. Leaving -Inchkeith and the Kinghorn Battery soon after the Leith clocks had -struck the half-hour, and steaming on a generally easterly course, the -lookout of the _Polyphemus_ saw right ahead and some ten or eleven miles -away to the north-east the dark forms of ships upon the horizon. The -British line turned slightly and headed towards these ships. All the -telescopes on the _Polyphemus’s_ fore-bridge were directed upon the -strangers, and the fact that they were men-of-war painted a muddy grey -was ascertained as they drew nearer, and transmitted by wireless -telegraphy to Lord Ebbfleet. - -They were coming on at a speed which seemed to be about 17 knots, and -were formed in line ahead, in a line perfectly maintained, so that, as -they were approaching on almost exactly the opposite course, their -number could not be counted. In another minute or two, as the distance -between the two squadrons rapidly diminished, it was clear from her -curious girdermasts that the ship at the head of the line was either the -large German armoured cruiser _Waldersee_, the first of the large type -built by Germany, or some other ship of her class. At six miles distance -several squadrons of destroyers were made out, also formed in line -ahead, and steaming alongside the German line, abaft either beam. - -A battle was imminent; there was no time to issue elaborate orders, or -make fresh dispositions. - -The British Admiral signalled that he would turn to starboard, to -reconnoitre the strange fleet, and reserve fire till closer quarters. He -turned five points, which altered his course to an east-south-easterly -one. For a fractional period of time the Germans maintained their -original course, steering for the rear of the British line. Then the -German flagship or leader of the line turned to port, steering a course -which would bring her directly across the bows of the British line. - -Simultaneously the two divisions of torpedo craft on the port beam of -the German squadron increased speed, and, cutting across the loop, -neared the head of the German line. - -The German squadron opened fire as it began to turn, the _Waldersee_ -beginning the duel with the two 11-in. guns in her fore-turret. - -A flash, a haze of smoke instantly dissipated, and a heavy shell passed -screeching over the fore-turret of the _Polyphemus_. - -Another flash an instant later, and a shell struck the British cruiser’s -third funnel, tearing a great hole in it, but failing to burst. Then -every German gun followed, laid on the _Polyphemus_, which blew her -steam siren and fired a 12-pounder, the prearranged signal to the -British ships for opening, and an instant later, just after 5 a.m., both -squadrons were exchanging the most furious fire at a distance which did -not exceed 5000 yards. - -As the two lines turned, the British were able at last to make out the -strength and numbers of their enemy. There were ten German armoured -cruisers in line--at the head of the line the fast and new _Waldersee_, -_Caprivi_, and _Moltke_, each of 16,000 tons, and armed with four 11-in. -and ten 9.4-in. guns, with astern of them the _Manteuffel_, _York_, -_Roon_, _Friedrich Karl_, _Prince Adalbert_, _Prince Heinrich_, and -_Bismarck_. - -The last four did not follow the first six in the turn, but maintained -their original course, and headed direct for the rear of the British -line. Thus the position was this: One German squadron was manœuvring -to pass across the head of the British line, and the other to cross the -rear of that line. Each German squadron was attended by two torpedo -divisions. - -Retreat for the British Admiral was already out of the question, even if -he had wished to retire. But as he stood in the _Polyphemus’s_ -conning-tower and felt his great cruiser reel beneath him under the -concussion of her heavy guns--as he saw the rush of splinters over her -deck, and heard the officers at his side shouting down the telephones -amid the deafening din caused by the crash of steel on steel, the -violent explosion of the shells, the heavy roar of the great guns, and -the ear-splitting crack and rattle of the 12-pounders and pom-poms--he -realised that the German squadrons were manœuvring perfectly, and -were trying a most daring move--one which it would need all his nerve -and foresight to defeat. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -FIERCE CRUISER BATTLE - - -Contrary to anticipation, in the interchange of fire the ships of the -two combatants did not suffer any disabling injury. The armour on either -side kept out the shells from the vitals, though great smoking gaps -began to show where the unarmoured sides had been riven. - -The _Waldersee’s_ turrets flashed and smoked incessantly as she closed; -the whole German squadron of six ships, which included her and followed -her, turned its concentrated fire upon the _Polyphemus_, and the British -cruisers to the rear of the British line were at some disadvantage, -since their weapons could only fire at extreme range. The Germans aimed -chiefly at the _Polyphemus’s_ conning-tower, wherein, they knew, dwelt -the brain that directed the British force. - -Amidst the smoke and fumes of high-explosive shells, with the outlook -obscured by the hail of splinters and the nerves shaken by the incessant -blast of shells, it was difficult to keep a perfectly cool head. - -The next move of the British Admiral has been bitterly criticised by -those who forget that the resolutions of naval war may have to be -reached in two seconds, under a strain to which no General on land is -subjected. - -Seeing that the main German squadron was gaining a position to execute -the famous manœuvre of “crossing the T,” and unable to turn away to -starboard for want of sea-room, the British Admiral signalled to his -fleet to turn simultaneously to port, reversing the direction of his -movement and inverting the order of his fleet. His van became his rear, -his rear his van. - -Amidst all the uproar, the main German squadron replied with the same -manœuvre, while the second German squadron instantly headed straight -for the ships which had been to the rear of the British line, and now -formed its van. - -Simultaneously two of the four divisions of German destroyers attacked, -one the rear and the other the head, of the British line, and the German -ships let go their long-range torpedoes. - -The range had fallen to a distance of not much over 3000 yards between -the main German squadron and the _Polyphemus_. At the other extremity of -the British line, as the four armoured cruisers forming the second -German squadron closed on the British van, it rapidly decreased. The -confusion was fearful on either side, and if the British had had -destroyers with them the German official narrative acknowledges that it -might have gone very hard with the German fleet. But here, as elsewhere, -initial errors of disposition, in the famous words of the Archduke -Charles, proved fatal beyond belief. - -The smaller guns on board all the ships of both sides had been in many -cases put out of action; even the heavier weapons had suffered. Several -of the turrets no longer flashed and revolved. Funnels and bridges had -sunk; wreckage of steel yawned where decks had been; dense clouds of -smoke poured from blazing paint or linoleum, and the fires were -incessantly renewed by fresh shell explosions. Blood covered the decks, -the scuppers ran red; inside the fore barbette of the _Imperieuse_, -which had been pierced by an 11-in. shell, was a scene of indescribable -horror. The barbette had suddenly ceased firing. - -An officer, sent to ascertain the cause, was unable to make his way in -before he was swept away by a fresh projectile. Another volunteer -climbed up through the top into the steel pent-house, for there was no -other means of access--returned alive, and reported that the whole -barbette crew were dead and that the place was like a charnel-house. -There was no sign of disabling injury to the mechanism, but the problem -was how to get a fresh crew of living men through the hail of shells to -the guns. - -The four German armoured cruisers of the second division turned within -1500 yards of the head of the British line, firing torpedoes and -delivering and receiving a terrific shell fire. One torpedo boat -followed each German cruiser closely, and as the four cruisers turned, -the torpedo craft, instead of following them, charged home. - -The manœuvre was so unexpected and so hazardous that it was difficult -to meet. At twenty-five knots speed the German boats passed like a flash -through the British line. A great hump of water rose under the British -cruiser _Londonderry_, second in the inverted order of the line, and she -reeled and settled heavily in the water. A torpedo had struck her abaft -the fore-turret. - -Almost at the same instant another German torpedo division attacked the -rear of the British line, and a German torpedo boat made a hit upon the -_Olympia_, last but one in the British line. She was struck abaft the -starboard engine-room, and she too listed, and settled in the water. - -As the German boats attempted to escape to the south they caught the -fire of the British squadron’s port broadsides, which sent two to the -bottom and left two others in a sinking condition. Both the damaged -British ships turned out of the British line and headed for the coast to -the south. The only chance of saving the ships and crews was to beach -the vessels and effect repairs. As they steered out of the battle, the -tumult behind them increased, and their crews could see great tongues of -flame shooting upwards from the _Bismarck_, which was held unmercifully -by the British 9.2-in. shells. She was badly damaged and in sore -trouble, but the rest of the German ships still appeared to be going -well. The British torpedoes, fired from the cruisers’ tubes, seemed to -have made no hits. - -The Germans offered no hindrance to the withdrawal of the injured ships. -They closed on the remnant of the British force, now reduced to five -ships, all much damaged. On their side, without the _Bismarck_, which -had fallen out of the line, they had nine ships in action and two intact -flotillas of torpedo craft to bring to bear. - -The second German squadron had wheeled to join the other division, which -was now steering a generally parallel course, though well astern of the -British ships. The two fleets had drawn apart after the short but fierce -torpedo action, and the British were now heading north. A fierce cruiser -battle ensued. - -In this sharp encounter at close quarters, at a range which did not -exceed 2000 yards, a grave catastrophe had befallen the _Polyphemus_. As -the Admiral was giving orders for his squadron to turn, two heavy -projectiles in quick succession struck the conning-tower, inside which -he was standing with the captain, a midshipman, a petty officer, and two -boys at his side. The first shell struck the base of the conning-tower, -causing a most violent shock, and filling the interior of the tower with -smoke and fumes. - -The Admiral leant against the side of the tower and strove to ascertain -through the narrow opening in the steel wall what had happened, when the -second shell hit the armour outside, and exploded against it with -terrific violence. Admiral Hardy was instantly killed by the shock or by -the bolts and splinters which the explosion or impact of the projectile -drove into the conning-tower. The flag-captain was mortally wounded; the -petty officer received an insignificant contusion. The midshipman and -the two boys escaped without a scratch, though stunned and much shaken -by the terrific blow. - -For some seconds the ship passed out of control; then, dazed and -bewildered, the midshipman took charge, and shouted to the chamber -below, where the steering gear was placed with the voice-pipes and all -other appliances,--an improvement introduced after the war in the Far -East,--orders to communicate the death of the Admiral and disablement of -the captain to the commander. For some minutes the British squadron was -without a chief, though under the system of “follow my leader,” which -had been adopted for the cruiser squadron, the captain of the -_Gloucester_ which led the line was controlling the battle. - -Some confusion resulted, and the opportunity of finishing off the -_Bismarck_ which undoubtedly offered at this moment was lost. Captain -Connor, of the _Gloucester_, increased speed to eighteen knots, heading -northward, to draw the German squadron away from the damaged British -ships, and attempted to work across the head of the German line. The -fleets now fought broadside to broadside, exchanging a steady fire, -until Captain Connor, finding himself getting too close to the north -coast, and with insufficient manœuvring room, turned southward, -inverting the British line, and bringing the _Polyphemus_ once more to -its head. - -The British squadron, after turning, steamed towards the _Bismarck_, -which was crawling off eastwards, with a division of German torpedo -boats near at hand to give her succour. The German squadrons had now -formed up into one compact line, in which two of the ships appeared to -be in serious difficulties. They copied the British manœuvre and -steered a parallel course to the British cruisers, holding a position a -little ahead of them. Simultaneously, their other intact torpedo -division took station to leeward of their line near its rear, and the -six remaining boats of the two divisions, which had executed the first -attack, took station to leeward near the head of the line. The two -fleets steamed 3500 yards apart, gradually closing, and fought an -artillery battle, in which the greater gunpower, of the Germans, who had -nine ships in action to the British five, speedily began to tell. - -The _Gloucester_ lost two of her four funnels; one of her masts fell -with a resounding crash. The _Olympia_ had a slight list; the _Aurora’s_ -forward works were shot away; the _Achates_ had lost one of her funnels. - -In the German line the _Waldersee’s_ forward military mast tottered and -could be seen swaying at each instant, the network of steel girders had -been badly damaged. The _Caprivi_ was on fire amidships, and smoke was -pouring up from the fire. The _Moltke_ was without one of her four -funnels. The _Manteuffel’s_ stern had been wrecked till the structure of -the ship above the armour looked like a tangle of battered girders. The -_York_ and _Roon_ were less shattered, but gaping wounds could be seen -in their sides. The _Friedrich Karl_ had lost the upper portion of her -after military mast. The _Prince Heinrich_ was slightly down by the bow, -and was drooping astern. - -Sparks and splinters flew upwards from the steel sides of the great -ships as the projectiles went home; the din was indescribable; mingled -with the dull note of the heavy guns was the crackling of the smaller -guns and the beating of the pom-poms, playing a devil’s tattoo in this -furious encounter of the mastodons. - -The German Admiral saw that the two fleets were steadily nearing the -_Bismarck_, and essayed once more the manœuvre which he had already -tried, a manœuvre studiously practised in the German Navy, which had -for ten years been daily experimenting with battle-evolutions, and -testing its captains’ nerves till they were of steel. In these difficult -and desperate manœuvres, it was remarked then--and it has since been -proved by experience--the Germans surpassed their British rivals, not -because the German officer was braver or more capable, but because he -was younger taught to display initiative to a higher degree than the -personnel of the British fleet, and better trained for actual battle. - -The four last cruisers in the German line suddenly altered course and -steered straight at the British line, while behind them, as before, -followed six torpedo boats. Through the intervals at the head of the -German line came the other six boats--an evolution which they had -constantly rehearsed in peace, and which they carried out with admirable -precision and dash in the crisis of battle--and charged the head of the -British line. The rest of the German squadron maintained its original -course, and covered the attack with a terrific fire, all its guns -accelerating the rapidity of their discharge till the air hummed with -projectiles. - -The attack was suddenly and vigorously delivered. The British ships at -the rear of the line met it and countered it with success by turning -together south and steaming away, so that the German effort in this -quarter ended with a blow to the air. - -But the flagship at the head of the line was not so alert; the death of -the Admiral was at this critical moment severely felt, and the -_Polyphemus_, though she eluded three torpedoes which were fired at her -at about 3000 yards by the German battleships, found two torpedo boats -closing in upon her from right ahead. She charged one with the ram; -there was no time for thinking, and she caught the boat fair under her -steel prow, which cut through the thin plating of the boat like a knife -through matchwood. Her huge hull passed with a slight shudder over the -boat, which instantly foundered with a violent explosion. - -The other boat, however, passed her only a hundred yards away in the -spray of shells and projectiles which seemed as if by enchantment just -to miss it. Her crew had a vision of wild-looking officers and men busy -at the boat’s torpedo tubes; the flash of two torpedoes glinted in the -sun as they leaped from the tubes into the water; then a great shell -caught the boat and sent her reeling and sinking, but too late. The -mischief had been done. One of the German torpedoes struck the -_Polyphemus_ full on the starboard engine-room, and, exploding with -devastating effect, blew in the side and bulkheads. The engine-room -filled at once, and bereft of half her power the great cruiser broke -from the British line and headed for the shore with a heavy list. Almost -at the same moment the fire on board the _Caprivi_ blazed up so fiercely -under the impact of the British shells that she, too, had to leave the -line of battle. - -The British line re-formed, heading east, now only four ships strong, -faced by eight German ships. For some minutes both fleets steamed on a -parallel course 4500 yards apart, the Germans, who had, on the whole, -suffered less damage, since their injuries were distributed over a -larger number of ships, steaming a little faster. Once more the German -Admiral essayed a surprise. Suddenly the eight German ships made each -simultaneously a quarter-turn, which brought them into line abreast. -They stood in towards the four British survivors, to deal the -culminating blow. End-on they caught the full vehemence of the British -fire. But with forces so weakened, the British senior officer could not -run the risk of a mêlée, and to avoid his antagonists he, too, turned -away from the Germans in a line abreast, and at the same moment the -_Achates_, _Imperieuse_, and _Aurora_ fired their stern torpedo tubes. -Realising the danger of pressing too closely in the course of a retiring -fleet, the Germans again altered course to line ahead, and steered to -cut the British ships off from their line of retreat up the Forth. - -The four British cruisers now headed up the Forth, perceiving that -victory was impossible and flight the only course. They again received -the German fire, steering on a parallel course. At this juncture the -_Gloucester_, the last ship in the British line, dropped far astern; she -had received in quick succession half a dozen heavy German shells on her -6-in. armour and had sprung a serious leak. The German ships closed on -her, coming in to less than 2000 yards, when their guns battered her -with ever-increasing effect. She sank deeper in the water, heading for -the coast, with the Germans in hot pursuit firing continuously at her. -The other three cruisers were preparing to turn and go to her aid--a -course which would certainly have involved the annihilation of the First -Cruiser Squadron--when welcome help appeared. - -To the west a column of great ships was made out coming up at impetuous -speed from the Upper Forth. The new-comers were the British battleships -steering to the scene of action. - -At their approach the German cruisers wheeled and stood seaward, making -off at a speed which did not exceed 16 knots, and leaving the -_Gloucester_ to beach herself. They were now in peril, in imminent -danger of destruction--as it seemed to the British officers. Actually, -however, the risk for them had not been great. Within touch of them the -main German battle-fleet had waited off the Forth, linked to them by a -chain of smaller cruisers and torpedo boats. It would have shown itself -before, but for its commander’s fear that its premature appearance might -have broken off the battle and led to the retreat of the British -squadron. As the British fleet came up, the German cruiser _Bismarck_, -which had been for an hour in the gravest trouble, dropped astern of the -other German ships, and it could be seen that one other German ship had -been taken in tow and was falling astern. - -Thus the preliminary cruiser action between the fleets had ended all to -the disadvantage of the British, who had fought for two hours, and in -that brief space lost four ships disabled. From seven ships on that -disastrous morning, the British strength had been reduced to three. -Impartial posterity will not blame the officers and men of the armoured -cruiser squadron, who made a most gallant fight under the most -unfavourable conditions. - -The real criminals were the British Ministers, who neglected -precautions, permitted the British fleet to be surprised, and compelled -the British Admiral to play the most hazardous of games while they had -left the coast without torpedo stations, and England without any -military force capable of resisting an invading army. - -Had there been a national army, even a national militia, the -Commander-in-Chief could have calmly awaited the concentration of the -remaining British fleets, which would have given the British Navy an -overwhelming superiority. Had there been a fair number of destroyers -always attached to his force, again, it is morally certain that he would -have suffered no loss from the German torpedo attacks, while a number of -torpedo stations disposed along the North Sea coast would have enabled -him to call up torpedo divisions to his assistance, even if he had had -none attached to his fleet. - -Foresight would have provided for all the perils which menaced the -British Navy on this eventful night; foresight had urged the rapid -completion of the harbour at Rosyth, without which further strengthening -of the North Sea fleet was difficult; foresight had pointed out the -danger of neglecting the strengthening of the torpedo flotilla; -foresight had called for a strong navy, and a nation trained to defend -the fatherland. - -It was the cry of the people and the politician for all manner of -“reforms” at the expense of national security; the demand for old-age -pensions, for feeding of children, for State work at preposterous wages -for the work-shy; the general selfishness which asked everything of the -State and refused to make the smallest sacrifice for it; the degenerate -slackness of the Public and the Press, who refused to concern themselves -with these tremendous interests, and riveted all their attention upon -the trivialities of the football and cricket field, that worked the doom -of England. - -The nation was careless and apathetic; it had taken but little interest -in its Fleet. Always it had assumed that the navy was perfect, that one -British ship was a match for any two enemies. And now in a few hours it -had been proved that the German Navy was as efficient; that its younger -officers were better trained for war and more enterprising than the -older British personnel; that its staff had perfectly thought out and -prepared every move; and that much of the old advantage possessed by the -British Navy had been lost by the too general introduction of short -service. - -The shooting of the British ships, it is true, had on the whole been -good, and even the cruisers, which in battle practice had done badly, in -action had improved their marksmanship to a remarkable degree. But it -was in the art of battle manœuvring and in the scientific employment -of their weapons that the British had failed. - -The three surviving cruisers of the British squadron had all suffered -much damage from the German fire, and had exhausted so much of their -ammunition in the two hours’ fight that they were practically incapable -of taking further part in the operations. They had to proceed to Rosyth -to effect hasty repairs and ship any further ammunition that might with -luck be found in the insignificant magazines at that place. - -The _Olympia_ had been struck three times on her fore barbette, but -though one of the 9.2-in. guns which it contained had been put out of -action by splinters, the barbette still worked well. Twice almost the -entire crew of the barbette had been put out of action and had been -renewed. The scenes within the barbette were appalling. Two of her -7.5-in. barbettes had been jammed by the fire; her funnels were so much -damaged that the draught had fallen and the coal consumption enormously -increased. Below the armour deck, however, the vitals of the ship were -intact. - -The _Impérieuse_ and _Aurora_ had serious hits on the water-line astern, -and each of them was taking on board a good deal of water. They, too, -were much mauled about their funnels and upper works. As for the four -beached cruisers, they were in a parlous condition, and it would take -weeks to effect repairs. The losses in men of the cruisers had not been -very heavy; the officers in the conning-towers had suffered most, as -upon the conning-towers the Germans had directed their heaviest fire. - -Most serious and trying in all the ships had been the outbreaks of fire. -Wherever the shells struck they appeared to cause conflagrations, and -this, though the hoses were spouting water and the decks drowned before -the action began. Once a fire broke out, to get it under was no easy -task. Projectiles came thick upon the fire-parties, working in the -choking smoke. Shell-splinters cut down the bluejackets and tore the -hoses. The difficulty of maintaining communications within the ships was -stupendous; telephones were inaudible in the terrible din; voice-pipes -were severed; mechanical indicators worked indifferently. - -The battle-fleet had spent its respite at the anchorage in getting on -board the intact ships much of the ammunition from the _Indefatigable_ -and _Triumph_, and stripping away all remaining impedimenta; in rigging -mantlets and completing the work of preparation. - -While thus engaged at five a.m. the heavy boom of distant firing came in -towards it from the sea--the continuous thundering of a hundred large -guns, a dull, sinister note, which alternately froze and warmed the -blood. Orders were instantly issued to make ready for sea with all -possible speed, and hoist in the boats. Meantime the ships’ torpedo and -picket boats had dragged carefully for mines, as Lord Ebbfleet dared to -leave nothing to chance. Numerous mines were found floating on the water -or moored in the channel, and it seemed a miracle that so many ships of -the cruiser squadron had passed out to sea in safety. - -Ten minutes later, at 5.10 a.m., Lord Ebbfleet signalled to weigh -anchor, and the battle-fleet got under way and headed out to sea, its -ships in a single line ahead, proceeding with the utmost caution. As it -cleared the zone of danger, speed was increased to sixteen knots, and -off Inchcolm the formation was modified. - -Wishing to use to the utmost the high speed and enormous batteries of -his four battleships of the “Dreadnought “class, Lord Ebbfleet had -determined to manœuvre with them independently. They steamed three -knots faster than the rest of his fleet; their armour and armament -fitted them to play a decisive part in the approaching action. They took -station to starboard, and to port steamed the other ten battleships, -headed by the _Captain_, under Sir Louis Parker, the second in command, -who was given full authority to control his division. Behind the -_Captain_ steamed the _Sultan_, _Defiance_, _Active_, _Redoubtable_, -_Malta_, _Excellence_, _Courageous_, _Valiant_, and _Glasgow_--a -magnificent array of two-funnelled, grey-painted monsters, keeping -perfect station, with their crews at quarters, guns loaded, and -battle-flags flying. To starboard were the enormous hulls of the four -“Dreadnoughts,” the _Vanguard_ leading, with astern of her the -_Thunderer_, _Devastation_, and _Bellerophon_. The great turrets, each -with its pair of giant 45 ft. long 12-in. guns, caught the eye -instantly; the three squat funnels in each ship emitted only a faint -haze of smoke; on the lofty bridges high above the water stood -white-capped officers, looking out anxiously to sea. Nearer and nearer -came the roll of the firing; presently the four “Dreadnoughts” increased -speed and drew fast ahead of the other line, while the spray flew from -under their bows as the revolutions of the turbines rose and the speed -went up to nineteen knots. - -The other ten battleships maintained their speed, and fell fast astern. -Off Leith a vast crowd gathered, watching the far-off fighting, and -listening in disquietude to the roar of the firing of the cruiser -battle, and cheered the great procession as it swiftly passed and -receded from view, leaving behind it only a faint haze of smoke. A few -minutes before 7 a.m. the group of officers on the _Vanguard’s_ bridge -saw ahead of them three cruisers, evidently British, steaming towards -them, and far away yet another British cruiser low in the water, smoking -under the impact of shells, with about her a great fleet of armoured -cruisers. The cruisers, as they approached, signalled the terrible news -that Admiral Hardy was dead, three British cruisers out of action, and -the _Gloucester_ in desperate straits. - -The battleships were just in time to effect the rescue. At 11,000 yards -the _Vanguard’s_ fore-turret fired the first shot of the battleship -encounter, and as the scream of the projectile filled the air, the -German cruisers drew away from their prey. The “Dreadnoughts” were now -two miles ahead of the main squadron. Steaming fast towards the -_Bismarck_, which had been abandoned by her consorts, the _Vanguard_ -fired six shells at her from her fore and starboard 12-in. turrets. All -the six 12-in. shells went home; with a violent explosion the German -cruiser sank instantly, taking with her to the bottom most of her crew. -Yet there was no time to think of saving men, for on the horizon ahead -of the British Fleet, out to sea, could be seen a dense cloud of smoke, -betokening the presence of a great assemblage of ships. Towards this -cloud the German cruisers were steaming at their best pace. - -Lord Ebbfleet reduced speed to permit his other battleships to complete -their formation and take up their positions for battle. The ten -battleships of the second division simultaneously increased speed from -fifteen to sixteen knots, which was as much as their engines could be -trusted to make without serious strain. - -About 7.15 a.m. the British Fleet had resumed its original order, and -was abreast of North Berwick, now fast nearing the cloud of smoke which -indicated the enemy’s presence, and rose from behind the cliffs of the -Island of May. - -The British admirals interchanged signals as the fleet steamed seaward, -and Lord Ebbfleet instructed Vice-Admiral Parker and Rear-Admiral -Merrilees to be prepared for the sudden charges of German torpedo craft. - -That there would be many with the German Fleet was certain, for, -although about twenty-four destroyers and torpedo boats had been sunk, -damaged, or left without torpedoes as the result of the previous attacks -during the night and early morning, the German torpedo flotilla had been -enormously increased in the four years before the war, till it mustered -144 destroyers and forty large torpedo boats. - -Even ruling thirty out of action and allowing for detachments, something -like a hundred might have to be encountered. - -Lord Ebbfleet was not one of those officers who expect the enemy to do -the foolish thing, and he had no doubt but that the Germans would follow -a policy of rigid concentration. They would bring all their force to -bear against his fleet and strive to deal it a deadly blow. - -Five minutes passed, and the smoke increased, while now at last the -forms of ships could be made out far away. Rapidly approaching each -other at the rate of some thirty knots an hour, the head ships of the -two fleets were at 7.25 a.m. about nine miles apart. It could be seen -that the German ships were in three distinct lines ahead, the starboard -or right German line markedly in advance of the others, which were -almost abreast. The German lines had wide intervals between them. - -In the British ships the ranges were now coming down to the guns from -the fire-control stations aloft: “18,000 yards!” “17,000 yards!” “16,000 -yards!” “15,000 yards!” “14,000 yards!” followed in quick succession; -the sights were quietly adjusted, and the tension of the crews grew -almost unendurable. The hoses were all spouting water to wet the decks; -every eye was turned upon the enemy. Far away to the south the Bass Rock -and the cliffs near Tantallon Castle rose out of a heaving sea, and -behind them loomed the upland country south of Dunbar, so famous in -Scottish story. To the north showed the rocky coast of Fife. The sun was -in the eyes of the British gunners. - -The guns of the _Vanguard_, and, indeed, of all the British battleships, -were kept trained upon the leading German. It could now be seen that she -was of the “Kaiser” class, and that five others of the same class -followed her. Her tier on tier of turrets showed against the sun; the -grim brownish-grey hulls produced an impression of resolute force. - -In the centre German line appeared to be stationed several ships of the -“Braunschweig” and “Deutschland” classes--how many the British officers -could not as yet make out, owing to the perfect order of the German -line, and the fact that it was approaching on exactly the opposite -course to the British Fleet. - -The port or left German line was headed by one of the new monster -battleships, built to reply to the _Dreadnought_, and of even greater -size and heavier battery than that famous ship. It was, in fact, the -_Sachsen_, flying Admiral Helmann’s flag, armed with twelve of the new -pattern 46 ft. long 11-in. guns, twenty-four 4-in. quick-firers, and ten -pom-poms. - -The monster German battleship could be plainly distinguished by the -Eiffel Tower-like structure of her masts, each with its two platforms -carried on an elaborate system of light steel girders, which rendered -them less liable to be shot away. End-on she showed her four 11-in. -turrets, each bristling with a pair of muzzles. She brought two more -heavy guns to bear ahead and on the broadside than did the -_Dreadnought_, while her stern fire was incomparably more powerful, -delivered from eight 11-in. guns. - -It was the completion of two ships of this class that had caused Lord -Ebbfleet so much anxiety for his position. Yet there were four of the -class in the German line of battle, two of which did not appear in the -official lists as ready for sea, but were given out to be only -completing. - -The range-finders in the fire-control stations in the British flagship -were still sending down the distance. “13,000 yards!” “12,000 yards!” -and the tension augmented. The centre and port German columns of ships -slowed and turned slightly in succession, while the starboard line -increased speed and maintained its original course. By this manœuvre -the German Fleet looked to be formed in one enormous irregular line, -covering four miles of sea. - -The numbers of the enemy could at last be counted; the British Fleet of -fourteen battleships had twenty-two battleships against it, and of those -twenty-two, four were as good ships as the _Vanguard_. The British Fleet -turned a little to starboard to bring its batteries to bear with the -best effect, and take advantage, as Lord Ebbfleet intended, of the -dispersion of the German formation. “11,000 yards!” “10,000 yards!” came -down to the barbettes. The _Vanguard_ fired a 12-pounder, and as the -flash was seen both Fleets opened with sighting shots, and the great -battle began. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -CONTINUATION OF THE STRUGGLE AT SEA - - -But the German Admiral had anticipated the British move, and as the two -fleets closed, replied with a daring and hazardous blow. His irregular -line dissolved once more into its elements as the flashes came from -every heavy gun that would bear in his twenty-two battleships. The -Germans, as they drew abreast of the British Fleet, steaming on an -opposite course, broke into three columns in three lines ahead, one of -which steered straight for the British rear, one for the centre, and one -for the van. - -The _Vanguard_ and the other three large battleships with Lord Ebbfleet -had increased speed, and moved ahead of their original station till -their broadsides bore and they practically belonged the British line. -They circled at full battle speed of nineteen knots to pass across the -German rear. Sheltering under the lee of the German battleships several -destroyers or torpedo-boats could be discerned, and there were other -destroyer or torpedo-boat divisions away to the north-east, moving -gently apart and aloof from the battle out at sea. - -The fire on either side had now become intense and accurate; the range -varied from minute to minute, but it constantly fell. The tumult was -indescribable. The German third division of six “Kaisers” passed round -the rear of the main British division, executing against it the -manœuvre of “crossing the T,” but receiving serious injury in the -process. - -A stunning succession of blows rained upon the _Glasgow_, the sternmost -battleship in the British line, and her excessively thin belt was -pierced by three German 9.4-in. shells, one of which burst with dreadful -effect inside the citadel, denting the armoured deck, driving bolts and -splinters down into the boiler and engine-rooms, and for some instants -rendering the ship uncontrollable. A great fire broke out where the -shell had burst. - -Almost at the same instant the _Glasgow’s_ fore barbette put two shells -in succession home just above the upper level of the _Zahringen’s_ -armour-belt amidships, and one of these shells bursting, wrecked and -brought down the German battleship’s after-funnel, besides putting two -of her Schultz boilers out of action. The _Zahringen_ took fire, but the -flames were quickly got under; she carried no wood and nothing -inflammable. - -Dense clouds of smoke from funnels, from bursting shells, from burning -ships, began to settle over the water, and the air was acrid with the -taint of burnt cordite and nitrous fumes from the German powder. In the -twilight of smoke the dim forms of monster ships marched and -countermarched, aglow with red flame. - -The four “Dreadnoughts” passed round the first German division -containing the four battleships of the “Sachsen” class, interchanging -with them a terrific fire at about 5000 yards. Each side made many hits, -and some damage was done to unarmoured portions of the huge hulls. An -11-in. shell struck the _Thunderer’s_ centre 12-in. barbette, and jammed -it for a few minutes; the _Vanguard_, at the head of the British -division, received a concentrated fire, seven 11-in. shells striking her -forward of her centre barbette. Several of her armour-plates were -cracked; her port anchor gear was shot away, and her fore-funnel much -shattered. Her whole structure vibrated under the terrific blows. -Splinters swept her fore-bridge, and a hail of small projectiles from -the German 40-pounder guns beat upon her conning-tower, rendering -control of the battle exceedingly difficult. - -The noise and concussion were terrible; the blast of the great 12-in. -guns, when they fired ahead, shook the occupants of the tower, and -extreme caution was needed to avoid serious injury. Lord Ebbfleet -triumphantly achieved the manœuvre of “crossing the T,” or passing -across the head of the German line and raking it with all his ships, -against the Germans, though the enormous bow-fire of the _Sachsen_ -served her well at this point. - -But the German Admiral diminished the effectiveness of the manœuvre -by turning away a little, and then, when the danger had passed, resuming -his original course. The second German division rapidly came up on the -port beam of the British main division, its head ships receiving a -fearful fire from the British line. Closing upon the first German -division, it formed up astern of it into one long line, and attacked the -British rear. - -Thus the Germans had surrounded the British ten battleships under Sir -Louis Parker, and had concentrated against them twenty-two battleships. -The fire of this great host of German ships told heavily upon the weak -armour of the “Defiance” and “Valiant” classes. The “Sachsens,” at about -4000 yards, put shot after shot from their 11-in. guns into the hull of -the _Glasgow_, the last ship in the British line, and clouds of smoke -and tongues of flame leapt up from her. She was now steaming slowly, and -in evident distress. - -The four “Dreadnoughts” worked to the north of the Germans, maintaining -with them a long-range action, and firing with great effect. But seeing -the German concentration against the other division of his fleet, Lord -Ebbfleet turned and stood towards it, while at the same time Admiral -Parker began to turn in succession and move to meet the “Dreadnoughts.” -As his line turned, the rearward ships received further injuries. - -Outside the armour the structure of many ships on both sides was fast -being reduced to a tangle of shattered beams and twisted and rent -plating. Most of the smaller guns were out of action, though the 6-in. -guns in the casemates of the British ships were still for the most part -intact. The _Sultan’s_ 7.5’s were firing with great effect; while the -_Captain_, which headed the British main division, had resisted the -battering superbly, and inflicted great injury on the _Preussen_ by her -fire. At moments, however, her guns were blanketed by the ships behind -her, from the fact that the German columns were well astern. It was to -bring his guns to bear as well as to rejoin his Commander-in-Chief that -the British Vice-Admiral altered course and steamed south-westward. - -The Germans now practised a masterly stroke. - -Their third division of six “Kaisers” headed direct for the van of the -British line, closing rapidly upon a generally opposite course. At the -same time their other two divisions steered to prevent the British ships -from making a countermarch and avoiding the charge which was now -imminent. - -Lord Ebbfleet saw the danger, and increased speed, closing on the -“Kaisers,” well astern of them, and plying them with a terrific fire -from the three 12-in. turrets which bore ahead in his flagship. Smoke -and sparks flew upwards from the _Friedrich III._, the last ship in the -division. Her after-turret was out of action; her after-military mast -fell amidst a rain of splinters; her stern sank slightly in the water. - -At the same time the “Kaisers” began to catch the full fire of the other -British division, and they were doubled upon. The head of their line was -being raked by Sir Louis Parker; the _Captain_ put shell after shell -into the bows of the _Wilhelm II._; her 9.2’s and 12-in. guns played -with a steady stream of projectiles upon the German battleship, until, -at 2000 yards, the _Wilhelm’s_ upper works appeared to be dissolving in -smoke and flame as before some irresistible acid. - -The bows of the German battleship sank a little, but she turned, brought -her broadside to bear, and the five ships behind her did the same. The -range was short; the position favourable for torpedoes; and the six -Germans fired, first their bow tubes as they came round, and then twice -in quick succession their two broadside tubes at the British line. The -thirty torpedoes sped through the sea; the British replied with the two -broadside tubes in each ship, as those tubes bore. - -There was amidst all the din and turmoil and shooting flame a distinct -pause in the battle as the crews of both fleets, or all those who could -see what was happening, watched spell-bound the issue of this attack and -counter-attack. They had not long to wait. One of the huge German -torpedoes caught the _Excellent_ right astern and wrecked her rudder and -propellers. Another struck the _Sultan_ almost amidships, inflicting -upon her terrible injury, so that she listed heavily. The _Wilhelm II._ -was struck by a British torpedo right on her bows, and as she was -already low in the water, began to fill and sink. - -The scene at this point was one of appalling horror. One battleship, the -_Wilhelm II._, was sinking fast, with none to rescue her crew; the men -were rushing up on deck; the fire from her guns had ceased; she lay on -the sea a shattered wreck, riddled with shell, and smoking with the -fires which still burnt fiercely amidst the débris of her upper works. - -Not far from her lay the _Excellent_, completely disabled, but still -firing. Near the _Excellent_, again, moving very slowly, and clearly in -a sinking condition, but still maintaining gallantly the battle, was the -_Glasgow_, in a dense cloud of smoke caused by the bursting shell from -the guns of sixteen enemies and the blazing fires on board. - -Making off to the south to beach herself was the _Sultan_, in lamentable -plight, with a heavy list. It was 8.40 a.m., or little more than an hour -since the joining of battle, and the German Admiral at this moment -signalled that victory was his. - -The news was sent by wireless telegraphy to the German cruisers out at -sea, and by them transmitted to Emden and Berlin. - -At 11 that morning newspapers were selling in the streets of the German -capital with the news that the British Fleet was beaten, and that -Britain had lost the command of the sea. Five British battleships, it -was added, in the brief wireless message, had been already sunk or put -out of action. - - +--------------------------------------+ - | Berlin um Eins! Berlin um Eins! | - | | - | Das Kleine Journal | - | | - | Mittags-Ausgaße. | - | | - | Berlin, Montag, den 3 September 1910 | - | | - | Triumph der | - | Deutschen | - | Waffen. | - | | - | Vernichtung der | - | Englischen | - | Flotte. | - | | - | Von Kronhelm Auf | - | Dem Vormarsche | - | Nach London. | - +--------------------------------------+ - - THE FIRST NEWS IN BERLIN OF THE - GERMAN VICTORY. - -The German lines closed upon the two injured British ships, _Exmouth_ -and _Glory_, showering shells upon them. At once the two British -Admirals turned and moved to the rescue, through the clouds of smoke -which had settled on the sea, and which were rendering shooting at long -range more than ever difficult. Through the smoke German torpedo-boats -could be made out on the move, but they did not attempt as yet to close -on the intact battleships, and kept well out of the range of the British -guns. The first and most powerful German battleship division covered the -other German ships in their attack upon the disabled British -battleships, and encountered the fire of the eleven British battleships -which still remained in action. Meantime the other thirteen German -battleships closed to about 1000 yards of the injured British ships. The -11-in. shells from the German turrets at this distance inflicted -terrible injury. The German guns were firing three shots in two minutes, -and under their fire and the storm of 6-in. and 6.7-in. shells which -their smaller guns delivered it was impossible for the British gunners -to shoot with any effect. Great explosions occurred on board the -_Glory_; an 11-in. shell struck her fore barbette, where the plating had -already been damaged by a previous hit, and, perforating, burst inside -with fearful effect, blowing the crew of the barbette to pieces, and -sending a blast of fire and gas down into the loading chamber under the -barbette, where it exploded a cordite charge. Another shell struck the -conning-tower, and disabled or killed all inside it. The funnels fell; -both the masts, which were already tottering, came down; the ship lay -upon the water a formless, smoking hulk. Yet still her crew fought on, a -hopeless battle. Then several heavy shells caught her waterline, as the -Germans closed a little, and must have driven in the armour or pierced -it. More explosions followed; from the centre of the ship rose a column -of smoke and flame and fragments of wreckage; the centre lifted visibly, -and the ends dropped into the sea. The _Glory_ parted amidships, and -went to the bottom still firing her after barbette in that supreme -moment, having proved herself worthy of her proud name. Several German -torpedo-boats steamed towards the bubbles in the water, and fell to work -to rescue the crew. Others had drawn near the _Wilhelm II._, and in -neither case were they molested by the fire of the British fleet. - -A scene as terrible took place on board the _Exmouth_. To save her was -impossible, for only a few brief minutes were needed to complete the -torpedo’s work, and no respite was given by the German officers. They -poured in a heavy fire from all their guns that remained battle-worthy -upon the _Exmouth’s_ barbettes and conning-tower, raining such a shower -of projectiles upon the ship that, as in the case of the _Glory_, it was -impossible for the British crew to fight her with effect. Her 7-in. -armour did not keep out the German 11-in. projectiles at short range, -and the citadel of the ship became a perfect charnel-house. - -Amid the tangled steel-work, amid the blaze of the fires which could no -longer be kept under, amid the hail of splinters, in the choking fumes -of smoke from burning wood and linoleum and exploding shells, officers -and men clung manfully to their posts, while under them the hull sank -lower and lower in the water. Then the _Braunschweig_ headed in to 500 -yards, and at this range fired her bow torpedo at the British ship -amidships. The torpedo struck the British battleship and did its -dreadful work. Exploding about the base of the after-funnel, it blew in -the side, and immediately the British ship listed sharply, showed her -deck to her enemy, and with a rattle of objects sliding across the deck -and a rush of blue figures, capsized amid a cloud of steam. - -While the two disabled battleships were being destroyed, and the -_Swiftsure_ was crawling off to the south in the hope of reaching the -shore and beaching herself, the fight between the rest of the British -Fleet and the German divisions had reached its full intensity. For some -minutes, indeed, both fleets had been compelled by the smoke to cease -fire, but the heavy thunder of the firing never altogether stopped. The -four big German battleships were still seemingly undamaged in any vital -respect, though all showed minor injuries. The four British -“Dreadnoughts” had stood the stern test as well. - -But the other battleships had all suffered grievously. The _Duncan_ and -_Russell_ had lost, one both her funnels and the other both her masts, -and the speed of the _Duncan_ could scarcely be maintained in -consequence. The _Montagu_ had one of her barbettes out of action, and -one of the _Albemarle’s_ 12-in. guns had either blown off its muzzle or -else had it shot away. The _Albemarle_ had received a shell forward -below the waterline, and had a compartment full of water. In the German -line the _Lothringen_ was on fire amidships, had lost her fore and -centre funnels, and was low in the water, but her heavy guns were still -in action. On her the British line now concentrated most of its fire, -while the Germans plied with shell the _Duncan_ and _Russell_. The -second and third German divisions used their port batteries against the -British main fleet, while their starboard batteries were destroying the -_Exmouth_ and _Glory_. - -At this juncture the _Duncan_ fell astern and left the British line, and -almost at the same moment the _Lothringen_ quitted the German line. The -British Admiral turned all his ships eight points simultaneously, -inverting the order of his line, to rescue his injured vessel. To -attempt an attack upon the _Lothringen_ would have meant forcing his way -through the German line, and with the ever-growing disparity of numbers -he did not dare to risk so hazardous a venture. But before he could -effect his purpose, the German Admiral closed on the _Duncan_, and from -the _Sachsen’s_ and _Grosser Kurfuerst’s_ 11-in. turrets poured in upon -her a broadside of twenty 11-in. shells, which struck her almost -simultaneously--the range was now too short for the gunners to miss--and -caused fearful slaughter and damage on board her. Two of the -projectiles, which were alternately steel shell and capped -armour-piercing shell, perforated her side-armour; two more hit her fore -barbette; one exploded against the conning-tower; the others hulled her -amidships; and when the smoke about her lifted for an instant in a puff -of the wind, she was seen to be slowly sinking and motionless. One of -her barbettes was still firing, but she was out of the battle and -doomed. Four British battleships had gone and two German, though one of -these was still afloat and moving slowly off to the north-east, towards -two divisions of German destroyers, which waited the moment to close and -deal a final blow against the British Fleet. - -It was now about 10 a.m., and both fleets drew apart for some minutes. -Another German battleship, the _Westfalien_, quitted the German line, -and followed the _Lothringen_ away from the fight. Her two turrets had -been jammed temporarily by the British 12-in. shells, while most of her -smaller guns had been put out of action by the _Agamemnon’s_ 9.2-in. -weapons, which had directed upon her a merciless fire. The Germans could -be seen re-forming their divisions, and one of the battleships moved -from the second to the first division. With seven battleships in each of -these two divisions and five in the third, the Germans once more -approached the British line, which had also re-formed, the _Agamemnon_ -taking station to the rear. The battle was renewed off Dunbar. Astern of -the Germans, now that the smoke had cleared away, could be seen fifteen -or twenty torpedo craft. Other destroyer and torpedo divisions were -farther away to sea. - -The German battleships steamed direct towards the British battleships, -repeating the manœuvre which they had employed at the opening of the -battle, and forming their two first divisions in one line, which moved -upon the port bow of the British, while the other division, the third, -advanced against the starboard bow. Both fleets reopened fire, and to -avoid passing between the two German lines, Lord Ebbfleet turned towards -the main German force, hoping, at even this eleventh hour, to retrieve -the fortunes of the disastrous day by the use of his big ships’ -batteries. Turning in succession in the attempt to cross his enemy’s -bows, his ships received a very heavy fire from both German lines; -simultaneously the conning-towers of the _Vanguard_ and the _Sachsen_ -were struck by several shells. Two British 12-in. projectiles caught the -_Sachsen’s_ tower in succession; the first weakened the structure and -probably killed every one inside, among them Admiral Helmann; the second -practically demolished it, leaving it a complete wreck. - -The blow of the German 11-in. shell upon the _Vanguard’s_ tower was -equally fatal. Lord Ebbfleet was killed by a splinter, and his -chief-of-the-staff received mortal injuries. Not a man in the tower -escaped untouched. The brains of both fleets were paralysed, and the -_Vanguard_ steered wildly. The German destroyers saw their opportunity, -and rushed in. Four boats came straight at the huge hull of the British -flagship from ahead, and before she could be got under control, a -torpedo fired from one of them hit her right forward, breaching two -compartments and admitting a great quantity of water. Her bows sank in -the sea somewhat, but she clung to her place in the line for some -minutes, then dropped out, and, in manifest difficulty, headed for the -shore, which was close at hand to the south. Another division of four -destroyers charged on her, but her great turrets were still intact, and -received them with a murderous fire of 12-in. shrapnel. - -Two of the six guns made hits and wrecked two boats past recognition; -the other four missed the swiftly moving targets, and two boats survived -the first discharge and closed, one to port, and one to starboard. Her -smaller guns were out of action, or unable to stop the boats with their -fire. Both boats discharged two torpedoes; three torpedoes missed, but -the fourth struck the flagship under the fore-turret. She took in so -much water that she grounded, east of Dunbar, and lay there submerged up -to the level of her main deck, and unable to use her big guns lest the -concussion should shake her in this position to pieces. The Germans -detached the battleship _Preussen_ to wreck her with its fire. With the -rest of their fleet they followed the remaining British ships, which -were now heading seawards. Admiral Parker had determined to make a -vigorous effort to escape to the south-east along the British coast, and -surviving, to fight again on a less disastrous day, with the odds more -even. Nothing could be achieved with nine ships against eighteen, even -though many of the eighteen were much damaged. Moreover, on board some -of the British ships ammunition was beginning to run low. - -The seventeen German ships formed into a single line and pursued the -British, steering a parallel course, the head of the German line -somewhat overlapping the head of the British line, so that the four -German battleships of the “Sachsen” class could bring their entire fire -to bear upon the three remaining “Dreadnoughts.” The other fourteen -German battleships pounded the six older and weaker British battleships -in the line. The distance between the two fleets was from 4500 to 6000 -yards, and the fire of each fleet was slow, as the want of ammunition -was beginning to be felt. For nearly five hours the two fleets had -fought; it was now 11.30 a.m. Well out to sea, and some distance to -leeward of the German battleships, the British captains could discern -several German armoured cruisers, which, after having effected hasty -repairs and shipped further ammunition from a store-ship in the offing, -were closing once more. With them were at least four or five divisions -of torpedo craft, shadowing and following the movements of the two -fleets, prepared to rush in if a favourable opportunity offered. Both -fleets were making about thirteen knots, for the worst damaged of the -British battleships were not good for much more. - -The fire of the _Thunderer’s_ 12-in. guns, concentrated on the hull of -the _Sachsen_, at last began to produce some effect. The conning-tower -had already been wrecked by the _Vanguard’s_ guns, which rendered the -control and direction of the ship a matter of great difficulty. Two of -her 11-in. turrets were also out of action, jammed by shells or -completely disabled. She turned northward out of the German line, about -twelve, leaving the _Bayern_ at its head. About the same time the -_Albemarle_ signalled that she was in extreme difficulty; a great fire -was raging on board her, her funnels were much damaged, both her masts -were down, two compartments were full, and but few of her guns could -fire. Looking down the British line from the battered afterbridge of -the _Thunderer_, it was evident that other ships were finding difficulty -in keeping station. Strange changes and transformations had been worked -in their outward appearance. Funnels and cowls were gone, masts had been -levelled, heaps of wreckage appeared in place of the trim lines of the -grey-painted steel-work. The sea was red with the blood that poured from -the scuppers. Great rents gaped everywhere in the unarmoured works. - -In the German line the conditions were much the same. Certain ships were -dropping from their stations and receding to the rear of the long -procession; many of the German battleships had been grievously mauled; -all showed evident traces of the British gunners’ handiwork. The huge -steel superstructures of the “Deutschland” class were wrecked beyond -recognition. The _Braunschweig_, as the result of receiving a -concentrated broadside from the _Bellerophon_, which caught her near the -foot of her foremast, had an immense opening in the hull extending from -the fore-turret to the foremast 6.7-in. gun turret, and her fore-funnel -and foremast were completely shot away; her conning-tower, with its -armoured support, stood up out of the gap, from which poured volumes of -smoke and steam. She was clearly in a parlous condition, and only her -after-turret still fired. - -About 1 p.m. the _Albemarle_ could keep up with the British line no -longer. Admiral Parker signalled to her, with extreme difficulty, for -most of his signalling appliances were shot away, and his message had to -be conveyed by “flag-wagging,” to beach herself if possible on the coast -to the south. To have turned with his fleet to protect her would have -meant annihilation of the rest of his force. She stood away to the -south, and as the rest of the British fleet, now only six ships strong, -increased speed to about fifteen knots, two German battleships were seen -to follow her, shell her, and then rejoin the German fleet. The remnant -of the British fleet, with the _Agamemnon_ at the rear in the place of -honour, began slowly to draw out of range, though still to the north the -German torpedo craft followed in a sinister manner, and caused the more -anxiety because, in view of the large quantity of ammunition that had -been expended, and the great damage that had been done to all the -smaller guns in the surviving British ships, their attacks would be -extremely difficult to resist with success. - -About 2 p.m. the German Admiral fired the last shot of the great battle -of North Berwick at a range of 10,000 yards. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -SITUATION IN THE NORTH - - -Meanwhile let us turn to the state of affairs on land. When the -intelligence of the invasion was received, Lancashire and Yorkshire were -in a state of utter panic. - -The first news, which reached Leeds, Bradford, Manchester, Liverpool, -and the other great centres of commerce, about four o’clock on Sunday -afternoon, was at once discredited. - -Everyone declared the story to be a huge hoax. As the people assembled -in the places of worship that evening, the amazing rumour was eagerly -discussed; and later on, when the Sunday evening crowds promenaded the -principal thoroughfares--Briggate in Leeds, Market Street in Manchester, -Corporation Street in Birmingham, Cheapside in Barnsley, and the -principal streets of Chester, Liverpool, Halifax, Huddersfield, -Rochdale, Bolton, and Wigan--wild reports of the dash upon our east -coast were upon everyone’s tongue. - -There was, however, no authentic news, and the newspapers in the various -towns all hesitated to issue special editions--first because it was -Sunday night, and secondly because the editors had no desire to spread a -wider panic than that already created. - -Upon the windows of the _Yorkshire Post_ office in Leeds some of the -telegrams were posted and read by large crowds, while the _Manchester -Courier_, in Manchester, and the _Birmingham Daily Post_, in Birmingham, -followed a similar example. - -The telegrams were brief and conflicting, some from the London -correspondents, and others from the Central News, the Press Association, -and the Exchange Telegraph Company. Most of the news, however, in that -early stage of the alarm was culled from the exclusive information -obtained by the enterprise of the sub-editor of the _Weekly Dispatch_. - -Leeds, the first city in Yorkshire, was the centre of most intense -excitement on that hot, stifling Sunday night. The startling report -spread like wildfire, first from the office of the _Yorkshire Post_ -among the crowds that were idling away their Sunday evening gossiping in -Boar Lane, Briggate, and the Hunslett Road, and quickly the whole city -from Burton Head to Chapel Town, and from Burmantofts to Armley Park, -was in a ferment. - -The sun sank with a misty, angry afterglow precursory of rain, and by -the time the big clock in the tower of the Royal Exchange showed -half-past seven the scene in the main streets was already an animated -one. The whole city was agog. The astounding news, carried everywhere by -eager, breathless people, had reached to even the remotest suburbs, and -thousands of alarmed mill-hands and workers came flocking into town to -ascertain the actual truth. - -As at Leeds, so all through Lancashire and Yorkshire, Volunteers were -assembling in breathless eagerness for the order to mobilise. But -there was the same cry of unpreparedness everywhere. The Volunteer -battalions of the Manchester Regiment at Patricroft, at Hulme, at -Ashton-under-Lyne, at Manchester, and at Oldham; those of the Liverpool -Regiment at Prince’s Park, at St. Anne’s, at Shaw Street, at Everton -Brow, at Everton Road, and at Southport; those of the Lancashire -Fusiliers at Bury, Rochdale, and Salford; the Hallamshire Volunteers at -Sheffield; the York and Lancasters at Doncaster; the King’s Own Light -Infantry at Wakefield; the battalions of the Yorkshires at Northallerton -and Scarborough, that of the East Yorkshires at Beverley, and those of -the West Yorkshires at York and Bradford. - - +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ - | | - | [Illustration] | - | | - | =BY THE KING.= | - | | - | =PROCLAMATION= | - | | - | =FOR CALLING OUT= | - | =THE ARMY RESERVE. = | - | | - | | - | EDWARD R. | - | | - | WHEREAS by the Reserve Forces Act, 1882, it is amongst other things | - | enacted that in case of imminent national danger or of great emergency, | - | it shall be lawful for Us, by Proclamation, the occasion being declared | - | in Council and notified by the Proclamation, if Parliament be not then | - | sitting, to order that the Army Reserve shall be called out on permanent | - | service; and by any such Proclamation to order a Secretary of State from | - | time to time to give, and when given, to revoke or vary such directions | - | as may seem necessary or proper for calling out the forces or force | - | mentioned in the Proclamation, or all or any of the men belonging | - | thereto: | - | | - | AND WHEREAS Parliament is not sitting, and whereas WE have declared in | - | Council and hereby notify the present state of Public Affairs and the | - | extent of the demands on our Military Forces for the protection of the | - | interests of the Empire constitute a case of great emergency within the | - | meaning of the said Act: | - | | - | NOW THEREFORE We do in pursuance of the said Act hereby order that Our | - | Army Reserve be called out on permanent service, and We do hereby order | - | the Right Honourable Charles Leonard Spencer Cotterell, one of our | - | Principal Secretaries of State, from time to time to give, and when | - | given, to revoke or vary such directions as may seem necessary or proper | - | for calling out Our Army Reserve, or all or any of the men belonging | - | thereto, and such men shall proceed to and attend at such places and at | - | such times as may be respectively appointed by him to serve as part of | - | Our Army until their services are no longer required. | - | | - | Given at our Court at James’, this fourth day of September, in the | - | year of our Lord, one thousand nine hundred and ten, and in the | - | tenth year of Our Reign. | - | | - | =GOD SAVE THE KING.= | - +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ - -In Halifax great crowds assembled around the office of the _Yorkshire -Daily Observer_, at the top of Russell Street, where the news received -by telephone from Bradford was being constantly posted up. Huddersfield, -with its cloth and woollen factories, was paralysed by the astounding -intelligence. The electric trams brought in crowds from Cliff End, Oakes -Fartown, Mold Green, and Lockwood, while telephone messages from -Dewsbury, Elland, Mirfield, Wyke, Cleckheaton, Overdon, Thornton, and -the other towns in the vicinity all spoke of the alarm and excitement -that had so suddenly spread over the West Riding. - -The mills would shut down. That was prophesied by everyone. And, if so, -then before many days wives and families would most certainly be crying -for food. Masters and operatives alike recognised the extreme gravity of -the situation, and quickly the panic spread to every home throughout -that densely populated industrial area. - -The city of Bradford was, as may well be imagined, in a state of -ferment. In the red, dusky sunset a Union Jack was flying from the staff -above Watson’s shop at the corner of Market Street, and the excited -throngs, seeing it, cheered lustily. Outside the _Bradford Daily -Telegraph_ and the _Yorkshire Daily Observer_ offices the latest -intelligence was posted, the streets being blocked by the eager people -who had come in by car from Manningham, Heaton, Tyersall, Dudley Hill, -Eccleshill, Idle, Thackley, and other places. - -Bolton, like the neighbouring towns, was ruled by Manchester, and the -masters eagerly went there on Monday to go on ’Change and ascertain the -exact situation. They knew, alas! that the alarm must have a disastrous -effect upon the cotton trade, and more than one spinner when the -astounding news had been told him on the previous night, knew well that -he could not possibly meet his engagements, and that only bankruptcy was -before him. - -In every home, rich and poor, not only in Bolton but out at Farnworth, -Kearsley, Over Hulton, Sharples, and Heaton the terrible catastrophe was -viewed with abject terror. The mills would eventually close, without a -doubt; if Manchester sent forth its mandate, then for the thousands of -toilers it meant absolute starvation. - -Those not at work assembled in groups in the vicinity of the Town Hall, -and in Cheapside, Moor Street, Newport Street, Bridge Street, and the -various central thoroughfares, eagerly discussing the situation, while -outside Messrs. Tillotson’s, the _Evening News_ office in Mealhouse -Lane, the latest telegrams from London and Manchester were posted, being -read by a great crowd, which entirely blocked the thoroughfare. The -_Evening News_, with characteristic smartness, was being published -hourly, and copies were sold as fast as the great presses could print -them, while a special meeting of the Town Council was summoned and met -at twelve o’clock to discuss what steps should be taken in case the -mills really did close and the great populace were thrown on the town in -anger and idleness. - -The cotton trade was already feeling the effect of the sudden crisis, -for by noon startling reports were reaching Bolton from Manchester of -unprecedented scenes on ’Change and of the utter collapse of business. - -Most mill-owners were already in Manchester. All who were near enough at -once took train--from Southport, Blackpool, Morecambe, and other -places--and went on ’Change to learn what was intended. Meanwhile, -through the whole of Monday authentic reports of the enemy’s movements -in Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, and East Yorkshire were being printed by the -_Evening News_, each edition increasing the panic in that level-headed, -hard-working Lancashire town. - -Across at smoky Wigan similar alarm and unrest reigned. On that Monday -morning, bright and sunny, everyone re-started work, hoping for the -best. Pearson and Knowles’ and the Pemberton Collieries were running -full time; Ryland’s mills and Ekersley’s spinning mills were also full -up with work, for there was an era of as great a prosperity in Wigan as -in Bolton, Rochdale, Oldham, and other Lancashire towns. Never for the -past ten years had the cotton and iron industries been so prosperous; -yet in one single day--nay, in a few brief hours--the blow had fallen, -and trade had become paralysed. - -Spy mania was rife everywhere. In Oldham an innocent German, agent of a -well-known firm in Chemnitz, while walking along Manchester Street about -one o’clock, was detected as a foreigner and compelled to seek -protection inside a shop. From Chadderton to Lees, from Royton to -Hollinwood, the crisis was on everyone’s lips. Here again was the -crucial question: Would the mills close? - -Meanwhile, across at Liverpool, the wildest scenes were also taking -place on ’Change. News over the wires from London became hourly more -alarming, and this, combined with the rumour that German warships were -cruising off the Mersey estuary, created a perfect panic in the city. -The port was already closed, for the mouth of the river had been blocked -by mines; yet the report quickly got abroad that the Germans would send -in merchant ships to explode them and enter the Mersey after thus -clearing away the deadly obstacles. - -Liverpool knew too well the ridiculously weak state of her defences, -which had so long been a reproach to the authorities, and if the German -ships that had done such damage at Penarth, Cardiff, and Barry were now -cruising north, as reported, it seemed quite within the bounds of -probability that a demonstration would really be made before Liverpool. - -Outside and within the great Exchange the excitement was at fever heat. -The Bank Charter was suspended, and the banks had closed with one -accord. Upon the “flags” the cotton-brokers were shouting excitedly, and -many a ruined man knew that that would be his last appearance there. -Every moment over the telephones came news from Manchester, each record -more disastrous than the last. Hot, perspiring men who had lived, and -lived well, by speculation in cotton for years, surged around the great -pediment adorned by its allegorical group of sculpture, and saw each -moment their fortunes falling away like ice in the sunshine. - -Thus trade in Lancashire--cotton, wool, iron, and corn--was, in the -course of one single morning, utterly paralysed, all awaiting the -decision of Manchester. - -Thousands were already face to face with financial disaster, even in -those first moments of the alarm. - -The hours passed slowly. What was Manchester doing? Her decision was now -awaited with bated breath throughout the whole of Lancashire and -Yorkshire. - -In Manchester, the _Courier_, the _Daily Mail_, and the several other -journals kept publishing edition after edition, not only through the -day, but also through the night. Presses were running unceasingly, and -hour after hour were printed accounts of the calm and orderly way in -which the enemy were completing their unopposed landing at Goole, -Grimsby, Yarmouth, Lowestoft, King’s Lynn, and on the Blackwater. - -Some British destroyers had interfered with the German plans at the -latter place, and two German warships had been sunk, the _Courier_ -reported. But full details were not yet forthcoming. - -There had been a good deal of skirmishing in the neighbourhood of -Maldon, and again near Harleston, on the Suffolk border. The town of -Grimsby had been half destroyed by fire, and the damage at Hull had been -enormous. From a timber-yard there the wind had, it seemed, carried the -flames across to the Alexandra Dock, where some stores had ignited and a -quantity of valuable shipping in the dock had been destroyed at their -moorings. The Paragon station and hotel had also been burned--probably -by people of Hull themselves, in order to drive the German commander -from his headquarters. - -From Newcastle, Gateshead, and Tynemouth came harrowing details of -bombardment, and the frightful result of those awful petrol bombs. Fire -and destruction had been spread broadcast everywhere. - -On the Manchester Exchange on Tuesday there was no longer any reason to -doubt the accuracy of Sunday’s report, and the feeling on ’Change became -“panicky.” It seemed as though the whole of the ten thousand members had -made up their minds to be present. The main entrance in Cross Street was -blocked for the greater part of the afternoon, and late comers dodged -round to the two entrances in Market Street, and the third in Bank -Street, in the hope of squeezing through into the vibrating mass of -humanity that filled the floors, the corridors, and the telephone, -reading, and writing rooms. The attendants found they had an impossible -task set them to make their way to the many lanterns around the vast -hall, there to affix the latest messages, recording astounding -fluctuations of prices, and now and again some news of the invasion. The -master and secretary in the end told the attendants to give up the -struggle, and he made his way with difficulty to the topmost balcony, -where, above the murmurings of the crowd below, he read the latest -bulletins of commercial and general intelligence as they arrived. - -But there were no efforts made to do business; and had any of the -members felt so inclined, the crush and stress were so great that any -attempt to book orders would have ended in failure. In the swaying of -the crowd hats were lost and trampled under foot; men whose appearance -on ’Change had always been immaculate were to be seen with torn collars -and disarranged neckwear. Never before had such a scene been witnessed. -Lancashire men had often heard of such a state of things having occurred -in the “pit” of the New York Exchange, when wild speculation in cotton -was indulged in, but they prided themselves that they were never guilty -of such conduct. No matter how the market jumped, they invariably kept -their heads, and waited until it assumed its normal condition, and -became settled. It had often been said that nothing short of an -earthquake would unnerve the Manchester commercial man; those who were -responsible for the statement had evidently not turned a thought to a -German invasion. That had done it completely. - -In the cafés and the hotels, where the master-spinners and the -manufacturers had been wont to forgather after high ’Change, there were -the usual gatherings, but there was little or no discussion on business -matters, except this: there was a common agreement that it would, in -present circumstances, be inadvisable to keep the mills running. Work -must be, and it was, completely suspended. The shippers, who had the -manufacturers under contract to supply certain quantities of goods for -transportation to their markets in India, China, and the Colonies, -trembled at the very contemplation of the financial losses they would -inevitably sustain by the non-delivery of the bales of cloth to their -customers abroad; but, on the other hand, they also paid heed to the -great danger of the vessels in which the goods were placed falling into -the hands of the enemy when at sea. The whole question was full of grim -perplexities, and even the most impatient among the shippers and the -merchants had to admit that a policy of do-nothing seemed the safest -course of procedure. - -The chaotic scenes on ’Change in the afternoon were reproduced in the -streets in the evening, and the Lord Mayor, towards eight o’clock, -fearful of rioting, sent special messengers to the headquarters of three -Volunteer corps for assistance in regulating street traffic. The -officers in command immediately responded to the call. The 2nd V.B.M.R. -took charge of Piccadilly and Market Street; the 4th were stationed in -Cross Street and Albert Square; and the 5th lined Deansgate from St. -Mary’s Gate to Peter Street. Mounted constabulary, by the exercise of -tact and good temper, kept the crowds on the move, and towards midnight -the pressure became so light that the officers felt perfectly justified -in withdrawing the Volunteers, who spent that night at their respective -headquarters. - -It was Wednesday, however, before Manchester people could thoroughly -realise that the distressing news was absolutely true, and on the top of -the confirmation came the startling report that the Fleet had been -crippled, and immense troops of Germans were landing at Hull, Lowestoft, -Yarmouth, Goole, and other places on the east, with the object of -sweeping the country. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -STATE OF SIEGE DECLARED - - -The authentic account of a further landing in Essex--somewhere near -Maldon--was now published. The statement had been dictated by Mr. Henry -Alexander, J.P.,--the Mayor of Maldon, who had succeeded in escaping -from the town,--to Captain Wilfred Quare, of the Intelligence Department -of the War Office. This Department had, in turn, given it to the -newspapers for publication. - -It read as follows:-- - - * * * * * - -“On Sunday morning, September 2, I had arranged to play a round of golf -with my friend Somers, of Beeleigh, before church. I met him at the Golf -Hut about 8.30. We played one round, and were at the last hole but three -in a second round when we both thought we heard the sound of shots fired -somewhere in the town. We couldn’t make anything at all of it, and as we -had so nearly finished the round, we thought we would do so before going -up to inquire about it. I was making my approach to the final hole when -an exclamation from Somers spoilt my stroke. I felt annoyed, but as I -looked round--doubtless somewhat irritably--my eyes turned in the -direction in which I now saw my friend was pointing with every -expression of astonishment in his countenance. - -“‘Who on earth are those fellows?’ he asked. As for me, I was too -dumbfounded to reply. Galloping over the links from the direction of the -town came three men in uniform--soldiers, evidently. I had often been -in Germany, and recognised the squat pickel-haubes and general get-up of -the rapidly approaching horsemen at a glance. - -“‘I didn’t know the Yeomanry were out!’ was what my friend said. - -“‘Yeomanry be hanged! They’re Germans, or I’m a Dutchman!’ I answered; -‘and what the dickens can they be doing here?’ - -“They were upon us almost as I spoke, pulling up their horses with a -great spattering up of grass and mud, quite ruining one of our best -greens. All three of them pointed big, ugly repeating pistols at us, and -the leader, a conceited-looking ass in staff uniform, required us to -‘surrender’ in quite a pompous manner, but in very good English. - -“‘Do we look so very dangerous, Herr Lieutenant?’ inquired I in German. - -“He dropped a little of his frills when he heard me speak in his native -language, asked which of us was the Mayor, and condescended to explain -that I was required in Maldon by the officer at present in command of -His Imperial Majesty the Kaiser’s forces occupying that place. - -“I was absolutely staggered. - -“When I left my house a couple of hours back I had just as much -expectation of finding the Chinese there on my return as the Germans. I -looked at my captor in complete bewilderment. Could he be some fellow -trying to take a rise out of me by masquerading as a German officer? But -no, I recognised at once that he was the genuine article. Everything -about him, from the badly-cut riding-boots to the sprouting moustache -curled up in feeble imitation of the Emperor’s characteristic adornment, -bore witness to his identity. If anything were wanting, it was supplied -by his aggressive manner. - -“I suggested that he might point his pistol some other way. I added that -if he wanted to try his skill as marksman it would be more sporting to -aim at the flag at the Long Hole near Beeleigh Lock. - -“He took my banter in good part, but demanded my parole, which I made no -difficulty about giving, since I did not see any way of escape, and in -any case was only too anxious to get back to town to see how things -were. - -“‘But you don’t want my friend, do you--he lives out the other way?’ I -queried. - -“‘I don’t want him, but he will have to come all the same,’ rejoined the -German. ‘It isn’t likely we’re going to let him get away to give the -alarm in Colchester, is it?’ - -“Obviously it was not, and without more ado we started off at a sharp -walk, holding on to the stirrup leathers of the horsemen. - -“As we entered the town there was, on the bridge over the river, a small -picket of blue-coated German infantry. The whole thing was a perfect -nightmare. It was past belief. - -“‘How on earth did you get here?’ I couldn’t help asking. ‘Did you come -down from town in an excursion train or by balloon?’ - -“My German officer laughed. - -“‘By water,’ he answered shortly, pointing down the river as he spoke, -where I was still further astonished--if it were possible after such a -morning--to see several steam pinnaces and boats flying the black and -white German ensign. - -“I was conducted straight to the Moot Hall. He already knew his way -about, this German, it seemed. There I found a grizzled veteran waiting -on the steps, who turned round and entered the building as we came up. -We followed him inside, and I was introduced to him. He appeared to be a -truculent old ruffian. - -“‘Well, Mr. Mayor,’ he said, pulling viciously at his white moustache, -‘do you know that I’ve a great mind to take you out into the street and -have you shot?’ - -“I was not at all inclined to be browbeaten. - -“‘Indeed, Herr Hauptman?’ I answered. ‘And may I inquire in what way I -have incurred the displeasure of the Hochwohlgeboren officer?’ - -“‘Don’t trifle with me, sir. Why do you allow your miserable Volunteers -to come out and shoot my men?’ - -“‘My Volunteers? I am afraid I don’t understand what you mean,’ I said. -‘I’m not a Volunteer officer. Even if I were, I should have no -cognisance of anything that has happened within the last two hours, as I -have been down on the golf course. This officer will bear me out,’ I -added, turning to my captor. He admitted that he had found me there. - -“‘But, anyway, you are the Mayor,’ persisted my interrogator. ‘Why did -you allow the Volunteers to come out?’ - -“‘If you had been good enough to inform us of your visit, we might have -made better arrangements,’ I answered, ‘but in any case you must -understand that a mayor has little or no authority in this country. His -job is to head subscription-lists, eat a dinner or two, and make -speeches on public occasions.’ - -“He seemed to have some difficulty in swallowing this, but as another -officer who was there, writing at a table, and who, it appears, had -lived at some period in England, corroborated my statement, the choleric -colonel seemed to be a little mollified, and contented himself with -demanding my parole not to leave Maldon until he had reported the matter -to the General for decision. I gave it without more ado, and then asked -if he would be good enough to tell me what had happened. From what he -told me, and what I heard afterwards, it seems that the Germans must -have landed a few of their men about half an hour before I left home, -down near the Marine Lake. They had not entered the town at once, as -their object was to work round outside and occupy all the entrances, to -prevent anyone getting away with the news of their presence. They had -not noticed the little lane leading to the golf course, and so I had -gone down without meeting any of them, although they had actually got a -picket just beyond the railway arch at that time. They had completed -their cordon before there was any general alarm in the town, but at the -first reliable rumour it seems that young Shand, of the Essex -Volunteers, had contrived to get together twenty or thirty of his men in -their uniforms and foolishly opened fire on a German picket down by St. -Mary’s Church. They fell back, but were almost instantly reinforced by a -whole company that had just landed, and our men, rushing forward, had -been ridden into by some cavalry that came up a side street. They were -dispersed, a couple of them were killed and several wounded, among them -poor Shand, who was hit in the right lung. They had bagged four Germans, -however, and their commanding officer was furious. It was a pity that it -happened, as it could not possibly have been of any use. But it seems -that Shand had no idea that it was more than a very small detachment -that had landed from a gunboat that someone said they had seen down the -river. Some of the Volunteers were captured afterwards and sent off as -prisoners, and the Germans posted up a notice that all Volunteers were -forthwith to surrender either themselves or their arms and uniforms, -under pain of death. Most of them did the latter. They could do nothing -after it was found that the Germans had a perfect army somewhere between -Maldon and the sea, and were pouring troops into the town as fast as -they could. - -“That very morning a Saxon rifle battalion arrived from the direction of -Mundon, and just afterwards a lot of spike-helmeted gentlemen came in by -train from Wickford way. So it went on all day, until the whole town was -in a perfect uproar. Another rifle battalion, then some sky-blue hussars -and some artillery, then three more battalions of a regiment called the -101st Grenadiers, I believe. The infantry were billeted in the town, but -the cavalry and guns crossed the river and canal at Heybridge, and went -off in the direction of Witham. Later on, another infantry regiment -came in by train and marched out after them. - -“Maldon is built on a hill that slopes gradually towards the east and -south, but rises somewhat abruptly on the west and north, humping up a -shoulder, as it were, to the north-west. At this corner they started to -dig entrenchments just after one o’clock, and soon officers and -orderlies were busy all round the town, plotting, measuring, and setting -up marks of one kind and another. Other troops appeared to be busy down -in Heybridge, but what they were doing I could not tell, as no one was -allowed to cross the bridge over the river. - -“The German officer who had surprised me down on the golf course did not -turn out to be a bad kind of youth on further acquaintance. He was a -Captain von Hildebrandt, of the Guard Fusilier Regiment, who was -employed on the Staff, though in what capacity he did not say. Thinking -it was just as well to make the best of a bad job, I invited him to -lunch. He said he had to be off. He, however, introduced me to three -friends of his in the 101st Grenadiers, who, he suggested, should be -billeted on me. I thought the idea a fairly good one, and Von -Hildebrandt, having apparently arranged this with the billeting officer -without any difficulty, I took them home with me to lunch. - -“I found my wife and family in a great state of mind, both on account of -the untoward happenings of the morning and my non-return from golf at -the expected time. They had imagined all sorts of things which might -have befallen me, but luckily seemed not to have heard of my adventure -with the choleric colonel. Our three foreigners soon made themselves -very much at home, but as they were undeniably gentlemen, they contrived -to be about as agreeable as could be expected under the circumstances. -Indeed, their presence was to a great extent a safeguard against -annoyance, as the stable and back premises were stuffed full of -soldiers, who might have been very troublesome had they not been there -to keep them in order. - -“Of what was happening up in London we knew nothing. Being Sunday, all -the shops were shut; but I went out and contrived to lay in a -considerable stock of provisions one way and another, and it was just as -well I did, for I only just anticipated the Germans, who commandeered -everything in the town and put everybody on an allowance of rations. -They paid for them with bills on the British Government, which were by -no means acceptable to the shopkeepers. However, it was ‘Hobson’s -choice’--that or nothing. The Germans soothed them by saying that the -British Army would be smashed in a couple of weeks, and the defrayment -of such bills would be among the conditions of peace. The troops -generally seemed to be well-behaved, and treated those inhabitants with -whom they came in contact in an unexceptionable manner. They did not see -very much of them, however, as they were kept hard at work all day with -their entrenchments and were not allowed out of their billets after -eight o’clock that evening. No one, in fact, was allowed to be about the -streets after that hour. On the other hand, a couple of poor young -fellows in the Volunteers who had concealed their connection with the -force and were trying to slip out of the town with their rifles after -dark, were caught, and the next morning stood up against the -three-cornered tower of All Saints’ Church and shot without mercy. Two -or three other people were shot by the sentries as they tried to break -out in one direction or the other. These affairs produced a feeling of -horror and indignation in the town, as Englishmen, having such a long -experience of peace in their own country, have always refused to realise -what war really means. - -“The German fortifications went on at a rapid rate. Trenches were dug -all round the northern and western sides of the town before dark on the -first evening, and the following morning I woke up to find three huge -gun-pits yawning in my garden, which looked to the northward. One was -right in the middle of the lawn--or rather of where the lawn had been, -for all the grass that had not been displaced in the digging had been -cut up in sods to build up the insides of their parapets. During -breakfast there was a great rattling and rumbling in the street without, -and presently three big field howitzers were dragged in and planted in -the pits. There they stood, their ugly snouts pointing skyward in the -midst of the wreck of flowers and fruit. - -“Afterwards I went out and found that other guns and howitzers were -being put in position all along the north side of Beeleigh Road, and -round the corner by the Old Barracks. The high tower of the disused -Church of St. Peter’s, now utilised for the safe custody of Dr. Plume’s -library, had been equipped as a lookout and signal station.” - -Such was the condition of affairs in the town of Maldon on Monday -morning. - - * * * * * - -The excitement in London, and indeed all over the country, on Tuesday -night was intense. Scotney’s story of the landing at Weybourne was -eagerly read everywhere. - -As the sun sank blood-red into the smoke haze behind Nelson’s Monument -in Trafalgar Square, it was an ominous sign to the panic-stricken crowds -that day and night were now assembled there. - -The bronze lions facing the four points of the compass were now mere -mocking emblems of England’s departed greatness. The mobilisation muddle -was known; for, according to the papers, hardly any troops had, as yet, -assembled at their places of concentration. The whole of the East of -England was helplessly in the invader’s hands. From Newcastle had come -terrible reports of the bombardment. Half the city was in flames, the -Elswick works were held by the enemy, and whole streets in Newcastle, -Gateshead, Sunderland, and Tynemouth were still burning fiercely. - -The Tynemouth fort had proved of little or no use against the enemy’s -guns. The Germans had, it appeared, used petrol bombs with appalling -results, spreading fire, disaster, and death everywhere. The -inhabitants, compelled to fly with only the clothes they wore, had -scattered all over Northumberland and Durham, while the enemy had seized -a quantity of valuable shipping that had been in the Tyne, hoisted the -German flag, and converted the vessels to their own uses. - -Many had already been sent across to Wilhelmshaven, Emden, Bremerhaven, -and other places to act as transports, while the Elswick works--which -surely ought to have been properly protected--supplied the Germans with -quantities of valuable material. - -Panic and confusion were everywhere. All over the country the railway -system was utterly disorganised, business everywhere was at a complete -deadlock, for in every town and city all over the kingdom the banks were -closed. - -Lombard Street, Lothbury, and other banking centres in the City had all -day on Monday been the scene of absolute panic. There, as well as at -every branch bank all over the metropolis, had occurred a wild rush to -withdraw deposits by people who foresaw disaster. Many, indeed, intended -to fly with their families away from the country. - -The price of the necessities of life had risen further, and in the East -End and poorer districts of Southwark the whole population were already -in a state of semi-starvation. But worst of all, the awful truth with -which London was now face to face was that the metropolis was absolutely -defenceless. - -Would not some effort be made to repel the invaders? Surely if we had -lost our command of the sea the War Office could, by some means, -assemble sufficient men to at least protect London? This was the cry of -the wild, turbulent crowd surging through the City and West End, as the -blood-red sun sank into the west, flooding London in its warm -afterglow--a light in the sky that was prophetic of red ruin and of -death to those wildly excited millions. - - +--------------------------------------------------+ - | | - | [Illustration] | - | | - | =NOTICE.= | - | | - | =TO ALL GERMAN SUBJECTS RESIDENT | - | IN ENGLAND.= | - | | - | | - | WILHELM. | - | | - | To all OUR LOYAL SUBJECTS, | - | GREETING. | - | | - | We hereby COMMAND and enjoin that all | - | persons born within the German Empire, or | - | being German subjects, whether liable to | - | military service or not, shall join our arms at | - | any headquarters of either of our Army Corps | - | in England within 24 hours of the date of this | - | proclamation. | - | | - | Any German subject failing to obey this our | - | Command will be treated as an enemy. | - | | - | By the EMPEROR’S Command. | - | | - | Given at Beccles, Sept. 3rd, 1910. | - | | - | =VON KRONHELM,= | - | Commanding the Imperial German Army in England. | - +--------------------------------------------------+ - - FACSIMILE OF A PROCLAMATION POSTED BY UNKNOWN - HANDS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. - -Every hour the papers were appearing with fresh details of the invasion, -for reports were so rapidly coming in from every hand that the Press had -difficulty in dealing with them. - -Hull and Goole were known to be in the hands of the invaders, and -Grimsby, where the Mayor had been unable to pay the indemnity demanded, -had been sacked. But details were not yet forthcoming. - -Londoners, however, learnt late that night more authentic news from the -invaded zone, of which Beccles was the centre, and it was to the effect -that those who had landed at Lowestoft were the IXth German Army Corps, -with General von Kronhelm, the Generalissimo of the German Army. This -Army Corps, consisting of about 40,000 men, was divided into the 17th -Division, commanded by Lieutenant-General Hocker, and the 18th by -Lieutenant-General von Rauch. The cavalry was under the command of -Major-General von Heyden, and the motor infantry under Colonel -Reichardt. - -According to official information which had reached the War Office and -been given to the Press, the 17th Division was made up of the Bremen and -Hamburg Infantry Regiments, the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg’s Grenadiers, -the Grand Duke’s Fusiliers, the Lübeck Regiment No. 162, the -Schleswig-Holstein Regiment No. 163, while the cavalry brigade consisted -of the 17th and 18th Grand Duke of Mecklenburg’s Dragoons. - -The 18th Division consisted of the Schleswig Regiment No. 84, and the -Schleswig Fusiliers No. 86, the Thuringen Regiment, and the Duke of -Holstein’s Regiment, the two latter regiments being billeted in -Lowestoft, while the cavalry brigade forming the screen across from -Leiston by Wilby to Castle Hill were Queen Wilhelmina’s Hanover Hussars -and the Emperor of Austria’s Schleswig-Holstein Hussars No. 16. These, -with the smart motor infantry, held every communication in the direction -of London. - -As far as could be gathered, the German commander had established his -headquarters in Beccles, and had not moved. It now became apparent that -the telegraph cables between the East Coast and Holland and Germany, -already described in the first chapter, had never been cut at all. They -had simply been held by the enemy’s advance agents until the landing had -been effected. And now Von Kronhelm had actually established direct -communication between Beccles and Emden, and on to Berlin. - -Reports from the North Sea spoke of the enemy’s transports returning to -the German coast, escorted by cruisers; therefore the plan was -undoubtedly not to move until a very much larger force had been landed. - -Could England regain her command of the sea in time to prevent the -completion of the blow? - -The _Eastminster Gazette_, and similar papers of the Blue Water School, -assured the public that there was but very little danger. Germany had -made a false move, and would, in the course of a few days, be made to -pay very dearly for it. - -But the British public viewed the situation for itself. It was tired of -these self-satisfied reassurances, and threw the blame upon the -political party who had so often said that armed hostilities had been -abolished in the twentieth century. Recollecting the Czar’s proposals -for universal peace, and the Russo-Japanese sequel, they had no further -faith in the pro-German party or in its organs. It was they, cried the -orators in the streets, that had prevented the critics having a hearing; -they who were culpably responsible for the inefficient state of our -defences; they who had ridiculed clever men, the soldiers, sailors, and -writers who had dared to tell the plain, honest, but unpalatable truth. - -We were at war, and if we were not careful the war would spell ruin for -our dear old England. - -That night the London streets presented a scene of panic indescribable. -The theatres opened, but closed their doors again, as nobody would see -plays while in that excited state. Every shop was closed, and every -railway station was filled to overflowing with the exodus of terrified -people fleeing to the country westward, or reserves on their way to join -the colours. - -The incredulous manner in which the country first received the news had -now been succeeded by wild terror and despair. On that bright Sunday -afternoon they laughed at the report as a mere journalistic sensation, -but ere the sun set the hard, terrible truth was forced upon them, and -now, on Tuesday night, the whole country, from Brighton to Carlisle, -from Yarmouth to Aberystwyth, was utterly disorganised and in a state of -terrified anxiety. - -The Eastern counties were already beneath the iron heel of the invader, -whose objective was the world’s great capital--London. - -Would they reach it? That was the serious question upon everyone’s -tongue that fevered, breathless night. - - - - -CHAPTER X - -HOW THE ENEMY DEALT THE BLOW - - -The morning of Wednesday, September 5, dawned brightly, with warm sun -and cloudless sky, a perfect day of English early autumn, yet over the -land was a gloom and depression--the silence of a great terror. The fate -of the greatest nation the world had ever known was now trembling in the -balance. - -When the first flush of dawn showed, the public clamoured for -information as to what the War Office were doing to repel the audacious -Teutons. Was London to be left at their mercy without a shot being -fired? Was the whole of our military machinery a mere gold-braided -farce? - -Londoners expected that, ere this, British troops would have faced the -foe, and displayed that dogged courage and grand heroism that had kept -their reputation through centuries as the best soldiers in the world. - -The Press, too, were loud in their demands that something should at once -be done, but the authorities still remained silent, although they were -in ceaseless activity. - -They were making the best they could out of the mobilisation muddle. - -So suddenly had the blow been struck that no preparation had been made -for it. Although the printed forms and broadsides were, of course, in -their dusty pigeon-holes ready to be filled up, yet where were the men? -Many had read the proclamation which called them up for duty with their -own corps, and in numberless cases, with commendable alacrity, they set -out on a long and tiresome journey to join their respective units, -which were stationed, as is the case in peace-time, all over the -country. - -A sturdy Scot, working in Whitechapel, was endeavouring to work his way -up to Edinburgh; a broad-speaking Lancastrian from Oldham was struggling -to get to his regiment down at Plymouth; while an easygoing Irishman, -who had conducted an omnibus in London, gaily left for the Curragh, were -a few examples of the hopeless confusion now in progress. - -With the disorganised train and postal services, and with the railway -line cut in various places by the enemy, how was it possible for these -men to carry out the orders they received? - -Meanwhile, the greatest activity was in progress in the regimental -depôts in the Eastern counties, Norwich, Bury St. Edmunds, Bedford, -Warley, Northampton, and Mill Hill. In London, at Wellington Barracks, -Chelsea Barracks, and the Tower of London, were witnessed many stirring -scenes. Veterans were rejoining, greeting their old comrades--many of -whom had now become non-commissioned officers since they themselves left -the ranks--while excited crowds pressed round the barrack squares, -wildly cheering, and singing “God save the King.” - -There was bustle and movement on every hand, for the sight of English -uniforms aroused the patriotic enthusiasm of the mob, who, having never -been trained to arms themselves, now realised their own incompetency to -defend their homes and loved ones. - -Farther afield in the Home counties, the Regimental depôts at Guildford, -Canterbury, Hounslow, Kingston, Chichester, and Maidstone were filling -up quickly with surplus infantry, reservists, and non-efficients of all -descriptions. At Guildford the Royal West Surrey Regiment were at -Stoughton; at Canterbury were the old “Buffs”; at Hounslow the Royal -Fusiliers; at Kingston the East Surrey Regiment; at Chichester the Royal -Sussex, and at Maidstone the Royal West Kent. - -Cavalry were assembling at the riding establishments, while veteran -gunners and Army Service Corps men were making the best of their way by -steamer, rail, and road to Woolwich. - -Horses for both cavalry and artillery were urgently required, but owing -to the substitution of the motor-omnibus for the horse-drawn vehicle in -the London streets, there was no longer that supply of animals which -held us in such good stead during the South African War. - -At the depôts feverish excitement prevailed, now that every man was -ordered on active service. All officers and men who had been on leave -were recalled, and medical inspection of all ranks at once commenced. -Rations and bedding, stores and equipment were drawn, but there was a -great lack of uniforms. Unlike the German Army, where every soldier’s -equipment is complete even to the last button on the proverbial gaiter, -and stowed away where the owner knows where to obtain it, our officers -commanding depôts commenced indenting for clothing on the Royal Army -Clothing Department, and the Army Corps Clothing Department. - -A large percentage of men were, of course, found medically unfit to -serve, and were discharged to swell the mobs of hungry idlers. The plain -clothes of the reservists coming in were disposed of, no man daring to -appear in the ranks unless in uniform, Von Kronhelm’s proclamation -having forbidden the tactics of the Boers of putting mere armed citizens -into the field. - -Horse-collecting parties went out all over the country, taking with them -head-collars, head-ropes, bits, reins, surcingles, numnahs, -horse-blankets, and nose-bags. These scoured every county in search of -likely animals. Every farm, every livery stable, every hunting-box, all -hound-kennels, and private stables were visited, and a choice made. All -this, however, took time. Precious hours were thus being wasted while -the enemy were calmly completing their arrangements for the -long-contemplated blow at the heart of the British Empire. - -While the War Office refused any information, special editions of the -papers during Wednesday printed sensational reports of the ruthless -completion of the impenetrable screen covering the operations of the -enemy on the whole of the East Coast. - -News had, by some means, filtered through from Yarmouth that a similar -landing to those at Lowestoft and Weybourne had been effected. Protected -as such an operation was, by its flanks being supported by the IVth and -IXth Army Corps landing on either side, the Xth Army Corps under General -von Wilburg had seized Yarmouth, with its many miles of wharves and -docks, which were now crowded by the lighters’ craft of flotilla from -the Frisian Islands. - -It was known that the landing had been effected simultaneously with that -at Lowestoft. The large number of cranes at the fish-docks were of -invaluable use to the enemy, for there they landed guns, animals, and -stores, while the provisions they found at the various ship’s chandlers, -and in such shops as Blagg’s and the International Stores in King -Street, Peter Brown’s, Doughty’s, Lipton’s, Penny’s, and Barnes’s, were -at once commandeered. Great stores of flour were seized in Clarke’s and -Press’s mills, while the horse-provender mills in the vicinity supplied -them with valuable forage. - -The hotels in the Market Place--the Bull, the Angel, the Cambridge, and -Foulsham’s--were full of men billeted, while officers occupied the Star, -the Crown and Anchor, and Cromwell House, as well as the Queen’s -opposite the Britannia Pier, and the many boarding-houses along Marine -Parade. And over all the effigy of Nelson looked down in silent -contemplation! - -Many men, it appeared, had also been landed at the red-brick little port -of Gorleston, the Cliff and Pier Hotels being also occupied by officers -remaining there to superintend the landing on that side of the Yare -estuary. - -Beyond these few details, as far as regarded the fate of Yarmouth -nothing further was at present known. - -The British division at Colchester, which comprised all the regular -troops north of the Thames in the eastern command, was, no doubt, in a -critical position, threatened so closely north and south by the enemy. -None of the regiments, the Norfolks, the Leicestershire, and the King’s -Own Scottish Borderers of the 11th Infantry Brigade, were up to their -strength. The 12th Infantry Brigade, which also belonged to the -division, possessed only skeleton regiments stationed at Hounslow and -Warley. Of the 4th Cavalry Brigade, some were at Norwich, the 21st -Lancers were at Hounslow, while only the 16th Lancers were at -Colchester. Other cavalry regiments were as far away as Canterbury, -Shorncliffe, and Brighton, and although there were three batteries of -artillery at Colchester, some were at Ipswich, others at Shorncliffe, -and others at Woolwich. - -Therefore it was quite evident to the authorities in London that unless -both Colchester and Norwich were instantly strongly supported, they -would soon be simply swept out of existence by the enormous masses of -German troops now dominating the whole eastern coast, bent upon -occupying London. - -Helpless though they felt themselves to be, the garrison at Colchester -did all they could. All available cavalry had been pushed out past -Ipswich, north to Wickham Market, Stowmarket, and across to Bury St. -Edmunds, only to find on Wednesday morning that they were covering the -hasty retreat of the small body of cavalry who had been stationed at -Norwich. They, gallantly led by their officers, had done everything -possible to reconnoitre and attempt to pierce the enemy’s huge cavalry -screen, but in every instance entirely in vain. They had been -outnumbered by the squadrons of independent cavalry operating in front -of the Germans, and had, alas! left numbers of their gallant comrades -upon the roads, killed and wounded. - -Norwich had, therefore, on Wednesday morning, fallen into the hands of -the German cavalry, utterly defenceless. Reports of the retiring -troopers told a grim story of how the grand old city had fallen. From - - +-----------------------------------------------------------+ - | | - | [Illustration] | - | | - | =CITY OF NORWICH.= | - | | - | | - | CITIZENS-- | - | | - | AS IS WELL KNOWN, a hostile army has landed | - | upon the coast of Norfolk, and has already occupied | - | Yarmouth and Lowestoft, establishing their headquarters | - | at Beccles. | - | | - | IN THESE GRAVE CIRCUMSTANCES our only | - | thought is for England, and our duty as citizens and | - | officials is to remain at our post and bear our part in | - | the defence of Norwich, our capital now threatened. | - | | - | YOUR PATRIOTISM, of which you have on so many | - | occasions in recent wars given proof, will, I have no | - | doubt, again be shown. By your resistance you will | - | obtain the honour and respect of your enemies, and by | - | the individual energy of each one of you the honour and | - | glory of England may be saved. | - | | - | CITIZENS OF NORWICH, I appeal to you to view | - | the catastrophe calmly, and bear your part bravely in the | - | coming struggle. | - | | - | CHARLES CARRINGTON, | - | _Mayor_. | - | | - | NORWICH, _September 4, 1910_. | - +-----------------------------------------------------------+ - - APPEAL ISSUED BY THE MAYOR OF NORWICH. - -the Castle the German flag was now flying, the Britannia Barracks were -being used by the enemy, food had all been seized, the streets were in a -state of chaos, and a complete reign of terror had been created when a -company of British infantry, having fired at some Uhlans, were -ruthlessly shot down in the street close by the Maid’s Head Hotel. - -An attempt at a barricade had been erected at the top of Prince of -Wales’s Road, but the enemy, who came down the Aylsham Road, had soon -cleared it. Many motor cars were seized from Howe’s garage, and the -Norfolk Imperial Yeomanry, who were assembled at their headquarters in -Tombland, were quickly discovered, disarmed, and dispersed. Green & -Wright’s wholesale provision stores in Upper King Street, as well as -Chandler’s in Prince of Wales’s Road, Wood’s in London Street, and many -other grocers and provision-dealers were seized, the telegraph lines at -the post-office were taken over by Germans, while, by reason of a shot -fired from a window upon a German soldier who was passing, the whole -block of buildings from the _East Anglia Daily Press_ office, with -Singer’s and the railway receiving office, was deliberately set on fire, -and produced an alarming state of things. - -In addition to this, the Mayor of Norwich was taken prisoner, lodged in -the Castle, and held as surety for the well-behaviour of the town. - -Everywhere Von Kronhelm’s famous proclamation was posted, and as the -invaders poured into the city the inhabitants looked on in sullen -silence, knowing that they were now under German military discipline, -the most rigorous and drastic in the whole world. - -The nation had, unfortunately, passed by unheeded the serious warnings -of 1905-6. The authorities had remained impotent, and Mr. Haldane’s Army -Scheme had proved useless. The War Office had only one power within it, -that of the man who represented the Cabinet. The rest were mere -instruments. - -There were many reports of sharp brushes between our cavalry vedettes -and those of the enemy. The latter belonged to the corps who had -established their headquarters in Maldon, and among those killed was an -officer named Von Pabst, who was a prisoner, and who was shot while -escaping, and in whose pocket was found a letter addressed to a friend, -a certain Captain Neuhaus, of Lothringen Pioneer Battalion, stationed at -Darmstadt. - -It was interesting, for it threw some light upon the manner that -particular corps of the invaders had embarked at Antwerp, and had -apparently been hurriedly written in the intervals of the writer’s -duties with Prince Henry of Würtemburg’s staff. Having been secured, it -was sent to London, and was as follows:-- - -“MALDON, ENGLAND, -“_Wednesday, September 5_. - -“MY DEAR NEUHAUS,--Behold me, here at last in the ‘tight little island,’ -by the English so greatly boasted! So far, we have had absolutely our -own way, and have hardly seen an enemy. But you will be glad to have -some account of my experience in this never-to-be-forgotten expedition. -I was, of course, overjoyed to find myself appointed to the staff of His -Highness Prince Henry of Würtemburg, and having obtained leave to quit -my garrison, started for Treves without a moment’s delay. Our troops -were to enter Belgium ostensibly to quell the riots in Brussels. But the -line was so continually blocked by troop-trains going west, that on -arrival I found that he had gone with his army corps to Antwerp. There -at last I was able to report myself--only just in time. My train got in -at noon, and we sailed the same night. - -“Antwerp might have been a German city. It was simply crammed with our -troops. The Parc, the Pépinière, the Jardin Zoologique, the Parc du -Palais de l’Industrie, the Boulevards, and every open space, was -utilised as a bivouac. Prince Henry had his quarters in a very nice -house on the Place Vert, opposite the Cathedral, and in the Place -itself were picketed the horses belonging to the squadron of Jäegers zu -Pferde, attached to the XIIth Corps. I rode round with the Prince in the -afternoon, and saw the various regiments in the bivouacs, and the -green-coated artillery, and the train in their sky-blue tunics hard at -work all along the quays, getting their guns and waggons on board. The -larger steamers lay two and three moored abreast alongside the quays, -and astern of each a dozen flats or barges in two lots of six, each -lashed together with a planked gangway leading to the outer ones. More -barges, and the Rhine and other river steamers, and tugs to tow the -lighters, lay outside in midstream. How all this had been arranged in -the short time that had elapsed is more than I can imagine. Of course, -our people had taken good care that no news should reach England by any -of the many telegraph routes; the arrangements for that were most -elaborate. There was no appearance of enthusiasm among the men. The -gunners were too busy, and the infantry and cavalry destined for the -expedition were not allowed to leave their bivouacs, and did not know -that they were in for a sea voyage. The Belgian troops have all been -disarmed and encamped on the other side of the river, between the older -fortifications known as the Tête de Flandre and the outer lines. The -populace for the most part have a sulky appearance, but as there is a -very large German colony we found plenty of friends. The Burgomaster -himself is a Bavarian, and most of the Councillors are also Germans, so -that in the evening Prince Henry and his staff were entertained right -royally at the Hôtel de Ville. I assure you, my friend, that I did -justice to the civic hospitality. But the banquet was all too short. - -“At eight o’clock we had to be on board. The steamer told off for us was -the _Dresden_, which, with many other British vessels, had been -commandeered that day. She lay alongside the pontoon, near the Steen -Museum. As soon as she cast off, a gun was fired from the Citadel, -followed by three rockets, which shot up into the darkness from the Tête -de Flandre. This was the signal for the flotilla to start, and in -succession one steamer after another slid out into the stream from the -shadows of the quays, and, followed by her train of tugs and barges, -began to glide down the Scheldt. Our arrangements had been perfected, -and everything went without a hitch. - -“The _Dresden_ went dead slow along under the farther bank for a time, -and we watched the head of the procession of transports pass down the -river. It was an inspiring sight to see the densely-packed steamers and -barges carrying their thousands of stout German hearts on their way to -humble the pride of overbearing and threatening Albion. It brought to -mind the highly prophetic utterance of our Emperor: ‘Our Future lies on -the Water.’ The whole flotilla was off Flushing shortly before midnight, -and after forming in four parallel columns, stood away to the -north-west. It was a quiet night, not very dark, and the surface of the -water, a shining, grey sheet, was visible for a considerable distance -from the ship. The steamers carried the usual steaming lights, and the -barges and lighters white lights at bow and stern. The scuttles were all -screened, so that no other lights might confuse those who were -responsible for the safe conduct of the armada. I had no inclination to -turn in. - -“The general excitement of the occasion, the fascination I found in -watching the dim shades of the swarm of craft on all sides, the lines of -red, white, and green lights slowly moving side by side with their -flickering reflections in the gently-heaving waters, held me spellbound -and wakeful as I leaned over the taffrail. Most of my comrades on the -staff remained on deck, also muffled in their long cloaks, and talking -for the most part in undertones. Prince Henry paced the bridge with the -officer in command of the vessel. All of us, I think, were impressed -with the magnitude of the venture on which our Fatherland had embarked, - - +------------------------------------------------------------------+ - | | - | [Illustration] | - | | - | =GOD SAVE THE KING.= | - | | - | =PROCLAMATION.= | - | | - | TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN. | - | | - | In regard to the Decree of September 3rd of the present | - | year, declaring a state of siege in the Counties of Norfolk | - | and Suffolk. | - | | - | In regard to the Decree of August 10th, 1906, regulating | - | the public administration of all theatres of war and military | - | servitude; | - | | - | Upon the proposition of the Commander-in-Chief | - | | - | IT IS DECREED AS FOLLOWS: | - | | - | (1) There are in a state of war: | - | | - | 1st. In the Eastern Command, the counties of Northamptonshire,| - | Rutlandshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, | - | Suffolk, Essex, Huntingdonshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, | - | and Middlesex (except that portion included in the | - | London Military District). | - | | - | 2nd. In the Northern Command, the counties of Northumberland, | - | Durham, Cumberland, and Yorkshire, with | - | the southern shore of the estuary of the Humber. | - | | - | (2) I, Charles Leonard Spencer Cotterell, his Majesty’s | - | Principal Secretary of State for War, am charged with the | - | execution of this Decree. | - | | - | WAR OFFICE, WHITEHALL, | - | _September the Fourth, 1910_. | - +------------------------------------------------------------------+ - - This proclamation was posted outside the War Office in London at - noon on Wednesday, and was read by thousands. It was also posted - upon the Town Hall of every city and town throughout the country. - - - -and although we felt that things had been so carefully thought out and -so splendidly arranged that the chances were almost all in our favour, -yet we could not but wonder what would be the end of it all. As Von der -Bendt--whom you will doubtless remember when he was in the 3rd Horse -Grenadiers at Bromberg, and who is also on the Prince’s staff--said that -night as he walked the deck, ‘Where would we be if, despite our -precautions, the English had contrived to get wind of our intentions, -and half a dozen destroyers came tearing up out of the darkness, and in -among our flotilla? Our own particular future would then probably lie -under the water instead of on it.’ I laughed at his croakings, but I -confess I looked rather more intently at our somewhat limited horizon. - -“About two in the morning the moon rose. Her light was but fitful and -partial on account of a very cloudy sky, but I received rather a shock -when her first rays revealed a long grey line of warships with all -lights out, and with the darker forms of their attendant destroyers -moving on their flanks, slowly crossing our course at right angles. As -it turned out, they were only our own escorts, ordered to meet us at -this point, and to convoy us and the other portions of the XIIth Corps, -which were coming out from Rotterdam and other Dutch ports to join us. -In a few minutes after meeting the ironclads, a galaxy of sparkling -points of light approaching from the northward heralded their arrival, -and by three o’clock the whole fleet was steaming due west in many -parallel lines. Four battleships moved in line ahead on each flank, the -destroyers seemed to be constantly coming and going in all directions, -like dogs shepherding a flock of sheep, and I fancy there were several -other men-o’-war ahead of us. The crossing proved entirely uneventful. -We saw nothing of the much-to-be-dreaded British warships, nor indeed of -any ships at all, with the exception of a few fishing-boats and the -Harwich-Antwerp boat, which, ablaze with lights, ran through the rear -portion of our flotilla, luckily without colliding with any of our -flats or lighters. What her crew and passengers must have thought of -meeting such an array of shipping in mid-Channel can only be surmised. -In any case, it was of no consequence, for by the time they arrived in -Antwerp all our cards would be on the table. - -“Towards morning I got very drowsy, and eventually fell asleep on a -bench behind the after deck-house. I seemed hardly to have closed my -eyes when Von der Bendt woke me up to inform me that land was in sight. -It was just dawn. A wan light was creeping up out of the east, bringing -with it a cold air that made one shiver. There was but little light in -the west, but there right ahead a long black line was just discernible -on the horizon. It was England! - -“Our half of the fleet now altered course a few points to the southward, -the remainder taking a more northerly course, and by five o’clock we -were passing the Swin Lightship, and stood in the mouth of the river -Crouch, doubtless to the amazement of a few fishermen who gazed -open-mouthed from their boats at the apparition of our grey warships, -with their bristle of guns and the vast concourse of shipping that -followed them. By six we were at Burnham-on-Crouch, a quaint little -town, evidently a yachting centre, for the river was absolutely covered -with craft--small cutters, yawls, and the like, and hundreds upon -hundreds of boats of all sizes. Many large, flat-bottomed barges, with -tanned sails, lay alongside the almost continuous wooden quay that -bordered the river. The boats of the squadron carrying a number of -sailors and detachments from the 2nd Marine Battalion that formed part -of the expedition had evidently preceded us, as the German ensign was -hoisted over the coastguard station, which was occupied by our men. -Several of our steam pinnaces were busily engaged in collecting the -boats and small craft that were scattered all over the estuary, while -others were hauling and towing some of the barges into position beside -the quays to serve as landing-places. The method employed was to lash -one outside the other till the uttermost one was outside the position of -low-water mark. Our lighter craft, at any rate, could then go alongside -and disembark their men and stores at any time. - -“The first men I saw land were the residue of the Marine Battalion, who -were in the next transport to us. As soon as they were ashore, Prince -Henry and his staff followed. We landed at a little iron pier, the -planking of which was so rotten that it had given way in many places, -and as the remainder of the flooring threatened to follow suit if one -placed one’s weight on it, we all marched gingerly along the edge, -clutching tight hold of the railings. The carpenter’s crew from one of -the warships was, however, already at work on its repair. As we landed, -I saw the _Odin_, followed by a steamer, towing several flats containing -the 1st Battalion of the 177th Infantry, and a battery of artillery -landing farther up the river. She did not go far, but anchored stem and -stern. The steamer cast off her lighters close to the southern bank, and -they ran themselves ashore, some on the river bank, and others in a -little creek that here ran into the main stream. This detachment, I was -informed, was to entrench itself in the little village of Canewdon, -supposed to have been the site of Canute’s camp, and situated on an -eminence about three miles west of us, and about a mile south of the -river. As it is the only high ground on that side the river within a -radius of several miles of Burnham, its importance to us will be -evident. - -“While we were waiting for our horses to be landed, I took a turn -through the village. It consists of one street, fairly wide in the -central portion, with a curious red tower on arches belonging to the -local Rath-haus on one side of it. At the western exit of the town is a -red-brick drill hall for the Volunteers. Our Marines were in possession, -and I noticed several of them studying with much amusement a -gaudily-coloured recruiting poster on the post-office opposite, headed: -‘Wanted, recruits for His Majesty’s Army.’ One of their number, who -apparently understood English, was translating the letterpress, setting -forth the joys and emoluments which awaited the difficult-to-find -Englishman patriotic enough to become a soldier. As if such a system of -raising an army could ever produce an efficient machine! Was it not the -famous Admiral Coligny who perished in the massacre of St. Bartholomew -who said, ‘Rather than lead again an army of voluntaries, I would die a -thousand times.’ - -“By this time our horses, and those of a couple of troops of the Jäegers -zu Pferde had been put on shore. Then having seen that all the exits of -the village were occupied, the Mayor secured, and the usual notices -posted threatening death to any civilian who obstructed our operations, -directly or indirectly, we started off for the high ground to the -northward, where we hoped to get into touch with the Division which -should now be landing at Bradwell, on the Blackwater. With us went as -escort a troop of the Jäegers in their soft grey-green uniforms--for the -descent being a surprise one we were in our ordinary uniforms--and a -number of mounted signallers. - -“The villagers were beginning to congregate as we left Burnham. They -scowled at us, but said nothing. For the most part they appeared to be -completely dumbfounded. Such an event as a real invasion by a real army -of foreigners had never found any place in their limited outlook on life -and the world in general. There were some good-looking girls here and -there, with fresh, apple-red cheeks, who did not look altogether askance -at our prancing horses and our gay uniforms. It was now about half-past -eight, and the morning mists, which had been somewhat prevalent down by -the river and the low-lying land on either bank, had thinned and drifted -away under the watery beams of a feeble sun that hardly pierced the -cloudy canopy above us. This, I suppose, is the English summer day of -which we hear so much! It is not hot, certainly. The horses were fresh, -delighted to escape from their cramped quarters on shipboard, and, -trotting and cantering through the many turns of the muddy lanes, we -soon skirted the village of Southminster, and began to mount the high -ground between it and a little place called Steeple. - -“Here, just north of a steading known as Batt’s Farm, is the highest -point on the peninsula formed by the Blackwater and Crouch Rivers. -Though it is only 132 ft. above sea-level, the surrounding ground is so -flat that a perfect panorama was spread before us. We could not -distinguish Burnham, which was six miles or more to the southward, and -hidden by slight folds of the ground and the many trees which topped the -hedgerows, but the Blackwater and its creeks were in full view, and -about seven miles to the north-west the towers and spires of Maldon, our -principal objective in the first instance, stood up like grey -pencillings on the sky-line. Our signallers soon got to work, and in a -very few minutes picked up those of the Northern Division, who had -established a station on a church tower about two miles to our -north-east, at St. Lawrence. They reported a successful landing at -Bradwell, and that the _Ægir_ had gone up in the direction of Maldon -with the 3rd Marine Battalion, who were being towed up in their flats by -steam pinnaces. - -“I think, my dear Neuhaus, that it would be as well if I now gave you -some general idea of our scheme of operations, so far as it is known to -me, in order that you may be the better able to follow my further -experiences by the aid of the one-inch English ordnance map which you -will have no difficulty in procuring from Berlin. - -“As I have already said, Maldon is our first objective. It is situated -at the head of the navigable portion of the Blackwater, and in -itself--situated as it is on rising grounds suitable for defence, and -surrounded to the north and north-west with a network of river and -canal--offers a suitable position to check the preliminary attack that -we may surely expect from the Colchester garrison. It is intended, then, -to occupy this as quickly as possible, and place it in a state of -defence. Our next move will be to entrench ourselves along a line -extending southward from Maldon to the river Crouch, which has already -been reconnoitred by our Intelligence Department, and the general -positions selected and planned. Prince Henry will, of course, be able to -make any modifications in the original design that he may consider -called for by circumstances. The total length of our front will be -nearly seven miles, rather long for the number of troops we have at our -disposal, but as the English reckon that to attack troops in position a -six-to-one force is required, and as they will be fully occupied -elsewhere, I expect we shall be amply sufficient to deal with any attack -they can make on us. The right half of the line--with the exception of -Maldon itself--is very flat, and offers no very advantageous positions -for defence, especially as the ground slopes upwards in the direction of -the enemy’s attack. It is, however, but a gradual slope. Towards the -left, though, there is higher ground, affording fairly good gun -positions, and this we must hold on to at all hazards. This, in fact, -will be the real key of the position. Holding this, even if we are -beaten out of Maldon and forced to abandon our defences in the flat -ground to the south of the town, we can use it as a pivot, and fall back -on a second position along a line of low hills that run in a north-east -direction across the peninsula to St. Lawrence, which will quite well -cover our landing-places. In order to further protect us from surprise, -the three battalions of the 108th Sharpshooter Regiment belonging to the -32nd Division left Flushing somewhat in advance of us under convoy of -some of the older battleships in three or four average-sized steamers -that could get alongside the long pier at Southend, and have been -ordered to occupy Hockley, Rayleigh, and Wickford, forming as it were a -chain of outposts covering us from any early interruption by troops sent -over from Chatham, or coming from London - -[Illustration: Position of the Saxon Corps Twenty-Four Hours after -Landing in Essex. - -GEORGE PHILIP & SON L^{TD}.] - -by either the southern branch of the Great Eastern Railway or the -London, Tilbury, and Southend line. They took nothing with them but -their iron ration, the ammunition in their pouches, and that usually -carried in the company ammunition waggons (57.6 rounds per man). For the -transport of this they were to impress carts and horses at Southend, and -to move by a forced march to their positions. As soon as we are able, we -also shall push forward advanced troops to South Hanningfield, East -Hanningfield, Danebury, and Wickham Bishops, covering us in a similar -manner to the west and north. Our flanks are well protected by the two -rivers, which are tidal, very wide in parts, and difficult to cross, -except at one or two places on the Crouch, which we shall make special -arrangements to defend. Moreover--with the exception of Canewdon, which -we have already occupied--there is no elevated ground within miles of -them which would offer good positions from which the enemy might fire -into the ground we occupy between them. - -“So much for the military portion of our programme. Now for the part -allotted to the Navy. As I have told you, we had eight warships as our -convoy, not counting destroyers, etc. These were the eight little -armour-clads of the “Ægir” class, drawing only 18 ft. of water and -carrying three 9.4 guns apiece, besides smaller ones. The _Ægir_ and -_Odin_ are operating in the rivers on our flanks as far as they are -able. The remaining six are busy, three at the entrance of each river, -laying down mine-fields and other obstacles to protect us from any -inroad on the part of the British Navy, and arranging for passing -through the store-ships, which we expect to-night or to-morrow morning -from various German and Dutch ports, with the provisions, stores, and -ammunition for the use of the Northern Army Corps, when they have -penetrated sufficiently far to the south to get into touch with us. -Except by these rivers, I do not think that the English naval commanders -can get at us. - -“What are known as the Dengie Flats extend for three miles seaward, all -along the coast between the mouths of the two rivers, and broken marshy -land extends for three miles more inland. Their big ships would have to -lie at least seven or eight miles distant from our headquarters and -store depôt, which we intend to establish at Southminster, and even if -they were so foolish as to waste their ammunition in trying to damage us -with their big guns firing at high elevations, they would never succeed -in doing us any harm. I believe that the squadron of older battleships -that escorted the 108th to Southend have orders to mine the mouth of the -Thames, cover the mine-field with their guns as long as they can before -being overpowered, and incidentally to try and capture Shoeburyness and -destroy or bring off what guns they may find there. But this is not -really in our particular section of the operations. - -“But to return to my own experiences. I told you that Prince Henry and -his staff had arrived at Steeple Hill, and that the signallers had got -through to the other division that had landed at Bradwell. This was soon -after nine o’clock. Not long afterwards the advanced guard of one of the -Jäeger battalions, with their smart glazed shakoes, having the black -plumes tied back over the left ear, and looking very workmanlike in -their green red-piped tunics, came swinging along the road between St. -Lawrence and the village of Steeple. They had some of their war-dogs -with them in leashes. They were on their way to reinforce the 3rd Marine -Battalion, which by this time we trusted had occupied Maldon and cut off -all communication with the interior. They had a good nine miles before -them. The Prince looked at his watch. ‘If they’re there before noon it’s -as much as we can expect,’ he said. ‘Go and see if they are coming up -from Burnham now,’ he added, turning sharply to me. Away I went at a -gallop till I struck the main road out of Southminster. Here I just -headed off the 1st Battalion of the 101st Grenadiers. Its Colonel -informed me that the whole regiment was ashore and that the other two -battalions were following close behind. When they left Burnham the three -battalions of the 100th Body Grenadiers had nearly completed their -disembarkation, and the horses of the Garde Reiter Regiment and the 17th -Uhlans were being hoisted out by means of the big spritsail yards of the -barges lying alongside the quays. The landing pontoons had been greatly -augmented and improved during the last hour or two, and the -disembarkation was proceeding more and more quickly. They had got two of -the batteries of the 1st Brigade Division landed as well as the guns -belonging to the Horse Artillery, but they were waiting for the horses. -The Prince signalled to the officer superintending the disembarkation at -Burnham to send forward the cavalry and horse artillery by batteries and -squadrons as soon as they could be mounted. - -“Nothing could be done in the meantime but trust that the marines had -been successful in occupying Maldon and in stopping any news of our -presence from leaking out to Colchester. Presently, however, the -signallers reported communication with a new signal station established -by the Jäegers zu Pferde on Kit’s Hill, an eminence about six miles to -the south-west. The officer in command of the troop reported: ‘Have cut -line at Wickham Ferrers. Captured train of eight coaches coming from -Maldon, and have shunted it on to line to Burnham.’ Prince Henry -signalled back: ‘Despatch train to Burnham’; and then also signalled to -O.C. 23 Division at Burnham: ‘Expect train of eight coaches at once. -Entrain as many infantry as it will hold, and send them to Maldon with -the utmost despatch.’ - -“While these signals were passing, I was employed in taking a careful -survey with my glasses. This is what I saw, looking from right to left. -The green and white lance pennons of a detachment of the hussars -belonging to the 32nd Division came fluttering round the shoulder of the -hill topped by the grey tower of St. Lawrence. Immediately below us a -Jäeger battalion was winding through Steeple Village like a dark green -snake. Away to my left front the helmets of the 101st Grenadier Regiment -twinkled over the black masses of its three battalions as they wound -downhill towards the village of Latchingdon, lying in a tree-shrouded -hollow. Maldon was more distinct now, but there was nothing to indicate -the presence of our men, though not so very far down the river the -lofty mast of the _Ægir_, with its three military tops, was -distinguishable over a line of willows. As I lowered my field-glasses -the Prince beckoned me. ‘Von Pabst,’ ordered he, as I raised my hand to -the salute, ‘take half a dozen troopers, ride to Maldon, and report to -me the situation there. I shall be at Latchingdon,’ added he, indicating -its position on the map, ‘or possibly on the road between that and -Maldon.’ - -“Followed by my six Jäegers in their big copper helmets, I dashed away -on my mission, and before long was nearing my destination. Maldon -perched on its knoll, with its three church towers and gabled houses, -brought to my mind one of the old engravings of sixteenth-century cities -by Merian. Nothing indicated the approach of war till we were challenged -by a sentry, who stepped from behind a house at the entrance to a -straggling street. We trotted on till just about to turn in the main -street, when ‘bang’ went a straggling volley from the right. Shot after -shot replied, and this told me that our marines had arrived. Then a -score of khaki-clad men ran across the entrance of the side street up -which we were approaching. ‘The English at last!’ thought I. It was too -late to turn back. One or two of the enemy had caught sight of us as -they rushed by, though most of them were too busily engaged in front to -observe us. So with a shout of ‘Vorwarts!’ I stuck in my spurs, and with -my six troopers charged into the middle of them, though I had no idea of -how many there might be up the street. There was a tremendous clatter -and banging of rifles. I cut down one fellow who ran his bayonet into my -wallet. At the same time I heard a loud German ‘Hoch!’ from our right, -and caught sight of a body of marines coming up the street at the -double. It was all over in a moment. There were not more than thirty -‘khakis’ all told. Half a dozen lay dead or wounded on the ground, some -disappeared up side alleys, and others were made prisoners by the -marines. It appeared afterwards that on the first boat-load landing, -about an hour previously, the alarm had reached a local Volunteer -officer, who had managed to collect some of his men and get them into -uniform. He then made the foolish attack on our troops which had ended -in so unsatisfactory a manner for him. He, poor fellow, lay spitting -blood on the kerbstone. The colonel of marines appeared a moment later, -and at once gave orders for the Mayor of Maldon to be brought before -him.” - -The letter ended abruptly, the German officer’s intention being no doubt -to give some further details of the operations before despatching it to -his friend in Darmstadt. But it remained unfinished, for its writer lay -already in his grave. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -GERMANS LANDING AT HULL AND GOOLE - - -A special issue of the _Times_ in the evening of 3rd September contained -the following vivid account--the first published--of the happenings in -the town of Goole, in Yorkshire:-- - -“GOOLE, _September 3_. - -“Shortly before five o’clock on Sunday morning the night operator of the -telephone call-office here discovered an interruption on the trunk-line, -and on trying the telegraphs was surprised to find that there was no -communication in any direction. The railway station, being rung up, -replied that their wires were also down. - -“Almost immediately afterwards a well-known North Sea pilot rushed into -the post-office and breathlessly asked that he might telephone to -Lloyd’s. When told that all communication was cut off he wildly shouted -that a most extraordinary sight was to be seen in the river Ouse, up -which was approaching a continuous procession of tugs, towing flats, and -barges filled with German soldiers. - -“This was proved to be an actual fact, and the inhabitants of Goole, -awakened from their Sunday morning slumbers by the shouts of alarm in -the streets, found to their abject amazement foreign soldiers swarming -everywhere. On the quay they found activity everywhere, German being -spoken on all hands. They watched a body of cavalry consisting of the -1st Westphalian Hussars and the Westphalian Cuirassiers land with order -and ease at the Victoria Pier, whence, after being formed up on the -quay, they advanced at a sharp trot up Victoria Street, Ouse Street, and -North Street to the railway stations, where, as is generally known, -there are large sidings of the North-East Lancashire and Yorkshire lines -in direct communication both with London and the great cities of the -north. The enemy here found great quantities of engines and rolling -stock, all of which was at once seized, together with huge stacks of -coal at the new sidings. - -“Before long the first of the infantry of the 13th Division, which was -commanded by Lieutenant-General Doppschutz, marched up to the stations. -They consisted of the 13th and 56th Westphalian Regiments, and the -cavalry on being relieved advanced out of the town, crossing the Dutch -River by the railway bridge, and pushed on as far as Thorne and Hensall, -near which they at once strongly held the several important railway -junctions. - -“Meanwhile cavalry of the 14th Brigade, consisting of Westphalian -Hussars and Uhlans, were rapidly disembarking at Old Goole, and, -advancing southwards over the open country of Goole Moors and Thorne -Waste, occupied Crowle. Both cavalry brigades were acting independently -of the main body, and by their vigorous action both south and west they -were entirely screening what was happening in the port of Goole. - -“Infantry continued to pour into the town from flats and barges, -arriving in endless procession. Doppschutz’s Division landed at Aldan -Dock, Railway Dock, and Ship Dock; the 14th Division at the Jetty and -Basin, also in the Barge Dock and at the mouth of the Dutch River; while -some, following the cavalry brigade, landed at Old Goole and Swinefleet. - -“As far as can be ascertained, the whole of the VIIth German Army Corps -have landed, at any rate as far as the men are concerned. The troops, -who are under the supreme command of General Baron von Bistram, appear -to consist almost entirely of Westphalians, and include Prince Frederick -of the Netherlands’ 2nd Westphalians; Count Bulow von Dennewitz’s 6th -Westphalians; but one infantry brigade, the 79th, consisted of men from -Lorraine. - -“Through the whole day the disembarkation proceeded, the townsmen -standing there helpless to lift a finger and watching the enemy’s -arrival. The Victoria Pleasure Grounds were occupied by parked -artillery, which towards afternoon began to rumble through the streets. -The German gunners, with folded arms, sat unconcernedly upon the -ammunition boxes as the guns were drawn up to their positions. Horses -were seized wherever found, the proclamation of Von Kronhelm was nailed -upon the church doors, and the terrified populace read the grim threat -of the German field-marshal. - -“The wagons, of which there were hundreds, were put ashore mostly at -Goole, but others up the river at Hook and Swinefleet. When the cavalry -advance was complete, as it was soon after midday, and when reports had -come in to Von Bistram that the country was clear of the British, the -German infantry advance began. By nightfall they had pushed forward, -some by road, some by rail, and others in the numerous motor-wagons that -had accompanied the force, until march-outposts were established south -of Thorne, Askern, and Crowle, straddling the main road to Bawtry. These -places, including Fishlake and the country between them, were at once -strongly held, while ammunition and stores were pushed up by railway to -both Thorne and Askern. - -“The independent cavalry advance continued through Doncaster until dusk, -when Rotherham was reached, during which advance scattered bodies of -British Imperial Yeomanry were met and compelled to retreat, a dozen or -so lives being lost. It appears that late in the afternoon of Sunday -news was brought into Sheffield of what was in progress, and a squadron -of Yeomanry donned their uniforms and rode forward to reconnoitre, with -the disastrous results already mentioned. - -“The sensation caused in Sheffield when it became known that German -cavalry were so close as Rotherham was enormous, and the scenes in the -streets soon approached a panic; for it was wildly declared that that -night the enemy intended to occupy the town. The Mayor telegraphed to -the War Office appealing for additional defensive force, but no response -was received to the telegram. The small force of military in the town, -which consisted of the 2nd Battalion Yorkshire Light Infantry, some -Royal Artillery, and the local Volunteers, were soon assembled, and -going out occupied the strong position above Sheffield between Catcliffe -and Tinsley, overlooking the valley of the Rother to the east. - -[Illustration: Position of the German Forces Twenty-Four Hours after -Landing at Goole. - -GEORGE PHILIP & SON L^{TD}.] - -“The expectation that the Germans intended an immediate descent on -Sheffield was not realised because the German tactics were merely to -reconnoitre and report on the defences of Sheffield if any existed. This -they did by remaining to the eastward of the river Rother, whence the -high ground rising before Sheffield could be easily observed. - -“Before dusk one or two squadrons of Cuirassiers were seen to be -examining the river to find fords and ascertain the capacity of the -bridges, while others appeared to be comparing the natural features of -the ground with the maps with which they all appeared to be provided. - -“As night fell, however, the cavalry retired towards Doncaster, which -town was occupied, the Angel being the cavalry headquarters. The reason -the Germans could not advance at once upon Sheffield was that the -cavalry was not strongly enough supported by infantry from their base, -the distance from Goole being too great to be covered in a single day. -That the arrangements for landing were in every detail perfect could not -be doubted, but owing to the narrow channel of the Ouse time was -necessary, and it is considered probable that fully three days must -elapse from Sunday before the Germans are absolutely established. - -“An attempt has been made by the Yorkshire Light Infantry and the York -and Lancaster Regiment, with three battalions of Volunteers stationed at -Pontefract, to discover the enemy’s strength and position between Askern -and Snaith, but so far without avail, the cavalry screen across the -whole country being impenetrable. - -“The people of the West Riding, and especially the inhabitants of -Sheffield, are stupefied that they have received no assistance--not even -a reply to the Mayor’s telegram. This fact has leaked out, and has -caused the greatest dissatisfaction. An enemy is upon us, yet we are in -ignorance of what steps, if any, the authorities are taking for our -protection. - -“There are wild rumours here that the enemy have burned Grimsby, but -these are generally discredited, for telegraphic and telephonic -communication has been cut off, and at present we are completely -isolated. It has been gathered from the invaders that the VIIIth Army -Corps of the Germans have landed and seized Hull, but at present this is -not confirmed. There is, alas! no communication with the place, -therefore the report may possibly be true. - -“Dewsbury, Huddersfield, Wakefield, and Selby are all intensely excited -over the sudden appearance of German soldiers, and were at first -inclined to unite to stem their progress. But the German proclamation -showing the individual peril of any citizen taking arms against the -invaders having been posted everywhere, has held everyone scared and in -silent inactivity. - -“‘Where is our Army?’ everyone is asking. The whole country has run riot -in a single hour, now that the Germans are upon us. On every hand it is -asked: ‘What will London do?’” - - * * * * * - -The following account, written by a reporter of the _Hull Daily Mail_, -appeared in the _London Evening News_ on Wednesday evening, and was the -first authentic news of what had happened on the Humber on Sunday:-- - -“HULL, _Monday Night_. - -“A great disaster has occurred here, and the town is in the hands of the -Germans. The totally unexpected appearance in the river at dawn on -Sunday of an extraordinary flotilla of all kinds of craft, filled with -troops and being towed towards Goole, created the greatest alarm. Loud -shouting in the street just before five o’clock awakened me, and I -opened my window. Shouting to a seaman running past, I asked what was -the matter, when the man’s astounding reply was: ‘The whole river is -swarming with Germans!’ Dressing hastily, I mounted my bicycle and ran -along the Beverley road through Prospect Street to the dock office, -where around the Wilberforce monument the excited crowd now already -collected was impassable, and I was compelled to dismount. - -“On eager inquiry I learnt that half an hour before men at work in the -Alexandra Dock were amazed to discern through the grey mists still -hanging across the Humber an extraordinary sight. Scores of ocean-going -tugs, each laboriously towing great Dutch barges and lighters, came into -sight, and telescopes being quickly borrowed revealed every boat in -question to be literally crammed with grey-coated men, evidently -soldiers. At first it was believed that they were about to enter Hull, -but they kept out in the channel, on the New Holland side, and were -accompanied, it was seen, by a quantity of tramp steamers of small -tonnage, evidently of such capacity as might get up to the port of -Goole. It was at once patent that Goole was their objective. - -“The alarm was at once raised in the town. The police ran down to the -quays and the Victoria Pier, while the townspeople hastily dressed and -joined them to witness the amazing spectacle. - -“Somebody at the pier who had a powerful glass recognised the grey -uniforms and declared them to be Germans, and then like wildfire the -alarming news spread into every quarter of the town that the Germans -were upon us. - -“The police ran to the telegraph office in order to give the alarm, but -it was at once discovered that both telegraph and telephone systems had -suddenly been interrupted. Repeated calls elicited no reply, for the -wires running out of Hull in every direction had been cut. - -“In endless procession the strange medley of queer-looking craft came up -out of the morning mist only to be quickly lost again in the westward, -while the onlookers, including myself--for I had cycled to the Victoria -Pier--gazed at them in utter bewilderment. - -“At the first moment of alarm the East Yorkshire Volunteers hurried on -their uniforms and assembled at their regimental headquarters for -orders. There were, of course, no regular troops in the town, but the -Volunteers soon obtained their arms and ammunition, and after being -formed, marched down Heddon road to the Alexandra Dock. - -“On every side was the greatest commotion, already bordering upon panic. -Along Spring Bank, the Hessle road, the Anlaby road, and all the -thoroughfares converging into Queen Victoria Square, came crowds of all -classes eager to see for themselves and learn the truth of the startling -rumour. The whole riverside was soon black with the excited populace, -but to the astonishment of everyone the motley craft sailed on, taking -no notice of us and becoming fewer and fewer, until ships appeared -through the grey bank of fog only at intervals. - -“One thing was entirely clear. The enemy, whoever they might be, had -destroyed all our means of appealing for help, for we could not -telephone to the military at York, Pontefract, Richmond, or even to the -regimental district headquarters at Beverley. They had gone on to Goole, -but would they turn back and attack us? - -“The cry was that if they meant to seize Goole they would also seize -Hull! Then the terrified crowd commenced to collect timber and iron from -the yards, furniture from neighbouring houses, tramway-cars, omnibuses, -cabs; in fact, anything they could lay their hands upon to form -barricades in the streets for their own protection. - -“I witnessed the frantic efforts of the people as they built one huge -obstacle at the corner of Queen Street, facing the pier. Houses were -ruthlessly entered, great pieces of heavy furniture--wardrobes, pianos, -and sideboards--were piled anyhow upon each other. Men got coils of -barbed wire, and lashed the various objects together with seamanlike -alacrity. Even paving-stones were prised up with pickaxes and crowbars, -and placed in position. The women, in deadly terror of the Germans, -helped the men in this hastily improvised barrier, which even as I -watched grew higher across the street until it reached the height of the -first-storey windows in one great heterogeneous mass of every article -conceivable--almost like a huge rubbish heap. - -“This was only one of many similar barricades. There were others in the -narrow Pier Street, in Wellington Street, Castle Street, south of -Prince’s Dock, in St. John’s Street, between Queen’s Dock and Prince’s -Dock, while the bridges over the river Hull were all defended by -hastily improvised obstructions. In Jennings Street, on Sculcoates -Bridge, and also the two railway bridges of the Hull and Barnsley and -North-Eastern Railways were similarly treated. Thus the whole of the -town west of the river Hull was at any rate temporarily protected from -any landing eastward. - -“The whole town now seemed in a perfect ferment. Wildest rumours were -afloat everywhere, and the streets by six o’clock that morning were so -crowded that it was almost impossible to move. - -“Hundreds found themselves outside the barriers; indeed, the people in -the Southcoates, Drypool, and Alexandra Wards were in the threatened -zone, and promptly began to force their way into the town by escalading -the huge barricades and scrambling over their crests. - -“Foreigners--sailors and others--had a rough time of it, many of them -being thrust back and threatened by the indignant townspeople. Each time -a foreigner was discovered there was a cry of ‘spy,’ and many innocent -men had fortunate escapes. - -“The river seemed clear, when about seven o’clock there suddenly loomed -up from seaward a great, ugly, grey-hulled warship flying the German -flag. The fear was realised. Her sight caused absolute panic, for with a -sudden swerve she calmly moored opposite the Alexandra Dock. - -“Eager-eyed seamen, some of them Naval Reservists, recognised that she -was cleared for action, and even while we were looking, two more similar -vessels anchored in positions from which their guns could completely -dominate the town. - -“No sooner had these swung to their anchors than, from the now sunlit -horizon, there rose the distant smoke of many steamers, and as the -moments of terror dragged by, there came slowly into the offing a -perfect fleet of all sizes of steamers, escorted by cruisers and -destroyers. - -“Standing behind the barricade in Queen Street I could overlook the -Victoria Pier, and the next half-hour was the most exciting one in my -whole life. Three dirty-looking steamers of, as far as I could judge, -about 2500 tons each, anchored in a line almost midstream. From my coign -of vantage I could hear the rattle of the cables in the hawse-pipes as -many other vessels of about the same size followed their example farther -down the river. No sooner had the anchors touched the bottom than boats -were hoisted out, lowered from all the davits, and brought alongside, -while into them poured hundreds upon hundreds of soldiers, all in a -uniform dusky grey. Steam pinnaces quickly took these in charge, towing -some of them to the Victoria Pier near where I stood, and others to the -various wharves. - -“Armed and accoutred, the men sprang ashore, formed up, and were quickly -told off by their officers in guttural accents, when, from our -barricade, close beside me, a Volunteer officer gave the order to fire, -and a ragged volley rang sharply out. - -“A young German infantry officer standing in Nelson Street, in the act -of drawing his revolver from its pouch, pitched heavily forward upon his -face with a British bullet through his heart. There were also several -gaps in the German ranks. Almost instantly the order for advance was -given. The defence was an ill-advised and injudicious one, having in -view the swarm of invaders. Hundreds of boats were now approaching every -possible landing-place right along the river front, and men were -swarming upon every wharf and quay. - -“Shots sounded in every direction. Then, quite suddenly, some -unintelligible order was given in German, and the crowd of the enemy who -had landed at our pier extended, and, advancing at the double, came -straight for our barricade, endeavouring to take it by assault. It was -an exciting moment. Our Volunteers poured volleys into them, and for a -time were able to check them, although the Germans kept up a withering -fire, and I found myself, a non-combatant, with bullets whistling about -me everywhere, in unpleasant proximity. - -“They were breathless moments. Men were continually falling on both -sides, and one fierce-faced, black-haired woman, evidently a sailor’s -wife, who had helped to build the barricade, fell dead at my side, shot -through the throat. From the very beginning our defence at this point -seemed utterly hopeless. The Volunteers--many of them friends of -mine--very gallantly endeavoured to do what they could in the -circumstances, but they themselves recognised the utter futility of -fighting against what seemed to be a veritable army. They did their -utmost, but the sudden rush of an enormous number of supports to -strengthen the enemy’s advanced parties proved too much for them, and -ten minutes later bearded Teutons came clambering over the barricades, -ruthlessly putting to death all men in uniform who did not at once throw -down their arms. - -“As soon as I saw the great peril of the situation I confess that I -fled, when behind me I heard a loud crash as a breach was at last made -in the obstruction. I ran up Queen Street to Drypool Bridge, where at -the barricade there I found desperate fighting in progress. The scene -was terrible. The few Volunteers were bravely trying to defend us. Many -civilians, in their frantic efforts to guard their homes, were lying -upon the pavement dead and dying. Women, too, had been struck by the -hail of German bullets, and the enemy, bent upon taking the town, fought -with the utmost determination. From the ceaseless rattle of musketry -which stunned the ears on every side it was evident that the town was -being taken by assault. - -“For five minutes or so I remained in Salthouse Lane, but so thick came -the bullets that I managed to slip round to Whitefriargate, and into -Victoria Square. - -“I was standing at the corner of King Edward Street when the air was of -a sudden rent by a crash that seemed to shake the town to its very -foundations, and one of the black cupolas of the dock office was carried -away, evidently by a high explosive shell. - -“A second report, no doubt from one of the cruisers lying in the river, -was followed by a great jet of flame springing up from the base of one -of the new shops on the left side of King Edward Street--caused, as I -afterwards ascertained, by one of those new petrol shells, of which we -had heard so much in the newspapers, but the practicability of which our -unprogressive Government had so frequently refused to entertain. - -“In a flash three shops were well alight, and even while I watched the -whole block from Tyler’s to the corner was furiously ablaze, the petrol -spreading fire and destruction on every hand. - -“Surely there is no more deadly engine in modern warfare than the -terrible petrol bomb, as was now proved upon our unfortunate town. -Within ten minutes came a veritable rain of fire. In all directions the -houses began to flare and burn. The explosions were terrific, rapidly -succeeding one another, while helpless men stood frightened and aghast, -no man knowing that the next moment might not be his last. - -“In those never-to-be-forgotten moments we realised for the first time -what the awful horror of War really meant. - -“The scene was frightful. Hull had resisted, and in retaliation the -enemy were now spreading death and destruction everywhere among us.” - - * * * * * - -Reports now reached London that the VIIth German Army Corps had landed -at Hull and Goole, and taking possession of those towns, were moving -upon Sheffield in order to paralyse our trade in the Midlands. Hull had -been bombarded, and was in flames! Terrible scenes were taking place at -that port. - -The disaster was, alas! of our own seeking. - -Lord Roberts, who certainly could not be called an alarmist, had in 1905 -resigned his place on the Committee of National Defence in order to be -free to speak his own mind. He had told us plainly in 1906 that we were -in no better position than we were five or six years previous. Behind -the Regular Army we had no practicable reserve, while military training -was more honoured in the breach than in the observance. The outlook was -alarming, and the reasons for reform absolutely imperative. - -He had pointed out to the London Chamber of Commerce in December 1905 -that it was most important that our present unpreparedness for war -should not be allowed to continue. We should use every endeavour to -prevent the feeling of anxiety as to our unpreparedness from cooling -down. England’s military hero, the man who had dragged us out of the -South African muddle, had urged most strongly that a committee of the -leading men of London should be formed to take the matter into their -earnest consideration. The voice of London upon a question of such vital -importance could not fail to carry great weight throughout the country. - -A “citizen army,” he had declared, was needed as well as the Regular -Army. The only way by which a sufficient amount of training could be -given--short of adopting the Continental practice--was by giving boys -and youths such an amount of drill and practice in rifle shooting as was -possible while they were at school, and by some system of universal -training after they reached manhood. And that Lord Roberts had urged -most strongly. - -Yet what had been done? Ay, what? - -A deaf ear had been turned to every appeal. And now, alas! the long -prophesied blow had fallen. - -On that memorable Sunday, when a descent had been made upon our shores, -there were in German ports on the North Sea nearly a million tons gross -of German shipping. Normally, in peace time, half a million tons is -always to be found there, the second half having been quietly collected -by ships putting in unobserved into such ports as Emden, Bremen, -Bremerhaven, and Geestemunde, where there are at least ten miles of -deep-sea wharves, with ample railway access. The arrival of these crafts -caused no particular comment, but they had already been secretly -prepared for the transport of men and horses while at sea. - -Under the cover of the Frisian Islands, from every canal, river, and -creek had been assembled a huge multitude of flats and barges, ready to -be towed by tugs alongside the wharves and filled with troops. Of a -sudden, in a single hour it seemed, Hamburg, Altona, Cuxhaven, and -Wilhelmshaven were in excited activity, and almost before the -inhabitants themselves realised what was really in progress the -embarkation had well commenced. - -At Emden, with its direct cables to the theatre of war in England, was -concentrated the brain of the whole movement. Beneath the lee of the -covering screen of Frisian Islands, Borkum, Juist, Norderney, Langebog, -and the others, the preparations for the descent upon England rapidly -matured. - -[Illustration: Germany’s points of embarkation] - -Troop-trains from every part of the Fatherland arrived with the -punctuality of clockwork. From Düsseldorf came the VIIth Army Corps, the -VIIIth from Coblenz, the IXth were already assembled at their -headquarters at Altona, while many of them being stationed at Bremen -embarked from there, the Xth came up from Hanover, the XIVth from -Magdeburg, and the Corps of German Guards, the pride and flower of the -Kaiser’s troops, arrived eagerly at Hamburg from Berlin and Potsdam, -among the first to embark. - -Each army corps consisted of about 38,000 officers and men, 11,000 -horses, 144 guns, and about 2000 motor-cars, wagons, and carts. But for -this campaign--which was more of the nature of a raid than of any -protracted campaign--the supply of wheeled transport, with the exception -of motor-cars, had been somewhat reduced. - -Each cavalry brigade attached to an army corps consisted of 1400 horses -and men, with some thirty-five light machine-guns and wagons. The German -calculation--which proved pretty correct--was that each army corps could -come over to England in 100,000 tons gross of shipping, bringing with -them supplies for twenty-seven days in another 3000 tons gross. -Therefore about 618,000 tons gross conveyed the whole of the six corps, -leaving an ample margin still in German ports for any emergencies. Half -this tonnage consisted of about 100 steamers, averaging 3000 tons each, -the remainder being the boats, flats, lighters, barges, and tugs -previously alluded to. - -The Saxons who, disregarding the neutrality of Belgium, had embarked at -Antwerp, had seized the whole of the flat-bottomed craft in the Scheldt -and the numerous canals, as well as the merchant ships in the port, -finding no difficulty in commandeering the amount of tonnage necessary -to convey them to the Blackwater and the Crouch. - -As hour succeeded hour, the panic increased. - -It was now also known that, in addition to the various corps who had -effected a landing, the German Guards had, by a sudden swoop into the -Wash, got ashore at King’s Lynn, seized the town, and united their -forces with Von Kleppen’s corps, who, having landed at Weybourne, were -now spread right across Norfolk. This picked corps of Guards was under -the command of that distinguished officer the Duke of Mannheim, while -the infantry divisions were under Lieutenant-Generals von Castein and -Von Der Decken. - -The landing at King’s Lynn on Sunday morning had been quite a simple -affair. There was nothing whatever to repel them, and they disembarked -on the quays and in the docks, watched by the astonished populace. All -provisions were seized at shops, including the King’s Lynn and County -Stores, the Star Supply Stores, Ladyman’s and Lipton’s in the High -Street, while headquarters were established at the municipal buildings, -and the German flag hoisted upon the old church, the tower of which was -at once used as a signal station. - -Old-fashioned people of Lynn peered out of their quiet, respectable -houses in King Street in utter amazement, but soon, when the German -proclamation was posted, the terrible truth was plain. - -In half an hour, even before they could realise it, they had been -transferred from the protection of the British flag to the militarism of -the German. - -The Tuesday Market Place, opposite the Globe Hotel, was one of the -points of assembly, and from there and from other open spaces troops of -cavalry were constantly riding out of town by the Downham Market and -Swaffham Roads. The intention of this commander was evidently to join -hands with Von Kleppen as soon as possible. Indeed, by that same evening -the Guards and IVth Corps had actually shaken hands at East Dereham. - -A few cavalry, mostly Cuirassiers and troopers of the Gardes du Corps, -were pushed out across the flat, desolate country over Sutton Bridge to -Holbeach and Spalding, while others, moving south-easterly, came past -the old Abbey of Crowland, and even to within sight of the square -cathedral tower of Peterborough. Others went south to Ely. - -Ere sundown on Sunday, stalwart, grey-coated sentries of the Guards -Fusiliers from Potsdam and the Grenadiers from Berlin were holding the -roads at Gayton, East Walton, Narborough, Markham, Fincham, Stradsett, -and Stow Bardolph. Therefore on Sunday night, from Spalding on the east, -Peterborough, Chatteris, Littleport, Thetford, Diss, and Halesworth were -faced by a huge cavalry screen protecting the landing and repose of the -great German Army behind it. - -Slowly but carefully the enemy were maturing their plans for the defeat -of our defenders and the sack of London. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -DESPERATE FIGHTING IN ESSEX - - -London was at a standstill. Trade was entirely stopped. Shopkeepers -feared to open their doors on account of the fierce, hungry mobs -parading the streets. Orators were haranguing the crowds in almost every -open space. The police were either powerless, or feared to come into -collision with the assembled populace. Terror and blank despair were -everywhere. - -There was unrest night and day. The banks, head offices and branches, -unable to withstand the run upon them when everyone demanded to be paid -in gold, had, by mutual arrangement, shut their doors, leaving excited -and furious crowds of customers outside unpaid. Financial ruin stared -everyone in the face. Those who were fortunate enough to realise their -securities on Monday were fleeing from London south or westward. Day and -night the most extraordinary scenes of frantic fear were witnessed at -Paddington, Victoria, Waterloo, and London Bridge. The southern railways -were badly disorganised by the cutting of the lines by the enemy, but -the Great Western system was, up to the present, intact, and carried -thousands upon thousands to Wales, to Devonshire, and to Cornwall. - -In those three hot, breathless days the Red Hand of Ruin spread out upon -London. - -The starving East met the terrified West, but in those moments the bonds -of terror united class with mass. Restaurants and theatres were closed, -there was but little vehicular traffic in the streets, for of horses -there were none, while the majority of the motor ’buses had been -requisitioned, and the transit of goods had been abandoned. “The City,” -that great army of daily workers, both male and female, was out of -employment, and swelled the idlers and gossips, whose temper and opinion -were swayed each half-hour by the papers now constantly appearing night -and day without cessation. - -Cabinet Councils had been held every day, but their decisions, of -course, never leaked out to the public. The King also held Privy -Councils, and various measures were decided upon. Parliament, which had -been hurriedly summoned, was due to meet, and everyone speculated as to -the political crisis that must now ensue. - -In St. James’s Park, in Hyde Park, in Victoria Park, on Hampstead Heath, -in Greenwich Park, in fact, in each of the “lungs of London,” great mass -meetings were held, at which resolutions were passed condemning the -Administration and eulogising those who, at the first alarm, had so -gallantly died in defence of their country. - -It was declared that by the culpable negligence of the War Office and -the National Defence Committee we had laid ourselves open to complete -ruin, both financially and as a nation. - -The man-in-the-street already felt the strain, for the lack of -employment and the sudden rise in the price of everything had brought -him up short. Wives and families were crying for food, and those without -savings and with only a few pounds put by looked grimly into the future -and at the mystery it presented. - -Most of the papers published the continuation of the important story of -Mr. Alexander, the Mayor of Maldon, which revealed the extent of the -enemy’s operations in Essex and the strong position they occupied. - -It ran as below:-- - -“Of the events of the early hours of the morning I have no very clear -recollection. I was bewildered, staggered, dumbfounded by the sights and -sounds which beset me. Of what modern war meant I had till then truly -but a very faint idea. To witness its horrid realities enacted in this -quiet, out-of-the-way spot where I had pitched my tent for so many -years, brought them home to me literally, as well as metaphorically. And -to think that all this wanton destruction of property and loss of life -was directly due to our apathy as a nation! The Germans had been the -aggressors without a doubt, but as for us we had gone out of our way to -invite attack. We had piled up riches and made no provision to prevent a -stronger nation from gathering them. We had seen every other European -nation, and even far-distant Japan, arm their whole populations and -perfect their preparedness for the eventualities of war, but we had been -content to scrape along with an apology for a military system--which was -really no system at all--comforting ourselves with the excuse that -nothing could possibly evade or compete with our magnificent navy. Such -things as fogs, false intelligence, and the interruption of telegraphic -and telephonic communication were not taken into account, and were -pooh-poohed if any person, not content with living in a fool’s paradise, -ventured to draw attention to the possibility of such contingencies. - -“So foolhardy had we become in the end, that we were content to see an -immense and threatening increase in the German shipbuilding programme -without immediately ‘going one better.’ The specious plea that our -greater rapidity in construction would always enable us to catch up our -rivals in the race was received with acclamation, especially as the -argument was adorned with gilt lettering in the shape of promised -Admiralty economies. - -“As might have been foreseen, Germany attacked us at the psychological -moment when her rapidly increasing fleet had driven even our _laissez -faire_ politicians to lay down new ships with the laudable idea of -keeping our naval pre-eminence by the rapidity of our construction. Our -wide-awake enemy, seeing that should these be allowed to attain -completion the place he had gained in the race would be lost, allowed -them to be half finished and then suddenly attacked us. - -“But to return to my personal experiences on this never-to-be-forgotten -day. I had run down Cromwell Hill, and seeing the flames of Heybridge, -was impelled to get nearer, if possible, to discover more particularly -the state of affairs in that direction. But I was reckoning without the -Germans. When I got to the bridge over the river at the foot of the -hill, the officer in charge there absolutely prevented my crossing. -Beyond the soldiers standing or kneeling behind whatever cover was -offered by the walls and buildings abutting on the riverside, and a -couple of machine guns placed so as to command the bridge and the road -beyond, there was nothing much to see. A number of Germans were, -however, very busy in the big mill just across the river, but what they -were doing I could not make out. As I turned to retrace my steps, the -glare of the conflagration grew suddenly more and more intense. A mass -of dark figures came running down the brightly-illuminated road towards -the bridge, while the rifle fire became louder, nearer, and heavier than -ever. Every now and again the air became alive with, as it were, the -hiss and buzz of flying insects. The English must have fought their way -through Heybridge, and these must be the bullets from their rifles. It -was dangerous to stay down there any longer, so I took to my heels. As I -ran I heard a thundering explosion behind me, the shock of which nearly -threw me to the ground. Looking over my shoulder, I saw that the Germans -had blown up the mill at the farther end of the bridge, and were now -pushing carts from either side in order to barricade it. The two Maxims, -too, began to pump lead with their hammering reports, and the men near -them commenced to fall in twos and threes. I made off to the left, and -passed into the High Street by the end of St. Peter’s Church, now -disused. At the corner I ran against Mr. Clydesdale, the optician, who -looks after the library which now occupies the old building. He pointed -to the tower, which stood darkly up against the blood-red sky. - -“‘Look at those infernal Germans!’ he said. ‘They can’t even keep out of -that old place. I wish we could have got the books out before they -came.’ - -“I could not see any of our invaders where he was pointing, but -presently I became aware of a little winking, blinking light at the very -summit of the tower. - -“‘That’s them,’ said Clydesdale. ‘They’re making signals, I think. My -boy says he saw the same thing on Purleigh Church tower last night. I -wish it would come down with them, that I do. It’s pretty shaky, -anyway.’ - -“The street was fairly full of people. The Germans, it is true, had -ordered that no one should be out of doors between eight in the evening -and six in the morning; but just now they appeared to have their hands -pretty full elsewhere, and if any of the few soldiers that were about -knew of or thought anything of the interdiction, they said nothing. Wat -Miller, the postman, came up and touched his cap. - -“‘Terrible times, sir,’ he said, ‘ain’t they? There was a mort of people -killed this afternoon by them shells. There was poor old Missis Reece in -the London Road. Bed-ridden, she were, this dozen years. Well, sir, -there ain’t so much as the head on her left. A fair mash up she were, -poor old lady! Then there was Jones the carpenter’s three kids, as was -left behind when their mother took the baby to Mundon with the rest of -the women. The house was struck and come down atop of ’em. They got two -out, but they were dead, poor souls! and they’re still looking for the -other one.’ - -“The crash of a salvo of heavy guns from the direction of my own house -interrupted the tale of horrors. - -“‘That’ll be the guns in my garden,’ I said. - -“‘Yes, sir; and they’ve got three monstrous great ones in the opening -between the houses just behind the church there,’ said Clydesdale. - -“As he spoke the guns in question bellowed out, one after the other. - -“‘Look--look at the tower!’ cried the postman. - -“The light at the top had disappeared, and the lofty edifice was swaying -slowly, slowly, over to the left. - -“‘She’s gone at last!’ exclaimed Clydesdale. - -“It was true. Down came the old steeple that had pointed heavenward for -so many generations, with a mighty crash and concussion that swallowed -up even the noise of the battle, though cannon of all sorts and sizes -were now joining in the hellish concert, and shell from the English -batteries began to roar over the town. The vibration and shock of the -heavy guns had been too much for the old tower, which, for years in a -tottery condition, had been patched up so often. - -“As soon as the cloud of dust cleared off we all three ran towards the -huge pile of débris that filled the little churchyard. Several other -people followed. It was very dark down there, in the shadow of the trees -and houses, despite the firelight overhead, and we began striking -matches as we looked about among the heaps of bricks and beams to see if -there were any of the German signal party among them. Why we should have -taken the trouble under the circumstances I do not quite know. It was an -instinctive movement of humanity on my part, and that of most of the -others, I suppose. Miller, the postman, was, however, logical. ‘I ’opes -as they’re all dead!’ was what he said. - -“I caught sight of an arm in a light blue sleeve protruding from the -débris, and took hold of it in a futile attempt to remove some of the -bricks and rubbish which I thought were covering the body of its owner. -To my horror, it came away in my hand. The body to which it belonged -might be buried yards away in the immense heap of ruins. I dropped it -with a cry, and fled from the spot. - -“Dawn was now breaking. I do not exactly remember where I wandered to -after the fall of St. Peter’s Tower, but it must have been between -half-past five and six when I found myself on the high ground at the -north-western corner of the town, overlooking the golf links, where I -had spent so many pleasant hours in that recent past that now seemed so -far away. All around me were batteries, trenches, and gun-pits. But -though the firing was still going on somewhere away to the right, where -Heybridge poured black smoke skyward like a volcano, gun and howitzer -were silent, and their attendant artillerymen, instead of being in cover -behind their earthen parapets, were clustered on the top watching -intently something that was passing in the valley below them. So -absorbed were they that I was able to creep up behind them, and also get -a sight of what was taking place. And this is what I saw:-- - -“Over the railway bridge which spanned the river a little to the left -were hurrying battalion after battalion of green and blue clad German -infantry. They moved down the embankment after crossing, and continued -their march behind it. Where the railway curved to the right and left, -about half a mile beyond the bridge, the top of the embankment was lined -with dark figures lying down and apparently firing, while over the golf -course from the direction of Beeleigh trotted squadron after squadron of -sky-blue riders, their green and white lance pennons fluttering in the -breeze. They crossed the Blackwater and Chelmer Canal, and cantered off -in the direction of Langford Rectory. - -“At the same time I saw line after line of the Germans massed behind the -embankment spring over it and advance rapidly towards the lower portion -of the town, just across the river. Hundreds fell under the fire from -the houses, which must have been full of Englishmen, but one line after -another reached the buildings. The firing was now heavier than -ever--absolutely incessant and continuous--though, except for an -occasional discharge from beyond Heybridge, the artillery was silent. - -“I have but little knowledge of military matters, but it was abundantly -evident, even to me, that what I had just seen was a very formidable -counter-attack on the part of the Germans, who had brought up fresh -troops either from the rear of the town or from farther inland, and -launched them against the English under cover of the railway embankment. -I was not able to see the end of the encounter, but bad news flies -apace, and it soon became common knowledge in the town that our troops -from Colchester had not only failed to cross the river at any point, but -had been driven helter-skelter out of the lower town near the station -and from the smoking ruins of Heybridge with great loss, and were now in -full retreat. - -“Indeed, some hundreds of our khaki-clad fellow-countrymen were marched -through the town an hour or two later as prisoners, to say nothing of -the numbers of wounded who, together with those belonging to the -Germans, soon began to crowd every available building suitable for use -as an hospital. The wounded prisoners with their escort went off towards -Mundon, and are reported to have gone in the direction of Steeple. It -was altogether a disastrous day, and our hopes, which had begun to rise -when the British had penetrated into the northern part of the town, now -fell below zero. - -“It was a black day for us, and for England. During the morning the same -officer who had captured me on the golf course came whirling into Maldon -on a 24-h.p. Mercedes car. He drove straight up to my house, and -informed me that he had orders to conduct me to Prince Henry, who was to -be at Purleigh early in the afternoon. - -“‘Was it in connection with the skirmish with the Volunteers?’ I asked. - -“‘I don’t know,’ was the reply. ‘But I don’t fancy so. In the meantime, -could I write here for an hour or two?’ he asked politely. ‘I have much -to write to my friends in Germany, and have not had a minute up to -now.’ - -“I was very glad to be able to oblige the young man in such a small way, -and left him in my study till midday, very busy with pens, ink, and -paper. - -“After a makeshift of a lunch, the car came round, and we got into the -back seat. In front sat his orderly and the chauffeur, a fierce-looking -personage in a semi-military uniform. We ran swiftly down the High -Street, and in a few minutes were spinning along the Purleigh Road, -where I saw much that amazed me. I then for the first time realised how -absolutely complete were the German plans.” - -“TUESDAY, _September 4_. - -“About six o’clock this morning I awoke rather suddenly. The wind had -gone round to the northward, and I was certain that heavy firing was -going on somewhere in that direction. I opened the window and looked -out. The ‘thud’ and rumble of a cannonade, with the accompaniment of an -occasional burst of musketry, came clearly and loudly on the wind from -the hills by Wickham Bishops village. The church spire was in plain -view, and little faint puffs and rings of grey smoke were just visible -in its vicinity every now and again, sometimes high up in the air, at -others among the trees at its base. They were exploding shells; I had no -doubt of that. What was going on it was impossible to say, but I -conjectured that some of our troops from Colchester had come into -collision with the Germans, who had gone out in that direction the day -of their arrival. The firing continued for about an hour, and then died -away. - -“Soon after eight Count von Ohrendorff, the general officer commanding -the 32nd Division, who appeared to be the supreme authority here, sent -for me, and suggested that I should take steps to arrange for the -manufacture of lint and bandages by the ladies living in the town. I -could see no reason for objecting to this, and so promised to carry out -his suggestion. I set about the matter at once, and, with the assistance -of my wife, soon had a couple of score of more or less willing workers -busily engaged in the National Schoolroom. In the meantime, the roll of -a terrible cannonade had burst forth again from Wickham Bishops. It -seemed louder and more insistent than ever. As soon as I got away from -the schools I hurried home and climbed out on the roof. The top of the -Moot Hall, the tower of St. Peter’s, and other better coigns of vantage -had all been occupied by the Germans. However, with the aid of a pair of -field-glasses I was able to see a good bit. Black smoke was now pouring -from Wickham Bishops in clouds, and every now and again I fancied I -could see the forked tongues of flame shooting up above the surrounding -trees. A series of scattered black dots now came out on the open ground -to the south of the church. The trees of Eastland Wood soon hid them -from my sight, but others followed, mingled with little moving black -blocks, which I took to be formed bodies of troops. After them came four -or five guns, driven at breakneck pace towards the road that passes -between Eastland and Captain’s Woods, then more black dots, also in a -desperate hurry. Several of these last tumbled, and lay still here and -there all over the slope. - -“Other dots followed at their heels. They were not quite so distinct. I -looked harder. Hurrah! They were men in khaki. We were hustling these -Germans at last. They also disappeared behind the woods. Then from the -fringe of trees about Wickham half a dozen big brilliant flashes, -followed after an interval by the loud detonation of heavy cannon. I -could not distinguish much more, though the rattle of battle went on for -some time longer. Soon after eleven four German guns galloped in from -Heybridge. These were followed by a procession of maimed and limping -humanity. Some managed to get along unaided, though with considerable -difficulty. Others were supported by a comrade, some carried between two -men, and others borne along on stretchers. A couple of ambulance carts -trotted out and picked up more wounded. Our bandages and lint had not -long to wait before being required. After this there was a cessation of -firing. - -“About one o’clock the German general sent word to me that he thought an -attack quite possible during the afternoon, and that he strongly advised -me to get all the women and children out of the town--for the time -being, at any rate. This was evidently well meant, but it was a pretty -difficult matter to arrange for, to say nothing of raising a panic among -the inhabitants. However, in an hour and a half’s time I had contrived -to marshal several hundred of them together, and to get them out on to -the road to Mundon. The weather was warm for the time of year, and I -thought, if the worst came to the worst, they could spend the night in -the old church. I left the sad little column of exiles--old, bent women -helped along by their daughters, tiny children dragged along through the -dust, clutching their mothers’ skirts, infants in arms, and other older -and sturdier children staggering beneath the weight of the most precious -home adornments--and made the best of my way back to arrange for the -forwarding to them of their rations. - -“At every step on my homeward way I expected to hear the cannonade begin -again. But beyond the twittering of the birds in the trees and -hedgerows, the creak and rumble of a passing cart, and the rush of a -train along the railway on my left--just the usual sounds of the -countryside--nothing broke the stillness. As I stepped out on the -familiar highway I could almost bring myself to believe that the events -of the past twenty-four hours were but the phantasmagoria of a dream. -After interviewing some of the town councillors who were going to -undertake the transport of provisions to the women and children at -Mundon, I walked round to my own house. - -“My wife and family had driven over to Purleigh on the first alarm, and -had arranged to stay the night with some friends, on whatever shakedowns -could be improvised, since every house in the peninsula harboured some -of the ubiquitous German officers and men. I wandered through the -familiar rooms, and came out into the garden--or rather what had been -the garden. There I saw that the Saxon gunners were all standing to -their pieces, and one of my none too welcome guests accosted me as I -left the house. - -“‘If you’ll take my advice, sare, you’ll get away out of this,’ he said -in broken English. - -“‘What! are you going to fire?’ I asked. - -“‘I don’t fancy so. It wouldn’t hurt you if we were. But I think your -English friends from Colchester are about to see if they can draw us.’ - -“As he spoke I became aware of a sharp, hissing noise like a train -letting off steam. It grew louder and nearer, passed over our heads, and -was almost instantly followed by a terrible crash somewhere behind the -house. A deeper and more muffled report came up from the valley beyond -Heybridge. - -“‘Well, they’ve begun now, and the best thing you can do is to get down -into that gun epaulment there,’ said the German officer. - -“I thought his advice was good, and I lost no time in following it. - -“‘Here comes another!’ cried he, as he jumped down into the pit beside -me. ‘We’ll have plenty of them now.’ - -“So we did. Shell after shell came hissing and screaming at us over the -tree-tops in the gardens lower down the hill. Each one of them sounded -to me as if it were coming directly at my head, but one after another -passed over us to burst beyond. The gunners all crouched close to the -earthen parapet--and so did I. I am not ashamed to say so. My German -officer, however, occasionally climbed to the top of the embankment and -studied the prospect through his field-glasses. At length there was a -loud detonation, and a column of dirt and smoke in the garden next below -us. Then two shells struck the parapet of the gun-pit on our left -almost simultaneously. Their explosion was deafening, and we were -covered with the dust and stones they threw up. - -“Immediately afterwards another shell passed so close over our heads -that I felt my hair lift. It just cleared the parapet and plunged into -the side of my house. A big hole appeared just to the right of the -dining-room window, and through it came instantaneously the loud bang of -the explosion. The glass was shattered in all the windows, and thick -smoke, white and black, came curling from every one of them. - -“‘The house is on fire!’ I shouted, and sprang madly from the pit. -Heedless of the bombardment, I rushed into the building. Another crash -sounded overhead as I entered, and a blaze of light shone down the -stairway for an instant. Another projectile had found a billet in my -home. I tried to make my way to my study, but found the passage blocked -with fallen beams and ceiling. What with the smoke and dust, and the -blocking of some of the windows, it was very dark in the hall, and I got -quite a shock when, as I looked about me to find my way, I saw two red, -glittering specks shining over the top of a heap of débris. But the howl -that followed told me that they were nothing but the eyes of miserable -Tim, the cat, who, left behind, had been nearly frightened out of his -senses by the noise and concussion of the bursting shell. As I gazed at -him another projectile struck the house quite close to us. Tim was -simply smashed by a flying fragment. I was thrown down, and half buried -under a shower of bricks and mortar. I think I must have lost -consciousness for a time. - -“The next thing I recollect was being dragged out into the garden by a -couple of Saxons. I had a splitting headache, and was very glad of a -glass of water that one of them handed me. Their officer, who appeared -to be quite a decent fellow, offered me his flask. - -“‘The house is all right,’ he said, with his strong accent. ‘It caught -fire once, but we managed to get it under. Your friends have cleared -off--at any rate for the present. They got too bold at last, and pushed -their guns down till they got taken in flank by the warship in the -river. They had two of their pieces knocked to bits, and then cleared -out. Best thing you can do is to do the same.’ - -“I was in two minds. I could not save the house by staying, and might -just as well join my people at Purleigh Rectory. On the other hand, I -felt that it would better become me, as Mayor, to stick to the town. -Duty triumphed, and I decided to remain where I was--at least for the -present. All was now quiet, and after an early supper I turned in, and, -despite the excitement of the day and my aching head, was asleep the -moment I touched the pillow.” - -“WEDNESDAY, _September 5_. - -“It must have been about three in the morning when I awoke. My head was -much better, and for a minute or two I lay comfortably in the darkness, -without any recollection of the events of the preceding day. Then I saw -a bright reflection pass rapidly over the ceiling. I wondered vaguely -what it was. Presently it came back again, paused a moment, and -disappeared. By this time I was wide awake. I went to the window and -looked out. It was quite dark, but from somewhere over beyond Heybridge -a long white ray was sweeping all along this side of Maldon. Now the -foliage of a tree in the garden below would stand out in pale green -radiance against the blackness; now the wall of a house half a mile away -would reflect back the moving beam, shining white as a sheet of -notepaper. - -“Presently another ray shone out, and the two of them moving backwards -and forwards made the whole of our hillside caper in a dizzy dance. From -somewhere far away to my right another stronger beam now streamed -through the obscurity, directed apparently at the sources of the other -two, and almost simultaneously came the crack of a rifle from the -direction of Heybridge, sharp and ominous in the quiet darkness of the -night. Half a dozen scattered shots followed; then a faint cheer. More -and more rifles joined in, and presently the burring tap-tap-tap of a -Maxim. I hurried on my clothes. The firing increased in volume and -rapidity; bugles rang out here, there, and everywhere through the -sleeping town, and above the rolling, rattling clamour of the drums I -could distinguish the hurried tramp of hundreds of feet. - -“I cast one glance from the window as I quitted the room. The electric -searchlights had increased to at least half a dozen. Some reached out -long, steady fingers into the vague spaces of the night, while others -wandered restlessly up and down, hither and thither. Low down over the -trees of the garden a dull red glare slowly increased in extent and -intensity. The rattle of musketry was now absolutely continuous. As I -ran out of the house into the street I was nearly carried off my feet by -the rush of a battalion that was pouring down Cromwell Hill at the -double. Hardly knowing what I did, I followed in their wake. The glare -in front got brighter and brighter. A few steps, and I could see the -cause of it. The whole of Heybridge appeared to be on fire, the flames -roaring skywards from a dozen different conflagrations.” - - * * * * * - -England halted breathless. Fighting had commenced in real earnest. - -The greatest consternation was caused by the publication in the _Times_ -of the description of the operations in Essex, written by Mr. Henry -Bentley, the distinguished war correspondent, who had served that -journal in every campaign since Kitchener had entered Khartum. - -All other papers, without exception, contained various accounts of the -British defence at the point nearest London, but they were mostly of the -scrappy and sensational order, based more on report than upon actual -fact. The _Times_ account, however, had been written with calm -impartiality by one of the most experienced correspondents at the -front. Whether he had been afforded any special facilities was not -apparent, but, in any case, it was the most complete and truthful -account of the gallant attempt on the part of our soldiers to check the -advance from Essex westward. - -During the whole of that hot, stifling day it was known that a battle -was raging, and the excitement everywhere was intense. - -The public were in anxious terror as the hours crept by until the first -authentic news of the result of the operations was printed in a special -evening edition of the _Times_ as follows:-- - - “(_From our War Correspondent._) - -“DANBURY, ESSEX, _September 8_. - -“To-day has been a momentous one for England. The great battle has raged -since dawn, and though just at present there seems to be a lull, during -which the opposing forces are, so to speak, regaining their breath, it -can be by no means over. - -“Dead and living alike will lie out on the battlefield the whole night -through, for we must hold on to the positions so hardly won, and be -ready to press forward at the first glimmer of daylight. Our gallant -troops, Regular and Volunteer alike, have nobly vindicated the -traditions of our race, and have fought as desperately as ever did their -forebears at Agincourt, Albuera, or Waterloo. But while a considerable -success--paid for, alas! by the loss of thousands of gallant lives--has -been achieved, it will take at least another day’s hard fighting before -victory is in our grasp. Nowadays a soldier need not expect to be either -victorious or finally defeated by nightfall, and although this battle, -fought as it is between much smaller forces and extending over a much -more limited area than the great engagement between the Russians and -Japanese at Liaoyang, will not take quite so long a time to decide, the -end is not yet in sight. I write this after a hard day’s travelling -backwards and forwards behind our advancing line of battle. - -“I took my cycle with me in my motor-car, and whenever opportunity -offered mounted it, and pushed forward as near to the fighting as I -could get. Frequently I had to leave the cycle also, and crawl forward -on hands and knees, sheltering in some depression in the ground, while -the enemy’s bullets whined and whistled overhead. As reported in a -previous issue, the Army which had assembled at Brentwood moved forward -early on the 5th. - -“During the afternoon the advanced troops succeeded in driving the enemy -out of South Hanningfield, and before sundown they were also in full -retreat from the positions they had held at East Hanningfield and -Danbury. There was some stiff fighting at the latter place, but after a -pounding from the artillery, who brought several batteries into action -on the high ground north-west of East Hanningfield, the Germans were -unable to withstand the attack of the Argyll and Sutherlands and the -London Scottish, who worked their way through Danbury Park and Hall Wood -right into their position, driving them from their entrenchments by a -dashing bayonet charge. Everything north and east of the enemy’s main -position, which is now known to lie north and south, between Maldon and -the river Crouch, was now in our hands, but his troops still showed a -stout front at Wickford, and were also reported to be at Rayleigh, -Hockley, and Canewdon, several miles to the eastward. All preparations -were made to assault the German position at Wickford at daybreak to-day, -but our scouts found that the place had been evacuated. The news that -Rayleigh and Hockley had also been abandoned by the enemy came in -shortly afterwards. The German invaders had evidently completed their -arrangements for the defence of their main position, and now said, in -effect, ‘Come on, and turn us out if you can.’ - -“It was no easy task that lay before our gallant defenders. Maldon, -perched on a high knoll, with a network of river and canal protecting it -from assault from the northward, fairly bristles with guns, many of -them heavy field howitzers, and has, as we know to our cost, already -repulsed one attack by our troops. Farther south there are said to be -many guns on the knolls about Purleigh. This little out-of-the-way -hamlet, by the way, is noteworthy as having had as its Rector from -1632-1643 the great-great-grandfather of the famous George Washington, -and the father of the first Washingtons who emigrated to Virginia. Great -Canney Hill, standing boldly up like an immense redoubt, is reported to -be seamed with entrenchments mounting many heavy guns. The railway -embankment south of Maldon forms a perfect natural rampart along part of -the enemy’s position, while the woods and enclosures south-west of Great -Canney conceal thousands of sharpshooters. A sort of advanced position -was occupied by the enemy at Edwin Hall, a mile east of Woodham Ferrers, -where a pair of high kopjes a quarter of a mile apart offered command -and cover to some of their field batteries. - -“Our scouts have discovered also that an elaborate system of wire -entanglements and other military obstacles protects almost the whole -front of the somewhat extensive German position. On its extreme left -their line is said to be thrown back at an angle, so that any attempt to -outflank it would not only entail crossing the river Crouch, but would -come under the fire of batteries placed on the high ground overlooking -it. Altogether, it is a very tough nut to crack, and the force at our -disposal none too strong for the work that lies before it. - -“Further detail regarding our strength would be inadvisable for obvious -reasons, but when I point out that the Germans are supposed to be -between thirty and forty thousand strong, and that it is laid down by -competent military authorities that to attack troops in an entrenched -position a superiority of six to one is advisable, my readers can draw -their own conclusions. For the same reason, I will not enumerate all the -regiments and corps that go to compose our Army in Essex. At the same -time there can be no harm in mentioning some of them which have -particularly distinguished themselves in the hard fighting of the past -twelve hours. - -“Among these are the Grenadier and Irish Guards, the Inns of Court -Volunteers, and the Honourable Artillery Company from London, and the -Oxfordshire and two battalions of the Royal Marines from Chatham, which, -with other troops from that place, crossed over at Tilbury and joined -our forces. The last-mentioned are the most veteran troops we have here, -as, besides belonging to a long-service corps, they have in their ranks -a number of their Reservists who had joined at a day’s notice. The -Marines are in reality, though not nominally, the most territorial of -our troops, since the greater number of their Reserve men settle down in -the immediate neighbourhood of their headquarters. It is this fact which -enabled them to mobilise so much quicker than the rest of our regiments. -The Oxfordshire, for instance, coming from the same garrison, has very -few Reservists as yet, while most of the others are in the same plight. -And yet the fiat has gone forth that the Marine Corps, despite its past -record, the excellence of its men, and its constant readiness for active -service, is to lose its military status. Would that we had a few more of -its battalions with us to-day. But to return to the story of the great -battle. - -“The repairs to the railway line between Brentwood and Chelmsford, that -had been damaged by the enemy’s cavalry on their first landing, were -completed yesterday, and all night reinforcements had been coming in by -way of Chelmsford and Billericay. The general headquarters had been -established at Danbury, and thither I made my way as fast as my car -could get along the roads, blocked as they were by marching horse, foot, -and artillery. I had spent the night at South Hanningfield, so as to be -on the spot for the expected attack on Wickford; but as soon as I found -it was not to come off, I considered that at Danbury would be the best -chance of finding out what our next move was to be. - -“Nor was I mistaken. As I ran up to the village I found the roads full -of troops under arms, and everything denoted action of some kind. I was -lucky enough to come across a friend of mine on the staff--Captain -B----, I will call him--who spared a moment to give me the tip that a -general move forward was commencing, and that a big battle was imminent. -Danbury is situated on the highest ground for many miles round, and as -it bid fair to be a fine, clear day, I thought I could not do better -than try and get a general look round from the summit of the church -tower before proceeding farther. But I was informed that the General was -up there with some of his staff and a signalling party, so that I could -not ascend. - -“However, no other newspaper correspondents were in the immediate -vicinity, and as there was thus no fear of my case being quoted as a -precedent, my pass eventually procured me admission to the little -platform, which, by the way, the General left a moment after my arrival. -It was now eight o’clock, the sun was fairly high in the heavens, and -the light mists that hung about the low ground in the vicinity of Maldon -were fast fading into nothingness. The old town was plainly -distinguishable as a dark silhouette against the morning light, which, -while it illumined the panorama spread out before me, yet rendered -observation somewhat difficult, since it shone almost directly into my -eyes. However, by the aid of my glasses I was able to see something of -the first moves on the fatal chess-board where so many thousands of -lives are staked on the bloody game of war. - -“I noticed among other things that the lessons of the recent war in the -East had not passed unobserved, for in all the open spaces on the -eastern slope of the hill, where the roads were not screened by trees or -coppices, lofty erections of hurdles and greenery had been placed -overnight to hide the preliminary movements of our troops from the -glasses of the enemy. Under cover of these regiment after regiment of -khaki-clad soldiers, batteries of artillery, and ammunition carts, were -proceeding to their allotted posts down the network of roads and lanes -leading to the lower ground towards the south-east. Two battalions stood -in quarter column behind Thrift Wood. They were kilted corps, probably -the Argylls and the London Scottish. Several field batteries moved off -to the left towards Woodham Walter. Other battalions took up their -position behind Hyde Woods, farther away to the right, the last of them, -the Grenadier Guards, I fancy, passing behind them and marching still -farther southward. - -“Finally two strong battalions, easily recognised as marines by their -blue war-kit, marched rapidly down the main road and halted presently -behind Woodham Mortimer Place. All this time there was neither sight nor -sound of the enemy. The birds carrolled gaily in the old elms round my -eyrie, the sparrows and martins piped and twittered in the eaves of the -old church, and the sun shone genially on hill and valley, field and -wood. To all appearance, peace reigned over the countryside, though the -dun masses of troops in the shadows of the woodlands were suggestive of -the autumn manœuvres. But for all this, the ‘Real Thing’ was upon us. -As I looked, first one then another long and widely scattered line of -crouching men in khaki issued from the cover of Hyde Woods and began -slowly to move away towards the east. Then, and not till then, a vivid -violet-white flash blazed out on the dim grey upland five miles away to -the south-east, which had been pointed out to me as Great Canney, and -almost at once a spout of earth and smoke sprang up a little way ahead -of the advancing British. A dull boom floated up on the breeze, but was -drowned in an ear-splitting crash somewhere close to me. I felt the old -tower rock under the concussion, which I presently discovered came from -a battery of big 4.7 guns established just outside the churchyard. - -“There were at least six of them, and as one after another gave tongue, -I descended from my rickety perch and went down to look at them. They -were manned by a party of Bluejackets, who had brought them over from -Chatham, and among the guns I found some of my acquaintances in the -Boer War, ‘Joe Chamberlain’ and ‘Bloody Mary,’ to wit. But I must leave -my own personal experiences, at least for the present, and endeavour to -give a general account of the day’s operations so far as I was able to -follow them by observation and inquiry. The movement I saw developing -below me was the first step towards what I eventually discovered was our -main objective--Purleigh. The open ground, flat as a billiard-table to -the north of this towards Maldon, presented the weakest front to our -attack, but it was considered that if we penetrated there we should in a -very short time be decimated and swept away by the cross fire from -Maldon and Purleigh, to say nothing of that from other positions we -might certainly assume the enemy had prepared in rear. - -“Could we succeed in establishing ourselves at Purleigh, however, we -should be beyond effective range from Maldon, and should also take Great -Canney in reverse, as well as the positions on the refused left flank of -the enemy. Maldon, too, would be isolated. Purleigh, therefore, was the -key of the position. We have not got it yet, but have made a good stride -in its direction, and if it is true that ‘fortune favours the brave,’ -ought certainly to be in possession of it by to-morrow evening. Our -first move was in this direction, as I have already indicated. The -scouts were picked men from the Line battalions, but the firing lines -were composed of Volunteers and, in some cases, Militiamen. It was -considered more politic to reserve the Regulars for the later stages of -the attack. The firing from Canney, and afterwards from Purleigh, was at -first at rather too long a range to be effective, even from the heavy -guns that were in use, and later on the heavy long-range fire from -‘Bloody Mary’ and her sisters at Danbury, and other heavy guns and -howitzers in the neighbourhood of East Hanningfield, kept it down -considerably, although the big, high-explosive shells were now and again -most terribly destructive to the advancing British. - -“When, however, the firing line--which as yet had - -[Illustration: BATTLE OF PURLEIGH, 6TH SEPTEMBER.] - -not been near enough to fire a shot in reply--arrived in the -neighbourhood of Loddard’s Hill, its left came under a terrible rifle -fire from Hazeleigh Wood, while its right and centre were all but -destroyed by a tornado of shrapnel from some German field batteries to -the north of Purleigh. Though dazed and staggered under the appalling -sleet of projectiles, the Volunteers stuck doggedly to their ground, -though unable to advance. They were intelligent men; and even if they -had the inclination to fall back, they knew that there was no safety -that way. Line after line was pushed forward, the men stumbling and -falling over the thickly scattered bodies of their fallen comrades. - -“It was a perfect holocaust. Some other card must be played at once, or -the attack must fail.” - - * * * * * - -The second of Mr. Henry Bentley’s descriptive articles in the _Times_ -told a terrible truth, and was as follows:-- - - - “(_From our War Correspondent._) - -“CHELMSFORD, _September 7_. - - “When I sent off my despatch by motor-car last night it was with - very different feelings to those with which I take my pen in hand - this evening, in the Saracen’s Head Hotel, which is the - headquarters of my colleagues, the correspondents. - - “Last night, despite the hard fighting and the heavy losses we had - sustained, the promise of the morrow was distinctly a good one. But - now I have little heart with which to commence the difficult and - unpleasant task of chronicling the downfall of all our high hopes, - the repulse--ay, and the defeat--it is no use mincing matters--of - our heroic and sorely tried Army. - - “Yes, our gallant soldiers have sustained a reverse which, but for - their stubborn fighting qualities and a somewhat inexplicable - holding back on the part of the Germans, might very easily have - culminated in disaster. Defeat although it undoubtedly is, the - darkness of the gloomy outlook is illuminated by the brilliancy of - the conduct of our troops. - - “From General down to the youngest Volunteer drummer boy, our brave - soldiers did all, and more, than could be humanly expected of them, - and on none of them can be laid the blame of our ill-success. The - plan of attack is agreed on all hands to have been as good a one as - could have been evolved; the officers led well, their men fought - well, and there was no running short of ammunition at any period of - the engagement. - - “‘Who, then, was responsible?’ it may well be asked. The answer is - simple. The British public, which, in its apathetic attitude - towards military efficiency, aided and abetted by the soothing - theories of the extremists of the ‘Blue Water’ school, had, as - usual, neglected to provide an Army fitted to cope in numbers and - efficiency with those of our Continental neighbours. Had we had a - sufficiency of troops, more especially of regular troops, there is - not the slightest doubt that the victory would have been ours. As - it was, our General was obliged to attack the enemy’s position with - a force whose numbers, even if they had been all regular soldiers, - were below those judged necessary by military experts for the task - in hand. - - “Having broken through the German lines, success was in his grasp, - had he had sufficient reinforcements to have established him in the - position he had won and to beat back the inevitable counter-attack. - But it is best that I should continue my account of the fighting - from the point at which I closed my letter of yesterday. I had - arrived at the checking of our advance near Loddard’s Hill by the - blast of shrapnel from the German field batteries. It was plain - that the Volunteer Brigade, though it held its ground, could not - advance farther. But, unnoticed by them, the General had been - preparing for this eventuality. - - “On the left the two battalions of Marines that I noticed drawn up - behind Woodham Mortimer Place suddenly debouched on Loddard’s Hill, - and, carrying forward with them the débris of the Volunteer firing - line, hurled themselves into Hazeleigh Wood. There was a sanguinary - hand-to-hand struggle on the wire-entangled border, but the - new-comers were not to be denied, and after a quarter of an hour’s - desperate mêlée, which filled the sylvan glades with moaning and - writhing wounded and stark dead bodies, we remained masters of the - wood, and even obtained a footing on the railway line where it - adjoins it. - - “Simultaneously a long line of our field batteries came into - action near Woodham Mortimer, some trying to beat down the fire of - the German guns opposite, while others replied to a battery that - had been established near West Maldon Station to flank the railway, - and which was now beginning to open on Hazeleigh Wood. The latter - were assisted by a battery of 4.7 guns manned by Volunteers, which - took up a position behind Woodham Walter. The firing on Great - Canney from our batteries at East Hanningfield redoubled, the whole - summit of the hill being at times obscured by the clouds of smoke - and débris from the explosions of the big, high-explosive - projectiles. - - “The main firing line, continually fed from the rear, now began - slowly to gain ground, and when the Grenadiers and the Irish - Guards, who had managed to work up through the series of - plantations that run eastwards for nearly two miles from Woodham - Hall without drawing any particular attention from the busily - engaged enemy, came into action on the right, there was a distinct - move forward. But the defence was too stubborn, and about midday - the whole line again came to a standstill, its left still in - Hazeleigh Wood, its right at Prentice Farm. Orders were passed that - the men should try to entrench themselves as best they could, and - spades and other tools were sent forward to those corps who were - not provided with them already. - - “Here we must leave the main attack to notice what was going on - elsewhere. On the north the Colchester Garrison again brought their - heavy artillery into action on the slopes south of Wickham Bishops, - while others of our troops made a show of advancing against Maldon - from the west. These movements were, however, merely intended to - keep the German garrison occupied. But on the right a rather - important flanking movement was in progress. - - “We had a considerable body of troops at East Hanningfield, which - lies in a hollow between two little ridges, both running from - south-west to north-east, and about a mile apart. The most easterly - ridge is very narrow for the most part, and behind it were - stationed several batteries of our field howitzers, which fired - over it at Great Canney at a range of about 5000 yards. A number of - 4.7-inch guns, scattered over the western hill, were also - concentrated on the same target. Although the range was an - extremely long one, there is no doubt that they made a certain - number of effective hits, since Great Canney offered a conspicuous - and considerable target. But beyond this the flashes of their - discharges drew off all attention from the howitzer batteries in - front of them, and served to conceal their presence from the enemy. - Otherwise, although invisible, their presence would have been - guessed at. As it was, not a single German projectile came anywhere - near them. - - “When the fighting began, those troops who were not intended to be - held in reserve or to co-operate with the right of the main attack - moved off in the direction of Woodham Ferrers, and made a feint of - attacking the German position astride the two kopjes at Edwin’s - Hall, their field guns coming into action on the high ground north - of Rettendon, and engaging those of the enemy at long range. But - the real attack on this salient of the German position came from a - very different quarter. - - “The troops detailed for this movement were those who had advanced - against Wickford at daybreak, and had found it abandoned by the - enemy. They consisted of the Oxfordshire Light Infantry, the - Honourable Artillery Company, and the Inns of Court Volunteers, - together with their own and three or four other machine-gun - detachments, their Maxims being mounted on detachable legs instead - of carriages. Co-operating with them were the Essex and the East - Kent Yeomanry, who were scouting in the direction of Hockley. - - “The troops had a long, wearisome march before them, the design - being to take advantage of the time of low tide, and to move along - out of sight of the enemy behind the northern bank of the river - Crouch, as it had been discovered that the German line of defence - turned back to the eastward at a mile or two north of the river at - the point aimed at. Its guns still commanded it, and might be - trusted to render abortive any attempt to throw a bridge across it. - The Yeomanry had the task of occupying the attention of the enemy - at Canewdon, and of preventing the passage of boats from the German - warships. This part of our operations succeeded admirably. The long - creeping lines of the Oxfordshires and the machine-gun detachments - in their khaki uniforms were almost indistinguishable against the - steep mud banks at any distance, and they escaped observation both - from the German main lines and from their outpost at Canewdon until - they had reached the entrances of the two branch creeks for which - they were making. - - “Then, and not till then, came the sound of artillery from the left - rear of the German position. But it was too late. The Oxford - companies pushed forward at the double. Five companies lined the - embankments of Stow Creek, the easternmost of the two, while the - remainder, ensconced in Clementsgreen Creek, aligned the whole of - their machine-guns on the southern of the two kopjes against which - the manœuvre had been directed. Their fire, which, coming from a - little to the rear of the left flank of the southern kopje, - completely enfiladed it, created such slaughter and confusion that - the Honourable Artillery Company and the Inns of Court, who had - been working up the railway line from Battle Bridge, had little - difficulty in establishing themselves at Woodham Ferrers Station - and in an adjacent farm. Being almost immediately afterwards - reinforced by the arrival of two regular battalions who had been - pushed forward from Rettendon, a determined assault was made on the - southern kopje. Its defenders, demoralised by the pelting shower of - lead from the machine-gun battery, and threatened also by the - advance from Woodham Ferrers village, gave way, and our people, - forcing their way over every obstacle, seized the position amid - frantic cheering. - - “Meanwhile the Oxfordshires had been subjected to a determined - counter-attack from North Frambridge. Preceded by a pounding from - the guns on Kit’s Hill, but aided by the fire of the Yeomanry on - the south bank of the river, who galloped up and lined the - embankment, thus flanking the defenders of Stow Creek, it was - beaten back with considerable loss. The machine-guns were - transferred to the neighbourhood of South Kopje, and used with such - effect that its defenders, after repulsing several counter-attacks - from the adjoining German entrenchment, were able to make - themselves masters of the North Kopje also. - - “Elsewhere the fighting still continued strenuous and deadly. The - main attack had contrived to make some little shelter for itself; - but though three several attempts were made to advance from this, - all ended in failure, one nearly in disaster. This was the last of - the three, when the advancing line was charged by a mass of cavalry - which suddenly appeared from behind Great Canney Hill. I myself was - a witness of this attack, the most picturesque incident of the - day’s fighting. - - “I was watching the progress of the engagement through my glasses - from the high ground about Wickhams Farm, when I saw line after - line of the German horsemen in their sky-blue tunics and glittering - helmets trot out into the open, canter, and one after another break - into a mad gallop as they bore down upon the advancing lines of our - citizen soldiers. Staunchly as these had withstood the murderous - fire which for hours had been directed upon them, this whirlwind of - lance and sabre, the thunder of thousands of hoofs, and the hoarse - cries of the riders, were rather more than such partially trained - soldiers could stand. A scattering discharge from their rifles was - followed by something very much approaching a _sauve qui peut_. - - “A large number of the Volunteers, however, sought shelter among - the ruined houses of Cock Clarke’s hamlet, from whence they opened - a heavy fire on the adventurous horsemen. The Argyll and Sutherland - Highlanders, who were by this time in Mosklyns Copse, and the - Guards and other troops on the right, also opened a rapid and - sustained fire on the German cavalry, which, seconded by the - shrapnel from our guns on Loddard’s Hill, caused them to turn and - ride back for their lives. There was a tremendous outburst of - firing from both sides after this, followed by quite a lull. One - could well imagine that all the combatants were exhausted by the - prolonged effort of the day. It was now between five and six in the - evening. It was at this time that the news of the capture of the - two kopjes reached me, and I made for Danbury to write my - despatches. - - “Shortly after my arrival I heard of the capture of Spar Hill, a - detached knoll about 12,000 yards to the north-west of Purleigh. - The Marines from Hazeleigh Wood and the Highlanders from Mosklyns - Copse had suddenly and simultaneously assaulted it from opposite - sides, and were now entrenching themselves upon it. What wonder, - then, that I reported satisfactory progress, and reckoned--too - confidently, as it proved--on a victory for the morrow? - - “I spent a great part of that night under the stars on the hilltop - near East Hanningfield, watching the weird play of the searchlights - which swept over the country from a score of different positions, - and listening to the crash of artillery and clatter of rifle fire - which now and again told of some attempted movement under cover of - the darkness. Just before daylight the continuous roar of battle - began again, and when light dawned I found that our troops had cut - right through the German lines, and had penetrated as far as Cop - Kitchen’s farm, on the Maldon-Mundon road. Reinforcements were - being hurried up, and an attack was being pushed towards the rear - of Purleigh and Great Canney, which was being heavily bombarded by - some of our large guns, which had been mounted during the night on - the two kopjes. - - “But the reinforcements were not enough. The Germans held fast to - Purleigh and to some reserve positions they had established about - Mundon. After two or three hours of desperate effort, costing the - lives of thousands, our attack was at a standstill. At this - critical moment a powerful counter-attack was made from Maldon, - and, outnumbered and almost surrounded, our gallant warriors had to - give ground. But they fell back as doggedly as they had advanced, - the Argylls, Marines, and Grenadiers covering the retreat on - Danbury. - - “The guns at East Hanningfield and the two kopjes checked the - pursuit to a great extent, and the Germans seemed unwilling to go - far from their works. The kopjes had to be abandoned later in the - day, and we now occupy our former line from Danbury to Billericay, - and are busily engaged in entrenching ourselves.” - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -DEFENCE AT LAST - - -Late on Wednesday night came tardy news of the measures we were taking -to mobilise. - -The Aldershot Army Corps, so complete in the “Army List,” consisted, as -all the world knew, of three divisions, but of these only two existed, -the other being found to be on paper. The division in question, located -at Bordon, was to be formed on mobilisation, and this measure was now -being proceeded with. The train service was practically suspended, owing -to the damage done to the various lines south of London by the enemy’s -emissaries. Several of these men had been detected, and being in plain -clothes were promptly shot out of hand. However, their work had, -unfortunately for us, been accomplished, and trains could only run as -far as the destroyed bridges, so men on their way to join their -respective corps were greatly delayed in consequence. - -In one instance, at about four o’clock in the morning, three men were -seen by a constable acting suspiciously beneath the iron girder bridge -of the South-Western Railway spanning the road on the London side of -Surbiton Station. Of a sudden the men bolted, and a few moments later, -with a terrific explosion, the great bridge crashed into the road. - -The constable raised the alarm that the fugitives were German spies, -whereupon a few unemployed workmen, rushing down Effingham Gardens, -caught two of the men in Malpas Road. In the hands of these irate -bricklayers the Germans were given short shrift, and, notwithstanding -the protests of the constable, the two spies were dragged along the -Portsmouth Road, pitched headlong into the Thames almost immediately -opposite the water-works, and drowned. - -All was confusion at Bordon, where men were arriving in hundreds on -foot, and by the service of motor-omnibuses, which the War Office had on -the day before established between Charing Cross and Aldershot. -Perspiring staff officers strove diligently, without much avail, to sort -out into their respective units this ever-increasing mass of reservists. - -There was perfect chaos. - -Before the chief constituent parts of the division--that is to say, -regiments who were stationed elsewhere--had arrived little could be done -with the reservists. The regiments in question were in many cases -stationed at considerable distance, and although they had received -orders to start, were prevented from arriving owing to the universal -interruptions of the railway traffic south. By this, whole valuable days -were lost--days when at any hour the invaders might make a sudden swoop -on London. - -Reports were alarming and conflicting. Some said that the enemy meant to -strike a blow upon the capital just as suddenly as they had landed, -while others reassured the alarmists that the German plans were not yet -complete, and that they had not sufficient stores to pursue the -campaign. - -Reservists, with starvation staring them in the face, went eagerly south -to join their regiments, knowing that at least they would be fed with -regularity; while, in addition, the true patriotic spirit of the -Englishman had been roused against the aggressive Teuton, and everyone, -officer and man, was eager to bear his part in driving the invader into -the sea. - -The public were held breathless. What would happen? - -Arrivals at Aldershot, however, found the whole arrangements in such a -complete muddle that Army Service Corps men, who ought to have been at -Woolwich, were presenting themselves for enrolment at Bordon, and -infantry of the line were conducted into the camp of the Dragoons. The -Motor Volunteer Corps were at this moment of very great use. The cars -were filled with staff officers and other exalted officials, who were -settling themselves in various offices, and passing out again to make -necessary arrangements for dealing with such a large influx of men. - -There were activity and excitement everywhere. Men were rapidly drawing -their clothing, or as much of it as they could get, and civilians were -quickly becoming soldiers on every hand. Officers of the Reserve were -driving up in motor-cars and cabs, many of them with their old battered -uniform-cases, that had seen service in the field in distant parts of -the globe. Men from the “Junior” and the “Senior” wrung each other’s -hands on returning to active duty with their old regiments, and at once -settled down into the routine work they knew so well. - -The rumour, however, had now got about that a position in the -neighbourhood of Cambridge had been selected by the General Staff as -being the most suitable theatre of action where an effective stand -could, with any hope of success, be made. It was evident that the German -tactics were to strike a swift and rapid blow at London. Indeed, nothing -at present stood in their way except the gallant little garrison at -Colchester, who had been so constantly driven back by the enemy’s -cavalry on attempting to make any reconnaissance, and who might be swept -out of existence at any hour. - - * * * * * - -During Tuesday and Wednesday large gangs of workmen had been busy -repairing the damaged lines. The first regiment complete for the field -was the 2nd Battalion of the 5th Fusiliers, who carried upon their -colours the names of a score of battles, ranging from Corunna and -Badajoz, all through the Peninsula, Afghanistan, and Egypt, down to the -Modder River. This regiment left by train for London on Tuesday -evening, and was that same night followed by the 2nd Battalion King’s -Liverpool Regiment and the 1st King’s Shropshire Light Infantry, while -the Manchester Regiment got away soon after midnight. - -These formed the second infantry brigade of the 1st Division, and were -commanded by Brigadier-General Sir John Money. They were several hours -getting up to London, whence from Clapham Junction their trains circled -London on to the Great Eastern system to Braintree, where the Horn Hotel -was made the headquarters. By other trains in the small hours of the -morning the last of the Guards Brigade under Colonel (temporary -Brigadier-General) Lord Wansford departed, and duly arrived at Saffron -Walden, to join their comrades on the line of defence. - -The divisional troops were also on the move early on Wednesday. Six -batteries of artillery and the field company of Royal Engineers left by -road. There was a balloon section accompanying this, and searchlights, -wireless instruments, and cables for field-telegraphy were carried in -the waggons. - -The 2nd Division, under Lieutenant-General Morgan, C.B., was also -active. The 3rd Infantry Brigade, commanded by Major-General Fortescue, -composed of 2nd Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment, the 2nd -Bedfordshire, the 1st Princess of Wales’ Own, and the 1st Royal Welsh -Fusiliers, were preparing, but had not yet moved. The 4th Infantry -Brigade of the same division, consisting of the 3rd and 4th Battalions -King’s Royal Rifle Corps, the 2nd Sherwood Foresters, and the 2nd South -Lancashire, with the usual smartness of those distinguished regiments, -were quick and ready, now as ever, to go to the front. They were -entrained to Baldock, slightly east of Hitchin, where they marched out -on the Icknield Way. These were followed by Fortescue’s Brigade, who -were also bound for Baldock and the neighbourhood. - -The bulk of the cavalry and field artillery of both divisions, together -with the divisional troops, were compelled to set out by march-route -from Aldershot for the line of defences. The single and all-sufficient -reason of this delay in sending out the cavalry and artillery was owing -to the totally inadequate accommodation on the railways for the -transport of so many horses and guns. The troop-trains, which were, of -course, necessary to transport the infantry, were not forthcoming in -sufficient numbers, this owing to the fact that at several points the -lines to London were still interrupted. - -The orders to the cavalry who went by march-route were to get up to the -line proposed to be taken up by the infantry as quickly as possible, and -to operate in front of it to the east and north-east in screening and -reconnoitring duties. The temporary deficiency of cavalry, who ought, of -course, to have been the first to arrive at the scene, was made good as -far as possible by the general employment of hordes of motor-cyclists, -who scoured the country in large armed groups in order to ascertain, if -possible, the dispositions of the enemy. This they did, and very soon -after their arrival reported the result of their investigations to the -general officers commanding the 1st and 2nd Divisions. - -Meanwhile both cavalry and artillery in great bodies, and strings of -motor-omnibuses filled with troops, were upon the white, dusty roads -passing through Staines to Hounslow and Brentford, thence to London, St. -Albans, _en route_ to their respective divisions. Roughly, the distance -was over fifty miles, therefore those marching were compelled to halt -the night on the way, while those in the motor-omnibuses got through to -their destination. - -To cavalry, thirty-five miles is a long day’s march, and in view of the -heavy work before them, stringent orders had been given them to spare -the horses as much as possible. The heads of the columns did not, -therefore, pass beyond Hounslow on the first night, and in that -neighbourhood the thousands of all ranks made themselves as comfortable -as circumstances would permit. The majority of the men were fed and -billeted by the all-too-willing inhabitants, and upon their hot march -they met with ovations everywhere. - -At last we were defending ourselves! The sight of British troops -hurrying to the front swelled the hearts of the villagers and townsfolk -with renewed patriotism, and everywhere, through the blazing, dusty day, -the men were offered refreshment by even the poorest and humblest -cottagers. In Bagshot, in Staines, and in Hounslow the people went -frantic with excitement, as squadron after squadron rapidly passed -along, with its guns, wagons, and ambulances rumbling noisily over the -stones, in the rear. - -Following these came pontoon troops with their long grey wagons and -mysterious-looking bridging apparatus, telegraph troops, balloon -sections, supply columns, field bakery, and field hospitals, the -last-named packed in wagons marked with the well-known red cross of the -Geneva Convention. - -No sooner was Aldershot denuded of its army corps, however, than -battalions began to arrive from Portsmouth on their way north, while -troops from the great camp on Salisbury Plain were rapidly being pushed -to the front, which, roughly speaking, extended through Hitchin, -Royston, to Saffron Walden, across to Braintree, and also the high -ground commanding the valley of the Colne to Colchester. - -The line chosen by the General Staff was the natural chain of hills -which presented the first obstacle to the enemy advancing on London from -the wide plain stretching eastward beyond Cambridge to the sea. - -If this could be held strongly, as was intended, by practically the -whole of the British forces located in the South of England, including -the Yeomanry, Militia, and Volunteers--who were now all massing in every -direction--then the deadly peril threatening England might be averted. - -But could it be held? - - +---------------------------------------------------------------+ - | | - | [Illustration] | - | | - | =WE, WILHELM,= | - | | - | =GIVE NOTICE to the inhabitants of those provinces occupied | - | by the German Imperial Army, that--= | - | | - | I MAKE WAR upon the soldiers, and not upon English | - | citizens. Consequently, it is my wish to give the latter and | - | their property entire security, and as long as they do not | - | embark upon hostile enterprise against the German troops | - | they have a right to my protection. | - | | - | GENERALS COMMANDING the various corps in the | - | various districts in England are ordered to place before the | - | public the stringent measures which I have ordered to be | - | adopted against towns, villages, and persons who act in | - | contradiction to the usages of war. They are to regulate | - | in the same manner all the operations necessary for the | - | well-being of our troops, to fix the difference between the | - | English and German rate of exchange, and to facilitate in | - | every manner possible the individual transactions between | - | our Army and the inhabitants of England. | - | | - | =WILHELM.= | - | | - | Given at POTSDAM, _September 4th, 1910_. | - +---------------------------------------------------------------+ - - The above is a copy of the German Imperial Decree, printed in - English, which was posted by unknown German agents in London, and - which appeared everywhere throughout East Anglia and in that - portion of the Midlands held by the enemy. - - -This was the appalling question on everyone’s tongue all over the -country, for it now became generally known that upon this line of -defence four complete and perfectly equipped German army corps were -ready to advance at any moment, in addition to the right flank being -exposed to the attack of the XIIth Saxon Corps, entrenched on the Essex -coast. - -It was estimated that no fewer than two hundred thousand Germans were -already upon English soil! - -The outlook grew blacker every hour. - -London was in a state of absolute stagnation and chaos. In the City, -business was now at an entire standstill. The credit system had received -a fatal blow, and nobody wanted to buy securities. Had people kept level -heads in the crisis there would have been a moratorium, but, as it was, -a panic had been created that nothing could allay. Even Consols were now -unsaleable. Some of the smaller banks were known to have failed, and -traders and manufacturers all over the country had been ruined on -account of credit, the foundation of all trade, having been swept away. -Only persons of the highest financial standing could have dealt with the -banks, even if they had remained open. - -The opinion held in banking circles was that if the invasion should -unfortunately prove disastrous to England, and Germany demand a huge -indemnity, there was still hope, however small. The experience of the -Franco-German War had proved that though in such circumstances the Bank, -for a considerable period, might not be able to resume cash payments, -yet, with sound finance, there was no reason that the currency should -greatly depreciate. During the period of suspension of cash payments by -the Bank of France the premium on gold never went above 1.5 per cent., -and during most of the period was 5, 4, or even less per mille. -Therefore what the French by sound banking had been able to do, there -was no reason why English bankers could not also do. - -At the outbreak of the war of 1870, on August 1 French Three per Cent. -Rentes were at 60.85, and Four and a Half per Cents. at 98. On the -memorable day of Sedan, September 2, they were at 50.80 and 88.50 -respectively, and on January 2, 1871, Three per Cents. were down to -50.95. At the commencement of the Commune, on March 18, they were at -51.50 and 76.25, and on the 30th of that month down to 50.60 and 76.25 -respectively. - -With so little money in England as there now was, securities had fallen -to the value at which holders would as soon not sell as sell at such a -great discount. High rates and the heavy fall in the value of securities -had brought business in every quarter all over London to a standstill. -Firms all over the country were now hard put to it in order to find the -necessary money to carry on their various trades. Instantly, after the -report of the reverse at Sheffield, there was a wild rush to obtain -gold, and securities dropped even a few more points. - -Therefore, there was little or nothing for the banks to do, and Lombard -Street, Lothbury, and the other banking centres were closed, as though -it had been Sunday or Bank Holiday. Despair was, alas! everywhere, and -the streets presented strange scenes. - -Most of the motor-omnibuses had been taken off the road and pressed into -the service of the military. The walls bore a dozen different broadsides -and proclamations, which were read by the gaping, hungry crowds. - -The Royal Standard was flying from St. Stephen’s Tower, for Parliament -had now met, and all members who were not abroad for their summer -vacation had taken their places at the heated debates now hourly in -progress. Over Buckingham Palace the Royal Standard also flew proudly, -while upon every public building was displayed a Union Jack or a white -ensign, many of which had done duty at the coronation of His Majesty -King Edward. The Admiralty flew its own flag, and upon the War Office, -the India Office, the Foreign Office, and all the dark, sombre -Government buildings in Whitehall was bunting displayed. - -The wild enthusiasm of Sunday and Monday, however, had given place to a -dark, hopeless apprehension. The great mobs now thronging all the -principal thoroughfares in London were already half-famished. Food was -daily rising in price, and the East End was already starving. Bands of -lawless men and women from the slums of Whitechapel were parading the -West End streets and squares, and were camping out in Hyde Park and St. -James’s Park. - -The days were stifling, for it was an unusually hot September following -upon a blazing August, and as each breathless evening the sun sank, it -shed its blood-red afterglow over the giant metropolis, grimly -precursory of the ruin so surely imminent. - -Supplies were still reaching London from the country, but there had been -immediate panic in the corn and provision markets, with the result that -prices had instantly jumped up beyond the means of the average Londoner. -The poorer ones were eagerly collecting the refuse in Covent Garden -Market and boiling it down to make soup in lieu of anything else, while -wise fathers of families went to the shops themselves and made meagre -purchases daily of just sufficient food to keep body and soul together. - -For the present there was no fear of London being absolutely starved, at -least the middle class and wealthier portion of it. At present it was -the poor--the toiling millions now unemployed--who were the first to -feel the pinch of hunger and its consequent despair. They filled the -main arteries of London--Holborn, Oxford Street, the Strand, Regent -Street, Piccadilly, the Haymarket, St. James’s Street, Park Lane, -Victoria Street, and Knightsbridge, overflowing northward into -Grosvenor, Berkeley, Portman, and Cavendish Squares, Portland Place, and -to the terraces around Regent’s Park. The centre of London became -congested. Day and night it was the same. There was no sleep. From -across the river and from the East End the famished poor came in their -bewildering thousands, the majority of them honest workers, indignant -that by the foolish policy of the Government they now found themselves -breadless. - -Before the Houses of Parliament, before the fine new War Office, and the -Admiralty, before Downing Street, and before the houses of known members -of the Government, constant demonstrations were being made, the hungry -crowds groaning at the authorities, and singing “God save the King.” -Though starving and in despair, they were nevertheless loyal, still -confident that by the personal effort of His Majesty some amicable -settlement would be arrived at. The French _entente cordiale_ was -remembered, and our Sovereign had long ago been declared to be the first -diplomat in Europe. Every Londoner believed in him, and loved him. - -Many houses of the wealthy, especially those of foreigners, had their -windows broken. In Park Lane, in Piccadilly, and in Grosvenor Square, -more particularly, the houses seemed to excite the ire of the crowds, -who, notwithstanding special constables having been sworn in, were now -quite beyond the control of the police. The German Ambassador had -presented his letters of recall on Sunday evening, and together with the -whole staff had been accorded a safe conduct to Dover, whence they had -left for the Continent. The Embassy in Carlton House Terrace, and also -the Consulate-General in Finsbury Square, had, however, suffered -severely at the hands of the angry crowd, notwithstanding that both -premises were under police protection. - -All the German waiters employed at the Cecil, the Savoy, the Carlton, -the Métropole, the Victoria, the Grand, and the other big London hotels, -had already fled for their lives out into the country, anywhere from the -vengeance of the London mob. Hundreds of them were trying to make their -way within the German lines in Essex and Suffolk, and it was believed -that many had succeeded--those, most probably, who had previously acted -as spies. Others, it was reported, had been set upon by the excited -populace, and more than one had lost his life. - -Pandemonium reigned in London. Every class and every person in every -walk of life was affected. German interests were being looked after by -the Russian Ambassador, and this very fact caused a serious -demonstration before Chesham House, the big mansion where lives the -representative of the Czar. Audacious spies had, in secret, in the night -actually posted copies of Von Kronhelm’s proclamation upon the Griffin -at Temple Bar, upon the Marble Arch, and upon the Mansion House. But -these had been quickly torn down, and if the hand that had placed them -there had been known, it would certainly have meant death to the one who -had thus insulted the citizens of London. - -Yet the truth was, alas! too plain. Spread out across Essex and Suffolk, -making leisurely preparations and laughing at our futile defence, lay -over one hundred thousand well-equipped, well-fed Germans, ready, when -their plans were completed, to advance upon and crush the complex city -which is the pride and home of every Englishman--London. - - * * * * * - -On Friday night an official communication from the War Office was issued -to the Press, showing the exact position of the invaders. It was roughly -this:-- - -“The IXth German Corps, which had effected a landing at Lowestoft, had, -after moving along the most easterly route, including the road through -Saxmundham and Ipswich, at length arrived at a position where their -infantry outposts had occupied the higher slopes of the rising ground -overlooking the river Stour, near Manningtree, which town, as well as -Ipswich, was held by them. - -“The left flank of this corps rested on the river Stour itself, so that -it was secure from any turning movement. Its front was opposed to and -directly threatened Colchester, while its outposts, to say nothing of -its independent cavalry, reached out in a northerly direction towards -Stowmarket, where they joined hands with the left flank of the Xth -Corps--those under Von Wilburg, who had landed at Yarmouth--whose -headquarters were now at Bury St. Edmund’s, their outposts being -disposed south, overlooking the valley of the upper reaches of the -Stour.” - -Nor was this all. From Newmarket there came information that the enemy -who had landed at Weybourne and Cromer--viz., the IVth Corps under Von -Kleppen--were now encamping on the racecourse and being billeted in the -town and villages about, including Exning, Ashley, Moulton, and -Kentford. Frölich’s cavalry brigade had penetrated South, covering the -advance, and had now scoured the country, sweeping away the futile -resistance of the British Yeomanry, and scattering cavalry squadrons -which they found opposed to them, all the time maintaining communication -with the Xth Corps on their left, and the flower of the German Army, the -Guards Corps, from King’s Lynn, on their right. Throughout the advance -from Holt, Von Dorndorf’s motorists had been of the greatest utility. -They had taken constantly companies of infantry hither and thither. At -any threatened point, so soon as the sound of firing was heard in any -cavalry skirmish or little engagement of outposts, the smart motor -infantry were on the spot with the promptness of a fire brigade -proceeding to a call. For this reason the field artillery, who were -largely armed with quick-firing guns, capable of pouring in a hail of -shrapnel on any exposed point, were enabled to push on much farther than -would have been otherwise possible. They were always adequately -supported by a sufficient escort of these up-to-date troops, who, -although infantry, moved with greater rapidity than cavalry itself, and -who, moreover, brought with them their Maxims, which dealt havoc far and -near. - -The magnificent troops of the Duke of Mannheim in their service -uniforms, who had landed at King’s Lynn, had come across the wide, level -roads, some by way of Downham Market, Littleport, and Ely, and arrived -at Cambridge. The 2nd Division, under Lieutenant-General von Kasten, -protecting the exposed flanks, had marched _viâ_ Wisbech, March, -Chatteris, and St. Ives, while the masses of the cavalry of the Guard, -including the famous White Cuirassiers, had been acting independently -around the flat fen country, Spalding and Peterborough, and away to -quaint old Huntingdon, striking terror into the inhabitants, and -effectively checking any possible offensive movement of the British that -might have been directed upon the great German Army during its ruthless -advance. - -Beyond this, worse remained. It was known that the VIIth Corps, under -Von Bristram, had landed at Goole, and that General Graf Haeseler had -landed at Hull, New Holland, and Grimsby. This revealed what the real -strategy of the Generalissimo had been. Their function seemed twofold. -First and foremost their presence, as a glance at the map will show, -effectually prevented any attack from the British troops gathered from -the north and elsewhere, and who were, as shown, concentrated near -Sheffield and Birmingham, until these two corps had themselves been -attacked and repulsed, which we were, alas! utterly unable to -accomplish. - -These were two fine German army corps, complete to the proverbial last -button, splendidly equipped, well fed, and led by officers who had had -lifelong training, and were perfectly well acquainted with every mile of -the country they occupied, by reason of years of careful study given to -maps of England. It was now entirely plain that the function of these -two corps was to paralyse our trade in Yorkshire and Lancashire, to -commit havoc in the big cities, to terrify the people, and to strike a -crushing blow at our industrial centres, leaving the siege of London to -the four other corps now so rapidly advancing upon the metropolis. - -Events meanwhile were marching quickly in the North. - -The town of Sheffield throughout Tuesday and Wednesday was the scene of -the greatest activity. Day and night the streets were filled with an -excited populace, and hour by hour the terror increased. - -Every train arriving from the North was crowded with Volunteers and -troops of the line from all stations in the Northern Command. The 1st -Battalion West Riding Regiment had joined the Yorkshire Light Infantry, -who were already stationed in Sheffield, as had also the 19th Hussars, -and from every regimental district and depot, including Scarborough, -Richmond, Carlisle, Seaforth, Beverley, Halifax, Lancaster, Preston, -Bolton, Warrington, Bury, Ashton-under-Lyne, came battalions of Militia -and Volunteers. From Carlisle came the Reservists of the Border -Regiment, from Richmond those of the Yorkshire Regiment, from Newcastle -came what was left of the Reservists of the Durham Light Infantry, and -the Northumberland Fusiliers, from Lancaster the Royal Lancashires, -while field artillery came from Seaforth and Preston, and small bodies -of Reservists of the Liverpool and the South Lancashire Regiments came -from Warrington. Contingents of the East and North Lancashire Regiments -arrived from Preston. The Militia, including battalions of the Liverpool -Regiment, the South Lancashire Regiment, the Lancashire Fusiliers, and -other regiments in the command, were hurried to the scene of action -outside Sheffield. From every big town in the whole of the North of -England and South of Scotland came straggling units of Volunteers. The -mounted troops were almost entirely Yeomanry, and included the Duke of -Lancaster’s Own Imperial Yeomanry, the East Riding of Yorks, the -Lancashire Hussars, Northumberland Yeomanry, Westmorland and Cumberland -Yeomanry, the Queen’s Own Yorkshire Dragoons, and the York Hussars. - -These troops, with their ambulances, their baggage, and all their -impedimenta, created the utmost confusion at both railway stations. The -great concourse of idlers cheered and cheered again, the utmost -enthusiasm being displayed when each battalion forming up was marched -away out of the town to the position chosen for the defence, which now -reached from Woodhouse on the south, overlooking and commanding the -whole valley of the river Rother, through Catcliffe, Brinsworth, and -Tinsley, previously alluded to, skirting Greasborough to the high ground -north of Wentworth, also commanding the river Don and all approaches to -it through Mexborough, and over the various bridges which spanned this -stream--a total of about eight miles. - -The south flank was thrown back another four miles to Norton, in an -endeavour to prevent the whole position being turned, should the Germans -elect to deliver their threatened blow from a more southerly point than -was anticipated. - -The total line then to be occupied by the defenders was about twelve -miles, and into this front was crowded the heterogeneous mass of troops -of all arms. The post of honour was at Catcliffe, the dominating key to -the whole position, which was occupied by the sturdy soldiers of the 1st -Battalion West Riding Regiment and the 2nd Battalion Yorkshire Light -Infantry, while commanding every bridge crossing the rivers which lay -between Sheffield and the invaders were concentrated the guns of the 7th -Brigade Royal Horse Artillery, and of the Field Artillery, the 2nd, the -30th, the 37th, and 38th Brigades, the latter having hurriedly arrived -from Bradford. - -All along the crests of these slopes which formed the defence of -Sheffield, rising steeply from the river at times up to five hundred -feet, were assembled the Volunteers, all now by daybreak on Thursday -morning busily engaged in throwing up shelter-trenches and making hasty -earthwork defences for the guns. The superintendence of this force had -merged itself into that of the Northern Command, which nominally had - -[Illustration: Battle of Sheffield] - -its headquarters in York, but which had now been transferred to -Sheffield itself, for the best of reasons--that it was of no value at -York, and was badly wanted farther south. General Sir George Woolmer, -who so distinguished himself in South Africa, had therefore shifted his -headquarters to the Town Hall in Sheffield, but as soon as he had begun -to get the line of defence completed, he, with his staff, moved on to -Handsworth, which was centrally situated. - -In the command were to be found roughly twenty-three battalions of -Militia and forty-eight of Volunteers; but owing to the supineness and -neglect of the Government the former regiments now found themselves, at -the moment when wanted, greatly denuded of officers, and, owing to any -lack of encouragement to enlist, largely depleted in men. As regards the -Volunteers, matters were even worse. During the past five years as much -cold water as possible had been thrown upon all voluntary and patriotic -military endeavour by the “antimilitant” Cabinets which had so long met -at No. 10 Downing Street. The Volunteers, as a body, were sick to death -of the slights and slurs cast upon their well-meaning efforts. Their -“paper” organisation, like many other things, remained intact, but for a -long time wholesale resignations of officers and men had been taking -place. Instead, therefore, of a muster of about twenty-five thousand -auxiliaries being available in this command, as the country would have -anticipated, if the official tabulated statements had been any guide, it -was found that only about fifteen thousand had responded to the call to -arms. And upon these heroic men, utterly insufficient in point of -numbers, Sheffield had to rely for its defence. - -It might reasonably have been anticipated that in the majority of -Volunteer regiments furnished by big manufacturing towns, a battalion -would have consisted of at least five hundred efficient soldiers; but -owing to the causes alluded to, in many cases it was found that from one -hundred to two hundred only could “pass the doctor,” after having -trained themselves to the use of arms. The catchword phrase, “Peace, -retrenchment, and reform,” so long dinned into the ears of the -electorate by the pro-German Party and by every socialistic demagogue, -had sunk deeply into the minds of the people. Patriotism had been jeered -at, and solemn warnings laughed to scorn, even when uttered by -responsible and far-seeing statesmen. Yet the day of awakening had -dawned--a rude awakening indeed! - -Away to the eastward of Sheffield--exactly where was yet unknown--sixty -thousand perfectly-equipped and thoroughly-trained German horse, foot -and artillery, were ready at any moment to advance westward into our -manufacturing districts! - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - -BRITISH SUCCESS AT ROYSTON - - -Arrests of alleged spies were reported from Manchester, Birmingham, -Liverpool, Sheffield, and other large towns. Most of the prisoners were, -however, able to prove themselves naturalised British subjects; but -several men in Manchester, Birmingham, and Sheffield were detained -pending investigation and examination of correspondence found at their -homes. In Manchester, where there are always a number of Germans, it is -known that many slipped away on Sunday night after the publication of -the news of the invasion. Several houses in Eccles and Patricroft, -outside Manchester, a house in Brown Street in the City itself, one in -Gough Street, Birmingham, and another in Sandon Place, Sheffield, were -all searched, and from the reports received by Scotland Yard it was -believed that certain important correspondence had been seized, -correspondence which had betrayed a widespread system of German -espionage in this country. Details were wanting, as the police -authorities withheld the truth, for fear, it was supposed, of increasing -the public alarm. At the house in Sheffield, where lived a young German -who had come to England ostensibly as pupil at one of the large -steelworks, an accumulation of newspaper cuttings was discovered, -together with a quantity of topographical information concerning the -country over which the enemy was now advancing from Goole. - -In most of the larger Midland towns notices had been issued by the -mayors deprecating hostility towards residents of foreign origin, and -stating that all suspicious cases were already receiving the attention -of the police. - -In Stafford the boot factories were idle, and thousands of despairing -men were lounging about in Greengate, Eastgate, and other thoroughfares. -In the Potteries all work was at a standstill. At Stoke-on-Trent, at -Hanley, at Burslem, Tunstall, and Congleton all was chaos. Minton’s, -Copeland’s, Doulton’s, and Brown Westhead’s were closed, and thousands -upon thousands were already wanting bread. The silk-thread industry at -Leek was ruined, so was the silk industry at Macclesfield; the great -breweries at Burton were idle, while the hosiery factories of Leicester -and the boot factories of Northampton were all shut. - -With the German troops threatening Sheffield, Nottingham was in a state -of intense alarm. The lace and hosiery factories had with one accord -closed on Tuesday, and the great Market Place was now filled day and -night by thousands upon thousands of unemployed mill-hands of both -sexes. On Friday, however, came the news of how Sheffield had built -barricades against the enemy, and there ensued a frantic attempt at -defence on the part of thousands of terrified and hungry men and women. -In their frenzy they sacked houses in order to obtain material to -construct the barricades, which were, however, built just where the -fancy took the crowd. One was constructed in Clumber Street, near the -Lion Hotel; another at Lister Gate; and a third, a much larger one, in -Radford Road. Near the Carrington Station, on the road to Arnold, a huge -structure soon rose, another at Basford, while the road in from Carlton -and the bridges leading in from West Bridgford and Wilford were also -effectually blocked. - -The white, interminable North Road, that runs so straight from London -through York and Berwick to Edinburgh, was, with its by-roads in the -Midlands, now being patrolled by British cavalry, and here and there -telegraphists around a telegraph post showed that those many wires at -the roadside were being used for military communication. - -At several points along the road between Wansford Bridge and Retford the -wires had been cut and tangled by the enemy’s agents, but by Friday all -had been restored again. In one spot, between Weston and -Sutton-on-Trent, eight miles south of Newark, a trench had actually been -dug during the night, the tube containing the subterranean telegraph -lines discovered, and the whole system to the North disorganised. -Similar damage had been done by German spies to the line between London -and Birmingham, two miles south of Shipston-on-Stour, and again the line -between Loughborough and Nottingham had been similarly destroyed. - -The Post Office linesmen had, however, quickly made good the damage -everywhere in the country not already occupied by the enemy, and -telegraph and telephone communication North and South was now -practically again in its normal state. - -Through Lincolnshire the enemy’s advance patrols had spread South over -every road between the Humber and the Wash, and in the city of Lincoln -itself a tremendous sensation was caused when on Wednesday, market-day, -several bodies of German motor-cyclists swept into the Stonebow and -dismounted at the Saracen’s Head amid the crowd of farmers and dealers -who had assembled there, not, alas! to do business, but to discuss the -situation. In a moment the city was panic-stricken. From mouth to mouth -the dread truth spread that the Germans were upon them, and people ran -indoors and barricaded themselves within their houses. - -A body of Uhlans came galloping proudly through the Stonebow a quarter -of an hour later, and halted in High Street, opposite Wyatt’s clothing -shop, as though awaiting orders. Then in rapid succession troops seemed -to arrive from all quarters, many halting in the Cathedral Close and by -Exchequer Gate, and others riding through the streets in order to -terrify the inhabitants. - -Von Kronhelm’s famous proclamation was posted by German soldiers upon -the police station, upon the Stonebow, and upon the door of the grand -old Cathedral itself, and before noon a German officer accompanied by -his staff called upon the Mayor and warned him that Lincoln was occupied -by the German troops, and that any armed resistance would be punished by -death, as the Generalissimo’s proclamation stated. An indemnity was -demanded, and then the powerless people saw upon the Cathedral and upon -several of the public buildings the German flag rise and float out upon -the summer wind. - -Boston was full of German infantry, and officers had taken up temporary -quarters in the Peacock and the other hotels in the market-place, while -upon the “stump” the enemy’s colours were flying. - -No news came from London. People in Norwich, Ipswich, Yarmouth, and -other places heard vaguely of the invasion in the North, and of fighting -in which the Germans were careful to report that they were always -successful. They saw the magnificently equipped army of the Kaiser, and, -comparing it with our mere apology for military force, regarded the -issue as hopeless from the very first. In every town the German colours -were displayed, and all kinds of placards in German and in English made -their appearance. - - The _Daily Mail_, on September 10, published the following despatch - from one of its war correspondents, Mr. Henry Mackenzie:-- - -“ROYSTON, _September 9_. - -“Victory at last. A victory due not only to the bravery and exertion of -our troops, regular and auxiliary, but also to the genius of -Field-Marshal Lord Byfield, our Commander-in-Chief, ably seconded by the -energy and resource with which Sir William Packington, in command of -the IVth Army Corps at Baldock, carried out that part of the programme -entrusted to him. - -“But though in this success we may hope that we are seeing the first -glimmerings of dawn,--of deliverance from the nightmare of German -invasion that is now oppressing our dear old England,--we must not be -led into foolishly sanguine hopes. The snake has been scotched, and -pretty badly into the bargain, but he is far from being killed. The -German IVth Army Corps under the famous General Von Kleppen, their -magnificent Garde Corps commanded by the Duke of Mannheim, and Frölich’s -fine Cavalry Division, have been repulsed in their attack on our -positions near Royston and Saffron Walden, and driven back with great -loss and confusion. But we are too weak to follow up our victory as it -should be followed up. - -“The menace of the IXth and Xth Corps on our right flank ties us to our -selected position, and the bulk of our forces being composed of -indifferently trained Volunteers and Militia, is much more formidable -behind entrenchments than when attempting to manœuvre in a difficult -and intricate country such as it is about here. But, on the other hand, -we have given pause to the invaders, and have certainly gained a few -days’ time, which will be invaluable to us. - -“We shall be able to get on with the line of fortifications that are -being constructed to bar the approaches to London, and behind which it -will be necessary for us to make our final stand. I do not conceive that -it is possible for such an agglomeration of amateur troops as ours are -in the main, to defeat in the open field such formidable and -well-trained forces as the Germans have succeeded in throwing into this -country. But when our Navy has regained command of the sea we hope that -we may, before very long, place our unwelcome visitors ‘between the -devil and the deep sea’--the part of the devil being played by our brave -troops finally concentrated behind the strong defences of the -metropolis. In short, that the Germans may run out of ammunition and -provisions. For if communication with the Fatherland is effectively cut, -they must starve, unless they have previously compelled our submission, -for it is impossible for an army of the size that has invaded us to live -on the country. - -“No doubt hundreds, nay thousands, of our non-militant countrymen--and, -alas! women and children--will starve before the German troops are -conquered by famine, that most terrible of enemies; but this issue seems -to be the only possible one that will save the country. - -“But enough of these considerations of the future. It is time that I -should relate what I can of the glorious victory which our gallant -defenders have torn from the enemy. I do not think that I am giving any -information away if I state that the British position lay mainly between -Saffron Walden and Royston, the headquarters respectively of the IInd -and IIIrd Army Corps. The IVth Corps was at Baldock, thrown back to -cover the left flank, and protect our communications by the Great -Northern Railway. A detached force, from what command supplied it is not -necessary or advisable to say, was strongly entrenched on the high -ground north-west of Helions Bumpstead, serving to strengthen our right. -Our main line of defence--very thinly held in some parts--began a little -to the south-east of Saffron Walden, and ran westwards along a range of -high ground through Elmdon and Chrishall to Heydon. Here it turned south -through Great Chrishall to Little Chrishall, where it again turned west, -and occupied the high range south of Royston, on which stands the -village of Therfield. - -“The night before the battle we knew that the greater portion of the -German IVth and Garde Corps were concentrated, the former at Newmarket, -the 1st Division of the latter at Cambridge, the 2nd on this side of St. -Ives, while Frölich’s Cavalry Division had been in constant contact with -our outposts the greater part of the day previous. The Garde Cavalry -Brigade was reported - -[Illustration: Positions of Opposing Forces Sept. 8th] - -to be well away to the westward towards Kettering, as we suppose, on -account of the reports which have been going about of a concentration of -Yeomanry and Militia in the hilly country near Northampton. Our -Intelligence Department, which appears to have been very well served by -its spies, obtained early knowledge of the intention of the Germans to -make an attack on our position. In fact, they talked openly of it, and -stated at Cambridge and Newmarket that they would not manœuvre at -all, and only hoped that we should hold on long enough to our position -to enable them to smash up our IInd and IIIrd Corps by a frontal attack, -and so clear the road to London. The main roads lent themselves -admirably to such strategy, which rendered the reports of their -intentions the more probable, for they all converged on our position -from their main points of concentration. - -“The letter ‘W’ will exactly serve to show the positions of the -contending forces. St. Ives is at the top of the first stroke, Cambridge -at the junction of the two shorter centre ones, Newmarket at the top of -the last stroke, while the British positions at Royston and Saffron -Walden are at the junctions of all four strokes at the bottom of the -letter. The strokes also represent the roads, except that from Cambridge -three good roads lead towards each of the British positions. The -prisoners taken from the Germans in the various preliminary skirmishes -also made no bones of boasting that a direct attack was imminent, and -our Commander-in-Chief eventually, and rightly as it proved, determined -to take the risk of all this information having been specially -promulgated by the German Staff to cover totally different intentions, -as was indeed quite probable, and to accept it as true. Having made up -his mind, he lost no time in taking action. He ordered the IVth Corps -under Sir William Packington to move on Potton, twelve miles to the -north-west, as soon as it was dark. As many cavalry and mounted infantry -as could possibly be spared from Royston were placed at his disposal. - -“It ought to be stated that while the auxiliary troops had been busily -employed ever since their arrival in entrenching the British position, -the greater part of the regular troops had been occupying an advanced -line two or three miles to the northward on the lower spurs of the -hills, and every possible indication of a determination to hold this as -long as possible was afforded to the German reconnoitrers. During the -night these troops fell back to the position which had been prepared, -the outposts following just before daylight. About 6 a.m. the enemy were -reported to be advancing in force along the Icknield Way from Newmarket, -and also by the roads running on either bank of the river Cam. Twenty -minutes later considerable bodies of German troops were reported at -Fowlmere and Melbourn on the two parallel Royston-Cambridge roads. They -must have followed very close on the heels of our retiring outposts. It -was a very misty morning,--down in the low ground over which the enemy -were advancing especially so,--but about seven a gust of wind from the -westward dispelled the white fog-wreaths that hung about our left front -and enabled our look-outs to get a glimpse along the famous Ermine -Street, which runs straight as an arrow from Royston for twenty or -thirty miles to the N.N.W. - -“Along this ancient Roman way, far as the eye could reach, poured a -steady stream of marching men, horse, foot, and artillery. The wind -dropped, the mists gathered again, and once more enveloped the invaders -in an impenetrable screen. But by this time the whole British line was -on the _qui vive_. Regulars, Militia, and Volunteers were marching down -to their chin-deep trenches, while those who were already there busied -themselves in improving their loopholes and strengthening their head -cover. Behind the ridges of the hills the gunners stood grouped about -their ‘Long Toms’ and heavy howitzers, while the field batteries waited, -ready horsed, for orders to gallop under cover of the ridge to whichever -set of emplacements should first require to be manned and armed. We had -not enough to distribute before the movements of the enemy should, to a -certain extent, show his hand. - -“About seven o’clock a series of crackling reports from the outskirts of -Royston announced that the detachment of Mounted Infantry, who now alone -held it, was exchanging shots with the advancing enemy, and in a few -minutes, as the morning mistiness cleared off, the General and his -staff, who were established at the northern edge of the village of -Therfield, three or four hundred feet higher up than the German -skirmishers, were able to see the opening of the battle spread like a -panorama before them. A thick firing line of drab-costumed Germans -extended right across from Holland Hall to the Coach and Horses on the -Fowlmere Road. On their left moved two or three compact masses of -cavalry, while the infantry reserves were easily apparent in front of -the village of Melbourn. Our Mounted Infantry in the village were -indistinguishable, but away on the spur to the north-east of Royston a -couple of batteries of Horse Artillery were unlimbered and were pushing -their guns up to the brow of the hill by hand. In two minutes they were -in action, and hard at work. - -“Through the glasses the shrapnel could be seen bursting, half a dozen -together, in front of the advancing Germans, who began to fall fast. But -almost at once came an overwhelming reply from somewhere out of sight -behind Melbourn. The whole hilltop around our guns was like a spouting -volcano. Evidently big high-explosive shells were being fired from the -German field-howitzers. In accordance with previous orders, our -horse-gunners at once ran down their guns, limbered up, and started to -gallop back towards our main position. Simultaneously a mass of German -cavalry deployed into attack formation near the Coach and Horses, and -swept down in their direction with the evident intention of cutting off -and capturing them. But they reckoned without their escort of Mounted -Infantry, who had been lying low behind the long, narrow line of copse -north of Lowerfield Farm. Safely ensconced behind this--to -cavalry--impassable barrier, the company, all good shots, opened a -terrible magazine fire on the charging squadrons as they passed at close -range. A Maxim they had with them also swept horses and men away in -swathes. The charge was checked, and the guns saved, but we had not -finished with the German reiters. Away to the north-east a battery of -our 4.7 guns opened on the disorganised cavalry, firing at a range of -four thousand yards. Their big shells turned the momentary check into a -rout, both the attacking cavalry and their supports galloping towards -Fowlmere to get out of range. We had scored the first trick! - -“The attacking lines of German Infantry still pressed on, however, and -after a final discharge the Mounted Infantry in Royston sprang on their -horses and galloped back over Whitely Hill, leaving the town to be -occupied by the enemy. To the eastward the thunder of heavy cannon, -gradually growing in intensity, proclaimed that the IInd Corps was -heavily attacked. Covered by a long strip of plantation, the German IVth -Corps contrived to mass an enormous number of guns on a hill about two -miles north of the village of Elmdon, and a terrific artillery duel -began between them and our artillery entrenched along the Elmdon-Heydon -ridge. Under cover of this the enemy began to work his infantry up -towards Elmdon, obtaining a certain amount of shelter from the spurs -which ran out towards the north-east of our line. Other German troops -with guns put in an appearance on the high ground to the north-east of -Saffron Walden, near Chesterton Park. - -“To describe the fortunes of this fiercely-contested battle, which -spread along a front of nearly twenty miles, counting from the detached -garrison of the hill at Helions Bumpstead--which, by the way, succeeded -in holding its ground all day, despite two or three most determined -assaults by the enemy--to Kelshall on the left of the British position, -would be an impossibility in the space at my disposal. The whole morning -it raged all along the northern slopes of the upland held by our gallant -troops. The fiercest fighting was, perhaps, in the neighbourhood of -Elmdon, where our trenches were more than once captured by the Magdeburg -battalions, only to be themselves hurled out again by the rush of the -1st Coldstream Guards, who had been held in reserve near the threatened -point. By noon the magnificent old palace at Audley End was in flames. -Art treasures which were of inestimable value and absolutely -unreplaceable perished in this shocking conflagration. Desperate -fighting was going on in the streets of the little town of Saffron -Walden, where a mingled mass of Volunteers and Militia strove hard to -arrest the advance of a portion of the German Army which was -endeavouring to work round the right of our position. - -[Illustration: Battle of Royston] - -“On our left the Foot Guards and Fusiliers of the 1st German Guard -Division, after receiving a terrible pounding from our guns when they -poured into Royston at the heels of our Mounted Infantry, had fought -their way up the heights to within fifteen hundred yards of our trenches -on the upper slopes of the ridge. Farther than that they had been unable -to advance. Their close formations offered an excellent target to the -rifles of the Volunteers and Militia lining our entrenchments. The -attackers had lost men in thousands, and were now endeavouring to dig -themselves in as best they could under the hail of projectiles that -continually swept the hillside. About noon, too, the 2nd Division of the -Garde Corps, after some skirmishing with the Mounted Infantry away on -our left front, got into attack formation along the line of the Hitchin -and Cambridge Railway, and after pouring a deluge of projectiles from -field guns and howitzers upon our position, advanced upon Therfield with -the greatest bravery and determination. They had succeeded by 2 p.m. in -driving our men from the end of the spur running northward near -Therfield Heath, and managed to get a number of their howitzers up -there, and at once opened fire from the cover afforded by several copses -out of which our men had been driven. - -“In short, things were beginning to look very bad for old England, and -the watchers on the Therfield heights turned their glasses anxiously -northward in search of General Sir William Packington’s force from -Potton. They had not long to wait. At 2.15 the winking flash of a -heliograph away near Wendy Place, about eight miles up Ermine Street, -announced that the advance guard, consisting of the 1st Royal Welsh -Fusiliers, was already at Bassingbourn, and that the main body was close -behind, having escaped detection by all the enemy’s patrols and flank -guards. They were now directly in the rear of the right of the German -reserves, who had been pushed forward into the neighbourhood of Royston -to support the attack of their main body on the British position. A few -minutes later it was evident that the enemy had also become aware of -their advent. Two or three regiments hurriedly issued from Royston and -deployed to the north-west. But the guns of the Baldock Corps turned -such a ‘rafale’ fire upon them that they hesitated and were lost. - -“Every long-range gun in the British entrenchments that would bear was -also turned upon them, leaving the infantry and field guns to deal with -the troops assaulting their position. The three battalions, as well as -a fourth that was sent to their assistance, were simply swept out of -existence by this terrible cross-fire. Their remnants streamed away, a -disorganised crowd of scattered stragglers, towards Melbourn; while, -still holding on to Bassingbourn, the Baldock force moved down on -Royston, driving everything before it. - -“The most advanced German troops made a final effort to capture our -position when they saw what was going on behind them, but it was -half-hearted; they were brought to a standstill, and our men, fixing -bayonets, sprang from their trenches and charged down upon them with -cheers, which were taken up all along the line for miles. The Germans -here and there made a partial stand, but in half an hour they were down -on the low ground, falling back towards the north-east in the greatest -confusion, losing men in thousands from the converging fire of our guns. -Their cavalry made a gallant attempt to save the day by charging our -troops to the north of Royston. It was a magnificent sight to see their -enormous masses sweeping over the ground with an impetus which looked -capable of carrying everything before it, but our men, clustering behind -the hedges of Ermine Street, mowed them down squadrons at a time. Not -one of them reached the roadway. The magnificent Garde Corps was routed. - -“The combined IIIrd and IVth Corps now advanced on the exposed right -flank of the German IVth Corps, which, fighting gallantly, fell back, -doing its best to cover the retreat of its comrades, who, on their part, -very much hampered its movements. By nightfall there was no unwounded -German south of Whittlesford, except as a prisoner. By this time, too, -we were falling back on our original position.” - - - - -CHAPTER XV - -BRITISH ABANDON COLCHESTER - - -On Tuesday, 10th September, the _Tribune_ published the following -telegram from its war correspondent, Mr. Edgar Hamilton:-- - -“CHELMSFORD, _Monday, September 9_. - -“I sit down, after a sleepless night, to indite the account of our -latest move. We hear that Sheffield has fallen, and our troops are in -flight. As, by the time this appears in print, the enemy will of -necessity be aware of our abandonment of Colchester, the censor will -not, I imagine, prevent the despatch of my letter. - -“For our move has been one of a retrograde nature, and I do not doubt -that the cavalry of the German IXth Corps are close behind us and in -touch with our own. But I must not, in using the word ‘retrograde,’ be -supposed to criticise in any way the strategy of our generals. For -everyone here is, I am sure, fully persuaded of the wisdom of the step. -Colchester, with its plucky little garrison, was altogether too much ‘in -the air,’ and stood a great risk of being isolated by a converging -advance of the IXth and Xth Corps of the German invaders, to say nothing -of the XIIth (Saxon) Corps at Maldon, which since the unfortunate battle -of Purleigh has shown itself very active to the north and east. - -“The Saxons have refrained from attacking our Vth Corps since its -repulse, and it has been left almost in peace to entrench its position -from Danbury to the southward; but, on the other hand, while not -neglecting to further strengthen their already formidable defences -between the Blackwater and the Crouch, their cavalry have scoured the -country up to the very gates of Colchester. Yesterday morning the 16th -Lancers and the 17th Hussars--who had fallen back from Norwich--together -with some of the local Yeomanry, moved out by the Tolleshunt d’Arcy and -Great Totham roads, and drove in their patrols with some loss. At -Tiptree Heath there was a sharp cavalry engagement between our red -Lancers and several squadrons of a sky-blue hussar regiment. Our people -routed them, but in the pursuit that followed would have fared badly, as -they fell in with the four remaining squadrons supported by another -complete regiment, had it not been for the opportune arrival of the -Household Cavalry Brigade, which had moved north-east from Danbury to -co-operate. This completely changed the aspect of affairs. The Germans -were soundly beaten, with the loss of a large number of prisoners, and -galloped back to Maldon in confusion. In the meantime the 2nd King’s Own -Royal Lancaster Regiment and the 5th Battery R.F. Artillery had been -sent down to Witham by train, whence they marched up to the high ground -near Wickham Bishops. They and the Yeomanry were left there in a -position to cover the main London road and the Great Eastern Railway, -and at the same time threaten any movement of the enemy by the Great -Totham road. When the news of our success reached Colchester soon after -midday, we were all very jubilant. In fact, I fear that a great many -people spent the afternoon in a species of fool’s paradise. And when -towards the evening the announcement of our splendid victory at Royston -was posted up on the red walls of the fine town hall, and outside the -Cups, there was an incipient outbreak of that un-English excitement -known as ‘Mafficking.’ Gangs of youths paraded the High Street, Head -Street, and the principal thoroughfares, shouting, yelling, and -hustling passers-by, and even respectable members of society seemed -bitten by the desire to throw up their hats and make idiots of -themselves. - -“The hotels, the Lamb, the Red Lion, and other places, did a roaring -trade, and altogether the town was more or less demoralised. But all -this exultation was fated to be but short-lived, even though the Mayor -appeared on the balcony of the town hall and addressed the crowd, while -the latest news was posted outside the offices of the _Essex Telegraph_, -opposite the post-office. The wind was in the north, and about 5.45 in -the afternoon the sound of a heavy explosion was heard from the -direction of Manningtree. I was in the Cups Hotel at the time arranging -for an early dinner, and ran out into the street. As I emerged from the -archway of the hotel I distinctly heard a second detonation from the -same direction. A sudden silence, ominous and unnatural, seemed to fall -on the yelping jingoes in the street, in the midst of which the rumble -of yet another explosion rolled down on the wind, this time from a more -westerly direction. Men asked their neighbours breathlessly as to what -all this portended. I myself knew no more than the most ignorant of the -crowd, till in an officer who rushed hastily by me in Head Street, on -his way into the hotel, I recognised my friend Captain Burton, of the -Artillery. - -“I buttonholed him at once. - -“‘Do I know what those explosions were?’ repeated he in answer to my -inquiry. ‘Well, I don’t _know_, but I’m open to bet you five to one that -it’s the sappers blowing up the bridges over the Stour at Manningtree -and Stratford St. Mary.’ - -“‘Then the Germans will have arrived there?’ I queried. - -“‘Most probably. And look here,’ he continued, taking me aside by the -arm, and lowering his voice, ‘you take my tip. We shall be out of this -to-night. So you’d best pack up your traps and get into marching -order.’ - -“‘Do you know this?’ said I. - -“‘Not officially, or I shouldn’t tell you anything about it. But I can -put two and two together. We all knew that the General wouldn’t be fool -enough to try and defend an open town of this size with such a small -garrison against a whole army corps, or perhaps more. It would serve no -good purpose, and expose the place to destruction and bring all sorts of -disaster on the civil population. You could have seen that for yourself, -for no attempt whatever has been made to erect defences of any kind, -neither have we received any reinforcements at all. If they had meant to -defend it they would certainly have contrived to send us some Volunteers -and guns at any rate. No, the few troops we have here have done their -best in assisting the Danbury Force against the Saxons, and are much too -valuable to be left here to be cut off without being able to do much to -check the advance of the enemy. If we had been going to try anything of -that kind, we should have now been holding the line of the river Stour; -but I know we have only small detachments at the various bridges, -sufficient only to drive off the enemy’s cavalry patrols. By now, having -blown up the bridges, I expect they are falling back as fast as they can -get. Besides, look here,’ he added, ‘what do you think that battalion -was sent to Wickham Bishops for this morning?’ - -“I told him my theories as set forth above. - -“‘Oh yes, that’s all right,’ he answered. ‘But you may bet your boots -that there’s more in it than that. In my opinion, the General has had -orders to clear out as soon as the enemy are preparing to cross the -Stour, and the Lancasters are planted there to protect our left flank -from an attack from Maldon while we are retreating on Chelmsford.’ - -“‘But we might fall back on Braintree?’ I hazarded. - -“‘Don’t you believe it. We’re not wanted there--at least, I mean, not so -much as elsewhere. Where we shall come in is to help to fill the gap -between Braintree and Danbury. I think, myself, we might just as well -have done it before. We have been sending back stores by rail for the -last two days. Well, goodbye,’ he said, holding out his hand. ‘Keep all -this to yourself, and mark my words, we’ll be off at dusk.’ - -“Away he went, and convinced that his prognostications were correct--as, -indeed, in the main they proved--I hastened to eat my dinner, pay my -bill, and get my portmanteau packed and stowed away in my motor. As soon -as the evening began to close in I started and made for the barracks, -going easy. The streets were still full of people, but they were very -quiet, and mostly talking together in scattered groups. A shadow seemed -to have fallen on the jubilant crowd of the afternoon, though, as far as -I could ascertain, there were no definite rumours of the departure of -the troops and the close advent of the enemy. Turning out of the main -street, I had a very narrow escape of running over a drunken man. -Indeed, I regret to say that there were a good many intoxicated people -about, who had celebrated the day’s victory ‘not wisely but too well.’ - -“When I arrived at the barracks, I saw at once that there was something -in the wind, for there was a great coming and going of orderlies; all -the men I could see were in marching order, and the Volunteers, who had -been encamped on the drill-ground since the outbreak of hostilities, -were falling in, surrounded by an agitated crowd of their relations and -friends. I pulled up alongside the barrack railings, and determined to -watch the progress of events. I had not long to wait. In about ten -minutes a bugle sounded, and the scattered assemblage of men on the -barrack-square closed together and solidified into a series of quarter -columns. At the same time, the Volunteer battalion moved across from the -other side of the road and joined the Regular troops. I heard a sharp -clatter and jingling behind me, and looking round, saw the General and -his staff with a squad of cavalry canter up the road. They turned into -the barrack gate, greeted by a sharp word of command and the rattle of -arms from the assembled battalions. As far as I could make out, the -General made them some kind of address, after which I heard another word -of command, upon which the regiment nearest to the gate formed fours and -marched out. - -“It was the 2nd Dorsetshire. I watched anxiously to see which way they -turned. As I more than expected, they turned in the direction of the -London road. My friend had been right so far, but till the troops -arrived at Mark’s Tey, where the road forked, I could not be certain -whether they were going towards Braintree or Chelmsford. The Volunteers -followed; then the Leicestershires, then a long train of artillery, -field batteries, big 4.7 guns, and howitzers. The King’s Own Scottish -Borderers formed the rearguard. With them marched the General and his -staff. I saw no cavalry. I discovered afterwards that the General, -foreseeing that a retirement was imminent, had ordered the 16th Lancers -and the 7th Hussars, after their successful morning performance, to -remain till further orders at Kelvedon and Tiptree respectively, so that -their horses were resting during the afternoon. - -“During the night march the former came back and formed a screen behind -the retiring column, while the latter were in a position to observe and -check any movement northwards that might be made by the Saxons, at the -same time protecting its flank and rear from a possible advance by the -cavalry of Von Kronhelm’s Army, should they succeed in crossing the -river Stour soon enough to be able to press after us in pursuit by -either of the two eastern roads leading from Colchester to Maldon. After -the last of the departing soldiers had tramped away into the gathering -darkness through the mud, which after yesterday’s downpour still lay -thick upon the roads, I bethought me that I might as well run down to -the railway station to see if anything was going on there. I was just in -time. - -“The electric lights disclosed a bustling scene as the last of the -ammunition and a certain proportion of stores were being hurried into a -long train that stood with steam up ready to be off. The police allowed -none of the general public to enter the station, but my correspondent’s -pass obtained me admission to the departure platform. There I saw -several detachments of the Royal Engineers, the Mounted Infantry--minus -their horses, which had been already sent on--and some of the -Leicestershire Regiment. Many of the men had their arms, legs, or heads -bandaged, and bore evident traces of having been in action. I got into -conversation with a colour-sergeant of the Engineers, and learned these -were the detachments who had been stationed at the bridges over the -Stour. It appears that there was some sharp skirmishing with the German -advanced troops before the officers in command had decided that they -were in sufficient force to justify them in blowing up the bridges. In -fact, at the one at which my informant was stationed, and that the most -important one of all, over which the main road from Ipswich passed at -Stratford St. Mary, the officer in charge delayed just too long, so that -a party of the enemy’s cavalry actually secured the bridge, and -succeeded in cutting the wires leading to the charges which had been -placed in readiness to blow it up. Luckily, the various detachments -present rose like one man to the occasion, and despite a heavy fire, -hurled themselves upon the intruders with the bayonet with such -determination and impetus that the bridge was swept clear in a moment. -The wires were reconnected, and the bridge cleared of our men just as -the Germans, reinforced by several of their supporting squadrons, who -had come up at a gallop, dashed upon it in pursuit. The firing key was -pressed at this critical moment, and, with a stunning report, a whole -troop was blown into the air, the remaining horses, mad with fright, -stampeding despite all that their riders could do. The road was cut, and -the German advance temporarily checked, while the British detachment -made off as fast as it could for Colchester. - - +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ - | [Illustration] | - | | - | =NOTICE.= | - | | - | =CONCERNING WOUNDED BRITISH SOLDIERS.= | - | | - | | - | In compliance with an order of the Commander-in-Chief of the | - |German Imperial Army, the Governor-General of East Anglia decrees | - |as follows:-- | - | | - | (1) Every inhabitant of the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, | - |Cambridge, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, Nottingham, Derby, Leicester, | - |Northampton, Rutland, Huntingdon, and Hertford, who gives asylum | - |to or lodges one or more ill or wounded British soldier, is obliged to | - |make a declaration to the mayor of the town or to the local police | - |within 24 hours, stating name, grade, place of birth, and nature of | - |illness or injury. | - | | - | Every change of domicile of the wounded is also to be notified | - |within 24 hours. | - | | - | In absence of masters, servants are ordered to make the necessary | - |declarations. | - | | - | The same order applies to the directors of hospitals, surgeries, or | - |ambulance stations, who receive the British wounded within our | - |jurisdiction. | - | | - | (2) All mayors are ordered to prepare lists of the British wounded, | - |showing the number, with their names, grade, and place of birth in | - |each district. | - | | - | (3) The mayor, or the superintendent of police, must send on the | - |1st and 15th of each month a copy of his lists to the headquarters of | - |the Commander-in-Chief. The first list must be sent on the 15th | - |September. | - | | - | (4) Any person failing to comply with this order will, in addition to| - |being placed under arrest for harbouring British troops, be fined a sum | - |not exceeding £20. | - | | - | (5) This decree is to be published in all towns and villages in the | - |Province of East Anglia. | - | | - | =Count VON SCHONBURG-WALDENBURG,= | - | =Lieutenant-General,= | - | =Governor of German East Anglia.= | - | | - | IPSWICH, _September 6, 1910_. | - +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ - - COPY OF ONE OF THE ENEMY’S PROCLAMATIONS. - -“I asked the sergeant how long he thought it would be before the Germans -succeeded in crossing it. ‘Bless you, sir, I expect they’re over by -now,’ he answered. ‘They would be sure to have their bridging companies -somewhere close up, and it would not take them more than an hour or two -to throw a bridge over that place.’ The bridges at Boxted Mill and -Nayland had been destroyed previously. - -“The railway bridge and the other one at Manningtree were blown up -before the Germans could get a footing, and their defenders had come in -by rail. But my conversation was cut short, the whistle sounded, the men -were hustled on board the train, and it moved slowly out of the station. -As for me, I hurried out to my car. As I came out I noticed that it had -begun to rain. However, I was fully equipped for it, and, except for the -chance of skidding and the splashing of the flying mud, did not mind it. -But I could not help thinking of the poor soldiers trudging along on -their night march over the weary miles that lay before them. I -determined to follow in their steps, and putting on speed, was soon -clear of the town, and spinning along for Mark’s Tey. It is about five -miles, and shortly before I got there I overtook the marching column. -The men were halted, and in the act of putting on their greatcoats. I -was stopped here by the rearguard, who took charge of me, and would not -let me proceed until permission was obtained from the General. - -“Eventually this officer ordered me to be brought to him. I presented my -pass; but he said, ‘I am afraid that I shall have to ask you either to -turn back, or to slow down and keep pace with us. In fact, you had -better do the latter. I might, indeed, have to exercise my powers and -impress your motor, should the exigencies of the Service require it.’ I -saw that it was best to make a virtue of necessity, and replied that it -was very much at his service, and that I was very well content to -accompany the column. In point of fact, the latter was strictly true, -for I wanted to see what was to be seen, and there were no points about -going along with no definite idea of where I wanted to get to, with a -possible chance of falling into the hands of the Saxons into the -bargain. So a Staff officer, who was suffering from a slight wound, was -placed alongside me, and the column, having muffled itself in its -greatcoats, once more began to plug along through the thickening mire. -My position was just in front of the guns, which kept up a monotonous -rumble behind me. My companion was talkative, and afforded me a good -deal of incidental and welcome information. Thus, just after we started, -and were turning to the left at Mark’s Tey, a bright glare followed by a -loudish report came from the right of the road. ‘What’s that?’ I -naturally ejaculated. ‘Oh, that will be the sappers destroying the -junction with the Sudbury line,’ he replied. ‘There’s the train waiting -for them just beyond.’ - -“So it was. The train that I had seen leaving had evidently stopped -after passing the junction, while the line was broken behind it. ‘They -will do the same after passing the cross line at Witham,’ volunteered -he. - -“A mile or two farther on we passed between two lines of horsemen, their -faces set northwards, and muffled to the eyes in their long cloaks, -‘That’s some of the 16th,’ he said, ‘going to cover our rear.’ - -“So we moved on all night through the darkness and rain. The slow, -endless progress of the long column of men and horses seemed like a -nightmare. We passed through the long street of Kelvedon, scaring the -inhabitants, who rushed to their windows to see what was happening, and -with the first glimmer of dawn halted at Witham. We had about nine miles -still to go to reach Chelmsford, which I learned was our immediate -destination, and it was decided to rest here for an hour, while the men -made the best breakfast they could from the contents of their -haversacks. But the villagers brought out hot tea and coffee, and did -the best they could for us, so we did not fare so badly after all. As -for me, I got permission to go on, taking with me my friend the Staff -officer, who had despatches to forward from Chelmsford. I pushed on at -full speed. We were there in a very short space of time, and during the -morning I learned that the Braintree Army was falling back on Dunmow, -and that the Colchester garrison was to assist in holding the line of -the river Chelmer.” - - Another despatch from Mr. Edgar Hamilton, of the _Tribune_, was - published in that journal on Friday, the 14th September:-- - - -“BRENTWOOD, _Thursday, September 13, 1910_. - - “The events of the last three days have been so tremendous, so - involved, and so disastrous to us as a nation, that I hardly know - how to deal with them. It is no news now that we have again been - beaten, and beaten badly. The whole right of our line of defence - has been driven back in disorder, and we are now practically at the - ‘last ditch.’ The remnants of that fine force which has, up to now, - not only been able to hold the Saxon Army in check, but even to be - within an ace of beating it at the memorable battle of Purleigh, - less than a week ago, is now occupying the entrenchments which have - been under construction ever since the landing of the Germans, and - which form a section of the works that have been planned for the - defence of the metropolis. - - “Here, too, are portions of the Braintree Army Corps and some of - the troops lately constituting the garrison of Colchester, whom I - accompanied on their night march out of that city when it had been - decided to abandon it. We have only the vaguest rumours as to what - has happened to the other portion of the 1st Army Corps that was - occupying Dunmow and the upper part of the river Chelmer. We can - only hope that these troops, or at any rate a considerable portion - of them, have been able to gain the shelter of the defensive - enceinte to the north-westward. It is to be feared this reverse - will necessitate the retreat of the Second, Third, and Fourth - Armies from Saffron Walden, Royston, and Baldock, that position - which they so gallantly defended against the flower of the German - Army, emerging victorious from the glorious battle of Royston. For - to stay where they are, in the face of the combined forward - movement of the IXth, Xth, and XIIth Corps of the invaders, and the - rumoured resumption of the offensive by the two corps defeated - before Royston, would be to court being outflanked and cut off from - the rest of our forces at a time when every single soldier is - urgently required to man the northern portion of the defences of - London. - - “But to return to the relation of our latest and most disastrous - defeat, which I must preface by saying that my readers must not be - deceived by the words ‘Army Corps’ as applied to the various - assemblages of our troops. As a matter of fact, ‘Divisions,’ or - even ‘Brigades,’ would be nearer the mark. The ‘Army Corps’ at - Braintree had only four, or perhaps later six, regular infantry - regiments, with a very small force of cavalry and not too many - guns. Compare that with the Xth German Army Corps under General von - Wilberg, which was more immediately opposed to it. This formidable - fighting unit may be taken as a representative one, observing that - the Garde Corps is yet stronger. Von Wilberg’s Corps is a - Hanoverian one, and comprises no less than twenty-three battalions - of infantry, four regiments of cavalry, twenty-five batteries of - artillery, a train battalion, and a pioneer battalion. What chance - has a so-called army corps of half a dozen regular infantry - battalions, perhaps a dozen Volunteer and Militia Corps, a scratch - lot of cavalry, and half the number of guns, against such a - powerful, well-organised, and well-trained force as this? - - “In the recent fighting about Chelmsford we have had at the outside - thirty regular battalions to oppose the onslaught of three complete - German Army Corps such as that described above. We have had a - number of auxiliary troops in addition, as well as a preponderance - in heavy long-ranging artillery, but the former cannot be - manœuvred in the same way as regular soldiers, however brave and - devoted they may be; while, if weaker in big guns, the enemy - outnumbered our mobile horse and field artillery by five or six to - one. So it must be understood that while a defeat is deplorable and - heartbreaking, yet a victory against such odds would have been - little less than a miracle. No blame can be attached either to our - officers or their men. All did as much, or more, than could be - humanly expected of them. The long and short of it is that since - we, as a nation, have not chosen to have a sufficient and - up-to-date Army, we must take the rub when an invasion comes. - - “We knew well enough--though most of us pretended ignorance--that - we could not afford to pay for such an Army at a rate comparable to - the current labour market rates, even if we had been twice as rich, - and if shoals of recruits had been forthcoming. We were aware, in - consequence, that some form of universal service was the only - possible method of raising a real Army, but we shrank from making - the personal sacrifices required. We were too indolent, too - careless, too unpatriotic. Now we have got to pay for the pleasures - of living in a fool’s paradise, and pay through the nose into the - bargain. We have no right to grumble, whatever may be the outcome, - and God only knows what the bitter end of this war may be, what - final defeat may mean for our future as a nation. But I must quit - moralising and betake myself to my narrative. - - “In my letter of the 9th I left the Colchester garrison making - their breakfast at Witham. I had understood that they were coming - on to Chelmsford, but, as it turned out, the Leicestershires and - Dorsets got orders to turn off to the right just before reaching - Boreham, and to take up a position on the high ground east of - Little Waltham, which is about four miles due north of Chelmsford. - With them went a number of the heavy 4.7-inch guns we brought away - with us. The Volunteers, Scottish Borderers, and the - Lancasters--the latter of whom had been covering the flank of the - retreat at Wickham Bishops--came in to Chelmsford, and during the - evening were marched out and billeted in the houses thickly - scattered along the Braintree road. The cavalry, after some slight - skirmishing with the advanced patrols of Von Kronhelm’s Army, who - came up with them near Hatfield Peverell, turned up in the - afternoon. - - “In Chelmsford, when I halted at the Saracen’s Head, I found there - were the 2nd Lincolnshire and the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers, who - had come up from Salisbury Plain, the 1st Hampshire and the 1st - Royal Fusiliers from Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight. The 2nd - South Wales Borderers from Tidworth and the 1st Border Regiment - from Bordon Camp arrived in the afternoon, and were marched out to - Great Baddow, half-way to Danbury. The 14th Hussars from - Shorncliffe and the 20th from Brighton had also come in the day - previously, and they at once moved out to the front to relieve the - 16th Lancers and 7th Hussars, who had been covering the retiral - from Colchester. The town was crowded with Volunteers in khaki, - green, red, blue--all the colours of the rainbow--and I noticed two - very smart corps of Yeomanry marching out to support the two - regular cavalry regiments. Everyone seemed in good spirits on - account of the news from Royston and the successful issue of the - cavalry skirmish of the morning before. As Chelmsford lies in a - kind of hollow, I could not see much from there, so in the - afternoon I thought I would run out to the high ground near Danbury - and see if I could get any idea of what was going on. - - “As I passed Danbury Place I heard the deafening report of heavy - guns close at hand. I found that the firing came from some of the - Bluejackets’ 4.7’s near the church, where I had seen them at work - at the opening of Purleigh Battle. I got out of my car and went up - to the officer in charge, whom I met on that occasion. I asked him - at what he was firing. ‘Look over there,’ he said, pointing towards - Maldon. I saw nothing at first. ‘Look higher,’ said the sailor. I - raised my eyes, and there, floating hundreds of feet over and on - this side of the old town, a great yellow sausage-like something - glistened in the sunlight. I recognised it at once from the - photographs I had seen of the German manœuvres. It was their - great military balloon, known as the ‘Wurst,’ or sausage, from its - elongated shape. Its occupants were doubtless hard at work - reconnoitring our position. - - “Another gun gave tongue with an ear-splitting report, and then a - second one, its long chase sticking up into the air like a monster - telescope. They were firing high explosive shell at the balloon, - hoping that the detonation would tear it if near enough. I saw the - big shell explode apparently close to their target, but the - distance was deceptive, and no apparent injury was done. After - another round, however, it began slowly to descend, and soon - disappeared behind the huddled roofs of the town. ‘Might have got - her,’ remarked Akers, the commander in charge of the guns, ‘but I - fancy not. But I reckon they thought it too warm to stay up. We had - our balloon up this morning,’ he continued, ‘and I expect she’ll go - up again before dark. They had a few slaps at her, but didn’t get - within a mile of her. She’s in a field behind the woods at Twitty - Fee, about half a mile over there, if you want to see her.’ - - “I thanked him and motored slowly off in the direction indicated. I - noticed great changes on Danbury Hill since my last visit. - Entrenchments and batteries had sprung up on every side, and men - were still as busy as bees improving and adding to them. I found - the balloon, filled with gas and swaying about behind a mass of - woodland that effectually concealed it from the enemy, but as I was - informed that there would be no ascent before half-past five, I - continued my tour round the summit of the hill. When I arrived at - the northern end I found that fresh defences were being - constructed right away round to the westward side. The northern - edge of Blake’s Wood had been felled and made into a formidable - abattis, the sharpened branches of the felled trees being connected - together with a perfect web of barbed wire. - - “The same process was being carried out in the woods and copses at - Great Graces. New Lodge had been placed in a state of defence. The - windows, deprived of glass and sashes, were being built up with - sand bags; the flower garden was trampled into a chaos; the grand - piano stood in the back yard, forming a platform for a Maxim gun - that peered over the wall. The walls were disfigured with - loop-holes. Behind the house were piled the arms of a Volunteer - Battalion who, under the direction of a few officers and N.C.O.’s - of the Royal Engineers, were labouring to turn the pretty country - house into a scarred and hideous fortress. Their cooks had dug a - Broad Arrow kitchen in the midst of the tennis lawn, and were - busied about the big black kettles preparing tea for the workers. - New Lodge was the most suggestive picture of the change brought - about by the war that I had yet seen. From the corner of Great - Graces Wood I could see through my glasses that the outskirts of - Great Baddow were also alive with men preparing it for defence. I - got back to the balloon just in time to see it rising majestically - above the trees. Either on account of their failure to reach it in - the morning, or for some other reason, the enemy did not fire at - it, and the occupants of the car were able to make their - observations in peace, telephoning them to a non-commissioned - officer at the winding engine below, who jotted them down in - shorthand. From what I afterwards heard, it seems that a long - procession of carts was seen moving northwards from Maldon by way - of Heybridge. - - “It was presumed that these contained provisions and stores for the - IXth and Xth Corps from the big depôt which it had been discovered - that the Saxons had established near Southminster. A few - long-range shots were fired at the convoy from the big guns, but - without any appreciable effect. The procession stopped though. No - more carts came from the town, and those already out disappeared - behind the woods about Langford Park. I understand that, apprised - of this by signal from the balloon, the 14th Hussars made a gallant - effort to attack the convoy, but they found the country east of the - Maldon-Witham Railway to be full of the enemy, both infantry and - cavalry, came under a heavy fire from concealed troops, and - sustained considerable loss without being able to effect anything. - It is believed that the movement of stores continued after dark, - for our most advanced outposts and patrols reported that the rumble - of either artillery or wagons was heard coming from the direction - of the roads leading north out of Maldon almost the whole night - through. - - “On my return to Chelmsford I visited Springfield, where I found - the Scots Fusiliers, a Militia, and a Volunteer Regiment - entrenching themselves astride the railway. - - “I dined with three brother newspaper men at the Red Lion Hotel. - One of them had come from Dunmow, and reported that the First Army - was busily entrenching itself on a long ridge a couple of miles to - eastward of the town. He said he had heard also that the high - ground about Thaxted had been occupied by some troops who had come - up from the South on Sunday night, though he could not say what - regiments they were. They had detrained at Elsenham, and marched - the rest of the way by road. If his information is correct, the - British Army on Monday night occupied an almost continuous line - stretching from Baldock on the west to South Hanningfield, or - perhaps Billericay on the south. A very extensive front, but - necessary to be held if the forward march of the five German Army - Corps operating in the Eastern Counties was to be checked. For - though it would, of course, have been desirable to take the - offensive and attack the Xth Corps during the temporary - discomfiture of the Garde and IVth Corps, we were compelled in the - main to adopt the tactics pursued by the Boers in South Africa and - act almost entirely on the defensive on account of the poor quality - of the bulk of our forces. There was this exception, however, that - the few regular battalions were as far as possible placed in such - positions that they would be available for local counter-attacks - and offensive action. Our generals could not be altogether guided - by the generally-accepted rules of tactics and strategy, but had to - do the best they could with the heterogeneous material at their - disposal. - - “As to what the enemy were doing during this day we had no - information worth speaking of, although there was a rumour going - about late in the afternoon that Braintree had been occupied by the - Hanoverians, and that the head of General Von Kronhelm’s Army Corps - had arrived at Witham. However this may have been, we neither saw - nor heard anything of them during the night, and I much enjoyed my - slumbers after the fatigues of the last twenty-four hours. But this - was but the lull before the storm. About ten a.m. the low growl of - artillery rolled up from the south-east, and it began to be bruited - about that the Saxons were attacking South Hanningfield in force, - doubtless with the object of turning our right flank. I ordered out - my motor, thinking I would run down to the high ground at Stock, - five miles to the southward, and see if I could get an inkling of - how matters were progressing. That heavy fighting was in progress I - felt certain, for the cannonade grew momentarily louder and - heavier. Hardly had I cleared the town, when a fresh outburst of - firing boomed out from a northerly direction. I stopped irresolute. - - “Should I go on or turn back and set my face towards Dunmow? I - eventually decided to go on, and arrived at Stock about eleven. I - could not get much information there, or see what was going on, so - I decided to make for South Hanningfield. At the foot of the hill - leading up to Harrow Farm I came across a battalion of infantry - lying down in quarter column behind the woods on the left of the - road. From some of the officers I ascertained that it was the 1st - Buffs, and that they were in support of two Militia battalions who - were holding the ridge above. The Saxons, they said, had come up - from the direction of Woodham Ferris in considerable force, but had - not been able to advance beyond the Rettendon-Battles-Bridge Road - on account of the heavy fire of our artillery, which comprised - several heavy guns, protected both from fire and sight, and to - which their field batteries in the open ground below could make no - effective reply. - - “I had noticed for some little time that the firing had slackened, - so I thought I might as well get to the top of the hill and get a - view of the enemy. I did not see much of them. By the aid of my - glass I fancied I could distinguish green uniforms moving about - near the copses in front of Rettendon Hall, but that was about all. - I looked towards Danbury and saw our big balloon go up, and I also - observed the big German sausage wobbling about over Purleigh. But - there was no sign of military movement on either side. All the - time, however, I was conscious of the distant rumble of guns away - to the northward, and as there was apparently nothing more to be - seen at South Hanningfield for the present, I regained my car and - started back for Chelmsford. I found the town buzzing like a hive - of bees. - - “The troops were falling in under arms, the station was full of - people trying to get away by train, while the inhabitants were - tramping away in crowds by the Brentwood and Ongar roads. The - booming of the still distant guns sounded louder and faster, and - rumour had it that the Hanoverians were trying to force the passage - of the river at Ford Mill. I replenished my flask and luncheon - basket, and started off in the direction of the firing. - - “All along the road to Little Waltham I caught glimpses of khaki - uniforms in the trenches that zig-zagged about on the river slopes, - while I passed two or three regiments stepping northwards as fast - as they could get over the ground. There was a grim, set look on - the men’s faces that betokened both anger and determination.” - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - -FIERCE FIGHTING AT CHELMSFORD - - -The continuation of the despatch from Brentwood, as follows, was -published on Saturday, 15th September: - -“At Little Waltham I found myself close to the scene of action. About a -mile ahead of me the hamlet of Howe Street was in flames and burning -furiously. I could see the shells bursting in and all over it in perfect -coveys. I could not make out where they were coming from, but an officer -I met said he thought the enemy must have several batteries in action on -the high ground about Littley Green, a mile and a half to the north on -the opposite side of the river. I crossed over myself, and got up on the -knoll where the Leicestershires and Dorsets had been stationed, together -with a number of the 4.7-inch guns brought from Colchester. - -“This piece of elevated ground is about two miles long, running almost -north and south, and at the top of it I got an extensive view to the -eastward right away to beyond Witham, as the ground fell all the way. -The country was well wooded, and a perfect maze of trees and hedgerows. -If there were any Germans down there in this plain they were lying very -low indeed, for my glasses did not discover the least indication of -their presence. Due east my view was bounded by the high wooded ground -about Wickham Bishops and Tiptree Heath, which lay a long blue hummock -on the horizon, while to the south-east Danbury Hill, with our big -war-balloon floating overhead, was plainly discernible. - -“While I gazed on the apparently peaceful landscape I was startled by a -nasty sharp, hissing sound, which came momentarily nearer. It seemed to -pass over my head, and was followed by a loud bang in the air, where now -hung a ring of white smoke. It was a shell from the enemy. Just ahead of -me was a somewhat extensive wood; and, urged by some insane impulse of -seeking shelter, I left the car, which I ordered my chauffeur to take -back for a mile and wait, and made for the close-standing trees. If I -had stopped to think I should have realised that the wood gave me -actually no protection whatever, and I had not gone far when the -crashing of timber and noise of the bursting projectiles overhead and in -the undergrowth around made me understand clearly that the Germans were -making a special target of the wood, which, I imagine, they thought -might conceal some of our troops. I wished heartily that I was seated -beside my chauffeur in his fast-receding car. - -“However, my first object was to get clear of the wood again, and after -some little time I emerged on the west side, right in the middle of a -dressing station for the wounded, which had been established in a little -hollow. Two surgeons, with their assistants, were already busily engaged -with a number of wounded men, most of whom were badly hit by shrapnel -bullets about the upper part of the body. I gathered from one or two of -the few most slightly wounded men that our people had been, and were, -very hardly put to it to hold their own. ‘I reckon,’ said one of them, a -bombardier of artillery, ‘that the enemy must have got more than a -hundred guns firing at us, and at Howe Street village. If we could only -make out where the foreign devils were,’ continued my informant, ‘our -chaps could have knocked a good many of them out with our -four-point-sevens, especially if we could have got a go at them before -they got within range themselves. But they must have somehow contrived -to get them into position during the night, for we saw nothing of them -coming up. They are somewhere about Chatley, Fairstead Lodge, and -Little Leighs, but as we can’t locate them exactly and only have ten -guns up here, it don’t give us much chance, does it?’ Later I saw an -officer of the Dorsets, who confirmed the gunner’s story, but added that -our people were well entrenched and the guns well concealed, so that -none of the latter had been put out of action, and he thought we should -be able to hold on to the hill all right. I regained my car without -further adventure, bar several narrow escapes from stray shell, and made -my way back as quickly as possible to Chelmsford. - -“The firing went on all day, not only to the northward, but also away to -the southward, where the Saxons, while not making any determined attack, -kept the Vth Corps continually on the alert, and there was an almost -continuous duel between the heavy pieces. As it appeared certain that -the knoll I had visited in the forenoon was the main objective of the -enemy’s attack, reinforcements had been more than once sent up there, -but the German shell fire was so heavy that they found it almost -impossible to construct the additional cover required. Several batteries -of artillery were despatched to Pleshy and Rolphy Green to keep down, if -possible, the fire of the Germans, but it seemed to increase rather than -diminish. They must have had more guns in action than they had at first. -Just at dusk their infantry made the first openly offensive movement. - -“Several lines of skirmishers suddenly appeared in the valley between -Little Leighs and Chatley, and advanced towards Lyonshall Wood, at the -north end of the knoll east of Little Waltham. They were at first -invisible from the British gun positions on the other side of the -Chelmer, and when they cleared the spur on which Hyde Hall stands they -were hardly discernible in the gathering darkness. The Dorsetshire and -the other battalions garrisoning the knoll manned their breastworks as -they got within rifle range, and opened fire, but they were still -subjected to the infernal rafale from the Hanoverian guns on the hills -to the northward, and to make matters worse at this critical moment the -Xth Corps brought a long line of guns into action between Flacks Green -and Great Leighs Wood, in which position none of the British guns except -a few on the knoll itself - -[Illustration: BATTLE OF CHELMSFORD. - -POSITION ON THE EVENING OF SEPTEMBER 11.] - -could reach them. Under this cross hurricane of projectiles the British -fire was quite beaten down, and the Germans followed up their -skirmishers by almost solid masses, which advanced with all but impunity -save for the fire of the few British long-range guns at Pleshy Mount. -There they were firing almost at random, as the gunners could not be -certain of the exact whereabouts of their objectives. There was a -searchlight on the knoll, but at the first sweep of its ray it was -absolutely demolished by a blizzard of shrapnel. Every German gun was -turned upon it. The Hanoverian battalions now swarmed to the assault, -disregarding the gaps made in their ranks by the magazine fire of the -defenders as soon as their close advance masked the fire of their own -cannon. - -“The British fought desperately. Three several times they hurled back at -the attackers, but, alas! we were overborne by sheer weight of numbers. -Reinforcements summoned by telephone, as soon as the determined nature -of the attack was apparent, were hurried up from every available source, -but they only arrived in time to be carried down the hill again in the -rush of its defeated defenders, and to share with them the storm of -projectiles from the quick-firers of General Von Kronhelm’s artillery, -which had been pushed forward during the assault. It was with the -greatest difficulty that the shattered and disorganised troops were got -over the river at Little Waltham. As it was, hundreds were drowned in -the little stream, and hundreds of others killed and wounded by the fire -of the Germans. They had won the first trick. This was indisputable, and -as ill news travels apace, a feeling of gloom fell upon our whole force, -for it was realised that the possession of the captured knoll would -enable the enemy to mass troops almost within effective rifle range of -our river line of defence. I believe that it was proposed by some -officers on the staff that we should wheel back our left and take up a -fresh position during the night. This was overruled, as it was -recognised that to do so would enable the enemy to push in between the -Dunmow force and our own, and so cut our general line in half. All that -could be done was to get up every available gun and bombard the hill -during the night, in order to hamper the enemy in his preparations for -further forward movement and in his entrenching operations. - -“Had we more men at our disposal I suppose there is little doubt that a -strong counter attack would have been made on the knoll almost -immediately; but in the face of the enormous numbers opposed to us, I -imagine that General Blennerhasset did not feel justified in denuding -any portion of our position of its defenders. So all through the dark -hours the thunder of the great guns went on. In spite of the cannonade -the Germans turned on no less than three searchlights from the southern -end of the knoll about midnight. Two were at once put out by our fire, -but the third managed to exist for over half an hour, and enabled the -Germans to see how hard we were working to improve our defences along -the river bank. I am afraid that they were by this means able to make -themselves acquainted with the positions of a great number of our -trenches. During the night our patrols reported being unable to -penetrate beyond Pratt’s Farm, Mount Maskell, and Porter’s Farm on the -Colchester Road. Everywhere they were forced back by superior numbers. -The enemy were fast closing in upon us. It was a terrible night in -Chelmsford. - -“There was a panic on every hand. A man mounted the Tindal statue and -harangued the crowd, urging the people to rise and compel the Government -to stop the war. A few young men endeavoured to load the old Crimean -cannon in front of the Shire Hall, but found it clogged with rust and -useless. People fled from the villa residences in Brentwood Road into -the town for safety, now that the enemy were upon them. The banks in -High Street were being barricaded, and the stores still remaining in the -various grocers’ shops, Luckin Smith’s, Martin’s, Cramphorn’s, and -Pearke’s, were rapidly being concealed from the invaders. All the -ambulance wagons entering the town were filled with wounded, although as -many as possible were sent south by train. By one o’clock in the -morning, however, most of the civilian inhabitants had fled. The streets -were empty, but for the bivouacking troops and the never-ending -procession of wounded men. The General and his Staff were deliberating -to a late hour in the Shire Hall, at which he had established his -headquarters. The booming of the guns waxed and waned till dawn, when a -furious outburst announced that the second act of the tragedy was about -to open. - -“I had betaken myself at once to the round tower of the church, next the -Stone-bridge, from which I had an excellent view both east and north. -The first thing that attracted my eye was the myriad flashings of rifle -fire in the dimness of the breaking day. They reached in a continuous -line of coruscations from Boreham Hall, opposite my right hand, to the -knoll by Little Waltham, a distance of three or four miles, I should -say. The enemy were driving in all our outlying and advanced troops by -sheer weight of numbers. Presently the heavy batteries at Danbury began -pitching shell over in the direction of the firing, but as the German -line still advanced, it had not apparently any very great effect. The -next thing that happened was a determined attack on the village of Howe -Street made from the direction of Hyde Hall. This is about two miles -north of Little Waltham. In spite of our incessant fire, the Germans had -contrived to mass a tremendous number of guns and howitzers on and -behind the knoll they captured last night, and there were any quantity -more on the ridge above Hyde Hall. All these terrible weapons -concentrated their fire for a few moments on the blackened ruins of Howe -Street. Not a mouse could have lived there. The little place was simply -pulverised. - -“Our guns at Pleshy Mount and Rolphy Green, aided by a number of field -batteries, in vain endeavoured to make head against them. They were -outnumbered by six to one. Under cover of this tornado of iron and fire, -the enemy pushed several battalions over the river, making use of the -ruins of the many bridges about - - +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ - | [Illustration] | - | | - | =DECREE= | - | | - | =CONCERNING THE POWER OF COUNCILS OF WAR.= | - | | - | | - | WE, GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF EAST ANGLIA, in virtue of the powers conferred | - | upon us by His Imperial Majesty the German Emperor, Commander-in-Chief | - | of the German Armies, order, for the maintenance of the internal and | - | external security of the counties of the Government-General:-- | - | | - | ARTICLE I.--Any individual guilty of incendiarism or of wilful | - | inundation, of attack, or of resistance with violence against the | - | Government-General or the agents of the civil or military authorities, | - | of sedition, of pillage, of theft with violence, of assisting prisoners | - | to escape, or of exciting soldiers to treasonable acts, shall be | - | PUNISHED BY DEATH. | - | | - | In the case of any extenuating circumstances, the culprit may be sent to | - | penal servitude with hard labour for twenty years. | - | | - | ARTICLE II.--Any person provoking or inciting an individual to commit | - | the crimes mentioned in Article I. will be sent to penal servitude with | - | hard labour for ten years. | - | | - | ARTICLE III.--Any person propagating false reports relative to the | - | operations of war or political events will be imprisoned for one year, | - | and fined up to £100. | - | | - | In any case where the affirmation or propagation may cause prejudice | - | against the German army, or against any authorities or functionaries | - | established by it, the culprit will be sent to hard labour for ten | - | years. | - | | - | ARTICLE IV.--Any person usurping a public office, or who commit | - | any act or issues any order in the name of a public functionary, will be | - | imprisoned for five years, and fined £150. | - | | - | ARTICLE V.--Any person who voluntarily destroys or abstracts any | - | documents, registers, archives, or public documents deposited in public | - | offices, or passing through their hands in virtue of their functions as | - | government or civic officials, will be imprisoned for two years, and | - | fined £150. | - | | - | ARTICLE VI.--Any person obliterating, damaging, or tearing down | - | official notices, orders, or proclamations of any sort issued by the | - | German authorities will be imprisoned for six months, and fined £80. | - | | - | ARTICLE VII.--Any resistance or disobedience of any order given in the | - | interests of public security by military commanders and other | - | authorities, or any provocation or incitement to commit such | - | disobedience, will be punished by one year’s imprisonment, or a fine of | - | not less than £150. | - | | - | ARTICLE VIII.--All offences enumerated in Articles I.-VII. are within | - | the jurisdiction of the Councils of War. | - | | - | ARTICLE IX.--It is within the competence of Councils of War to | - | adjudicate upon all other crimes and offences against the internal and | - | external security of the English provinces occupied by the German Army, | - | and also upon all crimes against the military or civil authorities, or | - | their agents, as well as murder, the fabrication of false money, of | - | blackmail, and all other serious offences. | - | | - | ARTICLE X.--Independent of the above, the military jurisdiction already | - | proclaimed will remain in force regarding all actions tending to imperil | - | the security of the German troops, to damage their interests, or to | - | render assistance to the Army of the British Government. | - | | - | Consequently, there will be PUNISHED BY DEATH, and we expressly repeat | - | this, all persons who are not British soldiers and-- | - | | - | (_a_) Who serve the British Army or the Government as spies, or receive | - | British spies, or give them assistance or asylum. | - | | - | (_b_) Who serve as guides to British troops, or mislead the German | - | troops when charged to act as guides. | - | | - | (_c_) Who shoot, injure, or assault any German soldier or officer. | - | | - | (_d_) Who destroy bridges or canals, interrupt railways or telegraph | - | lines, render roads impassable, burn munitions of war, provisions, or | - | quarters of the troops. | - | | - | (_e_) Who take arms against the German troops. | - | | - | ARTICLE XI.--The organisation of Councils of War mentioned in Articles | - | VIII. and IX. of the Law of May 2, 1870, and their procedure are | - | regulated by special laws which are the same as the summary jurisdiction | - | of military tribunals. In the case of Article X. there remains in force | - | the Law of July 21, 1867, concerning the military jurisdiction | - | applicable to foreigners. | - | | - | ARTICLE XII.--The present order is proclaimed and put into execution on | - | the morrow of the day upon which it is affixed in the public places of | - | each town and village. | - | | - | The Governor-General of East Anglia, | - | | - | =COUNT von SCHONBURG-WALDENBURG,= | - | =Lieutenant-General.= | - | | - | NORWICH, _September 7th, 1910_. | - +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ - -there which had been hastily destroyed, and which they repaired with -planks and other materials they brought along with them. They lost a -large number of men in the process, but they persevered, and by ten -o’clock were in complete possession of Howe Street, Langley’s Park, and -Great Waltham, and moving in fighting formation against Pleshy Mount and -Rolphy Green, their guns covering their advance with a perfectly awful -discharge of shrapnel. Our cannon on the ridge at Partridge Green took -the attackers in flank, and for a time checked their advance, but, -drawing upon themselves the attention of the German artillery, on the -south end of the knoll, were all but silenced. - -“As soon as this was effected another strong column of Germans followed -in the footsteps of the first, and deploying to the left, secured the -bridge at Little Waltham, and advanced against the gun positions on -Partridge Green. This move turned all our river bank entrenchments right -down to Chelmsford. Their defenders were now treated to the enfilade -fire of a number of Hanoverian batteries that galloped down to Little -Waltham. They stuck to their trenches gallantly, but presently when the -enemy obtained a footing on Partridge Green they were taken in reverse, -and compelled to fall back, suffering terrible losses as they did so. -The whole of the infantry of the Xth Corps, supported--as we -understand--by a division which had joined them from Maldon, now moved -down on Chelmsford. In fact, there was a general advance of the three -combined armies stretching from Partridge Green on the west to the -railway line on the east. The defenders of the trenches facing east were -hastily withdrawn, and thrown back on Writtle. The Germans followed -closely with both infantry and guns, though they were for a time checked -near Scot’s Green by a dashing charge of our cavalry brigade, consisting -of the 16th Lancers and the 7th, 14th, and 20th Hussars, and the Essex -and Middlesex Yeomanry. We saw nothing of their cavalry, for a reason -that will be apparent later. By one o’clock fierce fighting was going -on all round the town, the German hordes enveloping it on all sides but -one. We had lost a great number of our guns, or at anyrate had been cut -off from them by the German successes around Pleshy Mount, and in all -their assaults on the town they had been careful to keep out of -effective range of the heavy batteries on Danbury Hill. These, by the -way, had their own work cut out for them, as the Saxon artillery were -heavily bombarding the hill with their howitzers. The British forces -were in a critical situation. Reinforcements--such as could be -spared--were hurried up from the Vth Army Corps, but they were not very -many in numbers, as it was necessary to provide against an attack by the -Saxon Corps. By three o’clock the greater part of the town was in the -hands of the Germans, despite the gallant way in which our men fought -them from street to street, and house to house. A dozen fires were -spreading in every direction, and fierce fighting was going on at -Writtle. The overpowering numbers of the Germans, combined with their -better organisation, and the number of properly trained officers at -their disposal, bore the British mixed Regular and Irregular forces -back, and back again. - -“Fearful of being cut off from his line of retreat, General -Blennerhasset, on hearing from Writtle soon after three that the -Hanoverians were pressing his left very hard, and endeavouring to work -round it, reluctantly gave orders for the troops in Chelmsford to fall -back on Widford and Moulsham. There was a lull in the fighting for about -half an hour, though firing was going on both at Writtle and Danbury. -Soon after four a terrible rumour spread consternation on every side. -According to this, an enormous force of cavalry and motor infantry was -about to attack us in the rear. What had actually happened was not quite -so bad as this, but quite bad enough. It seems, according to our latest -information, that almost the whole of the cavalry belonging to the three -German Army Corps with whom we were engaged--something like a dozen -regiments, with a proportion of horse artillery and all available -motorists, having with them several of the new armoured motors carrying -light, quick-firing and machine guns--had been massed during the last -thirty-six hours behind the Saxon lines extending from Maldon to the -River Crouch. During the day they had worked round to the southward, and -at the time the rumour reached us were actually attacking Billericay, -which was held by a portion of the reserves of our Vth Corps. By the -time this news was confirmed the Germans were assaulting Great Baddow, -and moving on Danbury from east, north, and west, at the same time -resuming the offensive all along the line. The troops at Danbury must be -withdrawn, or they would be isolated. This difficult manœuvre was -executed by way of West Hanningfield. The rest of the Vth Corps -conformed to the movement, the Guards Brigade at East Hanningfield -forming the rearguard, and fighting fiercely all night through with the -Saxon troops, who moved out on the left flank of our retreat. The wreck -of the Ist Corps and the Colchester Garrison was now also in full -retirement. Ten miles lay between it and the lines at Brentwood, and had -the Germans been able to employ cavalry in pursuit, this retreat would -have been even more like a rout than it was. Luckily for us the -Billericay troops mauled the German cavalry pretty severely, and they -were beset in the close country in that neighbourhood by Volunteers, -motorists and every one that the officer commanding at Brentwood could -get together in this emergency. - -“Some of them actually got upon our line of retreat, but were driven off -by our advance guard; others came across the head of the retiring Vth -Corps, but the terrain was all against cavalry, and after nightfall most -of them had lost their way in the maze of lanes and hedgerows that -covered the countryside. Had it not been for this we should probably -have been absolutely smashed. As it was, rather more than half our -original numbers of men and guns crawled into Brentwood in the early -morning, worn out and dead-beat.” - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - -IN THE ENEMY’S HANDS - - -We must now turn to the position of Sheffield on Saturday, September 8. -It was truly critical. - -It was known that Lincoln had been occupied without opposition by -General Graf Haesler, who was in command of the VIIIth Corps, which had -landed at New Holland and Grimsby. The enemy’s headquarters had been -established in the old cathedral city, and it was reported in Sheffield -that the whole of this force was on the move westward. In fact, on -Saturday afternoon the head of the advance-guard coming by way of -Saxilby and Tuxford had arrived at East Retford, and during the night -the rest of the main body, following closely on its heels, disposed -itself for bivouac in rear of that sloping ground which reaches from -Clarborough, through Grove and Askham, to Tuxford, on the south. - -In advance was Major-General von Briefen’s splendid cavalry brigade, -who, during the march, had scoured the county almost as far west as the -River Rother itself. Chesterfield, with its crooked spire, had been -approached by the 7th Westphalian Dragoons, supported by the Grand Duke -of Baden’s Hussars and a company of smart motor infantry. Finding, -however, that no resistance was offered, they had extended, forming a -screen from that place to Worksop, examining and reconnoitring every -road, farmstead, and hamlet, in order that the advance of the main body -behind them could not be interfered with. - -The cavalry brigade of the other division, the Cuirassiers of the Rhine -No. 8, and the 7th Rhine Hussars, scouted along to the northward as far -as Bawtry, where they were able to effect a junction with their comrades -of the VIIth Corps, who, it will be remembered, had landed at Goole, and -had now pushed on. - -During Saturday afternoon a squadron of British Yeomanry had been pushed -out from Rotherham as far as the high ground at Maltby, and hearing from -the contact patrols that nothing appeared to be in front of them, moved -on to Tickhill, a small village four miles west of Bawtry. Unknown to -them, however, a force of Westphalian Dragoons, having had information -of their presence, crept up by the lower road through Blythe and -Oldcoats, effectively taking them in rear, passing as they did through -the grounds of Sandbeck Hall. - -The Yeomanry, at the alarm, pulled up, and, dismounting under cover, -poured in a rattling volley upon the invaders, emptying more than one -Westphalian saddle. Next instant the Germans, making a dash, got between -them and their line of retreat on Maltby. It was palpable to the officer -in charge of the Yeomanry that he must get back to Sheffield some other -way. It would not do to stay and fight where he was, as there was every -prospect of his small troop being annihilated, nor did he desire himself -to be taken prisoner. His business was to report what he had seen. This -latter he was bound to accomplish at all risks. So, hastily leaping into -his saddle in the middle of a perfect hail of bullets--the result of -which was that several horses went down and left their riders at the -mercy of the invaders--the little band set off to regain their camp -outside Rotherham, by the cross-country roads through Stainton and -Braithwell. Here again they narrowly escaped falling into the hands of -some cavalry, who evidently belonged to the VIIth Corps, and who had -come down from the direction of Goole and Doncaster. - -Eventually, however, they crossed the River Don at Aldwark, and brought -in the first definite news which General Sir George Woolmer at Sheffield -had yet received. It was thus proved that the German cavalry were now -within the sphere of operations, and that in all probability they formed -a screen covering the advance of the two great German corps, which it -was quite certain now intended to make an attack upon the position he -had selected for defence. - -Night fell. On every road British yeomanry, cavalry, motor-cyclists, -motor-infantry, and independent groups of infantry were endeavouring to -penetrate the secret of the exact whereabouts of the enemy. Yet they -found every road, lane, and pathway, no matter how carefully approached, -held by Germans. Ever and anon, as they crept near the line of German -outposts, came the low, guttural demand as sentries challenged the -intruder. - -[Illustration: THE DEFENCE OF SHEFFIELD. - -GEORGE PHILIP & SON L^{TD.}] - -Here and there in the hot night shots rang out, and some daring spirit -fell dead, while more than once a dying scream was heard as a German -bayonet ended the career of some too inquisitive patriot. - -Away in Sheffield the town awaited, in breathless tension and hot -unrest, what was felt by everyone to be the coming onslaught. Through -the night the heavy clouds that had gathered after sunset culminated in -a terrific thunderstorm. The heavens seemed rent asunder by the vivid -lightning, the thunder crashed and rolled, and rain fell in torrents -upon the excited populace, who, through the dark hours, crowded around -the barricades in the Sheffield streets. In the murky dawn, grey and -dismal, portentous events were impending. - -Information from the enemy’s camp--which was subsequently made -public--showed that well before daylight the advance of the VIIth German -Corps had begun from Doncaster, while along the main road through -Warmsworth and Conisborough sturdily tramped the 13th Division, all -Westphalians, formed into three infantry brigades and commanded by -Lieut.-General Doppschutz. The 14th Division, under Lieut.-General von -Kehler, moving through Balby and Wadworth, prolonged the flank to the -south. The advance of both divisions was thus steadily continued -south-westward parallel to the River Rother, which lay between -themselves and the British. It was therefore plain that the plan of the -senior officer--General Baron von Bistram, commanding the VIIth -Corps--was that the attack should be carried out mainly by that corps -itself, and that strong support should be given to it by the VIIIth -Corps, which was coming, as has already been shown, from East Retford, -and which could effectively assist either to strike the final blow -against our Army, or, keeping well to the south, could threaten -Sheffield from the direction of Staveley. - -No one knew what resistance the British were prepared to offer. Full of -courage and patriotism, they were dominated by the proud traditions of -English soldiers; still, it was to be remembered that they consisted -mainly of raw levies, and that they were opposed by a force whose -training and equipment were unequalled in the world, and who outnumbered -them in proportion of about four to one. - -What was to be expected? Sheffield knew this--and was breathless and -terrified. - -The great thunderstorm of the night helped to swell the Rivers Don and -Rother, and as the invaders would have to cross them, doubtless under a -terrific fire, the battle must result in enormous casualties. - -Early on Sunday morning it was evident that the all-important blow, so -long threatened, was about to be struck. During the night great masses -of German artillery had been pushed up to the front, and these now -occupied most of the dominating hills, commanding not only all -approaches to the British position over the River Rother, but they were -even within effective range of the key of the British position itself. - -Hundreds of guns--many of them coming under the head of -siege-artillery--were concentrated a little to the east of Whiston, -whence they were able to pour in an oblique fire upon the defences. This -artillery belonged evidently to the VIIth German Corps, and had, with -great labour and difficulty, been hauled by all available horses, and -even by traction-engines, right across the country to where they were -now placed. The heaviest metal of all had been posted on Bricks Hill, an -eminence of some four hundred feet, immediately above the Rother, and -about six thousand yards from Catcliffe, already referred to as the key -of our defences. - -Suddenly, at sunrise, a low boom was heard from this point. This was the -opening German gun of the artillery preparation for the attack, which -was now evidently developing, and although the distance was nearly six -thousand yards, yet the bursts of the huge shells were seen to have been -well timed. Another and another followed, and presently these huge -projectiles, hurtling through the air and bursting with a -greenish-yellow smoke, showed that they were charged with some high -explosive. No sooner had this terrific tornado of destruction opened in -real earnest from the enemy, than the field artillery, massed as has -already been described, commenced their long-distance fire at a range of -about three thousand five hundred yards, and for a period, that seemed -hours, but yet was in reality only about fifty minutes, the awful -cannonade continued. - -The British guns had already come into action, and intermittent firing -of shrapnel and other projectiles was now directed against the German -batteries. - -These latter, however, were mostly carefully concealed, effective -cover having, by means of hard spade-work, been thrown up during -the night. The British guns were mostly served by Volunteers and -Militia-Artillerymen, who, although burning with patriotism, were--owing -to the little real practice they had had in actually firing live shell, -having mostly been drilled with dummy guns--utterly incompetent to make -any impression upon the enemy’s lines of concealed artillery. - -It was plain, then, that the Germans had adopted the principle of -massing the bulk of the guns of their two divisions of the VIIth Corps -at such a point that they might strike the heaviest blow possible at the -defence, under cover of which, when resistance had been somewhat beaten -down, the infantry might advance to the attack. This was now being done. -But away to the south was heard the distant roar of other artillery, no -doubt that of Haesler’s Corps, which had apparently crossed the river -somewhere in the neighbourhood of Renishaw, and advancing via Eckington -had established themselves on the high ground, about five hundred and -twenty feet in altitude, just north of Ridgeway, whence they were able -to pour in an enfilading fire all along the British position from its -centre at Woodhouse almost to Catcliffe itself. This rendered our -position serious, and although the German guns had opposed to them the -southernmost flank from Woodhouse to Norton Woodseats, yet it was plain -that the main portion of the British defence was in process of being -“turned.” - -The heavy firing continued, and at last, under cover of it, the rear -attack now began some two hours after the opening of the fight. - -The 13th Division, under Doppschutz, were evidently advancing by the -main Doncaster road. Their advance guard, which had already occupied -Rotherham, had also seized the bridge which the invaders had neither -time nor material to demolish, and now swept on across it, although -exposed to a heavy onslaught from that line of the British position -between Tinsley and Brinsworth. Those sturdy, stolid Westphalians and -bearded men of Lorraine still kept on. Numbers dropped, and the bridge -was quickly strewn with dead and dying. Yet nothing checked the steady -advance of that irresistible wave of humanity. - -Down the River Rother, at Kanklow Bridge, a similar scene was being -enacted. The railway bridge at Catcliffe was also taken by storm, and at -Woodhouse Mill the 14th Division, under Von Kehler, made a terrific and -successful dash, as they also did at Beighton. - -The river itself was about an average distance of a mile in front of the -British position, and although as heavy a fire as possible was directed -upon all approaches to it, yet the Germans were not to be denied. -Utterly indifferent to any losses, they still swept on in an -overwhelming tide, leaving at the most not more than ten per cent. of -casualties to be dealt with by the perfectly equipped ambulances in -their rear. So, for the most part, the various regiments constituting -the divisions of the two German commanders found themselves shaken, but -by no means thwarted. On the west bank of the river, the steep slopes -rising from Beighton to Woodhouse gave a certain amount of dead ground, -under cover of which the foreign legions took refuge, in order to -dispose themselves for the final assault. - -A similar state of things had taken place to the south. General Graf -Haesler had flung both his divisions across the river, with but little -opposition. The 15th, composed mainly of men of the Rhine, under Von -Kluser, crossed at Killamarsh and Metherthorpe Station, while the 16th, -under Lieut.-General Stolz, crossed at Renishaw, and, striking -north-easterly in the direction of Ridgeway, closed in as they advanced, -till at length they were enabled to be within effective reach of their -comrades on the right. - -The German attack had now developed into an almost crescent-shaped -formation, and about noon Von Bistram, the commander-in-chief, issued -his final orders for the assault. - -The cavalry of the VIIth German Corps under Major-General von Landsberg, -commanding the 13th Cavalry Brigade, and the 14th Cavalry Brigade, -consisting of Westphalian Hussars and Uhlans, under Major-General von -Weder, were massed in the neighbourhood of Greasborough, whence it might -be expected that at the critical stage of the engagement if the British -defences gave way they might be launched upon the retiring Englishmen. -Similarly in the valley over by Middle Handley, a little south of -Eckington, were found the 15th and 16th Cavalry Brigades of the VIIIth -Corps, consisting of the 15th of Cuirassiers and Hussars of the Rhine, -and the 16th of Westphalians, and the Grand Duke of Baden’s Hussars, -under that well-known soldier, Major-General von Briefen. All these were -equally ready to advance in a northerly direction to strike the crushing -blow at the first of the many important cities which was their -objective. - -Unless the scheme of von Bistram, the German generalissimo in the North, -was ill-conceived, then it was plain, even to the defenders, that -Sheffield must eventually give way before the overpowering force opposed -to it. - -Within the city of Sheffield the excitement now rose to fever-heat. - -It was known that the enemy had closed in upon the defences, and were -now across the river, ready at any moment to continue their advance, -which, as a matter of fact, had developed steadily without intermission, -notwithstanding the heroic efforts of the defenders. - -In these days of smokeless powder it was hard for the Germans to see -where the British lines of defence were actually located, but the heavy -pounding of the artillery duel, which had been going on since early -morning, was now beginning to weaken as the German infantry, company by -company, regiment by regiment, and brigade by brigade, were calmly -launched to the attack. They were themselves masking the fire of the -cannon of their own comrades as, by desperate rushes, they gradually -ascended the slopes before them. - -The objective of the VIIth Corps seemed to be the strongpoint which has -already been referred to as dominating the position a little west of -Catcliffe, and the VIIIth Corps were clearly directing their energies on -the salient angle of the defence which was to be found a little south of -Woodhouse. From this latter point the general line of the British -position from Woodhouse north to Tinsley would then be turned. - -The British stood their ground with the fearless valour of Englishmen. -Though effective defence seemed from the very first futile, steady and -unshaken volleys rang out from every knoll, hillock, and shelter-trench -in that long line manned by the sturdy Yorkshire heroes. Machine-guns -rattled and spat fire, and pom-poms worked with regularity, hurling -their little shells in a ceaseless stream into the invaders, but all, -alas! to no purpose. Where one German fell, at least three appeared to -take his place. The enemy seemed to rise from the very ground. The more -stubborn the defence, the more numerous the Germans seemed to become, -gaps in their fighting line being reinforced in that ruthless manner -which is such a well-known principle in German tactics--namely, that the -commander must not be sparing in his men, but fling forward -reinforcements at whatever cost. - -Thus up the storm-swept glacis reaching from the Rother struggled -thousands of Germans in a tide that could not be stemmed, halting and -firing as they advanced, until it became clear that an actual -hand-to-hand combat was imminent. - -The British had done all that men could. There was no question of -surrender. They were simply swept away as straws before a storm. Dead -and dying were on every hand, ambulances were full, and groaning men -were being carried by hundreds to the rear. General Woolmer saw that the -day was lost, and at last, with choking emotion, he was compelled to -give that order which no officer can ever give unless to save useless -bloodshed--“Retire!--Retire upon Sheffield itself!” - -Bugles rang out, and the whistles of the officers pierced the air. Then -in as orderly a manner as was possible in the circumstances, and amid -the victorious shouts from thousands of German throats, the struggling -units fell back upon the city. - -The outlook was surely black enough. Worse was, however, yet to follow. -In the line of retreat all roads were blocked with endless masses of -wagons and ambulances, and in order to fall back at all men had to take -to the open fields and clamber over hedges, so that all semblance of -order was very quickly lost. - -Thus the retreat became little short of a rout. - -Presently a shout rang out. “The cavalry! The cavalry!” - -And then was seen a swarm of big Uhlans riding down from the north at a -hand-gallop, evidently prepared to cut off the routed army. - -By Tinsley Park a body of Volunteers were retreating in an orderly -manner, when the alarm of the cavalry advance reached their ears. Their -colonel, a red-faced, bearded old gentleman, wearing the green ribbon of -the V.D., and who in private life was a brewery’s manager at Tadcaster, -rose in his stirrups and, turning round towards the croup of his -somewhat weedy steed, ejaculated the words in a hoarse and raucous -bellow: “Soaky Poo!” - -His men wondered what he meant. Some halted, believing it to be a new -order which demanded further attention, until a smart young subaltern, -smiling behind his hand, shouted out, “Sauve qui peut--Every man for -himself!” - -And at this there was a helter-skelter flight on the part of the whole -battalion. - -The Uhlans, however, were not to be denied, and, circling round through -Attercliffe, and thence south towards Richmond Park, they effectively -placed themselves across the line of retreat of many of the fugitives. - -The latter practically ran straight into the lines of the Germans, who -called to them to lay down their arms, and in half an hour along the -cordon over two thousand five hundred British of all arms found -themselves prisoners in the hands of Von Landsberg, upon whose brigade -the brunt of this attack had fallen. - -General von Wedel, of the 14th Cavalry Brigade, was not inactive. He -pursued the flying columns along all the roads and country north-east of -the city. From the south came news of the cavalry of the VIIIth Corps, -which had circled through Dronfield, Woodhouse, Totley, along Abbey -Dale, till they made an unresisted entry into Sheffield from the south. - -Within the town it was quickly seen that the day was lost. All -resistance had been beaten down by the victorious invaders, and now, at -the Town Hall, the British flag was hauled down, and the German ensign -replaced it. From every street leading out of the city to the west -poured a flying mob of disorganised British troops, evidently bent upon -making the best of their way into the hilly district of the Peak of -Derbyshire, where, in the course of time, they might hope to reorganise -and re-establish themselves. - -The German pursuit, although very strenuous on the part of the cavalry -as far as effecting the occupation of the city was concerned, did not -extend very much beyond it. Clearly the invaders did not want to be -burdened with a large number of British prisoners whom they had no means -of interning, and whom it would be difficult to place on parole. What -they wanted was to strike terror in the great cities of the north. - -Sheffield was now theirs. Nearly all the ammunition and stores of the -defenders had fallen into their hands, and they were enabled to view, -with apparent equanimity, the spectacle of retreating masses of British -infantry, yeomanry, and artillery. Westwards along the network of roads -leading in the direction of the High Peak, Derwent Dale, Bradfield, -Buxton, and on to Glossop, the British were fast retreating, evidently -making Manchester their objective. - -Sheffield was utterly dumbfounded. The barricades had been broken down -and swept away. The troops, of whom they had hoped so much, had been -simply swept away, and now the streets were full of burly foreigners. -George Street swarmed with Westphalian infantry and men of Lorraine; in -Church Street a squadron of Uhlans were drawn up opposite the Sheffield -and Hallamshire Bank, while the sidewalk was occupied by piled arms of -the 39th Fusilier Regiment. In the space around the Town Hall the 6th -Infantry Regiment of the Rhine and a regiment of Cuirassiers were -standing at ease. Many of the stalwart sons of the Fatherland were seen -to light their pipes and stolidly enjoy a smoke, while officers in small -groups stood here and there discussing the events of the victorious day. - -The saddest scenes were to be witnessed at the Royal Infirmary, in -Infirmary Road, at the Royal Hospital in West Street, and even in some -of the vacant wards in the Jessop Hospital for Women in Victoria Street, -which had to be requisitioned for the accommodation of the crowds of -wounded of both nations, so constantly being brought in by carts, -carriages, motor-cars, and even cabs. - -The St. John’s Ambulance Brigade, with many ladies, were doing all they -could to render aid, while the Queen Victoria Jubilee Institute for -Nurses was called upon for all available help. Every place where sick -could be accommodated, including the well-known George Woofindin -Convalescent Home, was crowded to overflowing with sufferers, while -every doctor in Sheffield bore his part in unceasing surgical work. But -the number of dead on both sides it was impossible to estimate. - -At the Town Hall the Lord Mayor, aldermen, and councillors assembled, -and met the German General, who sternly and abruptly demanded the -payment of half a million pounds sterling in gold as an indemnity, -together with the production of all stores that the German Army should -require in order that they could re-victual. - -In reply the Lord Mayor, after consulting with the Council, stated that -he would call a meeting of all bank managers and heads of the great -manufacturing firms in order that the demand might be, as far as -possible, complied with. This answer was promised at five p.m. - -Meanwhile, on the notice-board outside the Town Hall, a proclamation was -affixed by the Chief of the German Staff, a sentry being posted on -either side of it to prevent it being torn down. - -Copies were sent to the offices of the local newspapers, and within half -an hour its tenor was known in every part of the city. Throughout the -night German cavalry patrolled all the main streets, most of the -infantry being now reassembled into their brigades, divisions, and army -corps on the southern outskirts of the city, and in Norton, Coal Aston, -Dronfield, and Whittington were being established the headquarters of -the four different divisions of which the VII. and VIII. Corps -respectively were composed. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - -THE FEELING IN LONDON - - -Reports from Sheffield stated that on Sunday the gallant defence of the -town by General Sir George Woolmer had been broken. We had suffered a -terrible reverse. The British were in full flight, and the two -victorious Corps now had the way open to advance to the metropolis of -the Midlands, for they knew that they had left behind them only a -shattered remnant of what the day before had been the British Army of -the North. - -In both Houses of Parliament, hastily summoned, there had been memorable -scenes. In the Commons, the Government had endeavoured to justify its -suicidal actions of the past, but such speeches were howled down, and -even the Government organs themselves were now compelled to admit that -the party had committed very grave errors of judgment. - -Each night the House had sat until early morning, every member who had -been in England on the previous Sunday being in his place. In response -to the ever-repeated questions put to the War Minister, the reply was -each day the same. All that could be done was being done. - -Was there any hope of victory? That was the question eagerly asked on -every hand--both in Parliament and out of it. At present there seemed -none. Reports from the theatres of war in different parts of the country -reaching the House each hour were ever the same--the British driven back -by the enemy’s overwhelming numbers. - -The outlook was indeed a black one. The lobby was ever crowded by -members eagerly discussing the situation. The enemy were at the gates of -London. What was to be done? - -In the House on Friday, September 7, in view of the fact that London was -undoubtedly the objective of the enemy, it was decided that Parliament -should, on the following day, be transferred to Bristol, and there meet -in the great Colston Hall. This change had actually been effected, and -the whole of both Houses, with their staff, were hurriedly transferred -to the west, the Great Western Railway system being still intact. - -The riff-raff from Whitechapel, those aliens whom we had so long -welcomed and pampered in our midst--Russians, Poles, Austrians, Swedes, -and even Germans--the latter, of course, now declared themselves to be -Russians--had swarmed westward in lawless, hungry multitudes, and on -Monday afternoon serious rioting occurred in Grosvenor Square and the -neighbourhood, and also in Park Lane, where several houses were entered -and pillaged by the alien mobs. - -The disorder commenced at a great mass meeting held in the Park, just -behind the Marble Arch. Orators were denouncing the Government and -abusing the Ministers in unmeasured terms, when someone, seeing the many -aliens around, set up the cry that they were German spies. A free fight -at once ensued, with the result that the mob, uncontrolled by the -police, dashed across into Park Lane and wrecked three of the largest -houses--one of which was deliberately set on fire by a can of petrol -brought from a neighbouring garage. Other houses in Grosvenor Square -shared the same fate. - -In every quarter of London shops containing groceries, provisions, or -flour were broken open by the lawless bands and sacked. From Kingsland -and Hoxton, Lambeth and Camberwell, Notting Dale and Chelsea, reports -received by the police showed that the people were now becoming -desperate. Not only were the aliens lawless, but the London unemployed -and lower classes were now raising their voices. “Stop the war! Stop -the war!” was the cry heard on every hand. Nearly all the shops -containing provisions in Whitechapel Road, Commercial Road East, and -Cable Street were, during Monday, ruthlessly broken open and ransacked. -The police from Leman Street were utterly incompetent to hold back the -rush of the infuriated thousands, who fought desperately with each other -for the spoils, starving men, women, and children all joining in the -fray. - -The East End had indeed become utterly lawless. The big warehouses in -the vicinity of the docks were also attacked and most of them emptied of -their contents, while two at Wapping, being defended by the police, were -deliberately set on fire by the rioters, and quantities of wheat burned. - -Fierce men formed themselves into raiding bands and went westward that -night, committing all sorts of depredations. The enemy were upon them, -and they did not mean to starve, they declared. Southwark and -Bermondsey, Walworth and Kennington had remained quiet and watchful all -the week, but now, when the report spread of this latest disaster to our -troops at Sheffield, and that the Germans were already approaching -London, the whole populace arose, and the shopbreaking, once started in -the Walworth and Old Kent Roads, spread everywhere throughout the whole -of South London. - -In vain did the police good-humouredly cry to them to remain patient; in -vain did the Lord Mayor address the multitude from the steps of the -Royal Exchange; in vain did the newspapers, inspired from headquarters, -with one accord urge the public to remain calm, and allow the -authorities to direct their whole attention towards repelling the -invaders. It was all useless. The public had made up its mind. - -At last the bitter truth was being forced home upon the public, and in -every quarter of the metropolis those very speakers who, only a couple -of years before, were crying down the naval and military critics who -had dared to raise their voices in alarm, were now admitting that the -country should have listened and heeded. - -London, it was plain, had already abandoned hope. The British successes -had been so slight. The command of the sea was still in German hands, -although in the House the Admiralty had reassured the country that in a -few days we should regain the supremacy. - -A few days! In a few days London might be invested by the enemy, and -then would begin a reign of terror unequalled by any in the history of -the civilised world. - -By day the streets of the city presented a scene of turmoil and -activity, for it seemed as though City workers clung to their old habit -of going there each morning, even though their workshops, offices, and -warehouses were closed. By night the West End, Pall Mall, Piccadilly, -Oxford Street, Regent Street, Portland Place, Leicester Square, -Whitehall, Victoria Street, and around Victoria Station were filled with -idle, excited crowds of men, women, and children, hungry, despairing, -wondering. - -At every corner men and boys shouted the latest editions of the -newspapers. “’Nother great Battle! ’Nother British Defeat! Fall of -Sheffield!” rose above the excited chatter of the multitude. The cries -fell upon the ears of defenceless Londoners, darkening the outlook as -hour after hour wore on. - -The heat was stifling, the dust suffocating, now that the roads were -no longer cleaned. The theatres were closed. Only the churches and -chapels remained open--and the public-houses, crowded to overflowing. -In Westminster Abbey, in St. Paul’s Cathedral, in St. -Martin’s-in-the-Fields, and in Westminster Cathedral special prayers -were that night being offered for the success of the British arms. The -services were crowded by all sorts and conditions of persons, from the -poor, pinched woman in a shawl from a Westminster slum, to the lady of -title who ventured out in her electric brougham. Men from the clubs -stood next half-starved working men, and more than one of the more -fortunate slipped money unseen into the hand of his less-favoured -brother in adversity. - -War is a great leveller. The wealthy classes were, in proportion, losing -as much as the workers. It was only the grip of hunger that they did not -feel, only the cry of starving children that did not reach their ears. -For the rest, their interests were equal. - -Meanwhile, from every hand rose the strident cries of the newsboys: - -“‘Nother great Battle! British routed at Sheffield! Extrur -spe-shall!--spe’shall!” - -British routed! It had been the same ominous cry the whole week through. - -Was London really doomed? - - - - -BOOK II - -THE SIEGE OF LONDON - - - - -CHAPTER I - -THE LINES OF LONDON - - -The German successes were continued in the North and Midlands, and -notwithstanding the gallant defence of Sir George Woolmer before -Manchester and Sir Henry Hibbard before Birmingham, both cities were -captured and occupied by the enemy after terrible losses. London, -however, was the chief objective of Von Kronhelm, and towards the -Metropolis he now turned his attention. - -After the defeat of the British at Chelmsford on that fateful Wednesday -Lord Byfield decided to evacuate his position at Royston and fall back -on the northern section of the London defence line, which had been under -construction for the last ten days. These hasty entrenchments, which -would have been impossible to construct but for the ready assistance of -thousands of all classes of the citizens of London and the suburbs, -extended from Tilbury on the east to Bushey on the west, passing by the -Laindon Hills, Brentwood, Kelvedon, North Weald, Epping, Waltham Abbey, -Cheshunt, Enfield Chase, Chipping Barnet, and Elstree. They were more or -less continuous, consisting for the most part of trenches for infantry, -generally following the lines of existing hedgerows or banks, which -often required but little improvement to transform them into -well-protected and formidable cover for the defending troops. Where it -was necessary to cross open ground they were dug deep and winding, after -the fashion adopted by the Boers in the South African War, so that it -would be difficult, if not impossible, to enfilade them. - -Special bomb-proof covers for the local reserves were also constructed -at various points, and the ground in front ruthlessly cleared of houses, -barns, trees, hedges, and everything that might afford shelter to an -advancing enemy. Every possible military obstacle was placed in front of -the lines that time permitted, abattis, military pits, wire -entanglements, and small ground mines. At the more important points -along the fifty miles of entrenchments field-works and redoubts for -infantry and guns were built, most of them being armed with 4.7 or even -6 and 7.5 in. guns, which had been brought from Woolwich, Chatham, -Portsmouth, and Devonport, and mounted on whatever carriages could be -adapted or improvised for the occasion. - -[Illustration: The Lines of London] - -The preparation of the London lines was a stupendous undertaking, but -the growing scarceness and dearness of provisions assisted in a degree, -as no free rations were issued to any able-bodied man unless he went out -to work at the fortifications. All workers were placed under military -law. There were any number of willing workers who proffered their -services in this time of peril. Thousands of men came forward asking to -be enlisted and armed. The difficulty was to find enough weapons and -ammunition for them, to say nothing of the question of uniform and -equipment, which loomed very large indeed. The attitude of the Germans, -as set forth in Von Kronhelm’s proclamations, precluded the employment -of fighting men dressed in civilian garb, and their attitude was a -perfectly natural and justifiable one by all the laws and customs of -war. - -It became necessary, therefore, that all men sent to the front should be -dressed as soldiers in some way or another. In addition to that splendid -corps, the Legion of Frontiersmen, many new armed organisations had -sprung into being, some bearing the most fantastic names, such as the -“Whitechapel War-to-the-Knifes,” the “Kensington Cowboys,” the -“Bayswater Braves,” and the “Southwark Scalphunters.” All the available -khaki and blue serge was used up in no time; even though those who were -already in possession of ordinary lounge suits of the latter material -were encouraged to have them altered into uniform by the addition of -stand-up collars and facings of various colours, according to their -regiments and corps. - -Only the time during which these men were waiting for their uniforms was -spent in drill in the open spaces of the metropolis. As soon as they -were clothed, they were despatched to that portion of the entrenchments -to which their corps had been allocated, and there, in the intervals of -their clearing and digging operations, they were hustled through a brief -musketry course, which consisted for the most part in firing. The -question of the provision of officers and N.C.O.s was an almost -insuperable one. Retired men came forward on every side, but the supply -was by no means equal to the demand, and they themselves in many -instances were absolutely out of date as far as knowledge of modern arms -and conditions were concerned. However, every one, with but very few -exceptions, did his utmost, and by the 11th or 12th of the month the -entrenchments were practically completed, and manned by upwards of -150,000 “men with muskets” of stout heart and full of patriotism, but -in reality nothing but an army “pour rire” so far as efficiency was -concerned. - -The greater part of the guns were also placed in position, especially on -the north and eastern portions of the lines, and the remainder were -being mounted as fast as it was practicable. They were well manned by -Volunteer and Militia artillerymen, drawn from every district which the -invaders had left accessible. By the 13th the eastern section of the -fortifications was strengthened by the arrival of the remnants of the -Ist and Vth Army Corps, which had been so badly defeated at Chelmsford, -and no time was lost in reorganising them and distributing them along -the lines, thereby, to a certain extent, leavening the unbaked mass of -their improvised defenders. It was generally expected that the enemy -would follow up the success by an immediate attack on Brentwood, the -main barrier between Von Kronhelm and his objective--our great -metropolis. But, as it turned out, he had a totally different scheme in -hand. The orders to Lord Byfield to evacuate the position he had -maintained with such credit against the German Garde and IVth Corps have -already been referred to. Their reason was obvious. Now that there was -no organised resistance on his right, he stood in danger of being cut -off from London, the defences of which were now in pressing need of his -men. A large amount of rolling stock was at once despatched to Saffron -Walden and Buntingford by the G.E.R., and to Baldock by the G.N.R., to -facilitate the withdrawal of his troops and stores, and he was given an -absolutely free hand as to how these were to be used, all lines being -kept clear and additional trains kept waiting at his disposal at their -London termini. - -The 13th of September proved a memorable date in the history of England. - -The evacuation of the Baldock-Saffron Walden position could not possibly -have been carried out in good order on such short notice, had not Lord -Byfield previously worked the whole thing out in readiness. He could -not help feeling that, despite his glorious victory on the ninth, a turn -of Fortune’s wheel might necessitate a retirement on London sooner or -later, and, like the good General that he was, he made every preparation -both for this, and other eventualities. Among other details, he had -arranged that the mounted infantry should be provided with plenty of -strong light wire. This was intended for the express benefit of -Frölich’s formidable cavalry brigade, which he foresaw would be most -dangerous to his command in the event of a retreat. As soon, therefore, -as the retrograde movement commenced, the mounted infantry began to -stretch their wires across every road, lane, and byway leading to the -north and north-east. Some wires were laid low, within a foot of the -ground, others high up where they could catch a rider about the neck or -breast. This operation they carried out again and again, after the -troops had passed, at various points on the route of the retreat. Thanks -to the darkness, this device well fulfilled its purpose. Frölich’s -brigade was on the heels of the retreating British soon after midnight, -but as it was impossible for them to move over the enclosed country at -night his riders were confined to the roads, and the accidents and -delays occasioned by the wires were so numerous and disconcerting, that -their advance had to be conducted with such caution that as a pursuit it -was of no use at all. Even the infantry and heavy guns of the retiring -British got over the ground nearly twice as fast. After two or three -hours of this, only varied by occasional volleys from detachments of our -mounted infantry, who sometimes waited in rear of their snares to let -fly at the German cavalry before galloping back to lay others, the enemy -recognised the fact, and, withdrawing their cavalry till daylight, -replaced them by infantry, but so much time had been lost that the -British had got several miles’ start. - -As has been elsewhere chronicled, the brigade of four regular battalions -with their guns, and a company of Engineers, which were to secure the -passage of the Stort and protect the left flank of the retirement, left -Saffron Walden somewhere about 10.30 p.m. The line was clear, and they -arrived at Sawbridgeworth in four long trains in a little under an hour. -Their advent did not arouse the sleeping village, as the station lies -nearly three-quarters of a mile distant on the further side of the -river. It may be noted in passing that while the Stort is but a small -stream, easily fordable in most places, yet it was important, if -possible, to secure the bridges to prevent delay in getting over the -heavy guns and wagons of the retiring British. A delay and congestion at -the points selected for passage might, with a close pursuit, easily lead -to disaster. Moreover, the Great Eastern Railway crossed the river by a -wooden bridge just north of the village of Sawbridgeworth, and it was -necessary to ensure the safe passage of the last trains over it before -destroying it to preclude the use of the railway by the enemy. - -There were two road bridges on the Great Eastern Railway near the -village of Sawbridgeworth, which might be required by the Dunmow force, -which was detailed to protect the same flank rather more to the -northward. The most important bridge, that over which the main body of -the Saffron Walden force was to retire, with all the impedimenta it had -had time to bring away with it, was between Sawbridgeworth and Harlow, -about a mile north of the latter village, but much nearer its station. -Thither, then, proceeded the leading train with the Grenadiers, four 4.7 -guns, and half a company of Royal Engineers with bridging materials. -Their task was to construct a second bridge to relieve the traffic over -the permanent one. The Grenadiers left one company at the railway -station, two in Harlow village, which they at once commenced to place in -a state of defence, much to the consternation of the villagers, who had -not realised how close to them were trending the red footsteps of war. -The remaining five companies with the other four guns turned northward, -and after marching another mile or so occupied the enclosures round -Durrington House and the higher ground to its north. Here the guns were -halted on the road. It was too dark to select the best position for -them, for it was now only about half an hour after midnight. The three -other regiments which detrained at Sawbridgeworth were disposed as -follows, continuing the line of the Grenadiers to the northward. The -Rifles occupied Hyde Hall, formerly the seat of the Earls of Roden, -covering the operations of the Engineers, who were preparing the railway -bridge for destruction, and the copses about Little Hyde Hall on the -higher ground to the eastward. - -The Scots Guards with four guns were between them and the Grenadiers, -and distributed between Sheering village and Gladwyns House, from the -neighbourhood of which it was expected that the guns would be able to -command the Chelmsford Road for a considerable distance. The Seaforth -Highlanders for the time being were stationed on a road running parallel -to the railway, from which branch roads led to both the right, left, and -centre of the position. An advanced party of the Rifle Brigade was -pushed forward to Hatfield Heath with instructions to patrol towards the -front and flanks, and, if possible, establish communication with the -troops expected from Dunmow. By the time all this was completed it was -getting on for 3 a.m. on the 13th. At this hour the advanced guard of -the Germans coming from Chelmsford was midway between Leaden Roding and -White Roding, while the main body was crossing the small River Roding by -the shallow ford near the latter village. Their few cavalry scouts were, -however, exploring the roads and lanes some little way ahead. A -collision was imminent. The Dunmow force had not been able to move -before midnight, and, with the exception of one regular battalion, the -1st Leinsters, which was left behind to the last and crowded into the -only train available, had only just arrived at the northern edge of -Hatfield Forest, some four miles directly north of Hatfield Heath. The -Leinsters, who left Dunmow by train half an hour later, had detrained at -this point at one o’clock, and just about three had met the patrols of -the Rifles. A Yeomanry corps from Dunmow was also not far off, as it had -turned to its left at the crossroads east of Takely, and was by this -time in the neighbourhood of Hatfield Broad Oak. In short, all three -forces were converging, but the bulk of the Dunmow force was four miles -away from the point of convergence. - -It was still profoundly dark when the Rifles at Hatfield Heath heard a -dozen shots cracking through the darkness to their left front. Almost -immediately other reports resounded from due east. Nothing could be seen -beyond a very few yards, and the men of the advanced company drawn up at -the crossroads in front of the village inn fancied they now and again -saw figures dodging about in the obscurity, but were cautioned not to -fire till their patrols had come in, for it was impossible to -distinguish friend from foe. Shots still rattled out here and there to -the front. About ten minutes later the captain in command, having got in -his patrols, gave the order to fire at a black blur that seemed to be -moving towards them on the Chelmsford Road. There was no mistake this -time. The momentary glare of the discharge flashed on the shiny -“pickel-haubes” of a detachment of German infantry, who charged forward -with a loud “Hoch!” The Riflemen, who already had their bayonets fixed, -rushed to meet them, and for a few moments there was a fierce stabbing -affray in the blackness of the night. The Germans, who were but few in -number, were overpowered, and beat a retreat, having lost several of -their men. The Rifles, according to their orders, having made sure of -the immediate proximity of the enemy, now fell back to the rest of their -battalion at Little Hyde Hall, and all along the banks and hedges which -covered the British front, our men, rifle in hand, peered eagerly into -the darkness ahead of them. - -Nothing happened for quite half an hour, and the anxious watchers were -losing some of their alertness, when a heavy outburst of firing -re-echoed from Hatfield Heath. To explain this we must return to the -Germans. Von der Rudesheim, on obtaining touch with the British, at once -reinforced his advanced troops, and they, a whole battalion strong, -advanced into the hamlet, meeting with no resistance. Almost -simultaneously two companies of the Leinsters entered it from the -northward. There was a sudden and unexpected collision on the open -green, and a terrible fire was exchanged at close quarters, both sides -losing very heavily. The British, however, were borne back by sheer -weight of numbers, and, through one of those unfortunate mistakes that -insist on occurring in warfare, were charged as they fell back by the -leading squadrons of the Yeomanry who were coming up from Hatfield Broad -Oak. The officer commanding the Leinsters decided to wait till it was a -little lighter before again attacking the village. He considered that, -as he had no idea of the strength of the enemy, he had best wait till -the arrival of the troops now marching through Hatfield Forest. Von der -Rudesheim, on his part, mindful of his instructions, determined to try -to hold the few scattered houses on the north side of the heath which -constituted the village, with the battalion already in it, and push -forward with the remainder of his force towards Harlow. His first essay -along the direct road viâ Sheering, was repulsed by the fire of the -Scots Guards lining the copses about Gladwyns. He now began to have some -idea of the British position, and made his preparations to assault it at -daybreak. - -To this end he sent forward two of his batteries into Hatfield Heath, -cautiously moved the rest of his force away to the left, arranged his -battalions in the valley of the Pincey Brook ready for attacking -Sheering and Gladwyns, placed one battalion in reserve at - -[Illustration: BATTLE OF HARLOW] - -Down Hall, and stationed his remaining battery near Newman’s End. By -this time there was beginning to be a faint glimmer of daylight in the -east, and, as the growing dawn began to render vague outlines of the -nearer objects dimly discernible, hell broke loose along the peaceful -countryside. A star shell fired from the battery at Newman’s End burst -and hung out a brilliant white blaze that fell slowly over Sheering -village, lighting up its walls and roofs and the hedges along which lay -its defenders, was the signal for the Devil’s Dance to begin. Twelve -guns opened with a crash from Hatfield Heath, raking the Gladwyns -enclosures and the end of Sheering village with a deluge of shrapnel, -while an almost solid firing line advanced rapidly against it, firing -heavily. The British replied lustily with gun, rifle, and maxim, the -big, high-explosive shells bursting amid the advancing Germans and among -the houses of Hatfield Heath with telling effect. But the German -assaulting lines had but six or seven hundred yards to go. They had been -trained above all things to ignore losses and to push on at all hazards. -The necessity for this had not been confused in their minds by maxims -about the importance of cover, so the south side of the village street -was taken at a rush. Von der Rudesheim continued to pile on his men, -and, fighting desperately, the Guardsmen were driven from house to house -and from fence to fence. All this time the German battery at Newman’s -End continued to fire star shells with rhythmical regularity, lighting -up the inflamed countenances of the living combatants, and the pale -upturned faces of the dead turned to heaven as if calling for vengeance -on their slayers. In the midst of this desperate fighting the Leinsters, -supported by a Volunteer and a Militia regiment, which had just come up, -assaulted Hatfield Heath. The Germans were driven out of it with the -loss of a couple of their guns, but hung on to the little church, around -which such a desperate conflict was waged that the dead above ground in -that diminutive God’s acre outnumbered the “rude forefathers of the -hamlet” who slept below. - -It was now past five o’clock in the morning, and by this time strong -reinforcements might have been expected from Dunmow, but, with the -exception of the Militia and Volunteer battalions just referred to, who -had pushed on at the sound of the firing, none were seen coming up. The -fact was that they had been told off to certain positions in the line of -defence they had been ordered to take up, and had been slowly and -carefully installing themselves therein. Their commanding officer, Sir -Jacob Stellenbosch, thought that he must carry out the exact letter of -the orders he had received from Lord Byfield, and paid little attention -to the firing except to hustle his battalion commanders, to try to get -them into their places as soon as possible. He was a pig-headed man into -the bargain, and would listen to no remonstrance. The two battalions -which had arrived so opportunely had been at the head of the column, and -had pushed forward “on their own” before he could prevent them. At this -time the position was as follows: One German battalion was hanging -obstinately on to the outskirts of Hatfield Heath; two were in -possession of the copses about Gladwyns; two were in Sheering village, -or close up to it, and the sixth was still in reserve at Down Hall. On -the British side the Rifles were in their original position at Little -Hyde Hall, where also were three guns, which had been got away from -Gladwyns. The Seaforths had come up, and were now firing from about -Quickbury, while the Scots Guards, after suffering fearful losses, were -scattered, some with the Highlanders, others with the five companies of -the Grenadiers, who with their four guns still fought gallantly on -between Sheering and Durrington House. - - - - -CHAPTER II - -REPULSE OF THE GERMANS - - -The terrible fire of the swarms of Germans who now lined the edges of -Sheering village became too much for the four 4.7 guns on the open -ground to the south. - -Their gunners were shot down as fast as they touched their weapons, and -when the German field battery at Newman’s End, which had been advanced -several hundred yards, suddenly opened a flanking fire of shrapnel upon -them, it was found absolutely impossible to serve them. A gallant -attempt was made to withdraw them by the Harlow Road, but their teams -were shot down as soon as they appeared. This enfilade fire, too, -decimated the Grenadiers and the remnant of the Scots, though they -fought on to the death, and a converging attack of a battalion from Down -Hall and another from Sheering drove them down into the grounds of -Durrington House, where fighting still went on savagely for some time -afterwards. - -Von der Rudesheim had all but attained a portion of his object, which -was to establish his guns in such a position that they could fire on the -main body of the British troops when they entered Sawbridgeworth by the -Cambridge Road. The place where the four guns with the Grenadiers had -been stationed was within 3000 yards of any part of that road between -Harlow and Sawbridgeworth. But this spot was still exposed to the rifle -fire of the Seaforths who held Quickbury. Von der Rudesheim therefore -determined to swing forward his left, and either drive them back down -the hill towards the river, or at least to so occupy them that he could -bring up his field-guns to their chosen position without losing too many -of his gunners. - -By six o’clock, thanks to his enormous local superiority in numbers, he -had contrived to do this, and now the opposing forces with the exception -of the British Grenadiers, who still fought with a German battalion -between Durrington House and Harlow, faced each other north and south, -instead of east and west, as they were at the beginning of the fight. -Brigadier-General Lane-Edgeworth, who was in command of the British, had -been sending urgent messages for reinforcements to the Dunmow Force, but -when its commanding officer finally decided to turn his full strength in -the direction of the firing, it took so long to assemble and form up the -Volunteer regiments who composed the bulk of his command, that it was -past seven before the leading battalion had deployed to assist in the -attack which it was decided to make against the German right. Meantime, -other important events had transpired. - -Von der Rudesheim had found that the battalion which was engaged with -the Grenadiers could not get near Harlow village, or either the river or -railway bridge at that place, both of which he wished to destroy. But -his scouts had reported a lock and wooden footbridge immediately to the -westward between Harlow and Sawbridgeworth, just abreast of the large -wooded park surrounding Pishobury House on the farther side. He -determined to send two companies over by this, their movements being -hidden from the English by the trees. After crossing, they found -themselves confronted by a backwater, but, trained in crossing rivers, -they managed to ford and swim over, and advanced through the park -towards Harlow Bridge. While this was in progress, a large force was -reported marching south on the Cambridge Road. - -While Von der Rudesheim, who was at the western end of Sheering hamlet, -was looking through his glasses at the new arrivals on the scene of -action--who were without doubt the main body of the Royston command, -which was retiring under the personal supervision of Lord Byfield--a -puff of white smoke rose above the trees about Hyde Hall, and at top -speed four heavily loaded trains shot into sight going south. These were -the same ones that had brought down the Regular British troops, with -whom he was now engaged. They had gone north again, and picked up a -number of Volunteer battalions belonging to the retreating force just -beyond Bishop’s Stortford. But so long a time had been taken in -entraining the troops in the darkness and confusion of the retreat, that -their comrades who had kept to the road arrived almost simultaneously. -Von der Rudesheim signalled, and sent urgent orders for his guns to be -brought up to open fire on them, but by the time the first team had -reached him the last of the trains had disappeared from sight into the -cutting at Harlow Station. But even now it was not too late to open fire -on the troops entering Sawbridgeworth. - -Things were beginning to look somewhat bad for Von der Rudesheim’s -little force. The pressure from the north was increasing every moment, -his attack on the retreating troops had failed, he had not so far been -able to destroy the bridges at Harlow, and every minute the likelihood -of his being able to do so grew more remote. To crown all, word was -brought him that the trains which had just slipped by were disgorging -men in hundreds along the railway west of Harlow Station, and that these -troops were beginning to move forward as if to support the British -Grenadiers, who had been driven back towards Harlow. In fact, he saw -that there was even a possibility of his being surrounded. But he had no -intention of discontinuing the fight. He knew he could rely on the -discipline and mobility of his well-trained men under almost any -conditions, and he trusted, moreover, that the promised reinforcements -would not be very long in turning up. But he could not hold on just -where he was. He accordingly, by various adroit manœuvres, threw -back his right to Down Hall, whose copses and plantations afforded a -good deal of cover, and, using this as a pivot, gradually wheeled back -his left till he had taken up a position running north and south from -Down Hall to Matching Tye. He had not effected this difficult -manœuvre without considerable loss, but he experienced less -difficulty in extricating his left than he had anticipated, since the -newly arrived British troops at Harlow, instead of pressing forward -against him, had been engaged in moving into a position between Harlow -and the hamlet of Foster Street, on the somewhat elevated ground to the -south of Matching, which would enable them to cover the further march of -the main body of the retreating troops to Epping. - -But he had totally lost the two companies he had sent across the river -to attack Harlow Bridge. Unfortunately for them, their arrival on the -Harlow-Sawbridgeworth Road synchronised with that of the advanced guard -of Lord Byfield’s command. Some hot skirmishing took place in and out -among the trees of Pishobury, and finally the Germans were driven to -earth in the big square block of the red-brick mansion itself. - -Here they made a desperate stand, fighting hard as they were driven from -one storey to another. The staircases ran with blood, the woodwork -smouldered and threatened to burst into flame in a dozen places. At -length the arrival of a battery of field guns, which, unlimbered at -close range, induced the survivors to surrender, and they were disarmed -and carried off as prisoners with the retreating army. - - * * * * * - -By the time Von der Rudesheim had succeeded in taking up his new -position it was past ten o’clock, and he had been informed by despatches -carried by motor-cyclists that he might expect assistance in another -hour and a half. - -The right column, consisting of the 39th Infantry Brigade of five -battalions, six batteries, and a squadron of Dragoons, came into -collision with the left flank of the Dunmow force, which was engaged in -attacking Von der Rudesheim’s right at Down Hall, and endeavouring to -surround it. Sir Jacob Stellenbosch, who was in command, in vain tried -to change front to meet the advancing enemy. His troops were nearly all -Volunteers, who were incapable of quickly manœuvring under difficult -circumstances; they were crumpled up and driven back in confusion -towards Hatfield Heath. Had Von Kronhelm been able to get in the bulk of -his cavalry from their luckless pursuit of the Ist and Vth British Army -Corps, who had been driven back on Brentwood the evening previous, and -so send a proportion with the 20th Division, few would have escaped to -tell the tale. As it was, the unfortunate Volunteers were shot down in -scores by the “feu d’enfer” with which the artillery followed them up, -and lay in twos and threes and larger groups all over the fields, -victims of a selfish nation that accepted these poor fellows’ gratuitous -services merely in order that its citizens should not be obliged to -carry out what in every other European country was regarded as the first -duty of citizenship--that of learning to bear arms in the defence of the -Fatherland. - -By this time the greater portion of the retreating British Army, with -all its baggage, guns, and impedimenta, was crawling slowly along the -road from Harlow to Epping. Unaccustomed as they were to marching, the -poor Volunteers, who had already covered eighteen or twenty miles of -road, were now toiling slowly and painfully along the highway. The -regular troops, who had been engaged since early morning, and who were -now mostly in the neighbourhood of Moor Hall, east of Harlow, firing at -long ranges on Von der Rudesheim’s men to keep them in their places -while Sir Jacob Stellenbosch attacked their right, were now hurriedly -withdrawn and started to march south by a track running parallel to the -main Epping Road, between it and that along which the covering force of -Volunteers, who had come in by train, were now established in position. -The 1st and 2nd Coldstreamers, who had formed Lord Byfield’s rear-guard -during the night, were halted in Harlow village. - -Immediately upon the success obtained by his right column, General -Richel von Sieberg, who commanded the 20th Hanoverian Division, ordered -his two centre and left columns, consisting respectively of the three -battalions 77th Infantry and two batteries of Horse Artillery, then at -Matching Green, and the three battalions 92nd Infantry, 10th Pioneer -Battalion, and five batteries Field Artillery, then between High Laver -and Tilegate Green, to turn to their left and advance in fighting -formation in a south-westerly direction, with the object of attacking -the sorely harassed troops of Lord Byfield on their way to Epping. - - * * * * * - -The final phase of this memorable retreat is best told in the words of -the special war correspondent of the _Daily Telegraph_, who arrived on -the scene at about one o’clock in the afternoon: - -“EPPING, 5 p.m., _September 9_. - -“Thanks to the secrecy preserved by the military authorities, it was not -known that Lord Byfield was falling back from the Royston-Saffron Walden -position till seven this morning. By eight, I was off in my car for the -scene of action, for rumours of fighting near Harlow had already begun -to come in. I started out by way of Tottenham and Edmonton, expecting to -reach Harlow by 9.30 or 10. But I reckoned without the numerous military -officials with whom I came in contact, who constantly stopped me and -sent me out of my way on one pretext or another. I am sure I hope that -the nation has benefited by their proceedings. In the end it was close -on one before I pulled up at the Cock Inn, Epping, in search of -additional information, because for some time I had been aware of the -rumbling growl of heavy artillery from the eastward, and wondered what -it might portend. I found that General Sir Stapleton Forsyth, who -commanded the Northern section of the defences, had made the inn his -headquarters, and there was a constant coming and going of orderlies and -staff-officers at its portals. Opposite, the men of one of the new -irregular corps, dressed in dark green corduroy, blue flannel cricketing -caps, and red cummerbunds, sat or reclined in two long lines on either -side of their piled arms on the left of the wide street. On inquiry I -heard that the enemy were said to be bombarding Kelvedon Hatch, and also -that the head of our retreating columns was only three or four miles -distant. - -“I pushed on, and, after the usual interrogations from an officer in -charge of a picket, where the road ran through the entrenchments about a -mile farther on, found myself spinning along through the country in the -direction of Harlow. As I began to ascend the rising ground towards -Potter Street I could hear a continuous roll of artillery away to my -right. I could not distinguish anything except the smoke of shells -bursting here and there in the distance, on account of the scattered -trees which lined the maze of hedgerows on every side. Close to Potter -Street I met the head of the retreating army. Very tired, heated, and -footsore looked the hundreds of poor fellows as they dragged themselves -along through the heat. It was a sultry afternoon and the roads inches -deep in dust. - -“Turning to the right over Harlow Common, I met another column of men. I -noticed that these were all Regulars, Grenadiers, Scots Guards, a -battalion of Highlanders, another of Riflemen, and, lastly, two -battalions of the Coldstreamers. These troops stepped along with rather -more life than the citizen soldiers I had met previously, but still -showed traces of their hard marching and fighting. Many of them were -wearing bandages, but all the more seriously wounded had been left -behind to be looked after by the Germans. All this time the firing was -still resounding heavy and constant from the north-east, and from one -person and another whom I questioned I ascertained that the enemy were -advancing upon us from that direction. Half a mile farther on I ran into -the middle of the fighting. The road ran along the top of a kind of flat -ridge or upland, whence I could see to a considerable distance on either -hand. - -“Partially sheltered from view by its hedges and the scattered cottages -forming the hamlet of Foster Street was a long, irregular line of guns -facing nearly east. Beyond them were yet others directed north. There -were field batteries and big 4·7’s. All were hard at work, their gunners -working like men possessed, and the crash of their constant discharge -was ear-splitting. I had hardly taken this in when “Bang! Bang! Bang! -Bang!”--four dazzling flashes opened in the air overhead, and shrapnel -bullets rattled on earth, walls, and roofs, with a sound as of handfuls -of pebbles thrown on a marble pavement. But the hardness with which they -struck was beyond anything in my experience. - -“It was not pleasant to be here, but I ran my car behind a little -public-house that stood by the wayside, and, dismounting, unslung my -glasses and determined to get what view of the proceedings I could from -the corner of the house. All round khaki-clad Volunteers lined every -hedge and sheltered behind every cottage, while farther off, in the -lower ground, from a mile to a mile and a half away I could distinguish -the closely packed firing lines of the Germans advancing slowly but -steadily, despite the gaps made in their ranks by the fire of our guns. -Their own guns, I fancied I could make out near Tilegate Green, to the -north-east. Neither side had as yet opened rifle fire. Getting into my -car I motored back to the main road, but it was so blocked by the -procession of wagons and troops of the retreating army that I could not -turn into it. Wheeling round I made my way back to a parallel lane I had -noticed, and - -[Illustration: BATTLE OF HARLOW - -FINAL PHASE] - -turning to the left again at a smithy, found myself in a road bordered -by cottages and enclosures. Here I found the Regular troops I had lately -met lining every hedgerow and fence, while I could see others on a knoll -further to their left. There was a little church here, and, mounting to -the roof, I got a comparatively extensive view. To my right the long, -dusty column of men and wagons still toiled along the Epping Road. In -front, nearly three miles off, an apparently solid line of woods -stretched along the horizon, surmounting a long, gradual, and open -slope. This was the position of our lines near Epping, and the haven for -which Lord Byfield’s tired soldiery were making. To the left the serried -masses of drab-clad German infantry still pushed aggressively forward, -their guns firing heavily over their heads. - -“As I watched them three tremendous explosions took place in their -midst, killing dozens of them. Fire, smoke, and dust rose up twenty feet -in the air, while three ear-splitting reports rose even above the -rolling thunder of the gunfire. More followed. I looked again towards -the woodland. Here I saw blaze after blaze of fire among the dark masses -of trees. Our big guns in the fortifications had got to work, and were -punishing the Germans most severely, taking their attack in flank with -their big 6-inch and 7·5-inch projectiles. Cheers arose all along our -lines, as shell after shell, fired by gunners who knew to an inch the -distances to every house and conspicuous tree, burst among the German -ranks, killing and maiming the invaders by hundreds. The advance paused, -faltered, and, being hurriedly reinforced from the rear, once more went -forward. - -“But the big high explosive projectiles continued to fall with such -accuracy and persistence that the attackers fell sullenly back, losing -heavily as they did so. The enemy’s artillery now came in for attention, -and also was driven out of range with loss. The last stage in the -retreat of Lord Byfield’s command was now secured. The extended troops -and guns gradually drew off from their positions, still keeping a -watchful eye on the foe, and by 4·30 all were within the Epping -entrenchments. All, that is to say, but the numerous killed and wounded -during the running fight that had extended along the last seven or eight -miles of the retreat, and the bulk of the Dunmow force under Sir Jacob -Stellenbosch, which, with its commander, had, it was believed, been made -prisoners. They had been caught between the 39th German Infantry Brigade -and several regiments of cavalry, that it was said had arrived from the -northward soon after they were beaten at Hatfield Heath. Probably these -were the advanced troops of General Frölich’s Cavalry Brigade.” - - - - -CHAPTER III - -BATTLE OF EPPING - - -The following is extracted from the _Times_ of 15th September:-- - -“EPPING, _14th September, Evening_. - -“I have spent a busy day, but have no very important news to record. -After the repulse of the German troops attacking Lord Byfield’s -retreating army and the arrival of our sorely harassed troops behind the -Epping entrenchments, we saw no more of the enemy that evening. All -through the night, however, there was the sound of occasional heavy gun -firing from the eastward. I have taken up my quarters at the Bell, an -inn at the south end of the village, from the back of which I can get a -good view to the north-west for from two to four miles. Beyond that -distance the high ridge known as Epping Upland limits the prospect. The -whole terrain is cut up into fields of various sizes and dotted all over -with trees. Close by is a lofty red brick water-tower, which has been -utilised by Sir Stapleton Forsyth as a signal station. Away about a mile -to my left front as I look from the back of the Bell a big block of -buildings stands prominently out on a grassy spur of high ground. This -is Copped Hall and Little Copped Hall. - -“Both mansions have been transformed into fortresses, which, while -offering little or no resistance to artillery fire, will yet form a -tough nut for the Germans to crack, should they succeed in getting -through our entrenchments at that point. Beyond, I can just see a corner -of a big earthwork that has been built to strengthen the defence line, -and which has been christened Fort Obelisk, from a farm of that name, -near which it is situated. There is another smaller redoubt on the slope -just below this hostelry, and I can see the gunners busy about the three -big khaki-painted guns which are mounted in it. There are a 6-inch and -two 4·7-inch guns, I believe. This morning our cavalry, consisting of a -regiment of yeomanry and some mounted infantry, who had formed a portion -of Lord Byfield’s force, went out to reconnoitre towards the north and -east. They were not away long, as they were driven back in every -direction in which they attempted to advance, by superior forces of the -enemy’s cavalry, who seemed to swarm everywhere. - -“Later on, I believe, some of the German reiters became so venturesome -that several squadrons exposed themselves to the fire of the big guns in -the fort at Skip’s Corner, and suffered pretty severely for their -temerity. The firing continued throughout the morning away to the -eastward, and about noon I thought I would run down and see if I could -find out anything about it. I therefore mounted my car and ran off in -that direction. I found that there was a regular duel going on between -our guns at Kelvedon Hatch and some heavy siege guns or howitzers that -the enemy had got in the neighbourhood of the high ground about Norton -Heath, only about 3000 yards distant from our entrenchments. They did -not appear to have done us much damage, but neither, in all probability, -did we hurt them very much, since our gunners were unable to exactly -locate the hostile guns. - -“When I got back to Epping, about three o’clock, I found the wide single -street full of troops. They were those who had come in the previous -afternoon with Lord Byfield, and who, having been allowed to rest till -midday after their long fighting march, were now being told off to their -various sections of the defence line. The Guard regiments were allocated -to the northernmost position between Fort Royston and Fort Skips. The -rifles were to go to Copped Hall, and the Seaforths to form the nucleus -of a central reserve of Militia and Volunteers, which was being -established just north of Gaynes Park. Epping itself and the contiguous -entrenchments were confided to the Leinster Regiment, which alone of Sir -Jacobs Stellenbosch’s brigade had escaped capture, supported by two -Militia battalions. The field batteries were distributed under shelter -of the woods on the south, east, and north-east of the town. - -“During the afternoon the welcome news arrived that the remainder of -Lord Byfield’s command from Baldock, Royston, and Elmdon had safely -arrived within our entrenchments at Enfield and New Barnet. We may now -hope that what with Regulars, Militia, Volunteers, and the new levies, -our lines are fully and effectively manned, and will suffice to stay the -further advance of even such a formidable host as is that at the -disposal of the renowned Von Kronhelm. It is reported, too, from -Brentwood that great progress has already been made in reorganising and -distributing the broken remnants of the 1st and 5th Armies that got back -to that town after the great and disastrous battle of Chelmsford. -Victorious as they were, the Germans must also have suffered severely, -which may give us some breathing time before their next onslaught.” - - * * * * * - -The following are extracts from a diary picked up by a _Daily Mirror_ -correspondent, lying near the body of a German officer after the -fighting in the neighbourhood of Enfield Chase. It is presumed that the -officer in question was Major Splittberger, of the Kaiser Franz Garde -Grenadier Regiment, since that was the name written inside the cover of -the diary. - -From inquiries that have since been instituted, it is probable that the -deceased officer was employed on the staff of the General commanding the -IVth Corps of the invading Army, though it would seem from the contents -of his diary that he saw also a good deal of the operations of the Xth -Corps. Our readers will be able to gather from it the general course of -the enemy’s strategy and tactics during the time immediately preceding -the most recent disasters which have befallen our brave defenders. The -first extract is dated September 15, and was written somewhere north of -Epping: - -“_Sept. 15._--So far the bold strategy of our Commander-in-Chief, in -pushing the greater part of the Xth Corps directly to the west -immediately after our victory at Chelmsford, has been amply justified by -results. Although we just missed cutting off Lord Byfield and a large -portion of his command at Harlow, we gained a good foothold inside the -British defences north of Epping, and I don’t think it will be long -before we have very much improved our position there. The IVth Corps -arrived at Harlow about midday yesterday in splendid condition, after -their long march from Newmarket, and the residue of the Xth joined us -about the same time. As there is nothing like keeping the enemy on the -move, no time was lost in preparing to attack him at the very earliest -opportunity. As soon as it was dark the IVth Corps got its heavy guns -and howitzers into position along the ridge above Epping Upland, and -sent the greater portion of its field batteries forward to a position -from which they were within effective range of the British -fortifications at Skip’s Corner. - -“The IXth Corps, which had arrived from Chelmsford that evening, also -placed its field artillery in a similar position, from which its fire -crossed that of the IVth Corps. This corps also provided the assaulting -troops. The Xth Corps, which had been engaged all day on Thursday, was -held in reserve. The howitzers on Epping Upland opened fire with petrol -shell on the belt of woods that lies immediately in rear of the position -to be attacked, and with the assistance of a strong westerly wind -succeeded in setting them on fire and cutting off the most northerly -section of the British defences from reinforcement. This was soon after -midnight. The conflagration not only did us this service, but it is -supposed so attracted the attention of the partially trained soldiers of -the enemy that they did not observe the IXth Corps massing for the -assault. - -“We then plastered their trenches with shrapnel to such an extent that -they did not dare to show a finger above them, and finally carried the -northern corner by assault. To give the enemy their due, they fought -well, but we outnumbered them five to one, and it was impossible for -them to resist the onslaught of our well-trained soldiers. News came -to-day that the Saxons have been making a demonstration before Brentwood -with a view of keeping the British employed down there so that they -cannot send any reinforcements up here. At the same time they have been -steadily bombarding Kelvedon Hatch from Norton Heath. - -“We hear, too, that the Garde Corps have got down south, and that their -front stretches from Broxbourne to Little Berkhamsted, while Frölich’s -Cavalry Division is in front of them, spread all over the country, from -the River Lea away to the westward, having driven the whole of the -British outlying troops and patrols under the shelter of their -entrenchments. Once we succeed in rolling up the enemy’s troops in this -quarter, it will not be long before we are entering London.” - -“_Sept. 16._--Fighting went on all yesterday in the neighbourhood of -Skip’s Corner. We have taken the redoubt at North Weald Basset and -driven the English back into the belt of burnt woodland, which they now -hold along its northern edge. All day long, too, our big guns, hidden -away behind the groves and woods above Epping Upland, poured their heavy -projectiles on Epping and its defences. We set the village on fire three -times, but the British contrived to extinguish the blaze on each -occasion. - -“I fancy Epping itself will be our next point of attack. - -“_Sept. 17._--We are still progressing, fighting is now all but -continuous. How long it may last I have no idea. Probably there will be -no suspension of the struggle until we are actually masters of the -metropolis. We took advantage of the darkness to push forward our men to -within three thousand yards of the enemy’s lines, placing them as far as -possible under cover of the numerous copses, plantations, and hedgerows -which cover the face of this fertile country. At 4 a.m. the General -ordered his staff to assemble at Latton Park, where he had established -his headquarters. He unfolded to us the general outline of the attack, -which, he now announced, was to commence at six precisely. - -[Illustration: GERMAN ATTACK ON THE LINES OF LONDON] - -“I thought myself that it was a somewhat inopportune time, as we should -have the rising sun right in our eyes; but I imagine that the idea was -to have as much daylight as possible before us. For although we had -employed a night attack against Skip’s Corner, and successfully too, yet -the general feeling in our Army has always been opposed to operations of -this kind. The possible gain is, I think, in no way commensurable with -the probable risks of panic and disorder. The principal objective was -the village of Epping itself; but simultaneous attacks were to be -carried out against Copped Hall, Fort Obelisk, to the west of it, and -Fort Royston, about a mile north of the village. The IXth Corps was to -co-operate by a determined attempt to break through the English lining -the burnt strip of woodland and to assault the latter fort in rear. It -was necessary to carry out both these flanking attacks in order to -prevent the main attack from being enfiladed from right and left. At -5.30 we mounted, and rode off to Rye Hill about a couple of miles -distant, from which the General intended to watch the progress of the -operations. The first rays of the rising sun were filling the eastern -sky with a pale light as we cantered off, the long wooded ridge on which -the enemy had his position standing up in a misty silhouette against the -growing day. - -“As we topped Rye Hill I could see the thickly-massed lines of our -infantry crouching behind every hedge, bank, or ridge, their -rifle-barrels here and there twinkling in the feeble rays of the early -sun, their shadows long and attenuated behind them. Epping with its -lofty red water-tower was distinctly visible on the opposite side of the -valley, and it is probable that the movement of the General’s cavalcade -of officers, with the escort, attracted the attention of the enemy’s -lookouts, for half-way down the hillside on their side of the valley a -blinding violet-white flash blazed out, and a big shell came screaming -along just over our heads, the loud boom of a heavy gun following fast -on its heels. Almost simultaneously another big projectile hurtled up -from the direction of Fort Obelisk, and burst among our escort of Uhlans -with a deluge of livid flame and thick volumes of greenish brown smoke. -It was a telling shot, for no fewer than six horses and their riders lay -in a shattered heap on the ground. - -“At six precisely our guns fired a salvo directed on Epping village. -This was the preconcerted signal for attack, and before the echoes of -the thunderous discharge had finished reverberating over the hills and -forest our front lines had sprung to their feet and were moving at a -racing pace towards the enemy. For a moment the British seemed stupefied -by the suddenness of the advance. A few rifle shots crackled out here -and there, but our men had thrown themselves to the ground after their -first rush before the enemy seemed to wake up. But there was no mistake -about it when they did. Seldom have I seen such a concentrated fire. -Gun, pom-pom, machine gun, and rifle blazed out from right to left along -more than three miles of entrenchments. A continuous lightning-like line -of fire poured forth from the British trenches, which still lay in -shadow. I could see the bullets raising perfect sand-storms in places, -the little pom-pom shells sparkling about all over our prostrate men, -and the shrapnel bursting all along their front, producing perfect -swathes of white smoke, which hung low down in the still air in the -valley. - -“But our artillery was not idle. The field guns, pushed well forward, -showered shrapnel upon the British position, the howitzer shells hurtled -over our heads on their way to the enemy in constantly increasing -numbers as the ranges were verified by the trial shots, while a terrible -and unceasing reverberation from the north-east told of the supporting -attack made by the IXth and Xth Corps upon the blackened woods held by -the English. The concussion of the terrific cannonade that now resounded -from every quarter was deafening; the air seemed to pulse within one’s -ears, and it was difficult to hear one’s nearest neighbour speak. Down -in the valley our men appeared to be suffering severely. Every forward -move of the attacking lines left a perfect litter of prostrate forms -behind it, and for some time I felt very doubtful in my own mind if the -attack would succeed. Glancing to the right, however, I was encouraged -to see the progress that had been made by the troops detailed for the -assault on Copped Hall and Obelisk Fort, and, seeing this, it occurred -to me that it was not intended to push the central attack on Epping home -before its flank had been secured from molestation from this direction. -Copped Hall itself stood out on a bare down almost like some mediæval -castle, backed by the dark masses of forest, while to the west of it the -slopes of Fort Obelisk could barely be distinguished, so flat were they -and so well screened by greenery. - -“But its position was clearly defined by the clouds of dust, smoke, and -débris constantly thrown up by our heavy high-explosive shells, while -ever and anon there came a dazzling flash from it, followed by a -detonation that made itself heard even above the rolling of the -cannonade, as one of its big 7·5-in. guns was discharged. The roar of -their huge projectiles, too, as they tore through the air, was easily -distinguishable. None of our epaulments were proof against them, and -they did our heavy batteries a great deal of damage before they could be -silenced. - -“To cut a long story short, we captured Epping after a tough fight, and -by noon were in possession of everything north of the Forest, including -the war-scarred ruins that now represented the mansion of Copped Hall, -and from which our pom-poms and machine guns were firing into Fort -Obelisk. But our losses had been awful. As for the enemy, they could -hardly have suffered less severely, for though partially protected by -their entrenchments, our artillery fire must have been utterly -annihilating.” - -“_Sept. 18._--Fighting went on all last night, the English holding -desperately on to the edge of the Forest, our people pressing them -close, and working round their right flank. When day broke the general -situation was pretty much like this. On our left the IXth Corps were in -possession of the Fort at Toothill, and a redoubt that lay between it -and Skip’s Fort. Two batteries were bombarding a redoubt lower down in -the direction of Stanford Rivers, which was also subjected to a cross -fire from their howitzers near Ongar. - -“As for the English, their position was an unenviable one. From Copped -Hall--as soon as we have cleared the edge of the Forest of the enemy’s -sharp-shooters--we shall be able to take their entrenchments in reverse -all the way to Waltham Abbey. They have, on the other hand, an outlying -fort about a mile or two north of the latter place, which gave us some -trouble with its heavy guns yesterday, and which it is most important -that we should gain possession of before we advance further. The Garde -Corps on the western side of the River Lea is now, I hear, in sight of -the enemy’s lines, and is keeping them busily employed, though without -pushing its attack home for the present. - -“At daybreak this morning I was in Epping and saw the beginning of the -attack on the Forest. It is rumoured that large reinforcements have -reached the enemy from London, but as these must be merely scratch -soldiers they will do them more harm than good in their cramped -position. The Xth Corps had got a dozen batteries in position a little -to the eastward of the village, and at six o’clock these guns opened a -tremendous fire upon the north-east corner of the Forest, under cover of -which their infantry deployed down in the low ground about Coopersale, -and advanced to the attack. Petrol shells were not used against the -Forest, as Von Kronhelm had given orders that it was not to be burned if -it could possibly be avoided. The shrapnel was very successful in -keeping down the fire from the edge of the trees, but our troops -received a good deal of damage from infantry and guns that were posted -to the east of the Forest on a hill near Theydon Bois. But about seven -o’clock these troops were driven from their position by a sudden flank -attack made by the IXth Corps from Theydon Mount. Von Kleppen followed -this up by putting some of his own guns up there, which were able to -fire on the edge of the Forest after those of the Xth Corps had been -masked by the close advance of their infantry. To make a long story -short, by ten the whole of the Forest east of the London Road, as far -south as the cross roads near Jack’s Hill, was in our hands. In the -meantime the IVth Corps had made itself master of Fort Obelisk, and our -gunners were hard at work mounting guns in it with which to fire on the -outlying fort at Monkham’s Hall. Von Kleppen was at Copped Hall about -this time, and with him I found General Von Wilberg, commanding the Xth -Corps, in close consultation. The once fine mansion had been almost -completely shot away down to its lower storey. A large portion of this, -however, was still fairly intact, having been protected to a certain -extent by the masses of masonry that had fallen all around it, and also -by the thick ramparts of earth that the English had built up against its -exposed side. - -“Our men were still firing from its loopholes at the edge of the woods, -which were only about 1200 yards distant, and from which bullets were -continually whistling in by every window. Two of our battalions had dug -themselves in in the wooded park surrounding the house, and were also -exchanging fire with the English at comparatively close ranges. They -had, I was told, made more than one attempt to rush the edge of the -Forest, but had been repulsed by rifle fire on each occasion. Away to -the west I could see for miles, and even distinguish our shells bursting -all over the enemy’s fort at Monkham’s Hall, which was being subjected -to a heavy bombardment by our guns on the high ground to the north of -it. About eleven Frölich’s Cavalry Brigade, whose presence was no longer -required in front of the Garde Corps, passed through Epping, going -south-east. It is generally supposed that it is either to attack the -British at Brentwood in the rear, or, which I think is more probable, to -intimidate the raw levies by its presence between them and London, and -to attack them in flank should they attempt to retreat. - -“Just after eleven another battalion arrived at Copped Hall from -Epping, and orders were given that the English position along the edge -of the Forest was to be taken at all cost. Just before the attack began -there was a great deal of firing somewhere in the interior of the -Forest, presumably between the British and the advanced troops of the -Xth Corps. However this may have been, it was evident that the enemy -were holding our part of the Forest much less strongly, and our assault -was entirely successful, with but small loss of men. Once in the woods, -the superior training and discipline of our men told heavily in their -favour. While the mingled mass of Volunteers and raw free-shooters, of -which the bulk of their garrison was composed, got utterly disorganised -and out of hand under the severe strain on them that was imposed by the -difficulties of wood fighting, and hindered and broke up the regular -units, our people were easily kept well in hand, and drove the enemy -steadily before them without a single check. The rattle of rifle and -machine gun was continuous through all the leafy dells and glades of the -wood, but by two o’clock practically the whole Forest was in the hands -of our Xth Corps. It was then the turn of the IVth Corps, who in the -meantime, far from being idle, had massed a large number of their guns -at Copped Hall, from which, aided by the fire from Fort Obelisk, the -enemy’s lines were subjected to a bombardment that rendered them -absolutely untenable, and we could see company after company making -their way to Waltham Abbey. - -“At three the order for a general advance on Waltham Abbey was issued. -As the enemy seemed to have few, if any, guns at this place, it was -determined to make use of some of the new armoured motors that -accompanied the Army. Von Kronhelm, who was personally directing the -operations from Copped Hall, had caused each corps to send its motors to -Epping, so that we had something like thirty at our disposal. These -quaint, grey monsters came down through the Forest and advanced on -Epping by two parallel roads, one passing by the south of Warlies Park, -the other being the main road from Epping. It was a weird sight to see -these shore-going armour-clads flying down upon the enemy. They got -within 800 yards of the houses, but the enemy contrived to block their -further advance by various obstacles which they placed on the roads. - -“There was about an hour’s desperate fighting in the village. The old -Abbey Church was set on fire by a stray shell, the conflagration -spreading to the neighbouring houses, and both British and Germans being -too busy killing each other to put it out, the whole village was shortly -in flames. The British were finally driven out of it, and across the -river by five o’clock. In the meantime every heavy gun that could be got -to bear was directed on the fort at Monkham’s Hall, which, during the -afternoon, was also made the target for the guns of the Garde Corps, -which co-operated with us by attacking the lines at Cheshunt, and -assisting us with its artillery fire from the opposite side of the -river. By nightfall the fort was a mass of smoking earth, over which -fluttered our black cross flag, and the front of the IVth Corps -stretched from this to Gillwell Park, four miles nearer London. - -“The Xth Corps was in support in the Forest behind us, and forming also -a front to cover our flank, reaching from Chingford to Buckhurst Hill. -The enemy was quite demoralised in this direction, and showed no -indication of resuming the engagement. As for the IXth Corps, its -advanced troops were at Lambourne End, in close communication with -General Frölich, who had established his headquarters at -Haveringatte-Bower. We have driven a formidable wedge right into the -middle of the carefully elaborated system of defence arranged by the -English Generals, and it will now be a miracle if they can prevent our -entry into the capital. - -“We had not, of course, effected this without great loss in killed and -wounded, but you can’t make puddings without breaking eggs, and in the -end a bold and forward policy is more economical of life and limb than -attempting to avoid necessary losses as our present opponents did in -South Africa, thereby prolonging the war to an almost indefinite period, -and losing many more men by sickness and in driblets than would have -been the case if they had followed a more determined line in their -strategy and tactics. Just before the sun sank behind the masses of new -houses which the monster city spreads out to the northward I got orders -to carry a despatch to General von Wilberg, who was stated to be at -Chingford, on our extreme left. I went by the Forest road, as the -parallel one near the river was in most parts under fire from the -opposite bank. - -“He had established his headquarters at the Foresters’ Inn, which stands -high up on a wooded mound, and from which he could see a considerable -distance and keep in touch with his various signal stations. He took my -despatch, telling me that I should have a reply to take back later on. -‘In the meanwhile,’ said he, ‘if you will fall in with my staff you will -have an opportunity of seeing the first shots fired into the biggest -city in the world.’ So saying, he went out to his horse, which was -waiting outside, and we started off down the hill with a great clatter. -After winding about through a somewhat intricate network of roads and -by-lanes we arrived at Old Chingford Church, which stands upon a species -of headland, rising boldly up above the flat and, in some places, marshy -land to the westward. - -“Close to the church was a battery of four big howitzers, the gunners -grouped around them silhouetted darkly against the blood-red sky. From -up here the vast city, spreading out to the south and west, lay like a -grey, sprawling octopus spreading out ray-like to the northward, every -rise and ridge being topped with a bristle of spires and chimney-pots. -An ominous silence seemed to brood over the teeming landscape, broken -only at intervals by the dull booming of guns from the northward. Long -swathes of cloud and smoke lay athwart the dull, furnace-like glow of -the sunset, and lights were beginning to sparkle out all over the vast -expanse which lay before us mirrored here and there in the canals and -rivers that ran almost at our feet. ‘Now,’ said Von Wilberg at length, -‘commence fire.’ One of the big guns gave tongue with a roar that seemed -to make the church tower quiver above us. Another and another followed -in succession, their big projectiles hurtling and humming through the -quiet evening air on their errands of death and destruction in I know -not what quarter of the crowded suburbs. It seemed to me a cruel and -needless thing to do, but I am told that it was done with the set -purpose of arousing such a feeling of alarm and insecurity in the East -End that the mob might try to interfere with any further measures for -defence that the British military authorities might undertake. I got my -despatch soon afterwards and returned with it to the General, who was -spending the night at Copped Hall. There, too, I got myself a shakedown -and slumbered soundly till the morning. - -“_Sept. 19._--To-day we have, I think, finally broken down all organised -military opposition in the field, though we may expect a considerable -amount of street fighting before reaping the whole fruits of our -victories. At daybreak we began by turning a heavy fire from every -possible quarter on the wooded island formed by the river and various -back-waters just north of Waltham Abbey. The poplar-clad islet, which -was full of the enemy’s troops, became absolutely untenable under this -concentrated fire, and they were compelled to fall back over the river. -Our Engineers soon began their bridging operations behind the wood, and -our infantry, crossing over, got close up to a redoubt on the further -side and took it by storm. Again we were able to take a considerable -section of the enemy’s lines in reverse, and as they were driven out by -our fire, against which they had no protection, the Garde Corps -advanced, and by ten were in possession of Cheshunt. - -“In the meanwhile, covered by the fire of the guns belonging to the IXth -and Xth Corps, other bridges had been thrown across the Lea at various -points between Waltham and Chingford, and in another hour the crossing -began. The enemy had no good positions for his guns, and seemed to have -very few of them. He had pinned his faith upon the big weapons he had -placed in his entrenchments, and these were now of no further use to -him. He had lost a number of his field guns, either from damage or -capture, and with our more numerous artillery firing from the high -ground on the eastern bank of the river we were always able to beat down -any attempt he made to reply to their fire. - -“We had a day of fierce fighting before us. There was no manœuvring. -We were in a wilderness of scattered houses and occasional streets, in -which the enemy contested our progress foot by foot. Edmonton, Enfield -Wash, and Waltham Cross were quickly captured; our artillery commanded -them too well to allow the British to make a successful defence; but -Enfield itself, lying along a steepish ridge, on which the British had -assembled what artillery they could scrape together, cost us dearly. The -streets of this not too lovely suburban town literally ran with blood -when at last we made our way into it. A large part of it was burnt to -ashes, including unfortunately the ancient palace of Queen Elizabeth, -and the venerable and enormous cedar tree that overhung it. - -“The British fell back to a second position they had apparently prepared -along a parallel ridge further to the westward, their left being between -us and New Barnet and their right at Southgate. - -“We did not attempt to advance further to-day, but contented ourselves -in reorganising our forces and preparing against a possible -counter-attack, by barricading and entrenching the further edge of -Enfield Ridge. - -“_Sept. 20._--We are falling in immediately, as it has been decided to -attack the British position at once. Already the artillery duel is in -progress. I must continue to-night, as my horse is at the door.” - -The writer, however, never lived to complete his diary, having been shot -half-way up the green slope he had observed the day previous. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -BOMBARDMENT OF LONDON - - -Day broke. The faint flush of violet away eastward beyond Temple Bar -gradually turned rose, heralding the sun’s coming, and by degrees the -streets, filled by excited Londoners, grew lighter with the dawn. -Fevered night thus gave place to day--a day that was, alas! destined to -be one of bitter memory for the British Empire. - -Alarming news had spread that Uhlans had been seen reconnoitring in -Snaresbrook and Wanstead, had ridden along Forest Road and Ferry Lane at -Walthamstow, through Tottenham High Cross, up High Street, Hornsey, -Priory Road, and Muswell Hill. The Germans were actually upon London! - -The northern suburbs were staggered. In Fortis Green, North End, -Highgate, Crouch End, Hampstead, Stamford Hill, and Leyton the quiet -suburban houses were threatened, and many people, in fear of their -lives, had now fled southward into central London. Thus the huge -population of greater London was practically huddled together in the -comparatively small area from Kensington to Fleet Street, and from -Oxford Street to the Thames Embankment. - -People of Fulham, Putney, Walham Green, Hammersmith, and Kew had, for -the most part, fled away to the open country across Hounslow Heath to -Bedfont and Staines; while Tooting, Balham, Dulwich, Streatham, Norwood, -and Catford had retreated farther south into Surrey and Kent. - -For the past three days thousands of willing helpers had followed the -example of Sheffield and Birmingham, and constructed enormous -barricades, obstructing at various points the chief roads leading from -the north and east into London. Detachments of Engineers had blown up -several of the bridges carrying the main roads out eastwards--for -instance, the bridge at the end of Commercial Road, East, crossing the -Limehouse Canal, while the six other smaller bridges spanning the canal -between that point and the Bow Road were also destroyed. The bridge at -the end of Bow Road itself was shattered, and those over the Hackney Cut -at Marshall Hill and Hackney Wick were also rendered impassable. - -Most of the bridges across the Regent’s Canal were also destroyed, -notably those in Mare Street, Hackney, the Kingsland Road, and New North -Road, while a similar demolition took place in Edgware Road and the -Harrow Road. Londoners were frantic, now that the enemy were really upon -them. The accounts of the battles in the newspapers had, of course, been -merely fragmentary, and they had not yet realised what war actually -meant. They knew that all business was at a standstill, that the City -was in an uproar, that there was no work, and that food was at famine -prices. But not until German cavalry were actually seen scouring the -northern suburbs did it become impressed upon them that they were really -helpless and defenceless. - -London was to be besieged! - -This report having got about, the people began building barricades in -many of the principal thoroughfares north of the Thames. One huge -obstruction, built mostly of paving-stones from the footways, overturned -tramcars, wagons, railway trollies, and barbed wire, rose in the -Holloway Road, just beyond Highbury Station. Another blocked the -Caledonian Road a few yards north of the police-station, while another -very large and strong pile of miscellaneous goods, bales of wool and -cotton stuffs, building material, and stones brought from the Great -Northern Railway depôt, obstructed the Camden Road at the south corner -of Hildrop Crescent. Across High Street, Camden Town, at the junction of -the Kentish Town and other roads, five hundred men worked with a will, -piling together every kind of ponderous object they could pillage from -the neighbouring shops--pianos, iron bedsteads, wardrobes, pieces of -calico and flannel, dress stuffs, rolls of carpets, floorboards, even -the very doors wrenched from their hinges--until, when it reached to the -second storey window and was considered of sufficient height, a pole was -planted on top, and from it hung limply a small Union Jack. - -The Finchley Road, opposite Swiss Cottage Station, in Shoot Up-hill, -where Mill Lane runs into it; across Willesden Lane, where it joins the -High Road in Kilburn; the Harrow Road close to Willesden Junction -Station; at the junction of the Goldhawk and Uxbridge roads; across the -Hammersmith Road in front of the Hospital, other similar obstructions -were placed with a view to preventing the enemy from entering London. At -a hundred other points, in the narrower and more obscure thoroughfares, -all along the north of London, busy workers were constructing similar -defences, houses and shops being ruthlessly broken open and cleared of -their contents by the frantic and terrified populace. - -London was in a ferment. Almost without exception the gunmakers’ shops -had been pillaged, and every rifle, sporting gun, and revolver seized. -The armouries at the Tower of London, at the various barracks, and the -factory out at Enfield had long ago all been cleared of their contents; -for now, in this last stand, every one was desperate, and all who could -obtain a gun, did so. Many, however, had guns but no ammunition; others -had sporting ammunition for service rifles, and others cartridges, but -no gun. - -Those, however, who had guns and ammunition complete mounted guard at -the barricades, being assisted at some points by Volunteers who had been -driven in from Essex. Upon more than one barricade in North London a -Maxim had been mounted, and was now pointed, ready to sweep away the -enemy should they advance. - -Other thoroughfares barricaded, beside those mentioned, were the Stroud -Green Road, where it joins Hanley Road; the railway bridge in the -Oakfield Road in the same neighbourhood; the Wightman Road, opposite -Harringay Station, the junction of Archway Road and Highgate Hill; the -High Road, Tottenham, at its junction with West Green Road, and various -roads around the New River reservoirs, which were believed to be one of -the objectives of the enemy. These latter were very strongly held by -thousands of brave and patriotic citizens, though the East London -reservoirs across at Walthamstow could not be defended, situated so -openly as they were. The people of Leytonstone threw up a barricade -opposite the schools in the High Road, while in Wanstead a hastily -constructed but perfectly useless obstruction was piled across Cambridge -Park, where it joins the Blake Road. - -Of course, all the women and children in the northern suburbs had now -been sent south. Half the houses in those quiet, newly-built roads were -locked up, and their owners gone; for as soon as the report spread of -the result of the final battle before London and our crushing defeat, -people living in Highgate, Hampstead, Crouch End, Hornsey, Tottenham, -Finsbury Park, Muswell Hill, Hendon, and Hampstead saw that they must -fly southward, now the Germans were upon them. - -Think what it meant to those suburban families of City men! The ruthless -destruction of their pretty, long-cherished homes, flight into the -turbulent, noisy, distracted, hungry city, and the loss of everything -they possessed. In most cases the husband was already bearing his part -in the defence of the metropolis with gun or with spade, or helping to -move heavy masses of material for the construction of the barricades. -The wife, however, was compelled to take a last look at all those -possessions that she had so fondly called “home,” lock her front door, -and with her children join in those long mournful processions moving -ever southward into London, tramping on and on--whither she knew not -where. - -Touching sights were to be seen everywhere in the streets that day. - -Homeless women, many of them with two or three little ones, were -wandering through the less frequented streets, avoiding the main roads -with all their crush, excitement, and barricade-building, but making -their way westward, beyond Kensington and Hammersmith, which was now -become the outlet of the metropolis. - -All trains from Charing Cross, Waterloo, London Bridge, Victoria, and -Paddington had for the past three days been crowded to excess. Anxious -fathers struggled fiercely to obtain places for their wives, mothers, -and daughters--sending them away anywhere out of the city which must in -a few hours be crushed beneath the iron heel. - -The South-Western and Great Western systems carried thousands upon -thousands of the wealthier away to Devonshire and Cornwall--as far as -possible from the theatre of war; the South-Eastern and Chatham took -people into the already crowded Kentish towns and villages, and the -Brighton line carried others into rural Sussex. London overflowed -southward and westward until every village and every town within fifty -miles was so full that beds were at a premium, and in various places, -notably at Chartham, near Canterbury, at Willesborough, near Ashford, at -Lewes, at Robertsbridge, at Goodwood Park, and at Horsham, huge camps -were formed, shelter being afforded by poles and rick-cloths. Every -house, every barn, every school, indeed every place where people could -obtain shelter for the night, was crowded to excess, mostly by women and -children sent south, away from the horrors that it was known must come. - -Central London grew more turbulent with each hour that passed. There -were all sorts of wild rumours, but, fortunately the Press still -preserved a dignified calm. The Cabinet were holding a meeting at -Bristol, whither the Houses of Commons and Lords had moved, and all -depended upon its issue. It was said that Ministers were divided in -their opinions whether we should sue for an ignominious peace, or -whether the conflict should be continued to the bitter end. - -Disaster had followed disaster, and iron-throated orators in Hyde and -St. James’s Parks were now shouting “Stop the war! Stop the war!” The -cry was taken up but faintly, however, for the blood of Londoners, slow -to rise, had now been stirred by seeing their country slowly, yet -completely, crushed by Germany. All the patriotism latent within them -was now displayed. The national flag was shown everywhere, and at every -point one heard “God Save the King!” sung lustily. - -Two gunmakers’ shops in the Strand, which had hitherto escaped notice, -were shortly after noon broken open, and every available arm and all the -ammunition seized. One man, unable to obtain a revolver, snatched half a -dozen pairs of steel handcuffs, and cried with grim humour as he held -them up: “If I can’t shoot any of the sausage-eaters, I can at least bag -a prisoner or two!” - -The banks, the great jewellers, the diamond merchants, the safe-deposit -offices, and all who had valuables in their keeping, were extremely -anxious as to what might happen. Below those dark buildings in Lothbury -and Lombard Street, behind the black walls of the Bank of England, and -below every branch bank all over London, were millions in gold and -notes, the wealth of the greatest city the world has ever known. The -strong rooms were, for the most part, the strongest that modern -engineering could devise, some with various arrangements by which all -access was debarred by an inrush of water; but, alas! dynamite is a -great leveller, and it was felt that not a single strong room in the -whole of London could withstand an organised attack by German -engineers. - -A single charge of dynamite would certainly make a breach in concrete -upon which a thief might hammer and chip day and night for a month -without making much impression. Steel doors must give to blasting force, -while the strongest and most complicated locks would also fly to pieces. - -The directors of most of the banks had met, and an endeavour had been -made to co-operate and form a corps of special guards for the principal -offices. In fact, a small armed corps was formed, and were on duty day -and night in Lothbury, Lombard Street, and the vicinity. Yet what could -they do if the Germans swept into London? There was but little to fear -from the excited populace themselves, because matters had assumed such a -crisis that money was of little use, as there was practically very -little to buy. But little food was reaching London from the open ports -on the west. It was the enemy that the banks feared, for they knew that -the Germans intended to enter and sack the metropolis, just as they had -sacked the other towns that had refused to pay the indemnity demanded. - -Small jewellers had, days ago, removed their stock from their windows -and carried it away in unsuspicious-looking bags to safe hiding in the -southern and western suburbs, where people for the most part hid their -valuable plate, jewellery, etc., beneath a floor-board, or buried them -in some marked spot in their small gardens. - -The hospitals were already full of wounded from the various engagements -of the past week. The London, St. Thomas’s, Charing Cross, St. George’s, -Guy’s, and Bartholemew’s were overflowing; and the surgeons, with -patriotic self-denial, were working day and night in an endeavour to -cope with the ever-arriving crowd of suffering humanity. The field -hospitals away to the northward were also reported full. - -The exact whereabouts of the enemy was not known. They were, it seemed, -everywhere. They had practically overrun the whole country, and the -reports from the Midlands and the North showed that the majority of the -principal towns had now been occupied. - -The latest reverses outside London, full and graphic details of which -were now being published hourly by the papers, had created an immense -sensation. Everywhere people were regretting that Lord Roberts’ solemn -warnings in 1906 had been unheeded, for had we adopted his scheme for -universal service such dire catastrophe could never have occurred. Many -had, alas! declared it to be synonymous with conscription, which it -certainly was not, and by that foolish argument had prevented the public -at large from accepting it as the only means of our salvation as a -nation. The repeated warnings had been disregarded, and we had, -unhappily, lived in a fool’s paradise, in the self-satisfied belief that -England could not be successfully invaded. - -Now, alas! the country had realised the truth when too late. - -That memorable day, September 20, witnessed exasperated struggles in the -northern suburbs of London, passionate and bloody collisions, an -infantry fire of the defenders overwhelming every attempted assault; and -a decisive action of the artillery, with regard to which arm the -superiority of the Germans, due to their perfect training, was apparent. - -A last desperate stand had, it appears, been made by the defenders on -the high ridge north-west of New Barnet, from Southgate to near Potter’s -Bar, where a terrible fight had taken place. But from the very first it -was utterly hopeless. The British had fought valiantly in defence of -London, but here again they were outnumbered, and after one of the most -desperate conflicts in the whole campaign--in which our losses were -terrible--the Germans at length had succeeded in entering Chipping -Barnet. It was a difficult movement, and a fierce contest, rendered the -more terrible by the burning houses, ensued in the streets and away -across the low hills southward--a struggle full of vicissitudes and -alternating successes, until at last the fire of the defenders was -silenced, and hundreds of prisoners fell into the German hands. - -Thus the last organised defence of London had been broken, and the -barricades alone remained. - -The work of the German troops on the lines of communication in Essex had -for the past week been fraught with danger. Through want of cavalry the -British had been unable to make cavalry raids; but, on the other hand, -the difficulty was enhanced by the bands of sharpshooters--men of all -classes from London who possessed a gun and who could shoot. In one or -two of the London clubs the suggestion had first been mooted a couple of -days after the outbreak of hostilities, and it had been quickly taken up -by men who were in the habit of shooting game, but had not had a -military training. - -Within three days about two thousand men had formed themselves into -bands to take part in the struggle and assist in the defence of London. -They were practically similar to the Francs-tireurs of the Franco-German -War, for they went forth in companies and waged a guerilla warfare, -partly before the front and at the flanks of the different armies, and -partly at the communications at the rear of the Germans. Their position -was one of constant peril in face of Von Kronhelm’s proclamation, yet -the work they did was excellent, and only proved that if Lord Roberts’ -scheme for universal training had been adopted the enemy would never -have reached the gates of London with success. - -These brave, adventurous spirits, together with “The Legion of -Frontiersmen,” made their attacks by surprise from hiding-places or from -ambushes. Their adventures were constantly thrilling ones. Scattered all -over the theatre of war in Essex and Suffolk, and all along the German -lines of communication, the “Frontiersmen” rarely ventured on an open -conflict, and frequently changed scene and point of attack. Within one -week their numbers rose to over 8000, and, being well served by the -villagers, who acted as scouts and spies for them, the Germans found -them very difficult to get at. Usually they kept their arms concealed in -thickets and woods, where they would lie in wait for the Germans. They -never came to close quarters, but fired at a distance. Many a smart -Uhlan fell by their bullets, and many a sentry dropped, shot by an -unknown hand. - -Thus they harassed the enemy everywhere. At need they concealed their -arms and assumed the appearance of inoffensive non-combatants. But when -caught red-handed, the Germans gave them “short shrift”, as the bodies -now swinging from telegraph poles on various high roads in Essex -testified. - -In an attempt to put a stop to the daring actions of the “Frontiersmen”, -the German authorities and troops along the lines of communication -punished the parishes where German soldiers were shot, or where the -destruction of railways and telegraphs had occurred, by levying money -contributions, or by burning the villages. - -The guerilla war was especially fierce along from Edgware up to -Hertford, and from Chelmsford down to the Thames. In fact, once -commenced, it never ceased. Attacks were always being made upon small -patrols, travelling detachments, mails of the field post-office, posts -or patrols at stations on the lines of communication, while -field-telegraphs, telephones, and railways were everywhere destroyed. - -In consequence of the railway being cut at Pitsea, the villages of -Pitsea, Bowers Gifford, and Vange had been burned. Because a German -patrol had been attacked and destroyed near Orsett, the parish were -compelled to pay a heavy indemnity. Upminster near Romford, Theydon -Bois, and Fyfield, near High Ongar, had all been burned by the Germans -for the same reason; while at the Cherrytree Inn, near Rainham, five -“Frontiersmen” being discovered by Uhlans in a hay loft asleep, were -locked in and there burned alive. Dozens were, of course, shot at sight, -and dozens more hanged without trial. But they were not to be deterred. -They were fighting in defence of London, and around the northern suburbs -the patriotic members of the “Legion” were specially active, though they -never showed themselves in large bands. - -Within London every man who could shoot game was now anxious to join in -the fray, and on the day that the news of the last disaster reached the -metropolis, hundreds left for the open country out beyond Hendon. - -The enemy, having broken down the defence at Enfield and cleared the -defenders out of the fortified houses, had advanced and occupied the -northern ridges of London in a line stretching roughly from Pole Hill, a -little to the north of Chingford, across Upper Edmonton, through -Tottenham, Hornsey, Highgate, Hampstead, and Willesden, to Twyford -Abbey. All the positions had been well reconnoitred, for at grey of dawn -the rumbling of artillery had been heard in the streets of those places -already mentioned, and soon after sunrise strong batteries were -established upon all the available points commanding London. - -These were at Chingford Green, on the left-hand side of the road -opposite the inn at Chingford; on Devonshire Hill, Tottenham; on the -hill at Wood Green; in the grounds of the Alexandra Palace; on the high -ground above Churchyard Bottom Wood; on the edge of Bishop’s Wood, -Highgate; on Parliament Hill, at a spot close to the Oaks on the Hendon -road; at Dollis Hill, and at a point a little north of Wormwood Scrubs, -and at Neasden, near the railway works. - -The enemy’s chief object was to establish their artillery as near London -as possible, for it was known that the range of their guns even from -Hampstead--the highest point, 441 feet above London--would not reach -into the actual city itself. Meanwhile, at dawn the German cavalry, -infantry, motor-infantry, and armoured motor-cars--the latter mostly -35-40 h.p. Opel-Darracqs, with three quick-firing guns mounted in each, -and bearing the Imperial German arms in black--advanced up the various -roads leading into London from the north, being met, of course, with a -desperate resistance at the barricades. - -[Illustration: THE BOMBARDMENT AND DEFENCES OF LONDON on Sept. 20th & -21st] - -On Haverstock Hill, the three Maxims, mounted upon the huge obstruction -across the road, played havoc with the Germans, who were at once -compelled to fall back, leaving piles of dead and dying in the roadway, -for the terrible hail of lead poured out upon the invaders could not be -withstood. Two of the German armoured motor-cars were presently brought -into action by the Germans, who replied with a rapid fire, this being -continued for a full quarter of an hour without result on either side. -Then the Germans, finding the defence too strong, again retired into -Hampstead, amid the ringing cheers of the valiant men holding that gate -of London. The losses of the enemy had been serious, for the whole -roadway was now strewn with dead; while behind the huge wall of -paving-stones, overturned carts, and furniture, only two men had been -killed and one wounded. - -Across in the Finchley Road a struggle equally as fierce was in -progress; but a detachment of the enemy, evidently led by some German -who had knowledge of the intricate side-roads, suddenly appeared in the -rear of the barricade, and a fierce and bloody hand-to-hand conflict -ensued. The defenders, however, stood their ground, and with the aid of -some petrol bombs which they held in readiness, they destroyed the -venturesome detachment almost to a man, though a number of houses in the -vicinity were set on fire, causing a huge conflagration. - -In Highgate Road the attack was a desperate one, the enraged Londoners -fighting valiantly, the men with arms being assisted by the populace -themselves. Here again deadly petrol bombs had been distributed, and men -and women hurled them against the Germans. Petrol was actually poured -from windows upon the heads of the enemy, and tow soaked in paraffin and -lit flung in among them, when in an instant whole areas of the streets -were ablaze, and the soldiers of the Fatherland perished in the roaring -flames. - -Every device to drive back the invader was tried. Though thousands upon -thousands had left the northern suburbs, many thousands still remained -bent on defending their homes as long as they had breath. The crackle of -rifles was incessant, and ever and anon the dull roar of a heavy field -gun and the sharp rattle of a Maxim mingled with the cheers, yells, and -shrieks of victors and of vanquished. - -The scene on every side was awful. Men were fighting for their lives in -desperation. - -Around the barricade in Holloway Road the street ran with blood; while -in Kingsland, in Clapton, in West Ham, and Canning Town the enemy were -making an equally desperate attack, and were being repulsed everywhere. -London’s enraged millions, the Germans were well aware, constituted a -grave danger. Any detachments who carried a barricade by assault--as, -for instance, they did one in the Hornsey Road near the station--were -quickly set upon by the angry mob and simply wiped out of existence. - -Until nearly noon desperate conflicts at the barricades continued. The -defence was even more effectual than was expected; yet, had it not been -that Von Kronhelm, the German generalissimo, had given orders that the -troops were not to attempt to advance into London before the populace -were cowed, there was no doubt that each barricade could have been taken -in the rear by companies avoiding the main roads and proceeding by the -side streets. - -Just before noon, however, it was apparent to Von Kronhelm that to storm -the barricades would entail enormous losses, so strong were they. The -men holding them had now been reinforced in many cases by regular -troops, who had come in in flight, and a good many guns were now manned -by artillerymen. - -Von Kronhelm had established his headquarters at Jack Straw’s Castle, -from which he could survey the giant city through his field-glasses. -Below lay the great plain of roofs, spires, and domes, stretching away -into the grey mystic distance, where afar rose the twin towers and -double arches of the Crystal Palace roof. - -London--the great London--the capital of the world--lay at his mercy at -his feet. - -The tall, thin-faced General, with the grizzled moustache and the -glittering cross at his throat, standing apart from his staff, gazed -away in silence and in thought. It was his first sight of London, and -its gigantic proportions amazed even him. Again he swept the horizon -with his glass, and knit his grey brows. He remembered the parting woods -of his Emperor as he backed out of that plainly--furnished little -private cabinet at Potsdam: - -“You must bombard London, and sack it. The pride of those English must -be broken at all costs. Go, Kronhelm--go--and may the best of fortune go -with you!” - -The sun was at the noon causing the glass roof of the distant Crystal -Palace to gleam. Far down in the grey haze stood Big Ben, the Campanile, -and a thousand church spires, all tiny and, from that distance, -insignificant. From where he stood the sound of crackling fire at the -barricades reached him, and a little behind him a member of his staff -was kneeling on the grass with his ear bent to the field telephone. -Reports were coming in fast of the desperate resistance in the streets, -and these were duly handed to him. - -He glanced at them, gave a final look at the outstretched city that was -the metropolis of the world, and then gave rapid orders for the -withdrawal of the troops from the assault of the barricades, and the -bombardment of London. - -In a moment the field-telegraphs were clicking, the telephone bell was -ringing, orders were shouted in German in all directions, and next -second, with a deafening roar, one of the howitzers of the battery in -the close vicinity to him gave tongue and threw its deadly shell -somewhere into St. John’s Wood. - -The rain of death had opened! London was surrounded by a semicircle of -fire. - -The great gun was followed by a hundred others as, at all the batteries -along the northern heights, the orders were received. Then in a few -minutes, from the whole line from Chingford to Willesden, roughly about -twelve miles, came a hail of the most deadly of modern projectiles -directed upon the most populous parts of the metropolis. - -Though the Germans trained their guns to carry as far as was possible, -the zone of fire did not at first, it seemed, extend farther south than -a line roughly taken from Notting Hill through Bayswater, past -Paddington Station, along the Marylebone and Euston Roads, then up to -Highbury, Stoke Newington, Stamford Hill, and Walthamstow. - -When, however, the great shells began to burst in Holloway, Kentish -Town, Camden Town, Kilburn, Kensal Green, and other places lying within -the area under fire, a frightful panic ensued. Whole streets were -shattered by explosions, and fires were breaking out, the dark clouds of -smoke obscuring the sunlit sky. Roaring flames shot up everywhere, -unfortunate men, women, and children were being blown to atoms by the -awful projectiles, while others distracted sought shelter in any cellar -or underground place they could find, while their houses fell about them -like packs of cards. - -The scenes within that zone of terror were indescribable. - -When Paris had been bombarded years ago, artillery was not at the -perfection it now was, and there had been no such high explosive known -as in the present day. The great shells that were falling everywhere, on -bursting filled the air with poisonous fumes, as well as with deadly -fragments. One bursting in a street would wreck the rows of houses on -either side, and tear a great hole in the ground at the same moment. The -fronts of the houses were torn out like paper, the iron railings twisted -as though they were wire, and paving-stones hurled into the air like -straws. - -Anything and everything offering a mark to the enemy’s guns was -shattered. St. John’s Wood and the houses about Regent’s Park suffered -seriously. A shell from Hampstead, falling into the roof of one of the -houses near the centre of Sussex Place, burst and shattered nearly all -the houses in the row; while another fell in Cumberland Terrace, and -wrecked a dozen houses in the vicinity. In both cases the houses were -mostly empty, for owners and servants had fled southward across the -river as soon as it became apparent that the Germans actually intended -to bombard. - -At many parts in Maida Vale shells burst with appalling effect. Several -of the houses in Elgin Avenue had their fronts torn out, and in one, a -block of flats, there was considerable loss of life in the fire that -broke out, escape being cut off owing to the stairs having been -demolished by the explosion. Abbey Road, St. John’s Wood Road, Acacia -Road, and Wellington Road were quickly wrecked. - -In Chalk Farm Road, near the Adelaide, a terrified woman was dashing -across the street to seek shelter with a neighbour when a shell burst -right in front of her, blowing her to fragments; while in the early -stage of the bombardment a shell bursting in the Midland Hotel at St. -Pancras caused a fire which in half an hour resulted in the whole hotel -and railway terminus being a veritable furnace of flame. Through the -roof of King’s Cross Station several shells fell, and burst close to the -departure platform. The whole glass roof was shattered, but beyond that -little other material damage resulted. - -Shots were now falling everywhere, and Londoners were staggered. In -dense, excited crowds they were flying southward towards the Thames. -Some were caught in the streets in their flight, and were flung down, -maimed and dying. The most awful sights were to be witnessed in the open -streets: men and women blown out of recognition, with their clothes -singed and torn to shreds, and helpless, innocent children lying white -and dead, their limbs torn away and missing. - -Euston Station had shared the same fate as St. Pancras, and was blazing -furiously, sending up a great column of black smoke that could be seen -by all London. So many were the conflagrations now breaking out that it -seemed as though the enemy were sending into London shells filled with -petrol, in order to set the streets aflame. This, indeed, was proved by -an eye-witness, who saw a shell fall in Liverpool Road, close to the -Angel. It burst with a bright red flash, and next second the whole of -the roadway and neighbouring houses were blazing furiously. - -Thus the air became black with smoke and dust, and the light of day -obscured in Northern London. And through that obscurity came those -whizzing shells in an incessant hissing stream, each one, bursting in -these narrow, thickly-populated streets, causing havoc indescribable, -and a loss of life impossible to accurately calculate. Hundreds of -people were blown to pieces in the open, but hundreds more were buried -beneath the débris of their own cherished homes, now being so ruthlessly -destroyed and demolished. - -On every side was heard the cry: “Stop the war--stop the war!” - -But it was, alas! too late--too late. - -Never in the history of the civilised world were there such scenes of -reckless slaughter of the innocent and peace-loving as on that -never-to-be-forgotten day when Von Kronhelm carried out the orders of -his Imperial master, and struck terror into the heart of London’s -millions. - - - - -CHAPTER V - -THE RAIN OF DEATH - - -Through the whole afternoon the heavy German artillery roared, belching -forth their fiery vengeance upon London. - -Hour after hour they pounded away, until St. Pancras Church was a heap -of ruins, and the Foundling Hospital a veritable furnace, as well as the -Parcel Post offices and the University College in Gower Street. In -Hampstead Road many of the shops were shattered, and in Tottenham Court -Road both Maple’s and Shoolbred’s suffered severely, for shells bursting -in the centre of the roadway had smashed every pane of glass in the -fronts of both buildings. - -The quiet squares of Bloomsbury were, in some cases, great yawning -ruins--houses with their fronts torn out revealing the shattered -furniture within. Streets were, indeed, filled with tiles, chimney pots, -fallen telegraph wires, debris of furniture, stone steps, paving stones, -and fallen masonry. Many of the thoroughfares, such as the Pentonville -Road, Copenhagen Street, and Holloway Road, were, at points, quite -impassable on account of the ruins that blocked them. Into the Northern -Hospital, in the Holloway Road, a shell fell, shattering one of the -wards, and killing or maiming every one of the patients in the ward in -question, while the church in Tufnell Park Road was burning fiercely. -Upper Holloway, Stoke Newington, Highbury, Kingsland, Dalston, Hackney, -Clapton, and Stamford Hill were being swept at long range by the guns on -Muswell Hill and Churchyard Bottom Hill, and the terror caused in those -densely populated districts was awful. Hundreds upon hundreds lost their -lives, or else had a hand, an arm, a leg blown away, as those fatal -shells fell in never-ceasing monotony, especially in Stoke Newington and -Kingsland. The many side roads lying between Holloway Road and Finsbury -Park, such as Hornsey Road, Tollington Park, Andover, Durham, -Palmerston, Campbell, and Forthill Roads, Seven Sisters Road, and -Isledon Road were all devastated, for the guns for a full hour seemed to -be trained upon them. - -The German gunners in all probability neither knew nor cared where their -shells fell. From their position, now that the smoke of the hundreds of -fires was now rising, they could probably discern but little. Therefore -the batteries at Hampstead Heath, Muswell Hill, Wood Green, Cricklewood, -and other places simply sent their shells as far distant south as -possible into the panic-stricken city below. In Mountgrove and -Riversdale Roads, Highbury Vale, a number of people were killed, while a -frightful disaster occurred in the church at the corner of Park Lane and -Milton Road, Stoke Newington. Here a number of people had entered, -attending a special service for the success of the British arms, when a -shell exploded on the roof, bringing it down upon them and killing over -fifty of the congregation, mostly women. - -The air, poisoned by the fumes of the deadly explosives and full of -smoke from the burning buildings, was ever and anon rent by explosions -as projectiles frequently burst in mid-air. The distant roar was -incessant, like the noise of thunder, while on every hand could be heard -the shrieks of defenceless women and children, or the muttered curses of -some man who saw his home and all he possessed swept away with a flash -and a cloud of dust. Nothing could withstand that awful cannonade. -Walthamstow had been rendered untenable in the first half-hour of the -bombardment, while in Tottenham the loss of life had been very enormous, -the German gunners at Wood Green having apparently turned their first -attention upon that place. Churches, the larger buildings, the railway -station, in fact anything offering a mark, was promptly shattered, being -assisted by the converging fire from the batteries at Chingford. - -On the opposite side of London, Notting Hill, Shepherd’s Bush, and -Starch Green were being reduced to ruins by the heavy batteries above -Park Royal Station, which, firing across Wormwood Scrubs, put their -shots into Notting Hill, and especially into Holland Park, where -widespread damage was quickly wrought. - -A couple of shells falling into the generating station of the Central -London Railway, or “Tube”, as Londoners usually call it, unfortunately -caused a disaster and loss of life which were appalling. At the first -sign of the bombardment many thousands of persons descended into the -“tube” as a safe hiding-place from the rain of shell. At first the -railway officials closed the doors to prevent the inrush, but the -terrified populace in Shepherd’s Bush, Bayswater, Oxford Street, and -Holborn, in fact, all along the subterranean line, broke open the doors, -and descending by the lifts and stairs found themselves in a place which -at least gave them security against the enemy’s fire. - -The trains had long ago ceased running, and every station was crowded to -excess, while many were forced upon the line itself and actually into -the tunnels. For hours they waited there in eager breathlessness, -longing to be able to ascend and find the conflict over. Men and women -in all stations of life were huddled together, while children clung to -their parents in wonder; yet as hour after hour went by, the report from -above was still the same--the Germans had not ceased. - -Of a sudden, however, the light failed. The electric current had been -cut off by the explosion of the shells in the generating station at -Shepherd’s Bush, and the lifts were useless! The thousands who, in -defiance of the orders of the company, had gone below at Shepherd’s Bush -for shelter, found themselves caught like rats in a hole. True, there -was the faint glimmer of an oil light here and there, but, alas! that -did not prevent an awful panic. - -Somebody shouted that the Germans were above and had put out the lights, -and when it was found that the lifts were useless a panic ensued that -was indescribable. The people could not ascend by the stairs, as they -were blocked by the dense crowd, therefore they pressed into the narrow -semi-circular tunnels in an eager endeavour to reach the next station, -where they hoped they might escape; but once in there women and children -were quickly crushed to death, or thrown down and trampled upon by the -press behind. - -In the darkness they fought with each other, pressing on and becoming -jammed so tightly that many were held against the sloping walls until -life was extinct. Between Shepherd’s Bush and Holland Park Stations the -loss of life was worst, for being within the zone of the German fire the -people had crushed in frantically in thousands, and with one accord a -move had unfortunately been made into the tunnels, on account of the -foolish cry that the Germans were waiting above. - -The railway officials were powerless. They had done their best to -prevent anyone going below, but the public had insisted, therefore no -blame could be laid upon them for the catastrophe. - -At Marble Arch, Oxford Circus, and Tottenham Court Road Stations, a -similar scene was enacted, and dozens upon dozens, alas! lost their -lives in the panic. Ladies and gentlemen from Park Lane, Grosvenor -Square, and Mayfair had sought shelter at Marble Arch Station rubbing -shoulders with labourers’ wives and costerwomen from the back streets of -Marylebone. When the lights failed, a rush had been made into the tunnel -to reach Oxford Circus, all exit by the stairs being blocked, as at -Shepherd’s Bush, on account of the hundreds struggling to get down. - -As at Holland Park, the terrified crowd fighting with each other became -jammed and suffocated in the narrow space. The catastrophe was a -frightful one, for it was afterwards proved that over four hundred and -twenty persons, mostly weak women and children, lost their lives in -those twenty minutes of darkness before the mains at the generating -station, wrecked by the explosions, could be repaired. - -Then, when the current came up again, the lights revealed the frightful -mishap, and people struggled to emerge from the burrows wherein they had -so narrowly escaped death. - -Upon the Baker Street and Waterloo and other “tubes” every station had -also been beseiged. The whole of the first-mentioned line from north to -south was the refuge of thousands, who saw in it a safe place for -retreat. The tunnels of the District Railway, too, were filled with -terror-stricken multitudes, who descended at every station and walked -away into a subterranean place of safety. No trains had been running for -several days, therefore there was no danger from that cause. - -Meanwhile the bombardment continued with unceasing activity. - -The Marylebone station of the Great Central Railway, and the Great -Central Hotel, which seemed to be only just within the line of fire, -were wrecked, and about four o’clock it was seen that the hotel, like -that at St. Pancras, was well alight, though no effort could be made to -save it. At the first two or three alarms of fire the Metropolitan Fire -Brigade had turned out, but now that fresh alarms were reaching the -chief station every moment, the brigade saw themselves utterly powerless -to even attempt to save the hundred buildings, great and small, now -furiously blazing. - -Gasometers, especially those of the Gas Light and Coke Company at Kensal -Green, were marked by the German gunners, who sent them into the air; -while a well-directed petrol bomb at Wormwood Scrubs Prison set one -great wing of the place alight, and the prisoners were therefore -released. The rear of Kensington Palace, and the fronts of a number of -houses in Kensington Palace Gardens were badly damaged, while in the -dome of the Albert Hall was a great, ugly hole. - -Shortly after five o’clock occurred a disaster which was of national -consequence. It could only have been a mishap on the part of the -Germans, for they would certainly never have done such irreparable -damage willingly, as they destroyed what would otherwise have been the -most valuable of loot. - -Shots suddenly began to fall fast in Bloomsbury, several of them badly -damaging the Hotel Russell and the houses near, and it was therefore -apparent that one of the batteries which had been firing from near Jack -Straw’s Castle had been moved across to Parliament Hill, or even to some -point south of it, which gave a wider range to the fire. - -Presently a shell came high through the air and fell full upon the -British Museum, striking it nearly in the centre of the front, and in -exploding carried away the Grecian-Ionic ornament, and shattering a -number of the fine stone columns of the dark façade. Ere people in the -vicinity had realised that the national collection of antiques was -within the range of the enemy’s destructive projectiles, a second shell -crashed into the rear of the building, making a great gap in the walls. -Then, as although all the guns of that particular battery had converged -in order to destroy our treasure-house of art and antiquity, shell after -shell crashed into the place in rapid succession. Before ten minutes had -passed, grey smoke began to roll out from beneath the long colonnade in -front, and growing denser, told its own tale. The British Museum was on -fire. - -Nor was that all. As though to complete the disaster--although it was -certain that the Germans were in ignorance--there came one of those -terrible shells filled with petrol, which, bursting inside the -manuscript room, set the whole place ablaze. In a dozen different places -the building seemed to be now alight, especially the library, and thus -the finest collection of books, manuscripts, Greek and Roman and -Egyptian antiques, coins, medals, and prehistoric relics, lay at the -mercy of the flames. - -The fire brigade was at once alarmed, and at imminent risk of their -lives, for shells were still falling in the vicinity, they, with the -Salvage Corps and the assistance of many willing helpers--some of whom -unfortunately lost their lives in the flames--saved whatever could be -saved, throwing the objects out into the railed-off quadrangle in front. - -The left wing of the Museum, however, could not be entered, although -after most valiant efforts on the part of the firemen the conflagrations -that had broken out in other parts of the building were at length -subdued. The damage was, however, irreparable, for many unique -collections, including all the prints and drawings, and many of the -mediæval and historic manuscripts, had already been consumed. - -Shots now began to fall as far south as Oxford Street, and all along -that thoroughfare from Holborn as far as Oxford Circus, widespread havoc -was being wrought. People fled for their lives back towards Charing -Cross and the Strand. The Oxford Music Hall was a hopeless ruin, while a -shell crashing through the roof of Frascati’s restaurant, carried away a -portion of the gallery and utterly wrecked the whole place. Many of the -shops in Oxford Street had their roofs damaged or their fronts blown -out, while a huge block of flats in Great Russell Street was practically -demolished by three shells striking in rapid succession. - -Then, to the alarm of all who realised it, shots were seen to be passing -high over Bloomsbury, south towards the Thames. The range had been -increased, for, as was afterwards known, some heavier guns had now been -mounted upon Muswell Hill and Hampstead Heath, which, carrying to a -distance of from six to seven miles, placed the City, the Strand, and -Westminster within the zone of fire. The zone in question stretched -roughly from Victoria Park through Bethnal Green and Whitechapel, -across to Southwark, the Borough, Lambeth, and Westminster to -Kensington, and while the fire upon the northern suburbs slackened, -great shells now came flying through the air into the very heart of -London. - -The German gunners at Muswell Hill took the dome of St. Paul’s as a -mark, for shells fell constantly in Ludgate Hill, in Cheapside, in -Newgate Street, and in the churchyard itself. One falling upon the steps -of the Cathedral tore out two of the columns of the front, while another -striking the clock tower just below the face, brought down much of the -masonry and one of the huge bells, with a deafening crash, blocking the -road with débris. Time after time the great shells went over the -splendid Cathedral, which the enemy seemed bent upon destroying, but the -dome remained uninjured, though about ten feet of the top of the second -tower was carried away. - -On the Cannon Street side of St. Paul’s a great block of drapery -warehouses had caught fire, and was burning fiercely, while the drapers’ -and other shops on the Paternoster Row side all had their windows -shattered by the constant detonations. Within the cathedral two shells -that had fallen through the roof had wrought havoc with the beautiful -reredos and choir-stalls, many of the fine windows being also wrecked by -the explosions. - -Whole rows of houses in Cheapside suffered, while both the Mansion -House, where the London flag was flying, and the Royal Exchange were -severely damaged by a number of shells which fell in the vicinity. The -equestrian statue in front of the Exchange had been overturned, while -the Exchange itself showed a great yawning hole in the corner of the -façade next Cornhill. At the Bank of England a fire had occurred, but -had fortunately been extinguished by the strong force of Guards in -charge, though they gallantly risked their lives in so doing. Lothbury, -Gresham Street, Old Broad Street, Lombard Street, Gracechurch Street, -and Leadenhall Street were all more or less scenes of fire, havoc, and -destruction. The loss of life was not great in this neighbourhood, for -most people had crossed the river or gone westward, but the high -explosives used by the Germans were falling upon the shops and -warehouses with appalling effect. - -Masonry was torn about like paper, ironwork twisted like wax, woodwork -shattered to a thousand splinters as, time after time, a great -projectile hissed in the air and effected its errand of destruction. A -number of the wharves on each side of the river were soon alight, and -both Upper and Lower Thames Streets were soon impassable on account of -huge conflagrations. A few shells fell in Shoreditch, Houndsditch, and -Whitechapel, and these, in most cases, caused loss of life in those -densely populated districts. - -Westward, however, as the hours went on, the howitzers at Hampstead -began to drop high explosive shells into the Strand, around Charing -Cross, and in Westminster. This weapon had a calibre of 4·14 inches, and -threw a projectile of 35 lb. The tower of St. Clement Dane’s Church -crashed to the ground and blocked the roadway opposite Milford Lane; the -pointed roof of the clock-tower of the Law Courts was blown away, and -the granite fronts of the two banks opposite the Law Courts entrance -were torn out by a shell which exploded in the footpath before them. - -Shells fell, time after time, in and about the Law Courts themselves, -committing immense damage to the interior, while a shell bursting upon -the roof of Charing Cross Station, rendered it a ruin as picturesque as -it had been in December 1905. The National Liberal Club was burning -furiously; the Hotel Cecil and the Savoy did not escape, but no material -damage was done them. The Garrick Theatre had caught fire, a shot -carried away the globe above the Coliseum, and the Shot Tower beside the -Thames crashed into the river. - -The front of the Grand Hotel in Trafalgar Square showed, in several -places, great holes where the shell had struck, and a shell bursting -at the foot of Nelson’s monument turned over one of the -lions--overthrowing the emblem of Britain’s might! - -The clubs in Pall Mall were, in one or two instances, wrecked, notably -the Reform, the Junior Carlton, and the Athenæum, into each of which -shells fell through the roof and exploded within. - -From the number of projectiles that fell in the vicinity of the Houses -of Parliament it was apparent that the German gunners could see the -Royal Standard flying from the Victoria Tower, and were making it their -mark. In the west front of Westminster Abbey several shots crashed, -doing enormous damage to the grand old pile. The hospital opposite was -set alight, while the Westminster Palace Hotel was severely damaged, and -two shells falling into St. Thomas’s Hospital created a scene of -indescribable terror in one of the overcrowded casualty wards. - -Suddenly one of the German high explosive shells burst on the top of the -Victoria Tower, blowing away all four of the pinnacles, and bringing -down the flagstaff. Big Ben served as another mark for the artillery at -Muswell Hill, for several shots struck it, tearing out one of the huge -clock faces and blowing away the pointed apex of the tower. Suddenly, -however, two great shells struck it right in the centre, almost -simultaneously, near the base, and made such a hole in the huge pile of -masonry that it was soon seen to have been rendered unsafe, though it -did not fall. - -Shot after shot struck other portions of the Houses of Parliament, -breaking the windows and carrying away pinnacles. - -One of the twin towers of Westminster Abbey fell a few moments later, -and another shell, crashing into the choir, completely wrecked Edward -the Confessor’s shrine, the Coronation chair, and all the objects of -antiquity in the vicinity. - -The old Horse Guards escaped injury, but one of the cupolas of the new -War Office opposite was blown away, while shortly afterwards a fire -broke out in the new Local Government Board and Education Offices. -Number 10 Downing Street, the chief centre of the Government, had its -windows all blown in--a grim accident, no doubt--the same explosion -shattering several windows in the Foreign Office. - -Many shells fell in St. James’s and Hyde Parks, exploding harmlessly, -but others, passing across St. James’s Park, crashed into that high -building, Queen Anne’s Mansions, causing fearful havoc. Somerset House, -Covent Garden Market, Drury Lane Theatre, and the Gaiety Theatre and -Restaurant all suffered more or less, and two of the bronze footguards -guarding the Wellington Statue at Hyde Park Corner were blown many yards -away. Around Holborn Circus immense damage was being caused, and several -shells bursting on the Viaduct itself blew great holes in the bridge. - -So widespread, indeed, was the havoc, that it is impossible to give a -detailed account of the day’s terrors. If the public buildings suffered, -the damage to property of householders and the ruthless wrecking of -quiet English homes may well be imagined. The people had been driven out -from the zone of fire, and had left their possessions to the mercy of -the invaders. - -South of the Thames very little damage was done. The German howitzers -and long-range guns could not reach so far. One or two shots fell in -York Road, Lambeth, and in the Waterloo and Westminster Bridge Roads, -but they did little damage beyond the breaking of all the windows in the -vicinity. - -When would it end? Where would it end? - -Half the population of London had fled across the bridges, and from -Denmark Hill, Champion Hill, Norwood, and the Crystal Palace they could -see the smoke issuing from the hundred fires. - -London was cowed. Those northern barricades, still held by bodies of -valiant men, were making a last desperate stand, though the streets ran -with blood. Every man fought well and bravely for his country, though he -went to his death. A thousand acts of gallant heroism on the part of -Englishmen were done that day, but, alas! all to no purpose. The Germans -were at our gates, and were not to be denied. - -As daylight commenced to fade the dust and smoke became suffocating. And -yet the guns pounded away with a monotonous regularity that appalled the -helpless populace. Overhead there was a quick whizzing in the air, a -deafening explosion, and as masonry came crashing down the atmosphere -was filled with poisonous fumes that half asphyxiated all those in the -vicinity. - -Hitherto the enemy had treated us, on the whole, humanely, but finding -that desperate resistance in the northern suburbs, Von Kronhelm was -carrying out the Emperor’s parting injunction. He was breaking the pride -of our own dear London, even at the sacrifice of thousands of innocent -lives. - -The scenes in the streets within that zone of awful fire baffled -description. They were too sudden, too dramatic, too appalling. Death -and destruction were everywhere, and the people of London now realised -for the first time what the horrors of war really meant. - -Dusk was falling. Above the pall of smoke from the burning buildings the -sun was setting with a blood-red light. From the London streets, -however, this evening sky was darkened by the clouds of smoke and dust. -Yet the cannonade continued, each shell that came hurtling through the -air exploding with deadly effect and spreading destruction on all hands. - -Meanwhile the barricades at the north had not escaped Von Kronhelm’s -attention. About four o’clock he gave orders by field telegraph for -certain batteries to move down and attack them. - -This was done soon after five o’clock, and when the German guns began to -pour their deadly rain of shell into those hastily improvised defences -there commenced a slaughter of the gallant defenders that was horrible. -At each of the barricades shell after shell was directed, and very -quickly breaches were made. Then upon the defenders themselves the fire -was directed--a withering, awful fire from quick-firing guns which none -could withstand. The streets, with their barricades swept away, were -strewn with mutilated corpses. Hundreds upon hundreds had attempted to -make a last stand, rallied by the Union Jack they waved above, but a -shell exploding in their midst had sent them to instant eternity. - -Many a gallant deed was done that day by patriotic Londoners in defence -of their homes and loved ones--many a deed that should have earned the -V.C.--but in nearly all cases the patriot who had stood up and faced the -foe had gone to straight and certain death. - -Till seven o’clock the dull roar of the guns in the north continued, and -people across the Thames knew that London was still being destroyed, nay -pulverised. Then with one accord came a silence--the first silence since -the hot noon. - -Von Kronhelm’s field telegraph at Jack Straw’s Castle had ticked the -order to cease firing. - -All the barricades had been broken. - -London lay burning--at the mercy of the German eagle. - -And as the darkness fell the German Commander-in-Chief looked again -through his glasses, and saw the red flames leaping up in dozens of -places, where whole blocks of shops and buildings, public institutions, -whole streets in some cases, were being consumed. - -London--the proud capital of the world, the “home” of the -Englishman--was at last ground beneath the iron heel of Germany! - -And all, alas! due to one cause alone--the careless insular apathy of -the Englishman himself! - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -FALL OF LONDON - - -Outside London the September night had settled down on the blood-stained -field of battle. With a pale light the moon had risen, partly hidden by -chasing clouds, her white rays mingling with the lurid glare of the -fires down in the great terrified metropolis below. Northward, from -Hampstead across to Barnet--indeed, over that wide district where the -final battle had been so hotly fought--the moonbeams shone upon the -pallid faces of the fallen. - -Along the German line of investment there had now followed upon the roar -of battle an uncanny silence. - -Away to the west, however, there was still heard the growling of distant -conflict, now mounting into a low crackling of musketry fire, and again -dying away in muffled sounds. The last remnant of the British Army was -being hotly pursued in the direction of Staines. - -London was invested and bombarded, but not yet taken. - -For a long time the German Field-Marshal had stood alone upon Hampstead -Heath apart from his staff, watching the great tongues of flame leaping -up here and there in the distant darkness. His grey, shaggy brows were -contracted, his thin aquiline face thoughtful, his hard mouth twitching -nervously, unable to fully conceal the strain of his own feelings as -conqueror of the English. Von Kronhelm’s taciturnity had long ago been -proverbial. The Kaiser had likened him to Moltke, and declared that “he -could be silent in seven languages.” His gaze was one of musing, and yet -he was the most active of men, and perhaps the cleverest strategist in -all Europe. Often during the campaign he had astonished his -aides-de-camp by his untiring energy, for sometimes he would even visit -the outposts in person. On many occasions he had actually crept up to -the most advanced posts at great personal risk to himself, so anxious -had he been to see with his own eyes. Such visits from the Field-Marshal -himself were not always exactly welcome to the German outposts, who, as -soon as they showed the least sign of commotion consequent upon the -visit, were at once swept by a withering English fire. - -Yet he now stood there--the conqueror. And while many of his officers -were installing themselves in comfortable quarters in houses about North -End, North Hill, South Hill, Muswell Hill, Roslyn Hill, Fitzjohn’s -Avenue, Netherhall, and Maresfield Gardens, and other roads in that -vicinity, the great Commander was still alone upon the Heath, having -taken nothing save a nip from his flask since his coffee at dawn. - -Time after time telegraphic despatches were handed to him from Germany, -and telephonic reports from his various positions around London, but he -received them all without comment. He read, he listened, but he said -nothing. - -For a full hour he remained there, strolling up and down alone in quick -impatience. Then, as though suddenly making up his mind, he called three -members of his staff, and gave orders for the entry into London. - -This, as he knew, was the signal for a terrible and bloody encounter. -Bugles sounded. Men and officers, who had believed that the storm and -stress of the day were over, and that they were entitled to rest, found -themselves called upon to fight their way into the city that they knew -would be defended by an irate and antagonistic populace. - -Still, the order had been given, and it must be obeyed. They had -expected that the advance would be at least made at dawn, but evidently -Von Kronhelm feared that six hours’ delay might necessitate more -desperate fighting. He intended, now that London was cowed, that she -should be entirely crushed. The orders of his master the Kaiser were to -that effect. - -Therefore, shortly before nine o’clock the first detachments of German -Infantry marched along Spaniards Road, and down Roslyn Hill to -Haverstock Hill, where they were at once fired upon from behind the -débris of the great barricade across the junction of Prince of Wales -Road and Haverstock Hill. This place was held strongly by British -Infantry, many members of the Legion of Frontiersmen,--distinguished -only by the little bronze badge in their buttonholes,--and also by -hundreds of citizens armed with rifles. - -Twenty Germans dropped at the first volley, and next instant a Maxim, -concealed in the first floor of a neighbouring house, spat forth its -fire upon the invaders with deadly effect. The German bugle sounded the -“Advance rapidly,” and the men emulously ran forward, shouting loud -hurrahs. Major von Wittich, who had distinguished himself very -conspicuously in the fighting around Enfield Chase, fell, being shot -through the lung when just within a few yards of the half-ruined -barricade. Londoners were fighting desperately, shouting and cheering. -The standard-bearer of the 4th Battalion of the Brunswick Infantry -Regiment, No. 92, fell severely wounded, and the standard was instantly -snatched from him in the awful hand-to-hand fighting which that moment -ensued. - -Five minutes later the streets were running with blood, for hundreds, -both Germans and British, lay dead and dying. Every Londoner struggled -valiantly until shot down; yet the enemy, already reinforced, pressed -forward, until ten minutes later the defenders were driven out of their -position, and the house from which the Maxim was sending forth its -deadly hail had been entered and the gun captured. Volley after volley -was still, however, poured out on the heads of the storming party, but -already the pioneers were at work clearing a way for the advance, and -very soon the Germans had surmounted the obstruction and were within -London. - -For a short time the Germans halted, then, at a signal from their -officers, they moved forward along both roads, again being fired upon -from every house in the vicinity, many of the defenders having retired -to continue their defence from the windows. The enemy therefore turned -their attention to these houses, and after desperate struggles house -after house was taken, those of the defenders not wearing uniform being -shot down without mercy. To such no quarter was given. - -The contest now became a most furious one. Britons and Germans fought -hand to hand. A battalion of the Brunswick Infantry with some riflemen -of the Guard took several houses by rush in Chalk Farm Road; but in many -cases the Germans were shot by their own comrades. Quite a number of the -enemy’s officers were picked off by the Frontiersmen, those brave -fellows who had seen service in every corner of the world, and who were -now in windows and upon roofs. Thus the furious fight from house to -house proceeded. - -This exciting conflict was practically characteristic of what was at -that moment happening in fifty other spots along the suburbs of North -London. The obstinate resistance which we made against the Germans was -met with equally obstinate aggression. There was no surrender. Londoners -fell and died fighting to the very last. - -Against those well-trained Teutons in such overwhelming masses we, -however, could have no hope of success. The rushes of the infantry and -rifles of the Guards were made skilfully, and slowly but surely broke -down all opposition. - -The barricade in the Kentish Town Road was defended with valiant -heroism. The Germans were, as in Chalk Farm Road, compelled to fight -their way foot by foot, losing heavily all the time. But here, at -length, as at other points, the barricade was taken, and the defenders -chased, and either taken prisoner or else ruthlessly shot down. A body -of citizens armed with rifles were, after the storming of the barricades -in question, driven back into Park Street, and there, being caught -between two bodies of Germans, slaughtered to a man. Through those unlit -side-streets between the Kentish Town and Camden Roads--namely, the -Lawford, Bartholomew, Rochester, Caversham, and Leighton Roads, there -was much skirmishing, and many on both sides fell in the bloody -encounter. A thousand deeds of bravery were done that night, but were -unrecorded. Before the barricade in the Holloway Road--which had been -strongly repaired after the breach made in it by the German shells--the -enemy lost very heavily, for the three Maxims which had there been -mounted did awful execution. The invaders, however, seeing the strong -defence, fell back for full twenty minutes, and then, making another -rush, hurled petrol bombs into the midst of our men. - -A frightful holocaust was the result. Fully a hundred of the poor -fellows were literally burned alive; while the neighbouring houses being -set in flames, compelled the citizen free-shooters to quickly evacuate -their position. Against such terrible missiles even the best-trained -troops cannot stand, therefore no wonder that all opposition at that -point was soon afterwards swept away, and the pioneers quickly opened -the road for the victorious legions of the Kaiser. - -And so in that prosaic thoroughfare, the Holloway Road, brave men fought -gallantly and died, while a Scotch piper paced the pavement sharply, -backwards and forwards, with his colours flying. Then, alas! came the -red flash, the loud explosions in rapid succession, and next instant the -whole street burst into a veritable sea of flame. - -High Street, Kingsland, was also the scene of several fierce conflicts; -but here the Germans decidedly got the worst of it. The whole infuriated -population seemed to emerge suddenly from the side streets of the -Kingsland Road on the appearance of the detachment of the enemy, and the -latter were practically overwhelmed, notwithstanding the desperate fight -they made. Then ringing cheers went up from the defenders. - -The Germans were given no quarter by the populace, all of whom were -armed with knives or guns, the women mostly with hatchets, crowbars, or -edged tools. - -Many of the Germans fled through the side streets towards Mare Street, -and were hotly pursued, the majority of them being done to death by the -maddened mob. The streets in this vicinity were literally a -slaughter-house. - -The barricades in Finchley Road and in High Road, Kilburn were also very -strongly held, and at the first named it was quite an hour before the -enemy’s pioneers were able to make a breach. Indeed, then only after a -most hotly contested conflict, in which there were frightful losses on -both sides. Petrol bombs were here also used by the enemy with appalling -effect, the road being afterwards cleared by a couple of Maxims. - -Farther towards Regent’s Park the houses were, however, full of -sharpshooters, and before these could be dislodged the enemy had again -suffered severely. The entry into London was both difficult and -perilous, and the enemy suffered great losses everywhere. - -After the breaking down of the defences in High Road, Kilburn, the men -who had held them retired to the Town Hall, opposite Kilburn Station, -and from the windows fired at the passing battalions, doing much -execution. All efforts to dislodge them proved unavailing, until the -place was taken by storm, and a fearful hand-to-hand fight was the -outcome. Eventually the Town Hall was taken, after a most desperate -resistance, and ten minutes later wilfully set fire to and burned. - -In the Harrow Road and those cross streets between Kensal Green and -Maida Vale the advancing Germans shared much the same fate as about -Hackney. Surrounded by the armed populace, hundreds upon hundreds of -them were killed, struck down by hatchets, stabbed by knives, or shot -with revolvers, the crowd shouting, “Down with the Germans! Kill them! -Kill them!” - -Many of the London women now became perfect furies. So incensed were -they at the wreck of their homes and the death of their loved ones that -they rushed wildly into the fray with no thought of peril, only of -bitter revenge. A German, whenever caught, was at once killed. In those -bloody street fights the Teutons got separated from their comrades and -were quickly surrounded and done to death. - -Across the whole of the northern suburbs the scenes of bloodshed that -night were full of horror, as men fought in the ruined streets, climbing -over the smouldering débris, over the bodies of their comrades, and -shooting from behind ruined walls. As Von Kronhelm had anticipated, his -Army was compelled to fight its way into London. - -The streets all along the line of the enemy’s advance were now strewn -with dead and dying. London was doomed. - -The Germans now coming on in increasing, nay, unceasing, numbers, were -leaving behind them everywhere the trail of blood. Shattered London -stood staggered. - -Though the resistance had been long and desperate, the enemy had again -triumphed by reason of his sheer weight of numbers. - -Yet even though he were actually in our own dear London, our people did -not mean that he should establish himself without any further -opposition. Therefore, though the barricades had been taken, the Germans -found in every unexpected corner men who shot at them, and Maxims which -spat forth their leaden showers beneath which hundreds upon hundreds of -Teutons fell. - -Yet they advanced, still fighting. The scenes of carnage were awful and -indescribable, no quarter being given to any armed citizens not in -uniform, be they men, women, or children. - -The German Army was carrying out the famous proclamation of -Field-Marshal von Kronhelm to the very letter! - -They were marching on to the sack of the wealthiest city of the world. - -It wanted still an hour of midnight, London was a city of shadow, of -fire, of death. The silent streets, whence all the inhabitants had fled -in panic, echoed to the heavy tread of German infantry, the clank of -arms, and the ominous rumble of guns. Ever and anon an order was shouted -in German as the Kaiser’s legions went forward to occupy the proud -capital of the world. The enemy’s plans appeared to have been carefully -prepared. The majority of the troops coming from the direction of -Hampstead and Finchley entered Regent’s Park, whence preparations were -at once commenced for encampment; while the remainder, together with -those who came down the Camden, Caledonian, and Holloway Roads turned -along Euston Road and Oxford Street to Hyde Park, where a huge camp was -formed, stretching from the Marble Arch right along the Park Lane side -away to Knightsbridge. - -Officers were very soon billeted in the best houses in Park Lane and -about Mayfair,--houses full of works of art and other valuables that had -only that morning been left to the mercy of the invaders. From the -windows and balconies of their quarters in Park Lane they could overlook -the encampment--a position which had evidently been purposely chosen. - -Other troops who came in never-ending procession by Bow Road, Roman -Road, East India Dock Road, Victoria Park Road, Mare Street, and -Kingsland Road all converged into the City itself, except those who had -come from Edmonton down the Kingsland Road, and who, passing along Old -Street and Clerkenwell, occupied the Charing Cross and Westminster -districts. - -At midnight a dramatic scene was enacted when, in the blood-red glare -of some blazing buildings in the vicinity, a large body of Prince Louis -Ferdinand of Prussia’s 2nd Magdeburg Regiment suddenly swept up -Threadneedle Street into the great open space before the Mansion House, -whereon the London flag was still flying aloft in the smoke-laden air. -They halted across the junction of Cheapside with Queen Victoria Street -when, at the same moment, another huge body of the Uhlans of Altmark and -Magdeburg Hussars came clattering along Cornhill, followed a moment -later by battalion after battalion of the 4th and 8th Thuringen Infantry -out of Moorgate Street, whose uniforms showed plain traces of the -desperate encounters of the past week. - -[Illustration: LONDON after the BOMBARDMENT.] - -The great body of Germans had halted before the Mansion House, when -General von Kleppen, the commander of the IVth Army Corps--who, -it will be remembered, had landed at Weybourne--accompanied by -Lieutenant-General von Mirbach of the 8th Division, and Frölich, -commander of the cavalry brigade, ascended the steps of the Mansion -House and entered. - -Within, Sir Claude Harrison, the Lord Mayor, who wore his robes and -jewel of office, received them in that great, sombre room wherein so -many momentous questions concerning the welfare of the British Empire -had been discussed. The representative of the City of London, a short, -stout, grey-haired man, was pale and agitated. He bowed, but he could -not speak. - -Von Kleppen, however, a smart, soldierly figure in his service uniform -and many ribbons, bowed in response, and in very fair English said: - -“I regret, my Lord Mayor, that it is necessary for us to thus disturb -you, but as you are aware, the British Army have been defeated, and the -German Army has entered London. I have orders from Field-Marshal von -Kronhelm to place you under arrest, and to hold you as hostage for the -good behaviour of the City during the progress of the negotiations for -peace.” - -“Arrest!” gasped the Lord Mayor. “You intend to arrest me?” - -“It will not be irksome, I assure you,” smiled the German commander -grimly. “At least, we shall make it as comfortable as possible. I shall -place a guard here, and the only restriction I place upon you is that -you shall neither go out nor hold any communication with anyone outside -these walls.” - -“But my wife?” - -“If her ladyship is here I would advise that she leave the place. It is -better that, for the present, she should be out of London.” - -The civic officials, who had all assembled for the dramatic ceremonial, -looked at each other in blank amazement. - -The Lord Mayor was a prisoner! - -Sir Claude divested himself of his jewel of office, and handed it to his -servant to replace in safe keeping. Then he took off his robe, and -having done so, advanced closer to the German officers, who, treating -him with every courtesy, consulted with him, expressing regret at the -terrible loss of life that had been occasioned by the gallant defence of -the barricades. - -Von Kleppen gave the Lord Mayor a message from Von Kronhelm, and urged -him to issue a proclamation forbidding any further opposition on the -part of the populace of London. With the three officers Sir Claude -talked for a quarter of an hour, while into the Mansion House there -entered a strong guard of men of the 2nd Magdeburg, who quickly -established themselves in the most comfortable quarters. German double -sentries stood at every exit and in every corridor, and when a few -minutes later the flag was hauled down and the German Imperial Standard -run up, wild shouts of triumph rang from every throat of the densely -packed body of troops assembled outside. - -The joyous “hurrahs!” reached the Lord Mayor, still in conversation with -Von Kleppen, Von Mirbach, and Frölich, and in an instant he knew the -truth. The Teutons were saluting their own standard. The civic flag had, -either accidentally or purposely, been flung down into the roadway -below, and was trampled in the dust. A hundred enthusiastic Germans, -disregarding the shouts of their officers, fought for the flag, and it -was instantly torn to shreds, and little pieces preserved as souvenirs. - -Shout after shout in German went up from the wildly excited troops of -the Kaiser when the light wind caused their own flag to flutter out, and -then as with one voice the whole body of troops united in singing the -German National Hymn. - -The scene was weird and most impressive. London had fallen. - -Around were the wrecked buildings, some still smouldering, some emitting -flame. Behind lay the Bank of England with untold wealth locked within; -to the right, the damaged façade of the Royal Exchange was illuminated -by the flickering light, which also shone upon the piled arms of the -enemy’s troops, causing them to flash and gleam. - -In those silent, narrow City streets not an Englishman was to be seen. -Everyone save the Lord Mayor and his official attendants had fled. - -The Government offices in Whitehall were all in the hands of the enemy. -In the Foreign Office, the India Office, the War Office, the Colonial -Office, the Admiralty and other minor offices were German guards. -Sentries stood at the shattered door of the famous No. 10 Downing -Street, and all up Whitehall was lined with infantry. - -German officers were in charge of all our public offices, and all -officials who had remained on duty were firmly requested to leave. -Sentries were stationed to guard the archives of every department, and -precautions were taken to guard against any further outbreaks of fire. - -Across at the Houses of Parliament, with their damaged towers, the whole -great pile of buildings was surrounded by triumphant troops, while -across at the fine old Abbey of Westminster was, alas! a different -scene. The interior had been turned into a temporary hospital, and upon -matresses placed upon the floor were hundreds of poor maimed creatures, -some groaning, some ghastly pale in the last moments of agony, some -silent, their white lips moving in prayer. - -On one side in the dim light lay the men, some in uniform, others -inoffensive citizens, who had been struck by cruel shells or falling -débris; on the other side lay the women, some mere girls, and even -children. - -Flitting everywhere in the half light were nurses, charitable ladies, -and female helpers, with numbers of doctors, all doing their best to -alleviate the terrible sufferings of that crowded place, the walls of -which showed plain traces of the severe bombardment. In places the roof -was open to the angry sky, while many of the windows were gaunt and -shattered. - -A clergyman’s voice somewhere was repeating a prayer in a low, distinct -voice, so that all could hear, yet above all were the sighs and groans -of the sufferers, and as one walked through that prostrate assembly of -victims more than one was seen to have already gone to that land that -lies beyond the human ken. - -[Illustration: DAMAGE DONE IN THE CITY BY THE BOMBARDMENT. - -(_The shaded portions indicate houses or buildings injured by shells or -fire._)] - -The horrors of war were never more forcibly illustrated than in -Westminster Abbey that night, for the grim hand of Death was there, and -men and women lying with their faces to the roof looked into Eternity. - -Every hospital in London was full, therefore the overflow had been -placed in the various churches. From the battlefields along the northern -defences, Epping, Edmonton, Barnet, Enfield, and other places where the -last desperate stand had been made, and from the barricades in the -northern suburbs ambulance wagons were continually arriving full of -wounded, all of whom were placed in the churches and in any large public -buildings which had remained undamaged by the bombardment. - -St. George’s, Hanover Square, once the scene of many smart weddings, was -now packed with unfortunate wounded soldiers, British and Germans lying -side by side, while in the Westminster Cathedral and the Oratory at -Brompton the Roman Catholic priests made hundreds of poor fellows as -comfortable as they could, many members of the religious sisterhoods -acting as nurses. St. James’s Church in Piccadilly, St. Pancras Church, -Shoreditch Church, and St. Mary Abbotts’, Kensington, were all -improvised hospitals, and many grim and terrible scenes of agony were -witnessed during that long eventful night. - -The light was dim everywhere, for there were only paraffin lamps, and by -their feeble illumination many a difficult operation had to be performed -by those London surgeons who one and all had come forward, and were now -working unceasingly. Renowned specialists from Harley Street, Cavendish -Square, Queen Anne Street, and the vicinity were directing the work in -all the improvised hospitals, men whose names were world-famous kneeling -and performing operations upon poor unfortunate private soldiers or upon -some labourer who had taken up a gun in defence of his home. - -Of lady helpers there were hundreds. From Mayfair and Belgravia, from -Kensington and Bayswater, ladies had come forward offering their -services, and their devotion to the wounded was everywhere apparent. In -St. Andrew’s, Wells Street, St. Peter’s, Eaton Square, in the Scottish -Church in Crown Court, Covent Garden, in the Temple Church, in the Union -Chapel in Upper Street, in the Chapel Royal, Savoy, in St. Clement Danes -in the Strand, and in St. Martin’s-in-the-Fields there were wounded in -greater or less numbers, but the difficulties of treating them were -enormous owing to the lack of necessaries for the performance of -operations. - -Weird and striking were the scenes within those hallowed places, as, in -the half darkness with the long, deep shadows, men struggled for life or -gave to the women kneeling at their side their name, their address, or a -last dying message to one they loved. - -London that night was a city of shattered homes, of shattered hopes, of -shattered lives. - -The silence of death had fallen everywhere. The only sounds that broke -the quiet within those churches were the sighs, the groans, and the -faint murmurings of the dying. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -TWO PERSONAL NARRATIVES - - -Some adequate idea of the individual efforts made by the citizens of -London to defend their homes against the invader may be gathered from -various personal narratives afterwards printed in certain newspapers. -All of them were tragic, thrilling, and struck that strong note of -patriotism which is ever latent in the breast of every Englishman, and -more especially the Londoner. - -The story told to a reporter of the _Observer_ by a young man named -Charles Dale, who in ordinary life was a clerk in the employ of the -Royal Mail Steam Packet Company, in Moorgate Street, depicted, in -graphic details, the frightful conflict. He said: - -“When the Hendon and Cricklewood Rifle Club was formed in 1906 I joined -it, and in a month we had over 500 members. From that time the -club--whose practices were held at the Normal Powder Company’s range, in -Reuter’s Lane, Hendon--increased until it became one of the largest -rifle clubs in the kingdom. As soon as news of the sudden invasion -reached us, we all reported ourselves at headquarters, and out of four -thousand of us there were only thirty-three absentees, all the latter -being too far from London to return. We were formed into small parties, -and, taking our rifles and ammunition, we donned our distinctive khaki -tunics and peaked caps, and each company made its way into Essex -independently, in order to assist the Legion of Frontiersmen and the -Free-shooters to harass the Germans. - -“Three days after the enemy’s landing, I found myself, with seventeen of -my comrades, at a village called Dedham, close to the Stour, where we -opened our campaign by lying in ambush and picking off a number of -German sentries. It was exciting and risky work, especially when, under -cover of darkness, we crept up to the enemy’s outposts and attacked and -harassed them. Assisted by a number of the Frontiersmen, we scoured the -country across to Sudbury, and in that hot, exciting week that followed -dozens of the enemy fell to our guns. We snatched sleep where we could, -concealing ourselves in thickets and begging food from the cottagers, -all of whom gave us whatever they could spare. One morning, when just -outside Wormingford village, we were surprised by a party of Germans. -Whereupon we retired to a barn, and held it strongly for an hour until -the enemy were forced to retire, leaving ten of their number dead and -eight wounded. Ours was a very narrow escape, and had not the enemy been -compelled to fight in the open, we should certainly have been -overwhelmed and exterminated. We were an irregular force, therefore the -Germans would give us no quarter. We carried our lives in our hands -always. - -“War brings with it strange companions. Many queer, adventurous spirits -fought beside us in those breathless days of fire and blood, when Maldon -was attacked by the Colchester garrison, and our gallant troops were -forced back after the battle of Purleigh. Each day that went past -brought out larger numbers of free-shooters from London, while the full -force of the patriotic Legion of Frontiersmen had now concentrated until -the whole country west of the line from Chelmsford to Saffron Walden -seemed swarming with us, and we must have given the enemy great trouble -everywhere. The day following the battle of Royston I had the most -narrow escape. Lying in ambush with eight other men, all members of the -Rifle Club, in College Wood, not far from Buntingford, I was asleep, -being utterly worn out, when we were suddenly discovered by a large -party of Uhlans. Two of my comrades were shot dead ere they could fire, -while five others, including one of my best friends, Tom Martin, a clerk -in the National Provincial Bank, who had started with me from Hendon, -were taken prisoners. I managed to dodge the two big Uhlans who -endeavoured to seize me, and into the face of one I fired my revolver, -blowing half his bearded face away. In a moment a German bullet whistled -past me; then another and another; but by marvellous good luck I was not -hit, and managed to escape into the denser part of the wood, where I -climbed a high tree, hiding among the branches, while the Germans below -sought in vain for me. Those moments seemed hours. I could hear my own -heart beat. I knew that they might easily discover me, for the foliage -was not very thick. Indeed, twice one of the search parties passed right -beneath me. Of my other comrade who had fled I had seen nothing. For -three hours I remained concealed there. Once I heard loud shouts and -then sounds of shots close by, and wondered whether any of our comrades, -whom I knew were in the vicinity, had discovered the Germans. Then at -last, just after sundown, I descended and carefully made my way out. For -a long time I wandered about until the dusk was deepening into night, -unable to discover my whereabouts. At last I found myself on the -outskirts of the wood, but hardly had I gone a hundred yards in the open -ere my eyes met a sight that froze my blood. Upon trees in close -proximity to each other were hanging the dead bodies of my five -comrades, including poor Tom Martin. They presented a grim, ghastly -spectacle. The Uhlans had strung them to trees, and afterwards riddled -them with bullets! - -“Gradually, we were driven back upon London. Desperately we fought, each -one of us, and the personal risk of every member of our club, of any -other of the rifle clubs, and of the Frontiersmen, for the matter of -that, was very great. We were insufficient in numbers. Had we been more -numerous, I maintain that we could have so harassed the enemy that we -could have held him in check for many months. With the few thousands of -men we have we made it extremely uncomfortable for Von Kronhelm and his -forces. Had our number been greater we could have operated more in -unison with the British regular arms, and formed a line of defence -around London so complete that it could never have been broken. As it -was, however, when driven in, we were compelled to take a stand in -manning the forts and entrenchments of the London lines, I finding -myself in a hastily constructed trench not far from Enfield. While -engaged there with the enemy, a bullet took away the little finger of my -left hand, causing me excruciating pain, but it fortunately did not -place me hors-de-combat. Standing beside me was a costermonger from -Leman Street, Whitechapel, who had once been in the Militia, while next -him was a country squire from Hampshire, who was a good shot at grouse, -but who had never before handled a military rifle. In that narrow trench -in which we stood beneath the rain of German bullets we were of a verity -a strange, incongruous crowd, dirty, unkempt, unshaven, more than one of -us wearing hastily applied bandages upon places where we had received -injury. I had never faced death like that before, and I tell you it was -a weird and strange experience. Every man among us knit his brows, -loaded and fired, without speaking a word, except, perhaps, to ejaculate -a curse upon those who threatened to overwhelm us and capture our -capital. - -“At last, though we fought valiantly--three men beside me having fallen -dead through injudiciously showing themselves above the earthworks--we -were compelled to evacuate our position. Then followed a terrible -guerilla warfare as, driven in across by Southgate to Finchley, we fell -back south upon London itself. The enemy, victorious, were following -upon the heels of our routed army, and it was seen that our last stand -must be made at the barricades, which, we heard, had in our absence -been erected in all the main roads leading in from the Northern Heights. - -“On Hampstead Heath I found about a dozen or so of my comrades, whom I -had not seen since I had left Hendon, and heard from them that they had -been operating in Norfolk against the German Guards, who had landed at -King’s Lynn. With them I went through Hampstead and down Haverstock Hill -to the great barricade that had been erected across that thoroughfare -and Prince of Wales Road. It was a huge, ugly structure, built of every -conceivable article--overturned tramcars, furniture, paving stones, -pianos, wardrobes, scaffold boards, in fact everything and anything that -came handiest--while intertwined everywhere were hundreds of yards of -barbed wire. A small space had been left at the junction of the two -roads in order to allow people to enter, while on the top a big Union -Jack waved in the light breeze. In all the neighbouring houses I saw men -with rifles, while from one house pointed the menacing muzzle of a -Maxim, commanding the greater part of Haverstock Hill. There seemed also -to be other barricades in the smaller roads in the vicinity. But the one -at which I had been stationed was certainly a most formidable obstacle. -All sorts and conditions of men manned it. Women, too, were there, -fierce-eyed, towsled-haired women, who in their fury seemed to have -become half savage. Men shouted themselves hoarse, encouraging the armed -citizens to fight till death. But from the determined look upon their -faces no incentive was needed. They meant, every one of them, to bear -their part bravely, when the moment came. - -“‘We’ve been here three whole days awaiting the enemy,’ one man said to -me, a dark-haired, bearded City man in a serge suit, who carried his -rifle slung upon his shoulder. - -“‘They’ll be ’ere soon enough now, cockie,’ remarked a Londoner of the -lower class from Notting Dale. ‘There’ll be fightin’ ’ere before long, -depend on’t. This - - +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ - | | - | [Illustration] | - | | - | =COUNTY OF LONDON.= | - | | - | =LOOTING, HOUSEBREAKING, AND= | - | =OTHER OFFENCES.= | - | | - | =TAKE NOTICE.= | - | | - | (1) That any person, whether soldier or civilian, who enters any | - | premises whatsoever for the purposes of loot; or is found with loot | - | in his possession; or who commits any theft within the meaning of | - | the Act; or is guilty of theft from the person, or robbery, with or | - | without violence; or wilfully damages property; or compels by threats | - | any person to disclose the whereabouts of valuables, or who demands | - | money by menaces; or enters upon any private premises, viz. house, | - | shop, warehouse, office, or factory, without just or reasonable cause, | - | will be at once arrested and tried by military court-martial, and be | - | liable to penal servitude for a period not to exceed twenty years. | - | | - | (2) That from this date all magistrates at the Metropolitan Police | - | Courts will be superseded by military officers empowered to deal and | - | adjudicate upon all offences in contravention to law. | - | | - | (3) That the chief Military Court-martial is established at the | - | Metropolitan Police Court at Bow Street. | - | | - | FRANCIS BAMFORD, General, | - | Military Governor of London. | - | | - | | - | | - | Governor’s Headquarters, | - | New Scotland Yard, S.W., | - | _September 19th, 1910_. | - +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ - - THE ABOVE PROCLAMATION WAS POSTED ALL OVER THE - METROPOLIS ON THE DAY PRIOR TO THE BOMBARDMENT. - -is more excitin’ sport than Kempton Park, ain’t it--eh?’ - -“That man was right, for a few hours later, when Von Kronhelm appeared -upon Hampstead Heath and launched his infantry upon London, our -barricade became a perfect hell. I was on the roof of a house close by, -lying full length behind a sheltering chimney-stack, and firing upon the -advancing troops for all I was worth. From every window in the vicinity -we poured forth a veritable rain of death upon the Germans, while our -Maxim spat fire incessantly, and the men at the barricade kept up a -splendid fusillade. Ere long Haverstock Hill became a perfect inferno. -Perched up where I was, I commanded a wide view of all that was in -progress. Again and again the Germans were launched to the assault, but -such a withering fire did we keep up that we held them constantly in -check. Our Maxim served us admirably, for ever and anon it cut a lane in -the great wall of advancing troops, until the whole roadway was covered -with dead and maimed Germans. To my own gun many fell, as to those of my -valiant comrades, for every one of us had sworn that the enemy should -never enter London if we could prevent it. - -“I saw a woman with her hair dishevelled deliberately mount to the top -of the barricade and wave a small Union Jack; but next instant she paid -for her folly with her life, and fell back dead upon the roadway below. -If the enemy lost heavily, we did not altogether escape. At the -barricade and in the houses in the immediate vicinity there were a -number of dead and a quantity of wounded, the latter being carried away -and tended to by a number of devoted ladies from Fitzjohn’s Avenue, and -the more select thoroughfares in the neighbourhood. Local surgeons were -also there, working unceasingly. For fully an hour the frightful -conflict continued. The Germans were dogged in their perseverance, while -we were equally active in our desperate resistance. The conflict was -awful. The scenes in the streets below me now were beyond description. -In High Street, Hampstead, a number of shops had been set on fire and -were burning; while above the din, the shouts and the crackle of the -rifles, there was now and then heard the deep boom of field guns away in -the distance. - -“We had received information that Von Kronhelm himself was quite near -us, up at Jack Straw’s Castle, and more than one of us only wished he -would show himself in Haverstock Hill, and thus allow us a chance of -taking a pot-shot at him. - -“Suddenly the enemy retreated back up Roslyn Hill, and we cheered loudly -at what we thought was our victory. Alas! our triumph was not of long -duration. I had descended from my position on the roof, and was walking -at rear of the barricade, where the pavement and roadway were slippery -with blood, when of a sudden the big guns, which it seemed had now been -planted on Hampstead Heath, gave tongue, and a shot passed high above us -far south into London. In a moment a dozen other guns roared, and within -ten minutes we found ourselves beneath a perfect hail of high explosive -projectiles, though being so near the guns we were comparatively safe. -Most of us sought shelter in the neighbouring houses. No enemy was in -sight, for they had now gathered up their wounded and retired back up to -Hampstead. Their dead they left scattered over the roadway, a grim, -awful sight on that bright, sunny morning. - -“‘They’re surely not going to bombard a defenceless city?’ cried a man -to me--a man whom I recognised as a neighbour of mine at Hendon. ‘It’s -against all the rules of war.’ - -“‘They are bombarding London because of our defence,’ I said, and -scarcely were those words out of my mouth when there was a bright red -flash, a loud report, and the whole front of a neighbouring house was -torn out into the roadway, while my friend and myself reeled by force of -the terrific explosion. Two men standing near us had been blown to -atoms. - -“Some of the women about us now became panic-stricken. But the men were -mostly cool and determined, standing within the shelter walls of the -houses, down areas, or in coal cellers beneath the street. Thus for over -three hours we waited under fire, not knowing from one moment to another -whether a shell might not fall among us. - -“Suddenly our fears were increased, when, soon after four o’clock, the -Germans again appeared in Haverstock Hill, this time with artillery, -which, notwithstanding the heavy fire we instantly directed upon them, -they established in such a position as to completely command our -hastily-constructed defences. The fire from Hampstead Heath was -slackening when suddenly one of those guns before us on Haverstock Hill -sent a shell right into the centre of our barricade. The explosion was -awful. The whole front of the house in which I was fell out into the -roadway, while a dozen heroic men were blown out of all recognition, and -a great breach made in the obstruction. Another shell, another and -another, struck in our midst, utterly disorganising our defence, and -each time making great breaches in our huge barricade. Neither Maxim nor -rifle was of any use against those awful shells. - -“I stood in the wrecked room covered with dust and blood, wondering what -the end was to be. To fire my rifle in that moment was useless. Not only -did the German artillery train their guns upon the barricade, but on the -houses which we had placed in a state of defence. They pounded away at -them, and in a few minutes had reduced several to ruins, burying in the -débris the gallant Londoners defending them. The house upon the roof of -which I had, earlier in the day, taken up my position, was struck by two -shells in rapid succession, and simply demolished, over forty brave men -losing their lives in the terrible catastrophe. - -“Again the enemy, after wrecking our defences, retired smartly up the -hill as the terrible bombardment of London ceased. Our losses in the -shelling of the barricade had been terrible. The roadway behind us was -strewn with dead and dying, and with others I helped to bandage the -wounded and remove them to private houses in the Adelaide and King -Henry’s Roads, where the doctors were attending to their injuries. In -Haverstock Hill lay the bodies of many women, more than one with a -revolver still grasped in her stiffened hand. Ah! the scenes at that -barricade defy description. They were awful. The pavements were like -those of slaughter-houses and the whole road to beyond the Adelaide had -been utterly wrecked, there being not a single house intact. - -“And yet we rallied. Reinforcements came up from the direction of -Regent’s Park--a great, unorganised crowd of armed men and women, doubly -enraged by the cruel bombardment and the burning of their homes. With -these reinforcements we resolved to still hold the débris of our -barricade--to still dispute the advance of the invader, knowing that one -division must certainly come down that road. So we reorganised our force -and waited--waited while the sun sank with its crimson afterglow and -darkness crept on, watching the red fires of London reflected upon the -night sky, and wondering each one of us what was to be our fate. - -“For hours we waited there, until the Kaiser’s legions came upon us, -sweeping down Roslyn Hill to where we were still making a last stand. -Though the street lamps were unlit, we saw them advancing by the angry -glare of the fires of London, while we, too, were full in the light, and -a mark for them. They fired upon us, and we returned their fusillade. We -stood man to man, concealed behind the débris wherever we could get -shelter from the rain of lead they poured upon us. They advanced by -rushes, taking our position by storm. I was in the roadway, concealed -behind an overturned tramcar, into the woodwork of which bullets were -constantly imbedding themselves. The man next me fell backward--dead, -without a word. But I kept on, well knowing that in the end we must give -way. Those well-equipped hordes of the Kaiser I saw before me were, I -knew, the conquerors of London. Yet we fought on valiantly for King and -country--fought even when we came hand to hand. I shot a standard-bearer -dead, but in an instant another took his place. For a second the German -standard was trampled in the dust, but next moment it was aloft again, -amid the ringing cheers of the conquerors. Again I fired, again, and yet -again, as fast as I could reload, when of a sudden I knew that we were -defeated, for our fire had slackened, and the Germans ran in past me. I -turned, and as I did so I faced a big, burly fellow with a revolver. I -put my hand to my own, but ere I could get it out a light flashed full -in my face, and then I knew no more. When I recovered consciousness I -found myself in the North-West London Hospital, in Kentish Town Road, -with my head bandaged, and a nurse looking gravely into my face. - -“And that is very briefly my story of how I fared during the terrible -siege of London. I could tell you of many and many horrible scenes, of -ruthless loss of life, and of women and children the innocent victims of -those bloody engagements. But why should I? The horrors of the war are -surely known to you, alas, only too well--far too well.” - - * * * * * - -Another narrative of great interest as showing the aspect of London -immediately following its occupation by the Germans was that of a -middle-aged linotype operator named James Jellicoe, employed on the -_Weekly Dispatch_, who made the following statement to a reporter of the -_Evening News_. It was published in the last edition of that journal -prior to the suppression of the entire London Press by Von Kronhelm. He -said: - -“When the barricades in North London had been stormed by the Germans, -and they had fought their way down to Oxford Street and Holborn, I -chanced to be in Farringdon Street. Right through the bombardment during -the whole afternoon we compositors on the _Mail_, the _Evening News_, -and the _Dispatch_ were compelled to work, and it had been a most -exciting time, I can tell you. We didn’t know from one moment to another -when a shell might fall through the roof among us. Two or three places -in Whitefriars were struck, and _Answers’_ office in Tudor Street had -been burned out. I had left work at eleven and gone to meet my boy -Frank, who is on the _Star_ in Stonecutter Street, intending to take him -home to Kennington Park Road, where I live, when I first caught sight of -the Germans. They were passing over the Viaduct, marching towards the -City, while some of them ran down the steps into the Farringdon Road, -ranging themselves along beneath the Viaduct as guards, in order to -protect it, I suppose. They seemed a tall, sturdy, well-equipped body of -men, and entirely surprised me, as they did the other people about me, -who now saw them for the first time. I had been setting up ‘copy’ about -the enemy for the past ten days or so, but had never imagined them to be -such a sturdy race as they really were. There was no disorder among -them. They obeyed the German words of command just like machines, while -up above them marched battalion after battalion of infantry, and troop -after troop of clattering cavalry, away to Newgate Street and the City. - -“I heard it said that the Lord Mayor had already been taken a prisoner, -and that the streets of the City proper were swarming with Germans. A -quarter of an hour later I called for my boy, and together we made our -way back along New Bridge Street to Blackfriars Bridge, when, to my -amazement, I found such a great press of people flying south that many -helpless women and children were being crushed to death. There was a -frightful scene, illuminated by the red glare of the - -[Illustration: DAMAGE DONE IN WESTMINSTER BY THE BOMBARDMENT. - -_The shaded portions indicate houses or buildings injured by shells or -fire._] - -flames devouring St. Paul’s Station. The railway bridge was thus cut -off, otherwise it might have considerably relieved the frantic traffic. -After half a dozen futile attempts to get across--for it seemed that -there were two human tides meeting there, persons desirous of -re-entering London after the bombardment, and those flying in terror -from the enemy--I resolved to abandon it. Therefore, with my boy Frank, -I walked along the Embankment until I got close to Waterloo Bridge, -when, as I approached the great single arch that spans the roadway, I -noticed a boat containing three men shoot out into the river from -beneath the wall, close to where we were walking. It slipped silently -beneath the shadow of the second arch, where there was some scaffolding, -the fine old bridge being under repair. - -“The bridge above was just as crowded as that at Blackfriars, the throng -struggling both ways, meeting and fighting among themselves for the -mastery. In those frantic efforts to cross the river, men and women had -their clothes literally torn from their backs. The men were demons in -that hour of terror; the women became veritable furies. On the -Embankment where I stood in the shadow, however, there were few persons. -The great fires in the Strand threw their reflection upon the surface of -the water, but the Savoy, Somerset House, and the Cecil also threw great -black shadows. The mysterious movements of the three men beneath the -bridge attracted me. They had rowed so suddenly out just as we passed -that they startled me, and now my curiosity became aroused. Concealed in -the deep shadow I leaned over the parapet, and watching saw them make -fast the boat to the scaffold platform on a level with the water, and -then one man, clinging to the ladder, clambered up into the centre of -the arch beneath the roadway. I could not distinctly see what he was -doing, for he was hidden among the scaffolding and in the darkness. - -“Presently a second man from the boat swung himself upon the ladder and -ascended to his companion on the platform above. I could distinguish -them standing together, apparently in consultation. Close to me was the -pier of the Thames Police, and both of us slipped down there, but found -nobody in charge. The police, Metropolitan, City, and Thames, were all -engaged in the streets on that memorable night. Nevertheless, the trio -beneath the bridge were acting suspiciously. What could we do? German -secret agents had committed many outrages during the past ten days, more -especially in blowing up bridges and wrecking public buildings with -bombs, in order to disorganise any attempt at resistance, and strike -terror into the hearts of Londoners. A bomb had been exploded on the -terrace of the House of Commons two days before, causing great havoc, -while the entrance hall of the Admiralty had also been wrecked. Penge -tunnel had, by explosives, been rendered impassable, and an attempt in -the tunnel at Merstham had very nearly been successful. Were these -suspicious men engaged in the dastardly act of blowing up Waterloo -Bridge? - -“It suddenly struck me that it might be part of Von Kronhelm’s scheme to -blow up certain of the bridges in order to prevent those who had fled -south from returning and harassing his troops, or else he wished to keep -the inhabitants remaining north of the Thames, and prevent them from -escaping. As I stood upon the police pier I saw the two men high upon -the scaffold motion to the third man, still in the boat, when, after a -few moments the last-named individual left the boat, carrying something -very carefully, an object looking like a long iron cylinder, and slowly -made his way up the perpendicular ladder to where the pair were standing -right beneath the crown of the huge arch. - -“Then I knew that they were Germans, and realised their foul intention. -A few feet above them hundreds were fighting and struggling, all -unconscious of that frightful explosive they were affixing to the arch. -What could I do? To warn the crowd above was impossible. I was far -below, and my voice would not be heard above the din. - -“‘What are those fellows doing, do you think, father?’ inquired my boy, -with curiosity. - -“‘Doing?’ I cried. ‘Why, they’re going to blow up the bridge! And we -must save it. But how?’ - -“I looked around, but there was unfortunately no one in the immediate -vicinity. I had no weapon, but the fellows were no doubt armed and -desperate. Into the dark police office I peered, but could see nothing. -Then suddenly an idea occurred to me. If I raised the alarm at that -moment, they would certainly escape. Both Frank and I could row, -therefore I sprang into the police boat at the pier, unmoored her, and -urged my son to take an oar with me. In less time than it takes to -relate we had pulled across into the shadow of the big arch, and were -alongside the empty boat of the conspirators. - -“‘Row away for your life!’ I cried to Frank, as I sprang into the other -boat. Then taking out my knife I cut her adrift in an instant and pulled -out hard with the tide towards Cleopatra’s Needle, while Frank, grasping -my intention, shot away towards the Surrey bank. Scarce had I taken out -my knife to sever the cord, however, than the three men above noticed me -and shouted down in broken English. Indeed, as I pulled off there was -the sharp crack of a revolver above me, and I think I narrowly escaped -being winged. Nevertheless, I had caught the three blackguards in a -trap. The explosive had already been fixed to the crown of the arch, but -if they lit the fuse they must themselves be blown to atoms. - -“I could hear their shouts and curses from where I rested upon my oars, -undecided how to act. If I could only have found at that moment a couple -of those brave ‘Frontiersmen’ or ‘Britons,’ or members of rifle clubs, -who had been such trouble to the enemy out in Essex! There were hundreds -upon hundreds of them in London, but they were in the streets still -harassing the Germans wherever they could. I rested on my oars in full -view of the spies, but beyond revolver range, mounting guard upon them, -as it were. They might, after all, decide to carry out their evil -design, for if they were good swimmers they might ignite the fuse and -then dive into the water, trusting to luck to get to the steps around -Cleopatra’s Needle. Would they dare do this? - -“They kept shouting to me, waving their hands excitedly; but I could not -distinguish what they said, so great was the din on the bridge above. -Frank had disappeared. Whither he had gone I knew not. He had, however, -seen the revolver fired at me, and recognising what was taking place -would, I felt certain, seek assistance. One of the men descending the -ladder to the water, shouted again to me, waving his hand frantically -and pointing upward. From this I concluded that he intended to convey -that the time-fuse was already ignited and they were begging for their -lives to be saved. Such men are always cowards at the supreme moment -when they must face death. I saw the fellow’s pale, black-bearded face -in the shadow, and an evil, murderous countenance it was, I assure you. -But to his shouts, his threats, his frantic appeals I made no response. -I had caught all three of them, and paused there triumphant. Would Frank -ever return? Suddenly, however, I saw a boat in the full light out in -the centre of the river, crossing in my direction, and hailed it -frantically. The answering shout was my boy’s, and as he drew nearer I -saw that with him were four men armed with rifles. They were evidently -four Freeshooters who had been in the roadway above to hold the bridge -against the enemy’s advance! - -“With swift strokes of the oars Frank brought the police boat up -alongside mine, and in a few brief sentences I explained the situation -and pointed to the three conspirators. - -“‘Let’s shoot them from where we are!’ urged one of the men, who wore -the little bronze badge of a Frontiersman, and without further word he -raised his rifle and let fly at the man clinging to the ladder. The -first shot went wide, but the second hit, for with a cry the fellow -released his hold and fell back into the dark tide, his lifeless body -being carried in our direction. - -“The other three men in the boat, members of the Southfields (Putney) -Rifle Club, opened a hail of fire upon the pair hidden in the -scaffolding above. It was a dangerous proceeding, for had a stray bullet -struck that case full of explosives, we should have been all blown to -atoms in an instant. Several times all four emptied their magazines into -that semicircular opening, but to no effect. The fusilade from the river -quickly attracted the attention of those above, to whom the affair was a -complete mystery. One rifleman upon the bridge, thinking we were the -enemy, actually opened fire upon us; but we shouted who we were, and -that spies were concealed below, whereupon he at once desisted. - -“A dozen times our party fired, when at last one man’s dark body fell -heavily into the stream with a loud splash; and about a minute later the -third fell backwards, and the rolling river closed over him. All three -had thus met with their well-merited deserts. - -“‘I wonder if they’ve lit the fuse?’ suggested one Frontiersman. ‘Let’s -go nearer.’ - -“We both rowed forward beneath the arch, when, to our horror, we all saw -straight above us, right under the crown, a faint red glow. A fuse was -burning there! - -“‘Quick!’ cried one of the sharpshooters. ‘There’s not an instant to -spare. Land me at the ladder, and then row away for your lives. I’ll go -and put it out if there’s yet time.’ - -“In a moment Frank had turned the bow of the boat, and the gallant -fellow had run nimbly up the ladder as he sheered off again. We saw him -up upon the scaffolding. We watched him struggling to get the iron -cylinder free from the wire with which it was bound against the stone. -He tugged and tugged, but in vain. At any instant the thing might -explode and cause the death of hundreds, including ourselves. At last, -however, something suddenly fell with a big splash into the stream. Then -we sent up a ringing cheer. - -“Waterloo Bridge was saved! - -“People on the bridge above shouted down to us, asking what we were -doing, but we were too occupied to reply, and as the man who had so -gallantly risked his life to save the grand old bridge from destruction -regained the boat we pulled away back to the police pier. Hardly had we -got ashore when we distinctly saw a bright red flash beneath the -Hungerford railway bridge, followed by a terrific explosion, as part of -the massive iron structure fell into the river, a tangled mass of -girders. All of us chanced to have our faces turned towards Charing -Cross at that moment, and so great was the explosion that we distinctly -felt the concussion. The dastardly work was, like the attempt we had -just foiled, that of German spies, acting under orders to cause a series -of explosions at the time of the entry of the troops into London, thus -to increase the terror in the hearts of the populace. But instead of -terrifying them it only irritated them. Such wanton destruction was both -unpardonable and inconceivable, for it seemed most probable that the -Germans would now require the South-Eastern Railway for strategic -purposes. And yet their spies had destroyed the bridge. - -“With the men who had shot the three Germans and my lad Frank I ascended -to Waterloo Bridge by the steps from the Embankment, and there we fought -our way through the entrance of the huge barricade that had been hastily -erected. The riflemen who had so readily responded to Frank’s alarm -explained to us that they and their companions, aided by a thousand -armed civilians of all kinds, intended to hold the bridge in case the -enemy attempted to come southward upon the Surrey side. They told us -also that all the bridges were being similarly held by those who had -survived the terrible onslaught upon the barricades in the northern -suburbs. The Germans were already in the City, the Lord Mayor was a -prisoner, and the German flag was flying in the smoke above the War -Office, upon the National Gallery, and other buildings. Of all this we -were aware, and from the aspect of those fierce, determined-looking men -around us we knew that if the enemy’s hordes attempted to storm the -bridges they would meet with a decidedly warm reception. - -“Behind the bridge the multitude pressed on both ways, so that we were -stopped close behind the barricade, where I found myself held tightly -beside a neat-looking little Maxim, manned by four men in different -military uniforms--evidently survivors from the disaster at Epping or at -Enfield. This was not the only machine gun, for there were, I saw, four -others, so placed that they commanded the whole of Wellington Street, -the entrances to the Strand and up to Bow Street. The great crowd in the -open space before Somerset House were struggling to get upon the bridge; -but news having been brought of bodies of the enemy moving along the -Strand from Trafalgar Square, the narrow entrance was quickly blocked up -by paving-stones and iron railings, torn up from before some houses in -the vicinity. - -“We had not long to wait. The people left in Wellington Street, finding -their retreat cut off, turned back into the Strand or descended the -steps to the Embankment, and so had nearly all dispersed, when, of a -sudden, a large body of the enemy’s infantry swept round from the -Strand, and came full upon the barricade. Next second our Maxims spat -their deadly fire with a loud rattle and din, and about me on every hand -men were shooting. I waited to see the awful effect of our rain of lead -upon the Germans. Hundreds dropped, but hundreds still seemed to take -their place. I saw them place a field-gun in position at the corner of -the Strand, and then I recognised their intention to shell us. So, being -unarmed and a non-combatant, I fled with my son towards my own home in -the Kennington Park Road. I had not, however, got across the bridge -before shells began to explode against the barricade, blowing it and -several of our gallant men to atoms. Once behind I glanced, and saw too -plainly that the attempt to hold the bridge was utterly hopeless. There -were not sufficient riflemen. Then we both ran on--to save our lives. -And you know the rest--ruin, disaster, and death reigned in London that -night. Our men fought for their lives and homes, but the Germans, -angered at our resistance, gave no quarter to those not in uniform. Ah! -the slaughter was awful.” - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -GERMANS SACKING THE BANKS - - -Day dawned dismally and wet on September the 21st. - -Over London the sky was still obscured by the smoke-pall, though as the -night passed many of the raging fires had spent themselves. - -Trafalgar Square was filled with troops, who had piled arms and were -standing at their ease. The men were laughing and smoking, enjoying a -rest after the last forward movement and the street fighting of that -night of horrors. - -The losses on both sides during the past three days had been enormous; -of the number of London citizens killed and wounded it was impossible to -calculate. There had, in the northern suburbs, been wholesale butchery -everywhere, so gallantly had the barricades been defended. - -Great camps had now been formed in Hyde Park, in the Green Park between -Constitution Hill and Piccadilly, and in St. James’s Park. The Magdeburg -Fusiliers were being formed up on the Horse Guards Parade, and from the -flagstaff there now fluttered the ensign of the commander of an army -corps in place of the British flag. A large number of Uhlans and -Cuirassiers were encamped at the west end of the Park, opposite -Buckingham Palace, and both the Wellington Barracks and the Cavalry -Barracks at Knightsbridge were occupied by Germans. - -Many officers were already billeted in the Savoy, the Cecil, the -Carlton, the Grand, and Victoria hotels, while the British Museum, the -National Gallery, the South Kensington Museum, the Tower, and a number -of other collections of pictures and antiques were all guarded strongly -by German sentries. The enemy had thus seized our national treasures. - -London awoke to find herself a German city. - -In the streets lounging groups of travel-worn sons of the Fatherland -were everywhere, and German was heard on every hand. Every ounce of -foodstuff was being rapidly commandeered by hundreds of foraging -parties, who went to each grocer’s, baker’s, or provision shop in the -various districts, seized all they could find, valued it, and gave -official receipts for it. - -The price of food in London that morning was absolutely prohibitive, as -much as two shillings being asked for a twopenny loaf. The Germans had, -it was afterwards discovered, been all the time, since the Sunday when -they landed, running over large cargoes of supplies of all sorts to the -Essex, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk coasts, where they had established huge -supply bases, well knowing that there was not sufficient food in the -country to feed their armed hordes in addition to the population. - -Shops in Tottenham Court Road, Holborn, Edgeware Road, Oxford Street, -Camden Road, and Harrow Road were systematically visited by the foraging -parties, who commenced their work at dawn. Those places that were closed -and their owners absent were at once broken open, and everything seized -and carted to either Hyde Park or St. James’s Park, for though Londoners -might starve, the Kaiser’s troops intended to be fed. - -In some cases a patriotic shopkeeper attempted to resist. Indeed, in -more than one case a tradesman wilfully set his shop on fire rather than -its contents should fall into the enemy’s hands. In other cases the -tradesmen who received the official German receipts burned them in -contempt before the officer’s eyes. - -The guidance of these foraging parties was, in very many cases, in the -hands of Germans in civilian clothes, and it was now seen how complete -and helpful the enemy’s system of espionage had been in London. Most of -these men were Germans who, having served in the army, had come over to -England and obtained employment as waiters, clerks, bakers, -hairdressers, and private servants, and being bound by their oath to the -Fatherland had served their country as spies. Each man, when obeying the -Imperial command to join the German arms, had placed in the lapel of his -coat a button of a peculiar shape, with which he had long ago been -provided, and by which he was instantly recognised as a loyal subject of -the Kaiser. - -This huge body of German solders, who for years had passed in England as -civilians, was, of course, of enormous use to Von Kronhelm, for they -acted as guides not only on the march and during the entry to London, -but materially assisted in the victorious advance in the Midlands. -Indeed, the Germans had for years kept a civilian army in England, and -yet we had, ostrich-like, buried our heads in the sand and refused to -turn our eyes to the grave peril that had for so long threatened. - -Systematically, the Germans were visiting every shop and warehouse in -the shopping districts, and seizing everything eatable they could -discover. The enemy were taking the food from the mouths of the poor in -East and South London, and as they went southward across the river, so -the populace retired, leaving their homes at the mercy of the ruthless -invader. - -Upon all the bridges across the Thames stood German guards, and none -were allowed to cross either way without permits. - -Soon after dawn Von Kronhelm and his staff rode down Haverstock Hill -with a large body of cavalry, and made his formal entry into London, -first having an interview with the Lord Mayor, and an hour afterwards -establishing his headquarters at the new War Office in Whitehall, over -which he hoisted his special flag as Commander-in-Chief. It was found -that, though a good deal of damage had been done externally to the -building, the interior had practically escaped, save one or two rooms. -Therefore, the Field-Marshal installed himself in the private room of -the War Minister, and telegraphic and telephonic communication was -quickly established, while a wireless telegraph apparatus was placed -upon the ruined summit of Big Ben for the purpose of communicating with -Germany, in case the cables were interrupted by being cut at sea. - -The day after the landing a similar apparatus had been erected on the -Monument at Yarmouth, and it had been daily in communication with the -one at Bremen. The Germans left nothing to chance. They were always -prepared for every emergency. - -The clubs in Pall Mall were now being used by German officers, who -lounged in easy-chairs, smoking and taking their ease, German soldiers -being on guard outside. North of the Thames seemed practically deserted, -save for the invaders, who swarmed everywhere. South of the Thames the -cowed and terrified populace were asking what the end was to be. What -was the Government doing? It had fled to Bristol and left London to its -fate, they complained. - -What the German demands were was not known until midday, when the -_Evening News_ published an interview with Sir Claude Harrison, the Lord -Mayor, which gave authentic details of them. - -They were as follows:-- - - 1. _Indemnity of £300,000,000, paid in ten annual instalments._ - - 2. _Until this indemnity is paid in full, German troops to occupy - Edinburgh, Rosyth, Chatham, Dover, Portsmouth, Devonport, Pembroke, - Yarmouth, Hull._ - - 3. _Cession to Germany of the Shetlands, Orkneys, Bantry Bay, - Malta, Gibraltar, and Tasmania._ - - 4. _India, north of a line drawn from Calcutta to Baroda, to be - ceded to Russia._ - - 5. _The independence of Ireland to be recognised._ - -Of the claim of £300,000,000, fifty millions was demanded from London, -the sum in question to be paid within twelve hours. - -The Lord Mayor had, it appeared, sent his secretary to the Prime -Minister at Bristol bearing the original document in the handwriting of -Von Kronhelm. The Prime Minister had acknowledged its receipt by -telegraph both to the Lord Mayor and to the German Field-Marshal, but -there the matter had ended. - -The twelve hours’ grace was nearly up, and the German Commander, seated -in Whitehall, had received no reply. - -In the corner of the large, pleasant, well-carpeted room sat a German -telegraph engineer with a portable instrument, in direct communication -with the Emperor’s private cabinet at Potsdam, and over that wire, -messages were continually passing and repassing. - -The grizzled old soldier paced the room impatiently. His Emperor had -only an hour ago sent him a message of warm congratulation, and had -privately informed him of the high honours he intended to bestow upon -him. The German Eagle was victorious, and London--the great, -unconquerable London--lay crushed, torn, and broken. - -The marble clock upon the mantelshelf chimed eleven upon its silvery -bells, causing Von Kronhelm to turn from the window to glance at his own -watch. - -“Tell His Majesty that it is eleven o’clock, and that there is no reply -to hand,” he said sharply in German to the man in uniform seated at the -table in the corner. - -The instrument clicked rapidly, and a silence followed. - -The German Commander waited anxiously. He stood bending slightly over -the green tape in order to read the Imperial order the instant it -flashed from beneath the sea. - -Five minutes--ten minutes passed. The shouting of military commands in -German came up from Whitehall below. Nothing else broke the quiet. - -Von Kronhelm, his face more furrowed and more serious, again paced the -carpet. - -Suddenly the little instrument whirred and clicked as its thin green -tape rolled out. - -In an instant the Generalissimo of the Kaiser’s army sprang to the -telegraphist’s side, and read the Imperial command. - -For a moment he held the piece of tape between his fingers, then crushed -it in his hand and stood motionless. - -He had received orders which, though against his desire, he was -compelled to obey. - -Summoning several members of his staff who had installed themselves in -other comfortable rooms in the vicinity, he held a long consultation -with them. - -In the meantime telegraphic despatches were received from Sheffield, -Manchester, Birmingham, and other German headquarters, all telling the -same story--the complete investment and occupation of the big cities and -the pacification of the inhabitants. - -One hour’s grace was, however, allowed to London--till noon. - -Then orders were issued, bugles rang out across the parks, and in the -main thoroughfares, where arms were piled, causing the troops to fall -in, and within a quarter of an hour large bodies of infantry and -engineers were moving along the Strand, in the direction of the City. - -At first the reason of all this was a mystery, but very shortly it was -realised what was intended when a detachment of the 5th Hanover Regiment -advanced to the gate of the Bank of England opposite the Exchange, and, -after some difficulty, broke it open and entered, followed by some -engineers of Von Mirbach’s Division. The building was very soon -occupied, and, under the direction of General von Klepper himself, an -attempt was made to open the strong-rooms, wherein was stored that vast -hoard of England’s wealth. What actually occurred at that spot can only -be imagined, as the commander of the IVth Army Corps and one or two -officers and men were the only persons present. It is surmised, -however, that the strength of the vaults was far greater than they had -imagined, and that, though they worked for hours, all was in vain. - -While this was in progress, however, parties of engineers were making -organised raids upon the banks in Lombard Street, Lothbury, Moorgate -Street, and Broad Street, as well as upon branch banks in Oxford Street, -the Strand, and other places in the West End. - -At one bank on the left-hand side of Lombard Street, dynamite being used -to force the strong-room, the first bullion was seized, while at nearly -all the banks sooner or later the vaults were opened, and great bags and -boxes of gold coin were taken out and conveyed in carefully-guarded -carts to the Bank of England, now in the possession of Germany. - -In some banks--those of more modern construction--the greatest -resistance was offered by the huge steel doors and concrete and steel -walls and other devices for security. But nothing could, alas! resist -the high explosives used, and in the end breaches were made, in all -cases, and wealth uncounted and untold extracted and conveyed to -Threadneedle Street for safe keeping. - -Engineers and infantry handled those heavy boxes and those big bundles -of securities gleefully, officers carefully counting each box or bag or -packet as it was taken out to be carted or carried away by hand. - -German soldiers under guard struggled along Lothbury beneath great -burdens of gold, and carts, requisitioned out of the East End, rumbled -heavily all the afternoon, escorted by soldiers. Hammersmith, -Camberwell, Hampstead, and Willesden yielded up their quota of the great -wealth of London; but though soon after four o’clock a breach was made -in the strong-rooms of the Bank of England by means of explosives, -nothing in the vaults was touched. The Germans simply entered there and -formally took possession. - -The coin collected from other banks was carefully kept, each separate -from another, and placed in various rooms under strong guards, for it -seemed to be the intention of Germany simply to hold London’s wealth as -security. - -That afternoon very few banks--except the German ones--escaped notice. -Of course, there were a few small branches in the suburbs which remained -unvisited, yet by six o’clock Von Kronhelm was in possession of enormous -quantities of gold. - -In one or two quarters there had been opposition on the part of the -armed guards established by the banks at the first news of the invasion. -But any such resistance had, of course, been futile, and the man who had -dared to fire upon the German soldiers had in every case been shot down. - -Thus, when darkness fell, Von Kronhelm, from the corner of his room in -the War Office, was able to report to his Imperial Master that not only -had he occupied London, but that, receiving no reply to his demand for -indemnity, he had sacked it and taken possession not only of the Bank of -England, but of the cash deposits in most of the other banks in the -metropolis. - -That night the evening papers described the wild happenings of the -afternoon, and London saw herself not only shattered but ruined. - -The frightened populace across the river stood breathless. - -What was now to happen? - -Though London lay crushed and occupied by the enemy, though the Lord -Mayor was a prisoner of war and the banks in the hands of the Germans, -though the metropolis had been wrecked and more than half its -inhabitants had fled southward and westward into the country, yet the -enemy received no reply to their demand for an indemnity and the cession -of British territory. - -Von Kronhelm, ignorant of what had occurred in the House of Commons at -Bristol, sat in Whitehall and wondered. He knew well that the English -were no fools, and their silence, therefore, caused him considerable -uneasiness. He had lost in the various engagements over 50,000 men, yet -nearly 200,000 still remained. His - - +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ - | | - | [Illustration] | - | | - | CITY OF LONDON. | - | | - | =CITIZENS OF LONDON.= | - | | - | WE, the GENERAL COMMANDING the German Imperial Army occupying London, | - | give notice that: | - | | - | (1) THE STATE OF WAR AND OF SIEGE continues to exist, and all categories | - | of crime, more especially the contravention of all orders already | - | issued, will be judged by Councils of War, and punished in conformity | - | with martial law. | - | | - | (2) THE INHABITANTS OF LONDON and its suburbs are ordered to instantly | - | deliver up all arms and ammunition of whatever kind they possess. The | - | term arms includes firearms, sabres, swords, daggers, revolvers, and | - | sword-canes. Landlords and occupiers of houses are charged to see that | - | this order is carried out, but in the case of their absence the | - | municipal authorities and officials of the London County Council are | - | charged to make domiciliary visits, minute and searching, being | - | accompanied by a military guard. | - | | - | (3) ALL NEWSPAPERS, JOURNALS, GAZETTES, AND PROCLAMATIONS, of whatever | - | description, are hereby prohibited, and until further notice nothing | - | further must be printed, except documents issued publicly by the | - | military commander. | - | | - | (4) ANY PRIVATE PERSON OR PERSONS taking arms against the German troops | - | after this notice will be EXECUTED. | - | | - | (5) ON THE CONTRARY, the Imperial German troops will respect private | - | property, and no requisition will be allowed to be made unless it bears | - | the authorisation of the Commander-in-Chief. | - | | - | (6) ALL PUBLIC PLACES are to be closed at 8 P.M. | - | All persons found in the streets of London after 8 P.M. | - | will be arrested by the patrols. There is no exception to this rule | - | except in the case of German Officers, and also in the case of doctors | - | visiting their patients. Municipal officials will also be allowed out, | - | providing they obtain a permit from the German headquarters. | - | | - | (7) MUNICIPAL AUTHORITIES MUST provide for the lighting of the streets. | - | In cases where this is impossible, each householder must hang a lantern | - | outside his house from nightfall until 8 A.M. | - | | - | (8) AFTER TO-MORROW morning, at 10 o’clock, the women and children of | - | the population of London will be allowed to pass without hindrance. | - | | - | (9) MUNICIPAL AUTHORITIES MUST, with as little delay as possible, | - | provide accommodation for the German troops in private dwellings, in | - | fire-stations, barracks, hotels, and houses that are still habitable. | - | | - | =VON KRONHELM,= | - | | - | =Commander-in-Chief.= | - | GERMAN MILITARY HEADQUARTERS, | - | WHITEHALL, LONDON, _September 21, 1910_. | - +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ - - VON KRONHELM’S PROCLAMATION TO THE CITIZENS - OF LONDON. - -army of invasion was a no mean responsibility, especially when at any -moment the British might regain command of the sea. His supplies and -reinforcements would then be at once cut off. It was impossible for him -to live upon the country, and his food bases in Suffolk and Essex were -not sufficiently extensive to enable him to make a prolonged campaign. -Indeed, the whole scheme of operations which had been so long discussed -and perfected in secret in Berlin was more of the nature of a raid than -a prolonged siege. - -The German Field-Marshal sat alone and reflected. Had he been aware of -the true state of affairs he would certainly have had considerable cause -for alarm. True, though Lord Byfield had made such a magnificent stand, -considering the weakness of the force at his disposal, and London was -occupied, yet England, even now, was not conquered. - -No news had leaked out from Bristol. Indeed, Parliament had taken every -precaution that its deliberations were in secret. - -The truth, however, may be briefly related. On the previous day the -House had met at noon in the Colston Hall--a memorable sitting, indeed. -The Secretary of State for War had, after prayers, risen in the hall and -read an official despatch he had just received from Lord Byfield, giving -the news of the last stand made by the British north of Enfield, and the -utter hopelessness of the situation. - -It was received by the assembled House in ominous silence. - -During the past week through that great hall the Minister’s deep voice, -shaken by emotion, had been daily heard as he was compelled to report -defeat after defeat of the British arms. Both sides of the House had, -after the first few days, been forced to recognise Germany’s superiority -in numbers, in training, in organisation--in fact, in everything -appertaining to military power. Von Kronhelm’s strategy had been -perfect. He knew more of Eastern England than the British Commander -himself, and his marvellous system of spies and advance agents--Germans -who had lived for years in England--had assisted him forward, until he -had now occupied London, the city always declared to be impregnable. - -Through the whole of September 20 the Minister constantly received -despatches from the British Field-Marshal and from London itself, yet -each telegram communicated to the House seemed more hopeless than its -predecessor. - -The debate, however, proceeded through the afternoon. The Opposition -were bitterly attacking the Government and the Blue Water School for its -gross negligence in the past, and demanding to know the whereabouts of -the remnant of the British Navy. The First Lord of the Admiralty flatly -refused to make any statement. The whereabouts of our Navy at that -moment was, he said, a secret which must, at all hazards, be withheld -from our enemy. The Admiralty were not asleep, as the country believed, -but were fully alive to the seriousness of the crisis. He urged the -House to remain patient, saying that as soon as he dared make a clear -statement, he would do so. - -This was greeted by loud jeers from the Opposition, from whose benches, -members, one after another, rose, and, using hard epithets, blamed the -Government for the terrible disaster. The cutting down of our defences, -the meagre naval programmes, the discouragement of the Volunteers and of -recruiting, and the disregard of Lord Roberts’ scheme in 1906 for -universal military training, were, they declared, responsible for what -had occurred. The Government had been culpably negligent, and Mr. -Haldane’s scheme had been all insufficient. Indeed, it had been nothing -short of criminal to mislead the Empire into a false sense of security -which did not exist. - -For the past three years Germany, while sapping our industries, had sent -her spies into our midst, and laughed at us for our foolish insular -superiority. She had turned her attention from France to ourselves, -notwithstanding the _entente cordiale_. She remembered how the -much-talked-of Franco-Russian alliance had fallen to pieces, and relied -upon a similar outcome of the friendship between France and Great -Britain. - -The aspect of the House, too, was strange; the Speaker in his robes -looked out of place in his big uncomfortable chair, and members sat on -cane-bottomed chairs instead of their comfortable benches at -Westminster. As far as possible the usual arrangement of the House was -adhered to, except that the Press were now excluded, official reports -being furnished to them at midnight. - -The clerks’ table was a large plain one of stained wood, but upon it was -the usual array of despatch-boxes, while the Serjeant-at-Arms, in his -picturesque dress, was still one of the most prominent figures. The lack -of committee rooms, of an adequate lobby, and of a refreshment -department caused much inconvenience, though a temporary post and -telegraph office had been established within the building, and a -separate line connected the Prime Minister’s room with Downing Street. - -If the Government were denounced in unmeasured terms, its defence was -equally vigorous. Thus, through that never-to-be-forgotten afternoon the -sitting continued past the dinner hour on to late in the evening. - -Time after time the despatches from London were placed in the hands of -the War Minister, but, contrary to the expectation of the House, he -vouchsafed no further statement. It was noticed that just before ten -o’clock he consulted in an earnest undertone with the Prime Minister, -the First Lord of the Admiralty, and the Home Secretary, and that a -quarter of an hour later all four went out and were closeted in one of -the smaller rooms with other members of the Cabinet for nearly half an -hour. - -Then the Secretary of State for War re-entered the House and resumed his -seat in silence. - -A few minutes afterwards, Mr. Thomas Askern, member for one of the -metropolitan boroughs, and a well-known newspaper proprietor, who had -himself received several private despatches, rose and received leave to -put a question to the War Minister. - -“I would like to ask the Right Honourable the Secretary of State for -War,” he said, “whether it is not a fact that soon after noon to-day the -enemy, having moved his heavy artillery to certain positions commanding -North London, and finding the capital strongly barricaded, proceeded to -bombard it? Whether that bombardment, according to the latest -despatches, is not still continuing at this moment; whether it is not a -fact that enormous damage has already been done to many of the principal -buildings of the metropolis, including the Government Offices at -Whitehall, and whether great loss of life has not been occasioned?” - -The question produced the utmost sensation. The House during the whole -afternoon had been in breathless anxiety as to what was actually -happening in London; but the Government held the telegraphs and -telephone, and the only private despatches that had come to Bristol were -the two received by some roundabout route known only to the ingenious -journalists who had despatched them. Indeed, the despatches had been -conveyed the greater portion of the way by motor-car. - -A complete silence fell. Every face was turned towards the War Minister, -who, seated with outstretched legs, was holding in his hand a fresh -despatch he had just received. - -He rose, and, in his deep bass voice, said-- - -“In reply to the honourable member for South-East Brixton, the statement -he makes appears, from information which has just reached me, to be -correct. The Germans are, unfortunately, bombarding London. Von -Kronhelm, it is reported, is at Hampstead, and the zone of the enemy’s -artillery reaches, in some cases, as far south as the Thames itself. It -is true, as the honourable member asserts, an enormous amount of damage -has already been done to various buildings, and there has undoubtedly -been great loss of life. My latest information is that the non-combatant -inhabitants--old persons, women, and children--are in flight across the -Thames, and that the barricades in the principal roads leading in from -the north are held strongly by the armed populace, driven back into -London.” - -He sat down without further word. - -A tall, thin, white-moustached man rose at that moment from the -Opposition side of the House. Colonel Farquhar, late of the Royal -Marines, was a well-known military critic, and represented West Bude. - -“And this,” he said, “is the only hope of England! The defence of London -by an armed mob, pitted against the most perfectly equipped and armed -force in the world! Londoners are patriotic, I grant. They will die -fighting for their homes, as every Englishman will when the moment -comes; yet, what can we hope, when patriotism is ranged against modern -military science? There surely is patriotism in the savage negro races -of Central Africa, a love of country perhaps as deep as in the white -man’s heart; yet a little strategy, a few Maxims, and all defence is -quickly at an end. And so it must inevitably be with London. I contend, -Mr. Speaker,” he went on, “that by the ill-advised action of the -Government from the first hour of their coming into power, we now find -ourselves conquered. It only remains for them now to make terms of peace -as honourable to themselves as the unfortunate circumstances will admit. -Let the country itself judge their actions in the light of events of -to-day, and let the blood of the poor murdered women and children of -London be upon their heads. (Shame.) To resist further is useless. Our -military organisation is in chaos, our miserably weak army is defeated, -and in flight. I declare to this House that we should sue at this very -moment for peace--a dishonourable peace though it be; but the bitter -truth is too plain--England is conquered!” - -As he sat down amid the “hear, hears” and loud applause of the -Opposition there rose a keen-faced, dark-haired, clean-shaven man of -thirty-seven or so. He was Gerald Graham, younger son of an aristocratic -house, the Yorkshire Grahams, who sat for North-East Rutland. He was a -man of brilliant attainments at Oxford, a splendid orator, a -distinguished writer and traveller, whose keen brown eye, lithe upright -figure, quick activity, and smart appearance rendered him a born leader -of men. For the past five years he had been marked out as a “coming -man.” - -As a soldier he had seen hard service in the Boer War, being mentioned -twice in despatches; as an explorer he had led a party through the heart -of the Congo and fought his way back to civilisation through an -unexplored land with valiant bravery that had saved the lives of his -companions. He was a man who never sought notoriety. He hated to be -lionised in society, refused the shoals of cards of invitation which -poured in upon him, and stuck to his Parliamentary duties, and keeping -faith with his constituents to the very letter. - -As he stood up silent for a moment, gazing around him fearlessly, he -presented a striking figure, and in his navy serge suit he possessed the -unmistakable cut of the smart, well-groomed Englishman who was also a -man of note. - -The House always listened to him, for he never spoke without he had -something of importance to say. And the instant he was up a silence -fell. - -“Mr. Speaker,” he said, in a clear, ringing voice, “I entirely disagree -with my honourable friend the member for West Bude. England is not -conquered! She is not beaten!” - -The great hall rang with loud and vociferous cheers from both sides of -the House. Then, when quiet was restored by the Speaker’s stentorian -“Order-r-r! Order!” he continued-- - -“London may be invested and bombarded. She may even be sacked, but -Englishmen will still fight for their homes, and fight valiantly. If we -have a demand for indemnity, let us refuse to pay it. Let us -civilians--let the civilians in every corner of England--arm themselves -and unite to drive out the invader! (Loud cheers.) I contend, Mr. -Speaker, that there are millions of able-bodied men in this country who, -if properly organised, will be able to gradually exterminate the enemy. -Organisation is all that is required. Our vast population will rise -against the Germans, and before the tide of popular indignation and -desperate resistance the power of the invader must soon be swept away. -Do not let us sit calmly here in security, and acknowledge that we are -beaten. Remember, we have at this moment to uphold the ancient tradition -of the British race, the honour of our forefathers, who have never been -conquered. Shall we acknowledge ourselves conquered in this the -twentieth century?” - -“No!” rose from hundreds of voices, for the House was now carried away -by young Graham’s enthusiasm. - -“Then let us organise!” he urged. “Let us fight on. Let every man who -can use a sword or gun come forward, and we will commence hostilities -against the Kaiser’s forces that shall either result in their total -extermination or in the power of England being extinguished. Englishmen -will die hard. I myself will, with the consent of this House, head the -movement, for I know that in the country we have millions who will -follow me and will be equally ready to die for our country if necessary. -Let us withdraw this statement that we are conquered. The real, earnest -fight is now to commence,” he shouted, his voice ringing clearly through -the hall. “Let us bear our part, each one of us. If we organise and -unite, we shall drive the Kaiser’s hordes into the sea. They shall sue -us for peace, and be made to pay us an indemnity, instead of us paying -one to them. I will lead!” he shouted; “who will follow me?” - -In London the Lord Mayor’s patriotic proclamations were now obliterated -by a huge bill bearing the German Imperial arms, the text of which told -its own grim tale. It is reproduced on next page, and at its side was -printed a translation in German text. - -In the meantime the news of the fall of London was being circulated by -the Germans to every town throughout the kingdom, their despatches being -embellished by lurid descriptions of the appalling losses inflicted upon -the English. In Manchester, a great poster, headed by the German -Imperial arms, was posted up on the Town Hall, the Exchange, and other -places, in which Von Kronhelm announced the occupation of London; while -in Leeds, Bradford, Stockport, and Sheffield, similarly worded official -announcements were also posted. The Press in all towns occupied by the -Germans had been suppressed, papers only appearing in order to publish -the enemy’s orders. Therefore, this official intelligence was circulated -by proclamation, calculated to impress upon the inhabitants of the -country how utterly powerless they were. - -While Von Kronhelm sat in that large sombre room in the War Office, with -his telegraph instrument to Potsdam ever ticking, and the wireless -telegraphy constantly in operation, he wondered, and still wondered, why -the English made no response to his demands. He was in London. He had -carried out his Emperor’s instructions to the letter, he had received -the Imperial thanks, and he held all the gold coin he could discover in -London as security. Yet, without some reply from the British Government, -his position was an insecure one. Even his thousand and one spies who -had served him so well ever since he had placed foot upon English soil -could tell him nothing. The deliberations of the House of Commons at -Bristol were a secret. - -In Bristol the hot, fevered night had given place to a gloriously sunny -morning, with a blue and cloudless - - +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ - | [Illustration] | - | | - | =NOTICE AND ADVICE.= | - | | - | =TO THE CITIZENS OF LONDON.= | - | | - | | - | I ADDRESS YOU SERIOUSLY. | - | | - | We are neighbours, and in time of peace cordial relations have always | - | existed between us. I therefore address you from my heart in the cause | - | of humanity. | - | | - | Germany is at war with England. We have been forced to penetrate | - | into your country. | - | | - | But each human life spared, and all property saved, we regard as in the | - | interests of both religion and humanity. | - | | - | We are at war, and both sides have fought a loyal fight. | - | | - | Our desire is, however, to spare disarmed citizens and the inhabitants | - | of all towns and villages. | - | | - | We maintain a severe discipline, and we wish to have it known that | - | punishment of the severest character will be inflicted upon any who are | - | guilty of hostility to the Imperial German arms, either open or in | - | secret. | - | | - | To our regret any incitements, cruelties, or brutalities we must judge | - | with equal severity. | - | | - | I therefore call upon all local mayors, magistrates, clergy, and | - | schoolmasters to urge upon the populace, and upon the heads of families, | - | to urge upon those under their protection, and upon their domestics, to | - | refrain from committing any act of hostility whatsoever against my | - | soldiers. | - | | - | All misery avoided is a good work in the eye of our Sovereign Judge, | - | who sees all men. | - | | - | I earnestly urge you to heed this advice, and I trust in you. | - | | - | Take notice! | - | | - | =VON KRONHELM,= | - | =Commanding the Imperial German Army.= | - | | - | German Military Headquarters, | - | Whitehall, London, _September 20, 1910_. | - +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ - -sky. Above Leigh Woods the lark rose high in the sky, trilling his song, -and the bells of Bristol rang out as merrily as they ever did, and above -the Colston Hall still floated the Royal Standard--a sign that the House -had not yet adjourned. - -While Von Kronhelm held London, Lord Byfield and the remnant of the -British Army, who had suffered such defeat in Essex and north of London, -had, four days later, retreated to Chichester and Salisbury, where -reorganisation was in rapid progress. One division of the defeated -troops had encamped at Horsham. The survivors of those who had fought -the battle of Charnwood Forest, and had acted so gallantly in the -defence of Birmingham, were now encamped on the Malvern Hills, while the -defenders of Manchester were at Shrewsbury. Speaking roughly, therefore, -our vanquished troops were massing at four points, in an endeavour to -make a last attack upon the invader. The Commander-in-Chief, Lord -Byfield, was near Salisbury, and at any hour he knew that the German -legions might push westward from London to meet him and to complete the -_coup_. - -The League of Defenders formed by Gerald Graham and his friends was, -however, working independently. The wealthier classes, who, driven out -of London, were now living in cottages and tents in various parts of -Berks, Wilts, and Hants, worked unceasingly on behalf of the League, -while into Plymouth, Exmouth, Swanage, Bristol, and Southampton more -than one ship had already managed to enter laden with arms and -ammunition of all kinds, sent across by the agents of the League in -France. The cargoes were of a very miscellaneous character, from modern -Maxims to old-fashioned rifles that had seen service in the war of 1870. -There were hundreds of modern rifles, sporting guns, revolvers, -swords--in fact, every weapon imaginable, modern and old-fashioned. -These were at once taken charge of by the local branches of the League, -and to those men who presented their tickets of identification the arms -were served out, and practice conducted in the open fields. Three -shiploads of rifles were known to have been captured by German warships, -one off Start Point, another a few miles outside Padstow, and a third -within sight of the coastguard at Selsey Bill. Two other ships were -blown up in the Channel by drifting mines. The running of arms across -from France and Spain was a very risky proceeding; yet the British -skipper is nothing if not patriotic, and every man who crossed the -Channel on those dangerous errands took his life in his hand. - -Into Liverpool, Whitehaven, and Milford weapons were also coming over -from Ireland, even though several German cruisers, who had been up at -Lamlash to cripple the Glasgow trade, had now come south, and were -believed still to be in the Irish Sea. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -WHAT WAS HAPPENING AT SEA - - -Our fleet, however, was not inactive. The Germans had mined the Straits -of Dover, and one of the turbine Channel steamers had been sunk with -great loss of life. They had bombarded Brighton, mined Portsmouth, and -made a raid on the South Wales coal ports. - -How these raiders were pursued is best described in the official history -of the invasion, as follows:-- - -The Trevose wireless station signalled that the Germans were off Lundy -about 2 p.m., steaming west with fourteen ships of all kinds, some -moving very slowly. The _Lion_ and _Kincardineshire_ at once altered -course to the north, so as to intercept them and draw across their line -of retreat. At the same time they learnt that two British protected -cruisers had arrived from Devonport off the Longships, and were holding -the entrance to the English Channel, and moving slowly north behind -them. - -About 3.30 the wireless waves came in so strongly from the north-east -that the captain of the _Lion_, who was in charge of the cruiser -division, became certain of the proximity of the German force. The -signals could not be interpreted, as they were tuned on a different -system from the British. The Germans must have also felt the British -signals, since about this time they divided, the three fast liners -increasing speed and heading west, while the rest of the detachment -steered north-west. The older German vessels were delayed some fifteen -minutes by the work of destroying the four colliers, which they had -carried off forcibly with them from Cardiff, and removing their crews. -Delay at such a moment was most dangerous. - -Soon after 3.45 p.m. the lookout on board the _Lion_ reported from the -masthead, smoke on the horizon right ahead. The _Lion’s_ head was set -towards the smoke, which could be only faintly seen, and her speed was -increased to twenty-one knots. The _Kincardineshire_ altered course -simultaneously--she was ten miles away on the port beam of the _Lion_, -and in constant communication by wireless with the _Selkirk_, which was -still farther out. Ten minutes later the _Selkirk_ signalled that she -saw smoke, and that with the ten destroyers accompanying her she was -steering towards it. Her message added that the Irish Sea destroyers -were in sight, coming in very fast from the north, nine strong, with -intervals of two miles between each boat, still keeping their speed of -thirty knots. - -The cordon was now complete, and the whole force of twenty-two cruisers -and torpedo craft turned in towards the spot where the enemy was -located. At 4.5 the lookout on the _Lion_ reported a second cloud of -smoke on the horizon, rather more to starboard than the one first seen, -which had been for some minutes steadily moving west. This second cloud -was moving very slowly north-westwards. - -The captain of the _Lion_ determined to proceed with his own ship -towards this second cloud, and directed the _Kincardineshire_, which was -slightly the faster cruiser, to follow the movements of the first-seen -smoke and support the _Selkirk_ in attacking the ships from which it -proceeded. - -The enemy’s fleet soon came into view several miles away. Three large -steamers were racing off towards the Atlantic and the west; seven -smaller ships were steaming slowly north-west. In the path of the three -big liners were drawn up the _Selkirk_ and the ten destroyers of the -Devonport flotilla, formed in line abreast, with intervals of two miles -between each vessel, so as to cover as wide an extent of sea as -possible. The _Kincardineshire_ was heading fast to support the -_Selkirk_ and attack the three large German ships. Farther to the north, -but as yet invisible to the _Lion_, and right in the path of the -squadron of old German ships, were nine destroyers of the Irish Sea -flotilla, vessels each of 800 tons and thirty-three knots, also drawn up -in line abreast, with intervals of two miles to cover a wide stretch of -water. - -The moment the Germans came into view the two protected cruisers at -Land’s End were called up by wireless telegraphy, and ordered to steam -at nineteen knots towards the _Selkirk_. The two Devonport battleships, -which had now reached Land’s End, were warned of the presence of the -enemy. - -Sighting the ten Devonport destroyers and the _Selkirk_ to the west of -them, the three fast German liners, which were the _Deutschland_, -_Kaiser Wilhelm II._, and _Kronprinz Wilhelm_, all three good for -twenty-three knots in any weather, made a rush for the gap between the -Devonport destroyers and the _Kincardineshire_. Perceiving their -intention, the _Kincardineshire_ turned to cut them off, and the ten -destroyers and the _Selkirk_ headed to engage them. In danger of all -being brought to action and destroyed if they kept together, the German -liners scattered at 4.15: the _Deutschland_ steered south-east to pass -between the _Kincardineshire_ and the _Lion_; the _Kaiser Wilhelm_ -steered boldly for a destroyer which was closing in on her from the -starboard bow; and the _Kronprinz Wilhelm_ ran due north. - -The _Deutschland_, racing along at a tremendous speed, passed between -the _Kincardineshire_ and the _Lion_. The _Lion_ at long range put three -9.2-inch shells into her without stopping her; the _Kincardineshire_ -gave her a broadside from her 6-inch guns at about 5000 yards, and hit -her several times. But the British fire did not bring her to, and she -went off to the south-west at a great pace, going so fast that it was -clear the armoured cruisers would stand little chance of overhauling -her. - -The _Kaiser Wilhelm_ charged through the line of destroyers, receiving a -heavy fire from the 6-inch weapons of the _Selkirk_ and -_Kincardineshire_, and in her turn pouring a rapid fire upon two of the -Devonport destroyers, which attempted to torpedo her, and missed her at -about 900 yards. The _Selkirk_, however, was close astern of her, and -with her engines going twenty-three knots, which was just a fraction -less than what the German engineers were doing, concentrated upon her a -very heavy fire from all her 6-inch guns that would bear. - -The fore-turret with its two 6-inch weapons in two minutes put twenty -shells into the German stern. One of these projectiles must have hit the -steering gear, for suddenly and unexpectedly the _Kaiser Wilhelm_ came -round on a wide circle, and as she wheeled, the broadside of the British -cruiser came into action with a loud crash, and at 3000 yards rained -100-lb. and 12-lb. shells upon the liner. The beating of the pom-poms in -the _Selkirk_ could be heard above the roar of the cannonade; and seeing -that the liner was now doomed, the British destroyers drew off a little. - -Under the storm of shells the German crew could not get the steering -gear in working order. The great ship was still turning round and round -in a gigantic circle, when the _Lion_ came into action with her two -9·2’s and her broadside of eight 6-inch weapons. Round after round from -these was poured into the German ship. The British gunners shot for the -water-line, and got it repeatedly. At 4.40, after a twenty minutes’ -fight, the white flag went up on board the _Kaiser Wilhelm_, and it was -seen that she was sinking. Her engines had stopped, she was on fire in -twenty places, and her decks were covered with the dying and the dead. -The first of the raiders was accounted for. - -Meantime, the _Kronprinz Wilhelm_ had with equal swiftness dashed north, -receiving only a few shots from the _Selkirk_, as she passed her, 8000 -yards away. The British armoured cruiser _Kincardineshire_ followed in -the German ship’s wake ten miles astern and quite out of range. The -German liner was seen by the ocean-going destroyers of the Irish Sea -flotilla, which headed after her, and four of them going thirty knots -easily drew ahead of her. To attack such a vessel with the torpedo was -an undertaking which had no promise of success. - -The British destroyer officers, however, were equal to the occasion. -They employed skilful tactics to effect their object. The four big -destroyers took station right ahead of the German ship and about 1500 -yards away from her. In this direction none of her guns would bear. From -this position they opened on her bows with their sternmost 13-pounders, -seeking to damage the bow of the _Kronprinz Wilhelm_, breach the forward -compartments, and so delay the ship. If she turned or yawed, her turn -must give time for the _Kincardineshire_ to get at her. - -The gunners in the four destroyers shot magnificently. Their projectiles -were small, but for fifteen minutes they made incessant hits upon the -German ship’s bow. At last their punishment had the desired effect upon -her. Angry at the attack of these puny little antagonists, the German -captain turned to bring his broadside to bear. As he did so, the -destroyers quickened to thirty knots, and altered course. Though the -German guns maintained a rapid fire upon them, they were going so fast -that they escaped out of effective range without any serious damage, -regained their station on their enemy’s bow, and then reduced speed till -they were within easy range for their little guns. But in the interval -the _Kincardineshire_ had perceptibly gained on the German ship, and was -now within extreme range. About 5.50 p.m. she fired a shot from her -fore-turret, and, as it passed over the German ship, opened a slow but -precise fire from all her 6-inch guns that would bear at about 9000 -yards range. - -The small shells of the destroyers were beginning to have some effect. -The fore-compartment of the _Kronprinz Wilhelm_ was riddled, and water -was pouring into it at such a pace that the pumps could not keep the -inrush down. The trim of the ship altered slightly, and with this -alteration of trim her speed fell by nearly a knot. The -_Kincardineshire_ began to gain visibly, and her fire to tell more and -more. At 6.50 she was only 7000 yards off the German ship, and her -6-inch guns began to make many hits on the enemy’s stern. - -To increase his speed to the utmost the captain of the _Kincardineshire_ -set all his spare hands at work to jettison coal, and flung overboard -every bit of lumber. The spare water in his tanks shared the fate of his -surplus fuel. At the same time the stokers in the engine-rooms were told -that the ship was closing the enemy, and worked with a redoubled will. -Large parties of bluejackets led by lieutenants were sent down to pass -coal from the bunkers; in the engine-rooms the water was spouting from -half a dozen hoses upon the bearings. The engineer-lieutenants, standing -in a deluge of spray, kept the pointer of the stokehold telegraphs -always at “more steam.” Smoke poured from the funnels, for no one now -cared about the niceties of naval war. - -The ship seemed to bound forward, and with a satisfied smile the -engineer-captain came down into the turmoil to tell his men that the -cruiser was going twenty-four knots, her speed on her trials nearly six -years before. Five minutes later the shock and heavy roar of firing from -twenty guns told the men below that the broadside battery was coming -into action, and that the race was won. - -At 7.25 the _Kincardineshire_ had closed the German ship within 5000 -yards. About this time the _Kronprinz Wilhelm’s_ speed seemed markedly -to decline, and the big armoured cruiser gained upon her rapidly, -spouting shell from all her guns that would bear. - -At 7.40 the British warship was only 3000 yards off, and slightly -altered course to bring her enemy broader on the beam and get the -broadside into battle. Five minutes later a succession of 6-inch hits -from the British guns caused a great explosion in the German ship, and -from under the base of her fourth funnel rose a dense cloud of steam, -followed by the glow of fire through the gathering darkness. - -A minute later the _Kronprinz Wilhelm_ stopped, and the chase was over. -She hoisted the white flag, while her captain opened her sea-valves, to -send her to the bottom. But the British destroyers were too quick for -him; a boarding party dashed on board from the _Camelopard_, and closed -the Kingston valves before enough water had been taken into the double -bottom to endanger the liner. - -In this brief action between two very unequally matched ships, the -Germans suffered very severely. They had fifty officers and men killed -or wounded out of a crew of 500, while in the British cruiser and the -destroyers only fifteen casualties were recorded. The _Kincardineshire_ -stood by her valuable prize to secure it and clear the vessel of the -German crew. The _Kronprinz Wilhelm_ was on fire in two places, and was -badly damaged by the British shells. One of her boilers had exploded, -and her fore-compartment was full of water. But she was duly taken into -Milford next morning, to be repaired at Pembroke Dockyard, and hoist the -British flag. - -Meantime, the _Lion_ had been attending to the other German vessels. -After taking part in the destruction of the _Kaiser Wilhelm_ she had -turned north and chased them, aided by the _Selkirk_. Five of the -ocean-going destroyers and the ten Devonport destroyers had already -proceeded to keep them under observation and harry them to the utmost. - -They were still going north-west, and had obtained about twenty-five -miles’ start of the two big British cruisers. But as they could only -steam twelve or thirteen knots, while the British ships were good for -twenty-one, they had little chance of escape, the less so as the -14,000-ton-protected cruiser _Terrific_, the flagship of the torpedo -flotilla, was fast coming up at twenty knots from Kingstown, and at 6 -p.m. had passed the Smalls, reporting herself by wireless telegraphy, -and taking charge of the operations in virtue of the fact that she -carried a rear-admiral’s flag. - -The approach of this new antagonist must have been known to the Germans -by the indications which her wireless waves afforded. On the way she had -received the news of a serious British defeat in the North Sea, and her -Admiral was smarting to have some share in reversing that great -calamity. - -Before dusk she was in sight of the seven German ships, with their -attendant British destroyers. The Germans once more scattered. The -_Gefion_, which was the only really fast ship, made off towards the -west, but was promptly headed off by the _Terrific_ and driven back. The -_Pfeil_ headed boldly towards Milford, and as the batteries at that -place were not yet manned, caused some moments of great anxiety to the -British. Two of the fast ocean-going destroyers were ordered to run in -between her and the port and to torpedo her if she attempted to make her -way in through the narrow entrance. Observing their manœuvre, the -German captain once more turned south. The other five German ships kept -in line, and attemped to pass between the Smalls and the Welsh coast. - -The _Terrific_ had now closed the _Gefion_ sufficiently to open fire -with her 9·2’s and 6-inch guns. The fight was so unequal that it could -not be long protracted. With every disadvantage of speed, protection, -and armament, the German cruiser was shattered by a few broadsides, and, -in a sinking condition, surrendered just after dark. - -The _Selkirk_ and _Lion_ passed her and fired a few shots at her just -before she struck, but were ordered by the Rear-Admiral to attend to the -other German ships. Five shots from the _Lion’s_ bow 9·2-inch gun -settled the _Pfeil_, which beached herself in Freshwater Bay, where the -crew blew up the ship, and were captured a few hours later. Thus four of -the ten raiders were disposed of, and there now remained only five -within reach of the British ships clearing the Bristol Channel. - -It was 9 p.m. before the _Lion_ and _Selkirk_ had closed on the remnant -of the German squadron which had raided the South Wales ports -sufficiently to engage it. The five German ships had passed through the -dangerous passage between the Smalls and the mainland without -misadventure, and were slightly to the north-west of St. David’s Head. - -Right ahead of them were the British destroyers, ready to co-operate in -the attack as soon as the big cruisers came up; abreast of the German -line were the two large British armoured cruisers; well astern of them -was the _Terrific_, heading to cut off their retreat. The German ships -were formed up with the _Cormoran_ at the head, and astern of her in -line the _Sperber_, _Schwalbe_, _Meteor_, and _Falke_. None of these -poor old vessels mounted anything larger than a 4-inch gun, and none of -them could steam more than twelve knots. The only course remaining for -them was to make some show of fight for the honour of the German flag, -and to their credit be it said that they did this. - -The task of the British cruisers was a simple one. It was to destroy the -German vessels with their powerful ordnance, keeping at such a distance -that the German projectiles could do them no serious damage. At 9.10 the -fight began, and the _Lion_ and _Selkirk_ opened with their entire -broadsides upon the _Cormoran_ and _Falke_. The Germans gallantly -replied to the two great cruisers, and for some minutes kept up a -vigorous fire. - -Then the _Cormoran_ began to burn, and a few minutes later the _Falke_ -was seen to be sinking. The British ships turned all their guns upon the -three remaining vessels. The _Meteor_ blew up with a terrific crash, and -went to the bottom; the _Sperber_ and _Schwalbe_ immediately after this -hoisted the white flag and made their surrender. The battle, if it -could be called a battle, was over before ten, and the officers and men -of the British ships set to work to rescue their enemies. The British -casualties were again trifling, and the German list a heavy one. Of the -officers and men in the five German cruisers over a hundred were -drowned, killed, or wounded. - -Thus the British Navy had made a speedy end of the raiders in the -Bristol Channel, and, owing to the vigorous initiative of the Devonport -commander and the Rear-Admiral in charge of the torpedo flotilla, had -practically wiped out a German squadron. Only the _Deutschland_ had got -away to sea, but the Portsmouth armoured cruisers had been instructed to -proceed in search of her, co-operating with the cruisers of the Channel -Fleet. - -The Channel Cruiser Squadron during the afternoon of Sunday had been -ordered to deflect its movement and steer for Queenstown, so as to get -across the line of retreat of the German ships. Constant communication -with it was maintained by the great long-distance naval wireless station -at Devonport, one of the three such stations for which funds had been -obtained with the utmost difficulty by the Admiralty from a reluctant -Treasury. Its value at the present juncture was immense. - -As night came down, Rear-Admiral Hunter, in command of the Channel -Cruiser Squadron, was informed that a large German liner had escaped -from the Bristol Channel. His most advanced ship was now in touch with -Queenstown, and about sixty miles from the place. The rest of his force -was spaced at intervals of ten miles between each ship, covering eighty -miles of sea. - -The two protected cruisers of the Devonport Reserve Squadron, -_Andromache_ and _Sirius_, ships of 11,000 tons and about nineteen knots -sea speed, had taken station to the north of the Scillies, with one of -the battleships of the Devonport Reserve supporting them. The other -battleship was posted between the Scillies and the Longships. Off Land’s -End a powerful naval force was fast assembling, as ships and torpedo -vessels came up one by one from Devonport as soon as they had mobilised. - -Ten more destroyers arrived at four on Sunday afternoon, and were at -once extended north; at 8 p.m. the two fast Portsmouth armoured cruisers -_Southampton_ and _Lincoln_ arrived, and steamed northwards to prolong -the cordon formed by the ships to the north of the Scillies, and a few -minutes later a third ship of the “County” class, hastily mobilised, the -_Cardigan_, arrived, and placed herself under Rear-Admiral Armitage, -commanding the Devonport Reserve. She was stationed just to the south of -the Scillies. - -All the evening, wireless signals had been coming in from the Channel -Cruiser Squadron, as it moved northwards far out at sea beyond the -advanced guard about Land’s End. At 8.50 p.m. a signal from it announced -that a large liner was in sight moving south-west, and that Admiral -Hunter’s ships were in full chase of her. The British cruiser -_Andromache_, off the Scillies, and the three ships of the “County” -class off Land’s End, were at once directed upon the point where Admiral -Hunter’s signals had reported the enemy. Thirteen British vessels thus -were converging upon her, twelve of them good for twenty-three knots or -more. - -The captain of the _Deutschland_, after dashing through the British -cordon off Lundy Island, stood for several hours westwards at twenty -knots, intending at dusk to turn and pass wide of the Scillies, and -hoping to escape the British under cover of darkness. He was under no -illusions as to the danger which threatened him. From every quarter -British wireless signals were coming in--from the west, south, and -north--while to the east of him was the _cul-de-sac_ of the Bristol -Channel. All lights were screened on board his gigantic liner. - -About 8 p.m. his lookouts reported a large ship rapidly moving north, -ten miles away. He slightly altered course, hoping that he had escaped -observation, and stood more to the south. Two minutes later the -lookouts reported another very large ship with four funnels passing -right across the line of his advance. - -The strange ship, which was the British armoured cruiser _Iphigenia_, -fired a gun and discharged two rockets in quick succession. Another -half-minute and the beam of a searchlight from her rose skywards, -signalling to her sister ships that here at last was the prey. Five -other searchlight beams travelled swiftly over the water towards the -_Deutschland_ and caught the liner in their glare. Forthwith from south -and north came the flashing of searchlights and the heavy boom of guns, -and the whole nine cruisers of the Channel Squadron over their front of -eighty miles began to move in upon the German vessel. - -Her only chance was to make a dash through one of the wide gaps that -parted each pair of British cruisers, and this was not a very hopeful -course. The German captain had already recognised the British ships from -their build, and knew that the two nearest were good for 23½ knots, and -that they each carried four 12-inch and eight 9·2-inch guns. He steered -between the _Iphigenia_ and _Intrepid_, fearful if he turned back that -he would be cut off by the British cruisers behind him in the Bristol -Channel. - -Observing his tactics, the two British ships closed up, steaming inwards -till the gap narrowed to five miles. The _Deutschland_ turned once more, -and endeavoured to pass south of the _Iphigenia_ and between her and the -next vessel in the British line, the _Orion_; but her change of course -enabled the _Iphigenia_ to close her within 7000 yards and to open fire -from the forward 12-inch barbette. Five shots were fired with both -vessels racing their fastest, the _Deutschland_ to escape and the -_Iphigenia_ to cut her off, and the fifth shell caught the German vessel -right amidships, exploding with great violence. The starboard 9·2-inch -barbette simultaneously hit her three times astern, just between her -fourth funnel and the mainmast, but all these shells seemed to pass -right through the ship. The _Deutschland_ doubled yet again, to avoid -the fire, but now found the _Orion_ coming up astern. - -The German vessel was going about twenty-four knots, but the _Orion_ put -two 12-inch shells into her from the fore-barbette before she passed out -of practical range. Just then the _Sirius_ came up from the east, and -steering across the bows of the _Deutschland_ at about 5000 yards fired -in a couple of minutes about 120 6-inch shells at her, hitting her -repeatedly. - -The arrival of this new antagonist from the east compelled the German -captain to alter course afresh and make one more bid for safety. The -damage done to his ship by the British shells had been exceedingly -serious; two fires had broken out amidships, and were gaining; one of -the funnels was so riddled that the draught in the group of boilers -which it served had fallen, and the speed of the ship had diminished by -a full knot. The big British armoured cruisers, after being for a few -minutes left astern, were fast gaining on her. Nevertheless she now -stood towards them and endeavoured to pass between them. - -The desperate effort was doomed to fail. The _Orion_ and _Iphigenia_ -closed her, one on each beam, and opened fire with their tremendous -broadsides. The end came quickly. Three 12-inch shells from the -_Iphigenia_ caught her amidships, low down on the hull near the -waterline, and amidst a series of explosions her engines stopped and she -began to sink. The injury done to her was too extensive to save her, and -at 9.50 p.m. the sea closed over the last of the German raiders in that -vicinity. - -Those of the crew who survived were rescued by the _Orion_. Meantime the -rest of the British cruisers had set to work to scout in the entrance to -the Channel in order to capture the German ships which had appeared off -Portsmouth. No trace, however, could be discovered of them, and at dawn -on Monday the British Admiral reported that the Channel was thoroughly -cleared. The _Sirius_ and _Andromache_ were then instructed to proceed -to the west coast of Ireland, off which three German liners had -appeared, damaged the Atlantic cables at Valentia, and captured a -British steamer in sight of Cape Clear. - -After the hard work in the Channel, most of the cruisers needed coal. -Detachments of the Fleet put into Falmouth, Portland, Milford, and -Queenstown to fill their bunkers. Two of the “County” cruisers were sent -north to watch off Cape Wrath for the approach of any German force from -Lerwick. Two more of the same class were sent up the Channel and took -station between Dungeness and Boulogne. Monday and Tuesday were quiet -days from the naval point of view, as there was great delay in the -coaling, owing to the damage done by the Germans in South Wales. - -For military reasons, the Admiralty, which had now at last been freed -from hampering civilian control and granted a free hand, issued orders -on the Sunday night that all news of the British successes should be -suppressed. It was publicly given out in London that the raiders had -escaped after a sharp action in the Channel, and that only one of them -had been captured. The officers and men in the British ships engaged -most loyally observed secrecy, and the large number of prisoners were -sent north to the Isle of Man, control of which island and the telegraph -cables leading to it the Admiralty had now taken over. - -It was strange and tragi-comic that, though the German ships which had -made the raid were lying at the bottom of the sea or in British hands, -the public furiously attacked the Navy for its failure to destroy them -or prevent their attacks. The news had come during the afternoon of -Sunday that heavy and continuous firing had been heard off the South -Wales coast. From Newquay, reports had been telegraphed to much the same -effect, of heavy gusts of cannonading during the afternoon and evening -far out to sea, and had raised men’s hopes and expectations. - -No one was allowed to telegraph from Milford the news that a great -German liner had arrived there under a British prize crew. The Press -messages were accepted at the post-office and were quietly popped into -the waste-paper basket by a lieutenant, who, with a file of marines, had -been installed there to act as censor. The towns of Pembroke and Milford -were placed under martial law by special proclamation, and on Sunday -night a British general order appeared stating that any person found -sending military or naval news would be shot by drum-head court-martial. - -On Monday similar proclamations were posted up in Portsmouth, Devonport, -and Chatham, and caused quite a scurry of correspondents from these -towns. The Government and the Admiralty were most furiously attacked for -this interference with liberty, and, but for the terrible series of -defeats and the rapid progress of the German invasion, the Government -would probably have thrown the Admiralty over and surrendered to the -cries of the mob. - -Most violent were the attacks upon the Admiralty for its foolish and -unwise reductions in the Navy, for selling old ships which might in this -emergency have done good service, for its failure to station torpedo -craft along the east coast, and to instal wireless telegraph stations -there. These attacks had reason behind them, and they greatly weakened -the hand of the Admiralty at a dangerous moment. Fortunately, however, -the young officers of the Navy had been taught fearlessness of all -consequences, and they carried out with an iron hand the regulations -which were essential for success in regaining the command of the sea. - -Nor were the Germans even on the east coast, where they were as yet left -undisturbed, to have matters all their own way. Their cruisers, indeed, -were stationed right up the coast, maintaining an effective blockade and -transmitting wireless signals. At Lerwick was a considerable squadron; -off Wick was the _Kaiserin Augusta_; off Aberdeen, the _Hansa_; off -Newcastle, the _Vineta_; off Hull, the _Freya_; and farther south the -whole massed force of the German Navy. They levied ransoms, intercepted -shipping, and did what they liked beyond the range of the few coast -batteries. - -But in the Straits of Dover they had one very serious misadventure. -People on the cliffs of Dover on Tuesday morning, watching that stretch -of water, which was now empty of all shipping but for the German torpedo -vessels incessantly on the patrol, and but for the outlines of large -German cruisers on the northern horizon, were certain that they saw one -of the big German cruisers strike a mine. - -There was a great cloud of smoke, and a heavy boom came over the sea; -then a big four-funnelled vessel was seen to be steering for the French -coast with a very marked list. On the Wednesday it was known that the -German armoured cruiser _Scharnhorst_ had struck one of the German mines -adrift in the Straits of Dover, and had sustained such serious injury -that she had been compelled to make for Dunkirk in a sinking condition. - -There she was immediately interned by the French authorities, and when -the German Government remonstrated, the French Ministry pointed out that -a precisely similar course had been taken by Germany at Kiaochau, during -the Far Eastern war, with the Russian battleship _Tzarevitch_. - - * * * * * - -Very late on Monday night the battleships of the Channel Fleet passed -the Lizard, having received orders to proceed up Channel and join the -great fleet assembling at Portland. Already there were concentrated at -that point eleven battleships of the Devonport and Portsmouth reserve -squadrons, seven armoured cruisers, and fifty torpedo vessels of all -kinds. At Chatham, where the activity shown had not been what was -expected of the British Navy, the Commander-in-Chief had been removed on -Monday morning and replaced, and a fresh officer had also been appointed -to the command of the reserve squadron. - -The policy enjoined on him was, however, a waiting one; the vessels at -Chatham, being exposed, if they ventured out, to attack by the whole -force of the Germans, were to remain behind the guns of the forts, or -such guns as had not been sold off by the War Office and the British -Government in the general anxiety to effect retrenchments. The entire -naval force was mobilised, though the mobilisation was not as yet quite -complete. - -On Tuesday night the British Admiralty had available the following -ships:-- - - AT PORTLAND-- - - Eleven battleships of the Channel Fleet. - Eleven battleships of the Reserve. - Seven armoured cruisers. - Twelve ocean-going destroyers. - Twelve coastal destroyers. - Ten submarines. - Twenty older destroyers. - Ten protected cruisers. - - OFF DUNGENESS-- - - Two armoured cruisers. - Ten submarines. - Four sea-going destroyers. - Ten older destroyers. - Twelve coastal destroyers. - - WEST COAST OF IRELAND-- - - Two large protected cruisers. - - MILFORD HAVEN-- - - Nine armoured cruisers of the Channel Cruiser Squadron. - Eight ocean-going destroyers. - - LAND’S END-- - - One large protected cruiser. - Ten older destroyers. - - CAPE WRATH-- - - Two armoured cruisers. - Ten older destroyers. - Twelve ocean-going destroyers. - -And at various points along the south coast twelve coastal destroyers -and a dozen old protected cruisers. The Chatham ships were not included -in this force, and mustered eight battleships, four armoured cruisers, -twelve coastal destroyers, twenty older destroyers, and twenty -submarines, besides a number of smaller and older cruisers of doubtful -value. - -On Tuesday evening the Admiralty ordered the Channel Armoured Cruiser -Squadron to put to sea from Milford, proceed north round the coast of -Scotland, picking up on its way the two armoured cruisers and torpedo -flotilla off Cape Wrath, which had taken up their position at Loch -Eriboll, and then to attack the German detachment at Lerwick, and clear -the northern entrance to the North Sea. A large number of colliers were -to accompany or follow the fleet, which was strictly ordered not to risk -an engagement with the main German forces, but to retire if they -appeared, falling back on the Irish Sea. - -The squadron at 6 p.m. that night, with bunkers full, weighed anchor and -proceeded at 18 knots. It passed rapidly up the west coast of Scotland -without communicating with the shore, and shortly before midnight on -Wednesday joined the Loch Eriboll detachment, which was waiting its -arrival, ready to proceed with it. At Loch Eriboll it refilled its -bunkers from four colliers that had been sent in advance, and soon after -daybreak on Thursday steamed out from that remote Scottish haven for the -scene of action, leaving four destroyers to watch the harbour. Two more -colliers arrived as it left. - -One of the armoured cruisers and eight ocean-going destroyers were -instructed to wait till the afternoon, and then move towards the -Pentland Firth. Six of the older destroyers were to follow them, and -hold the waters of the Firth if the Germans were not in any great force. -The other ten armoured cruisers, with four ocean-going destroyers, would -make a wide sweep at full speed round the north of the Orkneys, so as to -cut off any German vessels in the Pentland Firth. Strict orders were -given that if the German battleships or armoured cruisers in any force -were encountered a prompt retreat must be beaten, and that until the -approach of the British Fleet had been detected by the enemy, wireless -signalling was not to be used. - -The great expanse of ocean was troubled only by a heavy swell as the ten -cruisers passed away from sight of land to the north-east. At 10 a.m. -they passed to the north of Westray; at noon they rounded North -Ronaldshay. Up to this point not a vessel had been seen, whether foe or -friend or neutral. Now they steered south, keeping well out so as to -come in upon the Orkneys, where the Germans were believed to have landed -men, from the east. They were a little to the south of Fair Island when -a large destroyer was seen running away fast to the north. - -Two of the four ocean-going destroyers with the cruisers at once started -in pursuit, and the armoured cruiser _Lincoln_ followed in support. The -rest of the British squadron continued towards the Pentland Skerries, -and as it moved, felt the wireless signals of a strange force. Five -minutes later a steamer was made out to the south, and, when the British -cruisers neared her, was seen to be the _Bremen_, or one of her class. -She fired guns, and stood away to the east. - -The _Orion_ at once gave chase to her, while the other eight British -cruisers now divided, two making a wide sweep south for Wick, to look -for the German cruiser reported off that place, and the remaining six -steering for the Pentland Firth, in which, according to local reports, -the German torpedo craft were constantly cruising. The _Orion_ was soon -lost to view as she went off fast to the east after the German ship. - -Three hours after passing North Ronaldshay the six cruisers and their -two destroyers drew in towards the Pentland Skerries from the east. The -sound of shots from the Firth and from behind Stroma told that the -co-operating division of the fleet was already at work. And presently -through the Firth came racing, at top speed, two German torpedo boats, -with eight British destroyers firing furiously at them, astern of them. - -The chase was over in a minute. Finding themselves surrounded and their -escape cut off, with the much faster British destroyers astern of them -and the Armoured Cruiser Squadron ahead of them, the two German boats -turned and ran ashore close under John o’ Groats House, where their -crews blew them up and surrendered. - -The Firth was cleared, and the co-operating squadron joined hands with -the main force. A fresh detachment of two cruisers was sent off to steam -direct for Aberdeen, and attack the German cruiser off that place, in -case she had not already retired. If she had gone, the two cruisers were -to move direct on Lerwick. But the arrival, two hours later, of the two -cruisers which had been sent to look after the German ship at Wick, with -the news that she had hurriedly left about the time when the _Bremen_ -was sighted, no doubt alarmed by the _Bremen’s_ wireless signals, -suggested that there was little chance of catching the enemy at -Aberdeen. - -The seven armoured cruisers and the ten big destroyers now steamed well -out into the North Sea, going full speed to get upon the German line of -retreat from Lerwick, before moving up along it on the Shetlands. For -six hours they kept generally eastwards, and at 10 p.m. were extended -over a front of about 100 miles, with six miles’ interval between each -cruiser and destroyer. Two of the very fastest turbine destroyers, which -could do 30 knots at sea, formed the north-eastern extremity of the -line, to the east of the Bressay Bank. - -These skilful tactics were rewarded with a measure of success. The -wireless signals of the _Bremen_ had alarmed the German squadron at -Lerwick, about 1 p.m. on Thursday. Its division of fast cruisers put to -sea without a moment’s delay. The older cruisers, _Irene_ and _Grief_, -however, were coaling, and were delayed two hours in getting to sea, -while the two gun-boats _Eber_ and _Panther_ had not got steam up, and -had to be left to co-operate with the garrison. - -Two torpedo boats were also detached for the purpose of assisting the -German land force, which had thrown up two batteries and mounted two -5-in. howitzers and two 4-in. guns to protect the mine-fields laid in -the entrances to the harbour. The Germans knew every point and feature -in the island group, as the British Admiralty had permitted them to use -it for their manœuvres in 1904. - -Of the German torpedo flotilla, one large destroyer had been cruising -off the Orkneys, and had been seen and chased without success by the -British Fleet. Two torpedo boats in the Pentland Firth had already been -accounted for. Four large destroyers were lying with steam up at -Lerwick, and put to sea with the fast German cruisers. Seven other -destroyers, boats of 750 tons, were engaged in patrolling the waters -eastwards from the Shetlands to the Norway coast, and were speedily -warned. - -[Illustration] - -The faster German vessels successfully escaped round the front of the -British cordon of cruisers and destroyers. The _Irene_ and _Grief_ were -less fortunate. They were sighted soon after 10 p.m., steaming due east, -and were easily overtaken and destroyed with little more than a show of -resistance. The British vessels which were innermost in the long line -were near Lerwick a couple of hours later, and sent in three -ocean-going destroyers to watch the port, waiting till daylight before -attacking it. - -During the night the _Orion_ communicated by wireless signals the news -that, after a long chase, she had overtaken and sunk the _Bremen_, which -had made a gallant fight against overwhelming odds. The _Lincoln_, with -her two destroyers, rejoined the fleet, reporting that the German -destroyer which they had pursued had got away. A British destroyer was -sent south to Fair Island to watch the channel between the Orkneys and -Shetlands. Another destroyer was sent off to Loch Eriboll to bring up -the rest of the older British destroyers and the colliers to Kirkwall, -where the British vessels intended to establish an advanced base. The -news of the successes gained was at once communicated to the Admiralty -by cipher message. - -On Friday at daybreak one of the British ocean-going destroyers steamed -into Lerwick under the white flag, with a demand from Rear-Admiral -Hunter for the immediate surrender of the place. Failing surrender, the -communication informed the German commandant that the British ships -would shell the town, and would exact exemplary punishment from the -German force. The commander of the destroyer was instructed, if the -German commandant showed a bold front, to call upon him to clear the -town of civilians and permit the British inhabitants to withdraw. - -The British destroyer which took in this communication was not permitted -to approach the mine-field. One of the German torpedo boats came out and -received the letter. If the demand for the surrender was acceded to the -German commandant was instructed to hoist a white flag within twenty -minutes. - -The officers of the destroyer could see that four large merchant -steamers and some warships were inside Bressay Sound. Small guns could -be made out on Fort Charlotte and the Wart of Bressay, and two heavy -weapons in position near Lerwick behind newly-raised earthworks. - -The British note stated that operations would be at once commenced -against the town, but the Admiral gave his ships orders not as yet to -train their weapons on it, hoping to escape the cruel necessity of -shelling a British seaport. At the expiration of twenty minutes the -German flag still flew over the German works, and it became clear that -the enemy did not intend to surrender. Signals were therefore made in -the international code that a respite of three and a half hours would be -allowed for the civilians, women and children, to quit Lerwick, but that -the British warships would forthwith attack the German positions away -from the harbour. - -Four of the smaller destroyers pushed carefully in under Hildesay, -searching and sweeping for mines. They were fired upon from the shore, -and replied with their 12-pounders, shelling the German works -vigorously, but carefully avoiding the town. Apparently the Germans had -not mined the waters to the west of the long and narrow peninsula upon -which Lerwick stands. Mines were seen at both ends of Bressay Sound, but -Deal’s Voe seemed to be clear. - -At noon the _Iphigenia_ steamed inside Hildesay to shell the town and -works from the west. The _Orion_ closed in cautiously from the -north-east upon Deal’s Voe. The other armoured cruisers took up a -position about 8000 yards from Lerwick, to the south of the southern -entrance to Bressay Sound. The destroyers were close at hand, and one of -the large cruisers was stationed to the south-east to give timely notice -in case any German naval force should appear. - -At 12.5 the first shot was fired by the _Iphigenia_, which trained her -two forward 12-in. guns upon Fort Charlotte and fired them in -succession. Both hit the target, and the two huge shells demolished the -fort, putting the small German guns there out of action, and killing or -wounding their gunners. Simultaneously the other cruisers had opened -upon Lerwick and the German works on the Wart of Bressay, firing their -12-in. and 9·2-in. guns slowly, with extreme accuracy and prodigious -effect. A few shots silenced the four heavy German guns. - -The _Orion_ did magnificent shooting with her 9·2’s, which she chiefly -used; these big guns tore down the German earthworks, and set the town -on fire. The cruisers to the south directed several shells upon the -German ships in the Sound, and sank one of the big steamers, setting -another on fire, and badly damaging the gunboats _Eber_ and _Panther_. -Both the German torpedo boats were hit and damaged. - -The German force was in a difficulty--indeed, a desperate position. -Seemingly, the German Admiralty had not calculated upon such a rapid -move of the British cruisers by the Irish Sea northward, but had rather -expected them to come up the North Sea. Reports that a movement up the -North Sea was intended had reached Berlin from the German secret agents -in London late on Tuesday night, with the result that the German Fleet -had concentrated off the Suffolk coast. - -The troops at Lerwick had not had time to fortify the position or to -construct bomb-proofs and shelters. If the bulk of the garrison withdrew -from the town, the British ships might land parties of Marines and seize -it; if the Germans remained, they must face a terrific fire, which did -great execution, and this though a good many of the British shells -failed to explode. - -From time to time the British destroyers came in closer than the large -ships, and, now that the German artillery was silenced, shelled the town -and any troops that they saw with their 12-pounders and 3-pounders. They -were also getting to work in the Sound to clear away the mines, -exploding heavy charges in the minefield, and sweeping for mines under -the guns of the big ships. - -They made so much progress that late in the afternoon the _Warspite_ was -able to steam in to 4500 yards, at which range her 9·2-in. guns -speedily completed the destruction of the war-vessels and shipping in -the harbour. She was also able to fire with deadly effect upon the -German earthworks. Her shells exploded a magazine of ammunition and set -fire to a large depôt of food, consisting of boxes which had been -hastily landed, and were lying ashore covered with tarpaulins. - -Her smaller guns at this short range were most effective; the 3-pounders -played on the German works on the Wart of Bressay, and drove the remnant -of the force holding them to flight. But as the troops endeavoured to -make their escape they were caught by the fire of two of the destroyers, -which turned their 12-pounders and rained shells upon them. - -At dusk the British cruisers to the east of Lerwick drew off, to avoid -any mines that might have got adrift. The _Iphigenia_ remained to the -west of the town, and fired several shots during the night, while the -British destroyers were most active, firing their small guns whenever -they saw any sign of movement. - -Early next day the attack was about to recommence, when the German -colonel in command hoisted the white flag, and made his surrender. Owing -to the destruction of his food depôt and the explosion of his magazine -he was short both of ammunition and food. Thus, after a brief spell of -German rule--for the place had been solemnly annexed to the German -Empire by proclamation--the British took possession of a ruined town and -captured a considerable German force, numbering about 1100 men. - -While the British cruisers were busy recovering control of the -Shetlands, the Atlantic Fleet, four battleships strong, had arrived at -Portland, and joined the imposing fleet which was assembling at that -splendid harbour. The Mediterranean Fleet, four battleships strong, was -following in its wake, detaching its two armoured cruisers for work off -Gibraltar and the entrance to the Mediterranean, where German -commerce-destroyers were reported to be busy. - -The British Admiralty had decided to evacuate the Mediterranean and -leave Egypt to its fate. Orders were given to block the Suez Canal, and -though this act was an obvious infraction of international law, it -elicited only mild protests from the Powers, which anxiously hoped for a -British victory in the war. The protests were formal, and it was -intimated that there was no intention of supporting them by force, -provided the British Government would defray the loss caused by its -action to neutral shipping. - -A conflict between the military and civil authorities occurred on the -Saturday following the outbreak of war. The Admiralty up to this point -had succeeded in throwing a veil of silence over the British movements, -and not even the striking successes of the British Fleet were generally -known. But Ministers, and the First Lord of the Admiralty in particular, -fearing for their own lives, and appalled by the furious outcry against -themselves, on Saturday insisted upon issuing an official notice to the -effect that the German Fleet which had raided South Wales had been -completely annihilated, and Lerwick recaptured by the British Navy. -Hundreds of German prisoners, added the proclamation, had been made. - -To such a degree had the public lost faith in the Government, that the -news was received with scepticism. The official Press in Germany -ridiculed the intelligence, though the German Government must have been -aware of its truth. It was only with extreme difficulty that the -civilian members of the Government were prevented from publishing the -exact strength of the British naval force available for operations -against the Germans, but a threat by the Sea Lords to take matters into -their own hands and appeal to the nation, prevented such a crowning act -of folly. - -Four armoured cruisers of the “County” class, exceedingly fast ships, -had been pushed up behind the Channel cruisers, with instructions to -carry on the work of harassing the Germans while the Channel cruisers -coaled. The new cruiser detachment was to join the two ships of the -“County” class already at Kirkwall, move cautiously south, with six -ocean-going destroyers and six of the older destroyers, along the Scotch -coast, establish its base at Aberdeen or Rosyth, and raid the German -line of communications. - -It was to be known as the Northern Squadron, and was placed under the -orders of Rear-Admiral Jeffries, an able and enterprising officer. In -case the Germans moved against it in force, it was to retire northwards, -but its commander was given to understand that on September 17 the main -British Fleet would advance from the north and south into the North Sea -and deliver its attack upon the massed force of the German Navy. - -Meanwhile, in preparation for the great movement, assiduous drill and -target practice proceeded in the neighbourhood of Portland. The British -battleships daily put to sea to fire and execute evolutions. The most -serious difficulty, however, was to provide the ample supplies of -ammunition needed, now that the Germans were in possession of so much of -England, that the railway service was disorganised, and that an enormous -consumption of cordite by the British land forces was taking place. The -coal question was also serious, as the South Wales miners had struck for -higher wages, and had only been induced to return to their work by the -promise of great concessions. The officers and men of the Navy could not -but be painfully struck by the strange want of zeal and national spirit -in this great emergency shown by the British people. - -On the 11th two of the “County” cruisers steamed south from Dingwall to -replace the two ships which had, earlier in the operations against the -Shetlands, been despatched to Aberdeen, and which were now to rejoin the -Channel cruisers and concentrate in the Dornoch Firth. They reported -that the German cruiser off Aberdeen had made good her escape, and that -they had scouted so far south as the entrance of the Forth without -discovering any trace of German vessels. - -On the 12th the four other cruisers of the “County” class and the -destroyers reached Aberdeen early in the morning, and the Rear-Admiral -set to work with zeal and energy to disturb and harass his enemy to the -utmost. The _Southampton_ and _Kincardine_, two of the fast cruisers, -with two ocean-going destroyers, were instructed to steam direct for the -German coast, and sink any vessel that they sighted. The _Selkirk_ and -_Lincoln_, with the rest of the destroyers, under his own orders, would -clear the Forth entrance and move cautiously southward towards -Newcastle, if no enemy were encountered. Yet another pair of cruisers, -the _Cardigan_ and _Montrose_, were to steam for the Dutch coast and -there destroy German vessels and transports. Two of the older protected -cruisers were brought to link up the advanced detachments by wireless -telegraphy with the Forth, when the Germans were forced away from that -point. - -About noon the Rear-Admiral, with his cruisers, appeared off the Forth, -and learnt that for three days no German vessels had been reported off -the coast, but that the entrance to the estuary was believed to have -been mined afresh by the Germans and was exceedingly unsafe. The -armoured cruiser _Impérieuse_, which had been damaged in the battle of -North Berwick, had now been sufficiently repaired to take the sea again. -She had coaled and received ammunition, and was at once ordered to join -the Northern Squadron. - -The armoured cruisers _Olympia_ and _Aurora_, and the battleship -_Resistance_, which had been badly damaged in the torpedo attack that -opened the war, were also nearly ready for service, and could be counted -on for work in forty-eight hours. It had been supposed at the time that -they were permanently injured, but hundreds of skilled Glasgow artisans -had been brought over by train and set to work upon them, and with such -energy had they laboured that the damage had been almost made good. For -security against any German attack, the ships lay with booms surrounding -them behind a great mine-field, which had been placed by the naval -authorities. - -The Rear-Admiral in command of the Northern Fleet ordered a passage -through the German minefield to be cleared without delay, and the -repaired ships to remain for the time being to guard the port, as their -speed was not such as to enable them to run if the enemy appeared in -force. Taking with him the _Impérieuse_, he moved down the coast towards -Newcastle, steaming at 15 knots. At 8 p.m. he passed the mouth of the -Tyne, and sighted the _Southampton_, one of the two cruisers which he -had despatched to menace the German coast; they had chased and sunk a -large German collier, apparently proceeding to Lerwick, and quite -unaware of the sudden turn which the naval war had taken. - -The _Southampton_ had returned to report the fact that she -had sighted three German destroyers, which went off very -fast to the south, one now having rejoined the flag. The four -British armoured cruisers--_Southampton_, _Selkirk_, _Lincoln_, and -_Impérieuse_--extended in open order, with the four ocean-going -destroyers in advance and the six older destroyers inshore, on the -lookout for Germans. - -In this order the Admiral moved, with all lights out, towards the German -line of communications. Steering wide of Flamborough Head, and clearing -the sandbanks off the Wash, he passed down what was now an enemy’s -coast, carefully refraining from using his ships’ long-distance wireless -instruments, which might have given the alarm. - -At about 1 a.m. of the 13th the _Southampton_ sighted a large steamer -proceeding slowly eastwards. She gave chase forthwith, and in fifteen -minutes was alongside the stranger. The vessel proved to be a German -transport returning from Hull empty. A small prize-crew was placed on -board, the German seamen were transhipped to the British cruiser, and -the vessel was sent back to Newcastle under escort of one of the older -destroyers. - -At 3.30 a.m. the flagship _Selkirk_ sighted another large steamer -proceeding west, towards the Wash. Chase was instantly given to her, and -in ten minutes the fast cruiser, running 21 knots, was within easy -range. As the steamer did not obey the order to stop, even when shotted -guns were fired over her bow, the _Selkirk_ poured a broadside into her -at 3000 yards. This brought her to, and two ocean-going destroyers were -sent to overhaul her, while the _Lincoln_ and _Southampton_ steamed in -towards her, with guns laid upon her to prevent any tricks. - -A few minutes later the destroyers signalled that the vessel was laden -with German troops, reserve stores, ammunition, and supplies of all -kinds. It would have been awkward to sink her and tranship the men, and -remembering the humanity which the Germans had displayed in the battles -at the opening of the war, the Admiral ordered the _Impérieuse_ to -escort her to Newcastle, with instructions to sink her if she offered -any resistance. A lieutenant and ten men were put on board her, to keep -an eye on her crew and see that they obeyed the injunctions of the -_Impérieuse_, which followed 300 yards astern with her 9·2-in. guns -trained menacingly upon the transport. - -Scarcely had possession been taken of this vessel, which proved to be -the 10,000-ton Hamburg-American cargo-vessel _Bulgaria_, when two more -ships were sighted, and the sound of alarm guns hurriedly firing was -heard from the _Leman_ lightship. To silence the lightship, which was -known to be in German hands, a fast destroyer was despatched with orders -to torpedo it and destroy it. - -As the enemy had undoubtedly taken the alarm, and might be expected any -minute to put in an appearance, the British cruisers made ready to -retire. The destroyers were sent off to the north; the three remaining -armoured cruisers hovered waiting for the Germans to show, as they -intended to draw them off towards the north-east, and thus take them -away from the _Bulgaria_ and her escort. - -At 4.20 a.m. a big ship, evidently an armoured cruiser, accompanied by -two or three destroyers, was seen approaching from the direction of -Hull. Simultaneously wireless waves came in strong from the south, and -from that quarter there came into sight another big armoured cruiser, -accompanied by at least six destroyers and two smaller cruisers. They -were the scouts of the German Fleet, and before them ran at 30 knots the -British destroyer which had been charged with the destruction of the -_Leman_ lightship, and which had accomplished her task only two or three -minutes before the Germans appeared from the south. - -Noting that his enemy was in no great strength, and feeling minded to -deal him a blow, if possible, the British Admiral now fell back -north-eastward, without increasing speed sufficiently to draw away from -the Germans. His ships, of the “County” class, with their weak 6-in. -batteries, were no match for the German cruisers, but if he could entice -the Germans within reach of the armoured vessels at Rosyth it would be -another matter. Moreover, at any moment his detached armoured cruisers -might rejoin the fleet. - -Both forces were keeping well together, the Germans not steaming more -than 20 knots, so as not to draw away from their smaller cruisers, while -the British cruisers and destroyers made their pace with perfect ease, -and for hours maintained an interval of eight miles from the enemy. - -After two hours’ chase the British Admiral altered course slightly, and -began to edge away to the north-east. The Germans followed, and at five -in the afternoon of the 13th both squadrons were abreast of St. Abbs -Head, far out to sea. About this time another German cruiser was noted, -following to the support of the German vessels, and simultaneously the -British Admiral opened up wireless communication with the powerful -armoured ships at Rosyth. - - - - -CHAPTER X - -SITUATION SOUTH OF THE THAMES - - -The enemy on land had operated rapidly and decisively upon a prearranged -scheme that was perfect in every detail. - -By September 24th, three weeks after the first landing, England had, -alas! learnt a bitter lesson by the shells showered down upon her open -towns if they made a show of resistance. She had been taught it by her -burning villages, scientifically fired with petrol, for having harboured -Frontiersmen or Free-shooters, whom the German Staff did not choose to -acknowledge as belligerents, by the great sacrifice of lives of innocent -children and women, by war contributions, crushing requisitions, and the -ruin and desolation that had marked every bivouac of the invading army. -And now, while the Germans stood triumphant in London north of the -Thames, South London was still held by the desperate populace, aided by -many infantry and artillery, who, after their last stand on the northern -heights, had made a detour to the south by crossing the river at -Richmond Bridge and coming up to the Surrey shore by way of Wandsworth. -By their aid the barricades were properly reconstructed with -paving-stones, sacks of sand and sawdust, rolls of carpet, linoleum and -linen--in fact, anything and everything that would stop bullets. - -The assault at Waterloo Bridge on the night of the enemy’s occupation -had in the end proved disastrous to the Germans, for, once within, they -found themselves surrounded by a huge armed mob in the Waterloo Road -and in the vicinity of the South-Western terminus; notwithstanding their -desperate defence, they were exterminated to a man, until the gutters -beneath the railway bridges ran with blood. Meanwhile the breach in the -barricade was repaired, and two guns and ammunition captured from the -enemy mounted in defence. There was a similar incident on Vauxhall -Bridge, the populace being victorious, and now the Germans were offering -no further opposition, as they had quite sufficient to occupy them on -the Middlesex side. - -The division of Lord Byfield’s army which had gone south to Horsham had -moved north, and on the 24th were holding the country across from Epsom -to Kingston-on-Thames, while patrols and motorists were out from Ewell, -through Cheam, Sutton, Carshalton, Croydon, and Upper Norwood, to the -high ground at the Crystal Palace. From Kingston to the Tower Bridge all -approaches across the Thames were barricaded and held by desperate mobs, -aided by artillerymen. - -In those early days after the occupation, military order had apparently -disappeared in London, as far as the British were concerned. General Sir -Francis Bamford had, on the proclamation of martial law in London, been -appointed military governor, and had, on the advance of the Germans, -retired to the Crystal Palace, where he had now established his -headquarters in the palace itself, with a wireless telegraph apparatus -placed upon the top of the left-hand tower, by means of which he was in -constant communication with Lord Byfield at Windsor, where the apparatus -had been hoisted upon the flagstaff of the Round Tower. - -The military tribunals established by the Proclamation of the 14th still -existed in the police courts of South London, but those north of the -Thames had already been replaced by German officers, and the British -officers went across the bridges into the British lines. Von Kronhelm’s -clever tactics, by which he had established an advisory board of British -officials to assist in the government of London, seemed to have had the -desired effect of reassurance in the case of London north of the -Thames. But south of the river the vast population in that huge area -from Gravesend, through Dartford, Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Merton, -Wimbledon, and Kingston, lived still at the highest tension, while the -defenders at the bridges and along the river-front kept up unceasing -vigilance night and day, never knowing at what spot the Germans might -throw across their pontoons. In peace time the enemy had for years -practised the pontooning of the Rhine and the Elbe; therefore, they knew -it to be an easy matter to cross the narrower reaches of the Thames if -they so desired. - -On the 24th the rumour became current, too, that during the night German -wagons had moved large quantities of specie from the Bank of England out -to their base at Southminster; but, though it was most probable, the -news was not confirmed. On this date the position as regards London, -briefly reviewed, was as follows:-- - -London north of the Thames, eastward to the sea, and the whole of the -country east of a line drawn from the metropolis to Birmingham, was in -the hands of the Germans. The enemy’s Guard Corps, under the Duke of -Mannheim, who had landed at King’s Lynn, had established their -headquarters at Hampstead, and held North London, with a big encampment -in Regent’s Park. The Xth Corps, under Von Wilberg, from Yarmouth, were -holding the City proper; the IXth Corps, from Lowestoft, were occupying -the outskirts of East London, and keeping the lines of communication -with Southminster; the IVth Corps, from Weybourne, under Von Kleppen, -were in Hyde Park, and held Western London; while the Saxons had been -pushed out from Shepperton through Staines to Colnbrook, as a safeguard -from attack by Lord Byfield’s force, so rapidly being reorganised at -Windsor. The remnants of the beaten army had gone to Chichester and -Salisbury, but were now coming rapidly north, as the British -Commander-in-Chief, had, it appeared, decided to give battle again, -aided by the infuriated populace of Southern London. - -At no spot south of the Thames, except perhaps the reconnoitring parties -who crossed at Egham, Thorpe, and Weybridge, and recrossed each night, -were there any Germans. The ground was so vast and the population so -great, that Von Kronhelm feared to spread out his troops over too great -an area. The Saxons had orders simply to keep Lord Byfield in check, and -see that he did not cross the river. Thus it became for the time a drawn -game. The Germans held the north of the Thames, while the British were -continually threatening and making demonstrations from the south. - -So great, however, was the population now assembled in South London that -food was rising to absolutely famine prices. The estuary of the river -had been so thickly mined by the Germans that no ships bearing food -dared to come up. The Straits of Dover and the Solent were still -dangerous on account of the floating mines, and it was only at places -such as Brighton, Eastbourne, Hastings, and Folkestone that supplies -could be landed at that moment. Trucks full of flour, coffee, rice, -brandy, canned meats, boots, uniforms, arms, were daily run up to -Deptford, Herne Hill, Croydon, and Wimbledon, but such supplies were -very meagre for the millions now crowded along the river front, full of -enthusiasm still to defy the enemy. At the first news of the invasion -all the coal and coke in London had been expressly reserved for public -purposes, small quantities only being issued to printing establishments -and other branches of public necessity; but to private individuals they -were rigorously denied. Wood, however, was sold without restriction, and -a number of barges, old steamers of the County Council, and such-like -craft were broken up for fuel. - - * * * * * - -Through the past ten days the darkness, gloom, and ever-deepening hunger -had increased, and though London retained the same spirit with which it -had received the news of the audacious invasion, that portion south of -the Thames was starving. Between the 20th and 24th September the price -of every article of food rose enormously. On the 24th Ostend rabbits -were sold in the Walworth Road for a sovereign each, and a hare cost -double. An apple cost 1s. 6d., a partridge 15s., a fresh egg 2s., while -bacon was 6s. 6d. a pound, and butter £1 per pound. Shops in the Old -Kent Road, Camberwell, Brixton, Kennington, Walworth, Waterloo, and -London Roads, which had hitherto been perhaps the cheapest places in -which to buy provisions in the whole of London, were now prohibitive in -their prices to the poor, though ladies habitually living in the West -End and driven there through force of circumstances readily paid the -exorbitant charges demanded. Indeed, there was often a fight in those -shops for a rabbit, a ham, or a tin of pressed beef, one person bidding -against another for its possession. Tallow was often being used for the -purposes of cookery, and is said to have answered well. - -If South London was in such a state of starvation, even though small -quantities of food were daily coming in, Von Kronhelm’s position must -have been one of extreme gravity when it is remembered that his food -supply was now cut off. It was calculated that each of his five army -corps operating upon London consumed in the space of twenty-four hours -18,000 loaves weighing 3 lb. each, 120 cwt. of rice or pearl barley, -seventy oxen or 120 cwt. of bacon, 18 cwt. of salt, 30 cwt. of coffee, -12 cwt. of oats, 3 cwt. of hay, 3500 quarts of spirits and beer, with 60 -cwt. of tobacco, 1,100,000 ordinary cigars, and 50,000 officers’ cigars -for every ten days. - -And yet all was provided for at Southminster, Grimsby, King’s Lynn, -Norwich, and Goole. Huge food bases had been rapidly established from -the first day of the invasion. The German Army, whatever might be said -of it, was a splendid military machine, and we had been in every way -incapable of coping with it. Yet it was impossible not to admire the -courage and patriotism of the men under Byfield, Hibbard, and Woolmer -in making the attempt, though from the first the game had been known to -be hopeless. - -West of London the members of the Hendon and other rifle clubs, together -with a big body of Frontiersmen and other free-shooters, were -continually harassing the Saxon advanced posts between Shepperton and -Colnbrook, towards Uxbridge. On the 24th a body of 1,500 riflemen and -Frontiersmen attacked a company of Saxon Pioneers close to where the -Great Western Railway crosses the River Crane, north of Cranford. The -Germans, being outnumbered, were obliged to withdraw to Hayes with a -loss of twenty killed and a large force of wounded. Shortly afterwards, -on the following day, the Pioneers, having been reinforced, retraced -their steps in order to clear the districts on the Crane of our -irregular forces; and they announced that if, as reported, the people of -Cranford and Southall had taken part in the attack, both places would be -burned. - -That same night the railway bridges over the Crane and the Grand -Junction Canal in the vicinity were blown up by the Frontiersmen. The -fifty Saxons guarding each bridge were surprised by the British -sharpshooters, and numbers of them shot. Three hours later, however, -Cranford, Southall, and Hayes were burned with petrol, and it was stated -by Colonel Meyer, of the Saxons, that this was to be the punishment of -any place where railways were destroyed. Such was the system of -terrorism by which the enemy hoped to terminate the struggle. Such -proceedings--and this was but one of a dozen others in various outlying -spots beyond the Metropolitan area--did not produce the effect of -shortening the duration of hostilities. On the contrary, they only -served to prolong the deadly contest by exciting a wild desire for -revenge in many who might otherwise have been disposed towards an -amicable settlement. - -With the dawn of the 25th September, a grey day with fine drizzling rain -in London, the situation seemed still more hopeless. The rain, however, -did not by any means damp the ardour of the defenders at the bridges. -They sang patriotic songs, while barrel-organs and bands played about -them night and day. Though hungry, their spirits never flagged. The -newspapers printed across the river were brought over in small boats -from the Surrey side, and eagerly seized and read by anxious thousands. -The lists of British casualties were being published, and the populace -were one and all anxious for news of missing friends. - -The chief item of news that morning, however, was a telegram from the -Emperor William, in which he acknowledged the signal services rendered -by Field-Marshal Von Kronhelm and his army. He had sent one hundred and -fifty Orders of the Iron Cross for distribution among officers who had -distinguished themselves, accompanied by the following telegraphic -despatch, which every paper in London was ordered to print:-- - - +--------------------------------------------------------------+ - | =THE KAISER’S TELEGRAM.= | - | | - | POTSDAM, _Sept. 21st, 1910_. | - | | - | GENERAL VON KRONHELM,--Your heroic march, | - |your gallant struggle to reach London, your victorious | - |attack and your capture of the Capital of the British Empire, | - |is one of the greatest feats of arms in all history. | - | | - | I express my royal thanks, my deepest acknowledgments, | - |and bestow upon you the Grand Cross of the Red Eagle, | - |with the sword, as proof of this acknowledgment. | - | | - | Your grateful Emperor, | - | =WILHELM.= | - +--------------------------------------------------------------+ - - THE TELEGRAM SENT BY THE GERMAN EMPEROR TO - FIELD-MARSHAL VON KRONHELM. - -The wharves and embankments of the Surrey shore of the Thames, from -Erith to Kingston, were being patrolled day and night by armed men. Any -boat crossing the river was at once challenged, and not allowed to -approach unless under a flag of truce, or it was ascertained that its -occupants were non-belligerents. Everywhere the greatest precaution was -being taken against spies, and on the two or three occasions when the -Germans had reconnoitered by means of balloons, sharpshooters had -constantly fired at them. - -As may well be imagined, spy-mania was now rife in every quarter in -South London, and any man bearing a foreign name, no matter of what -nationality, or known to be a foreigner, was at once suspected, and -often openly insulted, even though he might be a naturalised Englishman. -It was very unsafe for any foreigner now to go abroad. One deplorable -incident occurred that afternoon. A German baker, occupying a shop in -Newington Butts, and who had lived in England twenty-five years and -become a naturalised British subject, was walking along the Kennington -Road with his wife, having come forth in curiosity to see what was in -progress, when he was met by a man with whom he had had some business -quarrel. The man in question, as he passed, cried out to the crowd that -he was a German. “He’s one of Von Kronhelm’s spies!” he shouted. - -At the word “spy” the crowd all turned. They saw the unfortunate man had -turned pale at this charge, which was tantamount to a sentence of death, -and believed him to be guilty. Some wild and irrepressible men set up a -loud cry of “Spy! Spy! Down with him! Down with the traitor!” and ere -the unfortunate baker was aware of it he was seized by a hundred hands, -and lynched. - -More than once real spies were discovered, and short shrift was meted -out to them; but in several instances it is feared that gross mistakes -were made, and men accused as spies out of venomous personal spite. -There is little doubt that under cover of night a number of Von -Kronhelm’s English-speaking agents were able to cross the river in boats -and return on the following night, for it was apparent by the tone of -the newspapers that the German generalissimo was fully aware of what was -in progress south of the river. - -To keep a perfect watch upon a river-front of so many miles against -watermen who knew every landing-place and every point of concealment, -was utterly impossible. The defenders, brave men all, did their best, -and they killed at sight every spy they captured; but it was certain -that the enemy had established a pretty complete system of intelligence -from the camp of the defiant Londoners. - -At the barricades was a quiet, calm enthusiasm. Now that it was seen -that the enemy had no immediate intention of storming the defences at -the bridges, those manning them rested, smoked, and, though ever -vigilant, discussed the situation. Beneath every bridge men of the Royal -Engineers had effected certain works which placed them in readiness for -instant destruction. The explosives were there, and only by the pressing -of the button the officer in command of any bridge could blow it into -the air, or render it unsafe for the enemy to venture upon. - -The great League of Defenders was in course of rapid formation. Its -proclamations were upon every wall. When the time was ripe, London would -rise. The day of revenge was fast approaching. - -London, north of the Thames, though shattered and wrecked, began, by -slow degrees, to grow more calm. - -One half of the populace seemed to have accepted the inevitable; the -other half being still terrified and appalled at the havoc wrought on -every hand. In the case of Paris, forty years before, when the Germans -had bombarded the city, their shells had done but little damage. In -those days neither guns nor ammunition were at such perfection as they -now were, the enemy’s high-power explosives accounting for the fearful -destruction caused. - -A very curious fact about the bombardment must here be noted. Londoners, -though terrified beyond measure when the shells began to fall among them -and explode, grew, in the space of a couple of hours, to be quite -callous, and seemed to regard the cannonade in the light of a -pyrotechnical display. They climbed to every point of vantage, and -regarded the continuous flashes and explosions with the same -open-mouthed wonder as they would exhibit at the Crystal Palace on a -firework night. - -The City proper was still held by the Xth Corps under General von -Wilburg, who had placed a strong cordon around it, no unauthorised -person being allowed to enter or leave. In some of the main roads in -Islington, Hoxton, Whitechapel, Clapton, and Kingsland, a few shops that -had not been seized by the Germans had courageously opened their doors. -Provision shops, bakers, greengrocers, dairies, and butchers were, -however, for the most part closed, for in the Central Markets there was -neither meat nor vegetables, every ounce of food having been -commandeered by German foraging parties. - -As far as possible, however, the enemy were, with the aid of the English -Advisory Board, endeavouring to calm the popular excitement and -encourage trade in other branches. At certain points such as at Aldgate, -at Oxford Circus, at Hyde Park Corner, in Vincent Square, Westminster, -at St. James’s Park near Queen Anne’s Gate, and in front of Hackney -Church, the German soldiers distributed soup once a day to all comers, -Von Kronhelm being careful to pretend a parental regard for the -metropolis he had occupied. - -The population north of the Thames was not, however, more than one -quarter what it usually was, for most of the inhabitants had fled across -the bridges during the bombardment, and there remained on the Surrey -side in defiance of the invader. - -Night and day the barricade-builders were working at the bridges in -order to make each defence a veritable redoubt. They did not intend that -the disasters of the northern suburbs--where the bullets had cut through -the overturned carts and household furniture as through butter--should -be repeated. Therefore at each bridge, behind the first -hastily-constructed defence, there were being thrown up huge walls of -sacks filled with earth, and in some places where more earth was -obtainable earthworks themselves with embrasures. Waterloo, Blackfriars, -Southwark, London, and Cannon Street bridges were all defended by -enormous earthworks, and by explosives already placed for instant use if -necessary. Hungerford Bridge had, of course, been destroyed by the -Germans themselves, huge iron girders having fallen into the river; but -Vauxhall, Lambeth, Battersea, Hammersmith, and Kew and other bridges -were equally strongly defended as those nearer the centre of London. -Many other barricades had been constructed at various points in South -London, such as across the Bridge End Road, Wandsworth, several across -the converging roads at St. George’s Circus, and again at the Elephant -and Castle, in Bankside, in Tooley Street, where it joins Bermondsey -Street, at the approach to the Tower Bridge, in Waterloo Road at its -junction with Lower Marsh, across the Westminster Bridge and Kennington -Roads, across the Lambeth Road where it joins the Kennington Road, at -the junction of Upper Kennington Lane with Harleyford Road, in Victoria -Road at the approach to Chelsea Bridge, and in a hundred other smaller -thoroughfares. Most of these barricades were being built for the -protection of certain districts rather than for the general strategic -defence of South London. In fact, most of the larger open spaces were -barricaded, and points of entrance carefully blocked. In some places -exposed barricades were connected with one another by a covered way, the -neighbouring houses being crenellated and their windows protected with -coal sacks filled with earth. Cannon now being brought in by Artillery -from the south were being mounted everywhere, and as each hour went by -the position of South London became strengthened by both men and guns. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -DEFENCES OF SOUTH LONDON - - -Preparations were being continued night and day to place the -working-class districts in Southwark and Lambeth in a state of strong -defence, and the constant meetings convened in public halls and chapels -by the newly-formed League of Defenders incited the people to their -work. Everybody lent a willing hand, rich and poor alike. People who had -hitherto lived in comfort in Regent’s Park, Hampstead, or one or other -of the better-class northern suburbs, now found themselves herded among -all sorts and conditions of men and women, and living as best they could -in those dull, drab streets of Lambeth, Walworth, Battersea, and -Kennington. It was, indeed, a strange experience for them. In the sudden -flight from the north parents had become separated from their children -and husbands from their wives, so that in many cases haggard and forlorn -mothers were in frantic search of their little ones, fearing that they -might have already died of starvation or been trampled under foot by the -panic-stricken multitudes. The dense population of South London had -already been trebled. They were penned in by the barricades in many -instances, for each district seemed to be now placing itself in a state -of defence, independent of any other. - -Kennington, for instance, was practically surrounded by barricades, tons -upon tons of earth being dug from the “Oval” and the “Park.” Besides the -barricades in Harleyford Road and Kennington Lane, all the streets -converging on the “Oval” were blocked up, a huge defence arm just being -completed across the junction of Kennington and Kennington Park roads, -and all the streets running into the latter thoroughfare from that point -to the big obstruction at the “Elephant” were blocked by paving stones, -bags of sand, barrels of cement, bricks, and such-like odds and ends -impervious to bullets. In addition to this, there was a double -fortification in Lambeth Road--a veritable redoubt--as well as the -barricade at Lambeth Bridge, while all the roads leading from Kennington -into the Lambeth Road, such as St. George’s Road, Kennington Road, High -Street, and the rest, had been rendered impassable and the neighbouring -houses placed in a state of defence. Thus the whole district of -Kennington became therefore a fortress in itself. - -[Illustration: THE DEFENCES OF SOUTH LONDON - -on Sept 26th] - -This was only a typical instance of the scientific methods of defence -now resorted to. Mistakes made in North London were not now repeated. -Day and night every able-bodied man, and woman too, worked on with -increasing zeal and patriotism. The defences in Haverstock Hill, -Holloway Road, and Edgware Road, which had been composed of overturned -tramcars, motor ’buses, household furniture, etc., had been riddled by -the enemy’s bullets. The lesson had been heeded, and now earth, sand, -tiles, paving stones, and bricks were very largely used. - -From nearly all the principal thoroughfares south of the river, the -paving-stones were being rapidly torn up by great gangs of men, and -whenever the artillery brought up a fresh Maxim or field-gun the wildest -demonstrations were made. The clergy held special services in churches -and chapels, and prayer-meetings for the emancipation of London were -held twice daily in the Metropolitan Tabernacle at Newington. In -Kennington Park, Camberwell Green, the Oval, Vauxhall Park, Lambeth -Palace Gardens, Camberwell Park, Peckham Rye, and Southwark Park a -division of Lord Byfield’s army was encamped. They held the Waterloo -terminus of the South-Western Railway strongly, the Chatham Railway from -the Borough Road Station--now the terminus--the South-Eastern from -Bricklayers’ Arms, which had been converted into another terminus, as -well as the Brighton line, both at Battersea Park and York Road. - -The lines destroyed by the enemy’s spies in the early moments of the -invasion had long ago been repaired, and up to the present railway and -telegraphic communication south and west remained uninterrupted. The -_Daily Mail_ had managed to transfer some of its staff to the offices of -a certain printer’s in Southwark, and there, under difficulties, -published several editions daily despite the German censorship. While -northern London was without any news except that supplied from German -sources, South London was still open to the world, the cables from the -south coast being, as yet, in the hands of the British, and the -telegraphs intact to Bristol and to all places in the West. - -Thus, during those stifling and exciting days following the occupation, -while London was preparing for its great uprising, the _South London -Daily Mirror_, though a queer, unusual-looking sheet, still continued to -appear, and was read with avidity by the gallant men at the barricades. - -Contrary to expectation, Von Kronhelm was leaving South London severely -alone. He was, no doubt, wise. Full well he knew that his men, once -within those narrow, tortuous streets beyond the river, would have no -opportunity to manœuvre, and would, as in the case of the assault of -Waterloo Bridge, be slaughtered to a man. His spies reported that each -hour that passed rendered the populace the stronger, yet he did nothing, -devoting his whole time, energy, and attention to matters in that half -of London he was now occupying. - -Everywhere the walls of South London were placarded with manifestoes of -the League of Defenders. Day after day fresh posters appeared, urging -patience and courage, and reporting upon the progress of the League. The -name of Graham was now upon everyone’s lips. He had, it seemed, arisen -as saviour of our beloved country. Every word of his inspired -enthusiasm, and this was well illustrated at the mass meeting on Peckham -Rye, when, beneath the huge flag of St. George, the white banner with -the red cross,--the ancient standard of England,--which the League had -adopted as theirs, he made a brilliant and impassioned appeal to every -Londoner and every Englishman. - -Report had it that the Germans had set a price upon his head, and that -he was pursued everywhere by German spies--mercenaries who would kill -him in secret if they could. Therefore he was compelled to go about with -an armed police guard, who arrested any suspected person in his -vicinity. The Government, who had at first laughed Graham’s enthusiasm -to scorn, now believed in him. Even Lord Byfield, after a long council, -declared that his efforts to inspire enthusiasm had been amazingly -successful, and it was now well known that the “Defenders” and the Army -had agreed to act in unison towards one common end--the emancipation of -England from the German thraldom. - -Some men of the Osnabrück Regiment, holding Canning Town and Limehouse, -managed one night, by strategy, to force their way through the Blackwall -Tunnel and break down its defence on the Surrey side in an attempt to -blow up the South Metropolitan Gas Works close by. - -The men holding the tunnel were completely overwhelmed by the numbers -that pressed on, and were compelled to fall back, twenty of their number -being killed. The assault was a victorious one, and it was seen that the -enemy were pouring out, when, of a sudden, there was a dull, heavy roar, -followed by wild shouts and terrified screams, as there rose from the -centre of the river a great column of water, and next instant the tunnel -was flooded, hundreds of the enemy being drowned like rats in a hole. - -The men of the Royal Engineers had, on the very day previous, made -preparations for destroying the tunnel if necessary, and had done so ere -the Germans were aware of their intention. The exact loss of life is -unknown, but it is estimated that over 400 men must have perished in -that single instant, while those who had made the sudden dash towards -the Gas Works were all taken prisoners, and their explosives -confiscated. - -The evident intention of the enemy being thus seen, General Sir Francis -Bamford from his headquarters at the Crystal Palace gave orders for the -tunnels at Rotherhithe and that across Greenwich Reach, as well as the -several “tube” tunnels and subways, to be destroyed, a work which was -executed without delay, and was witnessed by thousands, who watched for -the great disturbances and upheavals in the bed of the river. - -In the Old Kent Road the bridge over the canal, as well as the bridges -in Wells Street, Sumner Road, Glengall Road, and Canterbury Road, were -all prepared for demolition in case of necessity, the canal from the -Camberwell Road to the Surrey Docks forming a moat behind which the -defenders might, if necessary, retire. Clapham Common and Brockwell Park -were covered with tents, for General Bamford’s force, consisting mostly -of auxiliaries, were daily awaiting reinforcements. - -Lord Byfield, now at Windsor, was in constant communication by wireless -telegraphy with the London headquarters at the Crystal Palace, as well -as with Hibbard on the Malvern Hills and Woolmer at Shrewsbury. To -General Bamford at Sydenham came constant news of the rapid spread of -the national movement of defiance, and Lord Byfield, as was afterwards -known, urged the London commander to remain patient, and invite no -attack until the League were strong enough to act upon the offensive. - -Affairs of outposts were, of course, constantly recurring along the -river bank between Windsor and Egham, and the British free-shooters and -Frontiersmen were ever harassing the Saxons. - -Very soon Von Kronhelm became aware of Lord Byfield’s intentions, but -his weakness was apparent when he made no counter-move. The fact was -that the various great cities he now held required all his attention and -all his troops. From Manchester, from Birmingham, from Leeds, Bradford, -Sheffield, and Hull came similar replies. Any withdrawal of troops from -either city would be the signal for a general rising of the inhabitants. -Therefore, having gained possession, he could only now sit tight and -watch. - -From all over Middlesex, and more especially from the London area, came -sensational reports of the drastic measures adopted by the Germans to -repress any sign of revolt. In secret, the agents of the League of -Defenders were at work going from house to house, enrolling men, -arranging for secret meeting-places, and explaining in confidence the -programme as put forward by the Bristol committee. Now and then, -however, these agents were betrayed, and their betrayal was in every -case followed by a court-martial at Bow Street, death outside in the -yard of the police station, and the publication in the papers of their -names, their offence, and the hour of the execution. - -Yet, undaunted and defiantly, the giant organisation grew as no other -society had ever grown, and its agents and members quickly developed -into fearless patriots. It being reported that the Saxons were facing -Lord Byfield with the Thames between them, the people of West London -began in frantic haste to construct barricades. The building of -obstructions had, indeed, now become a mania north of the river as well -as the south. The people, fearing that there was to be more fighting in -the streets of London, began to build huge defences all across West -London. The chief were across King Street, Hammersmith, where it joins -Goldhawk Road, across the junction of Goldhawk and Uxbridge Roads, in -Harrow Road where it joins Admiral Road, and Willesden Lane, close to -the Paddington Cemetery, and the Latimer Road opposite St. Quintin Park -Station. All the side streets leading into the Goldhawk Road, Latimer -Road, and Ladbroke Grove Road, were also blocked up, and hundreds of -houses placed in a state of strong defence. - -With all this Von Kronhelm did not interfere. The building of such -obstructions acted as a safety-valve to the excited populace, therefore -he rather encouraged than discountenanced it. The barricades might, he -thought, be of service to his army if Lord Byfield really risked an -attack upon London from that direction. - -Crafty and cunning though he was, he was entirely unaware that those -barricades were being constructed at the secret orders of the League of -Defenders, and he never dreamed that they had actually been instigated -by the British Commander-in-chief himself. - -Thus the Day of Reckoning hourly approached, and London, though crushed -and starving, waited in patient vigilance. - -At Enfield Chase was a great camp of British prisoners in the hands of -the Germans, amounting to several thousands. Contrary to report, both -officers and men were fairly well treated by the Germans, though with -his limited supplies Von Kronhelm was already beginning to contemplate -releasing them. Many of the higher grade officers who had fallen into -the hands of the enemy, together with the Lord Mayor of London, the -Mayors of Hull, Goole, Lincoln, Norwich, Ipswich, and the Lord Mayors of -Manchester and Birmingham, had been sent across to Germany, where, -according to their own reports, they were being detained in Hamburg and -treated with every consideration. Nevertheless, all this greatly -incensed Englishmen. Lord Byfield, with Hibbard and Woolmer, was leaving -no stone unturned in order to reform our shattered Army, and again -oppose the invaders. All three gallant officers had been to Bristol, -where they held long consultation with the members of the Cabinet, with -the result that the Government still refused to entertain any idea of -paying the indemnity. The Admiralty were confident now that the command -of the sea had been regained, and in Parliament itself a little -confidence was also restored. - -Yet we had to face the hard facts that nearly two hundred thousand -Germans were upon British soil, and that London was held by them. -Already parties of German commissioners had visited the National -Gallery, the Wallace Collection, the Tate Gallery, and the British and -South Kensington Museums, deciding upon and placing aside certain art -treasures and priceless antiques ready for shipment to Germany. The -Raphaels, the Titians, the Rubenses, the Fra Angelicos, the Velasquezes, -the Elgin Marbles, the best of the Egyptian, Assyrian, and Roman -antiques, the Rosetta Stone, the early Biblical and classical -manuscripts, the historic charters of England, and suchlike treasures -which could never be replaced, were all catalogued and prepared for -removal. The people of London knew this; for though there had been no -newspapers, information ran rapidly from mouth to mouth. German -sentries guarded our world-famous collections, which were now indeed -entirely in the enemy’s hands, and which the Kaiser intended should -enrich the German galleries and museums. - -One vessel flying the British flag had left the Thames laden with spoil, -in an endeavour to reach Hamburg, but off Harwich she had been sighted -and overhauled by a British cruiser, with the result that she had been -steered to Dover. Therefore our cruisers and destroyers, having thus -obtained knowledge of the enemy’s intentions, were keeping a sharp -lookout along the coast for any vessels attempting to leave for German -ports. - -Accounts of fierce engagements in the Channel between British and German -ships went the rounds, but all were vague and unconvincing. The only -solid facts were that the Germans held the great cities of England, and -that the millions of Great Britain were slowly but surely preparing to -rise in an attempt to burst asunder the fetters that now held them. - -Government, Army, Navy, and Parliament had all proved rotten reeds. It -was now every man for himself--to free himself and his loved ones--or to -die in the attempt. - -Through the south and west of England, Graham’s clear, manly voice was -raised everywhere, and the whole population were now fast assembling -beneath the banner of the Defenders, in readiness to bear their part in -the most bloody and desperate encounter of the whole war--a fierce -guerilla warfare, in which the Germans were to receive no quarter. The -firm resolve now was to exterminate them. - -The swift and secret death being meted out to the German sentries, or, -in fact, to any German caught alone in a side street, having been -reported to Von Kronhelm, he issued another of his now famous -proclamations, which was posted upon half the hoardings in London, but -the populace at once amused themselves by tearing it down wherever it -was discovered. Von Kronhelm was the arch-enemy of London, and it is -believed that there were at that moment no fewer than five separate -conspiracies to encompass his death. Londoners detested the Germans, but -with a hatred twenty times the more intense did they regard those men -who, having engaged in commercial pursuits in England, had joined the -colours and were now acting as spies in the service of the enemy. - -Hundreds of extraordinary tales were told of Germans who, for years, had -been regarded as inoffensive toilers in London, and yet who were now -proved by their actions to be spies. It was declared, and was no doubt a -fact, that without the great army of advance-agents--every man among -them having been a soldier--Germany would never have effected the rapid -coup she had done. The whole thing had been carefully thought out, and -this invasion was the culmination of years of careful thought and most -minute study. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -DAILY LIFE OF THE BELEAGUERED - - -They were dark days in London--days of terror, starvation--death. - -Behind the barricades south of the Thames it was vaguely known that our -Admiralty--whose chief offices had been removed to Portsmouth before the -entry of the enemy into London--were keenly alive to the critical -position. Reports of the capture of a number of German liners in the -Atlantic, and of several ships laden with provisions, attempting to -cross the North Sea were spread from mouth to mouth, but so severe was -the censorship upon the Press that no word of such affairs was printed. - -The _London Gazette_, that journal which in ordinary circumstances the -public never sees, was published each evening at six o’clock, but, alas, -in German. It contained Von Kronhelm’s official orders to his army, and -the various proclamations regarding the government of London. The _Daily -Mail_, as the paper with the largest circulation, was also taken over as -the German official organ. - -At the head of each newspaper office in and about Fleet Street was a -German officer, whose duty was to read the proofs of everything before -it appeared. He installed himself in the editorial chair, and the -members of the staff all attempted to puzzle him and his assistants by -the use of London slang. Sometimes this was passed by the officer in -question, who did not wish to betray his ignorance, but more often it -was promptly crossed out. Thus the papers were frequently ridiculous in -their opinions and reports. - -The drawn game continued. - -On one side of the Thames the Germans held complete possession, while on -the other the people of London were defiant behind their barricaded -bridges. West London was occupied in building barricades in all quarters -to prevent any further entry into London, while Von Kronhelm, with his -inborn cunning, was allowing the work to proceed. In this, however, the -German Commander-in-Chief did not display his usual caution, as will be -seen in later chapters of this history. - -Once it was rumoured that the enemy intended to besiege the barricades -at the bridges by bringing their field howitzers into play, but very -soon it became apparent that Von Kronhelm, with discreet forbearance, -feared to excite further the London populace. - -The fact that the Lord Mayor had been deported had rendered them -irritable and viciously antagonistic, while the terms of the indemnity -demanded, now known everywhere--as they had been published in papers at -Brighton, Southampton, Bristol, and other places--had aroused within the -hearts of Londoners a firm resolve to hold their own at no matter what -cost. - -Beyond all this remained the knowledge of Gerald Graham’s movement--that -gigantic association, the League of Defenders, which had for its object -the freeing of England from the grip of the now detested eagle of -Germany. - -Daily the League issued its bulletins, notices, manifestoes, and -proclamations, all of which were circulated throughout South London. -South Coast resorts were now crowded to excess by fugitive Londoners, as -well as towns inland. Accommodation for them all was, of course, -impossible, but everywhere were encampments over the Kentish hop fields -and the Sussex pastures. - -Some further idea of life in South London at this time may be obtained -from the personal narrative of Joseph Cane, a tram driver, in the employ -of the London County Council, living at Creek Road, Battersea. His -story, written by himself, and subsequently published in the _Daily -Express_, was as follows:-- - -“Five days have passed since the Germans bombarded us. I have been out -of work since the seventh, when the Council suspended greater part of -the tramway service, my line from Westminster Bridge included. I have a -wife and four children dependent upon me, and, unfortunately, all of -them are starving. We are waiting. The Defenders still urge us to wait. -But this waiting is very wearisome. For nineteen days have I wandered -about London in idleness. I have mixed with the crowds in the West End; -I have listened to the orators in the parks; I helped to build the big -barricade in the Caledonian Road; I watched the bombardment from the -waterside at Wandsworth, and I saw, on the following day, German -soldiers across on West Wharf. - -“Since that day we South Londoners have barricaded ourselves so strongly -that it will, I am certain, take Von Kronhelm all his time to turn us -out. Our defences are abundant and strong. Not only are there huge -barricades everywhere, but hundreds of houses and buildings have been -put in a state of defence, especially the positions commanding the main -thoroughfares leading to the bridges. As a member of the League of -Defenders, I have been served with a gun, and practise daily with -thousands of others upon the new range in Battersea Park. My post, -however, is at the barricade across Tarn’s Corner and Newington -Causeway, opposite the Elephant and Castle. - -“Every road to the bridges at that converging point is blocked. The -entrances to St. George’s Road, London Road, Walworth Road, and -Newington Butts are all strongly barricaded, the great obstructions -reaching up to the second storey windows. The New Kent Road remains -open, as there is a barricade at the end of Great Dover Street. The -houses all round are also fortified. From Tarn’s, quantities of goods, -such as bales of calico, flannel, and dress materials, have been seized -and utilised in our barriers. I assisted to construct the enormous wall -of miscellaneous objects, and in its building we were directed by a -number of Royal Engineers. Our object is to repel the invader should he -succeed in breaking down the barrier at London Bridge. - -“All is in readiness, as far as we are concerned. Seven maxims are -mounted on our defence, while inside Tarn’s are hundreds of -Frontiersmen, sharpshooters, members of rifle clubs, and other men who -can shoot. Yesterday some artillery men arrived with five field guns, -and upon our barricade one has been mounted. The men say they have come -across from Windsor, and that other batteries of artillery are on their -way to strengthen us. Therefore, old Von Kronhelm, notwithstanding all -his orders and daily proclamations about this and about that, has us -Cockneys to deal with yet. And he’ll find the Elephant and Castle a -tough nut to crack. Hundreds of the men in our tram service are at the -barricades. We never thought, a month ago, when we used to drive up and -down from the bridges, that we’d so soon all of us become soldiers. -Life, however, is full of ups and downs. But nowadays London doesn’t -somehow seem like London. There is no traffic, and the side streets all -seem as silent as the grave. The main thoroughfares, such as the -Walworth, Old Kent, Kennington Park, Clapham, and Wandsworth Roads, are -crowded night and day by anxious, hungry people, eager for the revenge -which is declared by the Defenders to be at hand. How soon it comes no -one cares. There is still hope in Walworth and Kennington, and though -our stomachs may be empty we have sworn not to capitulate. - -“Food is on its way to us, so it is said. We have regained command of -the sea, therefore the ports are reopened, and in a day or two food will -no longer be scarce. - -“I saw this morning a poster issued by the League of Defenders, the -_Daily Bulletin_, it is called, declaring that relief is at hand. I hope -it is, for the sake of my distracted wife and family. The County Council -have been very good to us, but as money won’t buy anything, what is the -good of it? The supply is growing daily more limited. Half a crown was -paid yesterday by a man I know for a small loaf of bread at a shop in -the Wandsworth Road. - -“Our daily life at the barricade is monotonous and very wearying. Now -that the defences are complete and there is nothing to do, everyone is -anxious to have a brush with the enemy, and longing that he may make an -attack upon us. As newspapers are very difficult to get within the -barricades, several new ones have sprung up in South London, most of -them queer, ill-printed sheets, but very interesting on account of the -news they give. - -“The one most in favour is called _The South London Mirror_. I think it -is in connection with the _Daily Mail_. It now and then gives -photographs, like the _Daily Mirror_. Yesterday it gave a good one of -the barricade where I am stationed. The neighbourhood of the Elephant -presents an unusual picture, for everywhere men are scrambling over the -roofs, and windows of the houses are being half-covered with sheet iron, -while here and there is seen protruding the muzzle of a Maxim. - -“I hear on the best authority that explosives are already in position -under all the bridges, ready to blow them up at any moment. Yesterday I -went along to Southwark Bridge to see the defences there. They are -really splendid. Before they can be taken by assault the loss of life -must be appalling to the enemy. There are mines laid in front by which -the Germans could be blown to atoms. Certainly our first line of defence -is at least a reliable one. Now that Londoners have taken the law into -their own hands, we may perhaps hope for some success. Our Army, our -Navy, our War Office, our Admiralty, have proved themselves utterly -incompetent. - -“By day and by night we guard our barricades. The life is an idle one, -now that there is no further work to do. Imagine a huge wall erected -right across the road from Tarn’s front to the public-house opposite, an -obstruction composed of every conceivable object that might resist the -German bullets, and with loopholes here and there to admit of our fire. -Everything, from paving-stones torn up from the footpath to iron -coal-scuttles, has been used in its construction, together with -thousands of yards of barbed wire. Roughly, I believe that fully a -thousand men are holding my own particular defence, every one of them -members of this new League, which, encouraged and aided by Government, -is making such rapid progress in every direction. Every man who stands -shoulder to shoulder with me has sworn allegiance to King and Country, -and will fight and die in the defence of the city he loves. During the -past four days I have only been home once. Alas! my clean little home is -now one of suffering and desolation. I cannot bear to hear the children -cry for bread, so I now remain at my post, bearing my own humble part in -the defence of London. The wife bears up in patience, as so many -thousands of the good wives of humble folk are now doing. She is -pale-faced and dark-eyed, for privation is fast telling upon her. Yet -she uttered no word of complaint. She only asked me simply when this -cruel war would end. - -“When? Ay, when? - -“It will end when we have driven the Germans back into the sea--when we -have had blood for blood--when we have avenged the lives of those -innocent Englishmen and Englishwomen who have been killed in Suffolk, -Norfolk, Essex, and Yorkshire. Then the war will end--with victory for -our dear old England. - -“Of tobacco and drink there is still an abundance. Of the latter, alas, -we see examples of its abuse every day. Men and women, deprived of food -in many cases, have recourse to drink, with terrible effect. In every -quarter, as one walks through South London, one sees riotous -drunkenness, and often a lawlessness, which, if not put down by the -people themselves, would quickly assume alarming proportions. There are -no police now; but the Defenders act the part of officers of the law, -and repress any acts of violence or riotous behaviour. - -“A certain section of the public are, of course, in favour of stopping -the war at all costs, and towards that end are continually holding -meetings, and have even gone the length of burning the barricade outside -the police station in Kennington Road. This shameful act was committed -last night, and one of its perpetrators was, I hear, caught and promptly -lynched by the infuriated mob. The barricade is now in rapid process of -re-building. On every hand, horses--or the few that now remain in South -London--are being killed and used as food. Even such meat as that is at -a price almost prohibitive. This afternoon a company of military -telegraph engineers came to our barricade, and established telephonic -communication between us and the similar obstructions at London Bridge, -and on our right in Great Dover Street. From one hour to another we -never know when Von Kronhelm may give the order to attack the bridges, -therefore through the whole twenty-four hours we have to be alert and -watchful, even though we may smoke and gossip around our stacks of piled -arms. When the conflict comes it will be a long and bloody one, that is -certain. Not a man in South London will shirk his duty to the Empire. -The future, whether England shall still remain Mistress of the World, -lies with us. It is that important all-present fact that the League of -Defenders is impressing upon us from all the hoardings, and it is also -the fact which stimulates each one of us to bear our part in the defence -of our homes and our loved ones. - -“Germany shall yet rue the day when she launched her legions upon us.” - - * * * * * - -Life in London north of the Thames at that moment was more exciting -than that within the fortress of South London. In the latter, everyone -was waiting in hunger and patience the march of events, while north of -the river the ever-present Germans in foraging parties were a constant -source of annoyance and anger. - -All roads leading into London from the west, right across from -Hammersmith Bridge nearly to the Welsh Harp, were now heavily -barricaded. More than once Von Kronhelm was inclined to forbid this, but -the real fact was that he was pleased to allow the people some vent for -their outraged feelings. Londoners declared that they would allow no -more Germans to enter, and for that reason they were blocking the roads. - -Had it not been for the fact that the bulk of London’s millions had been -driven south of the Thames by the bombardment and subsequent street -fighting, Von Kronhelm, with his men now seriously reduced, would have -found himself in a very queer position. - -As it was, London was, for him, a hornets’ nest. - -The disposition of his troops was as follows: Along the northern heights -of London was spread Frölich’s cavalry division. The IXth Corps from -Essex, who were still practically fresh, were guarding the lines of -communication to Southminster and Harwich; the Xth Corps were occupying -the City proper, the IVth Corps were encamped in Hyde Park and held West -London, the Garde Corps were holding the Regent’s Park neighbourhood, -while the Saxons were outside London at Staines. From this latter -quarter constant brushes with the British and with bodies of auxiliaries -were being reported, and Staines Bridge had at last been blown up by the -Germans. - -Notwithstanding all Von Kronhelm’s cunning and diplomacy, London was -nevertheless a city of growing unrest. Union Jacks still flew, though -the Germans were on the alert everywhere, and the _Daily Bulletin_ of -the Defenders, encouraging the people of London to hold out, made its -appearance upon hoardings and walls in every quarter. Many homeless -people were living in the ruins of houses, but, alas, hardly living, -such was the acute state of affairs. Daily the enemy distributed soup, -but only in meagre quantities, for, truth to tell, the portion of the -Metropolis under German rule was quite as badly off for food as the huge -fortress across the Thames. - -“Courage” was everywhere the Londoners’ watchword. A band of adventurous -spirits, having captured a small party of German engineers in -Pentonville Road as they were about to demolish some unsafe houses with -explosives, seized the latter, and got safely away. The next day, the -26th, with great daring they made an attempt to blow up Von Kronhelm’s -apartments in the new War Office. - -The manner in which it was accomplished, it appears, was by two of the -number obtaining German infantry uniforms--exactly how it is not stated, -but probably from dead soldiers--of the regiment who were mounting guard -in Whitehall. Thus disguised, they were enabled to pass the sentries, -obtain access to the long corridor leading past the big room of the -Commander-in-Chief, and there place the explosive already prepared in -the form of a bomb fired by clockwork, just beside the door. They ran -for their lives, and just succeeded in escaping when there was a -terrific explosion, and the whole front behind those columns of the -façade on the principal floor was blown, with its furniture, etc., out -into Whitehall. - -Four German clerks and a secretary were killed; but Von Kronhelm -himself, who was believed to have been at work there, had, half an hour -before, gone across the road to the Horse Guards. - -The sensation caused among Londoners was enormous, for it was at first -rumoured that Von Kronhelm had really been killed. Upon this there were -wild demonstrations on the part of the more lawless section of the -public, a section which was indeed increasing hourly. Even quiet, -respectable citizens found their blood boiling when they gazed upon -their wrecked homes and realised that their fortunes were ruined. - -The explosion at Whitehall resulted in a most vigorous inquiry. The -German Field-Marshal’s headquarters were removed to another portion of -the building, and within an hour of the outrage the telegraph -instrument--which had been blown to atoms--was replaced by another, and -communication with Berlin re-established. - -Most rigorous measures were now ordered to be taken for the preservation -of law and order. That evening still another of those famous -proclamations made its appearance, in which the regulations were -repeated, and it was also ordered that in consequence of the outrage any -person found in the possession of arms or of explosives was liable to be -shot at sight and without any form of trial. - -The vagabond part of London was, however, to the fore in giving the -Germans all the trouble they could. As the soldiers patrolled the -streets they were closely scanned, pointed at, hooted, and assailed with -slang that they could not understand. Often the people, in order to show -their antagonism, would post themselves in great numbers across a -street, say, in Piccadilly, Oxford Street, or the Strand, and refuse to -move, so that the troops, to avoid a collision, were obliged to go round -by the side streets, amid the loud jeers of the populace. - -Whenever a German flag was discovered, a piece of crape was tied to it, -or it received some form of insult. The Germans went about with -self-possession, even with bravado. In twos or threes they walked -together, and seemed as safe as though they were in large numbers. -Sometimes a mob of boys would follow, hooting, ridiculing them, and -calling them by opprobrious epithets. Occasionally men and women formed -around them in groups and engaged in conversation, while everywhere -during that first week of the occupation the soldiers of the Kaiser were -objects of great curiosity on the part of the alien rabble of the East -End. - -Hundreds upon hundreds of German workers from Whitechapel fraternised -with the enemy, but woe betide them when the angry bands of Londoners -watched and caught them alone afterwards. In dozens of cases they paid -for their friendliness with the enemy with their lives. - -From the confident tone of the Berlin Press, coupled with the actions of -Von Kronhelm, it was quite plain to all the world that the German -Emperor was now determined to take the utmost advantage of his success, -and, having England in his power, to make her drink the cup of adversity -to the very dregs. - -Many a ghastly tale was now reaching London from West Middlesex. A party -of eleven Frontiersmen, captured by the Saxons five miles north of -Staines, were obliged to dig their own graves, and were then shot as -they stood before them. Another terrible incident reported by a reliable -war correspondent was that, as punishment for an attack on a -requisitioning party, the entire town of Feltham had been put to the -sword, even the children. Eighty houses were also burnt down. At -Bedfont, too, a whole row of houses had been burned, and a dozen men and -women massacred, because of a shot fired at a German patrol. - -The German Army might possess many excellent qualities, but chivalry was -certainly not among them. War with them was a business. When London fell -there was no sentimental pity for it, but as much was to be made out of -it as possible. - -This was apparent everywhere in London. As soon as a German was -quartered in a room his methods were piratical. The enemy looted -everywhere, notwithstanding Von Kronhelm’s orders. - -Gradually to the abyss of degradation was our country thus being -brought. Where would it end? - -England’s down-trodden millions were awaiting in starvation and patience -the dawn of the Day of Revenge. - -It now became known that the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs had -sent to the British diplomatic agents abroad (with a view to its -ultimate submittal to the various European Cabinets) a protest of the -British Government against the bombardment of London. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -REVOLTS IN SHOREDITCH AND ISLINGTON - - -On the night of the 27th September, a very serious conflict, entailing -much loss of life on both the London civilian and German side, occurred -at the point where Kingsland Road joins Old Street, Hackney Road, and -High Street. Across both Hackney and Kingsland Roads the barricades -built before the bombardment still remained in a half-ruined state, any -attempt at clearing them away being repulsed by the angry inhabitants. -Dalston, Kingsland, Bethnal Green, and Shoreditch were notably -antagonistic to the invaders, and several sharp encounters had taken -place. Indeed, those districts were discovered by the enemy to be very -unsafe. - -The conflict in question, however, commenced at the corner of Old Street -at about 9.30 in the evening, by three German tailors from Cambridge -Road being insulted by two men, English labourers. The tailors appealed -in German to four Westphalian infantrymen who chanced to be passing, and -who subsequently fired and killed one of the Englishmen. This was the -signal for a local uprising. The alarm given, hundreds of men and women -rushed from their houses, many of them armed with rifles and knives, -and, taking cover behind the ruined barricades, opened fire upon a body -of fifty Germans, who very quickly ran up. The fire was returned, when -from the neighbouring houses a perfect hail of lead was suddenly rained -upon the Germans, who were then forced to retire down High Street -towards Liverpool Street Station, leaving many dead in the roadway. - -Very quickly news was sent over the telephone, which the Germans had now -established in many quarters of London, and large reinforcements were -soon upon the scene. The men of Shoreditch had, however, obtained two -Maxim guns, which had been secreted ever since the entry of the Germans -into the Metropolis, and as the enemy endeavoured to storm their -position they swept the street with a deadly fire. Quickly the situation -became desperate, but the fight lasted over an hour. The sound of firing -brought hundreds upon hundreds of Londoners upon the scene. All these -took arms against the Germans, who, after many fruitless attempts to -storm the defences, and being fired upon from every side, were compelled -to fall back again. - -[Illustration: SCENE OF THE STREET FIGHTING IN SHOREDITCH on Sept. -27th] - -They were followed along High Street into Bethnal Green Road, up Great -Eastern Street into Hoxton Square and Pitfield Street, and there cut up, -being given no quarter at the hands of the furious populace. In those -narrow thoroughfares they were powerless, and were therefore simply -exterminated, until the streets ran with blood. - -The victory for the men of Shoreditch was complete, over three hundred -and fifty Germans being killed, while our losses were only about fifty. - -The conflict was at once reported to Von Kronhelm, and the very fact -that he did not send exemplary punishment into that quarter was quite -sufficient to show that he feared to arouse further the hornets’ nest in -which he was living, and more especially that portion of the populace -north of the City. - -News of the attack, quickly spreading, inspired courage in every other -part of the oppressed Metropolis. - -The successful uprising against the Germans in Shoreditch incited -Londoners to rebel, and in various other parts of the Metropolis, -especially in Westbourne Grove, in Notting Hill, in Marylebone Road, and -in Kingsland, there occurred outbreaks of a more or less serious nature. - -Between invaders and defenders there was now constant warfare. Von -Kronhelm had found to his cost that London was not to be so easily -cowed, after all, notwithstanding his dastardly bombardment. The size -and population of the Metropolis had not been sufficiently calculated -upon. It was as a country in itself, while the intricacies of its -by-ways formed a refuge for the conspirators, who were gradually -completing their preparations to rise _en masse_ and strike down the -Germans wherever found. In the open country his great army could march, -manœuvre, and use strategy, but here in the maze of narrow London -streets it was impossible to know in one thoroughfare what was taking -place in the next. - -Supplies, too, were now running very short. The distress among our -vanquished populace was most severe; while Von Kronhelm’s own army was -put on meagre rations. The increasing price of food and consequent -starvation had not served to improve the relations between the invaders -and the citizens of London, who, though they were assured by various -proclamations that they would be happier and more prosperous under -German rule, now discovered that they were being slowly starved to -death. - -Their only hope, therefore, was in the efforts of that now gigantic -organisation, the League of Defenders. - -A revolt occurred in Pentonville Road, opposite King’s Cross Underground -Station, which ended in a fierce and terrible fray. A company of the -Bremen Infantry Regiment No. 75, belonging to the IXth Corps, were -marching from the City Road towards Regent’s Park, when several shots -were fired at them from windows of shops almost opposite the station. -Five Germans fell dead, including one lieutenant, a very gorgeous person -who wore a monocle. Another volley rang out before the infantrymen could -realise what was happening, and then it was seen that the half-ruined -shops had been placed in such a state of defence as to constitute a -veritable fortress. - -The fire was returned, but a few moments later a Maxim spat its deadly -fire from a small hole in a wall, and a couple of dozen of the enemy -fell upon the granite setts of the thoroughfare. The rattle of musketry -quickly brought forth the whole of that populous neighbourhood--or all, -indeed, that remained of them--the working-class district between -Pentonville Road and Copenhagen Street. Notwithstanding the wreck of -London, many of the poorer classes still clung to their own districts, -and did not migrate with the middle and upper classes across the Thames. - -Quickly the fight became general. The men of Bremen endeavoured to take -the place by assault, but found that it was impossible. The strength of -the defences was amazing, and showed only too plainly that Londoners -were in secret preparing for the great uprising that was being planned. -In such a position were the houses held by the Londoners, that their -fire commanded both the Pentonville and King’s Cross Roads; but very -soon the Germans were reinforced by another company of the same -regiment, and these being attacked in the rear from Rodney Street, -Cumming Street, Weston Street, York Street, Winchester Street, and other -narrow turnings leading into the Pentonville Road, the fighting quickly -became general. - -The populace came forth in swarms, men and women, armed with any weapon -or article upon which they could lay their hands, and all fired with the -same desire. - -And in many instances they succeeded, be it said. Hundreds of men who -came forth were armed with rifles which had been carefully secreted on -the entry of the enemy into the metropolis. The greater part of those -men, indeed, had fought at the barricades in North London, and had -subsequently taken part in the street fighting as the enemy advanced. -Some of the arms had come from the League of Defenders, smuggled into -the metropolis nobody exactly knew how. All that was known was that at -the various secret headquarters of the League, rifles, revolvers, and -ammunition were forthcoming, the majority of them being of foreign make, -and some of them of a pattern almost obsolete. - -Up and down the King’s Cross, Pentonville, and Caledonian Roads the -crowd swayed and fought. The Germans against that overwhelming mass of -angry civilians seemed powerless. Small bodies of the troops were -cornered in the narrow by-streets, and then given no quarter. -Brave-hearted Londoners, though they knew well what dire punishment they -must inevitably draw upon themselves, had taken the law into their own -hands, and were shooting or stabbing every German who fell into their -hands. - -The scene of carnage in that hour of fighting was awful. The _Daily -Chronicle_ described it as one of the most fiercely-contested encounters -in the whole history of the siege. Shoreditch had given courage to -King’s Cross, for, unknown to Von Kronhelm, houses in all quarters were -being put in a state of defence, their position being carefully chosen -by those directing the secret operations of the League of Defenders. - -For over an hour the houses in question gallantly held out, sweeping the -streets constantly with their Maxim. Presently, however, on further -reinforcements arriving, the German colonel directed his men to enter -the houses opposite. In an instant a door was broken in, and presently -glass came tumbling down as muzzles of rifles were poked through the -panes, and soon sharp crackling showed that the Germans had settled down -to their work. The movements of the enemy throughout were characterised -by their coolness and military common sense. They did the work before -them in a quiet, business-like way, not shirking risk when it was -necessary, but, on the other hand, not needlessly exposing themselves -for the sake of swagger. - -The defence of the Londoners was most obstinate. In the streets, -Londoners attacked the enemy with utter disregard for the risks they -ran. Women, among them many young girls, joined in the fray, armed with -pistols and knives. - -After a while a great body of reinforcements appeared in the Euston -Road, having been sent hurriedly along from Regent’s Park. Then the -option was given to those occupying the fortified house to surrender, -the colonel promising to spare their lives. The Londoners peremptorily -refused. Everywhere the fighting became more desperate, and spread all -through the streets leading out of St. Pancras, York, and Caledonian -Roads, until the whole of that great neighbourhood became the scene of a -fierce conflict, in which both sides lost heavily. Right across -Islington the street fighting spread, and many were the fatal traps set -for the unwary German who found himself cut off in that maze of narrow -streets between York Road and the Angel. The enemy, on the other hand, -were shooting down women and girls as well as the men, even the -non-combatants--those who came out of their houses to ascertain what was -going on--being promptly fired at and killed. - -In the midst of all this somebody ignited some petrol in a house a few -doors from the chapel in Pentonville Road, and in a few moments the -whole row of buildings were blazing furiously, belching forth black -smoke and adding to the terror and confusion of those exciting moments. -Even that large body of Germans now upon the scene were experiencing -great difficulty in defending themselves. A perfect rain of bullets -seemed directed upon them on every hand, and to-day’s experience -certainly proves that Londoners are patriotic and brave, and in their -own districts they possess a superiority over the trained troops of the -Kaiser. - -At length, after a most sanguinary struggle, the Londoners’ position was -carried, the houses were entered, and twenty-two brave patriots, mostly -of the working class, taken prisoners. The populace now realising that -the Germans had, after all, overpowered their comrades in their -fortress, fell back; but being pursued northward towards the railway -line between Highbury and Barnsbury Stations, many of them were -despatched on the spot. - -What followed was indeed terrible. The anger of the Germans now became -uncontrollable. Having in view Von Kronhelm’s proclamation,--which -sentenced to death all who, not being in uniform, fired upon German -troops,--they decided to teach the unfortunate populace a lesson. As a -matter of fact, they feared that such revolts might be repeated in other -quarters. - -So they seized dozens of prisoners, men and women, and shot them down. -Many of these summary executions took place against the wall of the St. -Pancras Station at the corner of Euston Road. Men and women were -pitilessly sent to death. Wives, daughters, fathers, sons were ranged up -against that wall, and, at signal from the colonel, fell forward with -German bullets through them. - -Of the men who had so gallantly held the fortified house, not a single -one escaped. Strings of men and women were hurried to their doom in one -day, for the troops were savage with the lust of blood, and Von -Kronhelm, though he was aware of it by telephone, lifted not a finger to -stop those arbitrary executions. - -But enough of such details. Suffice it to say that the stones of -Islington were stained with the blood of innocent Londoners, and that -those who survived took a fierce vow of vengeance. Von Kronhelm’s -legions had the upper hand for the moment, yet the conflict and its -bloody sequel had the effect of arousing the fiercest anger within the -heart of every Briton in the metropolis. - -What was in store for us none could tell. We were conquered, oppressed, -starved; yet hope was still within us. The League of Defenders were not -idle, while South London was hourly completing her strength. - -When the day dawned for the great revenge--as it would ere long--then -every man and woman in London would rise simultaneously, and the -arrogant Germans would cry for quarter that certainly would never be -given them. - -It seems that after quelling the revolt at King’s Cross wholesale -arrests were made in Islington. The guilt or innocence of the prisoners -did not seem to matter, Von Kronhelm dealing out to them exemplary and -summary punishment. In all cases the charges were doubtful, and in many -cases the innocent have, alas! paid the penalty with their lives. - -Terror reigns in London. One newspaper correspondent--whose account is -published this morning in South London, having been sent across the -Thames by carrier pigeon, many of which were now being employed by the -newspapers--had an opportunity of witnessing the wholesale executions -which took place yesterday afternoon outside Dorchester House, where Von -Kleppen has established his quarters. Von Kleppen seems to be the most -pitiless of the superior officers. The prisoners, ranged up for -inspection in front of the big mansion, were mostly men from Islington, -all of whom knew only too well the fate in store for them. Walking -slowly along and eyeing the ranks of these unfortunate wretches, the -German General stopped here and there, tapping a man on the shoulder or -beckoning him out of the rear ranks. In most cases, without further -word, the individual thus selected was marched into the Park at Stanhope -Gate, where a small supplementary column was soon formed. - -Those chosen knew that their last hour had come. Some clasped their -hands and fell upon their knees, imploring pity, while others remained -silent and stubborn patriots. One man, his face covered with blood and -his arm broken, sat down and howled in anguish, and others wept in -silence. Some women--wives and daughters of the condemned men--tried to -get within the Park to bid them adieu and to urge courage, but the -soldiers beat them back with their rifles. Some of the men laughed -defiantly, others met death with a stony stare. The eye-witness saw the -newly-dug pit that served as common grave, and he stood by and saw them -shot and their corpses afterwards flung into it. - -One young fair-haired woman, condemned by Von Kleppen, rushed forward to -that officer, threw herself upon her knees, implored mercy, and -protested her innocence wildly. But the officer, callous and pitiless, -simply motioned to a couple of soldiers to take her within the Park, -where she shared the same fate as the men. - -How long will this awful state of affairs last? We must die, or conquer. -London is in the hands of a legion of assassins--Bavarians, Saxons, -Würtembergers, Hessians, Badeners--all now bent upon prolonging the -reign of terror, and thus preventing the uprising that they know is, -sooner or later, inevitable. - -Terrible accounts are reaching us of how the Germans are treating their -prisoners on Hounslow Heath, at Enfield, and other places; of the awful -sufferings of the poor unfortunate fellows, of hunger, of thirst, and of -inhuman disregard for either their comfort or their lives. - -At present we are powerless, hemmed in by our barricades. Behind us, -upon Sydenham Hill, General Bamford is in a strong position, and his -great batteries are already defending any attack upon London from the -south. From the terrace in front of the Crystal Palace his guns can -sweep the whole range of southern suburbs. Through Dulwich, Herne Hill, -Champion Hill, and Denmark Hill are riding British cavalry, all of whom -show evident traces of the hard and fierce campaign. We see from -Sydenham constant messages being heliographed, for General Bamford and -Lord Byfield are in hourly communication by wireless telegraphy or by -other means. - -What is transpiring at Windsor is not known, save that every night there -are affairs of outposts with the Saxons, who on several occasions have -attempted to cross the river by pontoons, and have on each occasion been -driven back. - -It was reported to Parliament at its sitting at Bristol yesterday that -the Cabinet had refused to entertain any idea of paying the indemnity -demanded by Germany, and that their reply to Von Kronhelm is one of open -defiance. The brief summary of the speeches published shows that the -Government are hopeful, notwithstanding the present black outlook. They -believe that when the hour comes for the revenge, London will rise as a -man, and that Socialists, Nonconformists, Labour agitators, Anarchists, -and demagogues will unite with us in one great national, patriotic -effort to exterminate our conquerors as we would exterminate vermin. - -Mr. Gerald Graham has made another great speech in the House, in which -he reported the progress of the League of Defenders and its widespread -ramifications. He told the Government that there were over seven -millions of able-bodied men in the country ready to revolt the instant -the word went forth. That there would be terrible bloodshed he warned -them, but that the British would eventually prove the victors he was -assured. He gave no details of the organisation, for - - +------------------------------------------------------+ - | LEAGUE OF DEFENDERS. | - | | - | DAILY BULLETIN. | - | | - | The League of Defenders of the British Empire | - | publicly announce to Englishmen, although the | - | North of London is held by the enemy: | - | | - | (1) That England will soon entirely regain | - | command of the sea, and that a rigorous blockade | - | of the German ports will be established. | - | | - | (2) That three of the vessels of the North | - | German Lloyd Transatlantic passenger service | - | have been captured, together with a number of | - | minor German ships in the Channel and Mediterranean. | - | | - | (3) That four German cruisers and two destroyers | - | have fallen into the hands of the | - | British. | - | | - | (4) That | - | | - | ENGLAND’S MILLIONS ARE READY | - | TO RISE! | - | | - | Therefore | - | | - | WE ARE NOT YET BEATEN! | - | BE PREPARED, AND WAIT. | - | | - | League of Defenders. | - | | - | Central Office: Bristol. | - +------------------------------------------------------+ - - COPY OF THE “DAILY BULLETIN” OF THE LEAGUE - OF DEFENDERS. - -to a great measure it was a secret one, and Von Kronhelm was already -taking active steps to combat its intentions; but he declared that there -was still a strong spirit of patriotism in the country, and explained -how sturdy Scots were daily making their way south, and how men from -Wales were already massing in Oxford. - -The speech was received on both sides of the House with ringing cheers, -when, in conclusion, he promised them that, within a few days, the fiat -would go forth, and the enemy would find himself crushed and powerless. - -“South London,” he declared, “is our stronghold, our fortress. To-day it -is impregnable, defended by a million British patriots, and I defy Von -Kronhelm--indeed, I dare him to attack it!” - -Von Kronhelm was, of course, well aware of the formation of the -Defenders, but treated the League with contempt. If there was any -attempt at a rising, he would shoot down the people like dogs. He -declared this openly and publicly, and he also issued a warning to the -English people in the German official _Gazette_, a daily periodical -printed in one of the newspaper offices in Fleet Street in both German -and English. - -The German Commander fully believed that England was crushed; yet, as -the days went on, he was puzzled that he received no response to his -demand for indemnity. Twice he had sent special despatch-bearers to -Bristol, but on both occasions the result was the same. There was no -reply. - -Diplomatic representations had been made in Berlin through the Russian -Ambassador, who was now in charge of British interests in Germany, but -all to no purpose. Our Foreign Minister simply acknowledged receipt of -the various despatches. On the Continent the keenest interest was -manifested at what was apparently a deadlock. The British had, it was -known, regained command of the sea. Von Kronhelm’s supplies were already -cut off. The cables in direct communication between England and Germany -had been severed, and the Continental Press, especially the Paris -journals, gleefully recounted how two large Hamburg-American liners -attempting to reach Hamburg by passing north of Scotland had been -captured by British cruisers. - -In the Channel, too, a number of German vessels had been seized, and one -that showed fight off the North Foreland was fired upon and sunk. The -public at home, however, were more interested in supremacy on land. It -was all very well to have command of the sea, they argued, but it did -not appear to alleviate perceptibly the hunger and privations on land. -The Germans occupied London, and while they did so all freedom in -England was at an end. - -A great poster headed “Englishmen,” here reproduced, was seen -everywhere. The whole country was flooded with it, and thousands upon -thousands of heroic Britons, from the poorest to the wealthiest, -clamoured to enrol themselves. The movement was an absolutely national -one in every sense of the word. The name of Gerald Graham, the new -champion of England’s power, was upon everyone’s tongue. Daily he spoke -in the various towns in the west of England, in Plymouth, Taunton, -Cardiff, Portsmouth, and Southampton, and, assisted by the influential -committee, among whom were many brilliant speakers and men whose names -were as household words, he aroused the country to the highest pitch of -hatred against the enemy. The defenders, as they drilled in various -centres through the whole of the west of England, were a strange and -incongruous body. Grey-bearded Army pensioners ranged side by side with -keen, enthusiastic youths, advised them and gave them the benefit of -their expert knowledge. Volunteer officers in many cases assumed -command, together with retired drill sergeants. The digging of trenches -and the making of fortifications were assigned to navvies, bricklayers, -platelayers, and agricultural labourers, large bodies of - - +------------------------------------------------------+ - | =ENGLISHMEN!= | - | | - | Your Homes are Desecrated! | - | Your Children are Starving! | - | Your Loved Ones are Dead! | - | | - | =WILL YOU REMAIN IN COWARDLY | - | INACTIVITY?= | - | | - | The German Eagle flies over London. Hull, Newcastle, | - | and Birmingham are in ruins. Manchester | - | is a German City. Norfolk, Essex, and Suffolk | - | form a German colony. | - | | - | The Kaiser’s troops have brought death, ruin, and | - | starvation upon you. | - | | - | =WILL YOU BECOME GERMANS?= | - | | - | =NO!= | - | | - | Join THE DEFENDERS and fight for England. | - | You have England’s Millions beside you. | - | | - | =LET US RISE!= | - | | - | Let us drive back the Kaiser’s men. | - | | - | Let us shoot them at sight. | - | | - | Let us exterminate every single man who has | - | desecrated English soil. | - | | - | Join the New League of Defenders. | - | | - | Fight for your homes. Fight for your wives. Fight | - | for England. | - | | - | =FIGHT FOR YOUR KING!= | - | | - | The National League of Defenders’ Head Offices, | - | Bristol, September 21st, 1910. | - +------------------------------------------------------+ - - A COPY OF THE MANIFESTO OF THE LEAGUE OF - DEFENDERS ISSUED ON 21ST SEPTEMBER 1910. - -whom were under railway gangers, and were ready to perform any -excavation work. - -The Maxims and other machine guns were mostly manned by Volunteer -artillery; but instruction in the working of the Maxim was given to -select classes in Plymouth, Bristol, Portsmouth, and Cardiff. Time was -of utmost value, therefore the drilling was pushed forward day and -night. It was known that Von Kronhelm was already watchful of the -movements of the League, and was aware daily of its growth. Whether its -gigantic proportions would place him upon his guard was, however, quite -uncertain. - -In London, with the greatest secrecy, the defenders were banding -together. In face of the German proclamation posted upon the walls, -Londoners were holding meetings in secret and enrolling themselves. Such -meetings had, perforce, to be held in unsuspected places, otherwise all -those present would be arrested and tried for conspiracy by martial law. -Many of the smaller chapels in the suburbs, schoolrooms, mission halls, -and such-like buildings were used as meeting-places; but the actual -local headquarters of the League were kept a profound secret except to -the initiated. - -German spies were everywhere. In one case at a house in Tottenham Court -Road, where a branch of the League was discovered, no fewer than -twenty-seven persons were arrested, three of whom were on the following -day shot on the Horse Guards’ Parade as warning to others who might seek -to incite the spirit of revolt against German rule. - -Nevertheless, though there were many arrests, and though every branch of -the Defenders was crushed vigorously and stamped out wherever found, the -movement proceeded apace, and in no city did it make greater headway, -nor were the populace more eager to join, than in our dear old London. - -Though the German Eagle flew in Whitehall and from the summit of St. -Stephen’s Tower, and though the heavy tramp of German sentries echoed in -Trafalgar Square, in the quiet, trafficless streets in the vicinity, -England was not yet vanquished. - -The valiant men of London were still determined to sell their liberty -dearly, and to lay down their lives for the freedom of their country and -honour of their King. - - - - -BOOK III - -THE REVENGE - - - - -CHAPTER I - -A BLOW FOR FREEDOM - - -“‘DAILY MAIL’ OFFICE, _Oct. 1st_, 2 p.m. - -“Three days have passed since the revolt at King’s Cross, and each day, -both on the Horse Guards’ Parade and in the Park, opposite Dorchester -House, there have been summary executions. Von Kronhelm is in evident -fear of the excited London populace, and is endeavouring to cow them by -his plain-spoken and threatening proclamations, and by these wholesale -executions of any person found with arms in his or her possession. But -the word of command does not abolish the responsibility of conscience, -and we are now awaiting breathlessly for the word to strike the blow in -revenge. - -“The other newspapers are reappearing, but all that is printed each -morning is first subjected to a rigorous censorship, and nothing is -allowed to be printed before it is passed and initialled by the two -gold-spectacled censors who sit and smoke their pipes in an office to -themselves. Below, we have German sentries on guard, for our journal is -one of the official organs of Von Kronhelm, and what now appears in it -is surely sufficient to cause our blood to boil. - -“To-day, there are everywhere signs of rapidly-increasing unrest. -Londoners are starving, and are now refusing to remain patient any -longer. The _Daily Bulletin_ of the League of Defenders, though the -posting of it is punishable by imprisonment, and it is everywhere torn -down where discovered by the Germans, still gives daily brief news of -what is in progress, and still urges the people to wait in patience for -‘the action of the Government,’ as it is sarcastically put. - -“Soon after eleven o’clock this morning a sudden and clearly -premeditated attack was made upon a body of the Bremen infantry who were -passing along Oxford Street from Holborn to the Marble Arch. The -soldiers were suddenly fired upon from windows of a row of shops between -Newman Street and Rathbone Place, and before they could halt and return -the fire they found themselves surrounded by a great armed rabble, who -were emerging from all the streets leading into Oxford Street on either -side. - -“While the Germans were manœuvring, some unknown hand launched from a -window a bomb into the centre of them. Next second there was a red -flash, a loud report, and twenty-five of the enemy were blown to atoms. -For a few moments the soldiers were demoralised, but orders were shouted -loudly by their officers, and they began a most vigorous defence. In a -few seconds the fight was as fierce as that at King’s Cross; for out of -every street in that working-class district lying between the Tottenham -Court Road and Great Portland Street on the north, and out of Soho on -the south, poured thousands upon thousands of fierce Londoners, all bent -upon doing their utmost to kill their oppressors. From almost every -window along Oxford Street a rain of lead was now being poured upon the -troops, who vainly strove to keep their ground. Gradually, however, they -were, by slow degrees, forced back into the narrow side-turnings up -Newman Street, and Rathbone Place into Mortimer Street, Foley Street, -Goodge Street, and Charlotte Street; and there they were slaughtered -almost to a man. - -“Two officers were captured by the armed mob in Tottenham Street, and -after being beaten were stood up and shot in cold blood as vengeance for -those shot during the past three days at Von Kleppen’s orders at -Dorchester House. - -“The fierce fight lasted quite an hour; and though reinforcements were -sent for, yet, curiously enough, none arrived. - -“The great mob, however, were well aware that very soon the iron hand of -Germany would fall heavily upon them; therefore, in frantic haste they -began soon after noon to build barricades, and block up the narrow -streets in every direction. At the end of Rathbone Place, Newman Street, -Berners Street, Wells Street, and Great Titchfield Street huge -obstructions soon appeared, while on the east all by-streets leading -into Tottenham Court Road were blocked up, and the same on the west in -Great Portland Street, and on the north where the district was flanked -by the Euston Road. So that by two o’clock the populous neighbourhood -bounded by the four great thoroughfares was rendered a fortress in -itself. - -“Within that area were thousands of armed men and women from Soho, -Bloomsbury, Marylebone, and even from Camden Town. There they remained -in defiance of Von Kronhelm’s newest proclamation, which stared one in -the face from every wall.” - - * * * * * - -“‘DAILY TELEGRAPH’ OFFICE, FLEET STREET, -_Oct. 1st_, 2 p.m. - -“The enemy were unaware of the grave significance of the position of -affairs, because Londoners betrayed no outward sign of the truth. Now, -however, nearly every man and woman wore pinned upon their breasts a -small piece of silk about two inches square, printed as a miniature -Union Jack--the badge adopted by the League of Defenders. Though Von -Kronhelm was unaware of it, Lord Byfield, in council with Greatorex and -Bamford, had decided that, in order to demoralise the enemy and give him -plenty of work to do, a number of local uprisings should take place -north of the Thames. These would occupy Von Kronhelm, who would -experience great difficulty in quelling them, and would no doubt -eventually recall the Saxons from West Middlesex to assist. If the -latter retired upon London they would find the barricades held by -Londoners in their rear and Lord Byfield in their front, and be thus -caught between two fires. - -“In each district of London there is a chief of the Defenders, and to -each chief these orders had been conveyed in strictest confidence. -Therefore, to-day, while the outbreak occurred in Oxford Street, there -were fully a dozen others in various parts of the metropolis, each of a -more or less serious character. Every district has already prepared its -own secret defences, its fortified houses, and its barricades in hidden -by-ways. Besides the quantities of arms smuggled into London, every dead -German has had his rifle, pistol, and ammunition stolen from him. -Hundreds of the enemy have been surreptitiously killed for that very -reason. Lawlessness is everywhere. Government and Army has failed them, -and Londoners are now taking the law into their own hands. - -“In King Street, Hammersmith; in Notting Dale, in Forest Road, Dalston; -in Wick Road, Hackney; in Commercial Road East, near Stepney Station; -and in Prince of Wales Road, Kentish Town, the League of Defenders this -morning--at about the same hour--first made their organisation public by -displaying our national emblem, together with the white flags, with the -scarlet St. George’s Cross, the ancient battle-flag of England. - -“For that reason, then, no reinforcements were sent to Oxford Street. -Von Kronhelm was far too busy in other quarters. In Kentish Town, it is -reported, the Germans gained a complete and decisive victory, for the -people had not barricaded themselves strongly; besides, there were large -reinforcements of Germans ready in Regent’s Park, and these came upon -the scene before the Defenders were sufficiently prepared. The flag was -captured from the barricade in Prince of Wales Road, and the men of -Kentish Town lost over four hundred killed and wounded. - -“At Stepney the result was the reverse. The enemy, believing it to be a -mere local disturbance and easily quelled, sent but a small body of men -to suppress it. But very quickly, in the intricate by-streets off -Commercial Road, these were wiped out, not one single man surviving. A -second and a third body were sent, but so fiercely was the ground -contested that they were at length compelled to fall back and leave the -men of Stepney masters of their own district. In Hammersmith and in -Notting Dale the enemy also lost heavily, though in Hackney they were -successful after two hours’ hard fighting. - -“Everyone declares that this secret order issued by the League means -that England is again prepared to give battle, and that London is -commencing by her strategic movement of local rebellions. The gravity of -the situation cannot now, for one moment, be concealed. London north of -the Thames is destined to be the scene of the fiercest and most bloody -warfare ever known in the history of the civilised world. The Germans -will, of course, fight for their lives, while we shall fight for our -homes and for our liberty. But right is on our side, and right will win. - -“Reports from all over the metropolis tell the same tale. London is -alert and impatient. At a word she will rise to a man, and then woe -betide the invader! Surely Von Kronhelm’s position is not a very -enviable one. Our two censors in the office are smoking their pipes very -gravely. Not a word of the street fighting is to be published, they say. -They will write their own account of it before the paper goes to press! - -“10 p.m. - -“There has been a most frightful encounter at the Oxford Street and -Tottenham Court Road barricades--a most stubborn resistance and gallant -defence on the part of the men of Marylebone and Bloomsbury. - -“From the lips of one of our correspondents who was within the -barricades I have just learned the details. It appears that just about -four o’clock General Von Wilberg sent from the City a large force of the -19th Division under Lieutenant-General Frankenfeld, and part of these, -advancing through the squares of Bloomsbury into Gower Street, attacked -the Defenders’ position from the Tottenham Court Road, while others -coming up Holborn and New Oxford Street entered Soho from Charing Cross -Road and threw up counter barricades at the end of Dean Street, Wardour -Street, Berwick, Poland, Argyll, and the other streets, all of which -were opposite the defences of the populace. In Great Portland Street, -too, they adopted a similar line, and without much ado the fight, -commenced in a desultory fashion, soon became a veritable battle. - -“Within the barricades was a dense body of armed and angry citizens, -each with his little badge, and every single one of them was ready to -fight to the death. There is no false patriotism now, no mere bravado. -Men make declarations, and carry them out. The gallant Londoners, with -their several Maxims, wrought havoc among the invaders, especially in -the Tottenham Court Road, where hundreds were maimed or killed. - -“In Oxford Street, the enemy being under cover of their -counter-barricades, little damage could be done on either side. The -wide, open, deserted thoroughfare was every moment swept by a hail of -bullets, but no one was injured. On the Great Portland Street side the -populace made a feint of giving way at the Mortimer Street barricade, -and a body of the enemy rushed in, taking the obstruction by storm. But -next moment they regretted it, for they were set upon by a thousand -armed men and by wild-haired women, so that every man paid for his -courage with his life. The women, seizing the weapons and ammunition of -the dead Germans, now returned to the barricade to use them. - -“The Mortimer Street defences were at once repaired, and it was resolved -to relay the fatal trap at some other point. Indeed, it was repeated at -the end of Percy Street, where about fifty more Germans, who thought -themselves victorious, were set upon and at once exterminated. - -“Until dusk the fight lasted. The Germans, finding their attack futile, -began to hurl petrol bombs over the barricades, and these caused -frightful destruction among our gallant men, several houses in the -vicinity being set on fire. Fortunately, there was still water in the -street hydrants, and two fire-engines had already been brought within -the beleaguered area in case of necessity. - -“At last, about seven o’clock, the enemy, having lost very heavily in -attempting to take the well-chosen position by storm, brought down -several light field guns from Regent’s Park; and, placing them at their -counter-barricades--where, by the way, they had lost many men in the -earlier part of the conflict while piling up their shelters--suddenly -opened fire with shell at the huge obstructions before them. - -“At first they made but little impression upon the flagstones, etc., of -which the barricades were mainly composed. But before long their -bombardment began to tell; for slowly, here and there, exploding shells -made great breaches in the defences that had been so heroically manned. -More than once a high explosive shell burst right among the crowd of -riflemen behind a barricade, sweeping dozens into eternity in a single -instant. Against the fortified houses each side of the barricades the -German artillery trained their guns, and very quickly reduced many of -those buildings to ruins. The air now became thick with dust and smoke; -and mingled with the roar of artillery at such close quarters came the -screams of the injured and the groans of the dying. The picture drawn by -the eye-witness who described this was a truly appalling one. Gradually -the Londoners were being overwhelmed, but they were selling their lives -dearly, fully proving themselves worthy sons of grand old England. - -“At last the fire from the Newman Street barricade of the Defenders was -silenced, and ten minutes later, a rush being made across from Dean -Street, it was taken by storm. Then ensued fierce and bloody -hand-to-hand fighting right up to Cleveland Street, while almost at the -same moment the enemy broke in from Great Portland Street. - -“A scene followed that is impossible to describe. Through all those -narrow, crooked streets the fighting became general, and on either side -hundreds fell. The Defenders in places cornered the Germans, cut them -off, and killed them. Though it was felt that now the barricades had -been broken the day was lost, yet every man kept courage, and fought -with all the strength left within him. - -“For half an hour the Germans met with no success. On the contrary, they -found themselves entrapped amid thousands of furious citizens, all -wearing their silken badges, and all sworn to fight to the death. - -“While the Defenders still struggled on, loud and ringing cheers were -suddenly raised from Tottenham Court Road. The people from Clerkenwell, -joined by those in Bloomsbury, had arrived to assist them. They had -risen, and were attacking the Germans in the rear. - -“Fighting was now general right across from Tottenham Court Road to -Gray’s Inn Road, and by nine o’clock, though Von Wilberg sent -reinforcements, a victory was gained by the Defenders. Over two thousand -Germans are lying dead and wounded about the streets and squares of -Bloomsbury and Marylebone. The League had struck its first blow for -Freedom. - -“What will the morrow bring us? Dire punishment--or desperate victory?” - - * * * * * - -“‘DAILY MAIL’ OFFICE, _Oct. 4_, 6 p.m. - -“The final struggle for the possession of London is about to commence. - -“The metropolis is in a ferment of excitement. Through all last night -there were desultory conflicts between the soldiers and the people, in -which many lives have, alas! been sacrificed. - -“Von Wilberg still holds the City proper, with the Mansion House as his -headquarters. Within the area already shown upon the map there are no -English, all the inhabitants having been long ago expelled. The great -wealth of London is in German hands, it is true, but it is Dead Sea -fruit. They are unable either to make use of it or to deport it to -Germany. Much has been taken away to the base at Southminster and other -bases in Essex, but the greater part of the bullion still remains in the -Bank of England. - -“Here, in Whitefriars, the most exciting stories have been reaching us -during the last twenty-four hours, none of which, however, have passed -the censor. For that reason I, one of the sub-editors, am keeping this -diary, as a brief record of events during the present dreadful times. - -“After the terrific struggle in Marylebone three days ago, Von Kronhelm -saw plainly that if London were to rise _en masse_ she would at once -assume the upper hand. The German Commander-in-Chief had far too many -points to guard. On the west of London he was threatened by Lord Byfield -and hosts of auxiliaries, mostly sworn members of the National League of -Defenders; on the south, across the river, Southwark, Lambeth, and -Battersea formed an impregnable fortress, containing over a million -eager patriots ready to burst forth and sweep away the vain, victorious -army; while within central London itself the spirit of revolt was rife, -and the people were ready to rise at any moment. The train is laid. Only -the spark is required to cause an explosion. - -“Reports reaching us to-day from Lord Byfield’s headquarters at Windsor -are numerous, but conflicting. As far as can be gathered, the authentic -facts are as follows: Great bodies of the Defenders, including many -women, all armed, are massing at Reading, Sonning, Wokingham, and -Maidenhead. Thousands have arrived, and are hourly arriving by train, -from Portsmouth, Plymouth, Exeter, Bristol, Gloucester, and, in fact, -all the chief centres of the West of England, where Gerald Graham’s -campaign has been so marvellously successful. Sturdy Welsh colliers are -marching shoulder to shoulder with agricultural labourers from Dorset -and Devon, and clerks and citizens from the towns of Somerset, Cornwall, -Gloucestershire, and Oxfordshire are taking arms beside the riff-raff of -their own neighbourhoods. Peer and peasant, professional man and pauper, -all are now united with one common object--to drive back the invader, -and to save our dear old England. - -“Oxford has, it seems, been one of the chief points of concentration, -and the undergraduates who re-assembled there to defend their colleges -now form an advance-guard of a huge body of Defenders on the march, by -way of Henley and Maidenhead, to follow in the rear of Lord Byfield. The -latter holds Eton and the country across to High Wycombe, while the -Saxon headquarters are still at Staines. Frölich’s Cavalry Division are -holding the country across from Pinner through Stanmore and Chipping -Barnet to the prison camp at Enfield Chase. These are the only German -troops outside west London, the Saxons being now barred from entering by -the huge barricades which the populace of West London have during the -past few days been constructing. Every road leading into London from -West Middlesex is now either strongly barricaded or entirely blocked up. -Kew, Richmond, and Kingston Bridges have been destroyed, and Lord -Byfield, with General Bamford at the Crystal Palace, remains practically -in possession of the whole of the south of the Thames. - -“The conflict which is now about to begin will be one to the death. -While, on the one hand, the Germans are bottled up among us, the fact -must not be overlooked that their arms are superior, and that they are -trained soldiers. Yet the two or three local risings of yesterday and -the day previous have given us courage, for they show that the enemy -cannot manœuvre in the narrow streets, and soon become demoralised. -In London we fail because we have so few riflemen. If every man who now -carries a gun could shoot we could compel the Germans to fly a flag of -truce within twenty-four hours. Indeed, if Lord Roberts’s scheme of -universal training in 1906 had been adopted, the enemy would certainly -never have been suffered to approach our capital. - -“Alas! apathy has resulted in this terrible and crushing disaster, and -we have only now to bear our part, each one of us, in the blow to avenge -this desecration of our homes and the massacre of our loved ones. - -“To-day I have seen the white banners with the red cross--the ensign of -the Defenders--everywhere. Till yesterday it was not openly displayed, -but to-day it is actually hung from windows or flown defiantly from -flagstaffs in full view of the Germans. - -“In Kilburn, or, to be more exact, in the district lying between the -Harrow Road and the High Road, Kilburn, there was another conflict this -morning between some of the German Garde Corps and the populace. The -outbreak commenced by the arrest of some men who were found practising -with rifles in Paddington Recreation Ground. One man who resisted was -shot on the spot, whereupon the crowd who assembled attacked the German -picket, and eventually killed them to a man. This was the signal for a -general outbreak in the neighbourhood, and half an hour later, when a -force was sent to quell the revolt, fierce fighting became general all -through the narrow streets of Kensal Green, especially at the big -barricade that blocks the Harrow Road where it is joined by Admiral -Road. Here the bridges over the Grand Junction Canal have already been -destroyed, for the barricades and defences have been scientifically -constructed under the instruction of military engineers. - -“One of our reporters despatched to the scene has just given me a -thrilling account of the desperate struggle, in which no quarter was -given on either side. So overwhelming were the number of the populace, -that after an hour’s hard fighting the Germans were driven back across -Maida Vale into St. John’s Wood, where, I believe, they were held at bay -for several hours. - -“From an early hour to-day it has been apparent that all these risings -were purposely ordered by the League of Defenders to cause Von Kronhelm -confusion. Indeed, while the outbreak at Kensal Green was in progress, -we had another reported from Dalston, a third from Limehouse, and a -fourth from Homerton. Therefore, it is quite certain that the various -centres of the League are acting in unison upon secret orders from -headquarters. - -“Indeed, South London also took part in the fray this morning, for the -Defenders at the barricade at London Bridge have now mounted several -field-guns, and have started shelling Von Wilberg’s position in the -City. It is said that the Mansion House, where the General had usurped -the apartments of the deported Lord Mayor, has already been half reduced -to ruins. This action is, no doubt, only to harass the enemy, for surely -General Bamford has no desire to destroy the City proper any more than -it has already been destroyed. Lower Thames Street, King William Street, -Gracechurch Street, and Cannon Street have, at any rate, been found -untenable by the enemy, upon whom some losses have been inflicted. - -“South London is every moment anxious to know the truth. Two days after -the bombardment we succeeded at night in sinking a light telegraph cable -in the river across from the Embankment at the bottom of Temple Avenue, -and are in communication with our temporary office in Southwark Street. -Over this we report the chief incidents which occur, and they are -printed for the benefit of the beleaguered population over the water. -The existence of the cable is, however, kept a strict secret from our -pair of gold-spectacled censors. - -“The whole day has been one of tension and excitement. The atmosphere -outside is breathless, the evening overcast and oppressive, precursory -to a storm. An hour ago there came, through secret sources, information -of another naval victory to our credit, several German warships being -sunk and captured. Here, we dare not print it, so I have just wired it -across to the other side, where they are issuing a special edition. - - +----------------------------------------------------------+ - | | - | [Illustration] | - | | - | =LEAGUE OF DEFENDERS.= | - | | - | CITIZENS OF LONDON AND LOYAL PATRIOTS. | - | | - | The hour has come to show your strength, and to | - | wreak your vengeance. | - | | - | TO-NIGHT, OCT. 4, AT 10 P.M., rise, and strike | - | your blow for freedom. | - | | - | A MILLION MEN are with Lord Byfield, already | - | within striking distance of London; a million follow | - | them, and yet another million are ready in South London. | - | | - | RISE, FEARLESS AND STERN. Let “England for | - | Englishmen” be your battle-cry, and avenge the blood of | - | your wives and your children. | - | | - | AVENGE THIS INSULT TO YOUR | - | NATION. | - | | - | REMEMBER: TEN O’CLOCK TO-NIGHT! | - | | - +----------------------------------------------------------+ - -“Almost simultaneously with the report of the British victory, namely, -at five o’clock, the truth--the great and all-important truth--became -revealed. The mandate has gone forth from the headquarters of the League -of Defenders that London is to rise in her might at ten o’clock -to-night, and that a million men are ready to assist us. Placards and -bills on red paper are everywhere. As if by magic, London has been -flooded with the defiant proclamation of which the copy here reproduced -has just been brought in to me. - -“Frantic efforts are being made by the Germans all over London to -suppress both posters and handbills, but without avail. The streets are -littered with them, and upon every corner they are being posted, even -though more than one patriot has paid for the act with his life. - -“It is now six o’clock. In four hours it is believed that London will be -one huge seething conflict. Night has been chosen, I suppose, in order -to give the populace the advantage. The by-streets are for the most part -still unlit, save for oil-lamps, for neither gas nor electric light are -yet in proper working order after the terrible dislocation of -everything. The scheme of the Defenders is, as already proved, to lure -the Germans into the narrower thoroughfares, and then exterminate them. -Surely in the history of the world there has never been such a bitter -vengeance as that which is now inevitable. London, the greatest city -ever known, is about to rise! - -“Midnight. - -“London has risen! How can I describe the awful scenes of panic, -bloodshed, patriotism, brutality, and vengeance that are at this moment -in progress? As I write, through the open window I can hear the roar of -voices, the continual crackling of rifles, and the heavy booming of -guns. I walked along Fleet Street at nine o’clock, and I found, utterly -disregarding the order that no unauthorised persons are to be abroad -after nightfall, hundreds upon hundreds of all classes, all wearing -their little silk Union Jack badges pinned to their coats, on their way -to join in their particular districts. Some carried rifles, others -revolvers, while others were unarmed. Yet not a German did I see in the -streets. It seemed as though, for the moment, the enemy had vanished. -There was only the strong cordon across the bottom of Ludgate Hill, men -who looked on in wonder, but without bestirring themselves. - -“Is it possible that Von Kronhelm’s strategy is to remain inactive, and -refuse to fight? - -“The first shot I heard fired, just after ten o’clock, was at the Strand -end of Fleet Street, at the corner of Chancery Lane. There, I afterwards -discovered, a party of forty German infantrymen had been attacked, and -all of them killed. Quickly following this, I heard the distant booming -of artillery, and then the rattle of musketry and pom-poms became -general, but not in the neighbourhood where I was. For nearly half an -hour I remained at the corner of Aldwych; then, on going farther along -the Strand, I found that the defenders from the Waterloo Road had made a -wild sortie into the Strand, but could find no Germans there. - -“The men who had for a fortnight held that barricade at the bridge were -more like demons than human beings; therefore I retired, and in the -crush made my way back to the office to await reports. - -“They were not long in arriving. I can only give a very brief résumé at -the moment, for they are so numerous as to be bewildering. - -“Speaking generally, the whole of London has obeyed the mandate of the -League, and, rising, are attacking the Germans at every point. In the -majority of cases, however, the enemy hold strong positions, and are -defending themselves, inflicting terrible losses upon the unorganised -populace. Every Londoner is fighting for himself, without regard for -orders or consequences. In Bethnal Green the Germans, lured into the -maze of by-streets, have suffered great losses, and again in -Clerkenwell, St. Luke’s, Kingsland, Hackney, and Old Ford. Whitechapel, -too, devoid of its alien population, who have escaped into Essex, has -held its own, and the enemy have had some great losses in the streets -off Cable and Leman Streets. - -“With the exception of the sortie across Waterloo Bridge, South London -is, as yet, remaining in patience, acting under the orders of General -Bamford. - -“News has come in ten minutes ago of a fierce and sudden night attack -upon the Saxons by Lord Byfield from Windsor, but there are, as yet, no -details. - -“From the office across the river I am being constantly asked for -details of the fight, and how it is progressing. In Southwark the -excitement is evidently most intense, and it requires all the energy of -the local commanders of the Defenders to repress another sortie across -that bridge. - -“There has just occurred an explosion so terrific that the whole of this -building has been shaken as though by an earthquake. We are wondering -what has occurred. - -“Whatever it is, one fact is only too plain. Both British and Germans -are now engaged in a death-struggle. - -“London has struck her first blow of revenge. What will be its sequel?” - - - - -CHAPTER II - -SCENES AT WATERLOO BRIDGE - - -The following is the personal narrative of a young chauffeur named John -Burgess, who assisted in the defence of the barricade at Waterloo -Bridge. - -The statement was made to a reporter at noon on October 5, while he was -lying on a mattress in the Church of St. Martin’s-in-the-Fields, so -badly wounded in the chest that the surgeons had given him up. - -Around him were hundreds of wounded who, like himself, had taken part in -the sudden rising of the Defenders, and who had fallen beneath the hail -of the German Maxims. He related his story with difficulty, in the form -of a farewell letter to his sister, who was a telegraph clerk at the -Shrewsbury Post Office. The reporter chanced to be passing by the poor -fellow, and, overhearing him asking for someone to write for him, -volunteered to do so. - -“We all did our best,” he said, “every one of us. Myself, I was at the -barricade for thirteen days--thirteen days of semi-starvation, -sleeplessness, and constant tension, for we knew not, from one moment to -another, when a sudden attack might be made upon us. At first our -obstruction was a mere ill-built pile of miscellaneous articles, half of -which would not stop bullets; but on the third day our men, -superintended by several non-commissioned officers in uniform, began to -put the position in a proper state of defence, to mount Maxims in the -neighbouring houses, and to place explosives in the crown of two of the -arches of the bridge, so that we could instantly demolish it if -necessity arose. - -“Fully a thousand men were holding the position, but unfortunately few -of them had ever handled a rifle. As regards myself, I had learned to -shoot rooks when a boy in Shropshire, and now that I had obtained a gun -I was anxious to try my skill. When the League of Defenders was started, -and a local secretary came to us, we all eagerly joined, each receiving, -after he had taken his oath and signed his name, a small silk Union -Jack, the badge of the League, not to be worn till the word went forth -to rise. - -“Then came a period--long, dreary, shadeless days of waiting--when the -sun beat down upon us mercilessly and our vigilance was required to be -constant both night and day. So uncertain were the movements of the -enemy opposite us that we scarcely dared to leave our positions for a -moment. Night after night I spent sleeping in a neighbouring doorway, -with an occasional stretch upon somebody’s bed in some house in the -vicinity. Now and then, whenever we saw Germans moving in Wellington -Street, we sent a volley into them, in return receiving a sharp reply -from their pom-poms. Constantly our sentries were on the alert along the -wharves and in the river-side warehouses, watching for the approach of -the enemy’s spies in boats. Almost nightly some adventurous spirits -among the Germans would try and cross. On one occasion, while doing -sentry duty in a warehouse backing on Commercial Road, I was sitting -with a comrade at a window overlooking the river. The moon was shining, -for the night was a balmy and beautiful one, and all was quiet. It was -about two o’clock in the morning, and as we sat smoking our pipes, with -our eyes fixed upon the glittering water, we suddenly saw a small boat -containing three men stealing slowly along in the shadow cast by the -great warehouse in which we were. - -“For a moment the rowers rested upon their oars, as if undecided, then -pulled forward again in search of a landing-place. As they passed below -our window I shouted a challenge. At first there was no response. Again -I repeated it, when I heard a muttered imprecation in German. - -“‘Spies!’ I cried to my comrade, and with one accord we raised our -rifles and fired. Ere the echo of the first shot had died away I saw one -man fall into the water, while at the next shot a second man half rose -from his seat, threw up his hands, and staggered back wounded. - -“The firing gave the alarm at the barricade, and ere the boat could -approach the bridge, though the survivor pulled for dear life, a Maxim -spat forth its red fire, and both boat and oarsman were literally -riddled. - -“Almost every night similar incidents were reported. The enemy were -doing all in their power to learn the exact strength of our defences, -but I do not think their efforts were very successful. The surface of -the river, every inch of it, was under the careful scrutiny of a -thousand watchful eyes. - -“Day after day passed, often uneventfully. We practically knew nothing -of what was happening across the river, though we could see the German -standard flying upon the public buildings. The ruins of London were -smoking for days after the bombardment, and smouldering fires broke out -again in many instances. - -“Each day the _Bulletin_ of our national association brought us tidings -of what was happening beyond the barricades. We had regained command of -the sea, which was said to be a good deal, though it did not seem to -bring us much nearer to victory. - -“At last, however, the welcome word came to us, on the morning of -October 4th, that at ten that night we were to make a concerted attack -upon the Germans. A scarlet bill was thrust into my hand, and as soon as -the report was known we were all highly excited, and through the day -prepared ourselves for the struggle. I regret to say that some of my -comrades, prone to drink, primed themselves with spirits obtained from -the neighbouring public-houses in York Road and Waterloo Road. Not that -drunkenness had been the rule. On the contrary, the extreme tension of -those long, hot days had had a sobering effect, and even men used to -drink refrained from taking any. Ah! I have of late seen some splendid -examples of self-denial, British patriotism, and fearless valour. Only -Englishmen could have conducted themselves as my brave comrades have -done. Only Englishmen could have died as they have done. - -“Through all yesterday we waited, watching every movement of the enemy -in our line of fire. Now and then we, as usual, sent him greetings in -the form of a shell or two, or else a splutter from a Maxim, and in -reply there came the sweeping hail of bullets, which flattened -themselves upon our wall of paving-stones. The sunset was a red, dusky -one, and over London westward there spread a blood-red light, as though -precursory to the awful catastrophe that was about to fall. With the -after-glow came the dark oppression of a thunderstorm--a fevered -electrical quiet that could be felt. I stood upon the barricade gazing -over the river, and wondering what would happen ere the dawn. At ten -o’clock London, the great, mysterious, unknown city, was to rise and -cast off the German yoke. How many who rebelled would live to see the -sunrise? - -“I had watched the first flash of the after-glow beyond Blackfriars -Bridge every morning for the past ten days. I had breathed the fresh -air, unsullied by smoke, and had admired the beauty of the outlines of -riverside London in those early hours. I had sat and watched the faint -rose turn to purple, to grey, and then to the glorious yellow sunrise. -Yes. I had seen some of the most glorious sunrises on the river that I -have ever witnessed. But should I ever see another? - -“Dusk crept on, and deepened into night--the most momentous night in all -the history of our giant city. The fate of London--nay, the fate of the -greatest Empire the world has ever seen, was to be decided! And about -me in groups waited my comrades with fierce, determined faces, looking -to their weapons and gossiping the while. Each of us had brought out our -precious little badge and pinned it to our breasts. With the Union Jack -upon us we were to fight for country and for King. - -“Away, across, upon a ruined wall of Somerset House the German standard -floated defiantly; but one and all of us swore that ere the night was -past it should be pulled down, and our flag--the flag of St. George of -England, which flapped lazily above our barricades--should replace it. - -“Night fell--a hot, fevered night, breathless and ominous of the storm -to come. Before us, across the Thames, lay London, wrecked, broken, but -not yet conquered. In an hour its streets would become, we knew, a -perfect hell of shot and shell. The oil lamps in Wellington Street, -opposite Somerset House, threw a weird light upon the enemy’s -counter-barricade, and we could distinctly see Germans moving, preparing -for a defence of their position, should we dare to cross the bridge. -While we waited three of our gallant fellows, taking their lives in -their hands, put off in a boat and were now examining the bridge beneath -to ascertain whether the enemy had imitated our action in placing mines. -They might have attached them where the scaffold was erected on the -Middlesex side, that spot which had been attacked by German spies on the -night of the bombardment. We were in a position to blow up the bridge at -any moment; but we wanted to ascertain if the enemy were prepared to do -likewise. - -“Minutes seemed like hours as we waited impatiently for the appointed -moment. It was evident that Von Kronhelm feared to make further arrests, -now that London was flooded by those red handbills. He would, no doubt, -require all his troops to keep us in check. On entering London the enemy -had believed the war to be over, but the real struggle is only now -commencing. - -“At last the low boom of a gun sounded from the direction of -Westminster. We looked at our watches, and found that it was just ten -o’clock. Next moment our bugle sounded, and we sprang to our positions, -as we had done dozens, nay, hundreds, of times before. I felt faint, for -I had only had half a pint of weak soup all day, for the bread did not -go round. Nevertheless the knowledge that we were about to strike the -blow inspired me with fresh life and strength. Our officer shouted a -brief word of command, and next moment we opened a withering fire upon -the enemy’s barricade in Wellington Street. - -“In a moment a hundred rifles and several Maxims spat their red fire at -us, but as usual the bullets flattened themselves harmlessly before us. -Then the battery of artillery which Sir Francis Bamford had sent us -three days before, got into position, and in a few moments began hurling -great shells upon the German defences. We watched, and cheered loudly as -the effect of our fire became apparent. - -“Behind us was a great armed multitude ready and eager to get at the -foe, a huge, unorganised body of fierce, irate Londoners, determined -upon having blood for blood. From over the river the sound of battle was -rising, a great roaring like the sound of a distant sea, with ever and -anon the crackling of rifles and the boom of guns, while above the night -sky grew a dark blood-red with the glare of a distant conflagration. - -“For half an hour we pounded away at the barricade in Wellington Street -with our siege guns, Maxims, and rifles, until a well-directed shell -exploded beneath the centre of the obstruction, blowing open a great gap -and sending fragments high into the air. Then it seemed that all -resistance suddenly ceased. At first we were surprised at this; but on -further scrutiny we found that it was not our fire that had routed the -enemy, but that they were being attacked in their rear by hosts of -armed citizens surging down from Kingsway and the Strand. - -“We could plainly discern that the Germans were fighting for their -lives. Into the midst of them we sent one or two shells; but fearing to -cause casualties among our own comrades, we were compelled to cease -firing. - -“The armed crowd behind us, finding that we were again inactive, at once -demanded that our barricade should be opened, so that they might cross -the bridge and assist their comrades by taking the Germans in their -rear. For ten minutes our officer in charge refused, for the order of -General Greatorex, Commander-in-Chief of the League, was that no sortie -was to be made at present. - -“At last, however, the South Londoners became so infuriated that our -commander was absolutely forced to give way, though he knew not into -what trap we might fall, as he had no idea of the strength of the enemy -in the neighbourhood of the Strand. A way was quickly opened in the -obstruction, and two minutes later we were pouring across Waterloo -Bridge in thousands, shouting and yelling in triumph as we passed the -ruins of the enemy’s barricade, and fell upon him with merciless -revenge. With us were many women, who were, perhaps, fiercer and more -unrelenting than the men. Indeed, many a woman that night killed a -German with her own hands, firing revolvers in their faces, striking -with knives, or even blinding them with vitriol and allowing them to be -despatched by others. - -“The scene was both exciting and ghastly. At the spot where I first -fought--on the pavement outside the Savoy--we simply slaughtered the -Germans in cold blood. Men cried for mercy, but we gave them no quarter. -London had risen in its might, and as our comrades fought all along the -Strand and around Aldwych, we gradually exterminated every man in German -uniform. Soon the roadways of the Strand, Wellington Street, Aldwych, -Burleigh Street, Southampton Street, Bedford Street, and right along to -Trafalgar Square, were covered with dead and dying. The wounded of both -nationalities were trodden underfoot and killed by the swaying, -struggling thousands. The enemy’s loss must have been severe in our -particular quarter, for of the great body of men from Hamburg and Lübeck -holding their end of Waterloo Bridge I do not believe a single one was -spared, even though they fought for their lives like veritable devils. - -“Our success intoxicated us, I think. That we were victorious at that -point cannot be doubted, but with foolish disregard for our own safety -we pressed forward into Trafalgar Square, in the belief that our -comrades were similarly making an attack upon the enemy there. The error -was, alas! a fatal one for many of us. To fight an organised force in -narrow streets is one thing, but to meet him in a large open space with -many inlets, like Trafalgar Square, is another. - -“The enemy were no doubt awaiting us, for as we poured out from the -Strand at Charing Cross we were met with a devastating fire from German -Maxims on the opposite side of the square. They were holding -Whitehall--to protect Von Kronhelm’s headquarters--the entrances to -Spring Gardens, Cockspur Street, and Pall Mall East, and their fire was -converged upon the great armed multitude which, being pressed on from -behind, came out into the open square only to fall in heaps beneath the -sweeping hail of German lead. - -“The error was one that could not be rectified. We all saw it when too -late. There was no turning back now. I struggled to get into the small -side-street that runs down by the bar of the Grand Hotel, but it was -blocked with people already in refuge there. - -“Another instant and I was lifted from my legs by the great throng going -to their doom, and carried right in the forefront to the square. Women -screamed when they found themselves facing the enemy’s fire. - -“The scene was awful--a massacre, nothing more or less. For every -German’s life we had taken, a dozen of our own were now being -sacrificed. - -“A woman was pushed close to me, her grey hair streaming down her back, -her eyes starting wildly from her head, her bony hands smeared with -blood. Suddenly she realised that right before her red fire was spitting -from the German guns. - -“Screaming in wild despair, she clung frantically to me. - -“I felt next second a sharp burning pain in my chest.... We fell forward -together upon the bodies of our comrades.... When I came to myself I -found myself here, in this church, close to where I fell. - -“What has happened, I wonder? Is our barricade at the bridge still held, -and still defiant? Can you tell me?” - - * * * * * - -On that same night desperate sorties were made from the London, -Southwark, and Blackfriars Bridges, and terrible havoc was committed by -the Defenders. - -The German losses were enormous, for the South Londoners fought like -demons and gave no quarter. South London had, at last, broken its -bounds. - - - - -CHAPTER III - -GREAT BRITISH VICTORY - - -The following despatch from the war correspondent of the _Times_ with -Lord Byfield was received on the morning of the 5th October, but was not -published in that journal till some days later, owing to the German -censorship, which necessitated its being kept secret:-- - -“WILLESDEN, _4th October_ (Evening). - -“After a bloody but successful combat, lasting from early dawn till late -in the afternoon, the country to the immediate west of the metropolis -has been swept clear of the hated invaders, and the masses of the -‘League of Defenders’ can be poured into the West of London without let -or hindrance. In the desperate street-fighting which is now going on -they will be much more formidable than they were ever likely to be in -the open field, where they were absolutely incapable of manœuvring. -As for the Saxons--what is left of them--and Frölich’s Cavalry Division, -with whom we have been engaged all day, they have now fallen back on -Harrow and Hendon, it is said; but it is currently reported that a -constant movement towards the high ground near Hampstead is going on. -These rumours come by way of London, since the enemy’s enormous force of -cavalry is still strong enough to prevent us getting any first-hand -intelligence of his movements. - -“As has been previously reported, the XIIth Saxon Corps, under the -command of Prince Henry of Würtemberg, had taken up a position intended -to cover the metropolis from the hordes of Defenders which, supported -by a small leaven of Regulars, with a proportion of cavalry and guns, -were known to be slowly rolling up from the west and south. Their front -facing west, extended from Staines on the south, to Pinner on the north, -passing through Stanwell, West Drayton, and Uxbridge. In addition they -had a strong reserve in the neighbourhood of Hounslow, whose business it -was to cover their left flank by keeping watch along the line of the -Thames. They had destroyed all bridges over the river between Staines -and Hammersmith. Putney Bridge, however, was still intact, as all -attacks on it had been repulsed by the British holding it on the south -side. Such was the general state of affairs when Lord Byfield, who had -established his headquarters at Windsor, formed his plan of attack. - -“As far as I have been able to ascertain, its general idea was to hold -the Saxons to their position by the threat of the 300,000 Defenders that -were assembled and were continually increasing along a roughly parallel -line to that occupied by the enemy at about ten miles’ distance from it, -while he attacked their left flank with what Regular and Militia -regiments he could rapidly get together near Esher and Kingston. By this -time the southern lines in the neighbourhood of London were all in -working order, the damage that had been done here and there by small -parties of the enemy who had made raids across the river having been -repaired. It was, therefore, not a very difficult matter to assemble -troops from Windsor and various points on the South of London at very -short notice. - -“General Bamford, to whom had been entrusted the defence of South -London, and who had established his headquarters at the Crystal Palace, -also contributed every man he could spare from the remnant of the -Regular troops under his command who were in that part of the metropolis -and its immediate neighbourhood that was still held by the British. - -“It was considered quite safe now that the Germans in the City were so -hardly pressed to leave the defence of the Thames bridges to the masses -of irregulars who had all along formed the bulk of their defenders. The -risk that Prince Henry of Würtemberg would take the bull by the horns, -and by a sudden forward move attack and scatter the inert and -invertebrate mass of ‘Defenders’ who were in his immediate front had, of -course, to be taken; but it was considered that in the present state of -affairs in London he would hardly dare to increase the distance between -the Saxon Corps and the rest of the German Army. Events proved the -correctness of this surmise; but owing to unforeseen circumstances, the -course of the battle was somewhat different from that which had been -anticipated. - -“Despite the vigilance of the German spies our plans were kept secret -till the very end, and it is believed that the great convergence of -Regular troops that began as soon as it was dark from Windsor and from -along the line occupied by the Army of the League on the west, right -round to Greenwich on the east, went on without any news of the movement -being carried to the enemy. - -“Before dawn this morning every unit was in the position to which it had -been previously detailed, and everything being in readiness, the Royal -Engineers began to throw a pontoon bridge over the Thames at the point -where it makes a bend to the south just above the site of Walton Bridge. -The enemy’s patrols and pickets in the immediate neighbourhood at once -opened a heavy fire on the workers, but it was beaten down by that which -was poured upon them from the houses in Walton-on-Thames, which had been -quietly occupied during the night. The enemy in vain tried to reinforce -them, but in order to do this their troops had to advance into a narrow -peninsula which was swept by a cross-fire of shells from batteries which -had been placed in position on the south side of the river for this very -purpose. - -“By seven o’clock the bridge was completed, and the troops were -beginning to cross over covered by the fire of the artillery and by an -advance guard which had been pushed over in boats. Simultaneously very -much the same thing had been going on at Long Ditton, and fierce -fighting was going on in the avenues and gardens round Hampton Court. -Success here, too, attended the British arms. As a matter of fact, a -determined attempt to cross the river in force had not at all been -anticipated by the Germans. They had not credited their opponents with -the power of so rapidly assembling an army and assuming an effective and -vigorous offensive so soon after their terrible series of disasters. - -“What they had probably looked for was an attempt to overwhelm them by -sheer force of numbers. They doubtless calculated that Lord Byfield -would stiffen his flabby masses of defenders with what trained troops he -could muster, and endeavour to attack their lines simultaneously along -their whole length, overlapping them on either flank. - -“They realised that to do this he would have to sacrifice his men in -thousands upon thousands, but they knew that to do so would be his only -possible chance of success in this eventuality, since the bulk of his -men could neither manœuvre nor deploy. Still they reckoned that in -the desperate situation of the British he would make up his mind to do -this. - -“On their part, although they fully realised the possibility of being -overwhelmed by such tactics, they felt pretty confident that, posted as -they were behind a perfect network of small rivers and streams which ran -down to join the Thames, they would at least succeed in beating off the -attack with heavy loss, and stood no bad chance of turning the repulse -into a rout by skilful use of Frölich’s Cavalry Division, which would be -irresistible when attacking totally untrained troops after they had been -shattered and disorganised by artillery fire. This, at least, is the -view of those experts with whom I have spoken. - -“What, perhaps, tended rather to confirm them in their theories as to -the action of the British was the rifle firing that went on along the -whole of their front all night through. The officers in charge of the -various units which conglomerated together formed the forces facing the -Saxons, had picked out the few men under their command who really had -some little idea of using a rifle, and, supplied with plenty of -ammunition, had sent them forward in numerous small parties with general -orders to approach as near the enemy’s picket line as possible, and as -soon as fired on to lie down and open fire in return. So a species of -sniping engagement went on from dark to dawn. Several parties got -captured or cut up by the German outlying troops, and many others got -shot by neighbouring parties of snipers. But, although they did not in -all probability do the enemy much damage, yet they kept them on the -alert all night, and led them to expect an attack in the morning. One -way and another luck was entirely on the side of the patriots that -morning. - -“When daylight came the British massed to the westward of Staines had -such a threatening appearance from their immense numbers, and the fire -from their batteries of heavy guns and howitzers on the south side of -the river, which took the German left flank in, was so heavy that Prince -Henry, who was there in person, judged an attack to be imminent, and -would not spare a man to reinforce his troops at Shepperton and -Halliford, who were numerically totally inadequate to resist the advance -of the British once they got across the river. - -“He turned a deaf ear to the most imploring requests for assistance, but -ordered the officer in command at Hounslow to move down at once and -drive the British into the river. So it has been reported by our -prisoners. Unluckily for him, this officer had his hands quite full -enough at this time; for the British, who had crossed at Long Ditton, -had now made themselves masters of everything east of the Thames Valley -branch of the London and South-Western Railway, were being continually -reinforced, and were fast pushing their right along the western bank of -the river. - -“Their left was reported to be at Kempton Park, where they joined hands -with those who had effected a crossing near Walton-on-Thames. More -bridges were being built at Piatt’s Eyot, Tagg’s Eyot, and Sunbury Lock, -while boats and wherries in shoals appeared from all creeks and -backwaters and hiding-places as soon as both banks were in the hands of -the British. - -“Regulars, Militia, and, lastly, Volunteers, were now pouring across in -thousands. Forward was still the word. About noon a strong force of -Saxons was reported to be retreating along the road from Staines to -Brentford. They had guns with them, which engaged the field batteries -which were at once pushed forward by the British to attack them. These -troops, eventually joining hands with those at Hounslow, opposed a more -determined resistance to our advance than we had hitherto encountered. - -“According to what we learned subsequently from prisoners and others, -they were commanded by Prince Henry of Würtemberg in person. He had -quitted his position at Staines, leaving only a single battalion and a -few guns as a rearguard to oppose the masses of the Defenders who -threatened him in that direction, and had placed his troops in the best -position he could to cover the retreat of the rest of his corps from the -line they had been occupying. He had, it would appear, soon after the -fighting began, received the most urgent orders from Von Kronhelm to -fall back on London and assist him in the street fighting that had now -been going on without intermission for the best part of two days. Von -Kronhelm probably thought that he would be able to draw off some of his -numerous foes to the westward. But the message was received too late. -Prince Henry did his best to obey it, but by this time the very -existence of the XIIth Corps was at stake on account of the totally -unexpected attack on his left rear by the British regular troops. - -“He opposed such a stout resistance with the troops under his immediate -command that he brought the British advance to a temporary standstill, -while in his rear every road leading Londonward was crowded with the -rest of his army as they fell back from West Drayton, Uxbridge, Ruislip, -and Pinner. Had they been facing trained soldiers they would have found -it most difficult, if not impossible, to do this; but as it was the -undisciplined and untrained masses of the League of Defenders lost a -long time in advancing, and still longer in getting over the series of -streams and dykes that lay between them and the abandoned Saxon -position. - -“They lost heavily, too, from the fire of the small rearguards that had -been left at the most likely crossing-places. The Saxons were therefore -able to get quite well away from them, and when some attempt was being -made to form up the thousands of men who presently found themselves -congregated on the heath east of Uxbridge, before advancing farther, a -whole brigade of Frölich’s heavy cavalry suddenly swept down upon them -from behind Ickenham village. The _débâcle_ that followed was frightful. -The unwieldy mass of Leaguers swayed this way and that for a moment in -the panic occasioned by the sudden apparition of the serried masses of -charging cavalry that were rushing down on them with a thunder of hoofs -that shook the earth. A few scattered shots were fired without any -perceptible effect, and before they could either form up or fly the -German Reiters were upon them. It was a perfect massacre. The Leaguers -could oppose no resistance whatever. They were ridden down and -slaughtered with no more difficulty than if they had been a flock of -sheep. Swinging their long, straight swords, the cavalry-men cut them -down in hundreds, and drove thousands into the river. The ‘Defenders’ -were absolutely pulverised, and fled westwards in a huge scattered -crowd. But if the Germans had the satisfaction of scoring a local -victory in this quarter, things were by no means rosy for them -elsewhere. Prince Henry, by desperate efforts, contrived to hold on -long enough in his covering position to enable the Saxons from the -central portion of his abandoned line to pass through Hounslow, and move -along the London road, through Brentford. - -“Here disaster befell them. A battery of 4·7 guns was suddenly unmasked -on Richmond Hill, and, firing at a range of 5000 yards, played havoc -with the marching column. The head of it also suffered severe loss from -riflemen concealed in Kew Gardens, and the whole force had to extend and -fall back for some distance in a northerly direction. Near Ealing they -met the Uxbridge brigade, and a certain delay and confusion occurred. -However, trained soldiers such as these are not difficult to reorganise, -and while the latter continued its march along the main road the -remainder moved in several small parallel columns through Acton and -Turnham Green. Before another half-hour had elapsed there came a sound -of firing from the advanced guard. Orders to halt followed, then orders -to send forward reinforcements. - -“During all this time the rattle of rifle fire waxed heavier and -heavier. It soon became apparent that every road and street leading into -London was barricaded and that the houses on either side were crammed -with riflemen. Before any set plan of action could be determined on, the -retiring Saxons found themselves committed to a very nasty bout of -street fighting. Their guns were almost useless, since they could not be -placed in positions from which they could fire on the barricades except -so close as to be under effective rifle fire. They made several -desperate assaults, most of which were repulsed. In Goldhawk Road a -Jäeger battalion contrived to rush the big rampart of paving-stones -which had been improvised by the British; but once over, they were -decimated by the fire from the houses on either side of the street. Big -high explosive shells from Richmond Hill, too, began to drop among the -Saxons. Though the range was long, the gunners were evidently well -informed of the whereabouts of the Saxon troops, and made wonderfully -lucky shooting. - -“For some time the distant rumble of the firing to the south-west had -been growing more distinct in their ears, and about four o’clock it -suddenly broke out comparatively near by. Then came an order from Prince -Henry to fall back on Ealing at once. What had happened? It will not -take long to relate this. Prince Henry’s covering position had lain -roughly between East Bedfont and Hounslow, facing south-east. He had -contrived to hold on to the latter place long enough to allow his right -to pivot on it and fall back to Cranford Bridge. Here they were, to a -certain extent, relieved from the close pressure they had been subjected -to by the constantly advancing British troops, by the able and -determined action of a portion of Frölich’s Cavalry Brigade. - -“But in the meantime his enemies on the left, constantly reinforced from -across the river--while never desisting from their so far unsuccessful -attack on Hounslow--worked round through Twickenham and Isleworth till -they began to menace his rear. He must abandon Hounslow, or be cut off. -With consummate generalship he withdrew his left along the line of the -Metropolitan and District Railway, and sent word to the troops on his -right to retire and take up a second position at Southall Green. -Unluckily for him, there was a delay in transmission, resulting in a -considerable number of these troops being cut off and captured. -Frölich’s cavalry were unable to aid them at this juncture, having their -attention drawn away by the masses of Leaguers who had managed to get -over the Colne and were congregating near Harmondsworth. - -“They cut these up and dispersed them, but afterwards found that they -were separated from the Saxons by a strong force of British regular -troops who occupied Harlington and opened a fire on the Reiters that -emptied numerous saddles. They, therefore, made off to the northward. -From this forward nothing could check the steady advance of the English, -though fierce fighting went on till dark all through Hanwell, Ealing, -Perivale, and Wembley, the Saxons struggling gamely to the last, but -getting more and more disorganised. Had it not been for Frölich’s -division on their right they would have been surrounded. As it was, they -must have lost half their strength in casualties and prisoners. - -“At dark, however, Lord Byfield ordered a general halt of his tired -though triumphant troops, and bivouacked and billeted them along a line -reaching from Willesden on the right through Wembley to Greenford. He -himself established his headquarters at Wembley. - -“I have heard some critics say that he ought to have pushed on his -freshest troops towards Hendon to prevent the remnant of our opponents -from re-entering London; but others, with reason, urge that he is right -to let them into the metropolis, which they will now find to be merely a -trap.” - - * * * * * - -Extracts from the diary of General Von Kleppen, Commander of the IVth -German Army Corps, occupying London:-- - -“DORCHESTER HOUSE, PARK LANE, _Oct. 6_. - -“We are completely deceived. Our position, much as we are attempting to -conceal it, is a very grave one. We believed that if we reached London -the British spirit would be broken. Yet the more drastic our rule, the -fiercer becomes the opposition. How it will end I fear to contemplate. -The British are dull and apathetic, but once aroused, they fight like -fiends. - -“Last night we had an example of it. This League of Defenders, which Von -Kronhelm has always treated with ridicule, is, we have discovered too -late, practically the whole of England. Von Bistram, commanding the -VIIth Corps, and Von Haeslen, of the VIIIth Corps, have constantly been -reporting its spread through Manchester, Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield, -Birmingham, and the other great towns we now occupy; but our -Commander-in-Chief has treated the matter lightly, declaring it to be a -kind of offshoot of some organisation they have here in England, called -the Primrose League.... - -“Yesterday, at the Council of War, however, he was compelled to -acknowledge his error when I handed him a scarlet handbill calling upon -the British to make a concerted attack upon us at ten o’clock. -Fortunately, we were prepared for the assault, otherwise I verily -believe that the honours would have rested with the populace in London. -As it is, we suffered considerable reverses in various districts, where -our men were lured into the narrow side streets and cut up. I confess I -am greatly surprised at the valiant stand made everywhere by the -Londoners. Last night they fought to the very end. A disaster to our -arms in the Strand was followed by a victory in Trafalgar Square, where -Von Wilberg had established defences for the purpose of preventing the -joining of the people of the East End with those of the West....” - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -MASSACRE OF GERMANS IN LONDON - - -“‘DAILY MAIL’ OFFICE, _Oct. 12_, 6 p.m. - -“Through the whole of last week the Germans occupying London suffered -great losses. They are now hemmed in on every side. - -“At three o’clock this morning, Von Kronhelm having withdrawn the -greater part of the troops from the defence of the bridges, in an -attempt to occupy defensive positions in North London, the South -Londoners, impatient with long waiting, broke forth and came across the -river in enormous multitudes, every man bent upon killing a German -wherever seen. - -“The night air was rent everywhere by the hoarse, exultant shouts as -London--the giant, all-powerful city--fell upon the audacious invader. -Through our windows in Carmelite Street came the dull roar of London’s -millions swelled by the Defenders from the west and south of England, -and by the gallant men from Canada, India, the Cape, and other British -colonies who had come forward to fight for the Mother country as soon as -her position was known to be critical. - -“In the streets are seen Colonial uniforms side by side with the -costermonger from Whitechapel or Walworth, and dark-faced Indians in -turbans are fighting out in Fleet Street and the Strand. In the great -struggle now taking place many of our reporters and correspondents have -unfortunately been wounded, and, alas! four of them killed. - -“In these terrible days a man’s life is not safe from one moment to -another. Both sides seem to have now lost their heads completely. Among -the Germans all semblance of order has apparently been thrown to the -winds. It is known that London has risen to a man, and the enemy are -therefore fully aware of their imminent peril. Already they are beaten. -True, Von Kronhelm still sits in the War Office directing -operations--operations which he knows too well are foredoomed to -failure. - -“The Germans have, it must be admitted, carried on the war in a -chivalrous spirit until those drastic executions exasperated the people. -Then neither side gave quarter, and now to-day all through Islington, -Hoxton, Kingsland, and Dalston, right out eastward to Homerton, a -perfect massacre of Germans is in progress. - -“Lord Byfield has issued two urgent proclamations, threatening the -people of London with all sorts of penalties if they kill instead of -taking an enemy prisoner, but they seem to have no effect. London is -starved and angered to such a pitch that her hatred knows no bounds, and -only blood will atone for the wholesale slaughter of the innocent since -the bombardment of the metropolis began. - -“The Kaiser has, we hear, left the ‘Belvedere’ at Scarborough, where he -has been living incognito. A confidential report, apparently well -founded, has reached us that he embarked upon the steam-trawler _Morning -Star_ at Scarborough yesterday, and set out across the Dogger, with -Germany, of course, as his destination. Surely he must now regret his -ill-advised policy of making an attack upon England. He had gauged our -military weakness very accurately, but he had not counted upon the -patriotic spirit of our Empire. It may be that he has already given -orders to Von Kronhelm, but it is nevertheless a very significant fact -that the German wireless telegraph apparatus on the summit of Big Ben is -in constant use by the German Commander-in-Chief. He is probably in -hourly communication with Bremen, or with the Emperor himself upon the -trawler _Morning Star_. - -“Near Highbury Fields about noon to-day some British cavalry surprised a -party of Germans, and attempted to take them prisoners. The latter -showed fight, whereupon they were shot down to a man. The British held -as prisoners by the Germans near Enfield have now been released, and are -rejoining their comrades along the northern heights. Many believe that -another and final battle will be fought north of London, but military -men declare that the German power is already broken. Whether Von -Kronhelm will still continue to lose his men at the rate he is now -doing, or whether he will sue for peace, is an open question. -Personally, he was against the bombardment of London from the very -first, yet he was compelled to carry out the orders of his Imperial -master. The invasion, the landing, and the successes in the North were, -in his opinion, quite sufficient to have paralysed British trade and -caused such panic that an indemnity would have been paid. To attack -London was, in his opinion, a proceeding far too dangerous, and his -estimate is now proved to have been the correct one. Now that they have -lost command of the sea and are cut off from their bases in Essex, the -enemy’s situation is hopeless. They may struggle on, but assuredly the -end can only be an ignominious one. - -“Yet the German Eagle still flies proudly over the War Office, over St. -Stephen’s, and upon many other public buildings, while upon others -British Royal Standards and Union Jacks are commencing to appear, each -one being cheered by the excited Londoners, whose hearts are now full of -hope. Germany shall be made to bite the dust. That is the war-cry -everywhere. Many a proud Uhlan and Cuirassier has to-day ridden to his -death amid the dense mobs, mad with the lust of blood. Some of the more -unfortunate of the enemy have been lynched, and torn limb from limb, -while others have died deaths too horrible to here describe in detail. - -“Each hour brings to us further news showing how, by slow degrees, the -German army of occupation is being wiped out. People are jeering at the -audacious claim for indemnity presented to the British Government when -the enemy entered London, and are asking whether we will not now present -a claim to Germany. Von Kronhelm is not blamed so much as his Emperor. -He has been the catspaw, and has burned his fingers in endeavouring to -snatch the chestnuts from the fire. - -“As a commander, he has acted justly, fully observing the international -laws concerning war. It was only when faced by the problem of a national -uprising that he countenanced anything bordering upon capital -punishment. An hour ago our censors were withdrawn. They came and shook -hands with many members of the staff, and retired. This surely is a -significant fact that Von Kronhelm hopes to regain the confidence of -London by appearing to treat her with a fatherly solicitude. Or is it -that he intends to sue for peace at any price? - -“An hour ago another desperate attempt was made on the part of the men -of South London, aided by a large body of British regulars, to regain -possession of the War Office. Whitehall was once more the scene of a -bloody fight, but so strongly does Von Kronhelm hold the place and all -the adjacent thoroughfares--he apparently regarding it as his own -fortress--that the attack was repulsed with heavy loss on our side. - -“All the bridges are now open, the barricades are in most cases being -blown up, and people are passing and repassing freely for the first time -since the day following the memorable bombardment. London streets are, -however, in a most deplorable condition. On every hand is ruin and -devastation. Whole streets of houses rendered gaunt and windowless by -the now spent fires meet the eye everywhere. In certain places the ruins -were still smouldering, and in one or two districts the conflagrations -spread over an enormous area. Even if peace be declared, can London ever -recover from this present wreck? Paris recovered, and quickly too. -Therefore we place our faith in British wealth, British industry, and -British patriotism. - -“Yes. The tide has turned. The great Revenge now in progress is truly a -mad and bloody one. In Kilburn this afternoon there was a wholesale -killing of a company of German infantry, who, while marching along the -High Road, were set upon by the armed mob, and practically exterminated. -The smaller thoroughfares, Brondesbury Road, Victoria Road, Glendall -Road, and Priory Park Road, across to Paddington Cemetery, were the -scene of a frightful slaughter. The Germans died hard, but in the end -were completely wiped out. German-baiting is now, indeed, the Londoner’s -pastime, and on this dark and rainy afternoon hundreds of men of the -Fatherland have fallen and died upon the wet roads. - -“Sitting here, in a newspaper office, as we do, and having fresh reports -constantly before us, we are able to review the whole situation -impartially. Every moment, through the various news-agencies and our own -correspondents and contributors, we are receiving fresh facts--facts -which all combine to show that Von Kronhelm cannot hold out much longer. -Surely the Commander-in-Chief of a civilised army will not allow his men -to be massacred as they are now being! The enemy’s troops, mixed up in -the maze of London streets as they are, are utterly unable to cope with -the oncoming multitudes, some armed with rifles and others with anything -they can lay their hands upon. - -“Women--wild, infuriated women--have now made their reappearance north -of the Thames. In more than one instance where German soldiers have -attempted to take refuge in houses these women have obtained petrol, -and, with screams of fiendish delight, set the houses in question on -fire. Awful dramas are being enacted in every part of the metropolis. -The history of to-day is written in German blood. - -“Lord Byfield has established temporary headquarters at Jack Straw’s -Castle, where Von Kronhelm was during the bombardment, and last night we -could see the signals exchanged between Hampstead and Sydenham Hill, -from whence General Bamford has not yet moved. Our cavalry in Essex are, -it is said, doing excellent work. Lord Byfield has also sent a body of -troops across from Gravesend to Tilbury, and these have regained Maldon -and Southminster after some hard fighting. Advices from Gravesend state -that further reinforcements are being sent across the river to operate -against the East of London and hem in the Germans on that side. - -“So confident is London of success that several of the railways are -commencing to reorganise their traffic. A train left Willesden this -afternoon for Birmingham--the first since the bombardment--while another -has left Finsbury Park for Peterborough, to continue to York if -possible. So wrecked are the London termini, however, that it must be -some weeks before trains can arrive or be despatched from either Euston, -King’s Cross, Paddington, Marylebone, or St. Pancras. In many instances -the line just north of the terminus is interrupted by a blown-up tunnel -or a fallen bridge, therefore the termination of traffic must, for the -present, be at some distance north on the outskirts of London. - -“Shops are also opening in South London, though they have but little to -sell. Nevertheless, this may be regarded as a sign of renewed -confidence. Besides, supplies of provisions are now arriving, and the -London County Council and Salvation Army are distributing free soup and -food in the lower-class districts. Private charity, everywhere abundant -during the trying days of dark despair, is doing inestimable good among -every class. The hard, grasping employer, and the smug financier, who -hitherto kept scrupulous accounts, and have been noteworthy on account -of their uncharitableness, have now, in the hour of need, come forward -and subscribed liberally to the great Mansion House Fund, opened -yesterday by the Deputy Lord Mayor of London. The subscription list -occupies six columns of the issue of to-morrow’s paper, and this, in -itself, speaks well for the open-heartedness of the moneyed classes of -Great Britain. - -“No movement has yet been made in the financial world. Bankers still -remain with closed doors. The bullion seized at Southminster and other -places is now under strong British guard, and will, it is supposed, be -returned to the Bank immediately. Only a comparatively small sum has -been sent across to Germany. Therefore all Von Kronhelm’s strategy has -utterly failed. By the invasion Germany has, up to the present moment, -gained nothing. She has made huge demands, at which we can afford to -jeer. True, she has wrecked London, but have we not sent the greater -part of her fleet to the bottom of the North Sea, and have we not -created havoc in German ports? - -“The leave-taking of our two gold-spectacled censors was almost -pathetic. We had come to regard them as necessities to puzzle and to -play practical jokes of language upon. To-day, for the first time, we -have received none of those official notices in German, with English -translations, which of late have appeared so prominently in our columns. -The German Eagle is gradually disentangling his talons from London, and -means to escape us--if he can.” - -“10.30 p.m. - -“Private information has just reached us from a most reliable source -that a conference has been arranged between Von Kronhelm and Lord -Byfield. This evening the German Field-Marshal sent a messenger to the -British headquarters at Hampstead under a flag of truce. He bore a -despatch from the German Commander asking that hostilities should be -suspended for twenty-four hours, and that they should make an -appointment for a meeting during that period. - -“Von Kronhelm has left the time and place of meeting to Lord Byfield, -and has informed the British Commander that he has sent telegraphic -instructions to the German military governors of Birmingham, Sheffield, -Manchester, Bradford, Leeds, Northampton, Stafford, Oldham, Wigan, -Bolton, and other places, giving notice of his suggestion to the -British, and ordering that for the present hostilities on the part of -the Germans shall be suspended. - -“It seems more than likely that the German Field-Marshal has received -these very definite instructions by wireless telegraph from the Emperor -at Bremen or Potsdam. - -“We understand that Lord Byfield, after a brief consultation by -telegraph with the Government at Bristol, has sent a reply. Of its -nature, however, nothing is known, and at the moment of writing -hostilities are still in progress. - -“In an hour’s time we shall probably know whether the war is to -continue, or a truce is to be proclaimed.” - -“Midnight. - -“Lord Byfield has granted a truce, and hostilities have now been -suspended. - -“London has gone mad with delight, for the German yoke is cast off. -Further information which has just reached us from private sources -states that thousands of prisoners have been taken by Lord Byfield -to-day, and that Von Kronhelm has acknowledged his position to be -absolutely hopeless. - -“The great German Army has been defeated by our British patriots, who -have fought so valiantly and so well. It is not likely that the war will -be resumed. Von Kronhelm received a number of British officers at the -War Office half an hour ago, and it is said that he is already making -preparations to vacate the post he has usurped. - -“Lord Byfield has issued a reassuring message to London, which we have -just received with instructions to print. It declares that although for -the moment only a truce is proclaimed, yet this means the absolute -cessation of all hostilities. - -“The naval news of the past few days may be briefly summarised. The -British main fleet entered the North Sea, and our submarines did most -excellent work in the neighbourhood of the Maas Lightship. Prince -Stahlberger had concentrated practically the whole of his naval force -off Lowestoft, but a desperate battle was fought about seventy miles -from the Texel, full details of which are not yet to hand. All that is -known is that, having now regained command of the sea, we were enabled -to inflict a crushing defeat upon the Germans, in which the German -flagship was sunk. In the end sixty-one British ships were concentrated -against seventeen German, with the result that the German Fleet has -practically been wiped out, there being 19,000 of the enemy’s officers -and men on the casualty list, the greatest recorded in any naval battle. - -“Whatever may be the demands for indemnity on either side, one thing is -absolutely certain, namely, that the invincible German Army and Navy are -completely vanquished. - -“The Eagle’s wings are trailing in the dust.” - - - - -CHAPTER V - -HOW THE WAR ENDED - - -Days passed--weary, waiting, anxious days. A whole month went by. After -the truce, London very gradually began to resume her normal life, though -the gaunt state of the streets was indescribably weird. - -Shops began to open, and as each day passed, food became more plentiful, -and consequently less dear. The truce meant the end of the war, -therefore thanksgiving services were held in every town and village -throughout the country. - -There were great prison-camps of Germans at Hounslow, Brentwood, and -Barnet, while Von Kronhelm and his chief officers were also held as -prisoners until some decision through diplomatic channels could be -arrived at. Meanwhile a little business began to be done; thousands -began to resume their employment, bankers re-opened their doors, and -within a week the distress and suffering of the poor became perceptibly -alleviated. The task of burying the dead after the terrible massacre of -the Germans in the London streets had been a stupendous one, but so -quickly had it been accomplished that an epidemic was happily averted. - -Confidence, however, was not completely restored, even though each day -the papers assured us that a settlement had been arrived at between -Berlin and London. - -Parliament moved back to Westminster, and daily meetings of the Cabinet -were being held in Downing Street. These resulted in the resignation of -the Ministry, and with a fresh Cabinet, in which Mr. Gerald Graham, the -organiser of the Defenders, was given a seat, a settlement was at last -arrived at. - -To further describe the chaotic state of England occasioned by the -terrible and bloody war would serve no purpose. The loss and suffering -which it had caused the country had been incalculable; statisticians -estimated that in one month of hostilities it had amounted to -£500,000,000, a part of which represented money transferred from British -pockets to German, as the enemy had carried off some of the securities -upon which the German troops had laid their hands in London. - -Let us for a moment take a retrospective glance. Consols were at 50; -bread was still 1s. 6d. per loaf; and the ravages of the German -commerce-destroyers had sent up the cost of insurance on British -shipping sky-high. Money was almost unprocurable; except for the -manufacture of war material, there was no industry; and the suffering -and distress among the poor could not be exaggerated. In all directions -men, women, and children had been starving. - -The mercantile community were loud in their outcry for “peace at any -price,” and the pro-German and Stop-the-War Party were equally vehement -in demanding a cessation of the war. They found excuses for the enemy, -and forgot the frightful devastation and loss which the invasion had -caused to the country. They protested against continuing the struggle in -the interests of the “capitalists,” who, they alleged, were really -responsible for the war. - -They insisted that the working class gained nothing, even though the -British Fleet was closely blockading the German coast, and their outcry -was strengthened when a few days after the blockade of the Elbe had -begun two British battleships were so unfortunate as to strike German -mines, and sink with a large part of their crews. The difficulty of -borrowing money for the prosecution of the war was a grave obstacle in -the way of the party of action, and preyed upon the mind of the British -Government. - -The whole character of the nation and the Government had changed since -the great days when, in the face of famine and immense peril, the -country had fought Napoleon to the last and overthrown him. The strong -aristocratic Government had been replaced by a weak Administration, -swayed by every breath of popular impulse. The peasantry who were the -backbone of the nation had vanished, and been replaced by the weak, -excitable population of the towns. - -Socialism, with its creed of “Thou shalt have no other god but Thyself,” -and its doctrine, “Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die,” had -replaced the religious beliefs of a generation of Englishmen taught to -suffer and to die sooner than surrender to wrong. In the hour of trial, -amidst smoking ruins, among the holocausts of dead which marked the -prolonged, bloody, and terrible battles on land and at sea, the spirit -of the nation quailed, and there was really no great leader to recall it -to ways of honour and duty. - -Seven large German commerce-destroyers were still at sea in the Northern -Atlantic. One of them was the splendid ex-Cunarder _Lusitania_, of 25 -knots, which had been sold to a German firm a year before the war, when -the British Government declined to continue its subsidy of £150,000 per -annum to the Cunard Company under the agreement of 1902. The reason for -withdrawing this subsidy was the need for economy, as money had to be -obtained to pay members of Parliament. The Cunard Company, unable to -bear the enormous cost of running both its huge 25-knot steamers, was -compelled to sell the _Lusitania_, but with patriotic enterprise it -retained the _Mauretania_, even though she was only worked at a dead -loss. - -The _Mauretania_, almost immediately after the outbreak of war, had been -commissioned as a British cruiser, with orders specially to hunt for the -_Lusitania_, which had now been renamed the _Preussen_. But it was -easier to look for the great commerce-destroyer than to find her, and -for weeks the one ship hunted over the wide waters of the North Atlantic -for the other. - -The German procedure had been as follows:--All their commerce-destroyers -had received orders to sink the British ships which they captured when -these were laden with food. The crews of the ships destroyed were -collected on board the various commerce-destroyers, and were from time -to time placed on board neutral vessels, which were stopped at sea and -compelled to find them accommodation. For coal the German cruisers -relied at the outset upon British colliers, of which they captured -several, and subsequently upon the supplies of fuel which were brought -to them by neutral vessels. They put into unfrequented harbours, and -there filled their bunkers, and were gone before protests could be made. - -The wholesale destruction of food, and particularly of wheat and meat, -removed from the world’s market a large part of its supplies, and had -immediately sent up the cost of food everywhere, outside the United -Kingdom as well as in it. At the same time, the attacks upon shipping -laden with food increased the cost of insurance to prohibitive prices -upon vessels freighted for the United Kingdom. The underwriters after -the first few captures by the enemy would not insure at all except for -fabulous rates. - -The withdrawal of all the larger British cruisers for the purpose of -defeating the main German fleets in the North Sea left the -commerce-destroyers a free hand, and there was no force to meet them. -The British liners commissioned as commerce-protectors were too few and -too slow, with the single exception of the _Mauretania_, to be able to -hold their adversaries in check. - -Neutral shipping was molested by the German cruisers. The German -Government had proclaimed food of all kinds and raw cotton contraband of -war, and when objection was offered by various neutral Governments, it -replied that Russia in the war with Japan had treated cotton and food as -contraband, and that no effective resistance had been offered by the -neutral Powers to this action. Great Britain, the German authorities -urged, had virtually acquiesced in the Russian proceedings against her -shipping, and had thus established a precedent which became law for the -world. - -Whenever raw cotton or food of any kind was discovered upon a neutral -vessel bound for British ports, the vessel was seized and sent into one -or other of the German harbours on the West Coast of Africa. St. Helena, -after its garrison had been so foolishly withdrawn by the British -Government in 1906, remained defenceless, and it had been seized by a -small German expedition at the very outset. Numerous guns were landed, -and it became a most useful base for the attacks of the German -commerce-destroyers. - -Its natural strength rendered its recapture difficult, and the British -Government had not a man to spare for the work of retaking it, so that -it continued in German hands up to the last week of the struggle, when -at last it was stormed after a vigorous bombardment by a small force -despatched from India. - -The absurd theory that commerce could be left to take care of itself was -exploded by the naval operations of the war. The North Atlantic had -continued so dangerous all through September that British shipping -practically disappeared from it, and neutral shipping was greatly -hampered. All the Atlantic ports of the United States and the South -American seaboard were full of British steamers, mainly of the tramp -class, that had been laid up because it was too dangerous to send them -to sea. The movement of supplies to England was carried on by only the -very fastest vessels, and these, as they ran the blockade-runners’ -risks, demanded the blockade-runners’ compensating profits. - -In yet another way the German Government enhanced the difficulty of -maintaining the British food supply. When war broke out, it was -discovered that German agents had secured practically all the “spot -wheat” available in the United States, and had done the same in Russia. -Germany had cornered the world’s available supply by the outlay of a -modest number of millions, and its agents were instructed not to part -with their supplies except at an enormous price. In this way Germany -recouped her outlay, made a large profit, and caused terrific distress -in England, where the dependence of the country upon foreign supplies of -food had been growing steadily all through the early years of the -twentieth century. - -The United Kingdom, indeed, might have been reduced to absolute -starvation, had it not been for the fact that the Canadian Government -interfered in Canada to prevent similar German tactics from succeeding, -and held the German contracts for the cornering of Canadian wheat, -contrary to public policy. - -The want of food, the high price of bread and meat in England, and the -greatly increased cost of the supplies of raw material sent up the -expenditure upon poor relief to enormous figures. Millions of men were -out of employment, and in need of assistance. Mills and factories in all -directions had closed down, either because of the military danger from -the operations of the German armies, or because of the want of orders, -or, again, because raw materials were not procurable. The British -workers had no such accumulated resources as the French peasant -possessed in 1870 from which to meet distress. They had assumed that -prosperity would continue for all time, and that, if it did not, the -rich might be called upon to support them and their families. - -Unfortunately, when the invasion began, many rich foreigners who had -lived in England collected what portable property they possessed and -retired abroad to Switzerland, Italy, and the United States. Their -example was followed by large numbers of British subjects who had -invested abroad, and now, in the hour of distress, were able to place -their securities in a handbag and withdraw them to happier countries. - -They may justly be blamed for this want of patriotism, but their reply -was that they had been unjustly and mercilessly taxed by men who derided -patriotism, misused power, and neglected the real interests of the -nation in the desire to pander to the mob. Moreover, with the income-tax -at 3s. 6d. in the pound, and with the cost of living enormously -enhanced, they declared that it was a positive impossibility to live in -England, while into the bargain their lives were exposed to danger from -the enemy. - -As a result of this wholesale emigration, in London and the country the -number of empty houses inordinately increased, and there were few -well-to-do people left to pay the rates and taxes. The fearful burden of -the extravagant debts which the British municipalities had heaped up was -cruelly felt, since the nation had to repudiate the responsibility which -it had incurred for the payment of interest on the local debts. The -Socialist dream, in fact, might almost be said to have been realised. -There were few rich left, but the consequences to the poor, instead of -being beneficial, were utterly disastrous. - -Under the pressure of public opinion, constrained by hunger and -financial necessities, and with thousands of German prisoners in their -hands, the British Government acceded to the suggested conference to -secure peace. Von Kronhelm had asked for a truce, his proposals being -veiled under a humanitarian form. The British Government, too, did not -wish to keep the German prisoners who had fought with such gallantry -longer from their hearths and homes. Nothing, it added, was to be gained -by prolonging the war and increasing the tale of bloodshed and calamity. -A just and honourable peace might allay the animosity between two great -nations of the same stock, if both would let bygones be bygones. - -The response of the German Government was chilling and discouraging. -Germany, it practically said, had no use for men who had surrendered. -Their hearths and homes could well spare them a little longer. The -destruction of the German Navy mattered nothing to Germany, who could -build another fleet with her flourishing finances. Her army was in -possession of Holland and the mainland of Denmark, and would remain so -until the British Army--if there were any--arrived to turn it out. The -British Government must state what indemnity it was prepared to pay to -be rid of the war, or what surrender of territory it would make to -obtain peace. - -At the same time the German Press, in a long series of inspired -articles, contended that, notwithstanding the ultimate British -successes, England had been the real sufferer by the war. The struggle -had been fought on British soil, British trade had been ruined, British -finances thrown into utter disorder, and a great stretch of territory -added to the German Empire. Holland and Denmark were ample recompense -for the reverses at sea. - -The British blockade of the German coast was derided as ineffective, and -the British losses due to German mines were regarded as a sign of what -the British Navy had to expect if it continued the war. Then a picture -was painted of Germany, strong, united, triumphant, confident, firm in -her national spirit, efficient in every detail of administration, while -in England corruption, inefficiency, and incompetence were alleged to be -supreme. - -But these Press philippics and the haughty attitude of the German -Government were, in reality, only attempts to impose upon the British -people and the British Government. Subsequent information has shown that -German interests had suffered in every possible way, and that there was -grave danger of foreign complications. Unfortunately, the behaviour of -the German Press had the expected effect upon England. The clamour for -peace grew, and the pro-Germans openly asserted that a cessation of -hostilities must be purchased at any price. - -At the mediation of the French Government negotiations between the -British and German Governments were resumed in the first days of -November. But the Germans still adhered inflexibly to their demand for -the _status quo_. Germany must retain Holland and Denmark, which were to -become States of the German Empire, under their existing dynasties. -Turkey must retain Egypt, whither the Turkish troops had penetrated -during the chaos caused by the invasion of England. The Dutch East -Indies must become a part of the German Empire. - -Certain foreign Powers, however, which had been friendly to England now -avowed their readiness to support her in resisting these outrageous -demands. But the outcry for peace in England was growing continually, -and the British Ministry was helpless before it. The Germans must have -got wind of the foreign support which was secretly being given to this -country, since at the eleventh hour they waived their demands as regards -Egypt and the Dutch East Indies. - -The lot of these two territories was to be settled by an International -Congress. But they finally secured the consent of the British Government -to the conclusion of a peace on the basis that each Power should retain -what it possessed at the opening of October. Thus Germany was to be -confirmed in her possession of Holland and Denmark, while England gained -nothing by the peace. The British surrender on this all-important head -tied the hands of the foreign Powers which were prepared to resist -vehemently such an aggrandisement of Germany. - -As for the Congress to deal with Egypt and the East Indies, this does -not fall within the sphere of our history. - - * * * * * - -Peace was finally signed on 13th January 1911. The British Empire -emerged from the conflict outwardly intact, but internally so weakened -that only the most resolute reforms accomplished by the ablest and -boldest statesmen could have restored it to its old position. - -Germany, on the other hand, emerged with an additional 21,000 miles of -European territory, with an extended seaboard on the North Sea, fronting -the United Kingdom at Rotterdam and the Texel, and, it was calculated, -with a slight pecuniary advantage. Practically the entire cost of the -war had been borne by England. - -Looking back upon this sad page of history--sad for Englishmen--some -future Thucydides will pronounce that the decree of Providence was not -undeserved. The British nation had been warned against the danger; it -disregarded the warning. In the two great struggles of the early -twentieth century, in South Africa and the Far East, it had before its -eyes examples of the peril which comes from unpreparedness and from -haphazard government. It shut its eyes to the lessons. Its soldiers had -called upon it in vain to submit to the discipline of military service; -it rebelled against the sacrifice which the Swiss, the Swede, the -German, the Frenchman, and the Japanese made not unwillingly for his -country. - -In the teeth of all entreaties it reduced in 1906 the outlay upon its -army and its fleet, to expend the money thus saved upon its own comfort. -The battalions, batteries, and battleships sacrificed might well have -averted invasion, indeed, have prevented war. But to gain a few -millions, risks were incurred which ended ultimately in the loss of -hundreds of millions of money and thousands of lives, and in starvation -for myriads of men, women, and children. - -As is always the case, the poor suffered most. The Socialists, who had -declaimed against armaments, were faithless friends of those whom they -professed to champion. Their dream of a golden age proved utterly -delusive. But the true authors of England’s misfortunes escaped blame -for the moment, and the Army and Navy were made the scapegoats of the -great catastrophe. - -That the Army Council and the Admiralty had been criminally weak could -not be denied. Their weakness merely reflected the moral tone of the -nation, which took no interest in naval or military affairs, and then -was enraged to find that, in the hour of trial, everything for a time -went wrong. When success did come, it came too late, and could not be -utilised without a great British Army capable of carrying the war into -the enemy’s country, and thus compelling a satisfactory peace. - -THE END - -_Printed by_ MORRISON & GIBB LIMITED, _Edinburgh_ - -Typographical errors corrected by the etext transcriber: - -United Kingdom=> United Kindgom {pg 22} - -atached to his=> attached to his {pg 86} - -had themelves been=> had themselves been {pg 215} - -even a possilibity=> even a possibility {pg 301} - -position to be atacked=> position to be attacked {pg 313} - -had pratically=> had practically {pg 332} - -cross at his thoat=> cross at his throat {pg 339} - -of his mazagine=> of his magazine {pg 437} - -the whole popluation=> the whole population {pg 464} - -was re-reported=> was reported {pg 525} - -retain Holland and Demark=> retain Holland and Denmark {pg 548} - - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Invasion of 1910, by William le Queux - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE INVASION OF 1910 *** - -***** This file should be named 51905-0.txt or 51905-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/1/9/0/51905/ - -Produced by Brian Coe, Chuck Greif and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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-display: inline-block; text-align: left;} -.poem .stanza {margin-top: 1em;margin-bottom:1em;} -.poem span.i0 {display: block; margin-left: 0em; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} -.poem span.i2 {display: block; margin-left: 1em; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} - -.pagenum {font-style:normal;position:absolute; -left:95%;font-size:55%;text-align:right;color:gray; -background-color:#ffffff;font-variant:normal;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0em;} -@media print, handheld -{.pagenum - {display: none;} - } -</style> - </head> -<body> - - -<pre> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Invasion of 1910, by William le Queux - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: The Invasion of 1910 - with a full account of the siege of London - -Author: William le Queux - -Release Date: May 1, 2016 [EBook #51905] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE INVASION OF 1910 *** - - - - -Produced by Brian Coe, Chuck Greif and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) - - - - - - -</pre> - -<hr class="full" /> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/cover_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/cover.jpg" width="339" height="500" alt="Image unavailable: cover" /></a> -</p> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="" -style="border: 2px black solid;margin:auto auto;max-width:50%; -padding:1%;"> -<tr><td> - -<p class="c"><a href="#CONTENTS">Contents.</a></p> -<p class="c"><a href="#LIST_OF_MAPS_AND_PLANS">List of Maps and Plans</a><br /> <span class="nonvis">(In certain versions of this etext [in certain browsers] -clicking directly on the image, -will bring up a larger version.)</span></p> -<p class="c">Some typographical errors have been corrected; -<a href="#transcrib">a list follows the text</a>.</p> -<p class="c">(etext transcriber's note)</p></td></tr> -</table> - -<p class="cinv">THE INVASION OF 1910</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_i" id="page_i"></a>{i}</span> </p> - -<h1> -THE INVASION OF<br /> -1910</h1> - -<p class="c"><big>WITH A FULL ACCOUNT OF<br /> -THE SIEGE OF LONDON</big><br /> -<br /> -BY -<br /> -<big>WILLIAM LE QUEUX</big><br /> -<br /> -<small>NAVAL CHAPTERS BY H. W. WILSON</small><br /> -<br /> -<small>INTRODUCTORY LETTER BY<br /> -FIELD-MARSHAL EARL ROBERTS, K.G., K.P., ETC.</small><br /> -<br /> -<span class="eng">Toronto</span><br /> -THE MACMILLAN COMPANY OF CANADA, <span class="smcap">Limited</span><br /> -1906<br /> -<br /> -<i>All rights reserved</i><br /> -</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_ii" id="page_ii"></a>{ii}</span></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_iii" id="page_iii"></a>{iii}</span></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_iv" id="page_iv"></a>{iv}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/frontispiece_lg.png"> -<img src="images/frontispiece.png" width="327" height="500" alt="Image unavailable" /></a> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_v" id="page_v"></a>{v}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="PREFACE" id="PREFACE"></a>PREFACE</h3> - -<p class="nind">“<i>I sometimes despair of the country ever becoming alive to the danger -of the unpreparedness of our present position until too late to prevent -some fatal catastrophe.</i>”</p> - -<p>This was the keynote of a solemn warning made in the House of Lords on -July 10th of the present year by Earl Roberts. His lordship, while -drawing attention to our present inadequate forces, strongly urged that -action should be taken in accordance with the recommendations of the -Elgin Commission that “no military system could be considered -satisfactory which did not contain powers of expansion outside the limit -of the regular forces of the Crown.”</p> - -<p>“<i>The lessons of the late war appear to have been completely forgotten.</i> -The one prevailing idea seems to be,” said Earl Roberts, “to cut down -our military expenditure without reference to our increased -responsibilities and our largely augmented revenue. History tells us in -the plainest terms that an Empire which cannot defend its own -possessions must inevitably perish.” And with this view both Lord Milner -and the Marquis of Lansdowne concurred. But surely<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_vi" id="page_vi"></a>{vi}</span> this is not enough. -If we are to retain our position as the first nation in the world we -must be prepared to defend any raid made upon our shores.</p> - -<p>The object of this book is to illustrate our utter unpreparedness for -war, to show how, under certain conditions which may easily occur, -England can be successfully invaded by Germany, and to present a picture -of the ruin which must inevitably fall upon us on the evening of that -not far-distant day.</p> - -<p>Ever since Lord Roberts formulated his plans for the establishment of -rifle-clubs I have been deeply interested in the movement; and after a -conversation with that distinguished soldier the idea occurred to me to -write a forecast, based upon all the available military and naval -knowledge—which would bring home to the British public vividly and -forcibly what really would occur were an enemy suddenly to appear in our -midst. At the outset it was declared by the strategists I consulted to -be impossible. No such book could ever be written, for, according to -them, the mass of technical detail was far too great to digest and -present in an intelligible manner to the public.</p> - -<p>Lord Roberts, however, gave me encouragement. The skeleton scheme of the -manner in which England could be invaded by Germany was submitted to a -number of the highest authorities on strategy, whose names, however, I -am not permitted to divulge, and after many consultations, much -criticism, and considerable difference of opinion, the “general idea,” -with amendment after amendment, was finally adopted.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_vii" id="page_vii"></a>{vii}</span></p> - -<p>That, however, was only a mere preliminary. Upon questions of tactics -each tactician consulted held a different view, and each criticised -adversely the other’s suggestions. With the invaluable assistance of my -friend Mr. H. W. Wilson, we had decided upon the naval portion of the -campaign; but when it came to the operations on land, I found a wide -divergence of opinion everywhere.</p> - -<p>One way alone remained open—namely, to take the facts exactly as they -stood, add the additional strength of the opposing nations as they will -be in 1910, and then draw logical conclusions. This, aided by experts, -was done; and after many days of argument with the various authorities, -we succeeded at last in getting them in accord as to the general -practicability of an invasion.</p> - -<p>Before putting pen to paper it was necessary to reconnoitre carefully -the whole of England from the Thames to the Tyne. This I did by means of -a motor-car, travelling 10,000 miles of all kinds of roads, and making a -tour extending over four months. Each town, all the points of vantage, -military positions, all the available landing-places on the coast, all -railway connections, and telephone and telegraph communications, were -carefully noted for future reference. With the assistance of certain -well-known military experts, the battlefields were carefully gone over -and the positions marked upon the Ordnance map. Thus, through four -months we pushed on day by day collecting information and material, -sometimes in the big cities, sometimes<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_viii" id="page_viii"></a>{viii}</span> in the quietest and remotest -hamlets, all of which was carefully tabulated for use.</p> - -<p>Whatever critics may say, and however their opinions may differ, it can -only be pointed out, first, that the “general idea” of the scheme is in -accordance with the expressed and published opinions of the first -strategists of to-day, and that, as far as the forecast of events is -concerned, it has been written from a first-hand knowledge of the local -colour of each of the scenes described. The enemy’s Proclamations -reproduced are practically copies of those issued by the Germans during -the war of 1870.</p> - -<p>That the experts and myself will probably be condemned as alarmists and -denounced for revealing information likely to be of assistance to an -enemy goes without saying. Indeed, on March 15th last, an attempt was -made in the House of Commons to suppress its publication altogether. Mr. -R. C. Lehmann, who asked a question of the Prime Minister, declared that -it was “calculated to prejudice our relations with the other Powers,” -while Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman, in a subsequent letter apologising to -me for condemning in the House a work he had not read, repeated that it -was likely to “produce irritation abroad and might conceivably alarm the -more ignorant public at home.”</p> - -<p>Such a reflection, cast by the Prime Minister upon the British nation, -is, to say the least, curious, yet it only confirms the truth that the -Government are strenuously seeking to conceal from our people the -appalling military weakness and the consequent danger to which the -country is constantly open.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_ix" id="page_ix"></a>{ix}</span></p> - -<p>Mr. Haldane’s new scheme has a number of points about it which, at first -sight, will perhaps commend themselves to the general public, and in -some cases to a proportion of military men. Foremost among these are the -provision made for training the Militia Artillery in the use of -comparatively modern field-guns, and the institution of the County -Associations for the administration of the Volunteers and the -encouragement of the local military spirit. Could an ideal Association -of this kind be evolved there is little doubt that it would be capable -of doing an immense amount of good, since administration by a central -staff, ignorant of the widely differing local conditions which affect -the several Volunteer corps, has already militated against getting the -best work possible out of their members. But under our twentieth-century -social system, which has unfortunately displaced so many influential and -respected county families—every one of which had military or naval -members, relations or ancestors—by wealthy tradesmen, speculators, and -the like, any efficient County Association will be very hard to create. -Mr. Haldane’s scheme is a bold and masterly sketch, but he will find it -very hard to fill in the details satisfactorily. Unfortunately, the -losses the Army must sustain by the reduction of so many fine battalions -are very real and tangible, while the promised gains in efficiency would -appear to be somewhat shadowy and uncertain.</p> - -<p>To be weak is to invite war; to be strong is to prevent it.</p> - -<p>To arouse our country to a sense of its own lamentable<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_x" id="page_x"></a>{x}</span> insecurity is -the object of this volume, and that other nations besides ourselves are -interested in England’s grave peril is proved by the fact that it has -already been published in the German, French, Spanish, Danish, Russian, -Italian, and even Japanese languages.</p> - -<p class="r"> -<span class="smcap">William Le Queux.</span><br /> -</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">London</span>, <i>July 26, 1906</i>.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_xi" id="page_xi"></a>{xi}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="CONTENTS" id="CONTENTS"></a>CONTENTS</h3> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" summary=""> - -<tr><th class="c" colspan="3"><a href="#BOOK_I">BOOK I</a></th></tr> - -<tr><td><small>CHAP.</small></td><td> </td> -<td class="rt"><small>PAGE</small></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_I-a">I.</a></td><td><span class="smcap">The Surprise</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_3">3</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_II-a">II.</a></td><td><span class="smcap">Effect in the City</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_20">20</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_III-a">III.</a></td><td><span class="smcap">News of the Enemy</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_30">30</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_IV-a">IV.</a></td><td><span class="smcap">A Prophecy Fulfilled</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_48">48</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_V-a">V.</a></td><td><span class="smcap">Our Fleet Taken Unawares</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_60">60</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_VI-a">VI.</a></td><td><span class="smcap">Fierce Cruiser Battle</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_77">77</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_VII-a">VII.</a></td><td><span class="smcap">Continuation of the Struggle at Sea</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_94">94</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_VIII-a">VIII.</a></td><td><span class="smcap">Situation in the North</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_108">108</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_IX-a">IX.</a></td><td><span class="smcap">State of Siege Declared</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_118">118</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_X-a">X.</a></td><td><span class="smcap">How the Enemy Dealt the Blow</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_131">131</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_XI-a">XI.</a></td><td><span class="smcap">Germans Landing at Hull and Goole</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_154">154</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_XII-a">XII.</a></td><td><span class="smcap">Desperate Fighting in Essex</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_171">171</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIII-a">XIII.</a></td><td><span class="smcap">Defence at Last</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_202">202</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIV-a">XIV.</a></td><td><span class="smcap">British Success at Royston</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_221">221</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_XV-a">XV.</a></td><td><span class="smcap">British Abandon Colchester</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_235">235</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVI-a">XVI.</a></td><td><span class="smcap">Fierce Fighting at Chelmsford</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_255">255</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVII-a">XVII.</a></td><td><span class="smcap">In the Enemy’s Hands</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_266">266</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVIII-a">XVIII.</a></td><td><span class="smcap">The Feeling in London</span><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_xii" id="page_xii"></a>{xii}</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_279">279</a></td></tr> - -<tr><th class="c" colspan="3"><a href="#BOOK_II">BOOK II</a></th></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_I-b">I.</a></td><td><span class="smcap">The Lines of London</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_287">287</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_II-b">II.</a></td><td><span class="smcap">Repulse of the Germans</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_299">299</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_III-b">III.</a></td><td><span class="smcap">Battle of Epping</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_310">310</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_IV-b">IV.</a></td><td><span class="smcap">Bombardment of London</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_326">326</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_V-b">V.</a></td><td><span class="smcap">The Rain of Death</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_344">344</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_VI-b">VI.</a></td><td><span class="smcap">Fall of London</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_357">357</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_VII-b">VII.</a></td><td><span class="smcap">Two Personal Narratives</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_372">372</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_VIII-b">VIII.</a></td><td><span class="smcap">Germans Sacking the Banks</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_393">393</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_IX-b">IX.</a></td><td><span class="smcap">What was Happening at Sea</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_413">413</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_X-b">X.</a></td><td><span class="smcap">Situation South of the Thames</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_444">444</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_XI-b">XI.</a></td><td><span class="smcap">Defences of South London</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_456">456</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_XII-b">XII.</a></td><td><span class="smcap">Daily Life of the Beleaguered</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_466">466</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIII-b">XIII.</a></td><td><span class="smcap">Revolts in Shoreditch and Islington</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_477">477</a></td></tr> - -<tr><th class="c" colspan="3"><a href="#BOOK_III">BOOK III</a></th></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_I-c">I.</a></td><td><span class="smcap">A Blow for Freedom</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_495">495</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_II-c">II.</a></td><td><span class="smcap">Scenes at Waterloo Bridge</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_511">511</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_III-c">III.</a></td><td><span class="smcap">Great British Victory</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_520">520</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_IV-c">IV.</a></td><td><span class="smcap">Massacre of Germans in London</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_531">531</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_V-c">V.</a></td><td><span class="smcap">How the War Ended</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_540">540</a></td></tr> -</table> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_xiii" id="page_xiii"></a>{xiii}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="LIST_OF_MAPS_AND_PLANS" id="LIST_OF_MAPS_AND_PLANS"></a>LIST OF MAPS AND PLANS</h3> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" summary=""> - -<tr><th class="c" colspan="2">BOOK I</th></tr> -<tr><td> </td><td class="rt"><small>PAGE</small></td></tr> -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">Position of the IVth German Army Corps Twelve -Hours after Landing at Weybourne, Norfolk</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_57">57</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">Position of the Saxon Corps Twenty-four Hours -after Landing in Essex</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_148">148</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">Position of the German Forces Twenty-four Hours -after Landing at Goole</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_157">157</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">Germany’s Points of Embarkation</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_167">167</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">Battle of Purleigh, 6th September</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_193">193</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">Battle of Sheffield</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_218">218</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">Positions of Opposing Forces, 8th September</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_227">227</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">Battle of Royston, Sunday, 9th September</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_232">232</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">Battle of Chelmsford. Position on the Evening -of 11th September</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_258">258</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">The Defence of Sheffield</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_268">268</a></td></tr> - -<tr><th class="c" colspan="2">BOOK II</th></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">The Lines of London</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_288">288</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">Battle of Harlow—First Phase</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_296">296</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">Battle of Harlow—Final Phase</span><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_xiv" id="page_xiv"></a>{xiv}</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_307">307</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">German Attack on the Lines of London</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_315">315</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">The Bombardment and Defences of London on -20th and 21st September</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_337">337</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">London after the Bombardment</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_365">365</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">Damage done in the City by the Bombardment</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_369">369</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">Damage done in Westminster by the Bombardment</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_384">384</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">Shetland Islands</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_433">433</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">The Defences of South London on 26th September</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_457">457</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap">Scene of the Street Fighting in Shoreditch on -27th September</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_478">478</a></td></tr> -</table> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_1" id="page_1"></a>{1}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="BOOK_I" id="BOOK_I"></a>BOOK I<br /><br /> -THE ATTACK</h2> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_2" id="page_2"></a>{2}</span></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_3" id="page_3"></a>{3}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="CHAPTER_I-a" id="CHAPTER_I-a"></a>CHAPTER I<br /><br /> -<small>THE SURPRISE</small></h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">Two</span> of the myriad of London’s night-workers were walking down Fleet -Street together soon after dawn on Sunday morning, 2nd September.</p> - -<p>The sun had not yet risen. That main artery of London traffic, with its -irregular rows of closed shops and newspaper offices, was quiet and -pleasant in the calm, mystic light before the falling of the smoke-pall.</p> - -<p>Only at early morning does the dear old City look its best; in that one -quiet, sweet hour when the night’s toil has ended and the day’s has not -yet begun. Only in that brief interval at the birth of day, when the -rose tints of the sky glow slowly into gold, does the giant metropolis -repose—at least, as far as its business streets are concerned—for at -five o’clock the toiling millions begin to again pour in from all points -of the compass, and the stress and storm of London life at once -recommences.</p> - -<p>And in that hour of silent charm the two grey-bearded sub-editors, -though engaged in offices of rival newspapers, were making their way -homeward to Dulwich to spend Sunday in a well-earned rest, and were -chatting “shop” as Press men do.</p> - -<p>“I suppose you had the same trouble to get that Yarmouth story through?” -asked Fergusson, the news-editor of the <i>Weekly Dispatch</i>, as they -crossed Whitefriars Street. “We got about half a column, and then the -wire shut down.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_4" id="page_4"></a>{4}</span></p> - -<p>“Telegraph or telephone?” inquired Baines, who was four or five years -younger than his friend.</p> - -<p>“We were using both—to make sure.”</p> - -<p>“So were we. It was a rattling good story—the robbery was mysterious, -to say the least—but we didn’t get more than half of it. Something’s -wrong with the line, evidently,” Baines said. “If it were not such a -perfect autumn morning, I should be inclined to think there’d been a -storm somewhere.”</p> - -<p>“Yes—funny, wasn’t it?” remarked the other. “A shame we haven’t the -whole story, for it was a first-class one, and we wanted something. Did -you put it on the contents-bill?”</p> - -<p>“No, because we couldn’t get the finish. I tried in every way—rang up -the Central News, P.A., Exchange Telegraph Company, tried to get through -to Yarmouth on the trunk, and spent half an hour or so pottering about, -but the reply from all the agencies, from everywhere in fact, was the -same—the line was interrupted.”</p> - -<p>“Just our case. I telephoned to the Post Office, but the reply came back -that the lines were evidently down.”</p> - -<p>“Well, it certainly looks as though there’d been a storm, but——” and -Baines glanced at the bright, clear sky overhead, just flushed by the -bursting sun—“there are certainly no traces of it.”</p> - -<p>“There’s often a storm on the coast when it’s quite still in London, my -dear fellow,” remarked his friend wisely.</p> - -<p>“That’s all very well. But when all communication with a big place like -Yarmouth is suddenly cut off, as it has been, I can’t help suspecting -that something has happened which we ought to know.”</p> - -<p>“You’re perhaps right after all,” Fergusson said. “I wonder if anything -<i>has</i> happened. We don’t want to be called back to the office, either of -us. My assistant, Henderson, whom I’ve left in charge, rings me up over -any mare’s nest. The trunk telephones all come into the Post Office -exchange up in Carter Lane. Why not look<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_5" id="page_5"></a>{5}</span> in there before we go home? It -won’t take us a quarter of an hour, and we have several trains home from -Ludgate Hill.”</p> - -<p>Baines looked at his watch. Like his companion, he had no desire to be -called back to his office after getting out to Dulwich, and yet he was -in no mood to go making reporter’s inquiries.</p> - -<p>“I don’t think I’ll go. It’s sure to be nothing, my dear fellow,” he -said. “Besides, I have a beastly headache. I had a heavy night’s work. -One of my men is away ill.”</p> - -<p>“Well, at any rate, I think I’ll go,” Fergusson said. “Don’t blame me if -you get called back for a special edition with a terrible storm, great -loss of life, and all that sort of thing. So long.” And, smiling, he -waved his hand and parted from his friend in the booking-office of -Ludgate Hill Station.</p> - -<p>Quickening his pace, he hurried through the office and, passing out by -the back, ascended the steep, narrow street until he reached the Post -Office telephone exchange in Carter Lane, where, presenting his card, he -asked to see the superintendent-in-charge.</p> - -<p>Without much delay he was shown upstairs into a small private office, -into which came a short, dapper, fair-moustached man with the bustle of -a person in a great hurry.</p> - -<p>“I’ve called,” the sub-editor explained, “to know whether you can tell -me anything regarding the cause of the interruption of the line to -Yarmouth a short time ago. We had some important news coming through, -but were cut off just in the midst of it, and then we received -information that all the telephone and telegraph lines to Yarmouth were -interrupted.”</p> - -<p>“Well, that’s just the very point which is puzzling us at this moment,” -was the night-superintendent’s reply. “It is quite unaccountable. Our -trunk going to Yarmouth seems to be down, as well as the telegraphs. -Yarmouth, Lowestoft, and beyond Beccles seem all to have been suddenly -cut off. About eighteen minutes<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_6" id="page_6"></a>{6}</span> to four the operators noticed something -wrong, switched the trunks through to the testers, and the latter -reported to me in due course.”</p> - -<p>“That’s strange! Did they all break down together?”</p> - -<p>“No. The first that failed was the one that runs through Chelmsford, -Colchester, and Ipswich up to Lowestoft and Yarmouth. The operator found -that he could get through to Ipswich and Beccles. Ipswich knew nothing, -except that something was wrong. They could still ring up Beccles, but -not beyond.”</p> - -<p>As they were speaking, there was a tap at the door, and the assistant -night-superintendent entered, saying—</p> - -<p>“The Norwich line through Scole and Long Stratton has now failed, sir. -About half-past four Norwich reported a fault somewhere north, between -there and Cromer. But the operator now says that the line is apparently -broken, and so are all the telegraphs from there to Cromer, Sheringham, -and Holt.”</p> - -<p>“Another line has gone, then!” exclaimed the superintendent-in-charge, -utterly astounded. “Have you tried to get on to Cromer by the other -routes—through Nottingham and King’s Lynn, or through Cambridge?”</p> - -<p>“The testers have tried every route, but there’s no response.”</p> - -<p>“You could get through to some of the places—Yarmouth, for instance—by -telegraphing to the Continent, I suppose?” asked Fergusson.</p> - -<p>“We are already trying,” responded the assistant superintendent.</p> - -<p>“What cables run out from the east coast in that neighbourhood?” -inquired the sub-editor quickly.</p> - -<p>“There are five between Southwold and Cromer—three run to Germany, and -two to Holland,” replied the assistant. “There’s the cable from Yarmouth -to Barkum, in the Frisian Islands; from Happisburg, near Mundesley, to -Barkum; from Yarmouth to Emden; from Lowestoft to Haarlem, and from -Kessingland, near Southwold, to Zandyport.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_7" id="page_7"></a>{7}</span></p> - -<p>“And you are trying all the routes?” asked his superior.</p> - -<p>“I spoke to Paris myself an hour ago and asked them to cable by all five -routes to Yarmouth, Lowestoft, Kessingland, and Happisburg,” was the -assistant’s reply. “I also asked Liverpool Street Station and King’s -Cross to wire down to some of their stations on the coast, but the reply -was that they were in the same predicament as ourselves—their lines -were down north of Beccles, Wymondham, East Dereham, and also south of -Lynn. I’ll just run along and see if there’s any reply from Paris. They -ought to be through by this time, as it’s Sunday morning, and no -traffic.” And he went out hurriedly.</p> - -<p>“There’s certainly something very peculiar,” remarked the -superintendent-in-charge to the sub-editor. “If there’s been an -earthquake or an electrical disturbance, then it is a most extraordinary -one. Every single line reaching to the coast seems interrupted.”</p> - -<p>“Yes. It’s uncommonly funny,” Fergusson remarked. “I wonder what could -have happened. You’ve never had a complete breakdown like this before?”</p> - -<p>“Never. But I think——”</p> - -<p>The sentence remained unfinished, for his assistant returned with a slip -of paper in his hand, saying—</p> - -<p>“This message has just come in from Paris. I’ll read it. ‘Superintendent -Telephones, Paris, to Superintendent Telephones, London.—Have obtained -direct telegraphic communication with operators of all five cables to -England. Haarlem, Zandyport, Barkum, and Emden all report that cables -are interrupted. They can get no reply from England, and tests show that -cables are damaged somewhere near English shore.’ ”</p> - -<p>“Is that all?” asked Fergusson.</p> - -<p>“That’s all. Paris knows no more than we do,” was the assistant’s -response.</p> - -<p>“Then the Norfolk and Suffolk coasts are completely<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_8" id="page_8"></a>{8}</span> isolated—cut off -from post office, railways, telephones, and cables!” exclaimed the -superintendent. “It’s mysterious—most mysterious!” And, taking up the -instrument upon his table, he placed a plug in one of the holes down the -front of the table itself, and a moment later was in conversation with -the official in charge of the traffic at Liverpool Street, repeating the -report from Paris, and urging him to send light engines north from -Wymondham or Beccles into the zone of mystery.</p> - -<p>The reply came back that he had already done so, but a telegram had -reached him from Wymondham to the effect that the road-bridges between -Kimberley and Hardingham had apparently fallen in, and the line was -blocked by débris. Interruption was also reported beyond Swaffham, at a -place called Little Dunham.</p> - -<p>“Then even the railways themselves are broken!” cried Fergusson. “Is it -possible that there’s been a great earthquake?”</p> - -<p>“An earthquake couldn’t very well destroy all five cables from the -Continent,” remarked the superintendent gravely.</p> - -<p>The latter had scarcely placed the receiver upon the hook when a third -man entered—an operator who, addressing him, said—</p> - -<p>“Will you please come to the switchboard, sir? There’s a man in the -Ipswich call office who has just told me a most extraordinary story. He -says that he started in his motor-car alone from Lowestoft to London at -half-past three this morning, and just as it was getting light he was -passing along the edge of Henham Park, between Wangford village and -Blythburgh, when he saw three men apparently repairing the telegraph -wires. One was up the pole, and the other two were standing below. As he -passed he saw a flash, for, to his surprise, one of the men fired -point-blank at him with a revolver. Fortunately, the shot went wide, and -he at once put on a move and got down into Blythburgh village, even -though one of his tyres went<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_9" id="page_9"></a>{9}</span> down. It had probably been pierced by the -bullet fired at him, as the puncture was unlike any he had ever had -before. At Blythburgh he informed the police of the outrage, and the -constable, in turn, woke up the postmaster, who tried to telegraph back -to the police at Wrentham, but found that the line was interrupted. Was -it possible that the men were cutting the wires, instead of repairing -them? He says that after repairing the puncture he took the village -constable and three other men on his car and went back to the spot, -where, although the trio had escaped, they saw that wholesale havoc had -been wrought with the telegraphs. The lines had been severed in four or -five places, and whole lengths tangled up into great masses. A number of -poles had been sawn down, and were lying about the roadside. Seeing that -nothing could be done, the gentleman remounted his car, came on to -Ipswich, and reported the damage at our call office.”</p> - -<p>“And is he still there?” exclaimed the superintendent quickly, amazed at -the motorist’s statement.</p> - -<p>“Yes. I asked him to wait for a few moments in order to speak to you, -sir.”</p> - -<p>“Good. I’ll go at once. Perhaps you’d like to come also, Mr. Fergusson?”</p> - -<p>And all four ran up to the gallery, where the huge switchboards were -ranged around, and where the night operators, with the receivers -attached to one ear, were still at work.</p> - -<p>In a moment the superintendent had taken the operator’s seat, adjusted -the ear-piece, and was in conversation with Ipswich. A second later he -was speaking with the man who had actually witnessed the cutting of the -trunk line.</p> - -<p>While he was thus engaged an operator at the farther end of the -switchboard suddenly gave vent to a cry of surprise and disbelief.</p> - -<p>“What do you say, Beccles? Repeat it,” he asked excitedly.</p> - -<p>Then a moment later he shouted aloud—<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_10" id="page_10"></a>{10}</span></p> - -<p>“Beccles says that German soldiers—hundreds of them—are pouring into -the place! The Germans have landed at Lowestoft, they think.”</p> - -<p>All who heard those ominous words sprang up dumbfounded, staring at each -other.</p> - -<p>The assistant-superintendent dashed to the operator’s side and seized -his apparatus.</p> - -<p>“Halloa—halloa, Beccles! Halloa—halloa—halloa!”</p> - -<p>The response was some gruff words in German, and the sound of scuffling -could distinctly be heard. Then all was silent.</p> - -<p>Time after time he rang up the small Suffolk town, but in vain. Then he -switched through to the testers, and quickly the truth was plain.</p> - -<p>The second trunk line to Norwich, running from Ipswich by Harleston and -Beccles, had been cut farther towards London.</p> - -<p>But what held everyone breathless in the trunk telephone headquarters -was that the Germans had actually effected the surprise landing that had -so often in recent years been predicted by military critics; that -England on that quiet September Sunday morning had been attacked. -England was actually invaded. It was incredible!</p> - -<p>Yet London’s millions in their Sunday morning lethargy were in utter -ignorance of the grim disaster that had suddenly fallen upon the land.</p> - -<p>Fergusson was for rushing at once back to the <i>Weekly Dispatch</i> office -to get out an extraordinary edition, but the superintendent, who was -still in conversation with the motorist, urged judicious forethought.</p> - -<p>“For the present, let us wait. Don’t let us alarm the public -unnecessarily. We want corroboration. Let us have the motorist up here,” -he suggested.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” cried the sub-editor. “Let me speak to him.”</p> - -<p>Over the wire Fergusson begged the stranger to come at once to London -and give his story, declaring<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_11" id="page_11"></a>{11}</span> that the military authorities would -require it. Then, just as the man who had been shot at by German advance -spies—for such they had undoubtedly been—in order to prevent the truth -leaking out, gave his promise to come to town at once, there came over -the line from the coastguard at Southwold a vague, incoherent telephone -message regarding strange ships having been seen to the northward, and -asking for connection with Harwich; while King’s Cross and Liverpool -Street Stations both rang up almost simultaneously, reporting the -receipt of extraordinary messages from King’s Lynn, Diss, Harleston, -Halesworth, and other places. All declared that German soldiers were -swarming over the north, that Lowestoft and Beccles had been seized, and -that Yarmouth and Cromer were isolated.</p> - -<p>Various stationmasters reported that the enemy had blown up bridges, -taken up rails, and effectually blocked all communication with the -coast. Certain important junctions were already held by the enemy’s -outposts.</p> - -<p>Such was the amazing news received in that high-up room in Carter Lane, -City, on that sweet, sunny morning when all the great world of London -was at peace, either still slumbering or week-ending.</p> - -<p>Fergusson remained for a full hour and a half at the Telephone Exchange, -anxiously awaiting any further corroboration. Many wild stories came -over the wires telling how panic-stricken people were fleeing inland -away from the enemy’s outposts. Then he took a hansom to the <i>Weekly -Dispatch</i> office, and proceeded to prepare a special edition of his -paper—an edition containing surely the most amazing news that had ever -startled London.</p> - -<p>Fearing to create undue panic, he decided not to go to press until the -arrival of the motorist from Ipswich. He wanted the story of the man who -had actually seen the cutting of the wires. He paced his room excitedly, -wondering what effect the news would have upon the world. In the rival -newspaper offices the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_12" id="page_12"></a>{12}</span> report was, as yet, unknown. With journalistic -forethought he had arranged that at present the bewildering truth should -not leak out to his rivals, either from the railway termini or from the -telephone exchange. His only fear was that some local correspondent -might telegraph from some village or town nearer the metropolis which -was still in communication with the central office.</p> - -<p>Time passed very slowly. Each moment increased his anxiety. He had sent -out the one reporter who remained on duty to the house of Colonel Sir -James Taylor, the Permanent Under-Secretary for War. Halting before the -open window, he looked up and down the street for the arriving -motor-car. But all was quiet.</p> - -<p>Eight o’clock had just boomed from Big Ben, and London still remained in -her Sunday morning peace. The street, bright in the warm sunshine, was -quite empty, save for a couple of motor-omnibuses and a sprinkling of -gaily dressed holiday-makers on their way to the day excursion trains.</p> - -<p>In that centre of London—the hub of the world—all was comparatively -silent, the welcome rest after the busy turmoil that through six days in -the week is unceasing, that fevered throbbing of the heart of the -world’s great capital.</p> - -<p>Of a sudden, however, came the whirr-r of an approaching car, as a -thin-faced, travel-stained man tore along from the direction of the -Strand and pulled up before the office. The fine car, a six-cylinder -“Napier,” was grey with the mud of country roads, while the motorist -himself was smothered until his goggles had been almost entirely -covered.</p> - -<p>Fergusson rushed out to him, and a few moments later the pair were in -the upstairs room, the sub-editor swiftly taking down the motorist’s -story, which differed very little from what he had already spoken over -the telephone.</p> - -<p>Then, just as Big Ben chimed the half-hour, the echoes of the -half-deserted Strand were suddenly<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_13" id="page_13"></a>{13}</span> awakened by the loud, strident -voices of the newsboys shouting—</p> - -<p>“<i>Weekly Dispatch</i>, spe-shall! Invasion of England this morning! Germans -in Suffolk! Terrible panic! Spe-shall! <i>Weekly Dispatch</i>, Spe-shall!”</p> - -<p>As soon as the paper had gone to press Fergusson urged the -motorist—whose name was Horton, and who lived at Richmond—to go with -him to the War Office and report. Therefore, both men entered the car, -and in a few moments drew up before the new War Office in Whitehall.</p> - -<p>“I want to see somebody in authority at once!” cried Fergusson excitedly -to the sentry as he sprang out.</p> - -<p>“You’ll find the caretaker, if you ring at the side entrance—on the -right, there,” responded the man, who then marched on.</p> - -<p>“The caretaker!” echoed the excited sub-editor bitterly. “And England -invaded by the Germans!”</p> - -<p>He, however, dashed towards the door indicated and rang the bell. At -first there was no response. But presently there were sounds of a slow -unbolting of the door, which opened at last, revealing a tall, elderly -man in slippers, a retired soldier.</p> - -<p>“I must see somebody at once!” exclaimed the journalist. “Not a moment -must be lost. What permanent officials are here?”</p> - -<p>“There’s nobody ’ere, sir,” responded the man in some surprise at the -request. “It’s Sunday morning, you know.”</p> - -<p>“Sunday! I know that, but I must see someone. Whom can I see?”</p> - -<p>“Nobody, until to-morrow morning. Come then.” And the old soldier was -about to close the door when the journalist prevented him, asking—</p> - -<p>“Where’s the clerk-in-residence?”</p> - -<p>“How should I know? Gone up the river, perhaps. It’s a nice mornin’.”</p> - -<p>“Well, where does he live?”</p> - -<p>“Sometimes ’ere—sometimes in ’is chambers in<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_14" id="page_14"></a>{14}</span> Ebury Street,” and the -man mentioned the number.</p> - -<p>“Better come to-morrow, sir, about eleven. Somebody’ll be sure to see -you then.”</p> - -<p>“To-morrow!” cried the other. “To-morrow! You don’t know what you’re -saying, man! To-morrow will be too late. Perhaps it’s too late now. The -Germans have landed in England!”</p> - -<p>“Oh, ’ave they?” exclaimed the caretaker, regarding both men with -considerable suspicion. “Our people will be glad to know that, I’m -sure—to-morrow.”</p> - -<p>“But haven’t you got telephones, private telegraphs, or something here, -so that I can communicate with the authorities? Can’t you ring up the -Secretary of State, the Permanent Secretary, or somebody?”</p> - -<p>The caretaker hesitated a moment, his incredulous gaze fixed upon the -pale, agitated faces of the two men.</p> - -<p>“Well, just wait a minute, and I’ll see,” he said, disappearing into a -long cavernous passage.</p> - -<p>In a few moments he reappeared with a constable whose duty it was to -patrol the building.</p> - -<p>The officer looked the strangers up and down, and then asked—</p> - -<p>“What’s this extraordinary story? Germans landed in England—eh? That’s -fresh, certainly!”</p> - -<p>“Yes. Can’t you hear what the newsboys are crying? Listen!” exclaimed -the motorist.</p> - -<p>“H’m. Well, you’re not the first gentleman who’s been here with a scare, -you know. If I were you I’d wait till to-morrow,” and he glanced -significantly at the caretaker.</p> - -<p>“I won’t wait till to-morrow!” cried Fergusson. “The country is in -peril, and you refuse to assist me on your own responsibility—you -understand?”</p> - -<p>“All right, my dear sir,” replied the officer, leisurely hooking his -thumbs in his belt. “You’d better drive home, and call again in the -morning.”</p> - -<p>“So this is the way the safety of the country is neglected!” cried the -motorist bitterly, turning away. “Everyone away, and this great place, -built merely<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_15" id="page_15"></a>{15}</span> to gull the public, I suppose, empty and its machinery -useless. What will England say when she learns the truth?”</p> - -<p>As they were walking in disgust out from the portico towards the car, a -man jumped from a hansom in breathless haste. He was the reporter whom -Fergusson had sent out to Sir James Taylor’s house in Cleveland Square, -Hyde Park.</p> - -<p>“They thought Sir James spent the night with his brother up at -Hampstead,” he exclaimed. “I’ve been there, but find that he’s away for -the week-end at Chilham Hall, near Buckden.”</p> - -<p>“Buckden! That’s on the Great North Road!” cried Horton. “We’ll go at -once and find him. Sixty miles from London. We can be there under two -hours!”</p> - -<p>And a few minutes later the pair were tearing due north in the direction -of Finchley, disregarding the signs from police constables to stop, -Horton wiping the dried mud from his goggles and pulling them over his -half-closed eyes.</p> - -<p>They had given the alarm in London, and the <i>Weekly Dispatch</i> was -spreading the amazing news everywhere. People read it eagerly, gasped -for a moment, and then smiled in utter disbelief. But the two men were -on their way to reveal the appalling truth to the man who was one of the -heads of that complicated machinery of inefficient defence which we so -proudly term our Army.</p> - -<p>Bursting with the astounding information, they bent their heads to the -wind as the car shot onward through Barnet and Hatfield, then, entering -Hitchin, they were compelled to slow down in the narrow street as they -passed the old Sun Inn, and afterwards out again upon the broad highway -with its many telegraph lines, through Biggleswade, Tempsford, and Eaton -Socon, until, in Buckden, Horton pulled up to inquire of a farm labourer -for Chilham Hall.</p> - -<p>“Oop yon road to the left, sir. ’Bout a mile Huntingdon way,” was the -man’s reply.</p> - -<p>Then away they sped, turning a few minutes later<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_16" id="page_16"></a>{16}</span> into the handsome -lodge-gates of Chilham Park, and running up the great elm avenue, drew -up before the main door of the ancient hall, a quaint many-gabled old -place of grey stone.</p> - -<p>“Is Sir James Taylor in?” Fergusson shouted to the liveried man who -opened the door.</p> - -<p>“He’s gone across the home farm with his lordship and the keepers,” was -the reply.</p> - -<p>“Then take me to him at once. I haven’t a second to lose. I must see him -this instant.”</p> - -<p>Thus urged, the servant conducted the pair across the park and through -several fields to the edge of a small wood, where two elderly men were -walking with a couple of keepers and several dogs about them.</p> - -<p>“The tall gentleman is Sir James. The other is his lordship,” the -servant explained to Fergusson; and a few moments later the breathless -journalist, hurrying up, faced the Permanent Under-Secretary with the -news that England was invaded—that the Germans had actually effected a -surprise landing on the east coast.</p> - -<p>Sir James and his host stood speechless. Like others, they at first -believed the pale-faced, bearded sub-editor to be a lunatic, but a few -moments later, when Horton briefly repeated the story, they saw that -whatever might have occurred, the two men were at least in deadly -earnest.</p> - -<p>“Impossible!” cried Sir James. “We should surely have heard something of -it if such were actually the case! The coastguard would have telephoned -the news instantly. Besides, where is our fleet?”</p> - -<p>“The Germans evidently laid their plans with great cleverness. Their -spies, already in England, cut the wires at a pre-arranged hour last -night,” declared Fergusson. “They sought to prevent this gentleman from -giving the alarm by shooting him. All the railways to London are already -either cut, or held by the enemy. One thing, however, is clear—fleet or -no fleet, the east coast is entirely at their mercy.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_17" id="page_17"></a>{17}</span></p> - -<p>Host and guest exchanged dark glances.</p> - -<p>“Well, if what you say is the actual truth,” exclaimed Sir James, -“to-day is surely the blackest day that England has ever known.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, thanks to the pro-German policy of the Government and the false -assurances of the Blue Water School. They should have listened to Lord -Roberts,” snapped his lordship. “I suppose you’ll go at once, Taylor, -and make inquiries?”</p> - -<p>“Of course,” responded the Permanent Secretary. And a quarter of an hour -later, accepting Horton’s offer, he was sitting in the car as it headed -back towards London.</p> - -<p>Could the journalist’s story be true? As he sat there, with his head -bent against the wind and the mud splashing into his face, Sir James -recollected too well the repeated warnings of the past five years, -serious warnings by men who knew our shortcomings, but to which no -attention had been paid. Both the Government and the public had remained -apathetic, the idea of peril had been laughed to scorn, and the country -had, ostrich-like, buried its head in the sand, and allowed Continental -nations to supersede us in business, in armaments, in everything.</p> - -<p>The danger of invasion had always been ridiculed as a mere alarmist’s -fiction; those responsible for the defence of the country had smiled, -the Navy had been reduced, and the Army had remained in contented -inefficiency.</p> - -<p>If the blow had really been struck by Germany? If she had risked three -or four, out of her twenty-three, army corps, and had aimed at the heart -of the British Empire? What then? Ay! what then?</p> - -<p>As the car swept down Regent Street into Pall Mall and towards -Whitehall, Sir James saw on every side crowds discussing the vague but -astounding reports now published in special editions of all the Sunday -papers, and shouted wildly everywhere.</p> - -<p>Boys bearing sheets fresh from the Fleet Street presses<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_18" id="page_18"></a>{18}</span> were seized, -and bundles torn from them by excited Londoners eager to learn the -latest intelligence.</p> - -<p>Around both War Office and Admiralty great surging crowds were -clamouring loudly for the truth. Was it the truth, or was it only a -hoax? Half London disbelieved it. Yet from every quarter, from the north -and from across the bridges, thousands were pouring in to ascertain what -had really occurred, and the police had the greatest difficulty in -keeping order.</p> - -<p>In Trafalgar Square, where the fountains were plashing so calmly in the -autumn sunlight, a shock-headed man mounted the back of one of the lions -and harangued the crowd with much gesticulation, denouncing the -Government in the most violent terms; but the orator was ruthlessly -pulled down by the police in the midst of his fierce attack.</p> - -<p>It was half-past two o’clock in the afternoon. The Germans had already -been on English soil ten hours, yet London was in ignorance of where -they had actually landed, and utterly helpless.</p> - -<p>All sorts of wild rumours were afloat, rumours that spread everywhere -throughout the metropolis, from Hampstead to Tooting, from Barking to -Hounslow, from Willesden to Woolwich. The Germans were in England!</p> - -<p>But in those first moments of the astounding revelation the excitement -centred in Trafalgar Square and its vicinity. Men shouted and -threatened, women shrieked and wrung their hands, while wild-haired -orators addressed groups at the street corners.</p> - -<p>Where was our Navy? they asked. Where was our “command of the sea” of -which the papers had always talked so much? If we possessed that, then -surely no invader could ever have landed? Where was our Army—that brave -British Army that had fought triumphantly a hundred campaigns, and which -we had been assured by the Government was always ready for any -emergency? When would it face the invader and drive him back into the -sea?<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_19" id="page_19"></a>{19}</span></p> - -<p>When?</p> - -<p>And the wild, shouting crowds looked up at the many windows of the -Admiralty and the War Office, ignorant that both those huge buildings -only held terrified caretakers and a double watch of police constables.</p> - -<p>Was England invaded? Were foreign legions actually overrunning Norfolk -and Suffolk, and were we really helpless beneath the iron heel of the -enemy?</p> - -<p>It was impossible—incredible! England was on the most friendly terms -with Germany. Yet the blow had fallen, and London—or that portion of -her that was not enjoying its Sunday afternoon nap in the smug -respectability of the suburbs—stood amazed and breathless, in -incredulous wonder.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_20" id="page_20"></a>{20}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="CHAPTER_II-a" id="CHAPTER_II-a"></a>CHAPTER II<br /><br /> -<small>EFFECT IN THE CITY</small></h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">Monday</span>, 3rd September 1910, was indeed Black Monday for London.</p> - -<p>By midnight on Sunday the appalling news had spread everywhere. Though -the full details of the terrible naval disasters were not yet to hand, -yet it was vaguely known that our ships had been defeated in the North -Sea, and many of them sunk.</p> - -<p>Before 7 a.m. on Monday, however, telegrams reaching London by the -subterranean lines from the north gave thrilling stories of frightful -disasters we had, while all unconscious, suffered at the hands of the -German fleet.</p> - -<p>With London, the great cities of the north, Liverpool, Manchester, -Sheffield, and Birmingham, awoke utterly dazed. It seemed incredible. -And yet the enemy had, by his sudden and stealthy blow, secured command -of the sea and actually landed.</p> - -<p>The public wondered why a formal declaration of war had not previously -been made, ignorant of the fact that the declaration preceding the -Franco-German War was the first made by any civilised nation prior to -the commencement of hostilities for one hundred and seventy years. The -peril of the nation was now recognised on every hand.</p> - -<p>Eager millions poured into the City by every train from the suburbs and -towns in the vicinity of the metropolis, anxious to ascertain the truth -for themselves, pale with terror, wild with excitement, indignant<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_21" id="page_21"></a>{21}</span> that -our land forces were not already mobilised and ready to move eastward to -meet the invader.</p> - -<p>As soon as the banks were opened there was a run on them, but by noon -the Bank of England had suspended all specie payments. The other banks, -being thus unable to meet their engagements, simply closed the doors, -bringing business to an abrupt standstill. Consols stood at 90 on -Saturday, but by noon on Monday were down to 42—lower even than they -were in 1798, when they stood at 47¼. Numbers of foreigners tried to -speculate heavily, but were unable to do so, for banking being suspended -they could not obtain transfers.</p> - -<p>On the Stock Exchange the panic in the afternoon was indescribable. -Securities of every sort went entirely to pieces, and there were no -buyers. Financiers were surprised that no warning in London had betrayed -the position of affairs, London being the money centre of the world. -Prior to 1870 Paris shared with London the honour of being the pivot of -the money market, but on the suspension of cash payments by the Bank of -France during the Franco-German War, Paris lost that position. Had it -not been that the milliards comprising the French War indemnity were -intact in golden louis in the fortress of Spandau, Germany could never -have hoped to wage sudden war with Great Britain before she had made -Berlin independent of London in a money sense, or, at any rate, to -accumulate sufficient gold to carry on the war for at least twelve -months. The only way in which she could have done this was to raise her -rate so as to offer better terms than London. Yet directly the Bank of -England discovered the rate of exchange going against her, and her stock -of gold diminishing, she would have responded by raising the English -bank-rate in order to check the flow. Thus competition would have gone -on until the rates became so high that all business would be checked, -and people would have realised their securities to obtain the necessary -money to carry on their affairs. Thus, no doubt, the coming war would -have been forecasted had it not been for Germany<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_22" id="page_22"></a>{22}</span>’s already prepared -war-chest, which the majority of persons have nowadays overlooked. Its -possession had enabled Germany to strike her sudden blow, and now the -Bank of England, which is the final reserve of gold in the United -Kingdom, found that as notes were cashed so the stock of gold diminished -until it was in a few hours compelled to obtain from the Government -suspension of the Bank Charter. This enabled the Bank to suspend cash -payment, and issue notes without a corresponding deposit of the -equivalent in gold.</p> - -<p>The suspension, contrary to increasing the panic, had, curiously enough, -the immediate effect of somewhat allaying it. Plenty of people in the -City were confident that the blow aimed could not prove an effective -one, and that the Germans, however many might have landed, would quickly -be sent back again. Thus many level-headed business men regarded the -position calmly, believing that when our command of the sea was again -re-established, as it must be in a day or two, the enemy would soon be -non-existent.</p> - -<p>Business outside the money market was, of course, utterly demoralised. -The buying of necessities was now uppermost in everyone’s mind. Excited -crowds in the streets caused most of the shops in the City and West End -to close, while around the Admiralty were great crowds of eager men and -women of all classes, tearful wives of bluejackets jostling with -officers’ ladies from Mayfair and Belgravia, demanding news of their -loved ones—inquiries which, alas! the casualty office were unable to -satisfy. The scene of grief, terror, and suspense was heartrending. -Certain ships were known to have been sunk with all on board after -making a gallant fight, and those who had husbands, brothers, lovers, or -fathers on board wept loudly, calling upon the Government to avenge the -ruthless murder of their loved ones.</p> - -<p>In Manchester, in Liverpool, indeed all through the great manufacturing -centres of the north, the excitement of London was reflected.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_23" id="page_23"></a>{23}</span></p> - -<p>In Manchester there was a panic “on ’Change,” and the crowd in Deansgate -coming into collision with a force of mounted police, some rioting -occurred, and a number of shop windows broken, while several agitators -who attempted to speak in front of the Infirmary were at once arrested.</p> - -<p>Liverpool was the scene of intense anxiety and excitement, when a report -was spread that German cruisers were about the estuary of the Mersey. It -was known that the coal staithes, cranes, and petroleum tanks at -Penarth, Cardiff, Barry, and Llanelly had been destroyed; that Aberdeen -had been bombarded; and there were rumours that notwithstanding the -mines and defences of the Mersey, the city of Liverpool, with all its -crowd of valuable shipping, was to share the same fate.</p> - -<p>The whole place was in a ferment. By eleven o’clock the stations were -crowded by women and children sent by the men away into the -country—anywhere from the doomed and defenceless city. The Lord Mayor -vainly endeavoured to inspire confidence, but telegrams from London -announcing the complete financial collapse, only increased the panic. In -the Old Hay Market and up Dale Street to the landing-stages, around the -Exchange, the Town Hall, and the Custom House, the excited throng -surged, talking eagerly, terrified at the awful blow that was -prophesied. At any moment the grey hulls of those death-dealing cruisers -might appear in the river; at any moment the first shell might fall and -burst in their midst.</p> - -<p>Some—the wiseacres—declared that the Germans would never shell a city -without first demanding an indemnity, but the majority argued that as -they had already disregarded the law of nations in attacking our fleet -without provocation, they would bombard Liverpool, destroy the shipping, -and show no quarter.</p> - -<p>Thus during the whole of the day Liverpool existed in hourly terror of -destruction.</p> - -<p>London remained breathless, wondering what was about to happen. Every -hour the morning newspapers<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_24" id="page_24"></a>{24}</span> continued to issue special editions, -containing all the latest facts procurable regarding the great naval -disaster. The telegraphs and telephones to the north were constantly at -work, and survivors of a destroyer who had landed at St. Abb’s, north of -Berwick, gave thrilling and terrible narratives.</p> - -<p>A shilling a copy was no unusual price to be paid in Cornhill, Moorgate -Street, Lombard Street, or Ludgate Hill for a halfpenny paper, and the -newsboys reaped rich harvests, except when, as so often happened, they -were set upon by the excited crowd, and their papers torn from them.</p> - -<p>Fleet Street was entirely blocked, and the traffic stopped by crowds -standing before the newspaper offices waiting for the summary of each -telegram to be posted up upon the windows. And as each despatch was -read, sighs, groans, and curses were heard on every hand.</p> - -<p>The Government—the sleek-mannered, soft-spoken, self-confident Blue -Water School—were responsible for it all, was declared on every hand. -They should have placed the Army upon a firm and proper footing; they -should have encouraged the establishment of rifle clubs to teach every -young man how to defend his home; they should have pondered over the -thousand and one warnings uttered during the past ten years by eminent -men, statesmen, soldiers, and writers: they should have listened to -those forcible and eloquent appeals of Earl Roberts, England’s military -hero, who, having left the service, had no axe to grind. He spoke the -truth in the House of Lords in 1906 fearlessly, from patriotic motives, -because he loved his country and foresaw its doom. And yet the -Government and the public had disregarded his ominous words.</p> - -<p>And now the blow he prophesied had fallen. It was too late—too late! -The Germans were upon English soil.</p> - -<p>What would the Government now do? What, indeed, could it do?</p> - -<p>There were some who shouted in bravado that when<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_25" id="page_25"></a>{25}</span> mobilised the British -troops would drive the invader into the sea; but such men were unaware -of the length of time necessary to mobilise our Army for home -defence—or of the many ridiculous regulations which appear to be laid -down for the purpose of hindering rather than accelerating the -concentration of forces.</p> - -<p>All through the morning, amid the chaos of business in the City, the -excitement had been steadily growing, until shortly after three o’clock -the <i>Daily Mail</i> issued a special edition containing a copy of a German -proclamation which, it was said, was now posted everywhere in East -Norfolk, East Suffolk, and in Maldon in Essex, already occupied by the -enemy.</p> - -<p>The original proclamation had been found pasted by some unknown hand -upon a barn door near the town of Billericay, and had been detached and -brought to London in a motor-car by the <i>Mail’s</i> correspondent.</p> - -<p>It showed plainly the German intention was to deal a hard and crushing -blow, and it struck terror into the heart of London, for it read as will -be seen on next page.</p> - -<p>Upon the walls of the Mansion House, the Guildhall, outside the Bank of -England, the Royal Exchange, and upon the various public buildings -within the City wards a proclamation by the Lord Mayor quickly appeared. -Even upon the smoke-blackened walls of St. Paul’s Cathedral, where, at -that moment, a special service was being held, big posters were being -posted and read by the assembled thousands.</p> - -<p>There was a sullen gloom everywhere as the hours went slowly by, and the -sun sank into the smoke haze, shedding over the giant city a blood-red -afterglow—a light that was ominous in those breathless moments of -suspense and terror.</p> - -<p>Westward beyond Temple Bar proclamations were being posted. Indeed, upon -all the hoardings in Greater London appeared various broadsheets side by -side. One by the Chief Commissioner of Police, regulating the traffic in -the streets, and appealing to the public to assist in the preservation -of order; another by the Mayor<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_26" id="page_26"></a>{26}</span></p> - -<div class="bbox"> - -<p class="c"> -<img src="images/i_b_026.jpg" -width="75" -height="101" -alt="Image unavailable" -/></p> - -<p class="c"><b><big><big>PROCLAMATION.</big></big></b></p> - -<p class="c"><b>WE, GENERAL COMMANDING THE 3rd GERMAN ARMY,</b></p> - -<p>HAVING SEEN the proclamation of His Imperial Majesty the Emperor -William, King of Prussia, Chief of the Army, which authorises the -generals commanding the different German Army Corps to establish special -measures against all municipalities and persons acting in contradiction -to the usages of war, and to take what steps they consider necessary for -the well-being of the troops,</p> - -<p class="c">HEREBY GIVE PUBLIC NOTICE:</p> - -<p>(1) THE MILITARY JURISDICTION is hereby established. It applies to all -territory of Great Britain occupied by the German Army, and to every -action endangering the security of the troops by rendering assistance to -the enemy. The Military Jurisdiction will be announced and placed -vigorously in force in every parish by the issue of this present -proclamation.</p> - -<p>(2) ANY PERSON OR PERSONS NOT BEING BRITISH SOLDIERS, or not showing by -their dress that they are soldiers:</p> - -<p>(<i>a</i>) SERVING THE ENEMY as spies;</p> - -<p>(<i>b</i>) MISLEADING THE GERMAN TROOPS when charged to serve as guides;</p> - -<p>(<i>c</i>) SHOOTING, INJURING, OR ROBBING any person belonging to the German -Army, or forming part of its personnel;</p> - -<p>(<i>d</i>) DESTROYING BRIDGES OR CANALS, damaging telegraphs, telephones, -electric light wires, gasometers, or railways, interfering with roads, -setting fire to munitions of war, provisions, or quarters established by -German troops;</p> - -<p>(<i>e</i>) TAKING ARMS against the German troops,</p> - -<p class="c"><b><span class="sans">WILL BE PUNISHED BY DEATH.</span></b></p> - -<p>IN EACH CASE the officer presiding at the Council of War will be charged -with the trial, and pronounce judgment. Councils of War may not -pronounce ANY OTHER CONDEMNATION SAVE THAT OF DEATH.</p> - -<p>THE JUDGMENT WILL BE IMMEDIATELY EXECUTED.</p> - -<p>(3) TOWNS OR VILLAGES in the territory in which the contravention takes -place will be compelled to pay indemnity equal to one year’s revenue.</p> - -<p>(4) THE INHABITANTS MUST FURNISH necessaries for the German troops daily -as follows:—</p> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""> - -<tr valign="top"><td>1 lb. 10 oz. bread.<br /> -13 oz. meat.<br /> -3 lb. potatoes.</td><td> - -1 oz. tea.<br /> -1½ oz. tobacco or 5 cigars. <br /> -½ pint wine.</td><td> -1½ pints beer, or 1<br /> -wine-glassful of<br /> -brandy or whisky.</td></tr> -</table> - -<p>The ration for each horse:—</p> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" summary=""> -<tr valign="top"><td align="left">13 lb. oats.</td><td> </td><td align="left">3 lb. 6 oz. hay.</td> -<td> </td><td align="left">3 lb. 6 oz. straw.</td></tr> -</table> - -<p>(ALL PERSONS WHO PREFER to pay an indemnity in money may do so at the -rate of 2s. per day per man.)</p> - -<p>(5) COMMANDERS OF DETACHED corps have the right to requisition all that -they consider necessary for the well-being of their men, and will -deliver to the inhabitants official receipts for goods so supplied.</p> - -<p>WE HOPE IN CONSEQUENCE that the inhabitants of Great Britain will make -no difficulty in furnishing all that may be considered necessary.</p> - -<p>(6) AS REGARDS the individual transactions between the troops and the -inhabitants, we give notice that one German mark shall be considered the -equivalent to one English shilling.</p> - -<p class="r"><b>The General Commanding the Ninth German Army Corps,<br /> -VON KRONHELM.</b><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_27" id="page_27"></a>{27}</span></p> - -<p>Beccles, <i>September the Third, 1910</i>.</p> - -</div> - -<p class="nind">of Westminster, couched in similar terms to that of the Lord Mayor; and -a Royal Proclamation, brief but noble, urging every Briton to do his -duty, to take his part in the defence of King and country, and to unfurl -the banner of the British Empire that had hitherto carried peace and -civilisation in every quarter of the world. Germany, whose independence -had been respected, had attacked us without provocation; therefore -hostilities were, alas, inevitable.</p> - -<p>When the great poster printed in big capitals and headed by the Royal -Arms made its appearance it was greeted with wild cheering.</p> - -<p>It was a message of love from King to people—a message to the highest -and to the lowest. Posted in Whitechapel at the same hour as in -Whitehall, the throngs crowded eagerly about it and sang “God Save our -Gracious King,” for if they had but little confidence in the War Office -and Admiralty, they placed their trust in their Sovereign, the first -diplomat in Europe. Therefore the loyalty was spontaneous, as it always -is. They read the royal message, and cheered and cheered again.</p> - -<p>As evening closed in yet another poster made its appearance in every -city, town, and village in the country, a poster issued by military and -police officers and naval officers in charge of dockyards—the order for -mobilisation.</p> - -<p>The public, however, little dreamed of the hopeless confusion in the War -Office, in the various regimental dépôts throughout the country, at -headquarters everywhere, and in every barracks in the kingdom. The armed -forces of England were passing from a peace to a war footing; but the -mobilisation of the various units—namely, its completion in men, -horses, and material—was utterly impossible in the face of the -extraordinary regulations which, kept a strict secret by the Council of -Defence until this moment, revealed a hopeless state of things.</p> - -<p>The disorder was frightful. Not a regiment was found fully equipped and -ready to march. There was a dearth of officers, equipment, horses, -provisions, of,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_28" id="page_28"></a>{28}</span> indeed, everything. Some regiments simply existed in -the pages of the Army List, but when they came to appear on parade they -were mere paper phantoms. Since the Boer War the Government had, with -culpable negligence, disregarded the needs of the Army, even though they -had the object-lesson of the struggle between Russia and Japan before -their eyes.</p> - -<p>In many cases the well-meaning efforts on the part of volunteers proved -merely a ludicrous farce. Volunteers from Glasgow found themselves due -to proceed to Dorking, in Surrey; those from Aberdeen were expected at -Caterham, while those from Carlisle made a start for Reading, and found -themselves in the quiet old city of Durham. And in a hundred cases it -was the same. Muddle, confusion, and a chain of useless regulations at -Aldershot, Colchester, and York all tended to hinder the movement of -troops to their points of concentration, bringing home to the -authorities at last the ominous warnings of the unheeded critics of the -past.</p> - -<p>In that hour of England’s deadly peril, when not a moment should have -been lost in facing the invader, nothing was ready. Men had guns without -ammunition; cavalry and artillery were without horses; engineers only -half-equipped; volunteers with no transport whatever; balloon sections -without balloons, and searchlight units vainly trying to obtain the -necessary instruments.</p> - -<p>Horses were being requisitioned everywhere. The few horses that, in the -age of motor-cars, now remained on the roads in London were quickly -taken for draught, and all horses fit to ride were commandeered for the -cavalry.</p> - -<p>During the turmoil daring German spies were actively at work south of -London. The Southampton line of the London and South-Western Railway was -destroyed—with explosives placed by unknown hands—by the bridge over -the Wey, near Weybridge, being blown up, and again that over the Mole, -between Walton and Esher, while the Reading line was cut by the great -bridge over the Thames at Staines being destroyed. The line, too, -between<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_29" id="page_29"></a>{29}</span> Guildford and Waterloo was also rendered impassable by the -wreck of the midnight train, which was blown up half-way between -Wansborough and Guildford, while in several other places nearer London -bridges were rendered unstable by dynamite, the favourite method -apparently being to blow the crown out of an arch.</p> - -<p>The well-laid plans of the enemy were thus quickly revealed. Among the -thousands of Germans working in London, the hundred or so spies, all -trusted soldiers, had passed unnoticed, but, working in unison, each -little group of two or three had been allotted its task, and had -previously thoroughly reconnoitred the position and studied the most -rapid or effective means.</p> - -<p>The railways to the east and north-east coasts all reported wholesale -damage done on Sunday night by the advance agents of the enemy, and now -this was continued on the night of Monday in the south, the objective -being to hinder troops from moving north from Aldershot. This was, -indeed, effectual, for only by a long <i>détour</i> could the troops be moved -to the northern defences of London, and while many were on Tuesday -entrained, others were conveyed to London by the motor-omnibuses sent -down for that purpose.</p> - -<p>Everywhere through London and its vicinity, as well as in Manchester, -Birmingham, Sheffield, Coventry, Leeds, and Liverpool, motor-cars and -motor-omnibuses from dealers and private owners were being requisitioned -by the military authorities, for they would, it was believed, replace -cavalry to a very large extent.</p> - -<p>Wild and extraordinary reports were circulated regarding the disasters -in the north. Hull, Newcastle, Gateshead, and Tynemouth had, it was -believed, been bombarded and sacked. The shipping in the Tyne was -burning, and the Elswick works were held by the enemy. Details were, -however, very vague, as the Germans were taking every precaution to -prevent information reaching London.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_30" id="page_30"></a>{30}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="CHAPTER_III-a" id="CHAPTER_III-a"></a>CHAPTER III<br /><br /> -<small>NEWS OF THE ENEMY</small></h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">Terror</span> and excitement reigned everywhere. The wildest rumours were -hourly afloat. London was a seething stream of breathless multitudes of -every class.</p> - -<p>On Monday morning the newspapers throughout the kingdom had devoted -greater part of their space to the extraordinary intelligence from -Norfolk and Suffolk and Essex and other places.</p> - -<p>That we were actually invaded was plain, but most of the newspapers -happily preserved a calm, dignified tone, and made no attempt at -sensationalism. The situation was far too serious.</p> - -<p>Like the public, however, the Press had been taken entirely by surprise. -The blow had been so sudden and so staggering that half the alarming -reports were discredited.</p> - -<p>In addition to the details of the enemy’s operations, as far as could as -yet be ascertained, the <i>Morning Post</i> on Monday contained an account of -a mysterious occurrence at Chatham, which read as follows:—</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p class="r"> -“Chatham, <i>Sept. 1</i> (11.30 p.m.).<br /> -</p> - -<p>“An extraordinary accident took place on the Medway about eight -o’clock this evening. The steamer <i>Pole Star</i>, 1200 tons register, -with a cargo of cement from Frindsbury, was leaving for Hamburg and -came into collision with the <i>Frauenlob</i>, of Bremen, a somewhat -larger boat, which was inward bound, in a narrow part<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_31" id="page_31"></a>{31}</span> of the -channel about half-way between Chatham and Sheerness. Various -accounts of the mishap are current, but whichever of the vessels -was responsible for the bad steering or neglect of the ordinary -rules of the road, it is certain that the <i>Frauenlob</i> was cut into -by the stem of the <i>Pole Star</i> on her port bow, and sank almost -across the channel. The <i>Pole Star</i> swung alongside her after the -collision, and very soon afterwards sank in an almost parallel -position. Tugs and steamboats carrying a number of naval officers -and the port authorities are about to proceed to the scene of the -accident, and if, as seems probable, there is no chance of raising -the vessels, steps will be at once taken to blow them up. In the -present state of our foreign relations such an obstruction directly -across the entrance to one of our principal warports is a national -danger, and will not be allowed to remain a moment longer than can -be helped.”</p></div> - -<div class="blockquot"><p class="r"> -“<i>Sept. 2.</i><br /> -</p> - -<p>“An extraordinary <i>dénoûement</i> has followed the collision in the -Medway reported in my telegram of last night, which renders it -impossible to draw any other conclusion than that the affair is -anything but an accident. Everything now goes to prove that the -whole business was premeditated and was the result of an organised -plot with the object of ‘bottling up’ the numerous men-of-war that -are now being hurriedly equipped for service in Chatham Dockyard. -In the words of Scripture, ‘An enemy hath done this,’ and there can -be very little doubt as to the quarter from which the outrage was -engineered. It is nothing less than an outrage to perpetrate what -is in reality an overt act of hostility in a time of profound -peace, however much the political horizon may be darkened by -lowering warclouds. We are living under a Government whose leader -lost no time in announcing that no fear of being sneered at as a -‘Little Englander’ would deter him from seeking peace and ensuring -it<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_32" id="page_32"></a>{32}</span> by a reduction of our naval and military armaments, even at -that time known to be inadequate to the demands likely to be made -upon them if our Empire is to be maintained. We trust, however, -that even this parochially minded statesman will lose no time in -probing the conspiracy to its depths, and in seeking instant -satisfaction from those personages, however highly placed and -powerful, who have committed this outrage on the laws of -civilisation.</p> - -<p>“As soon as the news of the collision reached the dockyard the -senior officer at Kethole Reach was ordered by wire to take steps -to prevent any vessel from going up the river, and he at once -despatched several picket-boats to the entrance to warn in-coming -ships of the blocking of the channel, while a couple of other boats -were sent up to within a short distance of the obstruction to make -assurance doubly sure. The harbour signals ordering ‘suspension of -all movings,’ were also hoisted at Garrison Point.</p> - -<p>“Among other ships which were stopped in consequence of these -measures was the <i>Van Gysen</i>, a big steamer hailing from Rotterdam, -laden, it was stated, with steel rails for the London, Chatham, and -Dover Railway, which were to be landed at Port Victoria. She was -accordingly allowed to proceed, and anchored, or appeared to -anchor, just off the railway pier at that place. Ten minutes later -the officer of the watch on board H.M.S. <i>Medici</i> reported that he -thought she was getting under way again. It was then pretty dark. -An electric searchlight being switched on, the <i>Van Gysen</i> was -discovered steaming up the river at a considerable speed. The -<i>Medici</i> flashed the news to the flagship, which at once fired a -gun, hoisted the recall, and the <i>Van Gysen’s</i> number in the -international code, and despatched her steam pinnace, with orders -to overhaul the Dutchman and stop him at whatever cost. A number of -the marines on guard were sent in her with their rifles.</p> - -<p>“The <i>Van Gysen</i> seemed well acquainted with the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_33" id="page_33"></a>{33}</span> channel, and -continually increased her speed as she went up the river, so that -she was within half a mile of the scene of the accident before the -steamboat came up with her. The officer in charge called to the -skipper through his megaphone to stop his engines and to throw him -a rope, as he wanted to come on board. After pretending for some -time not to understand him, the skipper slowed his engines and -said, ‘Ver vel, come ‘longside gangway.’ As the pinnace hooked on -at the gangway, a heavy iron cylinder cover was dropped into her -from the height of the <i>Van Gysen’s</i> deck. It knocked the bowman -overboard and crashed into the fore part of the boat, knocking a -big hole in the port side forward. She swung off at an angle and -stopped to pick up the man overboard. Her crew succeeded in -rescuing him, but she was making water fast, and there was nothing -for it but to run her into the bank. The lieutenant in charge -ordered a rifle to be fired at the <i>Van Gysen</i> to bring her to, but -she paid not the smallest attention, as might have been expected, -and went on her way with gathering speed.</p> - -<p>“The report, however, served to attract the attention of the two -picket-boats which were patrolling up the river. As she turned a -bend in the stream they both shot up alongside out of the darkness, -and ordered her peremptorily to stop. But the only answer they -received was the sudden extinction of all lights in the steamer. -They kept alongside, or rather one of them did, but they were quite -helpless to stay the progress of the big wall-sided steamer. The -faster of the picket-boats shot ahead with the object of warning -those who were busy examining the wrecks. But the <i>Van Gysen</i>, -going all she knew, was close behind, an indistinguishable black -blur in the darkness, and hardly had the officer in the picket-boat -delivered his warning before she was heard close at hand. Within a -couple of hundred yards of the two wrecks she slowed down, for fear -of running right over them. On she came, inevitable as Fate. There -was a crash as she came into<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_34" id="page_34"></a>{34}</span> collision with the central -deck-houses of the <i>Frauenlob</i> and as her bows scraped past the -funnel of the <i>Pole Star</i>. Then followed no fewer than half a dozen -muffled reports. Her engines went astern for a moment, and down she -settled athwart the other two steamers, heeling over to port as she -did so. All was turmoil and confusion. None of the dockyard and -naval craft present were equipped with searchlights. The -harbourmaster, the captain of the yard, even the admiral -superintendent, who had just come down in his steam launch, all -bawled out orders.</p> - -<p>“Lights were flashed and lanterns swung up and down in the vain -endeavour to see more of what had happened. Two simultaneous shouts -of ‘Man overboard!’ came from tugs and boats at opposite sides of -the river. When a certain amount of order was restored it was -discovered that a big dockyard tug was settling down by the head. -It seems she had been grazed by the <i>Van Gysen</i> as she came over -the obstruction, and forced against some portion of one of the -foundered vessels, which had pierced a hole in her below the -water-line.</p> - -<p>“In the general excitement the damage had not been discovered, and -now she was sinking fast. Hawsers were made fast to her with the -utmost expedition possible in order to tow her clear of the -piled-up wreckage, but it was too late. There was only just time to -rescue her crew before she, too, added herself to the under-water -barricade. As for the crew of the <i>Van Gysen</i>, it is thought that -all must have gone down in her, as no trace of them has as yet been -discovered, despite a most diligent search, for it was considered -that, in an affair which had been so carefully planned as this -certainly must have been, some provision must surely have been made -for the escape of the crew. Those who have been down at the scene -of the disaster report that it will be impossible to clear the -channel in less than a week or ten days, using every resource of -the dockyard.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_35" id="page_35"></a>{35}</span></p> - -<p>“A little later I thought I would go down to the dockyard on the -off-chance of picking up any further information. The Metropolitan -policemen at the gate would on no account allow me to pass at that -hour, and I was just turning away when by a great piece of good -fortune I ran up against Commander Shelley.</p> - -<p>“I was on board his ship as correspondent during the manœuvres -of the year before last. ‘And what are you doing down here?’ was -his very natural inquiry after we had shaken hands. I told him that -I had been down in Chatham for a week past as special -correspondent, reporting on the half-hearted preparations being -made for the possible mobilisation, and took the opportunity of -asking him if he could give me any further information about the -collision between the three steamers in the Medway. ‘Well,’ said -he, ‘the best thing you can do is to come right along with me. I -have just been hawked out of bed to superintend the diving -operations which will begin the moment there is a gleam of -daylight.’ Needless to say, this just suited me, and I hastened to -thank him and to accept his kind offer. ‘All right,’ he said, ‘but -I shall have to make one small condition.’</p> - -<p>“ ‘And that is?’ I queried.</p> - -<p>“ ‘Merely to let me “censor” your telegrams before you send them,’ -he returned. ‘You see, the Admiralty might not like to have too -much said about this business, and I don’t want to find myself in -the dirt-tub.’</p> - -<p>“The stipulation was a most reasonable one, and however I disliked -the notion of having probably my best paragraphs eliminated, I -could not but assent to my friend’s proposition. So away we marched -down the echoing spaces of the almost deserted dockyard till we -arrived at the <i>Thunderbolt</i> pontoon. Here lay a pinnace with steam -up, and, lighted down the sloping side of the old ironclad by the -lantern of the policeman on duty, we stepped on board and shot out -into the centre of the stream. We blew our whistles and the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_36" id="page_36"></a>{36}</span> -coxswain waved a lantern, whereupon a small tug that had a couple -of dockyard lighters attached gave a hoarse ‘toot’ in response, and -followed us down the river. We sped along in the darkness against a -strong tide that was making up-stream, past Upnor Castle, that -quaint old Tudor fortress with its long line of modern powder -magazines, and along under the deeper shadows beneath Hoo Woods -till we came abreast of the medley of mud flats and grass-grown -islets just beyond them. Here, above the thud of the engines and -the plash of the water, a thin, long-drawn-out cry wavered through -the night. ‘Someone hailing the boat, sir,’ reported the lookout -forward. We had all heard it. ‘Ease down,’ ordered Shelley, and -hardly moving against the rushing tideway we listened for its -repetition. Again the voice was raised in quavering supplication. -‘What the dickens does he say?’ queried the commander. ‘It’s -German,’ I answered. ‘I know that language well. I think he’s -asking for help. May I answer him?’</p> - -<p>“ ‘By all means. Perhaps he belongs to one of those steamers.’ The -same thought was in my own mind. I hailed in return, asking where -he was and what he wanted. The answer came back that he was a -shipwrecked seaman, who was cold, wet, and miserable, and implored -to be taken off from the islet where he found himself, cut off from -everywhere by water and darkness. We ran the boat’s nose into the -bank, and presently succeeded in hauling on board a miserable -object, wet through, and plastered from head to foot with black -Medway mud. The broken remains of a cork life-belt hung from his -shoulders. A dram of whisky somewhat revived him. ‘And now,’ said -Shelley, ‘you’d better cross-examine him. We may get something out -of the fellow.’ The foreigner, crouched down shivering in the -stern-sheets half covered with a yellow oilskin that some -charitable bluejacket had thrown over him, appeared to me in the -light of the lantern that stood on the deck before him to be<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_37" id="page_37"></a>{37}</span> not -only suffering from cold, but from terror. A few moments’ -conversation with him confirmed my suspicions. I turned to Shelley -and exclaimed, ‘He says he’ll tell us everything if we spare his -life,’ I explained. ‘I’m sure I don’t want to shoot the chap,’ -replied the commander. ‘I suppose he’s implicated in this “bottling -up” affair. If he is, he jolly well deserves it, but I don’t -suppose anything will be done to him. Anyway, his information may -be valuable, and so you may tell him that he is all right as far as -I’m concerned, and I will do my best for him with the Admiral. I -daresay that will satisfy him. If not, you might threaten him a -bit. Tell him anything you like if you think it will make him -speak.’ To cut a long story short, I found the damp Dutchman -amenable to reason, and the following is the substance of what I -elicited from him.</p> - -<p>“He had been a deck hand on board the <i>Van Gysen</i>. When she left -Rotterdam he did not know that the trip was anything out of the -way. There was a new skipper whom he had not seen before, and there -were also two new mates with a new chief engineer. Another steamer -followed them all the way till they arrived at the Nore. On the way -over he and several other seamen were sent for by the captain and -asked if they would volunteer for a dangerous job, promising them -£50 a-piece if it came off all right. He and five others agreed, as -did two or three stokers, and were then ordered to remain aft and -not communicate with any others of the crew. Off the Nore all the -remainder were transferred to the following steamer, which steamed -off to the eastward. After they were gone the selected men were -told that the officers all belonged to the Imperial German Navy, -and by orders of the Kaiser were about to attempt to block up the -Medway.</p> - -<p>“A collision between two other ships had been arranged for, one of -which was loaded with a mass of old steel rails into which liquid -cement had been run, so that her hold contained a solid -impenetrable block.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_38" id="page_38"></a>{38}</span> The <i>Van Gysen</i> carried a similar cargo, and -was provided with an arrangement for blowing holes in her bottom. -The crew were provided with life-belts and the half of the money -promised, and all except the captain, the engineer, and the two -mates dropped overboard just before arriving at the sunken vessels. -They were advised to make their way to Gravesend, and then to shift -for themselves as best they could. He had found himself on a small -island, and could not muster up courage to plunge into the cold -water again in the darkness.</p> - -<p>“ ‘By Jove! This means war with Germany, man!—War!’ was Shelley’s -comment. At two o’clock this afternoon we knew that it did, for the -news of the enemy’s landing in Norfolk was signalled down from the -dockyard. We also knew from the divers that the cargo of the sunken -steamers was what the rescued seaman had stated it to be. Our -bottle has been fairly well corked.”</p></div> - -<p>This amazing revelation showed how cleverly contrived was the German -plan of hostilities. All our splendid ships at Chatham had, in that -brief half-hour, been bottled up and rendered utterly useless. Yet the -authorities were not blameless in the matter, for in November 1905 a -foreign warship actually came up the Medway in broad daylight, and was -not noticed until she began to bang away her salutes, much to the utter -consternation of everyone!</p> - -<p>This incident, however, was but one of the many illustrations of -Germany’s craft and cunning. The whole scheme had been years in careful -preparation.</p> - -<p>She intended to invade us, and regarded every stratagem as allowable in -her sudden dash upon England, an expedition which promised to result in -the most desperate war of modern times.</p> - -<p>At that moment the <i>Globe</i> reproduced those plain, prophetic words of -Lord Overstone, written some years before to the Royal Defence -Commission: “Negligence<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_39" id="page_39"></a>{39}</span> alone can bring about the calamity under -discussion. Unless we suffer ourselves to be surprised we cannot be -invaded with success. It is useless to discuss what will occur or what -can be done after London has fallen into the hands of an invading foe. -The apathy which may render the occurrence of such a catastrophe -possible will not afterwards enable the country, enfeebled, dispirited, -and disorganised by the loss of its capital, to redeem the fatal error.”</p> - -<p>Was that prophecy to be fulfilled?</p> - -<p>Some highly interesting information was given by Lieutenant Charles -Hammerton, 1st Volunteer Battalion Suffolk Regiment, of Ipswich, who -with his company of Volunteer cyclists reconnoitred the enemy’s position -in East Suffolk during Monday night. Interviewed by the Ipswich -correspondent of the Central News, he said:</p> - -<p>“We left Ipswich at eight o’clock in order to reconnoitre all the roads -and by-roads in the direction of Lowestoft. For the first twelve miles, -as far as Wickham Market, we knew that the country was clear of the -enemy, but on cautiously entering Saxmundham—it now being quite -dark—we pulled up before Gobbett’s shop in the High Street, and there -learnt from a group of terrified men and women that a German -reconnoitring patrol consisting of a group of about ten Uhlans under a -sergeant, and supported by other groups all across the country to -Framlingham and Tannington, had been in the town all day, holding the -main road to Lowestoft, and watching in the direction of Ipswich. For -hours they had patrolled the south end opposite Waller’s, upon whose -wall they posted a copy of Von Kronhelm’s proclamation.</p> - -<p>“They threatened to shoot any person attempting to move southward out of -the town. Three other Germans were on the old church tower all day -making signals northward at intervals. Then, as night closed in, the -Uhlans refreshed themselves at the Bell, and with their black and white -pennants fluttering<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_40" id="page_40"></a>{40}</span></p> - -<div class="bbox"> - -<p class="c"> -<img src="images/i_b_040.jpg" -width="105" -height="98" -alt="Image unavailable" -/></p> - -<p class="c"><b><big><big>PROCLAMATION.</big></big></b></p> - -<p class="cb">———</p> - -<p class="c"><b>CITIZENS OF LONDON.</b></p> - -<p class="cb">———</p> - -<p>THE NEWS OF THE BOMBARDMENT of the -City of Newcastle and the landing of the German Army -at Hull, Weybourne, Yarmouth, and other places along -the East Coast is unfortunately confirmed.</p> - -<p>THE ENEMY’S INTENTION is to march upon -the City of London, which must be resolutely defended.</p> - -<p>THE BRITISH NATION and the Citizens of -London, in face of these great events, must be energetic -in order to vanquish the invader.</p> - -<p>The ADVANCE must be CHALLENGED FOOT -BY FOOT. The people must fight for King and -Country.</p> - -<p>Great Britain is not yet dead, for indeed, the more -serious her danger, the stronger will be her unanimous -patriotism.</p> - -<p class="c"><big><b>GOD SAVE THE KING.</b></big></p> - -<p class="r">HARRISON, <i>Lord Mayor</i>.</p> - -<p>Mansion House,<br /> -London, <i>September 3rd, 1910</i>.</p> - -</div> -<p class="c"> -THE LORD MAYOR’S APPEAL TO LONDON.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_41" id="page_41"></a>{41}</span><br /> -</p> - -<p class="nind">from their lances, clattered backward in the direction of Yoxford.</p> - -<p>“I had sent scouts off the main road from Woodbridge, through -Framlingham, Tannington, and Wilby, with orders to push on if possible -to Hoxne, to join the main road to Harleston, which I judged must be on -the enemy’s flank. Each man knew those difficult crossroads well, which -was necessary, we having to travel noiselessly without lights.</p> - -<p>“In the bar-parlour of the Bell at Saxmundham we held consultation with -a sergeant of police and a couple of constables, from whom we gathered -some further information, and then decided to push cautiously north and -ascertain into what positions the Uhlans had retired for the night, and, -if possible, the whereabouts of the enemy’s march outposts. I had with -me twelve men. Nine of us were in uniform, including myself, but the -other four preferred to go in mufti, though warned of the risk that they -might be treated as spies.</p> - -<p>“Carefully, and in silence, we got past the crossroad, to Kelsale, on -past the Red House, and down into Yoxford village, without meeting a -soul. We were told in Yoxford by the excited villagers that there were -foreign soldiers and motor-cyclists constantly passing and repassing all -day, but that soon after seven o’clock they had all suddenly retired by -the road leading back to Haw Wood. Whether they had gone to the right to -Blythburgh, or to the left to Halesworth, was, however, unknown. Our -expedition was a most risky one. We knew that we carried our lives in -our hands, and yet the War Office and the whole country were anxiously -waiting for the information which we hoped to gain. Should we push on? I -put it to my companions—brave fellows every one of them, even though -the Volunteers have so often been sneered at—and the decision was -unanimous that we should reconnoitre at all costs.</p> - -<p>“Therefore, again in silence, we went forward,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_42" id="page_42"></a>{42}</span> determining to take the -Lowestoft high road. Where the enemy’s outposts were, we had no idea. -Quietly we skirted Thorington Park, and were just ascending the bridge -over the Blyth, before entering Blythburgh, when of a sudden we saw -silhouetted on the slope against the star-lit sky a small group of -heavily-accoutred German infantry, who had their arms piled beside the -road, while two were acting as sentries close at hand.</p> - -<p>“At once we were challenged in German. In an instant we flung ourselves -from our machines, and took shelter in a hedge opposite. Several times -was the gruff challenge repeated, and as I saw no possibility of -crossing the bridge, we stealthily turned our cycles round and prepared -to mount. Of a sudden we were evidently perceived, and next second shots -whistled about us, and poor Maitland, a private, fell forward upon his -face in the road—dead. We heard loud shouting in German, which we could -not understand, and in a moment the place seemed alive with the -foreigners, while we only just had time to mount and tear away in the -direction we had come. At Haw Wood I decided to pass the river by a -by-road I knew at Wissett, avoiding Halesworth on the right. As far as -Chediston Green all was quiet, but on turning northward to Wissett at -the cross-roads outside the inn we perceived three men lurking in the -shadow beneath the wall.</p> - -<p>“With one of my men I abandoned my machine, and crept softly in their -direction, not knowing whether they were farm labourers or the enemy’s -outposts. Slowly, and with great caution, we moved forward until, on -listening intently, I heard them in conversation. They were speaking in -German! On my return to my section, Plunkett, one of the privates in -mufti, volunteered to creep past without his machine, get to Aldous -Corner, and so reconnoitre the country towards the enemy’s headquarters, -which, from Von Kronhelm’s proclamation, we knew to be at Beccles.</p> - -<p>“Under our breath we wished him God-speed,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_43" id="page_43"></a>{43}</span> and a moment later he -disappeared in the darkness. What afterwards happened we can only -surmise. All we know is that he probably stumbled over a length of -barbed wire stretched across the road, for of a sudden the three lurking -Germans ran across in his direction. There was a sound of muffled oaths -and curses, a quick shuffling of struggling feet, and the triumphant -shout in German as a prisoner was secured.</p> - -<p>“The truth held us breathless. Poor Plunkett was captured as a spy!</p> - -<p>“We could do nothing to save him, for to reveal ourselves meant capture -or death. Therefore we were compelled to again retire. We then slipped -along the by-roads until we reached Rumburgh, narrowly avoiding -detection by sentries stationed at the fork leading to Redisham. -Rumburgh was the native place of one of my men named Wheeler, and -fortunately he knew every hedge, wall, ditch, and field in the vicinity. -Acting as our guide, he left the main road, and by a series of footpaths -took us to the main Bungay Road at St. Lawrence. Continuing again by -circuitous footpaths, he took us to the edge of Redisham Park, where we -discovered a considerable number of German infantry encamped, evidently -forming supports to the advance line of outposts. It then became -difficult how to act, but this dilemma was quickly solved by Wheeler -suggesting that he being in mufti should take the other two -plain-clothes men and push on to Beccles, we having now safely passed -the outposts and being actually within the enemy’s lines. No doubt we -had penetrated the advance line of outposts when we struck off from -Rumburgh, therefore there only remained for us to turn back and make -good our escape, which we did by crossroads in the direction of Bungay. -Wheeler and his two brave companions had hidden their cycles and rifles -in the ditch outside the park, and had gone forward with whispered -good-byes.</p> - -<p>“Presently we found ourselves at Methingham Castle, where we again saw -groups of Germans waiting<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_44" id="page_44"></a>{44}</span> for the dawn, while squadrons of cavalry and -motor-cyclists were apparently preparing to move out along Stone Street -to scour all the country to the south-west. These we at once gave a wide -berth, and succeeded at last in getting down to the Waveney and crossing -it, little the worse, save for a wetting. Near Harleston, four miles to -the south-west, we came across two of our men whom we had left at -Woodbridge, and from them learnt that we were at last free of the enemy. -Therefore, by three o’clock we were back again in Ipswich, and -immediately made report to the adjutant of our regiment, who was -anxiously awaiting our return to headquarters. The scene during the -night in Ipswich was one of terror and disorder, the worst fears being -increased by our report.</p> - -<p>“Would Wheeler return? That was the crucial question. If he got to -Beccles he might learn the German movements and the disposition of their -troops. Yet it was a terribly risky proceeding, death being the only -penalty for spies.</p> - -<p>“Hour after hour we remained in eager suspense for news of the three -gallant fellows who had risked their lives for their country, until -shortly after eight I heard shouts outside in the street, and, covered -with mud and perspiration, and bleeding from a nasty cut on his -forehead, the result of a spill, Wheeler burst triumphantly in.</p> - -<p>“Of the others he had seen nothing since leaving them in the -market-place at Beccles, but when afterwards he secured his own cycle, -the two other cycles were still hidden in the ditch. Travelling by paths -across the fields, however, he joined the road south of Wissett, and -there in the grey morning was horrified to see the body of poor Plunkett -suspended from a telegraph pole. The unfortunate fellow had, no doubt, -been tried at a drum-head court-martial and sentenced to be hanged as a -warning to others!</p> - -<p>“During the two and a half hours Wheeler was in Beccles, he made good -use of eyes and ears, and his<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_45" id="page_45"></a>{45}</span> report—based upon information given him -by a carter whom the enemy had compelled to haul supplies from -Lowestoft—was full of deepest interest and most valuable.</p> - -<p>“From my own observations, combined with Wheeler’s information, I was -enabled to draw up a pretty comprehensive report, and point out on the -map the exact position of the German Army Corps which had landed at -Lowestoft.</p> - -<p>“Repeated briefly, it is as follows:—</p> - -<p>“Shortly before three o’clock on Sunday morning the coastguard at -Lowestoft, Corton, and Beach End discovered that their telephonic -communication was interrupted, and half an hour later, to the surprise -of everyone, a miscellaneous collection of mysterious craft were seen -approaching the harbour; and within an hour many of them were high and -dry on the beach, while others were lashed alongside the old dock, the -new fish-docks of the Great Eastern Railway, and the wharves, -disembarking a huge force of German infantry, cavalry, motor-infantry, -and artillery. The town, awakened from its slumbers, was utterly -paralysed, the more so when it was discovered that the railway to London -was already interrupted, and the telegraph lines all cut. On landing, -the enemy commandeered all provisions, including the stock at Kent’s, -Sennett’s, and Lipton’s, in the London Road, all motor-cars they could -discover, horses and forage, while the banks were seized, and the -infantry falling in, marched up Old Nelson Street into High Street and -out upon the Beccles Road. The first care of the invaders was to prevent -the people of Lowestoft damaging the Swing Bridge, a strong guard being -instantly mounted upon it, and so quietly and orderly was the landing -effected that it was plain the German plans of invasion were absolutely -perfect in every detail.</p> - -<p>“Few hitches seemed to occur. The mayor was summoned at six o’clock by -General von Kronhelm, the generalissimo of the German Army, and briefly -informed that the town of Lowestoft was occupied, and that all<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_46" id="page_46"></a>{46}</span> armed -resistance would be punished by death. Then, ten minutes later, when the -German war-flag was flying from several flagstaffs in various parts of -the town, the people realised their utter helplessness.</p> - -<p>“The Germans, of course, knew that irrespective of the weather, a -landing could be effected at Lowestoft, where the fish docks and -wharves, with their many cranes, were capable of dealing with a large -amount of stores. The Denes, that flat, sandy plain between the upper -town and the sea, they turned into a camping-ground, and large numbers -were billeted in various quarters of the town itself, in the -better-class houses along Marine Parade, in the Royal, the Empire, and -Harbour hotels, and especially in those long rows of private houses in -London Road South.</p> - -<p>“The people were terror-stricken. To appeal to London for help was -impossible, as the place had been cut entirely off, and around it a -strong chain of outposts had already been thrown, preventing anyone from -escaping. The town had, in a moment, as it seemed, fallen at the mercy -of the foreigners. Even the important-looking police constables of -Lowestoft, with their little canes, were crestfallen, sullen, and -inactive.</p> - -<p>“While the landing was continuing during all Sunday the advance guard -moved rapidly over Mutford Bridge, along the Beccles Road, occupying a -strong position on the west side of the high ground east of Lowestoft. -Beccles, where Von Kronhelm established his headquarters, resting as it -does on the River Waveney, is strongly held. The enemy’s main position -appears to run from Windle Hill, one mile north-east of Gillingham, -thence north-west through Bull’s Green, Herringfleet Hill, over to Grove -Farm and Hill House to Ravingham, whence it turns easterly to Haddiscoe, -which is at present its northern limit. The total front from Beccles -Bridge north is about five miles, and commands the whole of the flat -plain west towards Norwich. It has its south flank resting on the River -Waveney, and to the north on Thorpe Marshes. The chief artillery<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_47" id="page_47"></a>{47}</span> -position is at Toft Monks—the highest point. Upon the high tower of -Beccles Church is established a signal station, communication being made -constantly with Lowestoft by helio by day, and acetylene lamps by night.</p> - -<p>“The enemy’s position has been most carefully chosen, for it is -naturally strong, and, being well held to protect Lowestoft from any -attack from the west, the landing can continue uninterruptedly, for -Lowestoft beach and docks are now entirely out of the line of any -British fire.</p> - -<p>“March outposts are at Blythburgh, Wenhaston, Holton, Halesworth, -Wissett, Rumburgh, Homersfield, and Bungay, and then north to Haddiscoe, -while cavalry patrols watch by day, the line roughly being from Leiston -through Saxmundham, Framlingham, and Tannington, to Hoxne.</p> - -<p>“The estimate, gleaned from various sources in Lowestoft and Beccles, is -that up to Monday at midday nearly a whole Army Corps, with stores, -guns, ammunition, etc., had already landed, while there are also reports -of a further landing at Yarmouth, and at a spot still farther north, but -at present there are no details.</p> - -<p>“The enemy,” he concluded, “are at present in a position of absolute -security.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_48" id="page_48"></a>{48}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="CHAPTER_IV-a" id="CHAPTER_IV-a"></a>CHAPTER IV<br /><br /> -<small>A PROPHECY FULFILLED</small></h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">This</span> authentic news of the position of the enemy, combined with the -vague rumours of other landings at Yarmouth, along the coast at some -unknown point north of Cromer, at King’s Lynn, and other places, -produced an enormous sensation in London, while the Central News -interview, circulated to all the papers in the Midlands and Lancashire, -increased the panic in the manufacturing districts.</p> - -<p>The special edition of the <i>Evening News</i>, issued about six o’clock on -Tuesday evening, contained another remarkable story which threw some -further light upon the German movements. It was, of course, known that -practically the whole of the Norfolk and Suffolk coast was already held -by the enemy, but with the exception of the fact that the enemy’s -cavalry vedettes and reconnoitring patrols were out everywhere at a -distance about twenty miles from the shore, England was entirely in the -dark as to what had occurred anywhere else but at Lowestoft. Attempts -similar to that of the Ipswich cyclist volunteers had been made to -penetrate the cavalry screen at various points, but in vain. What was in -progress was carefully kept a secret by the enemy. The veil was, -however, now lifted. The story which the <i>Evening News</i> had obtained -exclusively, and which was eagerly read everywhere, had been related by -a man named Scotney, a lobster-fisherman, of Sheringham, in Norfolk, who -had made the following statement to the chief officer of coastguard at -Wainfleet, in Lincolnshire:—<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_49" id="page_49"></a>{49}</span></p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>“Just before dawn on Sunday morning I was in the boat with my son -Ted off the Robin Friend taking up the lobster pots, when we -suddenly saw about three miles offshore a mixed lot of -curious-looking craft strung out right across the horizon, and -heading apparently for Cromer. There were steamers big and little, -many of them towing queer flat-bottomed kind of boats, lighters, -and barges, which, on approaching nearer, we could distinctly see -were filled to their utmost capacity with men and horses.</p> - -<p>“Both Ted and I stood staring at the unusual sight, wondering -whatever it meant. They came on very quickly, however—so quickly, -indeed, that we thought it best to move on. The biggest ships went -along to Weybourne Gap, where they moored in the twenty-five feet -of water that runs in close to the shore, while some smaller -steamers and the flats were run up high and dry on the hard -shingle. Before this I noticed that there were quite a number of -foreign warships in the offing, with several destroyers far away in -the distance, both to east and west.</p> - -<p>“From the larger steamships all sorts of boats were lowered, -including apparently many collapsible whale-boats, and into these -in a most orderly manner, from every gangway and -accommodation-ladder, troops—Germans we afterwards discovered them -to be to our utter astonishment—began to descend.</p> - -<p>“These boats were at once taken charge of by steam pinnaces and -cutters and towed to the beach. When we saw this we were utterly -dumbfounded. Indeed, at first I believed it to be a dream, for ever -since I was a lad I had heard the ancient rhyme my old father was -so fond of repeating:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“ ‘<i>He who would old England win,</i><br /></span> -<span class="i2"><i>Must at Weybourne Hoop begin.</i>’<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>“As everybody knows, nature has provided at that lonely spot every -advantage for the landing of hostile forces, and when the Spanish -Armada was expected,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_50" id="page_50"></a>{50}</span> and again when Napoleon threatened an -invasion, the place was constantly watched. Yet nowadays, except -for the coastguard, it has been utterly unprotected and neglected.</p> - -<p>“The very first soldiers who landed formed up quickly, and under -the charge of an officer ran up the low hill to the coastguard -station, I suppose in order to prevent them signalling a warning. -The funny thing was, however, that the coastguards had already been -held up by several well-dressed men—spies of the Germans, I -suppose. I could distinctly see one man holding one of the guards -with his back to the wall, and threatening him with a revolver.</p> - -<p>“Ted and I had somehow been surrounded by the crowd of odd craft -which dodged about everywhere, and the foreigners now and then -shouted to me words that unfortunately I could not understand.</p> - -<p>“Meanwhile, from all the boats strung out along the beach, from -Sheringham right across to the Rocket House at Salthouse, swarms of -drab-coated soldiers were disembarking, the boats immediately -returning to the steamers for more. They must have been packed as -tightly as herrings in a barrel; but they all seemed to know where -to go to, because all along at various places little flags were -held by men, and each regiment appeared to march across and -assemble at its own flag.</p> - -<p>“Ted and I sat there as if we were watching a play. Suddenly we saw -from some of the ships and bigger barges, horses being lowered into -the water and allowed to swim ashore. Hundreds seemed to gain the -beach even as we were looking at them. Then, after the first lot of -horses had gone, boats full of saddles followed them. It seemed as -though the foreigners were too busy to notice us, and we—not -wanting to share the fate of Mr. Gunter, the coastguard, and his -mates—just sat tight and watched.</p> - -<p>“From the steamers there continued to pour hundreds upon hundreds -of soldiers who were towed<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_51" id="page_51"></a>{51}</span> to land, and then formed up in solid -squares, which got bigger and bigger. Horses innumerable—quite a -thousand I should reckon—were slung overboard from some of the -smaller steamers which had been run high and dry on the beach, and -as the tide had now begun to run down they landed only knee-deep in -water. Those steamers, it seemed to me, had big bilge keels, for as -the tide ebbed they did not heel over. They had, no doubt, been -specially fitted for the purpose. Out of some they began to hoist -all sorts of things, wagons, guns, motor-cars, large bales of -fodder, clothing, ambulances with big red crosses on them, -flat-looking boats—pontoons I think they call them—and great -piles of cooking pots and pans, square boxes of stores, or perhaps -ammunition, and as soon as anything was landed it was hauled up -above high-water mark.</p> - -<p>“In the meantime lots of men had mounted on horseback and ridden -off up the lane which leads into Weybourne village. At first half a -dozen started at a time; then, as far as I could judge, about fifty -more started. Then larger bodies went forward, but more and more -horses kept going ashore, as though their number was never-ending. -They must have been stowed mighty close, and many of the ships must -have been specially fitted up for them.</p> - -<p>“Very soon I saw cavalry swarming up over Muckleburgh, Warborough, -and Telegraph Hills, while a good many trotted away in the -direction of Runton and Sheringham. Then, soon after they had -gone—that is, in about an hour and a half from their first -arrival—the infantry began to move off, and as far as I could see, -they marched inland by every road, some in the direction of Kelling -Street and Holt, others over Weybourne Heath towards Bodham, and -still others skirting the woods over to Upper Sheringham. Large -masses of infantry marched along the Sheringham Road, and seemed to -have a lot of officers on horseback with them, while up on -Muckleburgh Hill I saw frantic signalling in progress.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_52" id="page_52"></a>{52}</span></p> - -<p>“By this time they had a quantity of carts and wagons landed, and a -large number of motor-cars. The latter were soon started, and, -manned by infantry, moved swiftly in procession after the troops. -The great idea of the Germans was apparently to get the beach clear -of everything as soon as landed, for all stores, equipment, and -other tackle were pushed inland as soon as disembarked.</p> - -<p>“The enemy kept on landing. Thousands of soldiers got ashore -without any check, and all proceeding orderly and without the -slightest confusion, as though the plans were absolutely perfect. -Everybody seemed to know exactly what to do. From where we were we -could see the coastguards held prisoners in their station, with -German sentries mounted around; and as the tide was now setting -strong to the westward, Ted and I first let our anchor off the -ground and allowed ourselves to drift. It occurred to me that -perhaps I might be able to give the alarm at some other coastguard -station if I could only drift away unnoticed in the busy scene now -in progress.</p> - -<p>“That the Germans had actually landed in England was now apparent; -yet we wondered what our own fleet could be doing, and pictured to -ourselves the jolly good drubbing that our cruisers would give the -audacious foreigner when they did haul in sight. It was for us, at -all costs, to give the alarm, so gradually we drifted off to the -nor’-westward, in fear every moment lest we should be noticed and -fired at. At last we got around Blakeney Point successfully, and -breathed more freely; then hoisting our sail, we headed for -Hunstanton, but seeing numbers of ships entering the Wash, and -believing them to be also Germans, we put our helm down and ran -across into Wainfleet Swatchway to Gibraltar Point, where I saw the -chief officer of coastguard, and told him all the extraordinary -events of that memorable morning.”</p></div> - -<p>The report added that the officer of coastguard in<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_53" id="page_53"></a>{53}</span> question had, three -hours before, noticed strange vessels coming up the Wash, and had -already tried to report by telegraph to his divisional inspecting -officer at Harwich, but could obtain no communication. An hour later, -however, it had become apparent that a still further landing was being -effected on the south side of the Wash, in all probability at King’s -Lynn.</p> - -<p>The fisherman Scotney’s statement had been sent by special messenger -from Wainfleet on Sunday evening, but owing to the dislocation of the -railway traffic north of London, the messenger was unable to reach the -offices of the coastguard in Victoria Street, Westminster, until Monday. -The report received by the Admiralty had been treated as confidential -until corroborated, lest undue public alarm should be caused.</p> - -<p>It had then been given to the Press as revealing the truth of what had -actually happened.</p> - -<p>The enemy had entered by the back door of England, and the sensation it -caused everywhere was little short of panic.</p> - -<p>Some further very valuable information was also received by the -Intelligence Department of the War Office, revealing the military -position of the invaders who had landed at Weybourne Hoop.</p> - -<p>It appears that Colonel Charles Macdonald, a retired officer of the -Black Watch, who lived in the “Boulevard” at Sheringham, making up his -mind to take the risk, had carefully noted all that was in progress -during the landing, had drawn up a clear description of it, and had, -after some narrow escapes, succeeded in getting through the German lines -to Melton Constable, and thence to London. He had, before his -retirement, served as military attaché at Berlin, and, being thoroughly -acquainted with the appearance of German uniforms, was able to include -in his report even the names of the regiments, and in some cases their -commanders.</p> - -<p>From his observations it was plain that the whole of the IVth German -Army Corps, about 38,000 men,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_54" id="page_54"></a>{54}</span> had been landed at Weybourne, Sheringham, -and Cromer. It consisted of the 7th and 8th Divisions complete, -commanded respectively by Major-General Dickmann and Lieutenant-General -von Mirbach. The 7th Division comprised the 13th and 14th Infantry -Brigades, consisting of Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Dessau’s 1st Magdeburg -Regiment, the 3rd Magdeburg Infantry Regiment, Prince Louis Ferdinand -von Preussen’s 2nd Magdeburg Regiment, and the 5th Hanover Infantry -Regiment. Attached to this division were the Magdeburg Hussars No. 10, -and the Uhlan Regiment of Altmärk No. 16.</p> - -<p>In the 8th Division were the 15th and 16th Brigades, comprising a -Magdeburg Fusilier Regiment, an Anhalt Infantry Regiment, the 4th and -8th Thuringen Infantry, with the Magdeburg Cuirassiers, and a regiment -of Thuringen Hussars. The cavalry were commanded by Colonel Frölich, -while General von Kleppen was in supreme command of the whole corps.</p> - -<p>Careful reconnaissance of the occupied area showed that immediately on -landing, the German position extended from the little town of Holt, on -the west, eastward, along the main Cromer Road, as far as Gibbet Lane, -slightly south of Cromer, a distance of about five miles. This -constituted a naturally strong position; indeed, nature seemed to have -provided it specially to suit the necessities of a foreign invader. The -ground for miles to the south sloped gently away down to the plain, -while the rear was completely protected, so that the landing could -proceed until every detail had been completed.</p> - -<p>Artillery were massed on both flanks, namely, at Holt and on the high -ground near Felbrigg, immediately south of Cromer. This last-named -artillery was adequately supported by the detached infantry close at -hand. The whole force was covered by a strong line of outposts. Their -advanced sentries were to be found along a line starting from Thornage -village, through Hunworth, Edgefield, Barningham Green, Squallham,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_55" id="page_55"></a>{55}</span> -Aldborough, Hanworth, to Roughton. In rear of them lay their picquets, -which were disposed in advantageous situations. The general line of -these latter were at North Street, Pondhills to Plumstead, thence over -to Matlash Hall, Aldborough Hall, and the rising ground north of -Hanworth. These, in their turn, were adequately supplemented by the -supports, which were near Hempstead Green, Baconsthorpe, North -Narningham, Bessingham, Sustead, and Melton.</p> - -<p>In case of sudden attack, reserves were at Bodham, West Beckham, East -Beckham, and Aylmerton, but orders had been issued by Von Kleppen, who -had established his headquarters at Upper Sheringham, that the line of -resistance was to be as already indicated—namely, that having the -Holt-Cromer Road for its crest. Cuirassiers, hussars, and some -motorists—commanded by Colonel von Dorndorf—were acting independently -some fifteen miles to the south, scouring the whole country, terrifying -the villagers, commandeering all supplies, and posting Von Kronhelm’s -proclamation, which has already been reproduced.</p> - -<p>From Colonel Macdonald’s inquiries it was shown that on the night of the -invasion six men, now known to have been advance agents of the enemy, -arrived at the Ship Inn, at Weybourne. Three of them took accommodation -for the night, while their companions slept elsewhere. At two o’clock -the trio let themselves out quietly, were joined by six other men, and -just as the enemy’s ships hove in sight nine of them seized the -coastguards and cut the wires, while the other three broke into the -Weybourne Stores, and, drawing revolvers, obtained possession of the -telegraph instrument to Sheringham and Cromer until they could hand it -over to the Germans.</p> - -<p>The panic in both Sheringham and Cromer when the astounded populace -found the enemy billeted on them was intense. There were still many -holiday-makers in the Grand and Burlington Hotels in Sheringham, as also -in the Metropole, Grand, and Paris at Cromer,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_56" id="page_56"></a>{56}</span> and these, on that -memorable Sunday morning, experienced a rude awakening from their -slumbers.</p> - -<p>At Cromer the enemy, as soon as they landed, took possession of the post -office, commandeered all the stores at shops, including the West-End -Supply Stores and Rust’s; occupied the railway station on the hill, with -all its coal and rolling stock, and made prisoners of the coastguards, -the four wires, as at Weybourne, having already been cut by advance -agents, who had likewise seized the post office wires. A German naval -party occupied the coastguard station, and hoisting the German flag at -the peak of the staff in place of the white ensign, began to make rapid -signals with the semaphore and their own coloured bunting instead of our -coastguard flags.</p> - -<p>In the clean, red-brick little town of Sheringham all the grocers and -provision-dealers were given notice not to sell food to anyone, as it -was now in possession of the invaders, while a number of motor-cars -belonging to private persons were seized. Every lodging-house, every -hotel, and every boarding-house was quickly crowded by the German -officers, who remained to superintend the landing. Many machine guns -were landed on the pier at Cromer, while the heavier ordnance were -brought ashore at the gap and hauled up the fishermen’s slope.</p> - -<p>Colonel Macdonald, who had carefully marked a cycling road-map of the -district with his observations driving in his own dog-cart from one -point to the other, met with a number of exciting adventures.</p> - -<p>While in Holt on Monday evening—after a long day of constant -observation—he suddenly came face to face with Colonel Frölich, -commanding the enemy’s cavalry brigade, and was recognised. Frölich had -been aide-de-camp to the Emperor at the time when Macdonald was attaché -at the British Embassy, and both men were intimate friends.</p> - -<p>They stopped and spoke, Frölich expressing surprise and also regret that -they should meet as enemies after<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_57" id="page_57"></a>{57}</span> their long friendship. Macdonald, -annoyed at being thus recognised, took the matter philosophically as the -fortunes of war, and learnt from his whilom friend a number of valuable -details regarding the German position.</p> - -<p>The retired attaché, however, pushed his inquiries rather too far, and -unfortunately aroused the suspicions of the German cavalry commander, -with the result that the Englishman’s movements were afterwards very -closely watched. He then found himself unable to make any further -reconnaisance, and was compelled to hide his map under a heap of stones -near the Thornage Road, and there leave it for some hours, fearing lest -he should be searched and the incriminating plan found upon him.</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 274px;"> -<a href="images/i_b_057_lg.png"> -<img src="images/i_b_057_sml.png" width="274" height="270" alt="Image unavailable: Position of the IVth German Army Corps Twelve Hours after -Landing at Weybourne, Norfolk - -GEORGE PHILIP & SON LTD." /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">Position of the IVth German Army Corps Twelve Hours after -Landing at Weybourne, Norfolk</span> -</div> - -<p>At night, however, he returned cautiously to the spot, regained -possession of his treasure, and abandoning his dog-cart and horse in a -by-road near North Barningham, succeeded in getting over to Edgefield. -Here, however, he was discovered and challenged by the sentries. He -succeeded, nevertheless, in convincing them that he was not endeavouring -to escape; otherwise he would undoubtedly have been shot there and then, -as quite a dozen unfortunate persons had been at various points along -the German line.</p> - -<p>To obtain information of the enemy’s position this brave old officer had -risked his life, yet concealed in<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_58" id="page_58"></a>{58}</span> his golf-cap was the map which would -condemn him as a spy. He knew the peril, but faced it boldly, as an -English soldier should face it.</p> - -<p>His meeting with Frölich had been most unfortunate, for he knew that he -was now a marked man.</p> - -<p>At first the sentries disbelieved him, but, speaking German fluently, he -argued with them, and was at last allowed to go free. His one object was -to get the map into the hands of the Intelligence Department, but the -difficulties were, he soon saw, almost insurmountable. Picquets and -sentries held every road and every bridge, while the railway line -between Fakenham and Aylsham had been destroyed in several places, as -well as that between Melton Constable and Norwich.</p> - -<p>Through the whole night he wandered on, hoping to find some weak point -in the cordon about Weybourne, but in vain. The Germans were everywhere -keeping a sharp vigil to prevent anyone getting out with information, -and taking prisoners all upon whom rested the slightest suspicion.</p> - -<p>Near dawn, however, he found his opportunity, for at the junction of the -three roads near the little hamlet of Stody, a mile south of Hunworth, -he came upon a sleeping Uhlan, whose companions had evidently gone -forward into Briningham village. The horse was grazing quietly at the -roadside, and the man, tired out, lay stretched upon the bank, his -helmet by his side, his sabre still at his belt.</p> - -<p>Macdonald crept up slowly. If the man woke and discovered him he would -be again challenged. Should he take the man’s big revolver and shoot him -as he lay?</p> - -<p>No. That was a coward’s action, an unjustifiable murder, he decided.</p> - -<p>He would take the horse, and risk it by making a dash for life.</p> - -<p>Therefore, on tiptoe he crept up, passing the prostrate man, till he -approached the horse, and in a second, old though he was, he was -nevertheless in the saddle.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_59" id="page_59"></a>{59}</span> But none too soon. The jingle of the bit -awakened the Uhlan suddenly, and he sprang up in time to see the -stranger mount.</p> - -<p>In an instant he took in the situation, and before the colonel could -settle himself in the saddle he raised his revolver and fired.</p> - -<p>The ball struck the colonel in the left shoulder, shattering it, but the -gallant man who was risking his life for his country only winced, cursed -his luck beneath his breath, set his teeth, and with the blood pouring -from the wound, made a dash for life, and succeeded in getting clean -away ere the alarm could be raised.</p> - -<p>Twelve hours later the valuable information the colonel had so valiantly -gained at such risk was in the hands of the Intelligence Department at -Whitehall, and had been transmitted back to Norwich and Colchester.</p> - -<p>That the Fourth German Army Corps were in a position as strong as those -who had landed at Lowestoft could not be denied, and the military -authorities could not disguise from themselves the extreme gravity of -the situation.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_60" id="page_60"></a>{60}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="CHAPTER_V-a" id="CHAPTER_V-a"></a>CHAPTER V<br /><br /> -<small>OUR FLEET TAKEN UNAWARES</small></h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> first news of the great naval battle, as generally happens in war, -was confused and distorted. It did not clearly show how the victory had -been gained by the one side, or what had brought defeat upon the other. -Only gradually did the true facts appear. The following account, -however, of the sudden attack made by the Germans upon the British Fleet -represents as near an approach as can ever be made, writing after -events, to the real truth:</p> - -<p>On the fateful evening of September 1, it appears that the North Sea -Fleet lay peacefully at anchor off Rosyth, in the Firth of Forth. It -mustered sixteen battleships, four of them of the famous Dreadnought -class, and all powerful vessels. With it, and attached to it, was a -squadron of armoured cruisers eight ships strong, but no destroyers, as -its torpedo flotilla was taking part in the torpedo manœuvres in the -Irish Sea. Some excitement had been caused in the fleet by orders -received on the previous day, directing it to remain under steam ready -to put to sea at an hour’s notice. Officers and men had read the reports -in the papers announcing some friction with Germany, and had recalled -with ironical amusement certain speeches of the Premier, in which he had -declared that since his advent to power war was impossible between -civilised nations. On the morning of the First, however, the orders to -hold the fleet in readiness were cancelled, and Admiral Lord Ebbfleet -was instructed to wait at<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_61" id="page_61"></a>{61}</span> his anchorage the arrival of reinforcements -from the reserve divisions at the great naval ports. The Admiral had -reported some shortage of coal and ammunition, and had asked for further -supplies of both. A promise was made him that more coal should be sent -to Rosyth, but ammunition, he was told, it would be inconvenient and -unnecessary to forward at this juncture. There was no reason for -precipitation or alarm, a cipher telegram from Whitehall ran: Any sign -of either would irritate Germany and endanger the situation. He was -peremptorily enjoined to refrain from any act of preparation for war. -The estimates could not be exceeded without good reason, and the -necessary economies of the Admiralty had left no margin for unexpected -expenses. Even the commissioning of the reserve ships, he was told, was -not to be considered in any sense as pointing to the imminence of war; -it was merely a test of the readiness of the fleet.</p> - -<p>This remarkable despatch and the series of telegrams which accompanied -it were produced at the Parliamentary investigation after the war, and -caused simple stupefaction. There was not a hint in them of the peril -which menaced the North Sea Fleet. Not the safety of England, but the -feelings of the enemy, were considered. And yet the same utter absence -of precautions had characterised the policy of the Government during the -Fashoda crisis, when Mr. Goschen indignantly denied to an approving -House of Commons the suggestion that the dockyards had been busy or that -special efforts to prepare for war had been needed. In the North Sea -crisis again, the safety of England had been left to chance, and the -British fleets carefully withdrawn from the waters of the North Sea, or -placed in a position of such weakness that their defeat was a -probability.</p> - -<p>Lord Ebbfleet, the Admiral, however, was wiser than the Admiralty. There -were too many busybodies about, and the ships were too plainly under -observation,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_62" id="page_62"></a>{62}</span> to make the full battle toilet. But all that afternoon his -crews were active in removing the woodwork, which could not, -unfortunately, be sent ashore or thrown into the water—that would have -caused excessive suspicion. He would personally have preferred to weigh -anchor and proceed to sea, but his instructions forbade this. A great -admiral at such a juncture might have disobeyed, and acted on his own -responsibility; but Lord Ebbfleet, though brave and capable, was not a -Nelson. Still, as well as he could, he made ready for war, and far into -the night the crews worked with a will.</p> - -<p>Torpedo-nets were got out in all the large ships; the guns were loaded; -the watch manned and armed ship; the ships’ torpedo boats were hoisted -out and patrolled the neighbouring waters; all ships had steam up ready -to proceed to sea, though the Admiralty had repeatedly censured Lord -Ebbfleet for the heinous offence of wasting coal. Unhappily, the -fortifications on the Firth of Forth were practically unmanned and -dismantled. Many of the guns had been sold in 1906 to effect economies. -In accordance with the policy of trusting to luck and the kindness of -the Germans, in fear, also, of provoking Germany, no steps had been -taken to mobilise their garrisons. Under the latest scheme of defence -which the experts in London had produced, it had been settled that -fortifications were not needed to protect the bases used by the fleet. -The garrison artillery had gone—sacrificed to the demand for economy. -It was considered amply sufficient to man the works with mobilised -Volunteers when the need arose. That the enemy might come like a thief -in the night had seemingly not occurred to the Government, the House of -Commons, or the Army reformers.</p> - -<p>Thus the Admiral had to trust entirely to his own ships and guns. The -very searchlights on the coast defences were not manned; everything -after the usual English fashion was left to luck and the last minute. -And, truth to tell, the pacific assurances of the Ministerial<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_63" id="page_63"></a>{63}</span> Press had -lulled anxiety to rest everywhere, save, perhaps, in the endangered -fleet. The nation wished to slumber, and it welcomed the leading -articles which told it that all disquietude was ridiculous.</p> - -<p>It was equally disastrous that no destroyers accompanied the fleet. The -three North Sea flotillas of twenty-four boats were conducting exercises -in the Irish Sea, whither they had been despatched after the grand naval -manœuvres were over. No flotilla of destroyers, and not even a single -one of those worn-out, broken-down torpedo boats which the Admiralty had -persisted in maintaining as a sham defence for the British coast, was -stationed in the Forth. For patrol work the Admiral had nothing but his -armoured cruisers and the little launches carried in his warships, which -were practically useless for the work of meeting destroyers. The mine -defences on the coast had been abolished in 1905, with the promise that -torpedo boats and submarines should take their place. Unluckily, the -Admiralty had sold off the stock of mines for what it would fetch, -before it had provided either the torpedo boats or the submarines, and -now five years after this act of supreme wisdom and economy there was -still no mobile defence permanently stationed north of Harwich.</p> - -<p>At nightfall six of the battleships’ steam torpedo boats were stationed -outside the Forth Bridge, east of the anchorage, to keep a vigilant -watch, while farther out to sea was the fast cruiser <i>Leicestershire</i> -with all lights out, in mid-channel, just under the island of Inchkeith. -Abreast of her and close inshore, where the approach of hostile torpedo -craft was most to be feared, were three small ships’ torpedo boats to -the north and another three to the south, so that, in all, twelve -torpedo boats and one cruiser were in the outpost line, to prevent any -such surprise as that of the Russian fleet at Port Arthur on the night -of February 8, 1904. Thus began this most eventful night in the annals -of the British Navy.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_64" id="page_64"></a>{64}</span></p> - -<p>Hour after hour passed, while the lieutenants in charge of the torpedo -boats incessantly swept the horizon with night glasses; and on the -bridge of the <i>Leicestershire</i> a small group of officers and signalmen -directed their telescopes and glasses out to sea. The great cruiser in -the darkness showed not a glimmer of light; gently her engines moved her -to and fro upon her beat; she looked through the blackness like a -monstrous destroyer herself; and as she went to and fro her guns were -always kept trained out seawards, with the watch ready. Towards 2 a.m. -the tide began to set strongly into the Forth, and at the same time the -weather became misty. Captain Cornwall, noting with uneasiness that the -horizon was becoming obscured, and that the field of vision was -narrowing, exclaimed to his fellow-watchers on the bridge that it was an -ideal night for destroyers—if they should come.</p> - -<p>Barely had he spoken thus when he was called aft to the wireless -telegraphy instruments. Out of the night Hertzian waves were coming in. -The mysterious message was not in the British code; it was not in the -international code; and it bore no intelligible meaning. It was in no -language that could be recognised—was evidently a cipher. For two or -three minutes the recorder rattled off dots and dashes, and then the -aërial impulse ceased. Immediately, with a noise like the rattle of -pistol shots, the <i>Leicestershire’s</i> transmitters began to send the news -of this strange signal back to the flagship at the anchorage. The -special tuning of the British instruments kept for fleet work would -prevent a stranger taking in her news.</p> - -<p>While the <i>Leicestershire’s</i> wireless instruments were signalling, a -steamer was made out approaching Inchkeith. From her build she was a -tramp; she carried the usual lights, and seemed to be heading for -Queensferry. A flashlight signal was made to her to ask her name and -nationality, and to direct her not to approach, as manœuvres were in -progress. She made not the faintest response to these signals—a by no -means<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_65" id="page_65"></a>{65}</span> unusual case with British and foreign merchant steamers. In the -dim light she looked to be of about 2500 tons displacement as she -steered straight for the <i>Leicestershire</i>. Captain Cornwall ordered one -of the inshore torpedo boats to proceed to her, and examine her, and -direct her, if she was not British, to go into Leith, thus taking upon -his shoulders the considerable responsibility of interfering with a -foreign ship in time of peace. But she paid no attention to the torpedo -boat. She was about 3000 yards off the <i>Leicestershire</i> when the order -to the boat was given, and she had now approached within 1500 yards. -Disquieted by her proceedings, Captain Cornwall ordered one of the -3-pounders to fire a shot across her bow, and then, as this did not stop -her, followed it up with two shots from a 3-pounder directed against her -hull.</p> - -<p>At the first shot across her bows she swung round, now little more than -a thousand yards away from the British cruiser, bringing her broadside -to bear. There was the noise of a dull report like the discharge of -torpedo tubes, as an instant later the 3-pounder shells struck her hull. -Immediately, at Captain Cornwall’s order, the <i>Leicestershire</i> opened -fire with all her guns that would bear. Through the water came two -streaks of bubbles and foam, moving with lightning speed. One passed -right ahead of the <i>Leicestershire</i>; the other swept towards the British -cruiser’s stern; there was a heavy explosion; the whole hull of the -cruiser was violently shaken and lifted perceptibly up in the water; a -spout of water and smoke rose up astern, and the engines ceased to work. -The <i>Leicestershire</i> had been torpedoed by the stranger.</p> - -<p>The stranger caught the cruiser’s fire and reeled under it. The British -gunners took their revenge. The searchlights came on; four 7.5’s, in -less time than it takes to tell, planted shell after shell upon her -waterline, and the steamer began slowly to founder. Clouds of smoke and -steam rose from her; her engine was apparently disabled, and the British -launches closed<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_66" id="page_66"></a>{66}</span> about her to seize those of her crew that survived. In -ten minutes all was over. The steamer had disappeared, her side torn -open by a dozen 7.5-in. shells charged with lyddite. But the -<i>Leicestershire</i> was in serious plight. The damage done by the German -torpedo was of the gravest nature. The British cruiser was heavily down -by the stern; her port engine and propeller would no longer revolve; two -compartments on the port quarter had filled, and water was leaking into -the port engine-room. Very slowly, with the help of the starboard -engine, Captain Cornwall took her in towards Leith and beached his ship -on the shoals near the new harbour.</p> - -<p>The opening act had been cleverly thought out by the German staff. While -the torpedo boats were picking up the crew of the steamer, three -divisions of German torpedo craft, each six boats strong, had passed -into the Forth under the shadow of the northern coast. They glided like -shadows through the darkness, and they do not seem to have been seen by -the British vessels off Inchkeith, whose crews’ attention was riveted -upon the <i>Leicestershire</i>. A fourth division, moving rapidly in the -shadow of the southern coast, was seen by the <i>Leicestershire</i> and by -the British launches about her and with her, and at once she opened fire -upon the dim forms. But, bereft of motive power, she could not use her -battery to advantage, and though it was thought that one of the -destroyers disappeared in the water, the others sped up the estuary, -towards the British fleet.</p> - -<p>Warned by wireless telegraphy that destroyers had been sighted, the -British crews were on the <i>qui vive</i>. There was not time at this -eleventh hour to weigh and put out to sea; the only possible course was -to meet the attack at anchorage. The fleet was anchored off Rosyth, the -battleships in two lines ahead, headed by the flagships <i>Vanguard</i> and -<i>Captain</i>. The <i>Vanguard</i> and <i>Captain</i>, the leading ships in the -starboard and port lines respectively, were just abreast of the Beamer -Rock and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_67" id="page_67"></a>{67}</span> Port Edgar. The seven armoured cruisers were moored in the St. -Margaret’s Hope Anchorage. To torpedo craft coming from the sea and -passing under the Forth Bridge, the fleet thus offered a narrow front, -and comparatively few of its guns would bear.</p> - -<p>About 2.30 a.m. on Sunday morning, the lookout of the <i>Vanguard</i> -detected white foam, as from the bows of a destroyer, just under Battery -Point; a few seconds later, the same sign was seen to the south of -Inchgarvie, and as the bugles sounded and the 12-in. guns in the three -forward turrets of the British flagship opened, and the searchlights -played their steady glare upon the dark waters just under the Forth -Bridge, the forms of destroyers or torpedo boats fast approaching were -unmistakably seen.</p> - -<p>In a moment the air trembled with the concussion of heavy guns; the -quick-firers of the fleet opened a terrific fire; and straight at the -battleships came eighteen German destroyers and large torpedo boats, -keeping perfect station, at impetuous speed. The sea boiled about them; -the night seemed ablaze with the flashing of the great guns and the -brilliant flame of exploding shells. Now one destroyer careened and -disappeared; now another flew into splinters, as the gunners sent home -their huge projectiles. Above all the din and tumult could be heard the -rapid hammering of the pom-poms, as they beat from the bridges with -their steady stream of projectiles upon the approaching craft.</p> - -<p>Four destroyers went to the bottom in that furious onrush; ten entered -the British lines, and passed down them with the great ships on either -side, not more than 200 yards away, and every gun depressed as much as -it could be, vomiting flame and steel upon the enemy; the others turned -back. The thud of torpedo firing followed; but the boats amid that -tempest of projectiles, with the blinding glare of the searchlights in -their gunners’ eyes, aimed uncertainly. Clear and unforgettable the -figures of officers and men stood out of the blackness, as the -searchlights caught the boats. Some could be seen<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_68" id="page_68"></a>{68}</span> heaving heavy weights -overboard; others were busy at the torpedo tubes; but in the blaze of -light the pom-poms mowed them down, and tore the upper works of the -destroyers to flinders. Funnels were cut off and vanished into space; a -conning-tower was blown visibly away by a 12-in. shell which caught it -fairly, and as the smitten boat sank there was a series of terrific -explosions.</p> - -<p>Fifth ship in the starboard British line from the <i>Vanguard</i> lay the -great battleship <i>Indefatigable</i>, after the four “Dreadnoughts” one of -the four powerful units in the fleet. Four torpedoes were fired at her -by the German destroyers; three of the four missed her, two of them only -by a hair’s breadth, but the fourth cut through the steel net and caught -her fairly abreast of the port engine-room, about the level of the -platform deck. The Germans were using their very powerful 17.7-in. -Schwartzkopf torpedo, fitted with net-cutters, and carrying a charge of -265 lb. of gun-cotton, the heaviest employed in any navy, and nearly a -hundred pounds heavier than that of the largest British torpedo.</p> - -<p>The effect of the explosion was terrific. Though the <i>Indefatigable</i> had -been specially constructed to resist torpedo attack, her bulkheads were -not designed to withstand so great a mass of explosive, and the torpedo -breached the plating of the wing compartments, the wing passage, and the -coal-bunker, which lay immediately behind it. The whole structure of the -ship was shaken and much injured in the neighbourhood of the explosion, -and water began to pour through the shattered bulkheads into the port -engine-room.</p> - -<p>The pumps got to work, but could not keep the inrush down; the ship -rapidly listed to the port side, and though “out collision mat” was -ordered at once, and a mat got over the huge, gaping hole in the -battleship’s side, the water continued to gain. Slipping her anchors, at -the order of the Admiral, the <i>Indefatigable</i> proceeded a few hundred -yards with her starboard screw to the shelving, sandy beach of Society -Bank, where she dropped aground. Had the harbour works at Rosyth<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_69" id="page_69"></a>{69}</span> been -complete, the value of them to the nation at this moment would have been -inestimable, for there would have been plenty of time to get her into -the dock which was under construction there. But in the desire to effect -apparent economies the works since 1905 had been languidly pushed.</p> - -<p>The calamities of the British fleet did not end with the torpedoing of -the <i>Indefatigable</i>. A few seconds later some object drifting in the -water, probably a mine—though in the confusion it was impossible to say -what exactly happened—struck the <i>Resistance</i> just forward of the fore -barbette. It must have drifted down inside the torpedo nets, between the -hull and the network. There was an explosion of terrific violence, which -rent a great breach in the side of the ship near the starboard fore -torpedo tube, caused an irresistible inrush of water, and compelled her -captain also to slip his anchors and beach his ship.</p> - -<p>Two of the British battle squadron were out of action in the space of -less than five minutes from the opening of fire.</p> - -<p>Already the shattered remnants of the German torpedo flotilla were -retiring; a single boat was steaming off as fast as she had come, but -astern of her four wrecks lay in the midst of the British fleet devoid -of motive power, mere helpless targets for the guns.</p> - -<p>As they floated in the glare of the searchlights with the water -sputtering about them, in the hail of projectiles, first one and then -another, and finally all four, raised the white flag. Four German boats -had surrendered; four more had been seen to sink in the midst of the -fleet; one was limping slowly off under a rain of shells from the -smaller guns of the <i>Vanguard</i>.</p> - -<p>The British cruiser <i>Londonderry</i> was ordered to slip and give chase to -her, and steamed off in pursuit down the Forth. A caution to “beware of -mines” was flashed by the Admiral, and was needed. The German destroyers -must have carried with them, and thrown overboard in their approach, a -large number of these<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_70" id="page_70"></a>{70}</span> deadly agents, which were floating in all -directions, greatly hampering the <i>Londonderry</i> in her chase.</p> - -<p>But with the help of her searchlights she picked her way past some -half-dozen mines which were seen on the surface, and she was so -fortunate as not to strike any of those which had been anchored in the -channel. Gathering speed, she overhauled the damaged destroyer. The crew -could offer little resistance to the guns of a powerful cruiser.</p> - -<p>A few shots from the three-pounders and a single shell from one of the -<i>Londonderry’s</i> 7.5’s did the work. The German torpedo boat began to -sink by the stern; her engines stopped; her rudder was driven by the -explosion of the big projectile over to starboard, and the impulse of -the speed at which she was travelling brought her head round towards the -British vessel. The boat was almost flush with the water as one of her -crew raised the white flag, and the fifth German boat surrendered.</p> - -<p>The prisoners were rescued from the water with shaken nerves and quaking -limbs, as men who had passed through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, -who had endured the hail of shells and faced the danger of drowning.</p> - -<p>So soon as the survivors of that most daring and gallant attack had been -recovered from the water, and possession had been taken of the battered -hulls in which they had made their onset, the Admiral ordered his -torpedo launches to drag the channel for mines.</p> - -<p>And while the dragging was proceeding, the prisoners were taken on board -the flagship and interrogated. They would disclose little other than the -fact that, according to them, war had been already declared. The ship -which had attacked the <i>Leicestershire</i>, they said, was a tramp fitted -for mine-laying and equipped with three torpedo tubes. Half of them were -more or less seriously wounded; all admitted that the slaughter on board -their boats caused by the British fire had been terrific. One lieutenant -stated that all the men at one of his torpedo tubes had been mown down -twice by the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_71" id="page_71"></a>{71}</span> hail of small shells from the pom-poms, while a 12-in. -shell which had hit the stern of his boat had blown it completely away. -Yet the remnant of the boat had still floated.</p> - -<p>Lord Ebbfleet surveyed the scene with rueful eyes. The <i>Indefatigable</i> -and <i>Resistance</i>, two of his powerful battleships, were out of action, -and could take no more part in operations for weeks. The -<i>Leicestershire</i> was in the same plight. From sixteen battleships his -force had fallen to fourteen; his armoured cruiser squadron was reduced -from eight ships to seven. To remain in the anchorage without destroyers -and torpedo boats to keep a lookout would be to court further torpedo -attacks, and perhaps the even more insidious danger from German -submarines, and might well imperil the safety of the British reserve -ships. Only one course remained—to weigh and proceed to sea, -endeavouring to pass south to meet the reserve ships.</p> - -<p>Efforts to communicate his intention to the Admiralty failed. The roar -of firing had awakened Leith and Edinburgh; people were pouring into the -streets to know what this strange and sudden commotion meant, and what -was the cause of the storm.</p> - -<p>The windows at Queensferry had been shattered; the place was shaken as -by a great earthquake. The three heavy bursts of firing, the continuous -disquieting flashes of the searchlights, and the great hull of the -<i>Leicestershire</i> ashore off Leith, indicated that something untoward had -befallen the fleet.</p> - -<p>For a moment it was thought that the Admiral had fallen to manœuvres -at a most unseasonable hour, or that some accident had occurred on board -the injured cruiser. Then suddenly the truth dawned upon the people. The -crowd ashore, constantly increasing, as it gazed in alarm towards the -anchorage, realised that war had begun, and that for the first time -since the Dutch sailed up the Medway, more than two hundred years -before, the sanctity of a British anchorage had been invaded by an -enemy.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_72" id="page_72"></a>{72}</span></p> - -<p>The coastguardsmen, who had been placed under the control of the civil -authorities as the result of one of the numerous reforms effected in the -interests of economy, had for the most part forgotten the art of quick -signalling or quick reading of naval signals, else they might have -interpreted to the crowd the history of that night, as it was flashed to -the wireless station at Rosyth, for transmission to London.</p> - -<p>But, as has been said, the attempt to despatch the news to headquarters -failed. The private wire from the dockyard to Whitehall would not work, -and though the post office wires were tried no answer could be obtained. -It appeared that, as on the famous night of the North Sea outrage, there -was no one at the Admiralty—not even a clerk. It was, therefore, -impossible to obtain definite information.</p> - -<p>Lord Ebbfleet had meantime received a report from his torpedo launches -that a precarious passage had been cleared through the mines in the -channel, and about four o’clock on Sunday morning he ordered the -armoured cruiser squadron to put to sea and ascertain whether the coast -was clear, preceding the battle squadron, which, minus the two damaged -battleships, was to follow at six.</p> - -<p>The interval of two hours was required to take on board ammunition from -the damaged ships, to land woodwork and all the impedimenta that could -possibly be discarded before battle, and also to complete the -preparations for action.</p> - -<p>It was now almost certain that a German fleet would be encountered, but, -as has been said, the risk of remaining in the Forth was even greater -than that of proceeding to sea, while the Commander-in-Chief realised -the full gravity of the fact that upon his fleet and its activity would -depend the safety of England from invasion.</p> - -<p>He knew that the other main fleets were far distant; that the reserve -ships were much too weak by themselves to meet the force of the German -Navy, and that the best<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_73" id="page_73"></a>{73}</span> chance of averting a fresh disaster to them was -to effect as speedily as possible a junction with them. Where exactly -they were or whether they had moved from the Nore he was not yet aware; -the absence of information from the Admiralty left him in the dark as to -these two important points.</p> - -<p>The armoured cruisers were ordered, if they encountered the German -cruisers in approximately equal or inferior force, to drive them off and -push through them, to ascertain the strength and whereabouts of the -German battle fleet; if, however, the Germans were in much superior -force, the British squadron was to fall back on the battle fleet. One by -one the armoured cruisers steamed off, first the <i>Polyphemus</i>, with the -Rear-Admiral’s flag, then the <i>Olympia</i>, <i>Achates</i>, <i>Imperieuse</i>, -<i>Aurora</i>, and <i>Londonderry</i>, and last of all the <i>Gloucester</i> bringing -up the rear.</p> - -<p>Upon these seven ships the duty of breaking through the enemy’s screen -was to devolve. As they went out they jettisoned their woodwork and -formed a line ahead, in which formation they were to fight.</p> - -<p>Unfortunately, the shooting of the squadron was very uneven. Three of -its ships had done superbly at battle practice and in the gun-layers’ -test; but two others had performed indifferently, and two could scarcely -be trusted to hit the target.</p> - -<p>For years the uneven shooting of the fleet had been noted as a source of -weakness; but what was needed to bring the bad ships up to the mark was -a lavish expenditure of ammunition, and ammunition cost money. Therefore -ammunition had to be stinted.</p> - -<p>In the German Navy, on the other hand, a contrary course had been -followed. For the two months before the war, as was afterwards disclosed -by the German Staff History, the German ships had been kept constantly -at practice, and if the best ships did not shoot quite so well as the -best units in the British fleet, a far higher average level of gunnery -had been attained.</p> - -<p>Increasing the number of revolutions till the speed<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_74" id="page_74"></a>{74}</span> reached 18 knots, -the cruiser squadron sped seawards. The east was flushed with the glow -of dawn as the ships passed Inchcolm, but a grey mist lay upon the -surface of the gently heaving sea and veiled the horizon. Leaving -Inchkeith and the Kinghorn Battery soon after the Leith clocks had -struck the half-hour, and steaming on a generally easterly course, the -lookout of the <i>Polyphemus</i> saw right ahead and some ten or eleven miles -away to the north-east the dark forms of ships upon the horizon. The -British line turned slightly and headed towards these ships. All the -telescopes on the <i>Polyphemus’s</i> fore-bridge were directed upon the -strangers, and the fact that they were men-of-war painted a muddy grey -was ascertained as they drew nearer, and transmitted by wireless -telegraphy to Lord Ebbfleet.</p> - -<p>They were coming on at a speed which seemed to be about 17 knots, and -were formed in line ahead, in a line perfectly maintained, so that, as -they were approaching on almost exactly the opposite course, their -number could not be counted. In another minute or two, as the distance -between the two squadrons rapidly diminished, it was clear from her -curious girdermasts that the ship at the head of the line was either the -large German armoured cruiser <i>Waldersee</i>, the first of the large type -built by Germany, or some other ship of her class. At six miles distance -several squadrons of destroyers were made out, also formed in line -ahead, and steaming alongside the German line, abaft either beam.</p> - -<p>A battle was imminent; there was no time to issue elaborate orders, or -make fresh dispositions.</p> - -<p>The British Admiral signalled that he would turn to starboard, to -reconnoitre the strange fleet, and reserve fire till closer quarters. He -turned five points, which altered his course to an east-south-easterly -one. For a fractional period of time the Germans maintained their -original course, steering for the rear of the British line. Then the -German flagship or leader of the line turned to port, steering a course -which would bring her directly across the bows of the British line.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_75" id="page_75"></a>{75}</span></p> - -<p>Simultaneously the two divisions of torpedo craft on the port beam of -the German squadron increased speed, and, cutting across the loop, -neared the head of the German line.</p> - -<p>The German squadron opened fire as it began to turn, the <i>Waldersee</i> -beginning the duel with the two 11-in. guns in her fore-turret.</p> - -<p>A flash, a haze of smoke instantly dissipated, and a heavy shell passed -screeching over the fore-turret of the <i>Polyphemus</i>.</p> - -<p>Another flash an instant later, and a shell struck the British cruiser’s -third funnel, tearing a great hole in it, but failing to burst. Then -every German gun followed, laid on the <i>Polyphemus</i>, which blew her -steam siren and fired a 12-pounder, the prearranged signal to the -British ships for opening, and an instant later, just after 5 a.m., both -squadrons were exchanging the most furious fire at a distance which did -not exceed 5000 yards.</p> - -<p>As the two lines turned, the British were able at last to make out the -strength and numbers of their enemy. There were ten German armoured -cruisers in line—at the head of the line the fast and new <i>Waldersee</i>, -<i>Caprivi</i>, and <i>Moltke</i>, each of 16,000 tons, and armed with four 11-in. -and ten 9.4-in. guns, with astern of them the <i>Manteuffel</i>, <i>York</i>, -<i>Roon</i>, <i>Friedrich Karl</i>, <i>Prince Adalbert</i>, <i>Prince Heinrich</i>, and -<i>Bismarck</i>.</p> - -<p>The last four did not follow the first six in the turn, but maintained -their original course, and headed direct for the rear of the British -line. Thus the position was this: One German squadron was manœuvring -to pass across the head of the British line, and the other to cross the -rear of that line. Each German squadron was attended by two torpedo -divisions.</p> - -<p>Retreat for the British Admiral was already out of the question, even if -he had wished to retire. But as he stood in the <i>Polyphemus’s</i> -conning-tower and felt his great cruiser reel beneath him under the -concussion of her heavy guns—as he saw the rush of splinters over her -deck, and heard the officers at his side shouting down the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_76" id="page_76"></a>{76}</span> telephones -amid the deafening din caused by the crash of steel on steel, the -violent explosion of the shells, the heavy roar of the great guns, and -the ear-splitting crack and rattle of the 12-pounders and pom-poms—he -realised that the German squadrons were manœuvring perfectly, and -were trying a most daring move—one which it would need all his nerve -and foresight to defeat.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_77" id="page_77"></a>{77}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="CHAPTER_VI-a" id="CHAPTER_VI-a"></a>CHAPTER VI<br /><br /> -<small>FIERCE CRUISER BATTLE</small></h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">Contrary</span> to anticipation, in the interchange of fire the ships of the -two combatants did not suffer any disabling injury. The armour on either -side kept out the shells from the vitals, though great smoking gaps -began to show where the unarmoured sides had been riven.</p> - -<p>The <i>Waldersee’s</i> turrets flashed and smoked incessantly as she closed; -the whole German squadron of six ships, which included her and followed -her, turned its concentrated fire upon the <i>Polyphemus</i>, and the British -cruisers to the rear of the British line were at some disadvantage, -since their weapons could only fire at extreme range. The Germans aimed -chiefly at the <i>Polyphemus’s</i> conning-tower, wherein, they knew, dwelt -the brain that directed the British force.</p> - -<p>Amidst the smoke and fumes of high-explosive shells, with the outlook -obscured by the hail of splinters and the nerves shaken by the incessant -blast of shells, it was difficult to keep a perfectly cool head.</p> - -<p>The next move of the British Admiral has been bitterly criticised by -those who forget that the resolutions of naval war may have to be -reached in two seconds, under a strain to which no General on land is -subjected.</p> - -<p>Seeing that the main German squadron was gaining a position to execute -the famous manœuvre of “crossing the T,” and unable to turn away to -starboard for want of sea-room, the British Admiral signalled to his -fleet to turn simultaneously to port, reversing the direction<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_78" id="page_78"></a>{78}</span> of his -movement and inverting the order of his fleet. His van became his rear, -his rear his van.</p> - -<p>Amidst all the uproar, the main German squadron replied with the same -manœuvre, while the second German squadron instantly headed straight -for the ships which had been to the rear of the British line, and now -formed its van.</p> - -<p>Simultaneously two of the four divisions of German destroyers attacked, -one the rear and the other the head, of the British line, and the German -ships let go their long-range torpedoes.</p> - -<p>The range had fallen to a distance of not much over 3000 yards between -the main German squadron and the <i>Polyphemus</i>. At the other extremity of -the British line, as the four armoured cruisers forming the second -German squadron closed on the British van, it rapidly decreased. The -confusion was fearful on either side, and if the British had had -destroyers with them the German official narrative acknowledges that it -might have gone very hard with the German fleet. But here, as elsewhere, -initial errors of disposition, in the famous words of the Archduke -Charles, proved fatal beyond belief.</p> - -<p>The smaller guns on board all the ships of both sides had been in many -cases put out of action; even the heavier weapons had suffered. Several -of the turrets no longer flashed and revolved. Funnels and bridges had -sunk; wreckage of steel yawned where decks had been; dense clouds of -smoke poured from blazing paint or linoleum, and the fires were -incessantly renewed by fresh shell explosions. Blood covered the decks, -the scuppers ran red; inside the fore barbette of the <i>Imperieuse</i>, -which had been pierced by an 11-in. shell, was a scene of indescribable -horror. The barbette had suddenly ceased firing.</p> - -<p>An officer, sent to ascertain the cause, was unable to make his way in -before he was swept away by a fresh projectile. Another volunteer -climbed up through the top into the steel pent-house, for there was no -other<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_79" id="page_79"></a>{79}</span> means of access—returned alive, and reported that the whole -barbette crew were dead and that the place was like a charnel-house. -There was no sign of disabling injury to the mechanism, but the problem -was how to get a fresh crew of living men through the hail of shells to -the guns.</p> - -<p>The four German armoured cruisers of the second division turned within -1500 yards of the head of the British line, firing torpedoes and -delivering and receiving a terrific shell fire. One torpedo boat -followed each German cruiser closely, and as the four cruisers turned, -the torpedo craft, instead of following them, charged home.</p> - -<p>The manœuvre was so unexpected and so hazardous that it was difficult -to meet. At twenty-five knots speed the German boats passed like a flash -through the British line. A great hump of water rose under the British -cruiser <i>Londonderry</i>, second in the inverted order of the line, and she -reeled and settled heavily in the water. A torpedo had struck her abaft -the fore-turret.</p> - -<p>Almost at the same instant another German torpedo division attacked the -rear of the British line, and a German torpedo boat made a hit upon the -<i>Olympia</i>, last but one in the British line. She was struck abaft the -starboard engine-room, and she too listed, and settled in the water.</p> - -<p>As the German boats attempted to escape to the south they caught the -fire of the British squadron’s port broadsides, which sent two to the -bottom and left two others in a sinking condition. Both the damaged -British ships turned out of the British line and headed for the coast to -the south. The only chance of saving the ships and crews was to beach -the vessels and effect repairs. As they steered out of the battle, the -tumult behind them increased, and their crews could see great tongues of -flame shooting upwards from the <i>Bismarck</i>, which was held unmercifully -by the British 9.2-in. shells. She was badly damaged and in sore -trouble,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_80" id="page_80"></a>{80}</span> but the rest of the German ships still appeared to be going -well. The British torpedoes, fired from the cruisers’ tubes, seemed to -have made no hits.</p> - -<p>The Germans offered no hindrance to the withdrawal of the injured ships. -They closed on the remnant of the British force, now reduced to five -ships, all much damaged. On their side, without the <i>Bismarck</i>, which -had fallen out of the line, they had nine ships in action and two intact -flotillas of torpedo craft to bring to bear.</p> - -<p>The second German squadron had wheeled to join the other division, which -was now steering a generally parallel course, though well astern of the -British ships. The two fleets had drawn apart after the short but fierce -torpedo action, and the British were now heading north. A fierce cruiser -battle ensued.</p> - -<p>In this sharp encounter at close quarters, at a range which did not -exceed 2000 yards, a grave catastrophe had befallen the <i>Polyphemus</i>. As -the Admiral was giving orders for his squadron to turn, two heavy -projectiles in quick succession struck the conning-tower, inside which -he was standing with the captain, a midshipman, a petty officer, and two -boys at his side. The first shell struck the base of the conning-tower, -causing a most violent shock, and filling the interior of the tower with -smoke and fumes.</p> - -<p>The Admiral leant against the side of the tower and strove to ascertain -through the narrow opening in the steel wall what had happened, when the -second shell hit the armour outside, and exploded against it with -terrific violence. Admiral Hardy was instantly killed by the shock or by -the bolts and splinters which the explosion or impact of the projectile -drove into the conning-tower. The flag-captain was mortally wounded; the -petty officer received an insignificant contusion. The midshipman and -the two boys escaped without a scratch, though stunned and much shaken -by the terrific blow.</p> - -<p>For some seconds the ship passed out of control; then, dazed and -bewildered, the midshipman took charge, and shouted to the chamber -below, where the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_81" id="page_81"></a>{81}</span> steering gear was placed with the voice-pipes and all -other appliances,—an improvement introduced after the war in the Far -East,—orders to communicate the death of the Admiral and disablement of -the captain to the commander. For some minutes the British squadron was -without a chief, though under the system of “follow my leader,” which -had been adopted for the cruiser squadron, the captain of the -<i>Gloucester</i> which led the line was controlling the battle.</p> - -<p>Some confusion resulted, and the opportunity of finishing off the -<i>Bismarck</i> which undoubtedly offered at this moment was lost. Captain -Connor, of the <i>Gloucester</i>, increased speed to eighteen knots, heading -northward, to draw the German squadron away from the damaged British -ships, and attempted to work across the head of the German line. The -fleets now fought broadside to broadside, exchanging a steady fire, -until Captain Connor, finding himself getting too close to the north -coast, and with insufficient manœuvring room, turned southward, -inverting the British line, and bringing the <i>Polyphemus</i> once more to -its head.</p> - -<p>The British squadron, after turning, steamed towards the <i>Bismarck</i>, -which was crawling off eastwards, with a division of German torpedo -boats near at hand to give her succour. The German squadrons had now -formed up into one compact line, in which two of the ships appeared to -be in serious difficulties. They copied the British manœuvre and -steered a parallel course to the British cruisers, holding a position a -little ahead of them. Simultaneously, their other intact torpedo -division took station to leeward of their line near its rear, and the -six remaining boats of the two divisions, which had executed the first -attack, took station to leeward near the head of the line. The two -fleets steamed 3500 yards apart, gradually closing, and fought an -artillery battle, in which the greater gunpower, of the Germans, who had -nine ships in action to the British five, speedily began to tell.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_82" id="page_82"></a>{82}</span></p> - -<p>The <i>Gloucester</i> lost two of her four funnels; one of her masts fell -with a resounding crash. The <i>Olympia</i> had a slight list; the <i>Aurora’s</i> -forward works were shot away; the <i>Achates</i> had lost one of her funnels.</p> - -<p>In the German line the <i>Waldersee’s</i> forward military mast tottered and -could be seen swaying at each instant, the network of steel girders had -been badly damaged. The <i>Caprivi</i> was on fire amidships, and smoke was -pouring up from the fire. The <i>Moltke</i> was without one of her four -funnels. The <i>Manteuffel’s</i> stern had been wrecked till the structure of -the ship above the armour looked like a tangle of battered girders. The -<i>York</i> and <i>Roon</i> were less shattered, but gaping wounds could be seen -in their sides. The <i>Friedrich Karl</i> had lost the upper portion of her -after military mast. The <i>Prince Heinrich</i> was slightly down by the bow, -and was drooping astern.</p> - -<p>Sparks and splinters flew upwards from the steel sides of the great -ships as the projectiles went home; the din was indescribable; mingled -with the dull note of the heavy guns was the crackling of the smaller -guns and the beating of the pom-poms, playing a devil’s tattoo in this -furious encounter of the mastodons.</p> - -<p>The German Admiral saw that the two fleets were steadily nearing the -<i>Bismarck</i>, and essayed once more the manœuvre which he had already -tried, a manœuvre studiously practised in the German Navy, which had -for ten years been daily experimenting with battle-evolutions, and -testing its captains’ nerves till they were of steel. In these difficult -and desperate manœuvres, it was remarked then—and it has since been -proved by experience—the Germans surpassed their British rivals, not -because the German officer was braver or more capable, but because he -was younger taught to display initiative to a higher degree than the -personnel of the British fleet, and better trained for actual battle.</p> - -<p>The four last cruisers in the German line suddenly altered course and -steered straight at the British line,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_83" id="page_83"></a>{83}</span> while behind them, as before, -followed six torpedo boats. Through the intervals at the head of the -German line came the other six boats—an evolution which they had -constantly rehearsed in peace, and which they carried out with admirable -precision and dash in the crisis of battle—and charged the head of the -British line. The rest of the German squadron maintained its original -course, and covered the attack with a terrific fire, all its guns -accelerating the rapidity of their discharge till the air hummed with -projectiles.</p> - -<p>The attack was suddenly and vigorously delivered. The British ships at -the rear of the line met it and countered it with success by turning -together south and steaming away, so that the German effort in this -quarter ended with a blow to the air.</p> - -<p>But the flagship at the head of the line was not so alert; the death of -the Admiral was at this critical moment severely felt, and the -<i>Polyphemus</i>, though she eluded three torpedoes which were fired at her -at about 3000 yards by the German battleships, found two torpedo boats -closing in upon her from right ahead. She charged one with the ram; -there was no time for thinking, and she caught the boat fair under her -steel prow, which cut through the thin plating of the boat like a knife -through matchwood. Her huge hull passed with a slight shudder over the -boat, which instantly foundered with a violent explosion.</p> - -<p>The other boat, however, passed her only a hundred yards away in the -spray of shells and projectiles which seemed as if by enchantment just -to miss it. Her crew had a vision of wild-looking officers and men busy -at the boat’s torpedo tubes; the flash of two torpedoes glinted in the -sun as they leaped from the tubes into the water; then a great shell -caught the boat and sent her reeling and sinking, but too late. The -mischief had been done. One of the German torpedoes struck the -<i>Polyphemus</i> full on the starboard engine-room, and, exploding with -devastating effect, blew in the side and bulkheads. The engine-room -filled<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_84" id="page_84"></a>{84}</span> at once, and bereft of half her power the great cruiser broke -from the British line and headed for the shore with a heavy list. Almost -at the same moment the fire on board the <i>Caprivi</i> blazed up so fiercely -under the impact of the British shells that she, too, had to leave the -line of battle.</p> - -<p>The British line re-formed, heading east, now only four ships strong, -faced by eight German ships. For some minutes both fleets steamed on a -parallel course 4500 yards apart, the Germans, who had, on the whole, -suffered less damage, since their injuries were distributed over a -larger number of ships, steaming a little faster. Once more the German -Admiral essayed a surprise. Suddenly the eight German ships made each -simultaneously a quarter-turn, which brought them into line abreast. -They stood in towards the four British survivors, to deal the -culminating blow. End-on they caught the full vehemence of the British -fire. But with forces so weakened, the British senior officer could not -run the risk of a mêlée, and to avoid his antagonists he, too, turned -away from the Germans in a line abreast, and at the same moment the -<i>Achates</i>, <i>Imperieuse</i>, and <i>Aurora</i> fired their stern torpedo tubes. -Realising the danger of pressing too closely in the course of a retiring -fleet, the Germans again altered course to line ahead, and steered to -cut the British ships off from their line of retreat up the Forth.</p> - -<p>The four British cruisers now headed up the Forth, perceiving that -victory was impossible and flight the only course. They again received -the German fire, steering on a parallel course. At this juncture the -<i>Gloucester</i>, the last ship in the British line, dropped far astern; she -had received in quick succession half a dozen heavy German shells on her -6-in. armour and had sprung a serious leak. The German ships closed on -her, coming in to less than 2000 yards, when their guns battered her -with ever-increasing effect. She sank deeper in the water, heading for -the coast, with the Germans in hot pursuit firing continuously at her.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_85" id="page_85"></a>{85}</span> -The other three cruisers were preparing to turn and go to her aid—a -course which would certainly have involved the annihilation of the First -Cruiser Squadron—when welcome help appeared.</p> - -<p>To the west a column of great ships was made out coming up at impetuous -speed from the Upper Forth. The new-comers were the British battleships -steering to the scene of action.</p> - -<p>At their approach the German cruisers wheeled and stood seaward, making -off at a speed which did not exceed 16 knots, and leaving the -<i>Gloucester</i> to beach herself. They were now in peril, in imminent -danger of destruction—as it seemed to the British officers. Actually, -however, the risk for them had not been great. Within touch of them the -main German battle-fleet had waited off the Forth, linked to them by a -chain of smaller cruisers and torpedo boats. It would have shown itself -before, but for its commander’s fear that its premature appearance might -have broken off the battle and led to the retreat of the British -squadron. As the British fleet came up, the German cruiser <i>Bismarck</i>, -which had been for an hour in the gravest trouble, dropped astern of the -other German ships, and it could be seen that one other German ship had -been taken in tow and was falling astern.</p> - -<p>Thus the preliminary cruiser action between the fleets had ended all to -the disadvantage of the British, who had fought for two hours, and in -that brief space lost four ships disabled. From seven ships on that -disastrous morning, the British strength had been reduced to three. -Impartial posterity will not blame the officers and men of the armoured -cruiser squadron, who made a most gallant fight under the most -unfavourable conditions.</p> - -<p>The real criminals were the British Ministers, who neglected -precautions, permitted the British fleet to be surprised, and compelled -the British Admiral to play the most hazardous of games while they had -left the coast without torpedo stations, and England<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_86" id="page_86"></a>{86}</span> without any -military force capable of resisting an invading army.</p> - -<p>Had there been a national army, even a national militia, the -Commander-in-Chief could have calmly awaited the concentration of the -remaining British fleets, which would have given the British Navy an -overwhelming superiority. Had there been a fair number of destroyers -always attached to his force, again, it is morally certain that he would -have suffered no loss from the German torpedo attacks, while a number of -torpedo stations disposed along the North Sea coast would have enabled -him to call up torpedo divisions to his assistance, even if he had had -none attached to his fleet.</p> - -<p>Foresight would have provided for all the perils which menaced the -British Navy on this eventful night; foresight had urged the rapid -completion of the harbour at Rosyth, without which further strengthening -of the North Sea fleet was difficult; foresight had pointed out the -danger of neglecting the strengthening of the torpedo flotilla; -foresight had called for a strong navy, and a nation trained to defend -the fatherland.</p> - -<p>It was the cry of the people and the politician for all manner of -“reforms” at the expense of national security; the demand for old-age -pensions, for feeding of children, for State work at preposterous wages -for the work-shy; the general selfishness which asked everything of the -State and refused to make the smallest sacrifice for it; the degenerate -slackness of the Public and the Press, who refused to concern themselves -with these tremendous interests, and riveted all their attention upon -the trivialities of the football and cricket field, that worked the doom -of England.</p> - -<p>The nation was careless and apathetic; it had taken but little interest -in its Fleet. Always it had assumed that the navy was perfect, that one -British ship was a match for any two enemies. And now in a few hours it -had been proved that the German Navy was as efficient; that its younger -officers were better trained for<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_87" id="page_87"></a>{87}</span> war and more enterprising than the -older British personnel; that its staff had perfectly thought out and -prepared every move; and that much of the old advantage possessed by the -British Navy had been lost by the too general introduction of short -service.</p> - -<p>The shooting of the British ships, it is true, had on the whole been -good, and even the cruisers, which in battle practice had done badly, in -action had improved their marksmanship to a remarkable degree. But it -was in the art of battle manœuvring and in the scientific employment -of their weapons that the British had failed.</p> - -<p>The three surviving cruisers of the British squadron had all suffered -much damage from the German fire, and had exhausted so much of their -ammunition in the two hours’ fight that they were practically incapable -of taking further part in the operations. They had to proceed to Rosyth -to effect hasty repairs and ship any further ammunition that might with -luck be found in the insignificant magazines at that place.</p> - -<p>The <i>Olympia</i> had been struck three times on her fore barbette, but -though one of the 9.2-in. guns which it contained had been put out of -action by splinters, the barbette still worked well. Twice almost the -entire crew of the barbette had been put out of action and had been -renewed. The scenes within the barbette were appalling. Two of her -7.5-in. barbettes had been jammed by the fire; her funnels were so much -damaged that the draught had fallen and the coal consumption enormously -increased. Below the armour deck, however, the vitals of the ship were -intact.</p> - -<p>The <i>Impérieuse</i> and <i>Aurora</i> had serious hits on the water-line astern, -and each of them was taking on board a good deal of water. They, too, -were much mauled about their funnels and upper works. As for the four -beached cruisers, they were in a parlous condition, and it would take -weeks to effect repairs. The losses in men of the cruisers had not been -very heavy; the officers in the conning-towers had suffered most, as<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_88" id="page_88"></a>{88}</span> -upon the conning-towers the Germans had directed their heaviest fire.</p> - -<p>Most serious and trying in all the ships had been the outbreaks of fire. -Wherever the shells struck they appeared to cause conflagrations, and -this, though the hoses were spouting water and the decks drowned before -the action began. Once a fire broke out, to get it under was no easy -task. Projectiles came thick upon the fire-parties, working in the -choking smoke. Shell-splinters cut down the bluejackets and tore the -hoses. The difficulty of maintaining communications within the ships was -stupendous; telephones were inaudible in the terrible din; voice-pipes -were severed; mechanical indicators worked indifferently.</p> - -<p>The battle-fleet had spent its respite at the anchorage in getting on -board the intact ships much of the ammunition from the <i>Indefatigable</i> -and <i>Triumph</i>, and stripping away all remaining impedimenta; in rigging -mantlets and completing the work of preparation.</p> - -<p>While thus engaged at five a.m. the heavy boom of distant firing came in -towards it from the sea—the continuous thundering of a hundred large -guns, a dull, sinister note, which alternately froze and warmed the -blood. Orders were instantly issued to make ready for sea with all -possible speed, and hoist in the boats. Meantime the ships’ torpedo and -picket boats had dragged carefully for mines, as Lord Ebbfleet dared to -leave nothing to chance. Numerous mines were found floating on the water -or moored in the channel, and it seemed a miracle that so many ships of -the cruiser squadron had passed out to sea in safety.</p> - -<p>Ten minutes later, at 5.10 a.m., Lord Ebbfleet signalled to weigh -anchor, and the battle-fleet got under way and headed out to sea, its -ships in a single line ahead, proceeding with the utmost caution. As it -cleared the zone of danger, speed was increased to sixteen knots, and -off Inchcolm the formation was modified.</p> - -<p>Wishing to use to the utmost the high speed and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_89" id="page_89"></a>{89}</span> enormous batteries of -his four battleships of the “Dreadnought “class, Lord Ebbfleet had -determined to manœuvre with them independently. They steamed three -knots faster than the rest of his fleet; their armour and armament -fitted them to play a decisive part in the approaching action. They took -station to starboard, and to port steamed the other ten battleships, -headed by the <i>Captain</i>, under Sir Louis Parker, the second in command, -who was given full authority to control his division. Behind the -<i>Captain</i> steamed the <i>Sultan</i>, <i>Defiance</i>, <i>Active</i>, <i>Redoubtable</i>, -<i>Malta</i>, <i>Excellence</i>, <i>Courageous</i>, <i>Valiant</i>, and <i>Glasgow</i>—a -magnificent array of two-funnelled, grey-painted monsters, keeping -perfect station, with their crews at quarters, guns loaded, and -battle-flags flying. To starboard were the enormous hulls of the four -“Dreadnoughts,” the <i>Vanguard</i> leading, with astern of her the -<i>Thunderer</i>, <i>Devastation</i>, and <i>Bellerophon</i>. The great turrets, each -with its pair of giant 45 ft. long 12-in. guns, caught the eye -instantly; the three squat funnels in each ship emitted only a faint -haze of smoke; on the lofty bridges high above the water stood -white-capped officers, looking out anxiously to sea. Nearer and nearer -came the roll of the firing; presently the four “Dreadnoughts” increased -speed and drew fast ahead of the other line, while the spray flew from -under their bows as the revolutions of the turbines rose and the speed -went up to nineteen knots.</p> - -<p>The other ten battleships maintained their speed, and fell fast astern. -Off Leith a vast crowd gathered, watching the far-off fighting, and -listening in disquietude to the roar of the firing of the cruiser -battle, and cheered the great procession as it swiftly passed and -receded from view, leaving behind it only a faint haze of smoke. A few -minutes before 7 a.m. the group of officers on the <i>Vanguard’s</i> bridge -saw ahead of them three cruisers, evidently British, steaming towards -them, and far away yet another British cruiser low in the water, smoking -under the impact of shells, with about<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_90" id="page_90"></a>{90}</span> her a great fleet of armoured -cruisers. The cruisers, as they approached, signalled the terrible news -that Admiral Hardy was dead, three British cruisers out of action, and -the <i>Gloucester</i> in desperate straits.</p> - -<p>The battleships were just in time to effect the rescue. At 11,000 yards -the <i>Vanguard’s</i> fore-turret fired the first shot of the battleship -encounter, and as the scream of the projectile filled the air, the -German cruisers drew away from their prey. The “Dreadnoughts” were now -two miles ahead of the main squadron. Steaming fast towards the -<i>Bismarck</i>, which had been abandoned by her consorts, the <i>Vanguard</i> -fired six shells at her from her fore and starboard 12-in. turrets. All -the six 12-in. shells went home; with a violent explosion the German -cruiser sank instantly, taking with her to the bottom most of her crew. -Yet there was no time to think of saving men, for on the horizon ahead -of the British Fleet, out to sea, could be seen a dense cloud of smoke, -betokening the presence of a great assemblage of ships. Towards this -cloud the German cruisers were steaming at their best pace.</p> - -<p>Lord Ebbfleet reduced speed to permit his other battleships to complete -their formation and take up their positions for battle. The ten -battleships of the second division simultaneously increased speed from -fifteen to sixteen knots, which was as much as their engines could be -trusted to make without serious strain.</p> - -<p>About 7.15 a.m. the British Fleet had resumed its original order, and -was abreast of North Berwick, now fast nearing the cloud of smoke which -indicated the enemy’s presence, and rose from behind the cliffs of the -Island of May.</p> - -<p>The British admirals interchanged signals as the fleet steamed seaward, -and Lord Ebbfleet instructed Vice-Admiral Parker and Rear-Admiral -Merrilees to be prepared for the sudden charges of German torpedo craft.</p> - -<p>That there would be many with the German Fleet was certain, for, -although about twenty-four destroyers<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_91" id="page_91"></a>{91}</span> and torpedo boats had been sunk, -damaged, or left without torpedoes as the result of the previous attacks -during the night and early morning, the German torpedo flotilla had been -enormously increased in the four years before the war, till it mustered -144 destroyers and forty large torpedo boats.</p> - -<p>Even ruling thirty out of action and allowing for detachments, something -like a hundred might have to be encountered.</p> - -<p>Lord Ebbfleet was not one of those officers who expect the enemy to do -the foolish thing, and he had no doubt but that the Germans would follow -a policy of rigid concentration. They would bring all their force to -bear against his fleet and strive to deal it a deadly blow.</p> - -<p>Five minutes passed, and the smoke increased, while now at last the -forms of ships could be made out far away. Rapidly approaching each -other at the rate of some thirty knots an hour, the head ships of the -two fleets were at 7.25 a.m. about nine miles apart. It could be seen -that the German ships were in three distinct lines ahead, the starboard -or right German line markedly in advance of the others, which were -almost abreast. The German lines had wide intervals between them.</p> - -<p>In the British ships the ranges were now coming down to the guns from -the fire-control stations aloft: “18,000 yards!” “17,000 yards!” “16,000 -yards!” “15,000 yards!” “14,000 yards!” followed in quick succession; -the sights were quietly adjusted, and the tension of the crews grew -almost unendurable. The hoses were all spouting water to wet the decks; -every eye was turned upon the enemy. Far away to the south the Bass Rock -and the cliffs near Tantallon Castle rose out of a heaving sea, and -behind them loomed the upland country south of Dunbar, so famous in -Scottish story. To the north showed the rocky coast of Fife. The sun was -in the eyes of the British gunners.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_92" id="page_92"></a>{92}</span></p> - -<p>The guns of the <i>Vanguard</i>, and, indeed, of all the British battleships, -were kept trained upon the leading German. It could now be seen that she -was of the “Kaiser” class, and that five others of the same class -followed her. Her tier on tier of turrets showed against the sun; the -grim brownish-grey hulls produced an impression of resolute force.</p> - -<p>In the centre German line appeared to be stationed several ships of the -“Braunschweig” and “Deutschland” classes—how many the British officers -could not as yet make out, owing to the perfect order of the German -line, and the fact that it was approaching on exactly the opposite -course to the British Fleet.</p> - -<p>The port or left German line was headed by one of the new monster -battleships, built to reply to the <i>Dreadnought</i>, and of even greater -size and heavier battery than that famous ship. It was, in fact, the -<i>Sachsen</i>, flying Admiral Helmann’s flag, armed with twelve of the new -pattern 46 ft. long 11-in. guns, twenty-four 4-in. quick-firers, and ten -pom-poms.</p> - -<p>The monster German battleship could be plainly distinguished by the -Eiffel Tower-like structure of her masts, each with its two platforms -carried on an elaborate system of light steel girders, which rendered -them less liable to be shot away. End-on she showed her four 11-in. -turrets, each bristling with a pair of muzzles. She brought two more -heavy guns to bear ahead and on the broadside than did the -<i>Dreadnought</i>, while her stern fire was incomparably more powerful, -delivered from eight 11-in. guns.</p> - -<p>It was the completion of two ships of this class that had caused Lord -Ebbfleet so much anxiety for his position. Yet there were four of the -class in the German line of battle, two of which did not appear in the -official lists as ready for sea, but were given out to be only -completing.</p> - -<p>The range-finders in the fire-control stations in the British flagship -were still sending down the distance. “13,000 yards!” “12,000 yards!” -and the tension<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_93" id="page_93"></a>{93}</span> augmented. The centre and port German columns of ships -slowed and turned slightly in succession, while the starboard line -increased speed and maintained its original course. By this manœuvre -the German Fleet looked to be formed in one enormous irregular line, -covering four miles of sea.</p> - -<p>The numbers of the enemy could at last be counted; the British Fleet of -fourteen battleships had twenty-two battleships against it, and of those -twenty-two, four were as good ships as the <i>Vanguard</i>. The British Fleet -turned a little to starboard to bring its batteries to bear with the -best effect, and take advantage, as Lord Ebbfleet intended, of the -dispersion of the German formation. “11,000 yards!” “10,000 yards!” came -down to the barbettes. The <i>Vanguard</i> fired a 12-pounder, and as the -flash was seen both Fleets opened with sighting shots, and the great -battle began.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_94" id="page_94"></a>{94}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="CHAPTER_VII-a" id="CHAPTER_VII-a"></a>CHAPTER VII<br /><br /> -<small>CONTINUATION OF THE STRUGGLE AT SEA</small></h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">But</span> the German Admiral had anticipated the British move, and as the two -fleets closed, replied with a daring and hazardous blow. His irregular -line dissolved once more into its elements as the flashes came from -every heavy gun that would bear in his twenty-two battleships. The -Germans, as they drew abreast of the British Fleet, steaming on an -opposite course, broke into three columns in three lines ahead, one of -which steered straight for the British rear, one for the centre, and one -for the van.</p> - -<p>The <i>Vanguard</i> and the other three large battleships with Lord Ebbfleet -had increased speed, and moved ahead of their original station till -their broadsides bore and they practically belonged the British line. -They circled at full battle speed of nineteen knots to pass across the -German rear. Sheltering under the lee of the German battleships several -destroyers or torpedo-boats could be discerned, and there were other -destroyer or torpedo-boat divisions away to the north-east, moving -gently apart and aloof from the battle out at sea.</p> - -<p>The fire on either side had now become intense and accurate; the range -varied from minute to minute, but it constantly fell. The tumult was -indescribable. The German third division of six “Kaisers” passed round -the rear of the main British division, executing against it the -manœuvre of “crossing the T,” but receiving serious injury in the -process.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_95" id="page_95"></a>{95}</span></p> - -<p>A stunning succession of blows rained upon the <i>Glasgow</i>, the sternmost -battleship in the British line, and her excessively thin belt was -pierced by three German 9.4-in. shells, one of which burst with dreadful -effect inside the citadel, denting the armoured deck, driving bolts and -splinters down into the boiler and engine-rooms, and for some instants -rendering the ship uncontrollable. A great fire broke out where the -shell had burst.</p> - -<p>Almost at the same instant the <i>Glasgow’s</i> fore barbette put two shells -in succession home just above the upper level of the <i>Zahringen’s</i> -armour-belt amidships, and one of these shells bursting, wrecked and -brought down the German battleship’s after-funnel, besides putting two -of her Schultz boilers out of action. The <i>Zahringen</i> took fire, but the -flames were quickly got under; she carried no wood and nothing -inflammable.</p> - -<p>Dense clouds of smoke from funnels, from bursting shells, from burning -ships, began to settle over the water, and the air was acrid with the -taint of burnt cordite and nitrous fumes from the German powder. In the -twilight of smoke the dim forms of monster ships marched and -countermarched, aglow with red flame.</p> - -<p>The four “Dreadnoughts” passed round the first German division -containing the four battleships of the “Sachsen” class, interchanging -with them a terrific fire at about 5000 yards. Each side made many hits, -and some damage was done to unarmoured portions of the huge hulls. An -11-in. shell struck the <i>Thunderer’s</i> centre 12-in. barbette, and jammed -it for a few minutes; the <i>Vanguard</i>, at the head of the British -division, received a concentrated fire, seven 11-in. shells striking her -forward of her centre barbette. Several of her armour-plates were -cracked; her port anchor gear was shot away, and her fore-funnel much -shattered. Her whole structure vibrated under the terrific blows. -Splinters swept her fore-bridge, and a hail of small projectiles from -the German 40-pounder guns beat upon her conning-tower,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_96" id="page_96"></a>{96}</span> rendering -control of the battle exceedingly difficult.</p> - -<p>The noise and concussion were terrible; the blast of the great 12-in. -guns, when they fired ahead, shook the occupants of the tower, and -extreme caution was needed to avoid serious injury. Lord Ebbfleet -triumphantly achieved the manœuvre of “crossing the T,” or passing -across the head of the German line and raking it with all his ships, -against the Germans, though the enormous bow-fire of the <i>Sachsen</i> -served her well at this point.</p> - -<p>But the German Admiral diminished the effectiveness of the manœuvre -by turning away a little, and then, when the danger had passed, resuming -his original course. The second German division rapidly came up on the -port beam of the British main division, its head ships receiving a -fearful fire from the British line. Closing upon the first German -division, it formed up astern of it into one long line, and attacked the -British rear.</p> - -<p>Thus the Germans had surrounded the British ten battleships under Sir -Louis Parker, and had concentrated against them twenty-two battleships. -The fire of this great host of German ships told heavily upon the weak -armour of the “Defiance” and “Valiant” classes. The “Sachsens,” at about -4000 yards, put shot after shot from their 11-in. guns into the hull of -the <i>Glasgow</i>, the last ship in the British line, and clouds of smoke -and tongues of flame leapt up from her. She was now steaming slowly, and -in evident distress.</p> - -<p>The four “Dreadnoughts” worked to the north of the Germans, maintaining -with them a long-range action, and firing with great effect. But seeing -the German concentration against the other division of his fleet, Lord -Ebbfleet turned and stood towards it, while at the same time Admiral -Parker began to turn in succession and move to meet the “Dreadnoughts.” -As his line turned, the rearward ships received further injuries.</p> - -<p>Outside the armour the structure of many ships on both sides was fast -being reduced to a tangle of shattered<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_97" id="page_97"></a>{97}</span> beams and twisted and rent -plating. Most of the smaller guns were out of action, though the 6-in. -guns in the casemates of the British ships were still for the most part -intact. The <i>Sultan’s</i> 7.5’s were firing with great effect; while the -<i>Captain</i>, which headed the British main division, had resisted the -battering superbly, and inflicted great injury on the <i>Preussen</i> by her -fire. At moments, however, her guns were blanketed by the ships behind -her, from the fact that the German columns were well astern. It was to -bring his guns to bear as well as to rejoin his Commander-in-Chief that -the British Vice-Admiral altered course and steamed south-westward.</p> - -<p>The Germans now practised a masterly stroke.</p> - -<p>Their third division of six “Kaisers” headed direct for the van of the -British line, closing rapidly upon a generally opposite course. At the -same time their other two divisions steered to prevent the British ships -from making a countermarch and avoiding the charge which was now -imminent.</p> - -<p>Lord Ebbfleet saw the danger, and increased speed, closing on the -“Kaisers,” well astern of them, and plying them with a terrific fire -from the three 12-in. turrets which bore ahead in his flagship. Smoke -and sparks flew upwards from the <i>Friedrich III.</i>, the last ship in the -division. Her after-turret was out of action; her after-military mast -fell amidst a rain of splinters; her stern sank slightly in the water.</p> - -<p>At the same time the “Kaisers” began to catch the full fire of the other -British division, and they were doubled upon. The head of their line was -being raked by Sir Louis Parker; the <i>Captain</i> put shell after shell -into the bows of the <i>Wilhelm II.</i>; her 9.2’s and 12-in. guns played -with a steady stream of projectiles upon the German battleship, until, -at 2000 yards, the <i>Wilhelm’s</i> upper works appeared to be dissolving in -smoke and flame as before some irresistible acid.</p> - -<p>The bows of the German battleship sank a little, but she turned, brought -her broadside to bear, and the five<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_98" id="page_98"></a>{98}</span> ships behind her did the same. The -range was short; the position favourable for torpedoes; and the six -Germans fired, first their bow tubes as they came round, and then twice -in quick succession their two broadside tubes at the British line. The -thirty torpedoes sped through the sea; the British replied with the two -broadside tubes in each ship, as those tubes bore.</p> - -<p>There was amidst all the din and turmoil and shooting flame a distinct -pause in the battle as the crews of both fleets, or all those who could -see what was happening, watched spell-bound the issue of this attack and -counter-attack. They had not long to wait. One of the huge German -torpedoes caught the <i>Excellent</i> right astern and wrecked her rudder and -propellers. Another struck the <i>Sultan</i> almost amidships, inflicting -upon her terrible injury, so that she listed heavily. The <i>Wilhelm II.</i> -was struck by a British torpedo right on her bows, and as she was -already low in the water, began to fill and sink.</p> - -<p>The scene at this point was one of appalling horror. One battleship, the -<i>Wilhelm II.</i>, was sinking fast, with none to rescue her crew; the men -were rushing up on deck; the fire from her guns had ceased; she lay on -the sea a shattered wreck, riddled with shell, and smoking with the -fires which still burnt fiercely amidst the débris of her upper works.</p> - -<p>Not far from her lay the <i>Excellent</i>, completely disabled, but still -firing. Near the <i>Excellent</i>, again, moving very slowly, and clearly in -a sinking condition, but still maintaining gallantly the battle, was the -<i>Glasgow</i>, in a dense cloud of smoke caused by the bursting shell from -the guns of sixteen enemies and the blazing fires on board.</p> - -<p>Making off to the south to beach herself was the <i>Sultan</i>, in lamentable -plight, with a heavy list. It was 8.40 a.m., or little more than an hour -since the joining of battle, and the German Admiral at this moment -signalled that victory was his.</p> - -<p>The news was sent by wireless telegraphy to the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_99" id="page_99"></a>{99}</span> German cruisers out at -sea, and by them transmitted to Emden and Berlin.</p> - -<p>At 11 that morning newspapers were selling in the streets of the German -capital with the news that the British Fleet was beaten, and that -Britain had lost the command of the sea. Five British battleships, it -was added, in the brief wireless message, had been already sunk or put -out of action.</p> - -<div class="bbox125"> - -<p class="ceng"><span class="doubleunderline">Berlin um Eins!</span> - -<span class="doubleunderline">Berlin um Eins!</span></p> - -<p class="c"><span class="ceng"><big> -<img src="images/i_b_099.png" -width="225" -height="42" -alt="Image unavailable: Das Kleine Journal" -/></big></span></p> - -<p class="ceng"><span class="doubleunderline"> - -Mittags-Ausgaße. - -<br /> -Berlin, Montag, den 3 September 1910</span></p> - -<p class="ceng">Triumph der<br /> -Deutschen<br /> -Waffen.<br /> -<br /> -Vernichtung der<br /> -Englischen<br /> -Flotte.<br /> -<br /> -Von Kronhelm Auf<br /> -Dem Vormarsche<br /> -Nach London.</p> - -</div> - -<p class="c"> -<span class="smcap">The First News in Berlin of the<br /> -German Victory.</span><br /> -</p> - -<p>The German lines closed upon the two injured British ships, <i>Exmouth</i> -and <i>Glory</i>, showering shells upon them. At once the two British -Admirals turned and moved to the rescue, through the clouds of smoke -which had settled on the sea, and which were rendering shooting at long -range more than ever difficult. Through the smoke German torpedo-boats -could be made out on the move, but they did not attempt as yet to close -on the intact battleships, and kept well out of the range of the British -guns. The first and most powerful German battleship division covered the -other German ships in their attack upon the disabled British -battleships,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_100" id="page_100"></a>{100}</span> and encountered the fire of the eleven British battleships -which still remained in action. Meantime the other thirteen German -battleships closed to about 1000 yards of the injured British ships. The -11-in. shells from the German turrets at this distance inflicted -terrible injury. The German guns were firing three shots in two minutes, -and under their fire and the storm of 6-in. and 6.7-in. shells which -their smaller guns delivered it was impossible for the British gunners -to shoot with any effect. Great explosions occurred on board the -<i>Glory</i>; an 11-in. shell struck her fore barbette, where the plating had -already been damaged by a previous hit, and, perforating, burst inside -with fearful effect, blowing the crew of the barbette to pieces, and -sending a blast of fire and gas down into the loading chamber under the -barbette, where it exploded a cordite charge. Another shell struck the -conning-tower, and disabled or killed all inside it. The funnels fell; -both the masts, which were already tottering, came down; the ship lay -upon the water a formless, smoking hulk. Yet still her crew fought on, a -hopeless battle. Then several heavy shells caught her waterline, as the -Germans closed a little, and must have driven in the armour or pierced -it. More explosions followed; from the centre of the ship rose a column -of smoke and flame and fragments of wreckage; the centre lifted visibly, -and the ends dropped into the sea. The <i>Glory</i> parted amidships, and -went to the bottom still firing her after barbette in that supreme -moment, having proved herself worthy of her proud name. Several German -torpedo-boats steamed towards the bubbles in the water, and fell to work -to rescue the crew. Others had drawn near the <i>Wilhelm II.</i>, and in -neither case were they molested by the fire of the British fleet.</p> - -<p>A scene as terrible took place on board the <i>Exmouth</i>. To save her was -impossible, for only a few brief minutes were needed to complete the -torpedo’s work, and no respite was given by the German officers. They -poured in a heavy fire from all their guns that remained <span class="pagenum"><a name="page_101" id="page_101"></a>{101}</span>battle-worthy -upon the <i>Exmouth’s</i> barbettes and conning-tower, raining such a shower -of projectiles upon the ship that, as in the case of the <i>Glory</i>, it was -impossible for the British crew to fight her with effect. Her 7-in. -armour did not keep out the German 11-in. projectiles at short range, -and the citadel of the ship became a perfect charnel-house.</p> - -<p>Amid the tangled steel-work, amid the blaze of the fires which could no -longer be kept under, amid the hail of splinters, in the choking fumes -of smoke from burning wood and linoleum and exploding shells, officers -and men clung manfully to their posts, while under them the hull sank -lower and lower in the water. Then the <i>Braunschweig</i> headed in to 500 -yards, and at this range fired her bow torpedo at the British ship -amidships. The torpedo struck the British battleship and did its -dreadful work. Exploding about the base of the after-funnel, it blew in -the side, and immediately the British ship listed sharply, showed her -deck to her enemy, and with a rattle of objects sliding across the deck -and a rush of blue figures, capsized amid a cloud of steam.</p> - -<p>While the two disabled battleships were being destroyed, and the -<i>Swiftsure</i> was crawling off to the south in the hope of reaching the -shore and beaching herself, the fight between the rest of the British -Fleet and the German divisions had reached its full intensity. For some -minutes, indeed, both fleets had been compelled by the smoke to cease -fire, but the heavy thunder of the firing never altogether stopped. The -four big German battleships were still seemingly undamaged in any vital -respect, though all showed minor injuries. The four British -“Dreadnoughts” had stood the stern test as well.</p> - -<p>But the other battleships had all suffered grievously. The <i>Duncan</i> and -<i>Russell</i> had lost, one both her funnels and the other both her masts, -and the speed of the <i>Duncan</i> could scarcely be maintained in -consequence. The <i>Montagu</i> had one of her barbettes out of action, and -one of the <i>Albemarle’s</i> 12-in. guns had either blown off its muzzle or -else had it shot away. The <i>Albemarle</i><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_102" id="page_102"></a>{102}</span> had received a shell forward -below the waterline, and had a compartment full of water. In the German -line the <i>Lothringen</i> was on fire amidships, had lost her fore and -centre funnels, and was low in the water, but her heavy guns were still -in action. On her the British line now concentrated most of its fire, -while the Germans plied with shell the <i>Duncan</i> and <i>Russell</i>. The -second and third German divisions used their port batteries against the -British main fleet, while their starboard batteries were destroying the -<i>Exmouth</i> and <i>Glory</i>.</p> - -<p>At this juncture the <i>Duncan</i> fell astern and left the British line, and -almost at the same moment the <i>Lothringen</i> quitted the German line. The -British Admiral turned all his ships eight points simultaneously, -inverting the order of his line, to rescue his injured vessel. To -attempt an attack upon the <i>Lothringen</i> would have meant forcing his way -through the German line, and with the ever-growing disparity of numbers -he did not dare to risk so hazardous a venture. But before he could -effect his purpose, the German Admiral closed on the <i>Duncan</i>, and from -the <i>Sachsen’s</i> and <i>Grosser Kurfuerst’s</i> 11-in. turrets poured in upon -her a broadside of twenty 11-in. shells, which struck her almost -simultaneously—the range was now too short for the gunners to miss—and -caused fearful slaughter and damage on board her. Two of the -projectiles, which were alternately steel shell and capped -armour-piercing shell, perforated her side-armour; two more hit her fore -barbette; one exploded against the conning-tower; the others hulled her -amidships; and when the smoke about her lifted for an instant in a puff -of the wind, she was seen to be slowly sinking and motionless. One of -her barbettes was still firing, but she was out of the battle and -doomed. Four British battleships had gone and two German, though one of -these was still afloat and moving slowly off to the north-east, towards -two divisions of German destroyers, which waited the moment to close and -deal a final blow against the British Fleet.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_103" id="page_103"></a>{103}</span></p> - -<p>It was now about 10 a.m., and both fleets drew apart for some minutes. -Another German battleship, the <i>Westfalien</i>, quitted the German line, -and followed the <i>Lothringen</i> away from the fight. Her two turrets had -been jammed temporarily by the British 12-in. shells, while most of her -smaller guns had been put out of action by the <i>Agamemnon’s</i> 9.2-in. -weapons, which had directed upon her a merciless fire. The Germans could -be seen re-forming their divisions, and one of the battleships moved -from the second to the first division. With seven battleships in each of -these two divisions and five in the third, the Germans once more -approached the British line, which had also re-formed, the <i>Agamemnon</i> -taking station to the rear. The battle was renewed off Dunbar. Astern of -the Germans, now that the smoke had cleared away, could be seen fifteen -or twenty torpedo craft. Other destroyer and torpedo divisions were -farther away to sea.</p> - -<p>The German battleships steamed direct towards the British battleships, -repeating the manœuvre which they had employed at the opening of the -battle, and forming their two first divisions in one line, which moved -upon the port bow of the British, while the other division, the third, -advanced against the starboard bow. Both fleets reopened fire, and to -avoid passing between the two German lines, Lord Ebbfleet turned towards -the main German force, hoping, at even this eleventh hour, to retrieve -the fortunes of the disastrous day by the use of his big ships’ -batteries. Turning in succession in the attempt to cross his enemy’s -bows, his ships received a very heavy fire from both German lines; -simultaneously the conning-towers of the <i>Vanguard</i> and the <i>Sachsen</i> -were struck by several shells. Two British 12-in. projectiles caught the -<i>Sachsen’s</i> tower in succession; the first weakened the structure and -probably killed every one inside, among them Admiral Helmann; the second -practically demolished it, leaving it a complete wreck.</p> - -<p>The blow of the German 11-in. shell upon the <i>Vanguard<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_104" id="page_104"></a>{104}</span>’s</i> tower was -equally fatal. Lord Ebbfleet was killed by a splinter, and his -chief-of-the-staff received mortal injuries. Not a man in the tower -escaped untouched. The brains of both fleets were paralysed, and the -<i>Vanguard</i> steered wildly. The German destroyers saw their opportunity, -and rushed in. Four boats came straight at the huge hull of the British -flagship from ahead, and before she could be got under control, a -torpedo fired from one of them hit her right forward, breaching two -compartments and admitting a great quantity of water. Her bows sank in -the sea somewhat, but she clung to her place in the line for some -minutes, then dropped out, and, in manifest difficulty, headed for the -shore, which was close at hand to the south. Another division of four -destroyers charged on her, but her great turrets were still intact, and -received them with a murderous fire of 12-in. shrapnel.</p> - -<p>Two of the six guns made hits and wrecked two boats past recognition; -the other four missed the swiftly moving targets, and two boats survived -the first discharge and closed, one to port, and one to starboard. Her -smaller guns were out of action, or unable to stop the boats with their -fire. Both boats discharged two torpedoes; three torpedoes missed, but -the fourth struck the flagship under the fore-turret. She took in so -much water that she grounded, east of Dunbar, and lay there submerged up -to the level of her main deck, and unable to use her big guns lest the -concussion should shake her in this position to pieces. The Germans -detached the battleship <i>Preussen</i> to wreck her with its fire. With the -rest of their fleet they followed the remaining British ships, which -were now heading seawards. Admiral Parker had determined to make a -vigorous effort to escape to the south-east along the British coast, and -surviving, to fight again on a less disastrous day, with the odds more -even. Nothing could be achieved with nine ships against eighteen, even -though many of the eighteen were much damaged.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_105" id="page_105"></a>{105}</span> Moreover, on board some -of the British ships ammunition was beginning to run low.</p> - -<p>The seventeen German ships formed into a single line and pursued the -British, steering a parallel course, the head of the German line -somewhat overlapping the head of the British line, so that the four -German battleships of the “Sachsen” class could bring their entire fire -to bear upon the three remaining “Dreadnoughts.” The other fourteen -German battleships pounded the six older and weaker British battleships -in the line. The distance between the two fleets was from 4500 to 6000 -yards, and the fire of each fleet was slow, as the want of ammunition -was beginning to be felt. For nearly five hours the two fleets had -fought; it was now 11.30 a.m. Well out to sea, and some distance to -leeward of the German battleships, the British captains could discern -several German armoured cruisers, which, after having effected hasty -repairs and shipped further ammunition from a store-ship in the offing, -were closing once more. With them were at least four or five divisions -of torpedo craft, shadowing and following the movements of the two -fleets, prepared to rush in if a favourable opportunity offered. Both -fleets were making about thirteen knots, for the worst damaged of the -British battleships were not good for much more.</p> - -<p>The fire of the <i>Thunderer’s</i> 12-in. guns, concentrated on the hull of -the <i>Sachsen</i>, at last began to produce some effect. The conning-tower -had already been wrecked by the <i>Vanguard’s</i> guns, which rendered the -control and direction of the ship a matter of great difficulty. Two of -her 11-in. turrets were also out of action, jammed by shells or -completely disabled. She turned northward out of the German line, about -twelve, leaving the <i>Bayern</i> at its head. About the same time the -<i>Albemarle</i> signalled that she was in extreme difficulty; a great fire -was raging on board her, her funnels were much damaged, both her masts -were down, two compartments were full, and but few of her guns could -fire. Looking down the British line from the battered<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_106" id="page_106"></a>{106}</span> afterbridge of -the <i>Thunderer</i>, it was evident that other ships were finding difficulty -in keeping station. Strange changes and transformations had been worked -in their outward appearance. Funnels and cowls were gone, masts had been -levelled, heaps of wreckage appeared in place of the trim lines of the -grey-painted steel-work. The sea was red with the blood that poured from -the scuppers. Great rents gaped everywhere in the unarmoured works.</p> - -<p>In the German line the conditions were much the same. Certain ships were -dropping from their stations and receding to the rear of the long -procession; many of the German battleships had been grievously mauled; -all showed evident traces of the British gunners’ handiwork. The huge -steel superstructures of the “Deutschland” class were wrecked beyond -recognition. The <i>Braunschweig</i>, as the result of receiving a -concentrated broadside from the <i>Bellerophon</i>, which caught her near the -foot of her foremast, had an immense opening in the hull extending from -the fore-turret to the foremast 6.7-in. gun turret, and her fore-funnel -and foremast were completely shot away; her conning-tower, with its -armoured support, stood up out of the gap, from which poured volumes of -smoke and steam. She was clearly in a parlous condition, and only her -after-turret still fired.</p> - -<p>About 1 p.m. the <i>Albemarle</i> could keep up with the British line no -longer. Admiral Parker signalled to her, with extreme difficulty, for -most of his signalling appliances were shot away, and his message had to -be conveyed by “flag-wagging,” to beach herself if possible on the coast -to the south. To have turned with his fleet to protect her would have -meant annihilation of the rest of his force. She stood away to the -south, and as the rest of the British fleet, now only six ships strong, -increased speed to about fifteen knots, two German battleships were seen -to follow her, shell her, and then rejoin the German fleet. The remnant -of the British fleet, with the <i>Agamemnon</i> at the rear in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_107" id="page_107"></a>{107}</span> place of -honour, began slowly to draw out of range, though still to the north the -German torpedo craft followed in a sinister manner, and caused the more -anxiety because, in view of the large quantity of ammunition that had -been expended, and the great damage that had been done to all the -smaller guns in the surviving British ships, their attacks would be -extremely difficult to resist with success.</p> - -<p>About 2 p.m. the German Admiral fired the last shot of the great battle -of North Berwick at a range of 10,000 yards.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_108" id="page_108"></a>{108}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="CHAPTER_VIII-a" id="CHAPTER_VIII-a"></a>CHAPTER VIII<br /><br /> -<small>SITUATION IN THE NORTH</small></h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">Meanwhile</span> let us turn to the state of affairs on land. When the -intelligence of the invasion was received, Lancashire and Yorkshire were -in a state of utter panic.</p> - -<p>The first news, which reached Leeds, Bradford, Manchester, Liverpool, -and the other great centres of commerce, about four o’clock on Sunday -afternoon, was at once discredited.</p> - -<p>Everyone declared the story to be a huge hoax. As the people assembled -in the places of worship that evening, the amazing rumour was eagerly -discussed; and later on, when the Sunday evening crowds promenaded the -principal thoroughfares—Briggate in Leeds, Market Street in Manchester, -Corporation Street in Birmingham, Cheapside in Barnsley, and the -principal streets of Chester, Liverpool, Halifax, Huddersfield, -Rochdale, Bolton, and Wigan—wild reports of the dash upon our east -coast were upon everyone’s tongue.</p> - -<p>There was, however, no authentic news, and the newspapers in the various -towns all hesitated to issue special editions—first because it was -Sunday night, and secondly because the editors had no desire to spread a -wider panic than that already created.</p> - -<p>Upon the windows of the <i>Yorkshire Post</i> office in Leeds some of the -telegrams were posted and read by large crowds, while the <i>Manchester -Courier</i>, in Manchester, and the <i>Birmingham Daily Post</i>, in Birmingham, -followed a similar example.</p> - -<p>The telegrams were brief and conflicting, some from<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_109" id="page_109"></a>{109}</span> the London -correspondents, and others from the Central News, the Press Association, -and the Exchange Telegraph Company. Most of the news, however, in that -early stage of the alarm was culled from the exclusive information -obtained by the enterprise of the sub-editor of the <i>Weekly Dispatch</i>.</p> - -<p>Leeds, the first city in Yorkshire, was the centre of most intense -excitement on that hot, stifling Sunday night. The startling report -spread like wildfire, first from the office of the <i>Yorkshire Post</i> -among the crowds that were idling away their Sunday evening gossiping in -Boar Lane, Briggate, and the Hunslett Road, and quickly the whole city -from Burton Head to Chapel Town, and from Burmantofts to Armley Park, -was in a ferment.</p> - -<p>The sun sank with a misty, angry afterglow precursory of rain, and by -the time the big clock in the tower of the Royal Exchange showed -half-past seven the scene in the main streets was already an animated -one. The whole city was agog. The astounding news, carried everywhere by -eager, breathless people, had reached to even the remotest suburbs, and -thousands of alarmed mill-hands and workers came flocking into town to -ascertain the actual truth.</p> - -<p>As at Leeds, so all through Lancashire and Yorkshire, Volunteers were -assembling in breathless eagerness for the order to mobilise. But there -was the same cry of unpreparedness everywhere. The Volunteer battalions -of the Manchester Regiment at Patricroft, at Hulme, at -Ashton-under-Lyne, at Manchester, and at Oldham; those of the Liverpool -Regiment at Prince’s Park, at St. Anne’s, at Shaw Street, at Everton -Brow, at Everton Road, and at Southport; those of the Lancashire -Fusiliers at Bury, Rochdale, and Salford; the Hallamshire Volunteers at -Sheffield; the York and Lancasters at Doncaster; the King’s Own Light -Infantry at Wakefield; the battalions of the Yorkshires at Northallerton -and Scarborough, that of the East Yorkshires at Beverley, and those of -the West Yorkshires at York and Bradford.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_110" id="page_110"></a>{110}</span></p> - -<div class="bbox"> - -<p class="c"> -<img src="images/i_b_110.jpg" -width="175" -height="41" -alt="Image unavailable" -/></p> - -<p class="c"><b>BY THE KING.</b></p> - -<p class="c"><big><b>PROCLAMATION</b></big></p> - -<p class="c"><b>FOR CALLING OUT</b><br /> -<b>THE ARMY RESERVE. </b></p> - -<p class="nind">EDWARD R.</p> - -<p>WHEREAS by the Reserve Forces Act, 1882, it is amongst other things -enacted that in case of imminent national danger or of great emergency, -it shall be lawful for Us, by Proclamation, the occasion being declared -in Council and notified by the Proclamation, if Parliament be not then -sitting, to order that the Army Reserve shall be called out on permanent -service; and by any such Proclamation to order a Secretary of State from -time to time to give, and when given, to revoke or vary such directions -as may seem necessary or proper for calling out the forces or force -mentioned in the Proclamation, or all or any of the men belonging -thereto:</p> - -<p>AND WHEREAS Parliament is not sitting, and whereas WE have declared in -Council and hereby notify the present state of Public Affairs and the -extent of the demands on our Military Forces for the protection of the -interests of the Empire constitute a case of great emergency within the -meaning of the said Act:</p> - -<p>NOW THEREFORE We do in pursuance of the said Act hereby order that Our -Army Reserve be called out on permanent service, and We do hereby order -the Right Honourable Charles Leonard Spencer Cotterell, one of our -Principal Secretaries of State, from time to time to give, and when -given, to revoke or vary such directions as may seem necessary or proper -for calling out Our Army Reserve, or all or any of the men belonging -thereto, and such men shall proceed to and attend at such places and at -such times as may be respectively appointed by him to serve as part of -Our Army until their services are no longer required.</p> - -<p>Given at our Court at James’, this fourth day of September, in the -year of our Lord, one thousand nine hundred and ten, and in the -tenth year of Our Reign.</p> - -<p class="c"><b><big>GOD SAVE THE KING.</big><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_111" id="page_111"></a>{111}</span></b></p> - -</div> - -<p>In Halifax great crowds assembled around the office of the <i>Yorkshire -Daily Observer</i>, at the top of Russell Street, where the news received -by telephone from Bradford was being constantly posted up. Huddersfield, -with its cloth and woollen factories, was paralysed by the astounding -intelligence. The electric trams brought in crowds from Cliff End, Oakes -Fartown, Mold Green, and Lockwood, while telephone messages from -Dewsbury, Elland, Mirfield, Wyke, Cleckheaton, Overdon, Thornton, and -the other towns in the vicinity all spoke of the alarm and excitement -that had so suddenly spread over the West Riding.</p> - -<p>The mills would shut down. That was prophesied by everyone. And, if so, -then before many days wives and families would most certainly be crying -for food. Masters and operatives alike recognised the extreme gravity of -the situation, and quickly the panic spread to every home throughout -that densely populated industrial area.</p> - -<p>The city of Bradford was, as may well be imagined, in a state of -ferment. In the red, dusky sunset a Union Jack was flying from the staff -above Watson’s shop at the corner of Market Street, and the excited -throngs, seeing it, cheered lustily. Outside the <i>Bradford Daily -Telegraph</i> and the <i>Yorkshire Daily Observer</i> offices the latest -intelligence was posted, the streets being blocked by the eager people -who had come in by car from Manningham, Heaton, Tyersall, Dudley Hill, -Eccleshill, Idle, Thackley, and other places.</p> - -<p>Bolton, like the neighbouring towns, was ruled by Manchester, and the -masters eagerly went there on Monday to go on ’Change and ascertain the -exact situation. They knew, alas! that the alarm must have a disastrous -effect upon the cotton trade, and more than one spinner when the -astounding news had been told him on the previous night, knew well that -he could not possibly meet his engagements, and that only bankruptcy was -before him.</p> - -<p>In every home, rich and poor, not only in Bolton<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_112" id="page_112"></a>{112}</span> but out at Farnworth, -Kearsley, Over Hulton, Sharples, and Heaton the terrible catastrophe was -viewed with abject terror. The mills would eventually close, without a -doubt; if Manchester sent forth its mandate, then for the thousands of -toilers it meant absolute starvation.</p> - -<p>Those not at work assembled in groups in the vicinity of the Town Hall, -and in Cheapside, Moor Street, Newport Street, Bridge Street, and the -various central thoroughfares, eagerly discussing the situation, while -outside Messrs. Tillotson’s, the <i>Evening News</i> office in Mealhouse -Lane, the latest telegrams from London and Manchester were posted, being -read by a great crowd, which entirely blocked the thoroughfare. The -<i>Evening News</i>, with characteristic smartness, was being published -hourly, and copies were sold as fast as the great presses could print -them, while a special meeting of the Town Council was summoned and met -at twelve o’clock to discuss what steps should be taken in case the -mills really did close and the great populace were thrown on the town in -anger and idleness.</p> - -<p>The cotton trade was already feeling the effect of the sudden crisis, -for by noon startling reports were reaching Bolton from Manchester of -unprecedented scenes on ’Change and of the utter collapse of business.</p> - -<p>Most mill-owners were already in Manchester. All who were near enough at -once took train—from Southport, Blackpool, Morecambe, and other -places—and went on ’Change to learn what was intended. Meanwhile, -through the whole of Monday authentic reports of the enemy’s movements -in Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, and East Yorkshire were being printed by the -<i>Evening News</i>, each edition increasing the panic in that level-headed, -hard-working Lancashire town.</p> - -<p>Across at smoky Wigan similar alarm and unrest reigned. On that Monday -morning, bright and sunny, everyone re-started work, hoping for the -best. Pearson and Knowles’ and the Pemberton Collieries were running -full time; Ryland’s mills and Ekersley’s spinning mills were also full -up with work, for there was an era of as<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_113" id="page_113"></a>{113}</span> great a prosperity in Wigan as -in Bolton, Rochdale, Oldham, and other Lancashire towns. Never for the -past ten years had the cotton and iron industries been so prosperous; -yet in one single day—nay, in a few brief hours—the blow had fallen, -and trade had become paralysed.</p> - -<p>Spy mania was rife everywhere. In Oldham an innocent German, agent of a -well-known firm in Chemnitz, while walking along Manchester Street about -one o’clock, was detected as a foreigner and compelled to seek -protection inside a shop. From Chadderton to Lees, from Royton to -Hollinwood, the crisis was on everyone’s lips. Here again was the -crucial question: Would the mills close?</p> - -<p>Meanwhile, across at Liverpool, the wildest scenes were also taking -place on ’Change. News over the wires from London became hourly more -alarming, and this, combined with the rumour that German warships were -cruising off the Mersey estuary, created a perfect panic in the city. -The port was already closed, for the mouth of the river had been blocked -by mines; yet the report quickly got abroad that the Germans would send -in merchant ships to explode them and enter the Mersey after thus -clearing away the deadly obstacles.</p> - -<p>Liverpool knew too well the ridiculously weak state of her defences, -which had so long been a reproach to the authorities, and if the German -ships that had done such damage at Penarth, Cardiff, and Barry were now -cruising north, as reported, it seemed quite within the bounds of -probability that a demonstration would really be made before Liverpool.</p> - -<p>Outside and within the great Exchange the excitement was at fever heat. -The Bank Charter was suspended, and the banks had closed with one -accord. Upon the “flags” the cotton-brokers were shouting excitedly, and -many a ruined man knew that that would be his last appearance there. -Every moment over the telephones came news from Manchester, each record -more disastrous than the last. Hot, perspiring men<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_114" id="page_114"></a>{114}</span> who had lived, and -lived well, by speculation in cotton for years, surged around the great -pediment adorned by its allegorical group of sculpture, and saw each -moment their fortunes falling away like ice in the sunshine.</p> - -<p>Thus trade in Lancashire—cotton, wool, iron, and corn—was, in the -course of one single morning, utterly paralysed, all awaiting the -decision of Manchester.</p> - -<p>Thousands were already face to face with financial disaster, even in -those first moments of the alarm.</p> - -<p>The hours passed slowly. What was Manchester doing? Her decision was now -awaited with bated breath throughout the whole of Lancashire and -Yorkshire.</p> - -<p>In Manchester, the <i>Courier</i>, the <i>Daily Mail</i>, and the several other -journals kept publishing edition after edition, not only through the -day, but also through the night. Presses were running unceasingly, and -hour after hour were printed accounts of the calm and orderly way in -which the enemy were completing their unopposed landing at Goole, -Grimsby, Yarmouth, Lowestoft, King’s Lynn, and on the Blackwater.</p> - -<p>Some British destroyers had interfered with the German plans at the -latter place, and two German warships had been sunk, the <i>Courier</i> -reported. But full details were not yet forthcoming.</p> - -<p>There had been a good deal of skirmishing in the neighbourhood of -Maldon, and again near Harleston, on the Suffolk border. The town of -Grimsby had been half destroyed by fire, and the damage at Hull had been -enormous. From a timber-yard there the wind had, it seemed, carried the -flames across to the Alexandra Dock, where some stores had ignited and a -quantity of valuable shipping in the dock had been destroyed at their -moorings. The Paragon station and hotel had also been burned—probably -by people of Hull themselves, in order to drive the German commander -from his headquarters.</p> - -<p>From Newcastle, Gateshead, and Tynemouth came<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_115" id="page_115"></a>{115}</span> harrowing details of -bombardment, and the frightful result of those awful petrol bombs. Fire -and destruction had been spread broadcast everywhere.</p> - -<p>On the Manchester Exchange on Tuesday there was no longer any reason to -doubt the accuracy of Sunday’s report, and the feeling on ’Change became -“panicky.” It seemed as though the whole of the ten thousand members had -made up their minds to be present. The main entrance in Cross Street was -blocked for the greater part of the afternoon, and late comers dodged -round to the two entrances in Market Street, and the third in Bank -Street, in the hope of squeezing through into the vibrating mass of -humanity that filled the floors, the corridors, and the telephone, -reading, and writing rooms. The attendants found they had an impossible -task set them to make their way to the many lanterns around the vast -hall, there to affix the latest messages, recording astounding -fluctuations of prices, and now and again some news of the invasion. The -master and secretary in the end told the attendants to give up the -struggle, and he made his way with difficulty to the topmost balcony, -where, above the murmurings of the crowd below, he read the latest -bulletins of commercial and general intelligence as they arrived.</p> - -<p>But there were no efforts made to do business; and had any of the -members felt so inclined, the crush and stress were so great that any -attempt to book orders would have ended in failure. In the swaying of -the crowd hats were lost and trampled under foot; men whose appearance -on ’Change had always been immaculate were to be seen with torn collars -and disarranged neckwear. Never before had such a scene been witnessed. -Lancashire men had often heard of such a state of things having occurred -in the “pit” of the New York Exchange, when wild speculation in cotton -was indulged in, but they prided themselves that they were never guilty -of such conduct. No matter how the market jumped, they invariably kept -their heads, and waited until it assumed its normal condition, and -became<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_116" id="page_116"></a>{116}</span> settled. It had often been said that nothing short of an -earthquake would unnerve the Manchester commercial man; those who were -responsible for the statement had evidently not turned a thought to a -German invasion. That had done it completely.</p> - -<p>In the cafés and the hotels, where the master-spinners and the -manufacturers had been wont to forgather after high ’Change, there were -the usual gatherings, but there was little or no discussion on business -matters, except this: there was a common agreement that it would, in -present circumstances, be inadvisable to keep the mills running. Work -must be, and it was, completely suspended. The shippers, who had the -manufacturers under contract to supply certain quantities of goods for -transportation to their markets in India, China, and the Colonies, -trembled at the very contemplation of the financial losses they would -inevitably sustain by the non-delivery of the bales of cloth to their -customers abroad; but, on the other hand, they also paid heed to the -great danger of the vessels in which the goods were placed falling into -the hands of the enemy when at sea. The whole question was full of grim -perplexities, and even the most impatient among the shippers and the -merchants had to admit that a policy of do-nothing seemed the safest -course of procedure.</p> - -<p>The chaotic scenes on ’Change in the afternoon were reproduced in the -streets in the evening, and the Lord Mayor, towards eight o’clock, -fearful of rioting, sent special messengers to the headquarters of three -Volunteer corps for assistance in regulating street traffic. The -officers in command immediately responded to the call. The 2nd V.B.M.R. -took charge of Piccadilly and Market Street; the 4th were stationed in -Cross Street and Albert Square; and the 5th lined Deansgate from St. -Mary’s Gate to Peter Street. Mounted constabulary, by the exercise of -tact and good temper, kept the crowds on the move, and towards midnight -the pressure became so light that the officers felt perfectly<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_117" id="page_117"></a>{117}</span> justified -in withdrawing the Volunteers, who spent that night at their respective -headquarters.</p> - -<p>It was Wednesday, however, before Manchester people could thoroughly -realise that the distressing news was absolutely true, and on the top of -the confirmation came the startling report that the Fleet had been -crippled, and immense troops of Germans were landing at Hull, Lowestoft, -Yarmouth, Goole, and other places on the east, with the object of -sweeping the country.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_118" id="page_118"></a>{118}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="CHAPTER_IX-a" id="CHAPTER_IX-a"></a>CHAPTER IX<br /><br /> -<small>STATE OF SIEGE DECLARED</small></h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> authentic account of a further landing in Essex—somewhere near -Maldon—was now published. The statement had been dictated by Mr. Henry -Alexander, J.P.,—the Mayor of Maldon, who had succeeded in escaping -from the town,—to Captain Wilfred Quare, of the Intelligence Department -of the War Office. This Department had, in turn, given it to the -newspapers for publication.</p> - -<p>It read as follows:—</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>“On Sunday morning, September 2, I had arranged to play a round of golf -with my friend Somers, of Beeleigh, before church. I met him at the Golf -Hut about 8.30. We played one round, and were at the last hole but three -in a second round when we both thought we heard the sound of shots fired -somewhere in the town. We couldn’t make anything at all of it, and as we -had so nearly finished the round, we thought we would do so before going -up to inquire about it. I was making my approach to the final hole when -an exclamation from Somers spoilt my stroke. I felt annoyed, but as I -looked round—doubtless somewhat irritably—my eyes turned in the -direction in which I now saw my friend was pointing with every -expression of astonishment in his countenance.</p> - -<p>“ ‘Who on earth are those fellows?’ he asked. As for me, I was too -dumbfounded to reply. Galloping over the links from the direction of the -town came three<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_119" id="page_119"></a>{119}</span> men in uniform—soldiers, evidently. I had often been -in Germany, and recognised the squat pickel-haubes and general get-up of -the rapidly approaching horsemen at a glance.</p> - -<p>“ ‘I didn’t know the Yeomanry were out!’ was what my friend said.</p> - -<p>“ ‘Yeomanry be hanged! They’re Germans, or I’m a Dutchman!’ I answered; -‘and what the dickens can they be doing here?’</p> - -<p>“They were upon us almost as I spoke, pulling up their horses with a -great spattering up of grass and mud, quite ruining one of our best -greens. All three of them pointed big, ugly repeating pistols at us, and -the leader, a conceited-looking ass in staff uniform, required us to -‘surrender’ in quite a pompous manner, but in very good English.</p> - -<p>“ ‘Do we look so very dangerous, Herr Lieutenant?’ inquired I in German.</p> - -<p>“He dropped a little of his frills when he heard me speak in his native -language, asked which of us was the Mayor, and condescended to explain -that I was required in Maldon by the officer at present in command of -His Imperial Majesty the Kaiser’s forces occupying that place.</p> - -<p>“I was absolutely staggered.</p> - -<p>“When I left my house a couple of hours back I had just as much -expectation of finding the Chinese there on my return as the Germans. I -looked at my captor in complete bewilderment. Could he be some fellow -trying to take a rise out of me by masquerading as a German officer? But -no, I recognised at once that he was the genuine article. Everything -about him, from the badly-cut riding-boots to the sprouting moustache -curled up in feeble imitation of the Emperor’s characteristic adornment, -bore witness to his identity. If anything were wanting, it was supplied -by his aggressive manner.</p> - -<p>“I suggested that he might point his pistol some other way. I added that -if he wanted to try his skill<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_120" id="page_120"></a>{120}</span> as marksman it would be more sporting to -aim at the flag at the Long Hole near Beeleigh Lock.</p> - -<p>“He took my banter in good part, but demanded my parole, which I made no -difficulty about giving, since I did not see any way of escape, and in -any case was only too anxious to get back to town to see how things -were.</p> - -<p>“ ‘But you don’t want my friend, do you—he lives out the other way?’ I -queried.</p> - -<p>“ ‘I don’t want him, but he will have to come all the same,’ rejoined the -German. ‘It isn’t likely we’re going to let him get away to give the -alarm in Colchester, is it?’</p> - -<p>“Obviously it was not, and without more ado we started off at a sharp -walk, holding on to the stirrup leathers of the horsemen.</p> - -<p>“As we entered the town there was, on the bridge over the river, a small -picket of blue-coated German infantry. The whole thing was a perfect -nightmare. It was past belief.</p> - -<p>“ ‘How on earth did you get here?’ I couldn’t help asking. ‘Did you come -down from town in an excursion train or by balloon?’</p> - -<p>“My German officer laughed.</p> - -<p>“ ‘By water,’ he answered shortly, pointing down the river as he spoke, -where I was still further astonished—if it were possible after such a -morning—to see several steam pinnaces and boats flying the black and -white German ensign.</p> - -<p>“I was conducted straight to the Moot Hall. He already knew his way -about, this German, it seemed. There I found a grizzled veteran waiting -on the steps, who turned round and entered the building as we came up. -We followed him inside, and I was introduced to him. He appeared to be a -truculent old ruffian.</p> - -<p>“ ‘Well, Mr. Mayor,’ he said, pulling viciously at his white moustache, -‘do you know that I’ve a great mind to take you out into the street and -have you shot?’</p> - -<p>“I was not at all inclined to be browbeaten.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_121" id="page_121"></a>{121}</span></p> - -<p>“ ‘Indeed, Herr Hauptman?’ I answered. ‘And may I inquire in what way I -have incurred the displeasure of the Hochwohlgeboren officer?’</p> - -<p>“ ‘Don’t trifle with me, sir. Why do you allow your miserable Volunteers -to come out and shoot my men?’</p> - -<p>“ ‘My Volunteers? I am afraid I don’t understand what you mean,’ I said. -‘I’m not a Volunteer officer. Even if I were, I should have no -cognisance of anything that has happened within the last two hours, as I -have been down on the golf course. This officer will bear me out,’ I -added, turning to my captor. He admitted that he had found me there.</p> - -<p>“ ‘But, anyway, you are the Mayor,’ persisted my interrogator. ‘Why did -you allow the Volunteers to come out?’</p> - -<p>“ ‘If you had been good enough to inform us of your visit, we might have -made better arrangements,’ I answered, ‘but in any case you must -understand that a mayor has little or no authority in this country. His -job is to head subscription-lists, eat a dinner or two, and make -speeches on public occasions.’</p> - -<p>“He seemed to have some difficulty in swallowing this, but as another -officer who was there, writing at a table, and who, it appears, had -lived at some period in England, corroborated my statement, the choleric -colonel seemed to be a little mollified, and contented himself with -demanding my parole not to leave Maldon until he had reported the matter -to the General for decision. I gave it without more ado, and then asked -if he would be good enough to tell me what had happened. From what he -told me, and what I heard afterwards, it seems that the Germans must -have landed a few of their men about half an hour before I left home, -down near the Marine Lake. They had not entered the town at once, as -their object was to work round outside and occupy all the entrances, to -prevent anyone getting away with the news of their presence. They had -not noticed the little lane leading to the golf course, and so I had -gone<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_122" id="page_122"></a>{122}</span> down without meeting any of them, although they had actually got a -picket just beyond the railway arch at that time. They had completed -their cordon before there was any general alarm in the town, but at the -first reliable rumour it seems that young Shand, of the Essex -Volunteers, had contrived to get together twenty or thirty of his men in -their uniforms and foolishly opened fire on a German picket down by St. -Mary’s Church. They fell back, but were almost instantly reinforced by a -whole company that had just landed, and our men, rushing forward, had -been ridden into by some cavalry that came up a side street. They were -dispersed, a couple of them were killed and several wounded, among them -poor Shand, who was hit in the right lung. They had bagged four Germans, -however, and their commanding officer was furious. It was a pity that it -happened, as it could not possibly have been of any use. But it seems -that Shand had no idea that it was more than a very small detachment -that had landed from a gunboat that someone said they had seen down the -river. Some of the Volunteers were captured afterwards and sent off as -prisoners, and the Germans posted up a notice that all Volunteers were -forthwith to surrender either themselves or their arms and uniforms, -under pain of death. Most of them did the latter. They could do nothing -after it was found that the Germans had a perfect army somewhere between -Maldon and the sea, and were pouring troops into the town as fast as -they could.</p> - -<p>“That very morning a Saxon rifle battalion arrived from the direction of -Mundon, and just afterwards a lot of spike-helmeted gentlemen came in by -train from Wickford way. So it went on all day, until the whole town was -in a perfect uproar. Another rifle battalion, then some sky-blue hussars -and some artillery, then three more battalions of a regiment called the -101st Grenadiers, I believe. The infantry were billeted in the town, but -the cavalry and guns crossed the river and canal at Heybridge, and went -off in the direction<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_123" id="page_123"></a>{123}</span> of Witham. Later on, another infantry regiment -came in by train and marched out after them.</p> - -<p>“Maldon is built on a hill that slopes gradually towards the east and -south, but rises somewhat abruptly on the west and north, humping up a -shoulder, as it were, to the north-west. At this corner they started to -dig entrenchments just after one o’clock, and soon officers and -orderlies were busy all round the town, plotting, measuring, and setting -up marks of one kind and another. Other troops appeared to be busy down -in Heybridge, but what they were doing I could not tell, as no one was -allowed to cross the bridge over the river.</p> - -<p>“The German officer who had surprised me down on the golf course did not -turn out to be a bad kind of youth on further acquaintance. He was a -Captain von Hildebrandt, of the Guard Fusilier Regiment, who was -employed on the Staff, though in what capacity he did not say. Thinking -it was just as well to make the best of a bad job, I invited him to -lunch. He said he had to be off. He, however, introduced me to three -friends of his in the 101st Grenadiers, who, he suggested, should be -billeted on me. I thought the idea a fairly good one, and Von -Hildebrandt, having apparently arranged this with the billeting officer -without any difficulty, I took them home with me to lunch.</p> - -<p>“I found my wife and family in a great state of mind, both on account of -the untoward happenings of the morning and my non-return from golf at -the expected time. They had imagined all sorts of things which might -have befallen me, but luckily seemed not to have heard of my adventure -with the choleric colonel. Our three foreigners soon made themselves -very much at home, but as they were undeniably gentlemen, they contrived -to be about as agreeable as could be expected under the circumstances. -Indeed, their presence was to a great extent a safeguard against -annoyance, as the stable and back premises were stuffed full of -soldiers, who might have been very troublesome had they not been there -to keep them in order.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_124" id="page_124"></a>{124}</span></p> - -<p>“Of what was happening up in London we knew nothing. Being Sunday, all -the shops were shut; but I went out and contrived to lay in a -considerable stock of provisions one way and another, and it was just as -well I did, for I only just anticipated the Germans, who commandeered -everything in the town and put everybody on an allowance of rations. -They paid for them with bills on the British Government, which were by -no means acceptable to the shopkeepers. However, it was ‘Hobson’s -choice’—that or nothing. The Germans soothed them by saying that the -British Army would be smashed in a couple of weeks, and the defrayment -of such bills would be among the conditions of peace. The troops -generally seemed to be well-behaved, and treated those inhabitants with -whom they came in contact in an unexceptionable manner. They did not see -very much of them, however, as they were kept hard at work all day with -their entrenchments and were not allowed out of their billets after -eight o’clock that evening. No one, in fact, was allowed to be about the -streets after that hour. On the other hand, a couple of poor young -fellows in the Volunteers who had concealed their connection with the -force and were trying to slip out of the town with their rifles after -dark, were caught, and the next morning stood up against the -three-cornered tower of All Saints’ Church and shot without mercy. Two -or three other people were shot by the sentries as they tried to break -out in one direction or the other. These affairs produced a feeling of -horror and indignation in the town, as Englishmen, having such a long -experience of peace in their own country, have always refused to realise -what war really means.</p> - -<p>“The German fortifications went on at a rapid rate. Trenches were dug -all round the northern and western sides of the town before dark on the -first evening, and the following morning I woke up to find three huge -gun-pits yawning in my garden, which looked to the northward. One was -right in the middle of the lawn—or rather of where the lawn had been, -for all the grass<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_125" id="page_125"></a>{125}</span> that had not been displaced in the digging had been -cut up in sods to build up the insides of their parapets. During -breakfast there was a great rattling and rumbling in the street without, -and presently three big field howitzers were dragged in and planted in -the pits. There they stood, their ugly snouts pointing skyward in the -midst of the wreck of flowers and fruit.</p> - -<p>“Afterwards I went out and found that other guns and howitzers were -being put in position all along the north side of Beeleigh Road, and -round the corner by the Old Barracks. The high tower of the disused -Church of St. Peter’s, now utilised for the safe custody of Dr. Plume’s -library, had been equipped as a lookout and signal station.”</p> - -<p>Such was the condition of affairs in the town of Maldon on Monday -morning.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The excitement in London, and indeed all over the country, on Tuesday -night was intense. Scotney’s story of the landing at Weybourne was -eagerly read everywhere.</p> - -<p>As the sun sank blood-red into the smoke haze behind Nelson’s Monument -in Trafalgar Square, it was an ominous sign to the panic-stricken crowds -that day and night were now assembled there.</p> - -<p>The bronze lions facing the four points of the compass were now mere -mocking emblems of England’s departed greatness. The mobilisation muddle -was known; for, according to the papers, hardly any troops had, as yet, -assembled at their places of concentration. The whole of the East of -England was helplessly in the invader’s hands. From Newcastle had come -terrible reports of the bombardment. Half the city was in flames, the -Elswick works were held by the enemy, and whole streets in Newcastle, -Gateshead, Sunderland, and Tynemouth were still burning fiercely.</p> - -<p>The Tynemouth fort had proved of little or no use against the enemy’s -guns. The Germans had, it appeared,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_126" id="page_126"></a>{126}</span> used petrol bombs with appalling -results, spreading fire, disaster, and death everywhere. The -inhabitants, compelled to fly with only the clothes they wore, had -scattered all over Northumberland and Durham, while the enemy had seized -a quantity of valuable shipping that had been in the Tyne, hoisted the -German flag, and converted the vessels to their own uses.</p> - -<p>Many had already been sent across to Wilhelmshaven, Emden, Bremerhaven, -and other places to act as transports, while the Elswick works—which -surely ought to have been properly protected—supplied the Germans with -quantities of valuable material.</p> - -<p>Panic and confusion were everywhere. All over the country the railway -system was utterly disorganised, business everywhere was at a complete -deadlock, for in every town and city all over the kingdom the banks were -closed.</p> - -<p>Lombard Street, Lothbury, and other banking centres in the City had all -day on Monday been the scene of absolute panic. There, as well as at -every branch bank all over the metropolis, had occurred a wild rush to -withdraw deposits by people who foresaw disaster. Many, indeed, intended -to fly with their families away from the country.</p> - -<p>The price of the necessities of life had risen further, and in the East -End and poorer districts of Southwark the whole population were already -in a state of semi-starvation. But worst of all, the awful truth with -which London was now face to face was that the metropolis was absolutely -defenceless.</p> - -<p>Would not some effort be made to repel the invaders? Surely if we had -lost our command of the sea the War Office could, by some means, -assemble sufficient men to at least protect London? This was the cry of -the wild, turbulent crowd surging through the City and West End, as the -blood-red sun sank into the west, flooding London in its warm -afterglow—a light in the sky that was prophetic of red ruin and of -death to those wildly excited millions.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_127" id="page_127"></a>{127}</span></p> - -<div class="bbox"> - -<p class="c"> -<img src="images/i_b_127.jpg" -width="75" -height="103" -alt="Image unavailable" -/></p> - -<p class="c"><big><big><b>NOTICE.</b></big></big></p> - -<p class="c"><b>TO ALL GERMAN SUBJECTS RESIDENT<br /> -IN ENGLAND.</b></p> - -<p class="nind">WILHELM.</p> - -<p>To all OUR LOYAL SUBJECTS, -GREETING.</p> - -<p>We hereby COMMAND and enjoin that all -persons born within the German Empire, or -being German subjects, whether liable to -military service or not, shall join our arms at -any headquarters of either of our Army Corps -in England within 24 hours of the date of this -proclamation.</p> - -<p>Any German subject failing to obey this our -Command will be treated as an enemy.</p> - -<p>By the EMPEROR’S Command.</p> - -<p>Given at Beccles, Sept. 3rd, 1910.</p> - -<p class="r"><b>VON KRONHELM,</b><br /> -Commanding the Imperial German Army in England.</p> - -</div> - -<p class="c"> -FACSIMILE OF A PROCLAMATION POSTED BY UNKNOWN<br /> -HANDS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_128" id="page_128"></a>{128}</span><br /> -</p> - -<p>Every hour the papers were appearing with fresh details of the invasion, -for reports were so rapidly coming in from every hand that the Press had -difficulty in dealing with them.</p> - -<p>Hull and Goole were known to be in the hands of the invaders, and -Grimsby, where the Mayor had been unable to pay the indemnity demanded, -had been sacked. But details were not yet forthcoming.</p> - -<p>Londoners, however, learnt late that night more authentic news from the -invaded zone, of which Beccles was the centre, and it was to the effect -that those who had landed at Lowestoft were the IXth German Army Corps, -with General von Kronhelm, the Generalissimo of the German Army. This -Army Corps, consisting of about 40,000 men, was divided into the 17th -Division, commanded by Lieutenant-General Hocker, and the 18th by -Lieutenant-General von Rauch. The cavalry was under the command of -Major-General von Heyden, and the motor infantry under Colonel -Reichardt.</p> - -<p>According to official information which had reached the War Office and -been given to the Press, the 17th Division was made up of the Bremen and -Hamburg Infantry Regiments, the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg’s Grenadiers, -the Grand Duke’s Fusiliers, the Lübeck Regiment No. 162, the -Schleswig-Holstein Regiment No. 163, while the cavalry brigade consisted -of the 17th and 18th Grand Duke of Mecklenburg’s Dragoons.</p> - -<p>The 18th Division consisted of the Schleswig Regiment No. 84, and the -Schleswig Fusiliers No. 86, the Thuringen Regiment, and the Duke of -Holstein’s Regiment, the two latter regiments being billeted in -Lowestoft, while the cavalry brigade forming the screen across from -Leiston by Wilby to Castle Hill were Queen Wilhelmina’s Hanover Hussars -and the Emperor of Austria’s Schleswig-Holstein Hussars No. 16. These, -with the smart motor infantry, held every communication in the direction -of London.</p> - -<p>As far as could be gathered, the German commander had established his -headquarters in Beccles, and had<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_129" id="page_129"></a>{129}</span> not moved. It now became apparent that -the telegraph cables between the East Coast and Holland and Germany, -already described in the first chapter, had never been cut at all. They -had simply been held by the enemy’s advance agents until the landing had -been effected. And now Von Kronhelm had actually established direct -communication between Beccles and Emden, and on to Berlin.</p> - -<p>Reports from the North Sea spoke of the enemy’s transports returning to -the German coast, escorted by cruisers; therefore the plan was -undoubtedly not to move until a very much larger force had been landed.</p> - -<p>Could England regain her command of the sea in time to prevent the -completion of the blow?</p> - -<p>The <i>Eastminster Gazette</i>, and similar papers of the Blue Water School, -assured the public that there was but very little danger. Germany had -made a false move, and would, in the course of a few days, be made to -pay very dearly for it.</p> - -<p>But the British public viewed the situation for itself. It was tired of -these self-satisfied reassurances, and threw the blame upon the -political party who had so often said that armed hostilities had been -abolished in the twentieth century. Recollecting the Czar’s proposals -for universal peace, and the Russo-Japanese sequel, they had no further -faith in the pro-German party or in its organs. It was they, cried the -orators in the streets, that had prevented the critics having a hearing; -they who were culpably responsible for the inefficient state of our -defences; they who had ridiculed clever men, the soldiers, sailors, and -writers who had dared to tell the plain, honest, but unpalatable truth.</p> - -<p>We were at war, and if we were not careful the war would spell ruin for -our dear old England.</p> - -<p>That night the London streets presented a scene of panic indescribable. -The theatres opened, but closed their doors again, as nobody would see -plays while in that excited state. Every shop was closed, and every -railway station was filled to overflowing with the exodus<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_130" id="page_130"></a>{130}</span> of terrified -people fleeing to the country westward, or reserves on their way to join -the colours.</p> - -<p>The incredulous manner in which the country first received the news had -now been succeeded by wild terror and despair. On that bright Sunday -afternoon they laughed at the report as a mere journalistic sensation, -but ere the sun set the hard, terrible truth was forced upon them, and -now, on Tuesday night, the whole country, from Brighton to Carlisle, -from Yarmouth to Aberystwyth, was utterly disorganised and in a state of -terrified anxiety.</p> - -<p>The Eastern counties were already beneath the iron heel of the invader, -whose objective was the world’s great capital—London.</p> - -<p>Would they reach it? That was the serious question upon everyone’s -tongue that fevered, breathless night.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_131" id="page_131"></a>{131}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="CHAPTER_X-a" id="CHAPTER_X-a"></a>CHAPTER X<br /><br /> -<small>HOW THE ENEMY DEALT THE BLOW</small></h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> morning of Wednesday, September 5, dawned brightly, with warm sun -and cloudless sky, a perfect day of English early autumn, yet over the -land was a gloom and depression—the silence of a great terror. The fate -of the greatest nation the world had ever known was now trembling in the -balance.</p> - -<p>When the first flush of dawn showed, the public clamoured for -information as to what the War Office were doing to repel the audacious -Teutons. Was London to be left at their mercy without a shot being -fired? Was the whole of our military machinery a mere gold-braided -farce?</p> - -<p>Londoners expected that, ere this, British troops would have faced the -foe, and displayed that dogged courage and grand heroism that had kept -their reputation through centuries as the best soldiers in the world.</p> - -<p>The Press, too, were loud in their demands that something should at once -be done, but the authorities still remained silent, although they were -in ceaseless activity.</p> - -<p>They were making the best they could out of the mobilisation muddle.</p> - -<p>So suddenly had the blow been struck that no preparation had been made -for it. Although the printed forms and broadsides were, of course, in -their dusty pigeon-holes ready to be filled up, yet where were the men? -Many had read the proclamation which called them up for duty with their -own corps, and in numberless cases, with commendable alacrity, they set -out on a<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_132" id="page_132"></a>{132}</span> long and tiresome journey to join their respective units, -which were stationed, as is the case in peace-time, all over the -country.</p> - -<p>A sturdy Scot, working in Whitechapel, was endeavouring to work his way -up to Edinburgh; a broad-speaking Lancastrian from Oldham was struggling -to get to his regiment down at Plymouth; while an easygoing Irishman, -who had conducted an omnibus in London, gaily left for the Curragh, were -a few examples of the hopeless confusion now in progress.</p> - -<p>With the disorganised train and postal services, and with the railway -line cut in various places by the enemy, how was it possible for these -men to carry out the orders they received?</p> - -<p>Meanwhile, the greatest activity was in progress in the regimental -depôts in the Eastern counties, Norwich, Bury St. Edmunds, Bedford, -Warley, Northampton, and Mill Hill. In London, at Wellington Barracks, -Chelsea Barracks, and the Tower of London, were witnessed many stirring -scenes. Veterans were rejoining, greeting their old comrades—many of -whom had now become non-commissioned officers since they themselves left -the ranks—while excited crowds pressed round the barrack squares, -wildly cheering, and singing “God save the King.”</p> - -<p>There was bustle and movement on every hand, for the sight of English -uniforms aroused the patriotic enthusiasm of the mob, who, having never -been trained to arms themselves, now realised their own incompetency to -defend their homes and loved ones.</p> - -<p>Farther afield in the Home counties, the Regimental depôts at Guildford, -Canterbury, Hounslow, Kingston, Chichester, and Maidstone were filling -up quickly with surplus infantry, reservists, and non-efficients of all -descriptions. At Guildford the Royal West Surrey Regiment were at -Stoughton; at Canterbury were the old “Buffs”; at Hounslow the Royal -Fusiliers; at Kingston the East Surrey Regiment; at Chichester the Royal -Sussex, and at Maidstone the Royal West Kent.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_133" id="page_133"></a>{133}</span></p> - -<p>Cavalry were assembling at the riding establishments, while veteran -gunners and Army Service Corps men were making the best of their way by -steamer, rail, and road to Woolwich.</p> - -<p>Horses for both cavalry and artillery were urgently required, but owing -to the substitution of the motor-omnibus for the horse-drawn vehicle in -the London streets, there was no longer that supply of animals which -held us in such good stead during the South African War.</p> - -<p>At the depôts feverish excitement prevailed, now that every man was -ordered on active service. All officers and men who had been on leave -were recalled, and medical inspection of all ranks at once commenced. -Rations and bedding, stores and equipment were drawn, but there was a -great lack of uniforms. Unlike the German Army, where every soldier’s -equipment is complete even to the last button on the proverbial gaiter, -and stowed away where the owner knows where to obtain it, our officers -commanding depôts commenced indenting for clothing on the Royal Army -Clothing Department, and the Army Corps Clothing Department.</p> - -<p>A large percentage of men were, of course, found medically unfit to -serve, and were discharged to swell the mobs of hungry idlers. The plain -clothes of the reservists coming in were disposed of, no man daring to -appear in the ranks unless in uniform, Von Kronhelm’s proclamation -having forbidden the tactics of the Boers of putting mere armed citizens -into the field.</p> - -<p>Horse-collecting parties went out all over the country, taking with them -head-collars, head-ropes, bits, reins, surcingles, numnahs, -horse-blankets, and nose-bags. These scoured every county in search of -likely animals. Every farm, every livery stable, every hunting-box, all -hound-kennels, and private stables were visited, and a choice made. All -this, however, took time. Precious hours were thus being wasted while -the enemy were calmly completing their arrangements for the -long-contemplated blow at the heart of the British Empire.</p> - -<p>While the War Office refused any information,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_134" id="page_134"></a>{134}</span> special editions of the -papers during Wednesday printed sensational reports of the ruthless -completion of the impenetrable screen covering the operations of the -enemy on the whole of the East Coast.</p> - -<p>News had, by some means, filtered through from Yarmouth that a similar -landing to those at Lowestoft and Weybourne had been effected. Protected -as such an operation was, by its flanks being supported by the IVth and -IXth Army Corps landing on either side, the Xth Army Corps under General -von Wilburg had seized Yarmouth, with its many miles of wharves and -docks, which were now crowded by the lighters’ craft of flotilla from -the Frisian Islands.</p> - -<p>It was known that the landing had been effected simultaneously with that -at Lowestoft. The large number of cranes at the fish-docks were of -invaluable use to the enemy, for there they landed guns, animals, and -stores, while the provisions they found at the various ship’s chandlers, -and in such shops as Blagg’s and the International Stores in King -Street, Peter Brown’s, Doughty’s, Lipton’s, Penny’s, and Barnes’s, were -at once commandeered. Great stores of flour were seized in Clarke’s and -Press’s mills, while the horse-provender mills in the vicinity supplied -them with valuable forage.</p> - -<p>The hotels in the Market Place—the Bull, the Angel, the Cambridge, and -Foulsham’s—were full of men billeted, while officers occupied the Star, -the Crown and Anchor, and Cromwell House, as well as the Queen’s -opposite the Britannia Pier, and the many boarding-houses along Marine -Parade. And over all the effigy of Nelson looked down in silent -contemplation!</p> - -<p>Many men, it appeared, had also been landed at the red-brick little port -of Gorleston, the Cliff and Pier Hotels being also occupied by officers -remaining there to superintend the landing on that side of the Yare -estuary.</p> - -<p>Beyond these few details, as far as regarded the fate of Yarmouth -nothing further was at present known.</p> - -<p>The British division at Colchester, which comprised<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_135" id="page_135"></a>{135}</span> all the regular -troops north of the Thames in the eastern command, was, no doubt, in a -critical position, threatened so closely north and south by the enemy. -None of the regiments, the Norfolks, the Leicestershire, and the King’s -Own Scottish Borderers of the 11th Infantry Brigade, were up to their -strength. The 12th Infantry Brigade, which also belonged to the -division, possessed only skeleton regiments stationed at Hounslow and -Warley. Of the 4th Cavalry Brigade, some were at Norwich, the 21st -Lancers were at Hounslow, while only the 16th Lancers were at -Colchester. Other cavalry regiments were as far away as Canterbury, -Shorncliffe, and Brighton, and although there were three batteries of -artillery at Colchester, some were at Ipswich, others at Shorncliffe, -and others at Woolwich.</p> - -<p>Therefore it was quite evident to the authorities in London that unless -both Colchester and Norwich were instantly strongly supported, they -would soon be simply swept out of existence by the enormous masses of -German troops now dominating the whole eastern coast, bent upon -occupying London.</p> - -<p>Helpless though they felt themselves to be, the garrison at Colchester -did all they could. All available cavalry had been pushed out past -Ipswich, north to Wickham Market, Stowmarket, and across to Bury St. -Edmunds, only to find on Wednesday morning that they were covering the -hasty retreat of the small body of cavalry who had been stationed at -Norwich. They, gallantly led by their officers, had done everything -possible to reconnoitre and attempt to pierce the enemy’s huge cavalry -screen, but in every instance entirely in vain. They had been -outnumbered by the squadrons of independent cavalry operating in front -of the Germans, and had, alas! left numbers of their gallant comrades -upon the roads, killed and wounded.</p> - -<p>Norwich had, therefore, on Wednesday morning, fallen into the hands of -the German cavalry, utterly defenceless. Reports of the retiring -troopers told a grim story of how the grand old city had fallen. From<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_136" id="page_136"></a>{136}</span></p> - -<div class="bbox"> - -<p class="c"> -<img src="images/i_b_136.jpg" -width="115" -height="98" -alt="Image unavailable" -/></p> - -<p class="c"> -<b><big><big>CITY OF NORWICH.</big></big></b></p> - -<p class="nind"><b>CITIZENS—</b></p> - -<p>AS IS WELL KNOWN, a hostile army has landed - upon the coast of Norfolk, and has already occupied - Yarmouth and Lowestoft, establishing their headquarters - at Beccles.</p> - -<p>IN THESE GRAVE CIRCUMSTANCES our only - thought is for England, and our duty as citizens and - officials is to remain at our post and bear our part in - the defence of Norwich, our capital now threatened.</p> - -<p>YOUR PATRIOTISM, of which you have on so many - occasions in recent wars given proof, will, I have no - doubt, again be shown. By your resistance you will - obtain the honour and respect of your enemies, and by - the individual energy of each one of you the honour and - glory of England may be saved.</p> - -<p>CITIZENS OF NORWICH, I appeal to you to view - the catastrophe calmly, and bear your part bravely in the - coming struggle.</p> - -<p class="r"><b>CHARLES CARRINGTON,</b><br /> -<i>Mayor</i>.</p> - -<p>Norwich, <i>September 4, 1910</i>.</p> - -</div> -<p class="c"> -APPEAL ISSUED BY THE MAYOR OF NORWICH.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_137" id="page_137"></a>{137}</span><br /> -</p> - -<p class="nind">the Castle the German flag was now flying, the Britannia Barracks were -being used by the enemy, food had all been seized, the streets were in a -state of chaos, and a complete reign of terror had been created when a -company of British infantry, having fired at some Uhlans, were -ruthlessly shot down in the street close by the Maid’s Head Hotel.</p> - -<p>An attempt at a barricade had been erected at the top of Prince of -Wales’s Road, but the enemy, who came down the Aylsham Road, had soon -cleared it. Many motor cars were seized from Howe’s garage, and the -Norfolk Imperial Yeomanry, who were assembled at their headquarters in -Tombland, were quickly discovered, disarmed, and dispersed. Green & -Wright’s wholesale provision stores in Upper King Street, as well as -Chandler’s in Prince of Wales’s Road, Wood’s in London Street, and many -other grocers and provision-dealers were seized, the telegraph lines at -the post-office were taken over by Germans, while, by reason of a shot -fired from a window upon a German soldier who was passing, the whole -block of buildings from the <i>East Anglia Daily Press</i> office, with -Singer’s and the railway receiving office, was deliberately set on fire, -and produced an alarming state of things.</p> - -<p>In addition to this, the Mayor of Norwich was taken prisoner, lodged in -the Castle, and held as surety for the well-behaviour of the town.</p> - -<p>Everywhere Von Kronhelm’s famous proclamation was posted, and as the -invaders poured into the city the inhabitants looked on in sullen -silence, knowing that they were now under German military discipline, -the most rigorous and drastic in the whole world.</p> - -<p>The nation had, unfortunately, passed by unheeded the serious warnings -of 1905-6. The authorities had remained impotent, and Mr. Haldane’s Army -Scheme had proved useless. The War Office had only one power within it, -that of the man who represented the Cabinet. The rest were mere -instruments.</p> - -<p>There were many reports of sharp brushes between<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_138" id="page_138"></a>{138}</span> our cavalry vedettes -and those of the enemy. The latter belonged to the corps who had -established their headquarters in Maldon, and among those killed was an -officer named Von Pabst, who was a prisoner, and who was shot while -escaping, and in whose pocket was found a letter addressed to a friend, -a certain Captain Neuhaus, of Lothringen Pioneer Battalion, stationed at -Darmstadt.</p> - -<p>It was interesting, for it threw some light upon the manner that -particular corps of the invaders had embarked at Antwerp, and had -apparently been hurriedly written in the intervals of the writer’s -duties with Prince Henry of Würtemburg’s staff. Having been secured, it -was sent to London, and was as follows:—</p> - -<p class="r"> -“<span class="smcap">Maldon, England</span>,<br /> -“<i>Wednesday, September 5</i>.<br /> -</p> - -<p>“<span class="smcap">My dear Neuhaus</span>,—Behold me, here at last in the ‘tight little island,’ -by the English so greatly boasted! So far, we have had absolutely our -own way, and have hardly seen an enemy. But you will be glad to have -some account of my experience in this never-to-be-forgotten expedition. -I was, of course, overjoyed to find myself appointed to the staff of His -Highness Prince Henry of Würtemburg, and having obtained leave to quit -my garrison, started for Treves without a moment’s delay. Our troops -were to enter Belgium ostensibly to quell the riots in Brussels. But the -line was so continually blocked by troop-trains going west, that on -arrival I found that he had gone with his army corps to Antwerp. There -at last I was able to report myself—only just in time. My train got in -at noon, and we sailed the same night.</p> - -<p>“Antwerp might have been a German city. It was simply crammed with our -troops. The Parc, the Pépinière, the Jardin Zoologique, the Parc du -Palais de l’Industrie, the Boulevards, and every open space, was -utilised as a bivouac. Prince Henry had his quarters in a very nice -house on the Place Vert, opposite<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_139" id="page_139"></a>{139}</span> the Cathedral, and in the Place -itself were picketed the horses belonging to the squadron of Jäegers zu -Pferde, attached to the XIIth Corps. I rode round with the Prince in the -afternoon, and saw the various regiments in the bivouacs, and the -green-coated artillery, and the train in their sky-blue tunics hard at -work all along the quays, getting their guns and waggons on board. The -larger steamers lay two and three moored abreast alongside the quays, -and astern of each a dozen flats or barges in two lots of six, each -lashed together with a planked gangway leading to the outer ones. More -barges, and the Rhine and other river steamers, and tugs to tow the -lighters, lay outside in midstream. How all this had been arranged in -the short time that had elapsed is more than I can imagine. Of course, -our people had taken good care that no news should reach England by any -of the many telegraph routes; the arrangements for that were most -elaborate. There was no appearance of enthusiasm among the men. The -gunners were too busy, and the infantry and cavalry destined for the -expedition were not allowed to leave their bivouacs, and did not know -that they were in for a sea voyage. The Belgian troops have all been -disarmed and encamped on the other side of the river, between the older -fortifications known as the Tête de Flandre and the outer lines. The -populace for the most part have a sulky appearance, but as there is a -very large German colony we found plenty of friends. The Burgomaster -himself is a Bavarian, and most of the Councillors are also Germans, so -that in the evening Prince Henry and his staff were entertained right -royally at the Hôtel de Ville. I assure you, my friend, that I did -justice to the civic hospitality. But the banquet was all too short.</p> - -<p>“At eight o’clock we had to be on board. The steamer told off for us was -the <i>Dresden</i>, which, with many other British vessels, had been -commandeered that day. She lay alongside the pontoon, near the Steen -Museum. As soon as she cast off, a gun was<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_140" id="page_140"></a>{140}</span> fired from the Citadel, -followed by three rockets, which shot up into the darkness from the Tête -de Flandre. This was the signal for the flotilla to start, and in -succession one steamer after another slid out into the stream from the -shadows of the quays, and, followed by her train of tugs and barges, -began to glide down the Scheldt. Our arrangements had been perfected, -and everything went without a hitch.</p> - -<p>“The <i>Dresden</i> went dead slow along under the farther bank for a time, -and we watched the head of the procession of transports pass down the -river. It was an inspiring sight to see the densely-packed steamers and -barges carrying their thousands of stout German hearts on their way to -humble the pride of overbearing and threatening Albion. It brought to -mind the highly prophetic utterance of our Emperor: ‘Our Future lies on -the Water.’ The whole flotilla was off Flushing shortly before midnight, -and after forming in four parallel columns, stood away to the -north-west. It was a quiet night, not very dark, and the surface of the -water, a shining, grey sheet, was visible for a considerable distance -from the ship. The steamers carried the usual steaming lights, and the -barges and lighters white lights at bow and stern. The scuttles were all -screened, so that no other lights might confuse those who were -responsible for the safe conduct of the armada. I had no inclination to -turn in.</p> - -<p>“The general excitement of the occasion, the fascination I found in -watching the dim shades of the swarm of craft on all sides, the lines of -red, white, and green lights slowly moving side by side with their -flickering reflections in the gently-heaving waters, held me spellbound -and wakeful as I leaned over the taffrail. Most of my comrades on the -staff remained on deck, also muffled in their long cloaks, and talking -for the most part in undertones. Prince Henry paced the bridge with the -officer in command of the vessel. All of us, I think, were impressed -with the magnitude of the venture on which our Fatherland had embarked,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_141" id="page_141"></a>{141}</span></p> - -<div class="bbox"> - -<p class="c"> -<img src="images/i_b_141.jpg" -width="175" -height="46" -alt="Image unavailable" -/></p> - -<p class="c"><b>GOD SAVE THE KING.</b></p> - -<p class="c"><big><big><b>PROCLAMATION.</b></big></big></p> - -<p class="c">TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN.</p> - -<p>In regard to the Decree of September 3rd of the present -year, declaring a state of siege in the Counties of Norfolk -and Suffolk.</p> - -<p>In regard to the Decree of August 10th, 1906, regulating -the public administration of all theatres of war and military -servitude;</p> - -<p>Upon the proposition of the Commander-in-Chief</p> - -<p class="c">IT IS DECREED AS FOLLOWS:</p> - -<p>(1) There are in a state of war:</p> - -<p>1st. In the Eastern Command, the counties of Northamptonshire, -Rutlandshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, -Suffolk, Essex, Huntingdonshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, -and Middlesex (except that portion included in the -London Military District).</p> - -<p>2nd. In the Northern Command, the counties of Northumberland, -Durham, Cumberland, and Yorkshire, with -the southern shore of the estuary of the Humber.</p> - -<p>(2) I, Charles Leonard Spencer Cotterell, his Majesty’s -Principal Secretary of State for War, am charged with the -execution of this Decree.</p> - -<p class="hang">War Office, Whitehall, -<i>September the Fourth, 1910</i>.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>This proclamation was posted outside the War Office in London at -noon on Wednesday, and was read by thousands. It was also posted -upon the Town Hall of every city and town throughout the country.</p></div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_142" id="page_142"></a>{142}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">and although we felt that things had been so carefully thought out and -so splendidly arranged that the chances were almost all in our favour, -yet we could not but wonder what would be the end of it all. As Von der -Bendt—whom you will doubtless remember when he was in the 3rd Horse -Grenadiers at Bromberg, and who is also on the Prince’s staff—said that -night as he walked the deck, ‘Where would we be if, despite our -precautions, the English had contrived to get wind of our intentions, -and half a dozen destroyers came tearing up out of the darkness, and in -among our flotilla? Our own particular future would then probably lie -under the water instead of on it.’ I laughed at his croakings, but I -confess I looked rather more intently at our somewhat limited horizon.</p> - -<p>“About two in the morning the moon rose. Her light was but fitful and -partial on account of a very cloudy sky, but I received rather a shock -when her first rays revealed a long grey line of warships with all -lights out, and with the darker forms of their attendant destroyers -moving on their flanks, slowly crossing our course at right angles. As -it turned out, they were only our own escorts, ordered to meet us at -this point, and to convoy us and the other portions of the XIIth Corps, -which were coming out from Rotterdam and other Dutch ports to join us. -In a few minutes after meeting the ironclads, a galaxy of sparkling -points of light approaching from the northward heralded their arrival, -and by three o’clock the whole fleet was steaming due west in many -parallel lines. Four battleships moved in line ahead on each flank, the -destroyers seemed to be constantly coming and going in all directions, -like dogs shepherding a flock of sheep, and I fancy there were several -other men-o’-war ahead of us. The crossing proved entirely uneventful. -We saw nothing of the much-to-be-dreaded British warships, nor indeed of -any ships at all, with the exception of a few fishing-boats and the -Harwich-Antwerp boat, which, ablaze with lights, ran through the rear -portion of our flotilla, luckily<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_143" id="page_143"></a>{143}</span> without colliding with any of our -flats or lighters. What her crew and passengers must have thought of -meeting such an array of shipping in mid-Channel can only be surmised. -In any case, it was of no consequence, for by the time they arrived in -Antwerp all our cards would be on the table.</p> - -<p>“Towards morning I got very drowsy, and eventually fell asleep on a -bench behind the after deck-house. I seemed hardly to have closed my -eyes when Von der Bendt woke me up to inform me that land was in sight. -It was just dawn. A wan light was creeping up out of the east, bringing -with it a cold air that made one shiver. There was but little light in -the west, but there right ahead a long black line was just discernible -on the horizon. It was England!</p> - -<p>“Our half of the fleet now altered course a few points to the southward, -the remainder taking a more northerly course, and by five o’clock we -were passing the Swin Lightship, and stood in the mouth of the river -Crouch, doubtless to the amazement of a few fishermen who gazed -open-mouthed from their boats at the apparition of our grey warships, -with their bristle of guns and the vast concourse of shipping that -followed them. By six we were at Burnham-on-Crouch, a quaint little -town, evidently a yachting centre, for the river was absolutely covered -with craft—small cutters, yawls, and the like, and hundreds upon -hundreds of boats of all sizes. Many large, flat-bottomed barges, with -tanned sails, lay alongside the almost continuous wooden quay that -bordered the river. The boats of the squadron carrying a number of -sailors and detachments from the 2nd Marine Battalion that formed part -of the expedition had evidently preceded us, as the German ensign was -hoisted over the coastguard station, which was occupied by our men. -Several of our steam pinnaces were busily engaged in collecting the -boats and small craft that were scattered all over the estuary, while -others were hauling and towing some of the barges into position beside -the quays to serve as landing-places.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_144" id="page_144"></a>{144}</span> The method employed was to lash -one outside the other till the uttermost one was outside the position of -low-water mark. Our lighter craft, at any rate, could then go alongside -and disembark their men and stores at any time.</p> - -<p>“The first men I saw land were the residue of the Marine Battalion, who -were in the next transport to us. As soon as they were ashore, Prince -Henry and his staff followed. We landed at a little iron pier, the -planking of which was so rotten that it had given way in many places, -and as the remainder of the flooring threatened to follow suit if one -placed one’s weight on it, we all marched gingerly along the edge, -clutching tight hold of the railings. The carpenter’s crew from one of -the warships was, however, already at work on its repair. As we landed, -I saw the <i>Odin</i>, followed by a steamer, towing several flats containing -the 1st Battalion of the 177th Infantry, and a battery of artillery -landing farther up the river. She did not go far, but anchored stem and -stern. The steamer cast off her lighters close to the southern bank, and -they ran themselves ashore, some on the river bank, and others in a -little creek that here ran into the main stream. This detachment, I was -informed, was to entrench itself in the little village of Canewdon, -supposed to have been the site of Canute’s camp, and situated on an -eminence about three miles west of us, and about a mile south of the -river. As it is the only high ground on that side the river within a -radius of several miles of Burnham, its importance to us will be -evident.</p> - -<p>“While we were waiting for our horses to be landed, I took a turn -through the village. It consists of one street, fairly wide in the -central portion, with a curious red tower on arches belonging to the -local Rath-haus on one side of it. At the western exit of the town is a -red-brick drill hall for the Volunteers. Our Marines were in possession, -and I noticed several of them studying with much amusement a -gaudily-coloured recruiting poster on the post-office opposite, headed: -‘Wanted,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_145" id="page_145"></a>{145}</span> recruits for His Majesty’s Army.’ One of their number, who -apparently understood English, was translating the letterpress, setting -forth the joys and emoluments which awaited the difficult-to-find -Englishman patriotic enough to become a soldier. As if such a system of -raising an army could ever produce an efficient machine! Was it not the -famous Admiral Coligny who perished in the massacre of St. Bartholomew -who said, ‘Rather than lead again an army of voluntaries, I would die a -thousand times.’</p> - -<p>“By this time our horses, and those of a couple of troops of the Jäegers -zu Pferde had been put on shore. Then having seen that all the exits of -the village were occupied, the Mayor secured, and the usual notices -posted threatening death to any civilian who obstructed our operations, -directly or indirectly, we started off for the high ground to the -northward, where we hoped to get into touch with the Division which -should now be landing at Bradwell, on the Blackwater. With us went as -escort a troop of the Jäegers in their soft grey-green uniforms—for the -descent being a surprise one we were in our ordinary uniforms—and a -number of mounted signallers.</p> - -<p>“The villagers were beginning to congregate as we left Burnham. They -scowled at us, but said nothing. For the most part they appeared to be -completely dumbfounded. Such an event as a real invasion by a real army -of foreigners had never found any place in their limited outlook on life -and the world in general. There were some good-looking girls here and -there, with fresh, apple-red cheeks, who did not look altogether askance -at our prancing horses and our gay uniforms. It was now about half-past -eight, and the morning mists, which had been somewhat prevalent down by -the river and the low-lying land on either bank, had thinned and drifted -away under the watery beams of a feeble sun that hardly pierced the -cloudy canopy above us. This, I suppose, is the English summer day of -which we hear so much! It is not hot, certainly. The horses<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_146" id="page_146"></a>{146}</span> were fresh, -delighted to escape from their cramped quarters on shipboard, and, -trotting and cantering through the many turns of the muddy lanes, we -soon skirted the village of Southminster, and began to mount the high -ground between it and a little place called Steeple.</p> - -<p>“Here, just north of a steading known as Batt’s Farm, is the highest -point on the peninsula formed by the Blackwater and Crouch Rivers. -Though it is only 132 ft. above sea-level, the surrounding ground is so -flat that a perfect panorama was spread before us. We could not -distinguish Burnham, which was six miles or more to the southward, and -hidden by slight folds of the ground and the many trees which topped the -hedgerows, but the Blackwater and its creeks were in full view, and -about seven miles to the north-west the towers and spires of Maldon, our -principal objective in the first instance, stood up like grey -pencillings on the sky-line. Our signallers soon got to work, and in a -very few minutes picked up those of the Northern Division, who had -established a station on a church tower about two miles to our -north-east, at St. Lawrence. They reported a successful landing at -Bradwell, and that the <i>Ægir</i> had gone up in the direction of Maldon -with the 3rd Marine Battalion, who were being towed up in their flats by -steam pinnaces.</p> - -<p>“I think, my dear Neuhaus, that it would be as well if I now gave you -some general idea of our scheme of operations, so far as it is known to -me, in order that you may be the better able to follow my further -experiences by the aid of the one-inch English ordnance map which you -will have no difficulty in procuring from Berlin.</p> - -<p>“As I have already said, Maldon is our first objective. It is situated -at the head of the navigable portion of the Blackwater, and in -itself—situated as it is on rising grounds suitable for defence, and -surrounded to the north and north-west with a network of river and -canal—offers a suitable position to check the preliminary<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_147" id="page_147"></a>{147}</span> attack that -we may surely expect from the Colchester garrison. It is intended, then, -to occupy this as quickly as possible, and place it in a state of -defence. Our next move will be to entrench ourselves along a line -extending southward from Maldon to the river Crouch, which has already -been reconnoitred by our Intelligence Department, and the general -positions selected and planned. Prince Henry will, of course, be able to -make any modifications in the original design that he may consider -called for by circumstances. The total length of our front will be -nearly seven miles, rather long for the number of troops we have at our -disposal, but as the English reckon that to attack troops in position a -six-to-one force is required, and as they will be fully occupied -elsewhere, I expect we shall be amply sufficient to deal with any attack -they can make on us. The right half of the line—with the exception of -Maldon itself—is very flat, and offers no very advantageous positions -for defence, especially as the ground slopes upwards in the direction of -the enemy’s attack. It is, however, but a gradual slope. Towards the -left, though, there is higher ground, affording fairly good gun -positions, and this we must hold on to at all hazards. This, in fact, -will be the real key of the position. Holding this, even if we are -beaten out of Maldon and forced to abandon our defences in the flat -ground to the south of the town, we can use it as a pivot, and fall back -on a second position along a line of low hills that run in a north-east -direction across the peninsula to St. Lawrence, which will quite well -cover our landing-places. In order to further protect us from surprise, -the three battalions of the 108th Sharpshooter Regiment belonging to the -32nd Division left Flushing somewhat in advance of us under convoy of -some of the older battleships in three or four average-sized steamers -that could get alongside the long pier at Southend, and have been -ordered to occupy Hockley, Rayleigh, and Wickford, forming as it were a -chain of outposts covering us from any early interruption by troops sent -over from Chatham, or coming from London<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_148" id="page_148"></a>{148}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/i_b_148_lg.png"> -<img src="images/i_b_148_sml.png" width="483" height="480" alt="Image unavailable: Position of the Saxon Corps Twenty-Four Hours after -Landing in Essex. - -GEORGE PHILIP & SON LTD." /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">Position of the Saxon Corps Twenty-Four Hours after -Landing in Essex.</span> -</div> - -<p class="nind">by either the southern branch of the Great Eastern Railway or the -London, Tilbury, and Southend line. They took nothing with them but -their iron ration, the ammunition in their pouches, and that usually -carried in the company ammunition waggons (57.6 rounds per man). For the -transport of this they were to impress carts and horses at Southend, and -to move by a forced march to their positions. As soon as we are able, we -also shall push forward advanced troops to<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_149" id="page_149"></a>{149}</span> South Hanningfield, East -Hanningfield, Danebury, and Wickham Bishops, covering us in a similar -manner to the west and north. Our flanks are well protected by the two -rivers, which are tidal, very wide in parts, and difficult to cross, -except at one or two places on the Crouch, which we shall make special -arrangements to defend. Moreover—with the exception of Canewdon, which -we have already occupied—there is no elevated ground within miles of -them which would offer good positions from which the enemy might fire -into the ground we occupy between them.</p> - -<p>“So much for the military portion of our programme. Now for the part -allotted to the Navy. As I have told you, we had eight warships as our -convoy, not counting destroyers, etc. These were the eight little -armour-clads of the “Ægir” class, drawing only 18 ft. of water and -carrying three 9.4 guns apiece, besides smaller ones. The <i>Ægir</i> and -<i>Odin</i> are operating in the rivers on our flanks as far as they are -able. The remaining six are busy, three at the entrance of each river, -laying down mine-fields and other obstacles to protect us from any -inroad on the part of the British Navy, and arranging for passing -through the store-ships, which we expect to-night or to-morrow morning -from various German and Dutch ports, with the provisions, stores, and -ammunition for the use of the Northern Army Corps, when they have -penetrated sufficiently far to the south to get into touch with us. -Except by these rivers, I do not think that the English naval commanders -can get at us.</p> - -<p>“What are known as the Dengie Flats extend for three miles seaward, all -along the coast between the mouths of the two rivers, and broken marshy -land extends for three miles more inland. Their big ships would have to -lie at least seven or eight miles distant from our headquarters and -store depôt, which we intend to establish at Southminster, and even if -they were so foolish as to waste their ammunition in trying to damage us -with their big guns firing at high elevations, they would never succeed -in doing us any harm. I<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_150" id="page_150"></a>{150}</span> believe that the squadron of older battleships -that escorted the 108th to Southend have orders to mine the mouth of the -Thames, cover the mine-field with their guns as long as they can before -being overpowered, and incidentally to try and capture Shoeburyness and -destroy or bring off what guns they may find there. But this is not -really in our particular section of the operations.</p> - -<p>“But to return to my own experiences. I told you that Prince Henry and -his staff had arrived at Steeple Hill, and that the signallers had got -through to the other division that had landed at Bradwell. This was soon -after nine o’clock. Not long afterwards the advanced guard of one of the -Jäeger battalions, with their smart glazed shakoes, having the black -plumes tied back over the left ear, and looking very workmanlike in -their green red-piped tunics, came swinging along the road between St. -Lawrence and the village of Steeple. They had some of their war-dogs -with them in leashes. They were on their way to reinforce the 3rd Marine -Battalion, which by this time we trusted had occupied Maldon and cut off -all communication with the interior. They had a good nine miles before -them. The Prince looked at his watch. ‘If they’re there before noon it’s -as much as we can expect,’ he said. ‘Go and see if they are coming up -from Burnham now,’ he added, turning sharply to me. Away I went at a -gallop till I struck the main road out of Southminster. Here I just -headed off the 1st Battalion of the 101st Grenadiers. Its Colonel -informed me that the whole regiment was ashore and that the other two -battalions were following close behind. When they left Burnham the three -battalions of the 100th Body Grenadiers had nearly completed their -disembarkation, and the horses of the Garde Reiter Regiment and the 17th -Uhlans were being hoisted out by means of the big spritsail yards of the -barges lying alongside the quays. The landing pontoons had been greatly -augmented and improved during<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_151" id="page_151"></a>{151}</span> the last hour or two, and the -disembarkation was proceeding more and more quickly. They had got two of -the batteries of the 1st Brigade Division landed as well as the guns -belonging to the Horse Artillery, but they were waiting for the horses. -The Prince signalled to the officer superintending the disembarkation at -Burnham to send forward the cavalry and horse artillery by batteries and -squadrons as soon as they could be mounted.</p> - -<p>“Nothing could be done in the meantime but trust that the marines had -been successful in occupying Maldon and in stopping any news of our -presence from leaking out to Colchester. Presently, however, the -signallers reported communication with a new signal station established -by the Jäegers zu Pferde on Kit’s Hill, an eminence about six miles to -the south-west. The officer in command of the troop reported: ‘Have cut -line at Wickham Ferrers. Captured train of eight coaches coming from -Maldon, and have shunted it on to line to Burnham.’ Prince Henry -signalled back: ‘Despatch train to Burnham’; and then also signalled to -O.C. 23 Division at Burnham: ‘Expect train of eight coaches at once. -Entrain as many infantry as it will hold, and send them to Maldon with -the utmost despatch.’</p> - -<p>“While these signals were passing, I was employed in taking a careful -survey with my glasses. This is what I saw, looking from right to left. -The green and white lance pennons of a detachment of the hussars -belonging to the 32nd Division came fluttering round the shoulder of the -hill topped by the grey tower of St. Lawrence. Immediately below us a -Jäeger battalion was winding through Steeple Village like a dark green -snake. Away to my left front the helmets of the 101st Grenadier Regiment -twinkled over the black masses of its three battalions as they wound -downhill towards the village of Latchingdon, lying in a tree-shrouded -hollow. Maldon was more distinct now, but there was nothing to indicate -the presence of our<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_152" id="page_152"></a>{152}</span> men, though not so very far down the river the -lofty mast of the <i>Ægir</i>, with its three military tops, was -distinguishable over a line of willows. As I lowered my field-glasses -the Prince beckoned me. ‘Von Pabst,’ ordered he, as I raised my hand to -the salute, ‘take half a dozen troopers, ride to Maldon, and report to -me the situation there. I shall be at Latchingdon,’ added he, indicating -its position on the map, ‘or possibly on the road between that and -Maldon.’</p> - -<p>“Followed by my six Jäegers in their big copper helmets, I dashed away -on my mission, and before long was nearing my destination. Maldon -perched on its knoll, with its three church towers and gabled houses, -brought to my mind one of the old engravings of sixteenth-century cities -by Merian. Nothing indicated the approach of war till we were challenged -by a sentry, who stepped from behind a house at the entrance to a -straggling street. We trotted on till just about to turn in the main -street, when ‘bang’ went a straggling volley from the right. Shot after -shot replied, and this told me that our marines had arrived. Then a -score of khaki-clad men ran across the entrance of the side street up -which we were approaching. ‘The English at last!’ thought I. It was too -late to turn back. One or two of the enemy had caught sight of us as -they rushed by, though most of them were too busily engaged in front to -observe us. So with a shout of ‘Vorwarts!’ I stuck in my spurs, and with -my six troopers charged into the middle of them, though I had no idea of -how many there might be up the street. There was a tremendous clatter -and banging of rifles. I cut down one fellow who ran his bayonet into my -wallet. At the same time I heard a loud German ‘Hoch!’ from our right, -and caught sight of a body of marines coming up the street at the -double. It was all over in a moment. There were not more than thirty -‘khakis’ all told. Half a dozen lay dead or wounded on the ground, some -disappeared up side<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_153" id="page_153"></a>{153}</span> alleys, and others were made prisoners by the -marines. It appeared afterwards that on the first boat-load landing, -about an hour previously, the alarm had reached a local Volunteer -officer, who had managed to collect some of his men and get them into -uniform. He then made the foolish attack on our troops which had ended -in so unsatisfactory a manner for him. He, poor fellow, lay spitting -blood on the kerbstone. The colonel of marines appeared a moment later, -and at once gave orders for the Mayor of Maldon to be brought before -him.”</p> - -<p>The letter ended abruptly, the German officer’s intention being no doubt -to give some further details of the operations before despatching it to -his friend in Darmstadt. But it remained unfinished, for its writer lay -already in his grave.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_154" id="page_154"></a>{154}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="CHAPTER_XI-a" id="CHAPTER_XI-a"></a>CHAPTER XI<br /><br /> -<small>GERMANS LANDING AT HULL AND GOOLE</small></h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">A special</span> issue of the <i>Times</i> in the evening of 3rd September contained -the following vivid account—the first published—of the happenings in -the town of Goole, in Yorkshire:—</p> - -<p class="r"> -“<span class="smcap">Goole</span>, <i>September 3</i>.<br /> -</p> - -<p>“Shortly before five o’clock on Sunday morning the night operator of the -telephone call-office here discovered an interruption on the trunk-line, -and on trying the telegraphs was surprised to find that there was no -communication in any direction. The railway station, being rung up, -replied that their wires were also down.</p> - -<p>“Almost immediately afterwards a well-known North Sea pilot rushed into -the post-office and breathlessly asked that he might telephone to -Lloyd’s. When told that all communication was cut off he wildly shouted -that a most extraordinary sight was to be seen in the river Ouse, up -which was approaching a continuous procession of tugs, towing flats, and -barges filled with German soldiers.</p> - -<p>“This was proved to be an actual fact, and the inhabitants of Goole, -awakened from their Sunday morning slumbers by the shouts of alarm in -the streets, found to their abject amazement foreign soldiers swarming -everywhere. On the quay they found activity everywhere, German being -spoken on all hands. They watched a body of cavalry consisting of the -1st Westphalian<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_155" id="page_155"></a>{155}</span> Hussars and the Westphalian Cuirassiers land with order -and ease at the Victoria Pier, whence, after being formed up on the -quay, they advanced at a sharp trot up Victoria Street, Ouse Street, and -North Street to the railway stations, where, as is generally known, -there are large sidings of the North-East Lancashire and Yorkshire lines -in direct communication both with London and the great cities of the -north. The enemy here found great quantities of engines and rolling -stock, all of which was at once seized, together with huge stacks of -coal at the new sidings.</p> - -<p>“Before long the first of the infantry of the 13th Division, which was -commanded by Lieutenant-General Doppschutz, marched up to the stations. -They consisted of the 13th and 56th Westphalian Regiments, and the -cavalry on being relieved advanced out of the town, crossing the Dutch -River by the railway bridge, and pushed on as far as Thorne and Hensall, -near which they at once strongly held the several important railway -junctions.</p> - -<p>“Meanwhile cavalry of the 14th Brigade, consisting of Westphalian -Hussars and Uhlans, were rapidly disembarking at Old Goole, and, -advancing southwards over the open country of Goole Moors and Thorne -Waste, occupied Crowle. Both cavalry brigades were acting independently -of the main body, and by their vigorous action both south and west they -were entirely screening what was happening in the port of Goole.</p> - -<p>“Infantry continued to pour into the town from flats and barges, -arriving in endless procession. Doppschutz’s Division landed at Aldan -Dock, Railway Dock, and Ship Dock; the 14th Division at the Jetty and -Basin, also in the Barge Dock and at the mouth of the Dutch River; while -some, following the cavalry brigade, landed at Old Goole and Swinefleet.</p> - -<p>“As far as can be ascertained, the whole of the VIIth German Army Corps -have landed, at any rate as far as the men are concerned. The troops, -who are under the supreme command of General Baron von<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_156" id="page_156"></a>{156}</span> Bistram, appear -to consist almost entirely of Westphalians, and include Prince Frederick -of the Netherlands’ 2nd Westphalians; Count Bulow von Dennewitz’s 6th -Westphalians; but one infantry brigade, the 79th, consisted of men from -Lorraine.</p> - -<p>“Through the whole day the disembarkation proceeded, the townsmen -standing there helpless to lift a finger and watching the enemy’s -arrival. The Victoria Pleasure Grounds were occupied by parked -artillery, which towards afternoon began to rumble through the streets. -The German gunners, with folded arms, sat unconcernedly upon the -ammunition boxes as the guns were drawn up to their positions. Horses -were seized wherever found, the proclamation of Von Kronhelm was nailed -upon the church doors, and the terrified populace read the grim threat -of the German field-marshal.</p> - -<p>“The wagons, of which there were hundreds, were put ashore mostly at -Goole, but others up the river at Hook and Swinefleet. When the cavalry -advance was complete, as it was soon after midday, and when reports had -come in to Von Bistram that the country was clear of the British, the -German infantry advance began. By nightfall they had pushed forward, -some by road, some by rail, and others in the numerous motor-wagons that -had accompanied the force, until march-outposts were established south -of Thorne, Askern, and Crowle, straddling the main road to Bawtry. These -places, including Fishlake and the country between them, were at once -strongly held, while ammunition and stores were pushed up by railway to -both Thorne and Askern.</p> - -<p>“The independent cavalry advance continued through Doncaster until dusk, -when Rotherham was reached, during which advance scattered bodies of -British Imperial Yeomanry were met and compelled to retreat, a dozen or -so lives being lost. It appears that late in the afternoon of Sunday -news was brought into Sheffield of what was in progress,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_157" id="page_157"></a>{157}</span> and a squadron -of Yeomanry donned their uniforms and rode forward to reconnoitre, with -the disastrous results already mentioned.</p> - -<p>“The sensation caused in Sheffield when it became known that German -cavalry were so close as Rotherham was enormous, and the scenes in the -streets soon approached a panic; for it was wildly declared that that -night the enemy intended to occupy the town. The Mayor telegraphed to -the War Office appealing for additional defensive force, but no response -was received to the telegram. The small force of military in the town, -which consisted of the 2nd Battalion Yorkshire Light Infantry, some -Royal Artillery, and the local Volunteers, were soon assembled, and -going out occupied the strong position above Sheffield between Catcliffe -and Tinsley, overlooking the valley of the Rother to the east.</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 271px;"> -<a href="images/i_b_157_lg.png"> -<img src="images/i_b_157_sml.png" width="271" height="283" alt="Image unavailable: Position of the German Forces Twenty-Four Hours after -Landing at Goole. - -GEORGE PHILIP & SON LTD." /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">Position of the German Forces Twenty-Four Hours after -Landing at Goole.</span> -</div> - -<p>“The expectation that the Germans intended an immediate descent on -Sheffield was not realised because the German tactics were merely to -reconnoitre and report on the defences of Sheffield if any existed. This -they did by remaining to the eastward of the river Rother, whence the -high ground rising before Sheffield could be easily observed.</p> - -<p>“Before dusk one or two squadrons of Cuirassiers were seen to be -examining the river to find fords and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_158" id="page_158"></a>{158}</span> ascertain the capacity of the -bridges, while others appeared to be comparing the natural features of -the ground with the maps with which they all appeared to be provided.</p> - -<p>“As night fell, however, the cavalry retired towards Doncaster, which -town was occupied, the Angel being the cavalry headquarters. The reason -the Germans could not advance at once upon Sheffield was that the -cavalry was not strongly enough supported by infantry from their base, -the distance from Goole being too great to be covered in a single day. -That the arrangements for landing were in every detail perfect could not -be doubted, but owing to the narrow channel of the Ouse time was -necessary, and it is considered probable that fully three days must -elapse from Sunday before the Germans are absolutely established.</p> - -<p>“An attempt has been made by the Yorkshire Light Infantry and the York -and Lancaster Regiment, with three battalions of Volunteers stationed at -Pontefract, to discover the enemy’s strength and position between Askern -and Snaith, but so far without avail, the cavalry screen across the -whole country being impenetrable.</p> - -<p>“The people of the West Riding, and especially the inhabitants of -Sheffield, are stupefied that they have received no assistance—not even -a reply to the Mayor’s telegram. This fact has leaked out, and has -caused the greatest dissatisfaction. An enemy is upon us, yet we are in -ignorance of what steps, if any, the authorities are taking for our -protection.</p> - -<p>“There are wild rumours here that the enemy have burned Grimsby, but -these are generally discredited, for telegraphic and telephonic -communication has been cut off, and at present we are completely -isolated. It has been gathered from the invaders that the VIIIth Army -Corps of the Germans have landed and seized Hull, but at present this is -not confirmed.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_159" id="page_159"></a>{159}</span> There is, alas! no communication with the place, -therefore the report may possibly be true.</p> - -<p>“Dewsbury, Huddersfield, Wakefield, and Selby are all intensely excited -over the sudden appearance of German soldiers, and were at first -inclined to unite to stem their progress. But the German proclamation -showing the individual peril of any citizen taking arms against the -invaders having been posted everywhere, has held everyone scared and in -silent inactivity.</p> - -<p>“ ‘Where is our Army?’ everyone is asking. The whole country has run riot -in a single hour, now that the Germans are upon us. On every hand it is -asked: ‘What will London do?’ ”</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The following account, written by a reporter of the <i>Hull Daily Mail</i>, -appeared in the <i>London Evening News</i> on Wednesday evening, and was the -first authentic news of what had happened on the Humber on Sunday:—</p> - -<p class="r"> -“<span class="smcap">Hull</span>, <i>Monday Night</i>.<br /> -</p> - -<p>“A great disaster has occurred here, and the town is in the hands of the -Germans. The totally unexpected appearance in the river at dawn on -Sunday of an extraordinary flotilla of all kinds of craft, filled with -troops and being towed towards Goole, created the greatest alarm. Loud -shouting in the street just before five o’clock awakened me, and I -opened my window. Shouting to a seaman running past, I asked what was -the matter, when the man’s astounding reply was: ‘The whole river is -swarming with Germans!’ Dressing hastily, I mounted my bicycle and ran -along the Beverley road through Prospect Street to the dock office, -where around the Wilberforce monument the excited crowd now already -collected was impassable, and I was compelled to dismount.</p> - -<p>“On eager inquiry I learnt that half an hour before men at work in the -Alexandra Dock were amazed to discern through the grey mists still -hanging across the Humber an extraordinary sight. Scores of ocean-going<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_160" id="page_160"></a>{160}</span> -tugs, each laboriously towing great Dutch barges and lighters, came into -sight, and telescopes being quickly borrowed revealed every boat in -question to be literally crammed with grey-coated men, evidently -soldiers. At first it was believed that they were about to enter Hull, -but they kept out in the channel, on the New Holland side, and were -accompanied, it was seen, by a quantity of tramp steamers of small -tonnage, evidently of such capacity as might get up to the port of -Goole. It was at once patent that Goole was their objective.</p> - -<p>“The alarm was at once raised in the town. The police ran down to the -quays and the Victoria Pier, while the townspeople hastily dressed and -joined them to witness the amazing spectacle.</p> - -<p>“Somebody at the pier who had a powerful glass recognised the grey -uniforms and declared them to be Germans, and then like wildfire the -alarming news spread into every quarter of the town that the Germans -were upon us.</p> - -<p>“The police ran to the telegraph office in order to give the alarm, but -it was at once discovered that both telegraph and telephone systems had -suddenly been interrupted. Repeated calls elicited no reply, for the -wires running out of Hull in every direction had been cut.</p> - -<p>“In endless procession the strange medley of queer-looking craft came up -out of the morning mist only to be quickly lost again in the westward, -while the onlookers, including myself—for I had cycled to the Victoria -Pier—gazed at them in utter bewilderment.</p> - -<p>“At the first moment of alarm the East Yorkshire Volunteers hurried on -their uniforms and assembled at their regimental headquarters for -orders. There were, of course, no regular troops in the town, but the -Volunteers soon obtained their arms and ammunition, and after being -formed, marched down Heddon road to the Alexandra Dock.</p> - -<p>“On every side was the greatest commotion, already bordering upon panic. -Along Spring Bank, the Hessle road, the Anlaby road, and all the -thoroughfares<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_161" id="page_161"></a>{161}</span> converging into Queen Victoria Square, came crowds of all -classes eager to see for themselves and learn the truth of the startling -rumour. The whole riverside was soon black with the excited populace, -but to the astonishment of everyone the motley craft sailed on, taking -no notice of us and becoming fewer and fewer, until ships appeared -through the grey bank of fog only at intervals.</p> - -<p>“One thing was entirely clear. The enemy, whoever they might be, had -destroyed all our means of appealing for help, for we could not -telephone to the military at York, Pontefract, Richmond, or even to the -regimental district headquarters at Beverley. They had gone on to Goole, -but would they turn back and attack us?</p> - -<p>“The cry was that if they meant to seize Goole they would also seize -Hull! Then the terrified crowd commenced to collect timber and iron from -the yards, furniture from neighbouring houses, tramway-cars, omnibuses, -cabs; in fact, anything they could lay their hands upon to form -barricades in the streets for their own protection.</p> - -<p>“I witnessed the frantic efforts of the people as they built one huge -obstacle at the corner of Queen Street, facing the pier. Houses were -ruthlessly entered, great pieces of heavy furniture—wardrobes, pianos, -and sideboards—were piled anyhow upon each other. Men got coils of -barbed wire, and lashed the various objects together with seamanlike -alacrity. Even paving-stones were prised up with pickaxes and crowbars, -and placed in position. The women, in deadly terror of the Germans, -helped the men in this hastily improvised barrier, which even as I -watched grew higher across the street until it reached the height of the -first-storey windows in one great heterogeneous mass of every article -conceivable—almost like a huge rubbish heap.</p> - -<p>“This was only one of many similar barricades. There were others in the -narrow Pier Street, in Wellington Street, Castle Street, south of -Prince’s Dock, in St. John’s Street, between Queen’s Dock and Prince’s -Dock, while the bridges over the river Hull were all<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_162" id="page_162"></a>{162}</span> defended by -hastily improvised obstructions. In Jennings Street, on Sculcoates -Bridge, and also the two railway bridges of the Hull and Barnsley and -North-Eastern Railways were similarly treated. Thus the whole of the -town west of the river Hull was at any rate temporarily protected from -any landing eastward.</p> - -<p>“The whole town now seemed in a perfect ferment. Wildest rumours were -afloat everywhere, and the streets by six o’clock that morning were so -crowded that it was almost impossible to move.</p> - -<p>“Hundreds found themselves outside the barriers; indeed, the people in -the Southcoates, Drypool, and Alexandra Wards were in the threatened -zone, and promptly began to force their way into the town by escalading -the huge barricades and scrambling over their crests.</p> - -<p>“Foreigners—sailors and others—had a rough time of it, many of them -being thrust back and threatened by the indignant townspeople. Each time -a foreigner was discovered there was a cry of ‘spy,’ and many innocent -men had fortunate escapes.</p> - -<p>“The river seemed clear, when about seven o’clock there suddenly loomed -up from seaward a great, ugly, grey-hulled warship flying the German -flag. The fear was realised. Her sight caused absolute panic, for with a -sudden swerve she calmly moored opposite the Alexandra Dock.</p> - -<p>“Eager-eyed seamen, some of them Naval Reservists, recognised that she -was cleared for action, and even while we were looking, two more similar -vessels anchored in positions from which their guns could completely -dominate the town.</p> - -<p>“No sooner had these swung to their anchors than, from the now sunlit -horizon, there rose the distant smoke of many steamers, and as the -moments of terror dragged by, there came slowly into the offing a -perfect fleet of all sizes of steamers, escorted by cruisers and -destroyers.</p> - -<p>“Standing behind the barricade in Queen Street I could overlook the -Victoria Pier, and the next half-hour<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_163" id="page_163"></a>{163}</span> was the most exciting one in my -whole life. Three dirty-looking steamers of, as far as I could judge, -about 2500 tons each, anchored in a line almost midstream. From my coign -of vantage I could hear the rattle of the cables in the hawse-pipes as -many other vessels of about the same size followed their example farther -down the river. No sooner had the anchors touched the bottom than boats -were hoisted out, lowered from all the davits, and brought alongside, -while into them poured hundreds upon hundreds of soldiers, all in a -uniform dusky grey. Steam pinnaces quickly took these in charge, towing -some of them to the Victoria Pier near where I stood, and others to the -various wharves.</p> - -<p>“Armed and accoutred, the men sprang ashore, formed up, and were quickly -told off by their officers in guttural accents, when, from our -barricade, close beside me, a Volunteer officer gave the order to fire, -and a ragged volley rang sharply out.</p> - -<p>“A young German infantry officer standing in Nelson Street, in the act -of drawing his revolver from its pouch, pitched heavily forward upon his -face with a British bullet through his heart. There were also several -gaps in the German ranks. Almost instantly the order for advance was -given. The defence was an ill-advised and injudicious one, having in -view the swarm of invaders. Hundreds of boats were now approaching every -possible landing-place right along the river front, and men were -swarming upon every wharf and quay.</p> - -<p>“Shots sounded in every direction. Then, quite suddenly, some -unintelligible order was given in German, and the crowd of the enemy who -had landed at our pier extended, and, advancing at the double, came -straight for our barricade, endeavouring to take it by assault. It was -an exciting moment. Our Volunteers poured volleys into them, and for a -time were able to check them, although the Germans kept up a withering -fire, and I found myself, a non-combatant, with bullets whistling about -me everywhere, in unpleasant proximity.</p> - -<p>“They were breathless moments. Men were continually<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_164" id="page_164"></a>{164}</span> falling on both -sides, and one fierce-faced, black-haired woman, evidently a sailor’s -wife, who had helped to build the barricade, fell dead at my side, shot -through the throat. From the very beginning our defence at this point -seemed utterly hopeless. The Volunteers—many of them friends of -mine—very gallantly endeavoured to do what they could in the -circumstances, but they themselves recognised the utter futility of -fighting against what seemed to be a veritable army. They did their -utmost, but the sudden rush of an enormous number of supports to -strengthen the enemy’s advanced parties proved too much for them, and -ten minutes later bearded Teutons came clambering over the barricades, -ruthlessly putting to death all men in uniform who did not at once throw -down their arms.</p> - -<p>“As soon as I saw the great peril of the situation I confess that I -fled, when behind me I heard a loud crash as a breach was at last made -in the obstruction. I ran up Queen Street to Drypool Bridge, where at -the barricade there I found desperate fighting in progress. The scene -was terrible. The few Volunteers were bravely trying to defend us. Many -civilians, in their frantic efforts to guard their homes, were lying -upon the pavement dead and dying. Women, too, had been struck by the -hail of German bullets, and the enemy, bent upon taking the town, fought -with the utmost determination. From the ceaseless rattle of musketry -which stunned the ears on every side it was evident that the town was -being taken by assault.</p> - -<p>“For five minutes or so I remained in Salthouse Lane, but so thick came -the bullets that I managed to slip round to Whitefriargate, and into -Victoria Square.</p> - -<p>“I was standing at the corner of King Edward Street when the air was of -a sudden rent by a crash that seemed to shake the town to its very -foundations, and one of the black cupolas of the dock office was carried -away, evidently by a high explosive shell.</p> - -<p>“A second report, no doubt from one of the cruisers lying in the river, -was followed by a great jet of flame<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_165" id="page_165"></a>{165}</span> springing up from the base of one -of the new shops on the left side of King Edward Street—caused, as I -afterwards ascertained, by one of those new petrol shells, of which we -had heard so much in the newspapers, but the practicability of which our -unprogressive Government had so frequently refused to entertain.</p> - -<p>“In a flash three shops were well alight, and even while I watched the -whole block from Tyler’s to the corner was furiously ablaze, the petrol -spreading fire and destruction on every hand.</p> - -<p>“Surely there is no more deadly engine in modern warfare than the -terrible petrol bomb, as was now proved upon our unfortunate town. -Within ten minutes came a veritable rain of fire. In all directions the -houses began to flare and burn. The explosions were terrific, rapidly -succeeding one another, while helpless men stood frightened and aghast, -no man knowing that the next moment might not be his last.</p> - -<p>“In those never-to-be-forgotten moments we realised for the first time -what the awful horror of War really meant.</p> - -<p>“The scene was frightful. Hull had resisted, and in retaliation the -enemy were now spreading death and destruction everywhere among us.”</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>Reports now reached London that the VIIth German Army Corps had landed -at Hull and Goole, and taking possession of those towns, were moving -upon Sheffield in order to paralyse our trade in the Midlands. Hull had -been bombarded, and was in flames! Terrible scenes were taking place at -that port.</p> - -<p>The disaster was, alas! of our own seeking.</p> - -<p>Lord Roberts, who certainly could not be called an alarmist, had in 1905 -resigned his place on the Committee of National Defence in order to be -free to speak his own mind. He had told us plainly in 1906 that we were -in no better position than we were five or six years previous.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_166" id="page_166"></a>{166}</span> Behind -the Regular Army we had no practicable reserve, while military training -was more honoured in the breach than in the observance. The outlook was -alarming, and the reasons for reform absolutely imperative.</p> - -<p>He had pointed out to the London Chamber of Commerce in December 1905 -that it was most important that our present unpreparedness for war -should not be allowed to continue. We should use every endeavour to -prevent the feeling of anxiety as to our unpreparedness from cooling -down. England’s military hero, the man who had dragged us out of the -South African muddle, had urged most strongly that a committee of the -leading men of London should be formed to take the matter into their -earnest consideration. The voice of London upon a question of such vital -importance could not fail to carry great weight throughout the country.</p> - -<p>A “citizen army,” he had declared, was needed as well as the Regular -Army. The only way by which a sufficient amount of training could be -given—short of adopting the Continental practice—was by giving boys -and youths such an amount of drill and practice in rifle shooting as was -possible while they were at school, and by some system of universal -training after they reached manhood. And that Lord Roberts had urged -most strongly.</p> - -<p>Yet what had been done? Ay, what?</p> - -<p>A deaf ear had been turned to every appeal. And now, alas! the long -prophesied blow had fallen.</p> - -<p>On that memorable Sunday, when a descent had been made upon our shores, -there were in German ports on the North Sea nearly a million tons gross -of German shipping. Normally, in peace time, half a million tons is -always to be found there, the second half having been quietly collected -by ships putting in unobserved into such ports as Emden, Bremen, -Bremerhaven, and Geestemunde, where there are at least ten miles of -deep-sea wharves, with ample railway access. The arrival of these crafts -caused no particular comment, but they had<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_167" id="page_167"></a>{167}</span> already been secretly -prepared for the transport of men and horses while at sea.</p> - -<p>Under the cover of the Frisian Islands, from every canal, river, and -creek had been assembled a huge multitude of flats and barges, ready to -be towed by tugs alongside the wharves and filled with troops. Of a -sudden, in a single hour it seemed, Hamburg, Altona, Cuxhaven, and -Wilhelmshaven were in excited activity, and almost before the -inhabitants themselves realised what was really in progress the -embarkation had well commenced.</p> - -<p>At Emden, with its direct cables to the theatre of war in England, was -concentrated the brain of the whole movement. Beneath the lee of the -covering screen of Frisian Islands, Borkum, Juist, Norderney, Langebog, -and the others, the preparations for the descent upon England rapidly -matured.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/i_b_167_lg.png"> -<img src="images/i_b_167_sml.png" width="464" height="347" alt="Image unavailable: Germany’s points of embarkation" /></a> -</div> - -<p>Troop-trains from every part of the Fatherland<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_168" id="page_168"></a>{168}</span> arrived with the -punctuality of clockwork. From Düsseldorf came the VIIth Army Corps, the -VIIIth from Coblenz, the IXth were already assembled at their -headquarters at Altona, while many of them being stationed at Bremen -embarked from there, the Xth came up from Hanover, the XIVth from -Magdeburg, and the Corps of German Guards, the pride and flower of the -Kaiser’s troops, arrived eagerly at Hamburg from Berlin and Potsdam, -among the first to embark.</p> - -<p>Each army corps consisted of about 38,000 officers and men, 11,000 -horses, 144 guns, and about 2000 motor-cars, wagons, and carts. But for -this campaign—which was more of the nature of a raid than of any -protracted campaign—the supply of wheeled transport, with the exception -of motor-cars, had been somewhat reduced.</p> - -<p>Each cavalry brigade attached to an army corps consisted of 1400 horses -and men, with some thirty-five light machine-guns and wagons. The German -calculation—which proved pretty correct—was that each army corps could -come over to England in 100,000 tons gross of shipping, bringing with -them supplies for twenty-seven days in another 3000 tons gross. -Therefore about 618,000 tons gross conveyed the whole of the six corps, -leaving an ample margin still in German ports for any emergencies. Half -this tonnage consisted of about 100 steamers, averaging 3000 tons each, -the remainder being the boats, flats, lighters, barges, and tugs -previously alluded to.</p> - -<p>The Saxons who, disregarding the neutrality of Belgium, had embarked at -Antwerp, had seized the whole of the flat-bottomed craft in the Scheldt -and the numerous canals, as well as the merchant ships in the port, -finding no difficulty in commandeering the amount of tonnage necessary -to convey them to the Blackwater and the Crouch.</p> - -<p>As hour succeeded hour, the panic increased.</p> - -<p>It was now also known that, in addition to the various corps who had -effected a landing, the German Guards<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_169" id="page_169"></a>{169}</span> had, by a sudden swoop into the -Wash, got ashore at King’s Lynn, seized the town, and united their -forces with Von Kleppen’s corps, who, having landed at Weybourne, were -now spread right across Norfolk. This picked corps of Guards was under -the command of that distinguished officer the Duke of Mannheim, while -the infantry divisions were under Lieutenant-Generals von Castein and -Von Der Decken.</p> - -<p>The landing at King’s Lynn on Sunday morning had been quite a simple -affair. There was nothing whatever to repel them, and they disembarked -on the quays and in the docks, watched by the astonished populace. All -provisions were seized at shops, including the King’s Lynn and County -Stores, the Star Supply Stores, Ladyman’s and Lipton’s in the High -Street, while headquarters were established at the municipal buildings, -and the German flag hoisted upon the old church, the tower of which was -at once used as a signal station.</p> - -<p>Old-fashioned people of Lynn peered out of their quiet, respectable -houses in King Street in utter amazement, but soon, when the German -proclamation was posted, the terrible truth was plain.</p> - -<p>In half an hour, even before they could realise it, they had been -transferred from the protection of the British flag to the militarism of -the German.</p> - -<p>The Tuesday Market Place, opposite the Globe Hotel, was one of the -points of assembly, and from there and from other open spaces troops of -cavalry were constantly riding out of town by the Downham Market and -Swaffham Roads. The intention of this commander was evidently to join -hands with Von Kleppen as soon as possible. Indeed, by that same evening -the Guards and IVth Corps had actually shaken hands at East Dereham.</p> - -<p>A few cavalry, mostly Cuirassiers and troopers of the Gardes du Corps, -were pushed out across the flat, desolate country over Sutton Bridge to -Holbeach and Spalding, while others, moving south-easterly, came<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_170" id="page_170"></a>{170}</span> past -the old Abbey of Crowland, and even to within sight of the square -cathedral tower of Peterborough. Others went south to Ely.</p> - -<p>Ere sundown on Sunday, stalwart, grey-coated sentries of the Guards -Fusiliers from Potsdam and the Grenadiers from Berlin were holding the -roads at Gayton, East Walton, Narborough, Markham, Fincham, Stradsett, -and Stow Bardolph. Therefore on Sunday night, from Spalding on the east, -Peterborough, Chatteris, Littleport, Thetford, Diss, and Halesworth were -faced by a huge cavalry screen protecting the landing and repose of the -great German Army behind it.</p> - -<p>Slowly but carefully the enemy were maturing their plans for the defeat -of our defenders and the sack of London.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_171" id="page_171"></a>{171}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="CHAPTER_XII-a" id="CHAPTER_XII-a"></a>CHAPTER XII<br /><br /> -<small>DESPERATE FIGHTING IN ESSEX</small></h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">London</span> was at a standstill. Trade was entirely stopped. Shopkeepers -feared to open their doors on account of the fierce, hungry mobs -parading the streets. Orators were haranguing the crowds in almost every -open space. The police were either powerless, or feared to come into -collision with the assembled populace. Terror and blank despair were -everywhere.</p> - -<p>There was unrest night and day. The banks, head offices and branches, -unable to withstand the run upon them when everyone demanded to be paid -in gold, had, by mutual arrangement, shut their doors, leaving excited -and furious crowds of customers outside unpaid. Financial ruin stared -everyone in the face. Those who were fortunate enough to realise their -securities on Monday were fleeing from London south or westward. Day and -night the most extraordinary scenes of frantic fear were witnessed at -Paddington, Victoria, Waterloo, and London Bridge. The southern railways -were badly disorganised by the cutting of the lines by the enemy, but -the Great Western system was, up to the present, intact, and carried -thousands upon thousands to Wales, to Devonshire, and to Cornwall.</p> - -<p>In those three hot, breathless days the Red Hand of Ruin spread out upon -London.</p> - -<p>The starving East met the terrified West, but in those moments the bonds -of terror united class with mass. Restaurants and theatres were closed, -there was<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_172" id="page_172"></a>{172}</span> but little vehicular traffic in the streets, for of horses -there were none, while the majority of the motor ’buses had been -requisitioned, and the transit of goods had been abandoned. “The City,” -that great army of daily workers, both male and female, was out of -employment, and swelled the idlers and gossips, whose temper and opinion -were swayed each half-hour by the papers now constantly appearing night -and day without cessation.</p> - -<p>Cabinet Councils had been held every day, but their decisions, of -course, never leaked out to the public. The King also held Privy -Councils, and various measures were decided upon. Parliament, which had -been hurriedly summoned, was due to meet, and everyone speculated as to -the political crisis that must now ensue.</p> - -<p>In St. James’s Park, in Hyde Park, in Victoria Park, on Hampstead Heath, -in Greenwich Park, in fact, in each of the “lungs of London,” great mass -meetings were held, at which resolutions were passed condemning the -Administration and eulogising those who, at the first alarm, had so -gallantly died in defence of their country.</p> - -<p>It was declared that by the culpable negligence of the War Office and -the National Defence Committee we had laid ourselves open to complete -ruin, both financially and as a nation.</p> - -<p>The man-in-the-street already felt the strain, for the lack of -employment and the sudden rise in the price of everything had brought -him up short. Wives and families were crying for food, and those without -savings and with only a few pounds put by looked grimly into the future -and at the mystery it presented.</p> - -<p>Most of the papers published the continuation of the important story of -Mr. Alexander, the Mayor of Maldon, which revealed the extent of the -enemy’s operations in Essex and the strong position they occupied.</p> - -<p>It ran as below:—</p> - -<p>“Of the events of the early hours of the morning<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_173" id="page_173"></a>{173}</span> I have no very clear -recollection. I was bewildered, staggered, dumbfounded by the sights and -sounds which beset me. Of what modern war meant I had till then truly -but a very faint idea. To witness its horrid realities enacted in this -quiet, out-of-the-way spot where I had pitched my tent for so many -years, brought them home to me literally, as well as metaphorically. And -to think that all this wanton destruction of property and loss of life -was directly due to our apathy as a nation! The Germans had been the -aggressors without a doubt, but as for us we had gone out of our way to -invite attack. We had piled up riches and made no provision to prevent a -stronger nation from gathering them. We had seen every other European -nation, and even far-distant Japan, arm their whole populations and -perfect their preparedness for the eventualities of war, but we had been -content to scrape along with an apology for a military system—which was -really no system at all—comforting ourselves with the excuse that -nothing could possibly evade or compete with our magnificent navy. Such -things as fogs, false intelligence, and the interruption of telegraphic -and telephonic communication were not taken into account, and were -pooh-poohed if any person, not content with living in a fool’s paradise, -ventured to draw attention to the possibility of such contingencies.</p> - -<p>“So foolhardy had we become in the end, that we were content to see an -immense and threatening increase in the German shipbuilding programme -without immediately ‘going one better.’ The specious plea that our -greater rapidity in construction would always enable us to catch up our -rivals in the race was received with acclamation, especially as the -argument was adorned with gilt lettering in the shape of promised -Admiralty economies.</p> - -<p>“As might have been foreseen, Germany attacked us at the psychological -moment when her rapidly increasing fleet had driven even our <i>laissez -faire</i> politicians to lay down new ships with the laudable<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_174" id="page_174"></a>{174}</span> idea of -keeping our naval pre-eminence by the rapidity of our construction. Our -wide-awake enemy, seeing that should these be allowed to attain -completion the place he had gained in the race would be lost, allowed -them to be half finished and then suddenly attacked us.</p> - -<p>“But to return to my personal experiences on this never-to-be-forgotten -day. I had run down Cromwell Hill, and seeing the flames of Heybridge, -was impelled to get nearer, if possible, to discover more particularly -the state of affairs in that direction. But I was reckoning without the -Germans. When I got to the bridge over the river at the foot of the -hill, the officer in charge there absolutely prevented my crossing. -Beyond the soldiers standing or kneeling behind whatever cover was -offered by the walls and buildings abutting on the riverside, and a -couple of machine guns placed so as to command the bridge and the road -beyond, there was nothing much to see. A number of Germans were, -however, very busy in the big mill just across the river, but what they -were doing I could not make out. As I turned to retrace my steps, the -glare of the conflagration grew suddenly more and more intense. A mass -of dark figures came running down the brightly-illuminated road towards -the bridge, while the rifle fire became louder, nearer, and heavier than -ever. Every now and again the air became alive with, as it were, the -hiss and buzz of flying insects. The English must have fought their way -through Heybridge, and these must be the bullets from their rifles. It -was dangerous to stay down there any longer, so I took to my heels. As I -ran I heard a thundering explosion behind me, the shock of which nearly -threw me to the ground. Looking over my shoulder, I saw that the Germans -had blown up the mill at the farther end of the bridge, and were now -pushing carts from either side in order to barricade it. The two Maxims, -too, began to pump lead with their hammering reports, and the men near -them commenced to fall in twos<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_175" id="page_175"></a>{175}</span> and threes. I made off to the left, and -passed into the High Street by the end of St. Peter’s Church, now -disused. At the corner I ran against Mr. Clydesdale, the optician, who -looks after the library which now occupies the old building. He pointed -to the tower, which stood darkly up against the blood-red sky.</p> - -<p>“ ‘Look at those infernal Germans!’ he said. ‘They can’t even keep out of -that old place. I wish we could have got the books out before they -came.’</p> - -<p>“I could not see any of our invaders where he was pointing, but -presently I became aware of a little winking, blinking light at the very -summit of the tower.</p> - -<p>“ ‘That’s them,’ said Clydesdale. ‘They’re making signals, I think. My -boy says he saw the same thing on Purleigh Church tower last night. I -wish it would come down with them, that I do. It’s pretty shaky, -anyway.’</p> - -<p>“The street was fairly full of people. The Germans, it is true, had -ordered that no one should be out of doors between eight in the evening -and six in the morning; but just now they appeared to have their hands -pretty full elsewhere, and if any of the few soldiers that were about -knew of or thought anything of the interdiction, they said nothing. Wat -Miller, the postman, came up and touched his cap.</p> - -<p>“ ‘Terrible times, sir,’ he said, ‘ain’t they? There was a mort of people -killed this afternoon by them shells. There was poor old Missis Reece in -the London Road. Bed-ridden, she were, this dozen years. Well, sir, -there ain’t so much as the head on her left. A fair mash up she were, -poor old lady! Then there was Jones the carpenter’s three kids, as was -left behind when their mother took the baby to Mundon with the rest of -the women. The house was struck and come down atop of ’em. They got two -out, but they were dead, poor souls! and they’re still looking for the -other one.’</p> - -<p>“The crash of a salvo of heavy guns from the direction of my own house -interrupted the tale of horrors.</p> - -<p>“ ‘That’ll be the guns in my garden,’ I said.</p> - -<p>“ ‘Yes, sir; and they’ve got three monstrous great<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_176" id="page_176"></a>{176}</span> ones in the opening -between the houses just behind the church there,’ said Clydesdale.</p> - -<p>“As he spoke the guns in question bellowed out, one after the other.</p> - -<p>“ ‘Look—look at the tower!’ cried the postman.</p> - -<p>“The light at the top had disappeared, and the lofty edifice was swaying -slowly, slowly, over to the left.</p> - -<p>“ ‘She’s gone at last!’ exclaimed Clydesdale.</p> - -<p>“It was true. Down came the old steeple that had pointed heavenward for -so many generations, with a mighty crash and concussion that swallowed -up even the noise of the battle, though cannon of all sorts and sizes -were now joining in the hellish concert, and shell from the English -batteries began to roar over the town. The vibration and shock of the -heavy guns had been too much for the old tower, which, for years in a -tottery condition, had been patched up so often.</p> - -<p>“As soon as the cloud of dust cleared off we all three ran towards the -huge pile of débris that filled the little churchyard. Several other -people followed. It was very dark down there, in the shadow of the trees -and houses, despite the firelight overhead, and we began striking -matches as we looked about among the heaps of bricks and beams to see if -there were any of the German signal party among them. Why we should have -taken the trouble under the circumstances I do not quite know. It was an -instinctive movement of humanity on my part, and that of most of the -others, I suppose. Miller, the postman, was, however, logical. ‘I ’opes -as they’re all dead!’ was what he said.</p> - -<p>“I caught sight of an arm in a light blue sleeve protruding from the -débris, and took hold of it in a futile attempt to remove some of the -bricks and rubbish which I thought were covering the body of its owner. -To my horror, it came away in my hand. The body to which it belonged -might be buried yards away in the immense heap of ruins. I dropped it -with a cry, and fled from the spot.</p> - -<p>“Dawn was now breaking. I do not exactly remember<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_177" id="page_177"></a>{177}</span> where I wandered to -after the fall of St. Peter’s Tower, but it must have been between -half-past five and six when I found myself on the high ground at the -north-western corner of the town, overlooking the golf links, where I -had spent so many pleasant hours in that recent past that now seemed so -far away. All around me were batteries, trenches, and gun-pits. But -though the firing was still going on somewhere away to the right, where -Heybridge poured black smoke skyward like a volcano, gun and howitzer -were silent, and their attendant artillerymen, instead of being in cover -behind their earthen parapets, were clustered on the top watching -intently something that was passing in the valley below them. So -absorbed were they that I was able to creep up behind them, and also get -a sight of what was taking place. And this is what I saw:—</p> - -<p>“Over the railway bridge which spanned the river a little to the left -were hurrying battalion after battalion of green and blue clad German -infantry. They moved down the embankment after crossing, and continued -their march behind it. Where the railway curved to the right and left, -about half a mile beyond the bridge, the top of the embankment was lined -with dark figures lying down and apparently firing, while over the golf -course from the direction of Beeleigh trotted squadron after squadron of -sky-blue riders, their green and white lance pennons fluttering in the -breeze. They crossed the Blackwater and Chelmer Canal, and cantered off -in the direction of Langford Rectory.</p> - -<p>“At the same time I saw line after line of the Germans massed behind the -embankment spring over it and advance rapidly towards the lower portion -of the town, just across the river. Hundreds fell under the fire from -the houses, which must have been full of Englishmen, but one line after -another reached the buildings. The firing was now heavier than -ever—absolutely incessant and continuous—though, except for an -occasional discharge from beyond Heybridge, the artillery was silent.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_178" id="page_178"></a>{178}</span></p> - -<p>“I have but little knowledge of military matters, but it was abundantly -evident, even to me, that what I had just seen was a very formidable -counter-attack on the part of the Germans, who had brought up fresh -troops either from the rear of the town or from farther inland, and -launched them against the English under cover of the railway embankment. -I was not able to see the end of the encounter, but bad news flies -apace, and it soon became common knowledge in the town that our troops -from Colchester had not only failed to cross the river at any point, but -had been driven helter-skelter out of the lower town near the station -and from the smoking ruins of Heybridge with great loss, and were now in -full retreat.</p> - -<p>“Indeed, some hundreds of our khaki-clad fellow-countrymen were marched -through the town an hour or two later as prisoners, to say nothing of -the numbers of wounded who, together with those belonging to the -Germans, soon began to crowd every available building suitable for use -as an hospital. The wounded prisoners with their escort went off towards -Mundon, and are reported to have gone in the direction of Steeple. It -was altogether a disastrous day, and our hopes, which had begun to rise -when the British had penetrated into the northern part of the town, now -fell below zero.</p> - -<p>“It was a black day for us, and for England. During the morning the same -officer who had captured me on the golf course came whirling into Maldon -on a 24-h.p. Mercedes car. He drove straight up to my house, and -informed me that he had orders to conduct me to Prince Henry, who was to -be at Purleigh early in the afternoon.</p> - -<p>“ ‘Was it in connection with the skirmish with the Volunteers?’ I asked.</p> - -<p>“ ‘I don’t know,’ was the reply. ‘But I don’t fancy so. In the meantime, -could I write here for an hour or two?’ he asked politely. ‘I have much -to write to my friends in Germany, and have not had a minute up to -now.’<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_179" id="page_179"></a>{179}</span></p> - -<p>“I was very glad to be able to oblige the young man in such a small way, -and left him in my study till midday, very busy with pens, ink, and -paper.</p> - -<p>“After a makeshift of a lunch, the car came round, and we got into the -back seat. In front sat his orderly and the chauffeur, a fierce-looking -personage in a semi-military uniform. We ran swiftly down the High -Street, and in a few minutes were spinning along the Purleigh Road, -where I saw much that amazed me. I then for the first time realised how -absolutely complete were the German plans.”</p> - -<p class="r"> -“<span class="smcap">Tuesday</span>, <i>September 4</i>.<br /> -</p> - -<p>“About six o’clock this morning I awoke rather suddenly. The wind had -gone round to the northward, and I was certain that heavy firing was -going on somewhere in that direction. I opened the window and looked -out. The ‘thud’ and rumble of a cannonade, with the accompaniment of an -occasional burst of musketry, came clearly and loudly on the wind from -the hills by Wickham Bishops village. The church spire was in plain -view, and little faint puffs and rings of grey smoke were just visible -in its vicinity every now and again, sometimes high up in the air, at -others among the trees at its base. They were exploding shells; I had no -doubt of that. What was going on it was impossible to say, but I -conjectured that some of our troops from Colchester had come into -collision with the Germans, who had gone out in that direction the day -of their arrival. The firing continued for about an hour, and then died -away.</p> - -<p>“Soon after eight Count von Ohrendorff, the general officer commanding -the 32nd Division, who appeared to be the supreme authority here, sent -for me, and suggested that I should take steps to arrange for the -manufacture of lint and bandages by the ladies living in the town. I -could see no reason for objecting to this, and so promised to carry out -his suggestion. I set about the matter at once, and, with the assistance -of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_180" id="page_180"></a>{180}</span> my wife, soon had a couple of score of more or less willing workers -busily engaged in the National Schoolroom. In the meantime, the roll of -a terrible cannonade had burst forth again from Wickham Bishops. It -seemed louder and more insistent than ever. As soon as I got away from -the schools I hurried home and climbed out on the roof. The top of the -Moot Hall, the tower of St. Peter’s, and other better coigns of vantage -had all been occupied by the Germans. However, with the aid of a pair of -field-glasses I was able to see a good bit. Black smoke was now pouring -from Wickham Bishops in clouds, and every now and again I fancied I -could see the forked tongues of flame shooting up above the surrounding -trees. A series of scattered black dots now came out on the open ground -to the south of the church. The trees of Eastland Wood soon hid them -from my sight, but others followed, mingled with little moving black -blocks, which I took to be formed bodies of troops. After them came four -or five guns, driven at breakneck pace towards the road that passes -between Eastland and Captain’s Woods, then more black dots, also in a -desperate hurry. Several of these last tumbled, and lay still here and -there all over the slope.</p> - -<p>“Other dots followed at their heels. They were not quite so distinct. I -looked harder. Hurrah! They were men in khaki. We were hustling these -Germans at last. They also disappeared behind the woods. Then from the -fringe of trees about Wickham half a dozen big brilliant flashes, -followed after an interval by the loud detonation of heavy cannon. I -could not distinguish much more, though the rattle of battle went on for -some time longer. Soon after eleven four German guns galloped in from -Heybridge. These were followed by a procession of maimed and limping -humanity. Some managed to get along unaided, though with considerable -difficulty. Others were supported by a comrade, some carried between two -men, and others borne along on stretchers. A couple of ambulance carts -trotted out and picked up more<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_181" id="page_181"></a>{181}</span> wounded. Our bandages and lint had not -long to wait before being required. After this there was a cessation of -firing.</p> - -<p>“About one o’clock the German general sent word to me that he thought an -attack quite possible during the afternoon, and that he strongly advised -me to get all the women and children out of the town—for the time -being, at any rate. This was evidently well meant, but it was a pretty -difficult matter to arrange for, to say nothing of raising a panic among -the inhabitants. However, in an hour and a half’s time I had contrived -to marshal several hundred of them together, and to get them out on to -the road to Mundon. The weather was warm for the time of year, and I -thought, if the worst came to the worst, they could spend the night in -the old church. I left the sad little column of exiles—old, bent women -helped along by their daughters, tiny children dragged along through the -dust, clutching their mothers’ skirts, infants in arms, and other older -and sturdier children staggering beneath the weight of the most precious -home adornments—and made the best of my way back to arrange for the -forwarding to them of their rations.</p> - -<p>“At every step on my homeward way I expected to hear the cannonade begin -again. But beyond the twittering of the birds in the trees and -hedgerows, the creak and rumble of a passing cart, and the rush of a -train along the railway on my left—just the usual sounds of the -countryside—nothing broke the stillness. As I stepped out on the -familiar highway I could almost bring myself to believe that the events -of the past twenty-four hours were but the phantasmagoria of a dream. -After interviewing some of the town councillors who were going to -undertake the transport of provisions to the women and children at -Mundon, I walked round to my own house.</p> - -<p>“My wife and family had driven over to Purleigh on the first alarm, and -had arranged to stay the night with some friends, on whatever shakedowns -could be<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_182" id="page_182"></a>{182}</span> improvised, since every house in the peninsula harboured some -of the ubiquitous German officers and men. I wandered through the -familiar rooms, and came out into the garden—or rather what had been -the garden. There I saw that the Saxon gunners were all standing to -their pieces, and one of my none too welcome guests accosted me as I -left the house.</p> - -<p>“ ‘If you’ll take my advice, sare, you’ll get away out of this,’ he said -in broken English.</p> - -<p>“ ‘What! are you going to fire?’ I asked.</p> - -<p>“ ‘I don’t fancy so. It wouldn’t hurt you if we were. But I think your -English friends from Colchester are about to see if they can draw us.’</p> - -<p>“As he spoke I became aware of a sharp, hissing noise like a train -letting off steam. It grew louder and nearer, passed over our heads, and -was almost instantly followed by a terrible crash somewhere behind the -house. A deeper and more muffled report came up from the valley beyond -Heybridge.</p> - -<p>“ ‘Well, they’ve begun now, and the best thing you can do is to get down -into that gun epaulment there,’ said the German officer.</p> - -<p>“I thought his advice was good, and I lost no time in following it.</p> - -<p>“ ‘Here comes another!’ cried he, as he jumped down into the pit beside -me. ‘We’ll have plenty of them now.’</p> - -<p>“So we did. Shell after shell came hissing and screaming at us over the -tree-tops in the gardens lower down the hill. Each one of them sounded -to me as if it were coming directly at my head, but one after another -passed over us to burst beyond. The gunners all crouched close to the -earthen parapet—and so did I. I am not ashamed to say so. My German -officer, however, occasionally climbed to the top of the embankment and -studied the prospect through his field-glasses. At length there was a -loud detonation, and a column of dirt and smoke in the garden next below -us. Then two shells struck the parapet of the gun-pit on our left -almost<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_183" id="page_183"></a>{183}</span> simultaneously. Their explosion was deafening, and we were -covered with the dust and stones they threw up.</p> - -<p>“Immediately afterwards another shell passed so close over our heads -that I felt my hair lift. It just cleared the parapet and plunged into -the side of my house. A big hole appeared just to the right of the -dining-room window, and through it came instantaneously the loud bang of -the explosion. The glass was shattered in all the windows, and thick -smoke, white and black, came curling from every one of them.</p> - -<p>“ ‘The house is on fire!’ I shouted, and sprang madly from the pit. -Heedless of the bombardment, I rushed into the building. Another crash -sounded overhead as I entered, and a blaze of light shone down the -stairway for an instant. Another projectile had found a billet in my -home. I tried to make my way to my study, but found the passage blocked -with fallen beams and ceiling. What with the smoke and dust, and the -blocking of some of the windows, it was very dark in the hall, and I got -quite a shock when, as I looked about me to find my way, I saw two red, -glittering specks shining over the top of a heap of débris. But the howl -that followed told me that they were nothing but the eyes of miserable -Tim, the cat, who, left behind, had been nearly frightened out of his -senses by the noise and concussion of the bursting shell. As I gazed at -him another projectile struck the house quite close to us. Tim was -simply smashed by a flying fragment. I was thrown down, and half buried -under a shower of bricks and mortar. I think I must have lost -consciousness for a time.</p> - -<p>“The next thing I recollect was being dragged out into the garden by a -couple of Saxons. I had a splitting headache, and was very glad of a -glass of water that one of them handed me. Their officer, who appeared -to be quite a decent fellow, offered me his flask.</p> - -<p>“ ‘The house is all right,’ he said, with his strong accent. ‘It caught -fire once, but we managed to get<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_184" id="page_184"></a>{184}</span> it under. Your friends have cleared -off—at any rate for the present. They got too bold at last, and pushed -their guns down till they got taken in flank by the warship in the -river. They had two of their pieces knocked to bits, and then cleared -out. Best thing you can do is to do the same.’</p> - -<p>“I was in two minds. I could not save the house by staying, and might -just as well join my people at Purleigh Rectory. On the other hand, I -felt that it would better become me, as Mayor, to stick to the town. -Duty triumphed, and I decided to remain where I was—at least for the -present. All was now quiet, and after an early supper I turned in, and, -despite the excitement of the day and my aching head, was asleep the -moment I touched the pillow.”</p> - -<p class="r"> -“<span class="smcap">Wednesday</span>, <i>September 5</i>.<br /> -</p> - -<p>“It must have been about three in the morning when I awoke. My head was -much better, and for a minute or two I lay comfortably in the darkness, -without any recollection of the events of the preceding day. Then I saw -a bright reflection pass rapidly over the ceiling. I wondered vaguely -what it was. Presently it came back again, paused a moment, and -disappeared. By this time I was wide awake. I went to the window and -looked out. It was quite dark, but from somewhere over beyond Heybridge -a long white ray was sweeping all along this side of Maldon. Now the -foliage of a tree in the garden below would stand out in pale green -radiance against the blackness; now the wall of a house half a mile away -would reflect back the moving beam, shining white as a sheet of -notepaper.</p> - -<p>“Presently another ray shone out, and the two of them moving backwards -and forwards made the whole of our hillside caper in a dizzy dance. From -somewhere far away to my right another stronger beam now streamed -through the obscurity, directed apparently at the sources of the other -two, and almost simultaneously came the crack of a rifle from the -direction<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_185" id="page_185"></a>{185}</span> of Heybridge, sharp and ominous in the quiet darkness of the -night. Half a dozen scattered shots followed; then a faint cheer. More -and more rifles joined in, and presently the burring tap-tap-tap of a -Maxim. I hurried on my clothes. The firing increased in volume and -rapidity; bugles rang out here, there, and everywhere through the -sleeping town, and above the rolling, rattling clamour of the drums I -could distinguish the hurried tramp of hundreds of feet.</p> - -<p>“I cast one glance from the window as I quitted the room. The electric -searchlights had increased to at least half a dozen. Some reached out -long, steady fingers into the vague spaces of the night, while others -wandered restlessly up and down, hither and thither. Low down over the -trees of the garden a dull red glare slowly increased in extent and -intensity. The rattle of musketry was now absolutely continuous. As I -ran out of the house into the street I was nearly carried off my feet by -the rush of a battalion that was pouring down Cromwell Hill at the -double. Hardly knowing what I did, I followed in their wake. The glare -in front got brighter and brighter. A few steps, and I could see the -cause of it. The whole of Heybridge appeared to be on fire, the flames -roaring skywards from a dozen different conflagrations.”</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>England halted breathless. Fighting had commenced in real earnest.</p> - -<p>The greatest consternation was caused by the publication in the <i>Times</i> -of the description of the operations in Essex, written by Mr. Henry -Bentley, the distinguished war correspondent, who had served that -journal in every campaign since Kitchener had entered Khartum.</p> - -<p>All other papers, without exception, contained various accounts of the -British defence at the point nearest London, but they were mostly of the -scrappy and sensational order, based more on report than upon actual -fact. The <i>Times</i> account, however, had been written with calm -impartiality by one of the most experienced<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_186" id="page_186"></a>{186}</span> correspondents at the -front. Whether he had been afforded any special facilities was not -apparent, but, in any case, it was the most complete and truthful -account of the gallant attempt on the part of our soldiers to check the -advance from Essex westward.</p> - -<p>During the whole of that hot, stifling day it was known that a battle -was raging, and the excitement everywhere was intense.</p> - -<p>The public were in anxious terror as the hours crept by until the first -authentic news of the result of the operations was printed in a special -evening edition of the <i>Times</i> as follows:—</p> - -<p class="c"> -“(<i>From our War Correspondent.</i>)<br /> -</p> - -<p class="r"> -“<span class="smcap">Danbury, Essex</span>, <i>September 8</i>.<br /> -</p> - -<p>“To-day has been a momentous one for England. The great battle has raged -since dawn, and though just at present there seems to be a lull, during -which the opposing forces are, so to speak, regaining their breath, it -can be by no means over.</p> - -<p>“Dead and living alike will lie out on the battlefield the whole night -through, for we must hold on to the positions so hardly won, and be -ready to press forward at the first glimmer of daylight. Our gallant -troops, Regular and Volunteer alike, have nobly vindicated the -traditions of our race, and have fought as desperately as ever did their -forebears at Agincourt, Albuera, or Waterloo. But while a considerable -success—paid for, alas! by the loss of thousands of gallant lives—has -been achieved, it will take at least another day’s hard fighting before -victory is in our grasp. Nowadays a soldier need not expect to be either -victorious or finally defeated by nightfall, and although this battle, -fought as it is between much smaller forces and extending over a much -more limited area than the great engagement between the Russians and -Japanese at Liaoyang, will not take quite so long a time to decide, the -end is not yet in sight. I write this after a hard day’s travelling -backwards and forwards behind our advancing line of battle.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_187" id="page_187"></a>{187}</span></p> - -<p>“I took my cycle with me in my motor-car, and whenever opportunity -offered mounted it, and pushed forward as near to the fighting as I -could get. Frequently I had to leave the cycle also, and crawl forward -on hands and knees, sheltering in some depression in the ground, while -the enemy’s bullets whined and whistled overhead. As reported in a -previous issue, the Army which had assembled at Brentwood moved forward -early on the 5th.</p> - -<p>“During the afternoon the advanced troops succeeded in driving the enemy -out of South Hanningfield, and before sundown they were also in full -retreat from the positions they had held at East Hanningfield and -Danbury. There was some stiff fighting at the latter place, but after a -pounding from the artillery, who brought several batteries into action -on the high ground north-west of East Hanningfield, the Germans were -unable to withstand the attack of the Argyll and Sutherlands and the -London Scottish, who worked their way through Danbury Park and Hall Wood -right into their position, driving them from their entrenchments by a -dashing bayonet charge. Everything north and east of the enemy’s main -position, which is now known to lie north and south, between Maldon and -the river Crouch, was now in our hands, but his troops still showed a -stout front at Wickford, and were also reported to be at Rayleigh, -Hockley, and Canewdon, several miles to the eastward. All preparations -were made to assault the German position at Wickford at daybreak to-day, -but our scouts found that the place had been evacuated. The news that -Rayleigh and Hockley had also been abandoned by the enemy came in -shortly afterwards. The German invaders had evidently completed their -arrangements for the defence of their main position, and now said, in -effect, ‘Come on, and turn us out if you can.’</p> - -<p>“It was no easy task that lay before our gallant defenders. Maldon, -perched on a high knoll, with a network of river and canal protecting it -from assault<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_188" id="page_188"></a>{188}</span> from the northward, fairly bristles with guns, many of -them heavy field howitzers, and has, as we know to our cost, already -repulsed one attack by our troops. Farther south there are said to be -many guns on the knolls about Purleigh. This little out-of-the-way -hamlet, by the way, is noteworthy as having had as its Rector from -1632-1643 the great-great-grandfather of the famous George Washington, -and the father of the first Washingtons who emigrated to Virginia. Great -Canney Hill, standing boldly up like an immense redoubt, is reported to -be seamed with entrenchments mounting many heavy guns. The railway -embankment south of Maldon forms a perfect natural rampart along part of -the enemy’s position, while the woods and enclosures south-west of Great -Canney conceal thousands of sharpshooters. A sort of advanced position -was occupied by the enemy at Edwin Hall, a mile east of Woodham Ferrers, -where a pair of high kopjes a quarter of a mile apart offered command -and cover to some of their field batteries.</p> - -<p>“Our scouts have discovered also that an elaborate system of wire -entanglements and other military obstacles protects almost the whole -front of the somewhat extensive German position. On its extreme left -their line is said to be thrown back at an angle, so that any attempt to -outflank it would not only entail crossing the river Crouch, but would -come under the fire of batteries placed on the high ground overlooking -it. Altogether, it is a very tough nut to crack, and the force at our -disposal none too strong for the work that lies before it.</p> - -<p>“Further detail regarding our strength would be inadvisable for obvious -reasons, but when I point out that the Germans are supposed to be -between thirty and forty thousand strong, and that it is laid down by -competent military authorities that to attack troops in an entrenched -position a superiority of six to one is advisable, my readers can draw -their own conclusions. For the same reason, I will not enumerate all the -regiments and corps that go to compose our Army in Essex. At the same -time there can be no harm in mentioning<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_189" id="page_189"></a>{189}</span> some of them which have -particularly distinguished themselves in the hard fighting of the past -twelve hours.</p> - -<p>“Among these are the Grenadier and Irish Guards, the Inns of Court -Volunteers, and the Honourable Artillery Company from London, and the -Oxfordshire and two battalions of the Royal Marines from Chatham, which, -with other troops from that place, crossed over at Tilbury and joined -our forces. The last-mentioned are the most veteran troops we have here, -as, besides belonging to a long-service corps, they have in their ranks -a number of their Reservists who had joined at a day’s notice. The -Marines are in reality, though not nominally, the most territorial of -our troops, since the greater number of their Reserve men settle down in -the immediate neighbourhood of their headquarters. It is this fact which -enabled them to mobilise so much quicker than the rest of our regiments. -The Oxfordshire, for instance, coming from the same garrison, has very -few Reservists as yet, while most of the others are in the same plight. -And yet the fiat has gone forth that the Marine Corps, despite its past -record, the excellence of its men, and its constant readiness for active -service, is to lose its military status. Would that we had a few more of -its battalions with us to-day. But to return to the story of the great -battle.</p> - -<p>“The repairs to the railway line between Brentwood and Chelmsford, that -had been damaged by the enemy’s cavalry on their first landing, were -completed yesterday, and all night reinforcements had been coming in by -way of Chelmsford and Billericay. The general headquarters had been -established at Danbury, and thither I made my way as fast as my car -could get along the roads, blocked as they were by marching horse, foot, -and artillery. I had spent the night at South Hanningfield, so as to be -on the spot for the expected attack on Wickford; but as soon as I found -it was not to come off, I considered that at Danbury would be the best -chance of finding out what our next move was to be.</p> - -<p>“Nor was I mistaken. As I ran up to the village<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_190" id="page_190"></a>{190}</span> I found the roads full -of troops under arms, and everything denoted action of some kind. I was -lucky enough to come across a friend of mine on the staff—Captain -B——, I will call him—who spared a moment to give me the tip that a -general move forward was commencing, and that a big battle was imminent. -Danbury is situated on the highest ground for many miles round, and as -it bid fair to be a fine, clear day, I thought I could not do better -than try and get a general look round from the summit of the church -tower before proceeding farther. But I was informed that the General was -up there with some of his staff and a signalling party, so that I could -not ascend.</p> - -<p>“However, no other newspaper correspondents were in the immediate -vicinity, and as there was thus no fear of my case being quoted as a -precedent, my pass eventually procured me admission to the little -platform, which, by the way, the General left a moment after my arrival. -It was now eight o’clock, the sun was fairly high in the heavens, and -the light mists that hung about the low ground in the vicinity of Maldon -were fast fading into nothingness. The old town was plainly -distinguishable as a dark silhouette against the morning light, which, -while it illumined the panorama spread out before me, yet rendered -observation somewhat difficult, since it shone almost directly into my -eyes. However, by the aid of my glasses I was able to see something of -the first moves on the fatal chess-board where so many thousands of -lives are staked on the bloody game of war.</p> - -<p>“I noticed among other things that the lessons of the recent war in the -East had not passed unobserved, for in all the open spaces on the -eastern slope of the hill, where the roads were not screened by trees or -coppices, lofty erections of hurdles and greenery had been placed -overnight to hide the preliminary movements of our troops from the -glasses of the enemy. Under cover of these regiment after regiment of -khaki-clad soldiers, batteries of artillery, and ammunition carts, were -proceeding to their allotted posts down the network of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_191" id="page_191"></a>{191}</span> roads and lanes -leading to the lower ground towards the south-east. Two battalions stood -in quarter column behind Thrift Wood. They were kilted corps, probably -the Argylls and the London Scottish. Several field batteries moved off -to the left towards Woodham Walter. Other battalions took up their -position behind Hyde Woods, farther away to the right, the last of them, -the Grenadier Guards, I fancy, passing behind them and marching still -farther southward.</p> - -<p>“Finally two strong battalions, easily recognised as marines by their -blue war-kit, marched rapidly down the main road and halted presently -behind Woodham Mortimer Place. All this time there was neither sight nor -sound of the enemy. The birds carrolled gaily in the old elms round my -eyrie, the sparrows and martins piped and twittered in the eaves of the -old church, and the sun shone genially on hill and valley, field and -wood. To all appearance, peace reigned over the countryside, though the -dun masses of troops in the shadows of the woodlands were suggestive of -the autumn manœuvres. But for all this, the ‘Real Thing’ was upon us. -As I looked, first one then another long and widely scattered line of -crouching men in khaki issued from the cover of Hyde Woods and began -slowly to move away towards the east. Then, and not till then, a vivid -violet-white flash blazed out on the dim grey upland five miles away to -the south-east, which had been pointed out to me as Great Canney, and -almost at once a spout of earth and smoke sprang up a little way ahead -of the advancing British. A dull boom floated up on the breeze, but was -drowned in an ear-splitting crash somewhere close to me. I felt the old -tower rock under the concussion, which I presently discovered came from -a battery of big 4.7 guns established just outside the churchyard.</p> - -<p>“There were at least six of them, and as one after another gave tongue, -I descended from my rickety perch and went down to look at them. They -were manned by a party of Bluejackets, who had brought them over from -Chatham, and among the guns I found some of my<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_192" id="page_192"></a>{192}</span> acquaintances in the -Boer War, ‘Joe Chamberlain’ and ‘Bloody Mary,’ to wit. But I must leave -my own personal experiences, at least for the present, and endeavour to -give a general account of the day’s operations so far as I was able to -follow them by observation and inquiry. The movement I saw developing -below me was the first step towards what I eventually discovered was our -main objective—Purleigh. The open ground, flat as a billiard-table to -the north of this towards Maldon, presented the weakest front to our -attack, but it was considered that if we penetrated there we should in a -very short time be decimated and swept away by the cross fire from -Maldon and Purleigh, to say nothing of that from other positions we -might certainly assume the enemy had prepared in rear.</p> - -<p>“Could we succeed in establishing ourselves at Purleigh, however, we -should be beyond effective range from Maldon, and should also take Great -Canney in reverse, as well as the positions on the refused left flank of -the enemy. Maldon, too, would be isolated. Purleigh, therefore, was the -key of the position. We have not got it yet, but have made a good stride -in its direction, and if it is true that ‘fortune favours the brave,’ -ought certainly to be in possession of it by to-morrow evening. Our -first move was in this direction, as I have already indicated. The -scouts were picked men from the Line battalions, but the firing lines -were composed of Volunteers and, in some cases, Militiamen. It was -considered more politic to reserve the Regulars for the later stages of -the attack. The firing from Canney, and afterwards from Purleigh, was at -first at rather too long a range to be effective, even from the heavy -guns that were in use, and later on the heavy long-range fire from -‘Bloody Mary’ and her sisters at Danbury, and other heavy guns and -howitzers in the neighbourhood of East Hanningfield, kept it down -considerably, although the big, high-explosive shells were now and again -most terribly destructive to the advancing British.</p> - -<p>“When, however, the firing line—which as yet had<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_193" id="page_193"></a>{193}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/i_b_193_lg.png"> -<img src="images/i_b_193_sml.png" width="459" height="438" alt="Image unavailable: Battle of Purleigh, 6th September." /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">Battle of Purleigh, 6th September.</span> -</div> - -<p class="nind">not been near enough to fire a shot in reply—arrived in the -neighbourhood of Loddard’s Hill, its left came under a terrible rifle -fire from Hazeleigh Wood, while its right and centre were all but -destroyed by a tornado of shrapnel from some German field batteries to -the north of Purleigh. Though dazed and staggered under the appalling -sleet of projectiles, the Volunteers stuck doggedly to their ground, -though unable to advance. They were intelligent men; and even if they -had the inclination to fall back, they knew that there was no safety -that way. Line after line was pushed forward, the men stumbling<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_194" id="page_194"></a>{194}</span> and -falling over the thickly scattered bodies of their fallen comrades.</p> - -<p>“It was a perfect holocaust. Some other card must be played at once, or -the attack must fail.”</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The second of Mr. Henry Bentley’s descriptive articles in the <i>Times</i> -told a terrible truth, and was as follows:—</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p class="c"> -“(<i>From our War Correspondent.</i>)<br /> -</p> - -<p class="r"> -“<span class="smcap">Chelmsford</span>, <i>September 7</i>.<br /> -</p> - -<p>“When I sent off my despatch by motor-car last night it was with -very different feelings to those with which I take my pen in hand -this evening, in the Saracen’s Head Hotel, which is the -headquarters of my colleagues, the correspondents.</p> - -<p>“Last night, despite the hard fighting and the heavy losses we had -sustained, the promise of the morrow was distinctly a good one. But -now I have little heart with which to commence the difficult and -unpleasant task of chronicling the downfall of all our high hopes, -the repulse—ay, and the defeat—it is no use mincing matters—of -our heroic and sorely tried Army.</p> - -<p>“Yes, our gallant soldiers have sustained a reverse which, but for -their stubborn fighting qualities and a somewhat inexplicable -holding back on the part of the Germans, might very easily have -culminated in disaster. Defeat although it undoubtedly is, the -darkness of the gloomy outlook is illuminated by the brilliancy of -the conduct of our troops.</p> - -<p>“From General down to the youngest Volunteer drummer boy, our brave -soldiers did all, and more, than could be humanly expected of them, -and on none of them can be laid the blame of our ill-success. The -plan of attack is agreed on all hands to have been as good a one as -could have been evolved; the officers led well, their men fought -well, and there was no running short of ammunition at any period of -the engagement.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_195" id="page_195"></a>{195}</span></p> - -<p>“ ‘Who, then, was responsible?’ it may well be asked. The answer is -simple. The British public, which, in its apathetic attitude -towards military efficiency, aided and abetted by the soothing -theories of the extremists of the ‘Blue Water’ school, had, as -usual, neglected to provide an Army fitted to cope in numbers and -efficiency with those of our Continental neighbours. Had we had a -sufficiency of troops, more especially of regular troops, there is -not the slightest doubt that the victory would have been ours. As -it was, our General was obliged to attack the enemy’s position with -a force whose numbers, even if they had been all regular soldiers, -were below those judged necessary by military experts for the task -in hand.</p> - -<p>“Having broken through the German lines, success was in his grasp, -had he had sufficient reinforcements to have established him in the -position he had won and to beat back the inevitable counter-attack. -But it is best that I should continue my account of the fighting -from the point at which I closed my letter of yesterday. I had -arrived at the checking of our advance near Loddard’s Hill by the -blast of shrapnel from the German field batteries. It was plain -that the Volunteer Brigade, though it held its ground, could not -advance farther. But, unnoticed by them, the General had been -preparing for this eventuality.</p> - -<p>“On the left the two battalions of Marines that I noticed drawn up -behind Woodham Mortimer Place suddenly debouched on Loddard’s Hill, -and, carrying forward with them the débris of the Volunteer firing -line, hurled themselves into Hazeleigh Wood. There was a sanguinary -hand-to-hand struggle on the wire-entangled border, but the -new-comers were not to be denied, and after a quarter of an hour’s -desperate mêlée, which filled the sylvan glades with moaning and -writhing wounded and stark dead bodies, we remained masters of the -wood, and even obtained a footing on the railway line where it -adjoins it.</p> - -<p>“Simultaneously a long line of our field batteries<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_196" id="page_196"></a>{196}</span> came into -action near Woodham Mortimer, some trying to beat down the fire of -the German guns opposite, while others replied to a battery that -had been established near West Maldon Station to flank the railway, -and which was now beginning to open on Hazeleigh Wood. The latter -were assisted by a battery of 4.7 guns manned by Volunteers, which -took up a position behind Woodham Walter. The firing on Great -Canney from our batteries at East Hanningfield redoubled, the whole -summit of the hill being at times obscured by the clouds of smoke -and débris from the explosions of the big, high-explosive -projectiles.</p> - -<p>“The main firing line, continually fed from the rear, now began -slowly to gain ground, and when the Grenadiers and the Irish -Guards, who had managed to work up through the series of -plantations that run eastwards for nearly two miles from Woodham -Hall without drawing any particular attention from the busily -engaged enemy, came into action on the right, there was a distinct -move forward. But the defence was too stubborn, and about midday -the whole line again came to a standstill, its left still in -Hazeleigh Wood, its right at Prentice Farm. Orders were passed that -the men should try to entrench themselves as best they could, and -spades and other tools were sent forward to those corps who were -not provided with them already.</p> - -<p>“Here we must leave the main attack to notice what was going on -elsewhere. On the north the Colchester Garrison again brought their -heavy artillery into action on the slopes south of Wickham Bishops, -while others of our troops made a show of advancing against Maldon -from the west. These movements were, however, merely intended to -keep the German garrison occupied. But on the right a rather -important flanking movement was in progress.</p> - -<p>“We had a considerable body of troops at East Hanningfield, which -lies in a hollow between two little ridges, both running from -south-west to north-east, and about a mile apart. The most easterly -ridge is very<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_197" id="page_197"></a>{197}</span> narrow for the most part, and behind it were -stationed several batteries of our field howitzers, which fired -over it at Great Canney at a range of about 5000 yards. A number of -4.7-inch guns, scattered over the western hill, were also -concentrated on the same target. Although the range was an -extremely long one, there is no doubt that they made a certain -number of effective hits, since Great Canney offered a conspicuous -and considerable target. But beyond this the flashes of their -discharges drew off all attention from the howitzer batteries in -front of them, and served to conceal their presence from the enemy. -Otherwise, although invisible, their presence would have been -guessed at. As it was, not a single German projectile came anywhere -near them.</p> - -<p>“When the fighting began, those troops who were not intended to be -held in reserve or to co-operate with the right of the main attack -moved off in the direction of Woodham Ferrers, and made a feint of -attacking the German position astride the two kopjes at Edwin’s -Hall, their field guns coming into action on the high ground north -of Rettendon, and engaging those of the enemy at long range. But -the real attack on this salient of the German position came from a -very different quarter.</p> - -<p>“The troops detailed for this movement were those who had advanced -against Wickford at daybreak, and had found it abandoned by the -enemy. They consisted of the Oxfordshire Light Infantry, the -Honourable Artillery Company, and the Inns of Court Volunteers, -together with their own and three or four other machine-gun -detachments, their Maxims being mounted on detachable legs instead -of carriages. Co-operating with them were the Essex and the East -Kent Yeomanry, who were scouting in the direction of Hockley.</p> - -<p>“The troops had a long, wearisome march before them, the design -being to take advantage of the time of low tide, and to move along -out of sight of the enemy behind the northern bank of the river -Crouch, as it<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_198" id="page_198"></a>{198}</span> had been discovered that the German line of defence -turned back to the eastward at a mile or two north of the river at -the point aimed at. Its guns still commanded it, and might be -trusted to render abortive any attempt to throw a bridge across it. -The Yeomanry had the task of occupying the attention of the enemy -at Canewdon, and of preventing the passage of boats from the German -warships. This part of our operations succeeded admirably. The long -creeping lines of the Oxfordshires and the machine-gun detachments -in their khaki uniforms were almost indistinguishable against the -steep mud banks at any distance, and they escaped observation both -from the German main lines and from their outpost at Canewdon until -they had reached the entrances of the two branch creeks for which -they were making.</p> - -<p>“Then, and not till then, came the sound of artillery from the left -rear of the German position. But it was too late. The Oxford -companies pushed forward at the double. Five companies lined the -embankments of Stow Creek, the easternmost of the two, while the -remainder, ensconced in Clementsgreen Creek, aligned the whole of -their machine-guns on the southern of the two kopjes against which -the manœuvre had been directed. Their fire, which, coming from a -little to the rear of the left flank of the southern kopje, -completely enfiladed it, created such slaughter and confusion that -the Honourable Artillery Company and the Inns of Court, who had -been working up the railway line from Battle Bridge, had little -difficulty in establishing themselves at Woodham Ferrers Station -and in an adjacent farm. Being almost immediately afterwards -reinforced by the arrival of two regular battalions who had been -pushed forward from Rettendon, a determined assault was made on the -southern kopje. Its defenders, demoralised by the pelting shower of -lead from the machine-gun battery, and threatened also by the -advance from Woodham Ferrers village, gave way, and our people, -forcing their way over<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_199" id="page_199"></a>{199}</span> every obstacle, seized the position amid -frantic cheering.</p> - -<p>“Meanwhile the Oxfordshires had been subjected to a determined -counter-attack from North Frambridge. Preceded by a pounding from -the guns on Kit’s Hill, but aided by the fire of the Yeomanry on -the south bank of the river, who galloped up and lined the -embankment, thus flanking the defenders of Stow Creek, it was -beaten back with considerable loss. The machine-guns were -transferred to the neighbourhood of South Kopje, and used with such -effect that its defenders, after repulsing several counter-attacks -from the adjoining German entrenchment, were able to make -themselves masters of the North Kopje also.</p> - -<p>“Elsewhere the fighting still continued strenuous and deadly. The -main attack had contrived to make some little shelter for itself; -but though three several attempts were made to advance from this, -all ended in failure, one nearly in disaster. This was the last of -the three, when the advancing line was charged by a mass of cavalry -which suddenly appeared from behind Great Canney Hill. I myself was -a witness of this attack, the most picturesque incident of the -day’s fighting.</p> - -<p>“I was watching the progress of the engagement through my glasses -from the high ground about Wickhams Farm, when I saw line after -line of the German horsemen in their sky-blue tunics and glittering -helmets trot out into the open, canter, and one after another break -into a mad gallop as they bore down upon the advancing lines of our -citizen soldiers. Staunchly as these had withstood the murderous -fire which for hours had been directed upon them, this whirlwind of -lance and sabre, the thunder of thousands of hoofs, and the hoarse -cries of the riders, were rather more than such partially trained -soldiers could stand. A scattering discharge from their rifles was -followed by something very much approaching a <i>sauve qui peut</i>.</p> - -<p>“A large number of the Volunteers, however, sought<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_200" id="page_200"></a>{200}</span> shelter among -the ruined houses of Cock Clarke’s hamlet, from whence they opened -a heavy fire on the adventurous horsemen. The Argyll and Sutherland -Highlanders, who were by this time in Mosklyns Copse, and the -Guards and other troops on the right, also opened a rapid and -sustained fire on the German cavalry, which, seconded by the -shrapnel from our guns on Loddard’s Hill, caused them to turn and -ride back for their lives. There was a tremendous outburst of -firing from both sides after this, followed by quite a lull. One -could well imagine that all the combatants were exhausted by the -prolonged effort of the day. It was now between five and six in the -evening. It was at this time that the news of the capture of the -two kopjes reached me, and I made for Danbury to write my -despatches.</p> - -<p>“Shortly after my arrival I heard of the capture of Spar Hill, a -detached knoll about 12,000 yards to the north-west of Purleigh. -The Marines from Hazeleigh Wood and the Highlanders from Mosklyns -Copse had suddenly and simultaneously assaulted it from opposite -sides, and were now entrenching themselves upon it. What wonder, -then, that I reported satisfactory progress, and reckoned—too -confidently, as it proved—on a victory for the morrow?</p> - -<p>“I spent a great part of that night under the stars on the hilltop -near East Hanningfield, watching the weird play of the searchlights -which swept over the country from a score of different positions, -and listening to the crash of artillery and clatter of rifle fire -which now and again told of some attempted movement under cover of -the darkness. Just before daylight the continuous roar of battle -began again, and when light dawned I found that our troops had cut -right through the German lines, and had penetrated as far as Cop -Kitchen’s farm, on the Maldon-Mundon road. Reinforcements were -being hurried up, and an attack was being pushed towards the rear -of Purleigh and Great Canney, which was being heavily bombarded<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_201" id="page_201"></a>{201}</span> by -some of our large guns, which had been mounted during the night on -the two kopjes.</p> - -<p>“But the reinforcements were not enough. The Germans held fast to -Purleigh and to some reserve positions they had established about -Mundon. After two or three hours of desperate effort, costing the -lives of thousands, our attack was at a standstill. At this -critical moment a powerful counter-attack was made from Maldon, -and, outnumbered and almost surrounded, our gallant warriors had to -give ground. But they fell back as doggedly as they had advanced, -the Argylls, Marines, and Grenadiers covering the retreat on -Danbury.</p> - -<p>“The guns at East Hanningfield and the two kopjes checked the -pursuit to a great extent, and the Germans seemed unwilling to go -far from their works. The kopjes had to be abandoned later in the -day, and we now occupy our former line from Danbury to Billericay, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_202" id="page_202"></a>{202}</span> and are busily engaged in entrenching ourselves.”</p></div> - -<h3><a name="CHAPTER_XIII-a" id="CHAPTER_XIII-a"></a>CHAPTER XIII<br /><br /> -<small>DEFENCE AT LAST</small></h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">Late</span> on Wednesday night came tardy news of the measures we were taking -to mobilise.</p> - -<p>The Aldershot Army Corps, so complete in the “Army List,” consisted, as -all the world knew, of three divisions, but of these only two existed, -the other being found to be on paper. The division in question, located -at Bordon, was to be formed on mobilisation, and this measure was now -being proceeded with. The train service was practically suspended, owing -to the damage done to the various lines south of London by the enemy’s -emissaries. Several of these men had been detected, and being in plain -clothes were promptly shot out of hand. However, their work had, -unfortunately for us, been accomplished, and trains could only run as -far as the destroyed bridges, so men on their way to join their -respective corps were greatly delayed in consequence.</p> - -<p>In one instance, at about four o’clock in the morning, three men were -seen by a constable acting suspiciously beneath the iron girder bridge -of the South-Western Railway spanning the road on the London side of -Surbiton Station. Of a sudden the men bolted, and a few moments later, -with a terrific explosion, the great bridge crashed into the road.</p> - -<p>The constable raised the alarm that the fugitives were German spies, -whereupon a few unemployed workmen, rushing down Effingham Gardens, -caught two of the men in Malpas Road. In the hands of these irate -bricklayers the Germans were given short shrift,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_203" id="page_203"></a>{203}</span> and, notwithstanding -the protests of the constable, the two spies were dragged along the -Portsmouth Road, pitched headlong into the Thames almost immediately -opposite the water-works, and drowned.</p> - -<p>All was confusion at Bordon, where men were arriving in hundreds on -foot, and by the service of motor-omnibuses, which the War Office had on -the day before established between Charing Cross and Aldershot. -Perspiring staff officers strove diligently, without much avail, to sort -out into their respective units this ever-increasing mass of reservists.</p> - -<p>There was perfect chaos.</p> - -<p>Before the chief constituent parts of the division—that is to say, -regiments who were stationed elsewhere—had arrived little could be done -with the reservists. The regiments in question were in many cases -stationed at considerable distance, and although they had received -orders to start, were prevented from arriving owing to the universal -interruptions of the railway traffic south. By this, whole valuable days -were lost—days when at any hour the invaders might make a sudden swoop -on London.</p> - -<p>Reports were alarming and conflicting. Some said that the enemy meant to -strike a blow upon the capital just as suddenly as they had landed, -while others reassured the alarmists that the German plans were not yet -complete, and that they had not sufficient stores to pursue the -campaign.</p> - -<p>Reservists, with starvation staring them in the face, went eagerly south -to join their regiments, knowing that at least they would be fed with -regularity; while, in addition, the true patriotic spirit of the -Englishman had been roused against the aggressive Teuton, and everyone, -officer and man, was eager to bear his part in driving the invader into -the sea.</p> - -<p>The public were held breathless. What would happen?</p> - -<p>Arrivals at Aldershot, however, found the whole arrangements in such a -complete muddle that Army<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_204" id="page_204"></a>{204}</span> Service Corps men, who ought to have been at -Woolwich, were presenting themselves for enrolment at Bordon, and -infantry of the line were conducted into the camp of the Dragoons. The -Motor Volunteer Corps were at this moment of very great use. The cars -were filled with staff officers and other exalted officials, who were -settling themselves in various offices, and passing out again to make -necessary arrangements for dealing with such a large influx of men.</p> - -<p>There were activity and excitement everywhere. Men were rapidly drawing -their clothing, or as much of it as they could get, and civilians were -quickly becoming soldiers on every hand. Officers of the Reserve were -driving up in motor-cars and cabs, many of them with their old battered -uniform-cases, that had seen service in the field in distant parts of -the globe. Men from the “Junior” and the “Senior” wrung each other’s -hands on returning to active duty with their old regiments, and at once -settled down into the routine work they knew so well.</p> - -<p>The rumour, however, had now got about that a position in the -neighbourhood of Cambridge had been selected by the General Staff as -being the most suitable theatre of action where an effective stand -could, with any hope of success, be made. It was evident that the German -tactics were to strike a swift and rapid blow at London. Indeed, nothing -at present stood in their way except the gallant little garrison at -Colchester, who had been so constantly driven back by the enemy’s -cavalry on attempting to make any reconnaissance, and who might be swept -out of existence at any hour.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>During Tuesday and Wednesday large gangs of workmen had been busy -repairing the damaged lines. The first regiment complete for the field -was the 2nd Battalion of the 5th Fusiliers, who carried upon their -colours the names of a score of battles, ranging from Corunna and -Badajoz, all through the Peninsula, Afghanistan, and Egypt, down to the -Modder River.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_205" id="page_205"></a>{205}</span> This regiment left by train for London on Tuesday -evening, and was that same night followed by the 2nd Battalion King’s -Liverpool Regiment and the 1st King’s Shropshire Light Infantry, while -the Manchester Regiment got away soon after midnight.</p> - -<p>These formed the second infantry brigade of the 1st Division, and were -commanded by Brigadier-General Sir John Money. They were several hours -getting up to London, whence from Clapham Junction their trains circled -London on to the Great Eastern system to Braintree, where the Horn Hotel -was made the headquarters. By other trains in the small hours of the -morning the last of the Guards Brigade under Colonel (temporary -Brigadier-General) Lord Wansford departed, and duly arrived at Saffron -Walden, to join their comrades on the line of defence.</p> - -<p>The divisional troops were also on the move early on Wednesday. Six -batteries of artillery and the field company of Royal Engineers left by -road. There was a balloon section accompanying this, and searchlights, -wireless instruments, and cables for field-telegraphy were carried in -the waggons.</p> - -<p>The 2nd Division, under Lieutenant-General Morgan, C.B., was also -active. The 3rd Infantry Brigade, commanded by Major-General Fortescue, -composed of 2nd Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment, the 2nd -Bedfordshire, the 1st Princess of Wales’ Own, and the 1st Royal Welsh -Fusiliers, were preparing, but had not yet moved. The 4th Infantry -Brigade of the same division, consisting of the 3rd and 4th Battalions -King’s Royal Rifle Corps, the 2nd Sherwood Foresters, and the 2nd South -Lancashire, with the usual smartness of those distinguished regiments, -were quick and ready, now as ever, to go to the front. They were -entrained to Baldock, slightly east of Hitchin, where they marched out -on the Icknield Way. These were followed by Fortescue’s Brigade, who -were also bound for Baldock and the neighbourhood.</p> - -<p>The bulk of the cavalry and field artillery of both<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_206" id="page_206"></a>{206}</span> divisions, together -with the divisional troops, were compelled to set out by march-route -from Aldershot for the line of defences. The single and all-sufficient -reason of this delay in sending out the cavalry and artillery was owing -to the totally inadequate accommodation on the railways for the -transport of so many horses and guns. The troop-trains, which were, of -course, necessary to transport the infantry, were not forthcoming in -sufficient numbers, this owing to the fact that at several points the -lines to London were still interrupted.</p> - -<p>The orders to the cavalry who went by march-route were to get up to the -line proposed to be taken up by the infantry as quickly as possible, and -to operate in front of it to the east and north-east in screening and -reconnoitring duties. The temporary deficiency of cavalry, who ought, of -course, to have been the first to arrive at the scene, was made good as -far as possible by the general employment of hordes of motor-cyclists, -who scoured the country in large armed groups in order to ascertain, if -possible, the dispositions of the enemy. This they did, and very soon -after their arrival reported the result of their investigations to the -general officers commanding the 1st and 2nd Divisions.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile both cavalry and artillery in great bodies, and strings of -motor-omnibuses filled with troops, were upon the white, dusty roads -passing through Staines to Hounslow and Brentford, thence to London, St. -Albans, <i>en route</i> to their respective divisions. Roughly, the distance -was over fifty miles, therefore those marching were compelled to halt -the night on the way, while those in the motor-omnibuses got through to -their destination.</p> - -<p>To cavalry, thirty-five miles is a long day’s march, and in view of the -heavy work before them, stringent orders had been given them to spare -the horses as much as possible. The heads of the columns did not, -therefore, pass beyond Hounslow on the first night, and in that -neighbourhood the thousands of all ranks made themselves<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_207" id="page_207"></a>{207}</span> as comfortable -as circumstances would permit. The majority of the men were fed and -billeted by the all-too-willing inhabitants, and upon their hot march -they met with ovations everywhere.</p> - -<p>At last we were defending ourselves! The sight of British troops -hurrying to the front swelled the hearts of the villagers and townsfolk -with renewed patriotism, and everywhere, through the blazing, dusty day, -the men were offered refreshment by even the poorest and humblest -cottagers. In Bagshot, in Staines, and in Hounslow the people went -frantic with excitement, as squadron after squadron rapidly passed -along, with its guns, wagons, and ambulances rumbling noisily over the -stones, in the rear.</p> - -<p>Following these came pontoon troops with their long grey wagons and -mysterious-looking bridging apparatus, telegraph troops, balloon -sections, supply columns, field bakery, and field hospitals, the -last-named packed in wagons marked with the well-known red cross of the -Geneva Convention.</p> - -<p>No sooner was Aldershot denuded of its army corps, however, than -battalions began to arrive from Portsmouth on their way north, while -troops from the great camp on Salisbury Plain were rapidly being pushed -to the front, which, roughly speaking, extended through Hitchin, -Royston, to Saffron Walden, across to Braintree, and also the high -ground commanding the valley of the Colne to Colchester.</p> - -<p>The line chosen by the General Staff was the natural chain of hills -which presented the first obstacle to the enemy advancing on London from -the wide plain stretching eastward beyond Cambridge to the sea.</p> - -<p>If this could be held strongly, as was intended, by practically the -whole of the British forces located in the South of England, including -the Yeomanry, Militia, and Volunteers—who were now all massing in every -direction—then the deadly peril threatening England might be averted.</p> - -<p>But could it be held?<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_208" id="page_208"></a>{208}</span></p> - -<div class="bbox"> - -<p class="c"> -<img src="images/i_b_208.jpg" -width="75" -height="102" -alt="Image unavailable" -/></p> - -<p><b><big><big><big>W</big>E, WILHELM,</big></big></b></p> - -<p><b><span class="sans">GIVE NOTICE</span> to the inhabitants of those provinces occupied - by the German Imperial Army, that—</b></p> - -<p>I MAKE WAR upon the soldiers, and not upon English -citizens. Consequently, it is my wish to give the latter and -their property entire security, and as long as they do not -embark upon hostile enterprise against the German troops -they have a right to my protection.</p> - -<p>GENERALS COMMANDING the various corps in the -various districts in England are ordered to place before the -public the stringent measures which I have ordered to be -adopted against towns, villages, and persons who act in -contradiction to the usages of war. They are to regulate -in the same manner all the operations necessary for the -well-being of our troops, to fix the difference between the -English and German rate of exchange, and to facilitate in -every manner possible the individual transactions between -our Army and the inhabitants of England.</p> - -<p class="r"><b>WILHELM.</b></p> - -<p>Given at Potsdam, <i>September 4th, 1910</i>.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"><p class="hang">The above is a copy of the German Imperial Decree, printed in -English, which was posted by unknown German agents in London, and -which appeared everywhere throughout East Anglia and in that -portion of the Midlands held by the enemy.</p></div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_209" id="page_209"></a>{209}</span></p> - -<p>This was the appalling question on everyone’s tongue all over the -country, for it now became generally known that upon this line of -defence four complete and perfectly equipped German army corps were -ready to advance at any moment, in addition to the right flank being -exposed to the attack of the XIIth Saxon Corps, entrenched on the Essex -coast.</p> - -<p>It was estimated that no fewer than two hundred thousand Germans were -already upon English soil!</p> - -<p>The outlook grew blacker every hour.</p> - -<p>London was in a state of absolute stagnation and chaos. In the City, -business was now at an entire standstill. The credit system had received -a fatal blow, and nobody wanted to buy securities. Had people kept level -heads in the crisis there would have been a moratorium, but, as it was, -a panic had been created that nothing could allay. Even Consols were now -unsaleable. Some of the smaller banks were known to have failed, and -traders and manufacturers all over the country had been ruined on -account of credit, the foundation of all trade, having been swept away. -Only persons of the highest financial standing could have dealt with the -banks, even if they had remained open.</p> - -<p>The opinion held in banking circles was that if the invasion should -unfortunately prove disastrous to England, and Germany demand a huge -indemnity, there was still hope, however small. The experience of the -Franco-German War had proved that though in such circumstances the Bank, -for a considerable period, might not be able to resume cash payments, -yet, with sound finance, there was no reason that the currency should -greatly depreciate. During the period of suspension of cash payments by -the Bank of France the premium on gold never went above 1.5 per cent., -and during most of the period was 5, 4, or even less per mille. -Therefore what the French by sound banking had been able to do, there -was no reason why English bankers could not also do.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_210" id="page_210"></a>{210}</span></p> - -<p>At the outbreak of the war of 1870, on August 1 French Three per Cent. -Rentes were at 60.85, and Four and a Half per Cents. at 98. On the -memorable day of Sedan, September 2, they were at 50.80 and 88.50 -respectively, and on January 2, 1871, Three per Cents. were down to -50.95. At the commencement of the Commune, on March 18, they were at -51.50 and 76.25, and on the 30th of that month down to 50.60 and 76.25 -respectively.</p> - -<p>With so little money in England as there now was, securities had fallen -to the value at which holders would as soon not sell as sell at such a -great discount. High rates and the heavy fall in the value of securities -had brought business in every quarter all over London to a standstill. -Firms all over the country were now hard put to it in order to find the -necessary money to carry on their various trades. Instantly, after the -report of the reverse at Sheffield, there was a wild rush to obtain -gold, and securities dropped even a few more points.</p> - -<p>Therefore, there was little or nothing for the banks to do, and Lombard -Street, Lothbury, and the other banking centres were closed, as though -it had been Sunday or Bank Holiday. Despair was, alas! everywhere, and -the streets presented strange scenes.</p> - -<p>Most of the motor-omnibuses had been taken off the road and pressed into -the service of the military. The walls bore a dozen different broadsides -and proclamations, which were read by the gaping, hungry crowds.</p> - -<p>The Royal Standard was flying from St. Stephen’s Tower, for Parliament -had now met, and all members who were not abroad for their summer -vacation had taken their places at the heated debates now hourly in -progress. Over Buckingham Palace the Royal Standard also flew proudly, -while upon every public building was displayed a Union Jack or a white -ensign, many of which had done duty at the coronation of His Majesty -King Edward. The Admiralty flew its own flag, and upon the War Office, -the India Office, the Foreign Office,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_211" id="page_211"></a>{211}</span> and all the dark, sombre -Government buildings in Whitehall was bunting displayed.</p> - -<p>The wild enthusiasm of Sunday and Monday, however, had given place to a -dark, hopeless apprehension. The great mobs now thronging all the -principal thoroughfares in London were already half-famished. Food was -daily rising in price, and the East End was already starving. Bands of -lawless men and women from the slums of Whitechapel were parading the -West End streets and squares, and were camping out in Hyde Park and St. -James’s Park.</p> - -<p>The days were stifling, for it was an unusually hot September following -upon a blazing August, and as each breathless evening the sun sank, it -shed its blood-red afterglow over the giant metropolis, grimly -precursory of the ruin so surely imminent.</p> - -<p>Supplies were still reaching London from the country, but there had been -immediate panic in the corn and provision markets, with the result that -prices had instantly jumped up beyond the means of the average Londoner. -The poorer ones were eagerly collecting the refuse in Covent Garden -Market and boiling it down to make soup in lieu of anything else, while -wise fathers of families went to the shops themselves and made meagre -purchases daily of just sufficient food to keep body and soul together.</p> - -<p>For the present there was no fear of London being absolutely starved, at -least the middle class and wealthier portion of it. At present it was -the poor—the toiling millions now unemployed—who were the first to -feel the pinch of hunger and its consequent despair. They filled the -main arteries of London—Holborn, Oxford Street, the Strand, Regent -Street, Piccadilly, the Haymarket, St. James’s Street, Park Lane, -Victoria Street, and Knightsbridge, overflowing northward into -Grosvenor, Berkeley, Portman, and Cavendish Squares, Portland Place, and -to the terraces around Regent’s Park. The centre of London became -congested. Day and night it was the same. There was no<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_212" id="page_212"></a>{212}</span> sleep. From -across the river and from the East End the famished poor came in their -bewildering thousands, the majority of them honest workers, indignant -that by the foolish policy of the Government they now found themselves -breadless.</p> - -<p>Before the Houses of Parliament, before the fine new War Office, and the -Admiralty, before Downing Street, and before the houses of known members -of the Government, constant demonstrations were being made, the hungry -crowds groaning at the authorities, and singing “God save the King.” -Though starving and in despair, they were nevertheless loyal, still -confident that by the personal effort of His Majesty some amicable -settlement would be arrived at. The French <i>entente cordiale</i> was -remembered, and our Sovereign had long ago been declared to be the first -diplomat in Europe. Every Londoner believed in him, and loved him.</p> - -<p>Many houses of the wealthy, especially those of foreigners, had their -windows broken. In Park Lane, in Piccadilly, and in Grosvenor Square, -more particularly, the houses seemed to excite the ire of the crowds, -who, notwithstanding special constables having been sworn in, were now -quite beyond the control of the police. The German Ambassador had -presented his letters of recall on Sunday evening, and together with the -whole staff had been accorded a safe conduct to Dover, whence they had -left for the Continent. The Embassy in Carlton House Terrace, and also -the Consulate-General in Finsbury Square, had, however, suffered -severely at the hands of the angry crowd, notwithstanding that both -premises were under police protection.</p> - -<p>All the German waiters employed at the Cecil, the Savoy, the Carlton, -the Métropole, the Victoria, the Grand, and the other big London hotels, -had already fled for their lives out into the country, anywhere from the -vengeance of the London mob. Hundreds of them were trying to make their -way within the German lines in Essex and Suffolk, and it was believed -that many<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_213" id="page_213"></a>{213}</span> had succeeded—those, most probably, who had previously acted -as spies. Others, it was reported, had been set upon by the excited -populace, and more than one had lost his life.</p> - -<p>Pandemonium reigned in London. Every class and every person in every -walk of life was affected. German interests were being looked after by -the Russian Ambassador, and this very fact caused a serious -demonstration before Chesham House, the big mansion where lives the -representative of the Czar. Audacious spies had, in secret, in the night -actually posted copies of Von Kronhelm’s proclamation upon the Griffin -at Temple Bar, upon the Marble Arch, and upon the Mansion House. But -these had been quickly torn down, and if the hand that had placed them -there had been known, it would certainly have meant death to the one who -had thus insulted the citizens of London.</p> - -<p>Yet the truth was, alas! too plain. Spread out across Essex and Suffolk, -making leisurely preparations and laughing at our futile defence, lay -over one hundred thousand well-equipped, well-fed Germans, ready, when -their plans were completed, to advance upon and crush the complex city -which is the pride and home of every Englishman—London.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>On Friday night an official communication from the War Office was issued -to the Press, showing the exact position of the invaders. It was roughly -this:—</p> - -<p>“The IXth German Corps, which had effected a landing at Lowestoft, had, -after moving along the most easterly route, including the road through -Saxmundham and Ipswich, at length arrived at a position where their -infantry outposts had occupied the higher slopes of the rising ground -overlooking the river Stour, near Manningtree, which town, as well as -Ipswich, was held by them.</p> - -<p>“The left flank of this corps rested on the river Stour itself, so that -it was secure from any turning movement.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_214" id="page_214"></a>{214}</span> Its front was opposed to and -directly threatened Colchester, while its outposts, to say nothing of -its independent cavalry, reached out in a northerly direction towards -Stowmarket, where they joined hands with the left flank of the Xth -Corps—those under Von Wilburg, who had landed at Yarmouth—whose -headquarters were now at Bury St. Edmund’s, their outposts being -disposed south, overlooking the valley of the upper reaches of the -Stour.”</p> - -<p>Nor was this all. From Newmarket there came information that the enemy -who had landed at Weybourne and Cromer—viz., the IVth Corps under Von -Kleppen—were now encamping on the racecourse and being billeted in the -town and villages about, including Exning, Ashley, Moulton, and -Kentford. Frölich’s cavalry brigade had penetrated South, covering the -advance, and had now scoured the country, sweeping away the futile -resistance of the British Yeomanry, and scattering cavalry squadrons -which they found opposed to them, all the time maintaining communication -with the Xth Corps on their left, and the flower of the German Army, the -Guards Corps, from King’s Lynn, on their right. Throughout the advance -from Holt, Von Dorndorf’s motorists had been of the greatest utility. -They had taken constantly companies of infantry hither and thither. At -any threatened point, so soon as the sound of firing was heard in any -cavalry skirmish or little engagement of outposts, the smart motor -infantry were on the spot with the promptness of a fire brigade -proceeding to a call. For this reason the field artillery, who were -largely armed with quick-firing guns, capable of pouring in a hail of -shrapnel on any exposed point, were enabled to push on much farther than -would have been otherwise possible. They were always adequately -supported by a sufficient escort of these up-to-date troops, who, -although infantry, moved with greater rapidity than cavalry itself, and -who, moreover, brought with them their Maxims, which dealt havoc far and -near.</p> - -<p>The magnificent troops of the Duke of Mannheim<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_215" id="page_215"></a>{215}</span> in their service -uniforms, who had landed at King’s Lynn, had come across the wide, level -roads, some by way of Downham Market, Littleport, and Ely, and arrived -at Cambridge. The 2nd Division, under Lieutenant-General von Kasten, -protecting the exposed flanks, had marched <i>viâ</i> Wisbech, March, -Chatteris, and St. Ives, while the masses of the cavalry of the Guard, -including the famous White Cuirassiers, had been acting independently -around the flat fen country, Spalding and Peterborough, and away to -quaint old Huntingdon, striking terror into the inhabitants, and -effectively checking any possible offensive movement of the British that -might have been directed upon the great German Army during its ruthless -advance.</p> - -<p>Beyond this, worse remained. It was known that the VIIth Corps, under -Von Bristram, had landed at Goole, and that General Graf Haeseler had -landed at Hull, New Holland, and Grimsby. This revealed what the real -strategy of the Generalissimo had been. Their function seemed twofold. -First and foremost their presence, as a glance at the map will show, -effectually prevented any attack from the British troops gathered from -the north and elsewhere, and who were, as shown, concentrated near -Sheffield and Birmingham, until these two corps had themselves been -attacked and repulsed, which we were, alas! utterly unable to -accomplish.</p> - -<p>These were two fine German army corps, complete to the proverbial last -button, splendidly equipped, well fed, and led by officers who had had -lifelong training, and were perfectly well acquainted with every mile of -the country they occupied, by reason of years of careful study given to -maps of England. It was now entirely plain that the function of these -two corps was to paralyse our trade in Yorkshire and Lancashire, to -commit havoc in the big cities, to terrify the people, and to strike a -crushing blow at our industrial centres, leaving the siege of London to -the four other corps now so rapidly advancing upon the metropolis.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_216" id="page_216"></a>{216}</span></p> - -<p>Events meanwhile were marching quickly in the North.</p> - -<p>The town of Sheffield throughout Tuesday and Wednesday was the scene of -the greatest activity. Day and night the streets were filled with an -excited populace, and hour by hour the terror increased.</p> - -<p>Every train arriving from the North was crowded with Volunteers and -troops of the line from all stations in the Northern Command. The 1st -Battalion West Riding Regiment had joined the Yorkshire Light Infantry, -who were already stationed in Sheffield, as had also the 19th Hussars, -and from every regimental district and depot, including Scarborough, -Richmond, Carlisle, Seaforth, Beverley, Halifax, Lancaster, Preston, -Bolton, Warrington, Bury, Ashton-under-Lyne, came battalions of Militia -and Volunteers. From Carlisle came the Reservists of the Border -Regiment, from Richmond those of the Yorkshire Regiment, from Newcastle -came what was left of the Reservists of the Durham Light Infantry, and -the Northumberland Fusiliers, from Lancaster the Royal Lancashires, -while field artillery came from Seaforth and Preston, and small bodies -of Reservists of the Liverpool and the South Lancashire Regiments came -from Warrington. Contingents of the East and North Lancashire Regiments -arrived from Preston. The Militia, including battalions of the Liverpool -Regiment, the South Lancashire Regiment, the Lancashire Fusiliers, and -other regiments in the command, were hurried to the scene of action -outside Sheffield. From every big town in the whole of the North of -England and South of Scotland came straggling units of Volunteers. The -mounted troops were almost entirely Yeomanry, and included the Duke of -Lancaster’s Own Imperial Yeomanry, the East Riding of Yorks, the -Lancashire Hussars, Northumberland Yeomanry, Westmorland and Cumberland -Yeomanry, the Queen’s Own Yorkshire Dragoons, and the York Hussars.</p> - -<p>These troops, with their ambulances, their baggage, and all their -impedimenta, created the utmost confusion<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_217" id="page_217"></a>{217}</span> at both railway stations. The -great concourse of idlers cheered and cheered again, the utmost -enthusiasm being displayed when each battalion forming up was marched -away out of the town to the position chosen for the defence, which now -reached from Woodhouse on the south, overlooking and commanding the -whole valley of the river Rother, through Catcliffe, Brinsworth, and -Tinsley, previously alluded to, skirting Greasborough to the high ground -north of Wentworth, also commanding the river Don and all approaches to -it through Mexborough, and over the various bridges which spanned this -stream—a total of about eight miles.</p> - -<p>The south flank was thrown back another four miles to Norton, in an -endeavour to prevent the whole position being turned, should the Germans -elect to deliver their threatened blow from a more southerly point than -was anticipated.</p> - -<p>The total line then to be occupied by the defenders was about twelve -miles, and into this front was crowded the heterogeneous mass of troops -of all arms. The post of honour was at Catcliffe, the dominating key to -the whole position, which was occupied by the sturdy soldiers of the 1st -Battalion West Riding Regiment and the 2nd Battalion Yorkshire Light -Infantry, while commanding every bridge crossing the rivers which lay -between Sheffield and the invaders were concentrated the guns of the 7th -Brigade Royal Horse Artillery, and of the Field Artillery, the 2nd, the -30th, the 37th, and 38th Brigades, the latter having hurriedly arrived -from Bradford.</p> - -<p>All along the crests of these slopes which formed the defence of -Sheffield, rising steeply from the river at times up to five hundred -feet, were assembled the Volunteers, all now by daybreak on Thursday -morning busily engaged in throwing up shelter-trenches and making hasty -earthwork defences for the guns. The superintendence of this force had -merged itself into that of the Northern Command, which nominally had<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_218" id="page_218"></a>{218}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/i_b_218_lg.png"> -<img src="images/i_b_218_sml.png" width="468" height="531" alt="Image unavailable: Battle of Sheffield" /></a> -</div> - -<p class="nind">its headquarters in York, but which had now been transferred to -Sheffield itself, for the best of reasons—that it was of no value at -York, and was badly wanted farther south. General Sir George Woolmer, -who so distinguished himself in South Africa, had therefore shifted his -headquarters to the Town Hall in Sheffield, but as soon as he had begun -to get the line of defence<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_219" id="page_219"></a>{219}</span> completed, he, with his staff, moved on to -Handsworth, which was centrally situated.</p> - -<p>In the command were to be found roughly twenty-three battalions of -Militia and forty-eight of Volunteers; but owing to the supineness and -neglect of the Government the former regiments now found themselves, at -the moment when wanted, greatly denuded of officers, and, owing to any -lack of encouragement to enlist, largely depleted in men. As regards the -Volunteers, matters were even worse. During the past five years as much -cold water as possible had been thrown upon all voluntary and patriotic -military endeavour by the “antimilitant” Cabinets which had so long met -at No. 10 Downing Street. The Volunteers, as a body, were sick to death -of the slights and slurs cast upon their well-meaning efforts. Their -“paper” organisation, like many other things, remained intact, but for a -long time wholesale resignations of officers and men had been taking -place. Instead, therefore, of a muster of about twenty-five thousand -auxiliaries being available in this command, as the country would have -anticipated, if the official tabulated statements had been any guide, it -was found that only about fifteen thousand had responded to the call to -arms. And upon these heroic men, utterly insufficient in point of -numbers, Sheffield had to rely for its defence.</p> - -<p>It might reasonably have been anticipated that in the majority of -Volunteer regiments furnished by big manufacturing towns, a battalion -would have consisted of at least five hundred efficient soldiers; but -owing to the causes alluded to, in many cases it was found that from one -hundred to two hundred only could “pass the doctor,” after having -trained themselves to the use of arms. The catchword phrase, “Peace, -retrenchment, and reform,” so long dinned into the ears of the -electorate by the pro-German Party and by every socialistic demagogue, -had sunk deeply into the minds of the people. Patriotism had been jeered -at, and solemn warnings laughed to scorn, even when uttered by -responsible<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_220" id="page_220"></a>{220}</span> and far-seeing statesmen. Yet the day of awakening had -dawned—a rude awakening indeed!</p> - -<p>Away to the eastward of Sheffield—exactly where was yet unknown—sixty -thousand perfectly-equipped and thoroughly-trained German horse, foot -and artillery, were ready at any moment to advance westward into our -manufacturing districts!<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_221" id="page_221"></a>{221}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="CHAPTER_XIV-a" id="CHAPTER_XIV-a"></a>CHAPTER XIV<br /><br /> -<small>BRITISH SUCCESS AT ROYSTON</small></h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">Arrests</span> of alleged spies were reported from Manchester, Birmingham, -Liverpool, Sheffield, and other large towns. Most of the prisoners were, -however, able to prove themselves naturalised British subjects; but -several men in Manchester, Birmingham, and Sheffield were detained -pending investigation and examination of correspondence found at their -homes. In Manchester, where there are always a number of Germans, it is -known that many slipped away on Sunday night after the publication of -the news of the invasion. Several houses in Eccles and Patricroft, -outside Manchester, a house in Brown Street in the City itself, one in -Gough Street, Birmingham, and another in Sandon Place, Sheffield, were -all searched, and from the reports received by Scotland Yard it was -believed that certain important correspondence had been seized, -correspondence which had betrayed a widespread system of German -espionage in this country. Details were wanting, as the police -authorities withheld the truth, for fear, it was supposed, of increasing -the public alarm. At the house in Sheffield, where lived a young German -who had come to England ostensibly as pupil at one of the large -steelworks, an accumulation of newspaper cuttings was discovered, -together with a quantity of topographical information concerning the -country over which the enemy was now advancing from Goole.</p> - -<p>In most of the larger Midland towns notices had been issued by the -mayors deprecating hostility towards<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_222" id="page_222"></a>{222}</span> residents of foreign origin, and -stating that all suspicious cases were already receiving the attention -of the police.</p> - -<p>In Stafford the boot factories were idle, and thousands of despairing -men were lounging about in Greengate, Eastgate, and other thoroughfares. -In the Potteries all work was at a standstill. At Stoke-on-Trent, at -Hanley, at Burslem, Tunstall, and Congleton all was chaos. Minton’s, -Copeland’s, Doulton’s, and Brown Westhead’s were closed, and thousands -upon thousands were already wanting bread. The silk-thread industry at -Leek was ruined, so was the silk industry at Macclesfield; the great -breweries at Burton were idle, while the hosiery factories of Leicester -and the boot factories of Northampton were all shut.</p> - -<p>With the German troops threatening Sheffield, Nottingham was in a state -of intense alarm. The lace and hosiery factories had with one accord -closed on Tuesday, and the great Market Place was now filled day and -night by thousands upon thousands of unemployed mill-hands of both -sexes. On Friday, however, came the news of how Sheffield had built -barricades against the enemy, and there ensued a frantic attempt at -defence on the part of thousands of terrified and hungry men and women. -In their frenzy they sacked houses in order to obtain material to -construct the barricades, which were, however, built just where the -fancy took the crowd. One was constructed in Clumber Street, near the -Lion Hotel; another at Lister Gate; and a third, a much larger one, in -Radford Road. Near the Carrington Station, on the road to Arnold, a huge -structure soon rose, another at Basford, while the road in from Carlton -and the bridges leading in from West Bridgford and Wilford were also -effectually blocked.</p> - -<p>The white, interminable North Road, that runs so straight from London -through York and Berwick to Edinburgh, was, with its by-roads in the -Midlands, now being patrolled by British cavalry, and here and there -telegraphists around a telegraph post showed<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_223" id="page_223"></a>{223}</span> that those many wires at -the roadside were being used for military communication.</p> - -<p>At several points along the road between Wansford Bridge and Retford the -wires had been cut and tangled by the enemy’s agents, but by Friday all -had been restored again. In one spot, between Weston and -Sutton-on-Trent, eight miles south of Newark, a trench had actually been -dug during the night, the tube containing the subterranean telegraph -lines discovered, and the whole system to the North disorganised. -Similar damage had been done by German spies to the line between London -and Birmingham, two miles south of Shipston-on-Stour, and again the line -between Loughborough and Nottingham had been similarly destroyed.</p> - -<p>The Post Office linesmen had, however, quickly made good the damage -everywhere in the country not already occupied by the enemy, and -telegraph and telephone communication North and South was now -practically again in its normal state.</p> - -<p>Through Lincolnshire the enemy’s advance patrols had spread South over -every road between the Humber and the Wash, and in the city of Lincoln -itself a tremendous sensation was caused when on Wednesday, market-day, -several bodies of German motor-cyclists swept into the Stonebow and -dismounted at the Saracen’s Head amid the crowd of farmers and dealers -who had assembled there, not, alas! to do business, but to discuss the -situation. In a moment the city was panic-stricken. From mouth to mouth -the dread truth spread that the Germans were upon them, and people ran -indoors and barricaded themselves within their houses.</p> - -<p>A body of Uhlans came galloping proudly through the Stonebow a quarter -of an hour later, and halted in High Street, opposite Wyatt’s clothing -shop, as though awaiting orders. Then in rapid succession troops seemed -to arrive from all quarters, many halting in the Cathedral Close and by -Exchequer Gate, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_224" id="page_224"></a>{224}</span> others riding through the streets in order to -terrify the inhabitants.</p> - -<p>Von Kronhelm’s famous proclamation was posted by German soldiers upon -the police station, upon the Stonebow, and upon the door of the grand -old Cathedral itself, and before noon a German officer accompanied by -his staff called upon the Mayor and warned him that Lincoln was occupied -by the German troops, and that any armed resistance would be punished by -death, as the Generalissimo’s proclamation stated. An indemnity was -demanded, and then the powerless people saw upon the Cathedral and upon -several of the public buildings the German flag rise and float out upon -the summer wind.</p> - -<p>Boston was full of German infantry, and officers had taken up temporary -quarters in the Peacock and the other hotels in the market-place, while -upon the “stump” the enemy’s colours were flying.</p> - -<p>No news came from London. People in Norwich, Ipswich, Yarmouth, and -other places heard vaguely of the invasion in the North, and of fighting -in which the Germans were careful to report that they were always -successful. They saw the magnificently equipped army of the Kaiser, and, -comparing it with our mere apology for military force, regarded the -issue as hopeless from the very first. In every town the German colours -were displayed, and all kinds of placards in German and in English made -their appearance.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>The <i>Daily Mail</i>, on September 10, published the following despatch -from one of its war correspondents, Mr. Henry Mackenzie:—</p></div> - -<p class="r"> -“<span class="smcap">Royston</span>, <i>September 9</i>.<br /> -</p> - -<p>“Victory at last. A victory due not only to the bravery and exertion of -our troops, regular and auxiliary, but also to the genius of -Field-Marshal Lord Byfield, our Commander-in-Chief, ably seconded by the -energy<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_225" id="page_225"></a>{225}</span> and resource with which Sir William Packington, in command of -the IVth Army Corps at Baldock, carried out that part of the programme -entrusted to him.</p> - -<p>“But though in this success we may hope that we are seeing the first -glimmerings of dawn,—of deliverance from the nightmare of German -invasion that is now oppressing our dear old England,—we must not be -led into foolishly sanguine hopes. The snake has been scotched, and -pretty badly into the bargain, but he is far from being killed. The -German IVth Army Corps under the famous General Von Kleppen, their -magnificent Garde Corps commanded by the Duke of Mannheim, and Frölich’s -fine Cavalry Division, have been repulsed in their attack on our -positions near Royston and Saffron Walden, and driven back with great -loss and confusion. But we are too weak to follow up our victory as it -should be followed up.</p> - -<p>“The menace of the IXth and Xth Corps on our right flank ties us to our -selected position, and the bulk of our forces being composed of -indifferently trained Volunteers and Militia, is much more formidable -behind entrenchments than when attempting to manœuvre in a difficult -and intricate country such as it is about here. But, on the other hand, -we have given pause to the invaders, and have certainly gained a few -days’ time, which will be invaluable to us.</p> - -<p>“We shall be able to get on with the line of fortifications that are -being constructed to bar the approaches to London, and behind which it -will be necessary for us to make our final stand. I do not conceive that -it is possible for such an agglomeration of amateur troops as ours are -in the main, to defeat in the open field such formidable and -well-trained forces as the Germans have succeeded in throwing into this -country. But when our Navy has regained command of the sea we hope that -we may, before very long, place our unwelcome visitors ‘between the -devil and the deep sea’—the part of the devil being played by our brave -troops finally concentrated behind the strong defences of the -metropolis.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_226" id="page_226"></a>{226}</span> In short, that the Germans may run out of ammunition and -provisions. For if communication with the Fatherland is effectively cut, -they must starve, unless they have previously compelled our submission, -for it is impossible for an army of the size that has invaded us to live -on the country.</p> - -<p>“No doubt hundreds, nay thousands, of our non-militant countrymen—and, -alas! women and children—will starve before the German troops are -conquered by famine, that most terrible of enemies; but this issue seems -to be the only possible one that will save the country.</p> - -<p>“But enough of these considerations of the future. It is time that I -should relate what I can of the glorious victory which our gallant -defenders have torn from the enemy. I do not think that I am giving any -information away if I state that the British position lay mainly between -Saffron Walden and Royston, the headquarters respectively of the IInd -and IIIrd Army Corps. The IVth Corps was at Baldock, thrown back to -cover the left flank, and protect our communications by the Great -Northern Railway. A detached force, from what command supplied it is not -necessary or advisable to say, was strongly entrenched on the high -ground north-west of Helions Bumpstead, serving to strengthen our right. -Our main line of defence—very thinly held in some parts—began a little -to the south-east of Saffron Walden, and ran westwards along a range of -high ground through Elmdon and Chrishall to Heydon. Here it turned south -through Great Chrishall to Little Chrishall, where it again turned west, -and occupied the high range south of Royston, on which stands the -village of Therfield.</p> - -<p>“The night before the battle we knew that the greater portion of the -German IVth and Garde Corps were concentrated, the former at Newmarket, -the 1st Division of the latter at Cambridge, the 2nd on this side of St. -Ives, while Frölich’s Cavalry Division had been in constant contact with -our outposts the greater part of the day previous. The Garde Cavalry -Brigade was reported<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_227" id="page_227"></a>{227}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/i_b_227_lg.png"> -<img src="images/i_b_227_sml.png" width="455" height="442" alt="Image unavailable: Positions of Opposing Forces Sept. 8th" /></a> -</div> - -<p class="nind">to be well away to the westward towards Kettering, as we suppose, on -account of the reports which have been going about of a concentration of -Yeomanry and Militia in the hilly country near Northampton. Our -Intelligence Department, which appears to have been very well served by -its spies, obtained early knowledge of the intention of the Germans to -make an attack on our position. In fact, they talked openly of it, and -stated at Cambridge and Newmarket that they would not manœuvre at -all, and only hoped that we should hold on long enough to our position -to enable them to smash up our IInd and IIIrd Corps by a frontal attack, -and so clear the road to London. The main roads lent themselves<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_228" id="page_228"></a>{228}</span> -admirably to such strategy, which rendered the reports of their -intentions the more probable, for they all converged on our position -from their main points of concentration.</p> - -<p>“The letter ‘W’ will exactly serve to show the positions of the -contending forces. St. Ives is at the top of the first stroke, Cambridge -at the junction of the two shorter centre ones, Newmarket at the top of -the last stroke, while the British positions at Royston and Saffron -Walden are at the junctions of all four strokes at the bottom of the -letter. The strokes also represent the roads, except that from Cambridge -three good roads lead towards each of the British positions. The -prisoners taken from the Germans in the various preliminary skirmishes -also made no bones of boasting that a direct attack was imminent, and -our Commander-in-Chief eventually, and rightly as it proved, determined -to take the risk of all this information having been specially -promulgated by the German Staff to cover totally different intentions, -as was indeed quite probable, and to accept it as true. Having made up -his mind, he lost no time in taking action. He ordered the IVth Corps -under Sir William Packington to move on Potton, twelve miles to the -north-west, as soon as it was dark. As many cavalry and mounted infantry -as could possibly be spared from Royston were placed at his disposal.</p> - -<p>“It ought to be stated that while the auxiliary troops had been busily -employed ever since their arrival in entrenching the British position, -the greater part of the regular troops had been occupying an advanced -line two or three miles to the northward on the lower spurs of the -hills, and every possible indication of a determination to hold this as -long as possible was afforded to the German reconnoitrers. During the -night these troops fell back to the position which had been prepared, -the outposts following just before daylight. About 6 a.m. the enemy were -reported to be advancing in force along the Icknield Way from Newmarket, -and also by the roads running on either bank of the river Cam.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_229" id="page_229"></a>{229}</span> Twenty -minutes later considerable bodies of German troops were reported at -Fowlmere and Melbourn on the two parallel Royston-Cambridge roads. They -must have followed very close on the heels of our retiring outposts. It -was a very misty morning,—down in the low ground over which the enemy -were advancing especially so,—but about seven a gust of wind from the -westward dispelled the white fog-wreaths that hung about our left front -and enabled our look-outs to get a glimpse along the famous Ermine -Street, which runs straight as an arrow from Royston for twenty or -thirty miles to the N.N.W.</p> - -<p>“Along this ancient Roman way, far as the eye could reach, poured a -steady stream of marching men, horse, foot, and artillery. The wind -dropped, the mists gathered again, and once more enveloped the invaders -in an impenetrable screen. But by this time the whole British line was -on the <i>qui vive</i>. Regulars, Militia, and Volunteers were marching down -to their chin-deep trenches, while those who were already there busied -themselves in improving their loopholes and strengthening their head -cover. Behind the ridges of the hills the gunners stood grouped about -their ‘Long Toms’ and heavy howitzers, while the field batteries waited, -ready horsed, for orders to gallop under cover of the ridge to whichever -set of emplacements should first require to be manned and armed. We had -not enough to distribute before the movements of the enemy should, to a -certain extent, show his hand.</p> - -<p>“About seven o’clock a series of crackling reports from the outskirts of -Royston announced that the detachment of Mounted Infantry, who now alone -held it, was exchanging shots with the advancing enemy, and in a few -minutes, as the morning mistiness cleared off, the General and his -staff, who were established at the northern edge of the village of -Therfield, three or four hundred feet higher up than the German -skirmishers, were able to see the opening of the battle spread like a -panorama before them. A thick firing line of drab-costumed<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_230" id="page_230"></a>{230}</span> Germans -extended right across from Holland Hall to the Coach and Horses on the -Fowlmere Road. On their left moved two or three compact masses of -cavalry, while the infantry reserves were easily apparent in front of -the village of Melbourn. Our Mounted Infantry in the village were -indistinguishable, but away on the spur to the north-east of Royston a -couple of batteries of Horse Artillery were unlimbered and were pushing -their guns up to the brow of the hill by hand. In two minutes they were -in action, and hard at work.</p> - -<p>“Through the glasses the shrapnel could be seen bursting, half a dozen -together, in front of the advancing Germans, who began to fall fast. But -almost at once came an overwhelming reply from somewhere out of sight -behind Melbourn. The whole hilltop around our guns was like a spouting -volcano. Evidently big high-explosive shells were being fired from the -German field-howitzers. In accordance with previous orders, our -horse-gunners at once ran down their guns, limbered up, and started to -gallop back towards our main position. Simultaneously a mass of German -cavalry deployed into attack formation near the Coach and Horses, and -swept down in their direction with the evident intention of cutting off -and capturing them. But they reckoned without their escort of Mounted -Infantry, who had been lying low behind the long, narrow line of copse -north of Lowerfield Farm. Safely ensconced behind this—to -cavalry—impassable barrier, the company, all good shots, opened a -terrible magazine fire on the charging squadrons as they passed at close -range. A Maxim they had with them also swept horses and men away in -swathes. The charge was checked, and the guns saved, but we had not -finished with the German reiters. Away to the north-east a battery of -our 4.7 guns opened on the disorganised cavalry, firing at a range of -four thousand yards. Their big shells turned the momentary check into a -rout, both the attacking cavalry and their supports galloping towards -Fowlmere to get out of range. We had scored the first trick!<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_231" id="page_231"></a>{231}</span></p> - -<p>“The attacking lines of German Infantry still pressed on, however, and -after a final discharge the Mounted Infantry in Royston sprang on their -horses and galloped back over Whitely Hill, leaving the town to be -occupied by the enemy. To the eastward the thunder of heavy cannon, -gradually growing in intensity, proclaimed that the IInd Corps was -heavily attacked. Covered by a long strip of plantation, the German IVth -Corps contrived to mass an enormous number of guns on a hill about two -miles north of the village of Elmdon, and a terrific artillery duel -began between them and our artillery entrenched along the Elmdon-Heydon -ridge. Under cover of this the enemy began to work his infantry up -towards Elmdon, obtaining a certain amount of shelter from the spurs -which ran out towards the north-east of our line. Other German troops -with guns put in an appearance on the high ground to the north-east of -Saffron Walden, near Chesterton Park.</p> - -<p>“To describe the fortunes of this fiercely-contested battle, which -spread along a front of nearly twenty miles, counting from the detached -garrison of the hill at Helions Bumpstead—which, by the way, succeeded -in holding its ground all day, despite two or three most determined -assaults by the enemy—to Kelshall on the left of the British position, -would be an impossibility in the space at my disposal. The whole morning -it raged all along the northern slopes of the upland held by our gallant -troops. The fiercest fighting was, perhaps, in the neighbourhood of -Elmdon, where our trenches were more than once captured by the Magdeburg -battalions, only to be themselves hurled out again by the rush of the -1st Coldstream Guards, who had been held in reserve near the threatened -point. By noon the magnificent old palace at Audley End was in flames. -Art treasures which were of inestimable value and absolutely -unreplaceable perished in this shocking conflagration. Desperate -fighting was going on in the streets of the little town of Saffron -Walden, where a mingled mass of Volunteers and Militia strove hard<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_232" id="page_232"></a>{232}</span> to -arrest the advance of a portion of the German Army which was -endeavouring to work round the right of our position.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/i_b_232_lg.png"> -<img src="images/i_b_232_sml.png" width="455" height="432" alt="Image unavailable: Battle of Royston" /></a> -</div> - -<p>“On our left the Foot Guards and Fusiliers of the 1st German Guard -Division, after receiving a terrible pounding from our guns when they -poured into Royston at the heels of our Mounted Infantry, had fought -their way up the heights to within fifteen hundred yards of our trenches -on the upper slopes of the ridge. Farther than that they had been unable -to advance. Their close formations offered an excellent target to the -rifles of the Volunteers and Militia lining our entrenchments. The -attackers had lost men in thousands, and were<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_233" id="page_233"></a>{233}</span> now endeavouring to dig -themselves in as best they could under the hail of projectiles that -continually swept the hillside. About noon, too, the 2nd Division of the -Garde Corps, after some skirmishing with the Mounted Infantry away on -our left front, got into attack formation along the line of the Hitchin -and Cambridge Railway, and after pouring a deluge of projectiles from -field guns and howitzers upon our position, advanced upon Therfield with -the greatest bravery and determination. They had succeeded by 2 p.m. in -driving our men from the end of the spur running northward near -Therfield Heath, and managed to get a number of their howitzers up -there, and at once opened fire from the cover afforded by several copses -out of which our men had been driven.</p> - -<p>“In short, things were beginning to look very bad for old England, and -the watchers on the Therfield heights turned their glasses anxiously -northward in search of General Sir William Packington’s force from -Potton. They had not long to wait. At 2.15 the winking flash of a -heliograph away near Wendy Place, about eight miles up Ermine Street, -announced that the advance guard, consisting of the 1st Royal Welsh -Fusiliers, was already at Bassingbourn, and that the main body was close -behind, having escaped detection by all the enemy’s patrols and flank -guards. They were now directly in the rear of the right of the German -reserves, who had been pushed forward into the neighbourhood of Royston -to support the attack of their main body on the British position. A few -minutes later it was evident that the enemy had also become aware of -their advent. Two or three regiments hurriedly issued from Royston and -deployed to the north-west. But the guns of the Baldock Corps turned -such a ‘rafale’ fire upon them that they hesitated and were lost.</p> - -<p>“Every long-range gun in the British entrenchments that would bear was -also turned upon them, leaving the infantry and field guns to deal with -the troops<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_234" id="page_234"></a>{234}</span> assaulting their position. The three battalions, as well as -a fourth that was sent to their assistance, were simply swept out of -existence by this terrible cross-fire. Their remnants streamed away, a -disorganised crowd of scattered stragglers, towards Melbourn; while, -still holding on to Bassingbourn, the Baldock force moved down on -Royston, driving everything before it.</p> - -<p>“The most advanced German troops made a final effort to capture our -position when they saw what was going on behind them, but it was -half-hearted; they were brought to a standstill, and our men, fixing -bayonets, sprang from their trenches and charged down upon them with -cheers, which were taken up all along the line for miles. The Germans -here and there made a partial stand, but in half an hour they were down -on the low ground, falling back towards the north-east in the greatest -confusion, losing men in thousands from the converging fire of our guns. -Their cavalry made a gallant attempt to save the day by charging our -troops to the north of Royston. It was a magnificent sight to see their -enormous masses sweeping over the ground with an impetus which looked -capable of carrying everything before it, but our men, clustering behind -the hedges of Ermine Street, mowed them down squadrons at a time. Not -one of them reached the roadway. The magnificent Garde Corps was routed.</p> - -<p>“The combined IIIrd and IVth Corps now advanced on the exposed right -flank of the German IVth Corps, which, fighting gallantly, fell back, -doing its best to cover the retreat of its comrades, who, on their part, -very much hampered its movements. By nightfall there was no unwounded -German south of Whittlesford, except as a prisoner. By this time, too, -we were falling back on our original position.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_235" id="page_235"></a>{235}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="CHAPTER_XV-a" id="CHAPTER_XV-a"></a>CHAPTER XV<br /><br /> -<small>BRITISH ABANDON COLCHESTER</small></h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">On</span> Tuesday, 10th September, the <i>Tribune</i> published the following -telegram from its war correspondent, Mr. Edgar Hamilton:—</p> - -<p class="r"> -“<span class="smcap">Chelmsford</span>, <i>Monday, September 9</i>.<br /> -</p> - -<p>“I sit down, after a sleepless night, to indite the account of our -latest move. We hear that Sheffield has fallen, and our troops are in -flight. As, by the time this appears in print, the enemy will of -necessity be aware of our abandonment of Colchester, the censor will -not, I imagine, prevent the despatch of my letter.</p> - -<p>“For our move has been one of a retrograde nature, and I do not doubt -that the cavalry of the German IXth Corps are close behind us and in -touch with our own. But I must not, in using the word ‘retrograde,’ be -supposed to criticise in any way the strategy of our generals. For -everyone here is, I am sure, fully persuaded of the wisdom of the step. -Colchester, with its plucky little garrison, was altogether too much ‘in -the air,’ and stood a great risk of being isolated by a converging -advance of the IXth and Xth Corps of the German invaders, to say nothing -of the XIIth (Saxon) Corps at Maldon, which since the unfortunate battle -of Purleigh has shown itself very active to the north and east.</p> - -<p>“The Saxons have refrained from attacking our Vth Corps since its -repulse, and it has been left almost in peace to entrench its position -from Danbury to the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_236" id="page_236"></a>{236}</span> southward; but, on the other hand, while not -neglecting to further strengthen their already formidable defences -between the Blackwater and the Crouch, their cavalry have scoured the -country up to the very gates of Colchester. Yesterday morning the 16th -Lancers and the 17th Hussars—who had fallen back from Norwich—together -with some of the local Yeomanry, moved out by the Tolleshunt d’Arcy and -Great Totham roads, and drove in their patrols with some loss. At -Tiptree Heath there was a sharp cavalry engagement between our red -Lancers and several squadrons of a sky-blue hussar regiment. Our people -routed them, but in the pursuit that followed would have fared badly, as -they fell in with the four remaining squadrons supported by another -complete regiment, had it not been for the opportune arrival of the -Household Cavalry Brigade, which had moved north-east from Danbury to -co-operate. This completely changed the aspect of affairs. The Germans -were soundly beaten, with the loss of a large number of prisoners, and -galloped back to Maldon in confusion. In the meantime the 2nd King’s Own -Royal Lancaster Regiment and the 5th Battery R.F. Artillery had been -sent down to Witham by train, whence they marched up to the high ground -near Wickham Bishops. They and the Yeomanry were left there in a -position to cover the main London road and the Great Eastern Railway, -and at the same time threaten any movement of the enemy by the Great -Totham road. When the news of our success reached Colchester soon after -midday, we were all very jubilant. In fact, I fear that a great many -people spent the afternoon in a species of fool’s paradise. And when -towards the evening the announcement of our splendid victory at Royston -was posted up on the red walls of the fine town hall, and outside the -Cups, there was an incipient outbreak of that un-English excitement -known as ‘Mafficking.’ Gangs of youths paraded the High Street, Head -Street, and the principal thoroughfares, shouting, yelling, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_237" id="page_237"></a>{237}</span> -hustling passers-by, and even respectable members of society seemed -bitten by the desire to throw up their hats and make idiots of -themselves.</p> - -<p>“The hotels, the Lamb, the Red Lion, and other places, did a roaring -trade, and altogether the town was more or less demoralised. But all -this exultation was fated to be but short-lived, even though the Mayor -appeared on the balcony of the town hall and addressed the crowd, while -the latest news was posted outside the offices of the <i>Essex Telegraph</i>, -opposite the post-office. The wind was in the north, and about 5.45 in -the afternoon the sound of a heavy explosion was heard from the -direction of Manningtree. I was in the Cups Hotel at the time arranging -for an early dinner, and ran out into the street. As I emerged from the -archway of the hotel I distinctly heard a second detonation from the -same direction. A sudden silence, ominous and unnatural, seemed to fall -on the yelping jingoes in the street, in the midst of which the rumble -of yet another explosion rolled down on the wind, this time from a more -westerly direction. Men asked their neighbours breathlessly as to what -all this portended. I myself knew no more than the most ignorant of the -crowd, till in an officer who rushed hastily by me in Head Street, on -his way into the hotel, I recognised my friend Captain Burton, of the -Artillery.</p> - -<p>“I buttonholed him at once.</p> - -<p>“ ‘Do I know what those explosions were?’ repeated he in answer to my -inquiry. ‘Well, I don’t <i>know</i>, but I’m open to bet you five to one that -it’s the sappers blowing up the bridges over the Stour at Manningtree -and Stratford St. Mary.’</p> - -<p>“ ‘Then the Germans will have arrived there?’ I queried.</p> - -<p>“ ‘Most probably. And look here,’ he continued, taking me aside by the -arm, and lowering his voice, ‘you take my tip. We shall be out of this -to-night. So you’d best pack up your traps and get into marching -order.’<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_238" id="page_238"></a>{238}</span></p> - -<p>“ ‘Do you know this?’ said I.</p> - -<p>“ ‘Not officially, or I shouldn’t tell you anything about it. But I can -put two and two together. We all knew that the General wouldn’t be fool -enough to try and defend an open town of this size with such a small -garrison against a whole army corps, or perhaps more. It would serve no -good purpose, and expose the place to destruction and bring all sorts of -disaster on the civil population. You could have seen that for yourself, -for no attempt whatever has been made to erect defences of any kind, -neither have we received any reinforcements at all. If they had meant to -defend it they would certainly have contrived to send us some Volunteers -and guns at any rate. No, the few troops we have here have done their -best in assisting the Danbury Force against the Saxons, and are much too -valuable to be left here to be cut off without being able to do much to -check the advance of the enemy. If we had been going to try anything of -that kind, we should have now been holding the line of the river Stour; -but I know we have only small detachments at the various bridges, -sufficient only to drive off the enemy’s cavalry patrols. By now, having -blown up the bridges, I expect they are falling back as fast as they can -get. Besides, look here,’ he added, ‘what do you think that battalion -was sent to Wickham Bishops for this morning?’</p> - -<p>“I told him my theories as set forth above.</p> - -<p>“ ‘Oh yes, that’s all right,’ he answered. ‘But you may bet your boots -that there’s more in it than that. In my opinion, the General has had -orders to clear out as soon as the enemy are preparing to cross the -Stour, and the Lancasters are planted there to protect our left flank -from an attack from Maldon while we are retreating on Chelmsford.’</p> - -<p>“ ‘But we might fall back on Braintree?’ I hazarded.</p> - -<p>“ ‘Don’t you believe it. We’re not wanted there—at least, I mean, not so -much as elsewhere. Where we shall come in is to help to fill the gap -between Braintree<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_239" id="page_239"></a>{239}</span> and Danbury. I think, myself, we might just as well -have done it before. We have been sending back stores by rail for the -last two days. Well, goodbye,’ he said, holding out his hand. ‘Keep all -this to yourself, and mark my words, we’ll be off at dusk.’</p> - -<p>“Away he went, and convinced that his prognostications were correct—as, -indeed, in the main they proved—I hastened to eat my dinner, pay my -bill, and get my portmanteau packed and stowed away in my motor. As soon -as the evening began to close in I started and made for the barracks, -going easy. The streets were still full of people, but they were very -quiet, and mostly talking together in scattered groups. A shadow seemed -to have fallen on the jubilant crowd of the afternoon, though, as far as -I could ascertain, there were no definite rumours of the departure of -the troops and the close advent of the enemy. Turning out of the main -street, I had a very narrow escape of running over a drunken man. -Indeed, I regret to say that there were a good many intoxicated people -about, who had celebrated the day’s victory ‘not wisely but too well.’</p> - -<p>“When I arrived at the barracks, I saw at once that there was something -in the wind, for there was a great coming and going of orderlies; all -the men I could see were in marching order, and the Volunteers, who had -been encamped on the drill-ground since the outbreak of hostilities, -were falling in, surrounded by an agitated crowd of their relations and -friends. I pulled up alongside the barrack railings, and determined to -watch the progress of events. I had not long to wait. In about ten -minutes a bugle sounded, and the scattered assemblage of men on the -barrack-square closed together and solidified into a series of quarter -columns. At the same time, the Volunteer battalion moved across from the -other side of the road and joined the Regular troops. I heard a sharp -clatter and jingling behind me, and looking round, saw the General and -his staff with a squad of cavalry canter up the road. They turned into -the barrack gate,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_240" id="page_240"></a>{240}</span> greeted by a sharp word of command and the rattle of -arms from the assembled battalions. As far as I could make out, the -General made them some kind of address, after which I heard another word -of command, upon which the regiment nearest to the gate formed fours and -marched out.</p> - -<p>“It was the 2nd Dorsetshire. I watched anxiously to see which way they -turned. As I more than expected, they turned in the direction of the -London road. My friend had been right so far, but till the troops -arrived at Mark’s Tey, where the road forked, I could not be certain -whether they were going towards Braintree or Chelmsford. The Volunteers -followed; then the Leicestershires, then a long train of artillery, -field batteries, big 4.7 guns, and howitzers. The King’s Own Scottish -Borderers formed the rearguard. With them marched the General and his -staff. I saw no cavalry. I discovered afterwards that the General, -foreseeing that a retirement was imminent, had ordered the 16th Lancers -and the 7th Hussars, after their successful morning performance, to -remain till further orders at Kelvedon and Tiptree respectively, so that -their horses were resting during the afternoon.</p> - -<p>“During the night march the former came back and formed a screen behind -the retiring column, while the latter were in a position to observe and -check any movement northwards that might be made by the Saxons, at the -same time protecting its flank and rear from a possible advance by the -cavalry of Von Kronhelm’s Army, should they succeed in crossing the -river Stour soon enough to be able to press after us in pursuit by -either of the two eastern roads leading from Colchester to Maldon. After -the last of the departing soldiers had tramped away into the gathering -darkness through the mud, which after yesterday’s downpour still lay -thick upon the roads, I bethought me that I might as well run down to -the railway station to see if anything was going on there. I was just in -time.</p> - -<p>“The electric lights disclosed a bustling scene as the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_241" id="page_241"></a>{241}</span> last of the -ammunition and a certain proportion of stores were being hurried into a -long train that stood with steam up ready to be off. The police allowed -none of the general public to enter the station, but my correspondent’s -pass obtained me admission to the departure platform. There I saw -several detachments of the Royal Engineers, the Mounted Infantry—minus -their horses, which had been already sent on—and some of the -Leicestershire Regiment. Many of the men had their arms, legs, or heads -bandaged, and bore evident traces of having been in action. I got into -conversation with a colour-sergeant of the Engineers, and learned these -were the detachments who had been stationed at the bridges over the -Stour. It appears that there was some sharp skirmishing with the German -advanced troops before the officers in command had decided that they -were in sufficient force to justify them in blowing up the bridges. In -fact, at the one at which my informant was stationed, and that the most -important one of all, over which the main road from Ipswich passed at -Stratford St. Mary, the officer in charge delayed just too long, so that -a party of the enemy’s cavalry actually secured the bridge, and -succeeded in cutting the wires leading to the charges which had been -placed in readiness to blow it up. Luckily, the various detachments -present rose like one man to the occasion, and despite a heavy fire, -hurled themselves upon the intruders with the bayonet with such -determination and impetus that the bridge was swept clear in a moment. -The wires were reconnected, and the bridge cleared of our men just as -the Germans, reinforced by several of their supporting squadrons, who -had come up at a gallop, dashed upon it in pursuit. The firing key was -pressed at this critical moment, and, with a stunning report, a whole -troop was blown into the air, the remaining horses, mad with fright, -stampeding despite all that their riders could do. The road was cut, and -the German advance temporarily checked, while the British detachment -made off as fast as it could for Colchester.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_242" id="page_242"></a>{242}</span></p> -<div class="bbox"> - -<p class="c"> -<img src="images/i_b_242.jpg" -width="75" -height="102" -alt="Image unavailable" -/></p> - -<p class="c"><b><big><big>NOTICE</big></big>.</b></p> - -<p class="c"><b>CONCERNING WOUNDED BRITISH SOLDIERS.</b></p> - -<p>In compliance with an order of the Commander-in-Chief of the -German Imperial Army, the Governor-General of East Anglia decrees -as follows:—</p> - -<p>(1) Every inhabitant of the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, -Cambridge, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, Nottingham, Derby, Leicester, -Northampton, Rutland, Huntingdon, and Hertford, who gives asylum -to or lodges one or more ill or wounded British soldier, is obliged to -make a declaration to the mayor of the town or to the local police -within 24 hours, stating name, grade, place of birth, and nature of -illness or injury.</p> - -<p>Every change of domicile of the wounded is also to be notified -within 24 hours.</p> - -<p>In absence of masters, servants are ordered to make the necessary -declarations.</p> - -<p>The same order applies to the directors of hospitals, surgeries, or -ambulance stations, who receive the British wounded within our -jurisdiction.</p> - -<p>(2) All mayors are ordered to prepare lists of the British wounded, -showing the number, with their names, grade, and place of birth in -each district.</p> - -<p>(3) The mayor, or the superintendent of police, must send on the -1st and 15th of each month a copy of his lists to the headquarters of -the Commander-in-Chief. The first list must be sent on the 15th -September.</p> - -<p>(4) Any person failing to comply with this order will, in addition to -being placed under arrest for harbouring British troops, be fined a sum -not exceeding £20.</p> - -<p>(5) This decree is to be published in all towns and villages in the -Province of East Anglia.</p> - -<p class="r"><b>Count VON SCHONBURG-WALDENBURG,</b><br /> -<b>Lieutenant-General,</b><br /> -<b>Governor of German East Anglia.</b></p> - -<p>Ipswich, <i>September 6, 1910</i>.</p> - -</div> - -<p class="c"> -COPY OF ONE OF THE ENEMY’S PROCLAMATIONS.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_243" id="page_243"></a>{243}</span><br /> -</p> - -<p>“I asked the sergeant how long he thought it would be before the Germans -succeeded in crossing it. ‘Bless you, sir, I expect they’re over by -now,’ he answered. ‘They would be sure to have their bridging companies -somewhere close up, and it would not take them more than an hour or two -to throw a bridge over that place.’ The bridges at Boxted Mill and -Nayland had been destroyed previously.</p> - -<p>“The railway bridge and the other one at Manningtree were blown up -before the Germans could get a footing, and their defenders had come in -by rail. But my conversation was cut short, the whistle sounded, the men -were hustled on board the train, and it moved slowly out of the station. -As for me, I hurried out to my car. As I came out I noticed that it had -begun to rain. However, I was fully equipped for it, and, except for the -chance of skidding and the splashing of the flying mud, did not mind it. -But I could not help thinking of the poor soldiers trudging along on -their night march over the weary miles that lay before them. I -determined to follow in their steps, and putting on speed, was soon -clear of the town, and spinning along for Mark’s Tey. It is about five -miles, and shortly before I got there I overtook the marching column. -The men were halted, and in the act of putting on their greatcoats. I -was stopped here by the rearguard, who took charge of me, and would not -let me proceed until permission was obtained from the General.</p> - -<p>“Eventually this officer ordered me to be brought to him. I presented my -pass; but he said, ‘I am afraid that I shall have to ask you either to -turn back, or to slow down and keep pace with us. In fact, you had -better do the latter. I might, indeed, have to exercise my powers and -impress your motor, should the exigencies of the Service require it.’ I -saw that it was best to make a virtue of necessity, and replied that it -was very much at his service, and that I was very well content to -accompany the column. In point of fact, the latter was strictly true, -for I wanted to see what was to be<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_244" id="page_244"></a>{244}</span> seen, and there were no points about -going along with no definite idea of where I wanted to get to, with a -possible chance of falling into the hands of the Saxons into the -bargain. So a Staff officer, who was suffering from a slight wound, was -placed alongside me, and the column, having muffled itself in its -greatcoats, once more began to plug along through the thickening mire. -My position was just in front of the guns, which kept up a monotonous -rumble behind me. My companion was talkative, and afforded me a good -deal of incidental and welcome information. Thus, just after we started, -and were turning to the left at Mark’s Tey, a bright glare followed by a -loudish report came from the right of the road. ‘What’s that?’ I -naturally ejaculated. ‘Oh, that will be the sappers destroying the -junction with the Sudbury line,’ he replied. ‘There’s the train waiting -for them just beyond.’</p> - -<p>“So it was. The train that I had seen leaving had evidently stopped -after passing the junction, while the line was broken behind it. ‘They -will do the same after passing the cross line at Witham,’ volunteered -he.</p> - -<p>“A mile or two farther on we passed between two lines of horsemen, their -faces set northwards, and muffled to the eyes in their long cloaks, -‘That’s some of the 16th,’ he said, ‘going to cover our rear.’</p> - -<p>“So we moved on all night through the darkness and rain. The slow, -endless progress of the long column of men and horses seemed like a -nightmare. We passed through the long street of Kelvedon, scaring the -inhabitants, who rushed to their windows to see what was happening, and -with the first glimmer of dawn halted at Witham. We had about nine miles -still to go to reach Chelmsford, which I learned was our immediate -destination, and it was decided to rest here for an hour, while the men -made the best breakfast they could from the contents of their -haversacks. But the villagers brought out hot tea and coffee, and did -the best they could for us, so we did not fare so badly after all. As -for me, I got permission to go on, taking with me my friend<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_245" id="page_245"></a>{245}</span> the Staff -officer, who had despatches to forward from Chelmsford. I pushed on at -full speed. We were there in a very short space of time, and during the -morning I learned that the Braintree Army was falling back on Dunmow, -and that the Colchester garrison was to assist in holding the line of -the river Chelmer.”</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>Another despatch from Mr. Edgar Hamilton, of the <i>Tribune</i>, was -published in that journal on Friday, the 14th September:—</p></div> - -<div class="blockquot"><p class="r"> -“<span class="smcap">Brentwood</span>, <i>Thursday, September 13, 1910</i>.<br /> -</p> - -<p>“The events of the last three days have been so tremendous, so -involved, and so disastrous to us as a nation, that I hardly know -how to deal with them. It is no news now that we have again been -beaten, and beaten badly. The whole right of our line of defence -has been driven back in disorder, and we are now practically at the -‘last ditch.’ The remnants of that fine force which has, up to now, -not only been able to hold the Saxon Army in check, but even to be -within an ace of beating it at the memorable battle of Purleigh, -less than a week ago, is now occupying the entrenchments which have -been under construction ever since the landing of the Germans, and -which form a section of the works that have been planned for the -defence of the metropolis.</p> - -<p>“Here, too, are portions of the Braintree Army Corps and some of -the troops lately constituting the garrison of Colchester, whom I -accompanied on their night march out of that city when it had been -decided to abandon it. We have only the vaguest rumours as to what -has happened to the other portion of the 1st Army Corps that was -occupying Dunmow and the upper part of the river Chelmer. We can -only hope that these troops, or at any rate a considerable portion -of them, have been able to gain the shelter of the defensive -enceinte to the north-westward. It is to be feared<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_246" id="page_246"></a>{246}</span> this reverse -will necessitate the retreat of the Second, Third, and Fourth -Armies from Saffron Walden, Royston, and Baldock, that position -which they so gallantly defended against the flower of the German -Army, emerging victorious from the glorious battle of Royston. For -to stay where they are, in the face of the combined forward -movement of the IXth, Xth, and XIIth Corps of the invaders, and the -rumoured resumption of the offensive by the two corps defeated -before Royston, would be to court being outflanked and cut off from -the rest of our forces at a time when every single soldier is -urgently required to man the northern portion of the defences of -London.</p> - -<p>“But to return to the relation of our latest and most disastrous -defeat, which I must preface by saying that my readers must not be -deceived by the words ‘Army Corps’ as applied to the various -assemblages of our troops. As a matter of fact, ‘Divisions,’ or -even ‘Brigades,’ would be nearer the mark. The ‘Army Corps’ at -Braintree had only four, or perhaps later six, regular infantry -regiments, with a very small force of cavalry and not too many -guns. Compare that with the Xth German Army Corps under General von -Wilberg, which was more immediately opposed to it. This formidable -fighting unit may be taken as a representative one, observing that -the Garde Corps is yet stronger. Von Wilberg’s Corps is a -Hanoverian one, and comprises no less than twenty-three battalions -of infantry, four regiments of cavalry, twenty-five batteries of -artillery, a train battalion, and a pioneer battalion. What chance -has a so-called army corps of half a dozen regular infantry -battalions, perhaps a dozen Volunteer and Militia Corps, a scratch -lot of cavalry, and half the number of guns, against such a -powerful, well-organised, and well-trained force as this?</p> - -<p>“In the recent fighting about Chelmsford we have had at the outside -thirty regular battalions to oppose the onslaught of three complete -German Army Corps such as that described above. We have had a -number<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_247" id="page_247"></a>{247}</span> of auxiliary troops in addition, as well as a preponderance -in heavy long-ranging artillery, but the former cannot be -manœuvred in the same way as regular soldiers, however brave and -devoted they may be; while, if weaker in big guns, the enemy -outnumbered our mobile horse and field artillery by five or six to -one. So it must be understood that while a defeat is deplorable and -heartbreaking, yet a victory against such odds would have been -little less than a miracle. No blame can be attached either to our -officers or their men. All did as much, or more, than could be -humanly expected of them. The long and short of it is that since -we, as a nation, have not chosen to have a sufficient and -up-to-date Army, we must take the rub when an invasion comes.</p> - -<p>“We knew well enough—though most of us pretended ignorance—that -we could not afford to pay for such an Army at a rate comparable to -the current labour market rates, even if we had been twice as rich, -and if shoals of recruits had been forthcoming. We were aware, in -consequence, that some form of universal service was the only -possible method of raising a real Army, but we shrank from making -the personal sacrifices required. We were too indolent, too -careless, too unpatriotic. Now we have got to pay for the pleasures -of living in a fool’s paradise, and pay through the nose into the -bargain. We have no right to grumble, whatever may be the outcome, -and God only knows what the bitter end of this war may be, what -final defeat may mean for our future as a nation. But I must quit -moralising and betake myself to my narrative.</p> - -<p>“In my letter of the 9th I left the Colchester garrison making -their breakfast at Witham. I had understood that they were coming -on to Chelmsford, but, as it turned out, the Leicestershires and -Dorsets got orders to turn off to the right just before reaching -Boreham, and to take up a position on the high ground east of -Little Waltham, which is about four miles due north of Chelmsford. -With them went a number of the heavy<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_248" id="page_248"></a>{248}</span> 4.7-inch guns we brought away -with us. The Volunteers, Scottish Borderers, and the -Lancasters—the latter of whom had been covering the flank of the -retreat at Wickham Bishops—came in to Chelmsford, and during the -evening were marched out and billeted in the houses thickly -scattered along the Braintree road. The cavalry, after some slight -skirmishing with the advanced patrols of Von Kronhelm’s Army, who -came up with them near Hatfield Peverell, turned up in the -afternoon.</p> - -<p>“In Chelmsford, when I halted at the Saracen’s Head, I found there -were the 2nd Lincolnshire and the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers, who -had come up from Salisbury Plain, the 1st Hampshire and the 1st -Royal Fusiliers from Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight. The 2nd -South Wales Borderers from Tidworth and the 1st Border Regiment -from Bordon Camp arrived in the afternoon, and were marched out to -Great Baddow, half-way to Danbury. The 14th Hussars from -Shorncliffe and the 20th from Brighton had also come in the day -previously, and they at once moved out to the front to relieve the -16th Lancers and 7th Hussars, who had been covering the retiral -from Colchester. The town was crowded with Volunteers in khaki, -green, red, blue—all the colours of the rainbow—and I noticed two -very smart corps of Yeomanry marching out to support the two -regular cavalry regiments. Everyone seemed in good spirits on -account of the news from Royston and the successful issue of the -cavalry skirmish of the morning before. As Chelmsford lies in a -kind of hollow, I could not see much from there, so in the -afternoon I thought I would run out to the high ground near Danbury -and see if I could get any idea of what was going on.</p> - -<p>“As I passed Danbury Place I heard the deafening report of heavy -guns close at hand. I found that the firing came from some of the -Bluejackets’ 4.7’s near the church, where I had seen them at work -at the opening of Purleigh Battle. I got out of my car and went up -to the officer in charge, whom I met on that occasion.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_249" id="page_249"></a>{249}</span> I asked him -at what he was firing. ‘Look over there,’ he said, pointing towards -Maldon. I saw nothing at first. ‘Look higher,’ said the sailor. I -raised my eyes, and there, floating hundreds of feet over and on -this side of the old town, a great yellow sausage-like something -glistened in the sunlight. I recognised it at once from the -photographs I had seen of the German manœuvres. It was their -great military balloon, known as the ‘Wurst,’ or sausage, from its -elongated shape. Its occupants were doubtless hard at work -reconnoitring our position.</p> - -<p>“Another gun gave tongue with an ear-splitting report, and then a -second one, its long chase sticking up into the air like a monster -telescope. They were firing high explosive shell at the balloon, -hoping that the detonation would tear it if near enough. I saw the -big shell explode apparently close to their target, but the -distance was deceptive, and no apparent injury was done. After -another round, however, it began slowly to descend, and soon -disappeared behind the huddled roofs of the town. ‘Might have got -her,’ remarked Akers, the commander in charge of the guns, ‘but I -fancy not. But I reckon they thought it too warm to stay up. We had -our balloon up this morning,’ he continued, ‘and I expect she’ll go -up again before dark. They had a few slaps at her, but didn’t get -within a mile of her. She’s in a field behind the woods at Twitty -Fee, about half a mile over there, if you want to see her.’</p> - -<p>“I thanked him and motored slowly off in the direction indicated. I -noticed great changes on Danbury Hill since my last visit. -Entrenchments and batteries had sprung up on every side, and men -were still as busy as bees improving and adding to them. I found -the balloon, filled with gas and swaying about behind a mass of -woodland that effectually concealed it from the enemy, but as I was -informed that there would be no ascent before half-past five, I -continued my tour round the summit of the hill. When I arrived at -the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_250" id="page_250"></a>{250}</span> northern end I found that fresh defences were being -constructed right away round to the westward side. The northern -edge of Blake’s Wood had been felled and made into a formidable -abattis, the sharpened branches of the felled trees being connected -together with a perfect web of barbed wire.</p> - -<p>“The same process was being carried out in the woods and copses at -Great Graces. New Lodge had been placed in a state of defence. The -windows, deprived of glass and sashes, were being built up with -sand bags; the flower garden was trampled into a chaos; the grand -piano stood in the back yard, forming a platform for a Maxim gun -that peered over the wall. The walls were disfigured with -loop-holes. Behind the house were piled the arms of a Volunteer -Battalion who, under the direction of a few officers and N.C.O.’s -of the Royal Engineers, were labouring to turn the pretty country -house into a scarred and hideous fortress. Their cooks had dug a -Broad Arrow kitchen in the midst of the tennis lawn, and were -busied about the big black kettles preparing tea for the workers. -New Lodge was the most suggestive picture of the change brought -about by the war that I had yet seen. From the corner of Great -Graces Wood I could see through my glasses that the outskirts of -Great Baddow were also alive with men preparing it for defence. I -got back to the balloon just in time to see it rising majestically -above the trees. Either on account of their failure to reach it in -the morning, or for some other reason, the enemy did not fire at -it, and the occupants of the car were able to make their -observations in peace, telephoning them to a non-commissioned -officer at the winding engine below, who jotted them down in -shorthand. From what I afterwards heard, it seems that a long -procession of carts was seen moving northwards from Maldon by way -of Heybridge.</p> - -<p>“It was presumed that these contained provisions and stores for the -IXth and Xth Corps from the big depôt which it had been discovered -that the Saxons<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_251" id="page_251"></a>{251}</span> had established near Southminster. A few -long-range shots were fired at the convoy from the big guns, but -without any appreciable effect. The procession stopped though. No -more carts came from the town, and those already out disappeared -behind the woods about Langford Park. I understand that, apprised -of this by signal from the balloon, the 14th Hussars made a gallant -effort to attack the convoy, but they found the country east of the -Maldon-Witham Railway to be full of the enemy, both infantry and -cavalry, came under a heavy fire from concealed troops, and -sustained considerable loss without being able to effect anything. -It is believed that the movement of stores continued after dark, -for our most advanced outposts and patrols reported that the rumble -of either artillery or wagons was heard coming from the direction -of the roads leading north out of Maldon almost the whole night -through.</p> - -<p>“On my return to Chelmsford I visited Springfield, where I found -the Scots Fusiliers, a Militia, and a Volunteer Regiment -entrenching themselves astride the railway.</p> - -<p>“I dined with three brother newspaper men at the Red Lion Hotel. -One of them had come from Dunmow, and reported that the First Army -was busily entrenching itself on a long ridge a couple of miles to -eastward of the town. He said he had heard also that the high -ground about Thaxted had been occupied by some troops who had come -up from the South on Sunday night, though he could not say what -regiments they were. They had detrained at Elsenham, and marched -the rest of the way by road. If his information is correct, the -British Army on Monday night occupied an almost continuous line -stretching from Baldock on the west to South Hanningfield, or -perhaps Billericay on the south. A very extensive front, but -necessary to be held if the forward march of the five German Army -Corps operating in the Eastern Counties was to be checked. For -though it would, of course, have<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_252" id="page_252"></a>{252}</span> been desirable to take the -offensive and attack the Xth Corps during the temporary -discomfiture of the Garde and IVth Corps, we were compelled in the -main to adopt the tactics pursued by the Boers in South Africa and -act almost entirely on the defensive on account of the poor quality -of the bulk of our forces. There was this exception, however, that -the few regular battalions were as far as possible placed in such -positions that they would be available for local counter-attacks -and offensive action. Our generals could not be altogether guided -by the generally-accepted rules of tactics and strategy, but had to -do the best they could with the heterogeneous material at their -disposal.</p> - -<p>“As to what the enemy were doing during this day we had no -information worth speaking of, although there was a rumour going -about late in the afternoon that Braintree had been occupied by the -Hanoverians, and that the head of General Von Kronhelm’s Army Corps -had arrived at Witham. However this may have been, we neither saw -nor heard anything of them during the night, and I much enjoyed my -slumbers after the fatigues of the last twenty-four hours. But this -was but the lull before the storm. About ten a.m. the low growl of -artillery rolled up from the south-east, and it began to be bruited -about that the Saxons were attacking South Hanningfield in force, -doubtless with the object of turning our right flank. I ordered out -my motor, thinking I would run down to the high ground at Stock, -five miles to the southward, and see if I could get an inkling of -how matters were progressing. That heavy fighting was in progress I -felt certain, for the cannonade grew momentarily louder and -heavier. Hardly had I cleared the town, when a fresh outburst of -firing boomed out from a northerly direction. I stopped irresolute.</p> - -<p>“Should I go on or turn back and set my face towards Dunmow? I -eventually decided to go on, and arrived at Stock about eleven. I -could not get much information there, or see what was going on, so -I decided to<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_253" id="page_253"></a>{253}</span> make for South Hanningfield. At the foot of the hill -leading up to Harrow Farm I came across a battalion of infantry -lying down in quarter column behind the woods on the left of the -road. From some of the officers I ascertained that it was the 1st -Buffs, and that they were in support of two Militia battalions who -were holding the ridge above. The Saxons, they said, had come up -from the direction of Woodham Ferris in considerable force, but had -not been able to advance beyond the Rettendon-Battles-Bridge Road -on account of the heavy fire of our artillery, which comprised -several heavy guns, protected both from fire and sight, and to -which their field batteries in the open ground below could make no -effective reply.</p> - -<p>“I had noticed for some little time that the firing had slackened, -so I thought I might as well get to the top of the hill and get a -view of the enemy. I did not see much of them. By the aid of my -glass I fancied I could distinguish green uniforms moving about -near the copses in front of Rettendon Hall, but that was about all. -I looked towards Danbury and saw our big balloon go up, and I also -observed the big German sausage wobbling about over Purleigh. But -there was no sign of military movement on either side. All the -time, however, I was conscious of the distant rumble of guns away -to the northward, and as there was apparently nothing more to be -seen at South Hanningfield for the present, I regained my car and -started back for Chelmsford. I found the town buzzing like a hive -of bees.</p> - -<p>“The troops were falling in under arms, the station was full of -people trying to get away by train, while the inhabitants were -tramping away in crowds by the Brentwood and Ongar roads. The -booming of the still distant guns sounded louder and faster, and -rumour had it that the Hanoverians were trying to force the passage -of the river at Ford Mill. I replenished my flask and luncheon -basket, and started off in the direction of the firing.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_254" id="page_254"></a>{254}</span></p> - -<p>“All along the road to Little Waltham I caught glimpses of khaki -uniforms in the trenches that zig-zagged about on the river slopes, -while I passed two or three regiments stepping northwards as fast -as they could get over the ground. There was a grim, set look on -<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_255" id="page_255"></a>{255}</span> the men’s faces that betokened both anger and determination.”</p></div> - -<h3><a name="CHAPTER_XVI-a" id="CHAPTER_XVI-a"></a>CHAPTER XVI<br /><br /> -<small>FIERCE FIGHTING AT CHELMSFORD</small></h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> continuation of the despatch from Brentwood, as follows, was -published on Saturday, 15th September:</p> - -<p>“At Little Waltham I found myself close to the scene of action. About a -mile ahead of me the hamlet of Howe Street was in flames and burning -furiously. I could see the shells bursting in and all over it in perfect -coveys. I could not make out where they were coming from, but an officer -I met said he thought the enemy must have several batteries in action on -the high ground about Littley Green, a mile and a half to the north on -the opposite side of the river. I crossed over myself, and got up on the -knoll where the Leicestershires and Dorsets had been stationed, together -with a number of the 4.7-inch guns brought from Colchester.</p> - -<p>“This piece of elevated ground is about two miles long, running almost -north and south, and at the top of it I got an extensive view to the -eastward right away to beyond Witham, as the ground fell all the way. -The country was well wooded, and a perfect maze of trees and hedgerows. -If there were any Germans down there in this plain they were lying very -low indeed, for my glasses did not discover the least indication of -their presence. Due east my view was bounded by the high wooded ground -about Wickham Bishops and Tiptree Heath, which lay a long blue hummock -on the horizon, while to the south-east Danbury Hill, with our big -war-balloon floating overhead, was plainly discernible.</p> - -<p>“While I gazed on the apparently peaceful landscape<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_256" id="page_256"></a>{256}</span> I was startled by a -nasty sharp, hissing sound, which came momentarily nearer. It seemed to -pass over my head, and was followed by a loud bang in the air, where now -hung a ring of white smoke. It was a shell from the enemy. Just ahead of -me was a somewhat extensive wood; and, urged by some insane impulse of -seeking shelter, I left the car, which I ordered my chauffeur to take -back for a mile and wait, and made for the close-standing trees. If I -had stopped to think I should have realised that the wood gave me -actually no protection whatever, and I had not gone far when the -crashing of timber and noise of the bursting projectiles overhead and in -the undergrowth around made me understand clearly that the Germans were -making a special target of the wood, which, I imagine, they thought -might conceal some of our troops. I wished heartily that I was seated -beside my chauffeur in his fast-receding car.</p> - -<p>“However, my first object was to get clear of the wood again, and after -some little time I emerged on the west side, right in the middle of a -dressing station for the wounded, which had been established in a little -hollow. Two surgeons, with their assistants, were already busily engaged -with a number of wounded men, most of whom were badly hit by shrapnel -bullets about the upper part of the body. I gathered from one or two of -the few most slightly wounded men that our people had been, and were, -very hardly put to it to hold their own. ‘I reckon,’ said one of them, a -bombardier of artillery, ‘that the enemy must have got more than a -hundred guns firing at us, and at Howe Street village. If we could only -make out where the foreign devils were,’ continued my informant, ‘our -chaps could have knocked a good many of them out with our -four-point-sevens, especially if we could have got a go at them before -they got within range themselves. But they must have somehow contrived -to get them into position during the night, for we saw nothing of them -coming up. They are somewhere about Chatley, Fairstead Lodge, and -Little<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_257" id="page_257"></a>{257}</span> Leighs, but as we can’t locate them exactly and only have ten -guns up here, it don’t give us much chance, does it?’ Later I saw an -officer of the Dorsets, who confirmed the gunner’s story, but added that -our people were well entrenched and the guns well concealed, so that -none of the latter had been put out of action, and he thought we should -be able to hold on to the hill all right. I regained my car without -further adventure, bar several narrow escapes from stray shell, and made -my way back as quickly as possible to Chelmsford.</p> - -<p>“The firing went on all day, not only to the northward, but also away to -the southward, where the Saxons, while not making any determined attack, -kept the Vth Corps continually on the alert, and there was an almost -continuous duel between the heavy pieces. As it appeared certain that -the knoll I had visited in the forenoon was the main objective of the -enemy’s attack, reinforcements had been more than once sent up there, -but the German shell fire was so heavy that they found it almost -impossible to construct the additional cover required. Several batteries -of artillery were despatched to Pleshy and Rolphy Green to keep down, if -possible, the fire of the Germans, but it seemed to increase rather than -diminish. They must have had more guns in action than they had at first. -Just at dusk their infantry made the first openly offensive movement.</p> - -<p>“Several lines of skirmishers suddenly appeared in the valley between -Little Leighs and Chatley, and advanced towards Lyonshall Wood, at the -north end of the knoll east of Little Waltham. They were at first -invisible from the British gun positions on the other side of the -Chelmer, and when they cleared the spur on which Hyde Hall stands they -were hardly discernible in the gathering darkness. The Dorsetshire and -the other battalions garrisoning the knoll manned their breastworks as -they got within rifle range, and opened fire, but they were still -subjected to the infernal rafale from the Hanoverian guns on the hills -to the northward, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_258" id="page_258"></a>{258}</span> to make matters worse at this critical moment the -Xth Corps brought a long line of guns into action between Flacks Green -and Great Leighs Wood, in which position none of the British guns except -a few on the knoll itself</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/i_b_258_lg.png"> -<img src="images/i_b_258_sml.png" width="464" height="474" alt="Image unavailable: Battle of Chelmsford. - -Position on the Evening of September 11." /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">Battle of Chelmsford. -<br /> -Position on the Evening of September 11.</span> -</div> - -<p class="nind">could reach them. Under this cross hurricane of projectiles the British -fire was quite beaten down, and the Germans followed up their -skirmishers by almost solid masses, which advanced with all but impunity -save for<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_259" id="page_259"></a>{259}</span> the fire of the few British long-range guns at Pleshy Mount. -There they were firing almost at random, as the gunners could not be -certain of the exact whereabouts of their objectives. There was a -searchlight on the knoll, but at the first sweep of its ray it was -absolutely demolished by a blizzard of shrapnel. Every German gun was -turned upon it. The Hanoverian battalions now swarmed to the assault, -disregarding the gaps made in their ranks by the magazine fire of the -defenders as soon as their close advance masked the fire of their own -cannon.</p> - -<p>“The British fought desperately. Three several times they hurled back at -the attackers, but, alas! we were overborne by sheer weight of numbers. -Reinforcements summoned by telephone, as soon as the determined nature -of the attack was apparent, were hurried up from every available source, -but they only arrived in time to be carried down the hill again in the -rush of its defeated defenders, and to share with them the storm of -projectiles from the quick-firers of General Von Kronhelm’s artillery, -which had been pushed forward during the assault. It was with the -greatest difficulty that the shattered and disorganised troops were got -over the river at Little Waltham. As it was, hundreds were drowned in -the little stream, and hundreds of others killed and wounded by the fire -of the Germans. They had won the first trick. This was indisputable, and -as ill news travels apace, a feeling of gloom fell upon our whole force, -for it was realised that the possession of the captured knoll would -enable the enemy to mass troops almost within effective rifle range of -our river line of defence. I believe that it was proposed by some -officers on the staff that we should wheel back our left and take up a -fresh position during the night. This was overruled, as it was -recognised that to do so would enable the enemy to push in between the -Dunmow force and our own, and so cut our general line in half. All that -could be done was to get up every available gun and bombard the hill -during the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_260" id="page_260"></a>{260}</span> night, in order to hamper the enemy in his preparations for -further forward movement and in his entrenching operations.</p> - -<p>“Had we more men at our disposal I suppose there is little doubt that a -strong counter attack would have been made on the knoll almost -immediately; but in the face of the enormous numbers opposed to us, I -imagine that General Blennerhasset did not feel justified in denuding -any portion of our position of its defenders. So all through the dark -hours the thunder of the great guns went on. In spite of the cannonade -the Germans turned on no less than three searchlights from the southern -end of the knoll about midnight. Two were at once put out by our fire, -but the third managed to exist for over half an hour, and enabled the -Germans to see how hard we were working to improve our defences along -the river bank. I am afraid that they were by this means able to make -themselves acquainted with the positions of a great number of our -trenches. During the night our patrols reported being unable to -penetrate beyond Pratt’s Farm, Mount Maskell, and Porter’s Farm on the -Colchester Road. Everywhere they were forced back by superior numbers. -The enemy were fast closing in upon us. It was a terrible night in -Chelmsford.</p> - -<p>“There was a panic on every hand. A man mounted the Tindal statue and -harangued the crowd, urging the people to rise and compel the Government -to stop the war. A few young men endeavoured to load the old Crimean -cannon in front of the Shire Hall, but found it clogged with rust and -useless. People fled from the villa residences in Brentwood Road into -the town for safety, now that the enemy were upon them. The banks in -High Street were being barricaded, and the stores still remaining in the -various grocers’ shops, Luckin Smith’s, Martin’s, Cramphorn’s, and -Pearke’s, were rapidly being concealed from the invaders. All the -ambulance wagons entering the town were filled with wounded, although as -many as possible were sent<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_261" id="page_261"></a>{261}</span> south by train. By one o’clock in the -morning, however, most of the civilian inhabitants had fled. The streets -were empty, but for the bivouacking troops and the never-ending -procession of wounded men. The General and his Staff were deliberating -to a late hour in the Shire Hall, at which he had established his -headquarters. The booming of the guns waxed and waned till dawn, when a -furious outburst announced that the second act of the tragedy was about -to open.</p> - -<p>“I had betaken myself at once to the round tower of the church, next the -Stone-bridge, from which I had an excellent view both east and north. -The first thing that attracted my eye was the myriad flashings of rifle -fire in the dimness of the breaking day. They reached in a continuous -line of coruscations from Boreham Hall, opposite my right hand, to the -knoll by Little Waltham, a distance of three or four miles, I should -say. The enemy were driving in all our outlying and advanced troops by -sheer weight of numbers. Presently the heavy batteries at Danbury began -pitching shell over in the direction of the firing, but as the German -line still advanced, it had not apparently any very great effect. The -next thing that happened was a determined attack on the village of Howe -Street made from the direction of Hyde Hall. This is about two miles -north of Little Waltham. In spite of our incessant fire, the Germans had -contrived to mass a tremendous number of guns and howitzers on and -behind the knoll they captured last night, and there were any quantity -more on the ridge above Hyde Hall. All these terrible weapons -concentrated their fire for a few moments on the blackened ruins of Howe -Street. Not a mouse could have lived there. The little place was simply -pulverised.</p> - -<p>“Our guns at Pleshy Mount and Rolphy Green, aided by a number of field -batteries, in vain endeavoured to make head against them. They were -outnumbered by six to one. Under cover of this tornado of iron and fire, -the enemy pushed several battalions over the river, making use of the -ruins of the many bridges about<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_262" id="page_262"></a>{262}</span></p> - -<div class="bbox"> - -<p class="c"> -<img src="images/i_b_262.jpg" -width="75" -height="102" -alt="Image unavailable" -/></p> - -<p class="c"><b>D E C R E E</b></p> - -<p class="c"><b>CONCERNING THE POWER OF COUNCILS OF WAR.</b></p> - -<div class="sml"> - -<p>WE, GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF EAST ANGLIA, in virtue of the powers conferred -upon us by His Imperial Majesty the German Emperor, Commander-in-Chief -of the German Armies, order, for the maintenance of the internal and -external security of the counties of the Government-General:—</p> - -<p>Article I.—Any individual guilty of incendiarism or of wilful -inundation, of attack, or of resistance with violence against the -Government-General or the agents of the civil or military authorities, -of sedition, of pillage, of theft with violence, of assisting prisoners -to escape, or of exciting soldiers to treasonable acts, shall be -PUNISHED BY DEATH.</p> - -<p>In the case of any extenuating circumstances, the culprit may be sent to -penal servitude with hard labour for twenty years.</p> - -<p>Article II.—Any person provoking or inciting an individual to commit -the crimes mentioned in Article I. will be sent to penal servitude with -hard labour for ten years.</p> - -<p>Article III.—Any person propagating false reports relative to the -operations of war or political events will be imprisoned for one year, -and fined up to £100.</p> - -<p>In any case where the affirmation or propagation may cause prejudice -against the German army, or against any authorities or functionaries -established by it, the culprit will be sent to hard labour for ten -years.</p> - -<p>Article IV.—Any person usurping a public office, or who commit -any act or issues any order in the name of a public functionary, will be -imprisoned for five years, and fined £150.</p> - -<p>Article V.—Any person who voluntarily destroys or abstracts any -documents, registers, archives, or public documents deposited in public -offices, or passing through their hands in virtue of their functions as -government or civic officials, will be imprisoned for two years, and -fined £150.</p> - -<p>Article VI.—Any person obliterating, damaging, or tearing down -official notices, orders, or proclamations of any sort issued by the -German authorities will be imprisoned for six months, and fined £80.</p> - -<p>Article VII.—Any resistance or disobedience of any order given in the -interests of public security by military commanders and other -authorities, or any provocation or incitement to commit such -disobedience, will be punished by one year’s imprisonment, or a fine of -not less than £150.</p> - -<p>Article VIII.—All offences enumerated in Articles I.-VII. are within -the jurisdiction of the Councils of War.</p> - -<p>Article IX.—It is within the competence of Councils of War to -adjudicate upon all other crimes and offences against the internal and -external security of the English provinces occupied by the German Army, -and also upon all crimes against the military or civil authorities, or -their agents, as well as murder, the fabrication of false money, of -blackmail, and all other serious offences.</p> - -<p>Article X.—Independent of the above, the military jurisdiction already -proclaimed will remain in force regarding all actions tending to imperil -the security of the German troops, to damage their interests, or to -render assistance to the Army of the British Government.</p> - -<p>Consequently, there will be PUNISHED BY DEATH, and we expressly repeat -this, all persons who are not British soldiers and— </p> - -<p>(<i>a</i>) Who serve the British Army or the Government as spies, or receive -British spies, or give them assistance or asylum.</p> - -<p>(<i>b</i>) Who serve as guides to British troops, or mislead the German -troops when charged to act as guides.</p> - -<p>(<i>c</i>) Who shoot, injure, or assault any German soldier or officer.</p> - -<p>(<i>d</i>) Who destroy bridges or canals, interrupt railways or telegraph -lines, render roads impassable, burn munitions of war, provisions, or -quarters of the troops.</p> - -<p>(<i>e</i>) Who take arms against the German troops.</p> - -<p>Article XI.—The organisation of Councils of War mentioned in Articles -VIII. and IX. of the Law of May 2, 1870, and their procedure are -regulated by special laws which are the same as the summary jurisdiction -of military tribunals. In the case of Article X. there remains in force -the Law of July 21, 1867, concerning the military jurisdiction -applicable to foreigners.</p> - -<p>Article XII.—The present order is proclaimed and put into execution on -the morrow of the day upon which it is affixed in the public places of -each town and village.</p> - -<p>The Governor-General of East Anglia,</p> - -<p class="r"><b>COUNT von SCHONBURG-WALDENBURG,</b><br /> -<b>Lieutenant-General.</b></p> - -<p>Norwich, <i>September 7th, 1910</i>.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_263" id="page_263"></a>{263}</span></p> -</div> - -</div> - -<p class="nind">there which had been hastily destroyed, and which they repaired with -planks and other materials they brought along with them. They lost a -large number of men in the process, but they persevered, and by ten -o’clock were in complete possession of Howe Street, Langley’s Park, and -Great Waltham, and moving in fighting formation against Pleshy Mount and -Rolphy Green, their guns covering their advance with a perfectly awful -discharge of shrapnel. Our cannon on the ridge at Partridge Green took -the attackers in flank, and for a time checked their advance, but, -drawing upon themselves the attention of the German artillery, on the -south end of the knoll, were all but silenced.</p> - -<p>“As soon as this was effected another strong column of Germans followed -in the footsteps of the first, and deploying to the left, secured the -bridge at Little Waltham, and advanced against the gun positions on -Partridge Green. This move turned all our river bank entrenchments right -down to Chelmsford. Their defenders were now treated to the enfilade -fire of a number of Hanoverian batteries that galloped down to Little -Waltham. They stuck to their trenches gallantly, but presently when the -enemy obtained a footing on Partridge Green they were taken in reverse, -and compelled to fall back, suffering terrible losses as they did so. -The whole of the infantry of the Xth Corps, supported—as we -understand—by a division which had joined them from Maldon, now moved -down on Chelmsford. In fact, there was a general advance of the three -combined armies stretching from Partridge Green on the west to the -railway line on the east. The defenders of the trenches facing east were -hastily withdrawn, and thrown back on Writtle. The Germans followed -closely with both infantry and guns, though they were for a time checked -near Scot’s Green by a dashing charge of our cavalry brigade, consisting -of the 16th Lancers and the 7th, 14th, and 20th Hussars, and the Essex -and Middlesex Yeomanry. We saw nothing of their cavalry, for a reason -that will be apparent later. By one o’clock fierce<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_264" id="page_264"></a>{264}</span> fighting was going -on all round the town, the German hordes enveloping it on all sides but -one. We had lost a great number of our guns, or at anyrate had been cut -off from them by the German successes around Pleshy Mount, and in all -their assaults on the town they had been careful to keep out of -effective range of the heavy batteries on Danbury Hill. These, by the -way, had their own work cut out for them, as the Saxon artillery were -heavily bombarding the hill with their howitzers. The British forces -were in a critical situation. Reinforcements—such as could be -spared—were hurried up from the Vth Army Corps, but they were not very -many in numbers, as it was necessary to provide against an attack by the -Saxon Corps. By three o’clock the greater part of the town was in the -hands of the Germans, despite the gallant way in which our men fought -them from street to street, and house to house. A dozen fires were -spreading in every direction, and fierce fighting was going on at -Writtle. The overpowering numbers of the Germans, combined with their -better organisation, and the number of properly trained officers at -their disposal, bore the British mixed Regular and Irregular forces -back, and back again.</p> - -<p>“Fearful of being cut off from his line of retreat, General -Blennerhasset, on hearing from Writtle soon after three that the -Hanoverians were pressing his left very hard, and endeavouring to work -round it, reluctantly gave orders for the troops in Chelmsford to fall -back on Widford and Moulsham. There was a lull in the fighting for about -half an hour, though firing was going on both at Writtle and Danbury. -Soon after four a terrible rumour spread consternation on every side. -According to this, an enormous force of cavalry and motor infantry was -about to attack us in the rear. What had actually happened was not quite -so bad as this, but quite bad enough. It seems, according to our latest -information, that almost the whole of the cavalry belonging to the three -German Army Corps with whom we were engaged—something like a dozen -regiments,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_265" id="page_265"></a>{265}</span> with a proportion of horse artillery and all available -motorists, having with them several of the new armoured motors carrying -light, quick-firing and machine guns—had been massed during the last -thirty-six hours behind the Saxon lines extending from Maldon to the -River Crouch. During the day they had worked round to the southward, and -at the time the rumour reached us were actually attacking Billericay, -which was held by a portion of the reserves of our Vth Corps. By the -time this news was confirmed the Germans were assaulting Great Baddow, -and moving on Danbury from east, north, and west, at the same time -resuming the offensive all along the line. The troops at Danbury must be -withdrawn, or they would be isolated. This difficult manœuvre was -executed by way of West Hanningfield. The rest of the Vth Corps -conformed to the movement, the Guards Brigade at East Hanningfield -forming the rearguard, and fighting fiercely all night through with the -Saxon troops, who moved out on the left flank of our retreat. The wreck -of the Ist Corps and the Colchester Garrison was now also in full -retirement. Ten miles lay between it and the lines at Brentwood, and had -the Germans been able to employ cavalry in pursuit, this retreat would -have been even more like a rout than it was. Luckily for us the -Billericay troops mauled the German cavalry pretty severely, and they -were beset in the close country in that neighbourhood by Volunteers, -motorists and every one that the officer commanding at Brentwood could -get together in this emergency.</p> - -<p>“Some of them actually got upon our line of retreat, but were driven off -by our advance guard; others came across the head of the retiring Vth -Corps, but the terrain was all against cavalry, and after nightfall most -of them had lost their way in the maze of lanes and hedgerows that -covered the countryside. Had it not been for this we should probably -have been absolutely smashed. As it was, rather more than half our -original numbers of men and guns crawled into Brentwood in the early -morning, worn out and dead-beat.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_266" id="page_266"></a>{266}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="CHAPTER_XVII-a" id="CHAPTER_XVII-a"></a>CHAPTER XVII<br /><br /> -<small>IN THE ENEMY’S HANDS</small></h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">We</span> must now turn to the position of Sheffield on Saturday, September 8. -It was truly critical.</p> - -<p>It was known that Lincoln had been occupied without opposition by -General Graf Haesler, who was in command of the VIIIth Corps, which had -landed at New Holland and Grimsby. The enemy’s headquarters had been -established in the old cathedral city, and it was reported in Sheffield -that the whole of this force was on the move westward. In fact, on -Saturday afternoon the head of the advance-guard coming by way of -Saxilby and Tuxford had arrived at East Retford, and during the night -the rest of the main body, following closely on its heels, disposed -itself for bivouac in rear of that sloping ground which reaches from -Clarborough, through Grove and Askham, to Tuxford, on the south.</p> - -<p>In advance was Major-General von Briefen’s splendid cavalry brigade, -who, during the march, had scoured the county almost as far west as the -River Rother itself. Chesterfield, with its crooked spire, had been -approached by the 7th Westphalian Dragoons, supported by the Grand Duke -of Baden’s Hussars and a company of smart motor infantry. Finding, -however, that no resistance was offered, they had extended, forming a -screen from that place to Worksop, examining and reconnoitring every -road, farmstead, and hamlet, in order that the advance of the main body -behind them could not be interfered with.</p> - -<p>The cavalry brigade of the other division, the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_267" id="page_267"></a>{267}</span> Cuirassiers of the Rhine -No. 8, and the 7th Rhine Hussars, scouted along to the northward as far -as Bawtry, where they were able to effect a junction with their comrades -of the VIIth Corps, who, it will be remembered, had landed at Goole, and -had now pushed on.</p> - -<p>During Saturday afternoon a squadron of British Yeomanry had been pushed -out from Rotherham as far as the high ground at Maltby, and hearing from -the contact patrols that nothing appeared to be in front of them, moved -on to Tickhill, a small village four miles west of Bawtry. Unknown to -them, however, a force of Westphalian Dragoons, having had information -of their presence, crept up by the lower road through Blythe and -Oldcoats, effectively taking them in rear, passing as they did through -the grounds of Sandbeck Hall.</p> - -<p>The Yeomanry, at the alarm, pulled up, and, dismounting under cover, -poured in a rattling volley upon the invaders, emptying more than one -Westphalian saddle. Next instant the Germans, making a dash, got between -them and their line of retreat on Maltby. It was palpable to the officer -in charge of the Yeomanry that he must get back to Sheffield some other -way. It would not do to stay and fight where he was, as there was every -prospect of his small troop being annihilated, nor did he desire himself -to be taken prisoner. His business was to report what he had seen. This -latter he was bound to accomplish at all risks. So, hastily leaping into -his saddle in the middle of a perfect hail of bullets—the result of -which was that several horses went down and left their riders at the -mercy of the invaders—the little band set off to regain their camp -outside Rotherham, by the cross-country roads through Stainton and -Braithwell. Here again they narrowly escaped falling into the hands of -some cavalry, who evidently belonged to the VIIth Corps, and who had -come down from the direction of Goole and Doncaster.</p> - -<p>Eventually, however, they crossed the River Don<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_268" id="page_268"></a>{268}</span> at Aldwark, and brought -in the first definite news which General Sir George Woolmer at Sheffield -had yet received. It was thus proved that the German cavalry were now -within the sphere of operations, and that in all probability they formed -a screen covering the advance of the two great German corps, which it -was quite certain now intended to make an attack upon the position he -had selected for defence.</p> - -<p>Night fell. On every road British yeomanry, cavalry, motor-cyclists, -motor-infantry, and independent groups of infantry were endeavouring to -penetrate the secret of the exact whereabouts of the enemy. Yet they -found every road, lane, and pathway, no matter how carefully approached, -held by Germans. Ever and anon, as they crept near the line of German -outposts, came the low, guttural demand as sentries challenged the -intruder.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 268px;"> -<a href="images/i_b_268_lg.png"> -<img src="images/i_b_268_sml.png" width="268" height="319" alt="Image unavailable: The Defence of Sheffield. - -GEORGE PHILIP & SON LTD." /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">The Defence of Sheffield.</span> -</div> - -<p>Here and there in the hot night shots rang out, and some daring spirit -fell dead, while more than once a dying scream was heard as a German -bayonet ended the career of some too inquisitive patriot.</p> - -<p>Away in Sheffield the town awaited, in breathless tension and hot -unrest, what was felt by everyone to be the coming onslaught. Through -the night the heavy clouds that had gathered after sunset culminated in -a terrific thunderstorm. The heavens seemed rent<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_269" id="page_269"></a>{269}</span> asunder by the vivid -lightning, the thunder crashed and rolled, and rain fell in torrents -upon the excited populace, who, through the dark hours, crowded around -the barricades in the Sheffield streets. In the murky dawn, grey and -dismal, portentous events were impending.</p> - -<p>Information from the enemy’s camp—which was subsequently made -public—showed that well before daylight the advance of the VIIth German -Corps had begun from Doncaster, while along the main road through -Warmsworth and Conisborough sturdily tramped the 13th Division, all -Westphalians, formed into three infantry brigades and commanded by -Lieut.-General Doppschutz. The 14th Division, under Lieut.-General von -Kehler, moving through Balby and Wadworth, prolonged the flank to the -south. The advance of both divisions was thus steadily continued -south-westward parallel to the River Rother, which lay between -themselves and the British. It was therefore plain that the plan of the -senior officer—General Baron von Bistram, commanding the VIIth -Corps—was that the attack should be carried out mainly by that corps -itself, and that strong support should be given to it by the VIIIth -Corps, which was coming, as has already been shown, from East Retford, -and which could effectively assist either to strike the final blow -against our Army, or, keeping well to the south, could threaten -Sheffield from the direction of Staveley.</p> - -<p>No one knew what resistance the British were prepared to offer. Full of -courage and patriotism, they were dominated by the proud traditions of -English soldiers; still, it was to be remembered that they consisted -mainly of raw levies, and that they were opposed by a force whose -training and equipment were unequalled in the world, and who outnumbered -them in proportion of about four to one.</p> - -<p>What was to be expected? Sheffield knew this—and was breathless and -terrified.</p> - -<p>The great thunderstorm of the night helped to swell<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_270" id="page_270"></a>{270}</span> the Rivers Don and -Rother, and as the invaders would have to cross them, doubtless under a -terrific fire, the battle must result in enormous casualties.</p> - -<p>Early on Sunday morning it was evident that the all-important blow, so -long threatened, was about to be struck. During the night great masses -of German artillery had been pushed up to the front, and these now -occupied most of the dominating hills, commanding not only all -approaches to the British position over the River Rother, but they were -even within effective range of the key of the British position itself.</p> - -<p>Hundreds of guns—many of them coming under the head of -siege-artillery—were concentrated a little to the east of Whiston, -whence they were able to pour in an oblique fire upon the defences. This -artillery belonged evidently to the VIIth German Corps, and had, with -great labour and difficulty, been hauled by all available horses, and -even by traction-engines, right across the country to where they were -now placed. The heaviest metal of all had been posted on Bricks Hill, an -eminence of some four hundred feet, immediately above the Rother, and -about six thousand yards from Catcliffe, already referred to as the key -of our defences.</p> - -<p>Suddenly, at sunrise, a low boom was heard from this point. This was the -opening German gun of the artillery preparation for the attack, which -was now evidently developing, and although the distance was nearly six -thousand yards, yet the bursts of the huge shells were seen to have been -well timed. Another and another followed, and presently these huge -projectiles, hurtling through the air and bursting with a -greenish-yellow smoke, showed that they were charged with some high -explosive. No sooner had this terrific tornado of destruction opened in -real earnest from the enemy, than the field artillery, massed as has -already been described, commenced their long-distance fire at a range of -about three thousand five hundred yards, and for a period, that seemed -hours, but yet was in<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_271" id="page_271"></a>{271}</span> reality only about fifty minutes, the awful -cannonade continued.</p> - -<p>The British guns had already come into action, and intermittent firing -of shrapnel and other projectiles was now directed against the German -batteries.</p> - -<p>These latter, however, were mostly carefully concealed, effective cover -having, by means of hard spade-work, been thrown up during the night. -The British guns were mostly served by Volunteers and -Militia-Artillerymen, who, although burning with patriotism, were—owing -to the little real practice they had had in actually firing live shell, -having mostly been drilled with dummy guns—utterly incompetent to make -any impression upon the enemy’s lines of concealed artillery.</p> - -<p>It was plain, then, that the Germans had adopted the principle of -massing the bulk of the guns of their two divisions of the VIIth Corps -at such a point that they might strike the heaviest blow possible at the -defence, under cover of which, when resistance had been somewhat beaten -down, the infantry might advance to the attack. This was now being done. -But away to the south was heard the distant roar of other artillery, no -doubt that of Haesler’s Corps, which had apparently crossed the river -somewhere in the neighbourhood of Renishaw, and advancing via Eckington -had established themselves on the high ground, about five hundred and -twenty feet in altitude, just north of Ridgeway, whence they were able -to pour in an enfilading fire all along the British position from its -centre at Woodhouse almost to Catcliffe itself. This rendered our -position serious, and although the German guns had opposed to them the -southernmost flank from Woodhouse to Norton Woodseats, yet it was plain -that the main portion of the British defence was in process of being -“turned.”</p> - -<p>The heavy firing continued, and at last, under cover of it, the rear -attack now began some two hours after the opening of the fight.</p> - -<p>The 13th Division, under Doppschutz, were evidently<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_272" id="page_272"></a>{272}</span> advancing by the -main Doncaster road. Their advance guard, which had already occupied -Rotherham, had also seized the bridge which the invaders had neither -time nor material to demolish, and now swept on across it, although -exposed to a heavy onslaught from that line of the British position -between Tinsley and Brinsworth. Those sturdy, stolid Westphalians and -bearded men of Lorraine still kept on. Numbers dropped, and the bridge -was quickly strewn with dead and dying. Yet nothing checked the steady -advance of that irresistible wave of humanity.</p> - -<p>Down the River Rother, at Kanklow Bridge, a similar scene was being -enacted. The railway bridge at Catcliffe was also taken by storm, and at -Woodhouse Mill the 14th Division, under Von Kehler, made a terrific and -successful dash, as they also did at Beighton.</p> - -<p>The river itself was about an average distance of a mile in front of the -British position, and although as heavy a fire as possible was directed -upon all approaches to it, yet the Germans were not to be denied. -Utterly indifferent to any losses, they still swept on in an -overwhelming tide, leaving at the most not more than ten per cent. of -casualties to be dealt with by the perfectly equipped ambulances in -their rear. So, for the most part, the various regiments constituting -the divisions of the two German commanders found themselves shaken, but -by no means thwarted. On the west bank of the river, the steep slopes -rising from Beighton to Woodhouse gave a certain amount of dead ground, -under cover of which the foreign legions took refuge, in order to -dispose themselves for the final assault.</p> - -<p>A similar state of things had taken place to the south. General Graf -Haesler had flung both his divisions across the river, with but little -opposition. The 15th, composed mainly of men of the Rhine, under Von -Kluser, crossed at Killamarsh and Metherthorpe Station, while the 16th, -under Lieut.-General Stolz, crossed at Renishaw, and, striking -north-easterly in the direction of Ridgeway, closed in as they advanced, -till at length<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_273" id="page_273"></a>{273}</span> they were enabled to be within effective reach of their -comrades on the right.</p> - -<p>The German attack had now developed into an almost crescent-shaped -formation, and about noon Von Bistram, the commander-in-chief, issued -his final orders for the assault.</p> - -<p>The cavalry of the VIIth German Corps under Major-General von Landsberg, -commanding the 13th Cavalry Brigade, and the 14th Cavalry Brigade, -consisting of Westphalian Hussars and Uhlans, under Major-General von -Weder, were massed in the neighbourhood of Greasborough, whence it might -be expected that at the critical stage of the engagement if the British -defences gave way they might be launched upon the retiring Englishmen. -Similarly in the valley over by Middle Handley, a little south of -Eckington, were found the 15th and 16th Cavalry Brigades of the VIIIth -Corps, consisting of the 15th of Cuirassiers and Hussars of the Rhine, -and the 16th of Westphalians, and the Grand Duke of Baden’s Hussars, -under that well-known soldier, Major-General von Briefen. All these were -equally ready to advance in a northerly direction to strike the crushing -blow at the first of the many important cities which was their -objective.</p> - -<p>Unless the scheme of von Bistram, the German generalissimo in the North, -was ill-conceived, then it was plain, even to the defenders, that -Sheffield must eventually give way before the overpowering force opposed -to it.</p> - -<p>Within the city of Sheffield the excitement now rose to fever-heat.</p> - -<p>It was known that the enemy had closed in upon the defences, and were -now across the river, ready at any moment to continue their advance, -which, as a matter of fact, had developed steadily without intermission, -notwithstanding the heroic efforts of the defenders.</p> - -<p>In these days of smokeless powder it was hard for the Germans to see -where the British lines of defence<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_274" id="page_274"></a>{274}</span> were actually located, but the heavy -pounding of the artillery duel, which had been going on since early -morning, was now beginning to weaken as the German infantry, company by -company, regiment by regiment, and brigade by brigade, were calmly -launched to the attack. They were themselves masking the fire of the -cannon of their own comrades as, by desperate rushes, they gradually -ascended the slopes before them.</p> - -<p>The objective of the VIIth Corps seemed to be the strongpoint which has -already been referred to as dominating the position a little west of -Catcliffe, and the VIIIth Corps were clearly directing their energies on -the salient angle of the defence which was to be found a little south of -Woodhouse. From this latter point the general line of the British -position from Woodhouse north to Tinsley would then be turned.</p> - -<p>The British stood their ground with the fearless valour of Englishmen. -Though effective defence seemed from the very first futile, steady and -unshaken volleys rang out from every knoll, hillock, and shelter-trench -in that long line manned by the sturdy Yorkshire heroes. Machine-guns -rattled and spat fire, and pom-poms worked with regularity, hurling -their little shells in a ceaseless stream into the invaders, but all, -alas! to no purpose. Where one German fell, at least three appeared to -take his place. The enemy seemed to rise from the very ground. The more -stubborn the defence, the more numerous the Germans seemed to become, -gaps in their fighting line being reinforced in that ruthless manner -which is such a well-known principle in German tactics—namely, that the -commander must not be sparing in his men, but fling forward -reinforcements at whatever cost.</p> - -<p>Thus up the storm-swept glacis reaching from the Rother struggled -thousands of Germans in a tide that could not be stemmed, halting and -firing as they advanced, until it became clear that an actual -hand-to-hand combat was imminent.</p> - -<p>The British had done all that men could. There<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_275" id="page_275"></a>{275}</span> was no question of -surrender. They were simply swept away as straws before a storm. Dead -and dying were on every hand, ambulances were full, and groaning men -were being carried by hundreds to the rear. General Woolmer saw that the -day was lost, and at last, with choking emotion, he was compelled to -give that order which no officer can ever give unless to save useless -bloodshed—“Retire!—Retire upon Sheffield itself!”</p> - -<p>Bugles rang out, and the whistles of the officers pierced the air. Then -in as orderly a manner as was possible in the circumstances, and amid -the victorious shouts from thousands of German throats, the struggling -units fell back upon the city.</p> - -<p>The outlook was surely black enough. Worse was, however, yet to follow. -In the line of retreat all roads were blocked with endless masses of -wagons and ambulances, and in order to fall back at all men had to take -to the open fields and clamber over hedges, so that all semblance of -order was very quickly lost.</p> - -<p>Thus the retreat became little short of a rout.</p> - -<p>Presently a shout rang out. “The cavalry! The cavalry!”</p> - -<p>And then was seen a swarm of big Uhlans riding down from the north at a -hand-gallop, evidently prepared to cut off the routed army.</p> - -<p>By Tinsley Park a body of Volunteers were retreating in an orderly -manner, when the alarm of the cavalry advance reached their ears. Their -colonel, a red-faced, bearded old gentleman, wearing the green ribbon of -the V.D., and who in private life was a brewery’s manager at Tadcaster, -rose in his stirrups and, turning round towards the croup of his -somewhat weedy steed, ejaculated the words in a hoarse and raucous -bellow: “Soaky Poo!”</p> - -<p>His men wondered what he meant. Some halted, believing it to be a new -order which demanded further attention, until a smart young subaltern, -smiling behind his hand, shouted out, “Sauve qui peut—Every man for -himself!”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_276" id="page_276"></a>{276}</span></p> - -<p>And at this there was a helter-skelter flight on the part of the whole -battalion.</p> - -<p>The Uhlans, however, were not to be denied, and, circling round through -Attercliffe, and thence south towards Richmond Park, they effectively -placed themselves across the line of retreat of many of the fugitives.</p> - -<p>The latter practically ran straight into the lines of the Germans, who -called to them to lay down their arms, and in half an hour along the -cordon over two thousand five hundred British of all arms found -themselves prisoners in the hands of Von Landsberg, upon whose brigade -the brunt of this attack had fallen.</p> - -<p>General von Wedel, of the 14th Cavalry Brigade, was not inactive. He -pursued the flying columns along all the roads and country north-east of -the city. From the south came news of the cavalry of the VIIIth Corps, -which had circled through Dronfield, Woodhouse, Totley, along Abbey -Dale, till they made an unresisted entry into Sheffield from the south.</p> - -<p>Within the town it was quickly seen that the day was lost. All -resistance had been beaten down by the victorious invaders, and now, at -the Town Hall, the British flag was hauled down, and the German ensign -replaced it. From every street leading out of the city to the west -poured a flying mob of disorganised British troops, evidently bent upon -making the best of their way into the hilly district of the Peak of -Derbyshire, where, in the course of time, they might hope to reorganise -and re-establish themselves.</p> - -<p>The German pursuit, although very strenuous on the part of the cavalry -as far as effecting the occupation of the city was concerned, did not -extend very much beyond it. Clearly the invaders did not want to be -burdened with a large number of British prisoners whom they had no means -of interning, and whom it would be difficult to place on parole. What -they wanted was to strike terror in the great cities of the north.</p> - -<p>Sheffield was now theirs. Nearly all the ammunition<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_277" id="page_277"></a>{277}</span> and stores of the -defenders had fallen into their hands, and they were enabled to view, -with apparent equanimity, the spectacle of retreating masses of British -infantry, yeomanry, and artillery. Westwards along the network of roads -leading in the direction of the High Peak, Derwent Dale, Bradfield, -Buxton, and on to Glossop, the British were fast retreating, evidently -making Manchester their objective.</p> - -<p>Sheffield was utterly dumbfounded. The barricades had been broken down -and swept away. The troops, of whom they had hoped so much, had been -simply swept away, and now the streets were full of burly foreigners. -George Street swarmed with Westphalian infantry and men of Lorraine; in -Church Street a squadron of Uhlans were drawn up opposite the Sheffield -and Hallamshire Bank, while the sidewalk was occupied by piled arms of -the 39th Fusilier Regiment. In the space around the Town Hall the 6th -Infantry Regiment of the Rhine and a regiment of Cuirassiers were -standing at ease. Many of the stalwart sons of the Fatherland were seen -to light their pipes and stolidly enjoy a smoke, while officers in small -groups stood here and there discussing the events of the victorious day.</p> - -<p>The saddest scenes were to be witnessed at the Royal Infirmary, in -Infirmary Road, at the Royal Hospital in West Street, and even in some -of the vacant wards in the Jessop Hospital for Women in Victoria Street, -which had to be requisitioned for the accommodation of the crowds of -wounded of both nations, so constantly being brought in by carts, -carriages, motor-cars, and even cabs.</p> - -<p>The St. John’s Ambulance Brigade, with many ladies, were doing all they -could to render aid, while the Queen Victoria Jubilee Institute for -Nurses was called upon for all available help. Every place where sick -could be accommodated, including the well-known George Woofindin -Convalescent Home, was crowded to overflowing with sufferers, while -every doctor in Sheffield bore his part in unceasing surgical work. But -the number of dead on both sides it was impossible to estimate.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_278" id="page_278"></a>{278}</span></p> - -<p>At the Town Hall the Lord Mayor, aldermen, and councillors assembled, -and met the German General, who sternly and abruptly demanded the -payment of half a million pounds sterling in gold as an indemnity, -together with the production of all stores that the German Army should -require in order that they could re-victual.</p> - -<p>In reply the Lord Mayor, after consulting with the Council, stated that -he would call a meeting of all bank managers and heads of the great -manufacturing firms in order that the demand might be, as far as -possible, complied with. This answer was promised at five p.m.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile, on the notice-board outside the Town Hall, a proclamation was -affixed by the Chief of the German Staff, a sentry being posted on -either side of it to prevent it being torn down.</p> - -<p>Copies were sent to the offices of the local newspapers, and within half -an hour its tenor was known in every part of the city. Throughout the -night German cavalry patrolled all the main streets, most of the -infantry being now reassembled into their brigades, divisions, and army -corps on the southern outskirts of the city, and in Norton, Coal Aston, -Dronfield, and Whittington were being established the headquarters of -the four different divisions of which the VII. and VIII. Corps -respectively were composed.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_279" id="page_279"></a>{279}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="CHAPTER_XVIII-a" id="CHAPTER_XVIII-a"></a>CHAPTER XVIII<br /><br /> -<small>THE FEELING IN LONDON</small></h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">Reports</span> from Sheffield stated that on Sunday the gallant defence of the -town by General Sir George Woolmer had been broken. We had suffered a -terrible reverse. The British were in full flight, and the two -victorious Corps now had the way open to advance to the metropolis of -the Midlands, for they knew that they had left behind them only a -shattered remnant of what the day before had been the British Army of -the North.</p> - -<p>In both Houses of Parliament, hastily summoned, there had been memorable -scenes. In the Commons, the Government had endeavoured to justify its -suicidal actions of the past, but such speeches were howled down, and -even the Government organs themselves were now compelled to admit that -the party had committed very grave errors of judgment.</p> - -<p>Each night the House had sat until early morning, every member who had -been in England on the previous Sunday being in his place. In response -to the ever-repeated questions put to the War Minister, the reply was -each day the same. All that could be done was being done.</p> - -<p>Was there any hope of victory? That was the question eagerly asked on -every hand—both in Parliament and out of it. At present there seemed -none. Reports from the theatres of war in different parts of the country -reaching the House each hour were ever the same—the British driven back -by the enemy’s overwhelming numbers.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_280" id="page_280"></a>{280}</span></p> - -<p>The outlook was indeed a black one. The lobby was ever crowded by -members eagerly discussing the situation. The enemy were at the gates of -London. What was to be done?</p> - -<p>In the House on Friday, September 7, in view of the fact that London was -undoubtedly the objective of the enemy, it was decided that Parliament -should, on the following day, be transferred to Bristol, and there meet -in the great Colston Hall. This change had actually been effected, and -the whole of both Houses, with their staff, were hurriedly transferred -to the west, the Great Western Railway system being still intact.</p> - -<p>The riff-raff from Whitechapel, those aliens whom we had so long -welcomed and pampered in our midst—Russians, Poles, Austrians, Swedes, -and even Germans—the latter, of course, now declared themselves to be -Russians—had swarmed westward in lawless, hungry multitudes, and on -Monday afternoon serious rioting occurred in Grosvenor Square and the -neighbourhood, and also in Park Lane, where several houses were entered -and pillaged by the alien mobs.</p> - -<p>The disorder commenced at a great mass meeting held in the Park, just -behind the Marble Arch. Orators were denouncing the Government and -abusing the Ministers in unmeasured terms, when someone, seeing the many -aliens around, set up the cry that they were German spies. A free fight -at once ensued, with the result that the mob, uncontrolled by the -police, dashed across into Park Lane and wrecked three of the largest -houses—one of which was deliberately set on fire by a can of petrol -brought from a neighbouring garage. Other houses in Grosvenor Square -shared the same fate.</p> - -<p>In every quarter of London shops containing groceries, provisions, or -flour were broken open by the lawless bands and sacked. From Kingsland -and Hoxton, Lambeth and Camberwell, Notting Dale and Chelsea, reports -received by the police showed that the people were now becoming -desperate. Not only were the aliens lawless, but the London unemployed -and lower<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_281" id="page_281"></a>{281}</span> classes were now raising their voices. “Stop the war! Stop -the war!” was the cry heard on every hand. Nearly all the shops -containing provisions in Whitechapel Road, Commercial Road East, and -Cable Street were, during Monday, ruthlessly broken open and ransacked. -The police from Leman Street were utterly incompetent to hold back the -rush of the infuriated thousands, who fought desperately with each other -for the spoils, starving men, women, and children all joining in the -fray.</p> - -<p>The East End had indeed become utterly lawless. The big warehouses in -the vicinity of the docks were also attacked and most of them emptied of -their contents, while two at Wapping, being defended by the police, were -deliberately set on fire by the rioters, and quantities of wheat burned.</p> - -<p>Fierce men formed themselves into raiding bands and went westward that -night, committing all sorts of depredations. The enemy were upon them, -and they did not mean to starve, they declared. Southwark and -Bermondsey, Walworth and Kennington had remained quiet and watchful all -the week, but now, when the report spread of this latest disaster to our -troops at Sheffield, and that the Germans were already approaching -London, the whole populace arose, and the shopbreaking, once started in -the Walworth and Old Kent Roads, spread everywhere throughout the whole -of South London.</p> - -<p>In vain did the police good-humouredly cry to them to remain patient; in -vain did the Lord Mayor address the multitude from the steps of the -Royal Exchange; in vain did the newspapers, inspired from headquarters, -with one accord urge the public to remain calm, and allow the -authorities to direct their whole attention towards repelling the -invaders. It was all useless. The public had made up its mind.</p> - -<p>At last the bitter truth was being forced home upon the public, and in -every quarter of the metropolis those very speakers who, only a couple -of years before, were crying down the naval and military critics who -had<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_282" id="page_282"></a>{282}</span> dared to raise their voices in alarm, were now admitting that the -country should have listened and heeded.</p> - -<p>London, it was plain, had already abandoned hope. The British successes -had been so slight. The command of the sea was still in German hands, -although in the House the Admiralty had reassured the country that in a -few days we should regain the supremacy.</p> - -<p>A few days! In a few days London might be invested by the enemy, and -then would begin a reign of terror unequalled by any in the history of -the civilised world.</p> - -<p>By day the streets of the city presented a scene of turmoil and -activity, for it seemed as though City workers clung to their old habit -of going there each morning, even though their workshops, offices, and -warehouses were closed. By night the West End, Pall Mall, Piccadilly, -Oxford Street, Regent Street, Portland Place, Leicester Square, -Whitehall, Victoria Street, and around Victoria Station were filled with -idle, excited crowds of men, women, and children, hungry, despairing, -wondering.</p> - -<p>At every corner men and boys shouted the latest editions of the -newspapers. “ ’Nother great Battle! ’Nother British Defeat! Fall of -Sheffield!” rose above the excited chatter of the multitude. The cries -fell upon the ears of defenceless Londoners, darkening the outlook as -hour after hour wore on.</p> - -<p>The heat was stifling, the dust suffocating, now that the roads were no -longer cleaned. The theatres were closed. Only the churches and chapels -remained open—and the public-houses, crowded to overflowing. In -Westminster Abbey, in St. Paul’s Cathedral, in St. -Martin’s-in-the-Fields, and in Westminster Cathedral special prayers -were that night being offered for the success of the British arms. The -services were crowded by all sorts and conditions of persons, from the -poor, pinched woman in a shawl from a Westminster slum, to the lady of -title who ventured out in her electric brougham. Men from the clubs -stood next half-starved working men, and more than one of the more -fortunate<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_283" id="page_283"></a>{283}</span> slipped money unseen into the hand of his less-favoured -brother in adversity.</p> - -<p>War is a great leveller. The wealthy classes were, in proportion, losing -as much as the workers. It was only the grip of hunger that they did not -feel, only the cry of starving children that did not reach their ears. -For the rest, their interests were equal.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile, from every hand rose the strident cries of the newsboys:</p> - -<p>“ ‘Nother great Battle! British routed at Sheffield! Extrur -spe-shall!—spe’shall!”</p> - -<p>British routed! It had been the same ominous cry the whole week through.</p> - -<p>Was London really doomed?</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_284" id="page_284"></a>{284}</span></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_285" id="page_285"></a>{285}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="BOOK_II" id="BOOK_II"></a>BOOK II<br /><br /> -THE SIEGE OF LONDON</h2> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_286" id="page_286"></a>{286}</span></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_287" id="page_287"></a>{287}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="CHAPTER_I-b" id="CHAPTER_I-b"></a>CHAPTER I<br /><br /> -<small>THE LINES OF LONDON</small></h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> German successes were continued in the North and Midlands, and -notwithstanding the gallant defence of Sir George Woolmer before -Manchester and Sir Henry Hibbard before Birmingham, both cities were -captured and occupied by the enemy after terrible losses. London, -however, was the chief objective of Von Kronhelm, and towards the -Metropolis he now turned his attention.</p> - -<p>After the defeat of the British at Chelmsford on that fateful Wednesday -Lord Byfield decided to evacuate his position at Royston and fall back -on the northern section of the London defence line, which had been under -construction for the last ten days. These hasty entrenchments, which -would have been impossible to construct but for the ready assistance of -thousands of all classes of the citizens of London and the suburbs, -extended from Tilbury on the east to Bushey on the west, passing by the -Laindon Hills, Brentwood, Kelvedon, North Weald, Epping, Waltham Abbey, -Cheshunt, Enfield Chase, Chipping Barnet, and Elstree. They were more or -less continuous, consisting for the most part of trenches for infantry, -generally following the lines of existing hedgerows or banks, which -often required but little improvement to transform them into -well-protected and formidable cover for the defending troops. Where it -was necessary to cross open ground they were dug deep and winding, after -the fashion adopted by the Boers in the South African War, so that it -would be difficult, if not impossible, to enfilade them.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_288" id="page_288"></a>{288}</span></p> - -<p>Special bomb-proof covers for the local reserves were also constructed -at various points, and the ground in front ruthlessly cleared of houses, -barns, trees, hedges, and everything that might afford shelter to an -advancing enemy. Every possible military obstacle was placed in front of -the lines that time permitted, abattis, military pits, wire -entanglements, and small ground mines. At the more important points -along the fifty miles of entrenchments field-works and redoubts for -infantry and guns were built, most of them being armed with 4.7 or even -6 and 7.5 in. guns, which had been brought from Woolwich, Chatham, -Portsmouth, and Devonport, and mounted on whatever carriages could be -adapted or improvised for the occasion.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/i_b_288_lg.png"> -<img src="images/i_b_288_sml.png" width="461" height="256" alt="Image unavailable: The Lines of London" /></a> -</div> - -<p>The preparation of the London lines was a stupendous undertaking, but -the growing scarceness and dearness of provisions assisted in a degree, -as no free rations were issued to any able-bodied man unless he went out -to work at the fortifications. All workers were placed under military -law. There were any number of willing workers who proffered their -services in this time of peril. Thousands of men came forward asking to -be enlisted and armed. The difficulty was to find enough weapons<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_289" id="page_289"></a>{289}</span> and -ammunition for them, to say nothing of the question of uniform and -equipment, which loomed very large indeed. The attitude of the Germans, -as set forth in Von Kronhelm’s proclamations, precluded the employment -of fighting men dressed in civilian garb, and their attitude was a -perfectly natural and justifiable one by all the laws and customs of -war.</p> - -<p>It became necessary, therefore, that all men sent to the front should be -dressed as soldiers in some way or another. In addition to that splendid -corps, the Legion of Frontiersmen, many new armed organisations had -sprung into being, some bearing the most fantastic names, such as the -“Whitechapel War-to-the-Knifes,” the “Kensington Cowboys,” the -“Bayswater Braves,” and the “Southwark Scalphunters.” All the available -khaki and blue serge was used up in no time; even though those who were -already in possession of ordinary lounge suits of the latter material -were encouraged to have them altered into uniform by the addition of -stand-up collars and facings of various colours, according to their -regiments and corps.</p> - -<p>Only the time during which these men were waiting for their uniforms was -spent in drill in the open spaces of the metropolis. As soon as they -were clothed, they were despatched to that portion of the entrenchments -to which their corps had been allocated, and there, in the intervals of -their clearing and digging operations, they were hustled through a brief -musketry course, which consisted for the most part in firing. The -question of the provision of officers and N.C.O.s was an almost -insuperable one. Retired men came forward on every side, but the supply -was by no means equal to the demand, and they themselves in many -instances were absolutely out of date as far as knowledge of modern arms -and conditions were concerned. However, every one, with but very few -exceptions, did his utmost, and by the 11th or 12th of the month the -entrenchments were practically completed, and manned by upwards of -150,000 “men with muskets” of stout heart and full of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_290" id="page_290"></a>{290}</span> patriotism, but -in reality nothing but an army “pour rire” so far as efficiency was -concerned.</p> - -<p>The greater part of the guns were also placed in position, especially on -the north and eastern portions of the lines, and the remainder were -being mounted as fast as it was practicable. They were well manned by -Volunteer and Militia artillerymen, drawn from every district which the -invaders had left accessible. By the 13th the eastern section of the -fortifications was strengthened by the arrival of the remnants of the -Ist and Vth Army Corps, which had been so badly defeated at Chelmsford, -and no time was lost in reorganising them and distributing them along -the lines, thereby, to a certain extent, leavening the unbaked mass of -their improvised defenders. It was generally expected that the enemy -would follow up the success by an immediate attack on Brentwood, the -main barrier between Von Kronhelm and his objective—our great -metropolis. But, as it turned out, he had a totally different scheme in -hand. The orders to Lord Byfield to evacuate the position he had -maintained with such credit against the German Garde and IVth Corps have -already been referred to. Their reason was obvious. Now that there was -no organised resistance on his right, he stood in danger of being cut -off from London, the defences of which were now in pressing need of his -men. A large amount of rolling stock was at once despatched to Saffron -Walden and Buntingford by the G.E.R., and to Baldock by the G.N.R., to -facilitate the withdrawal of his troops and stores, and he was given an -absolutely free hand as to how these were to be used, all lines being -kept clear and additional trains kept waiting at his disposal at their -London termini.</p> - -<p>The 13th of September proved a memorable date in the history of England.</p> - -<p>The evacuation of the Baldock-Saffron Walden position could not possibly -have been carried out in good order on such short notice, had not Lord -Byfield previously worked the whole thing out in readiness.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_291" id="page_291"></a>{291}</span> He could -not help feeling that, despite his glorious victory on the ninth, a turn -of Fortune’s wheel might necessitate a retirement on London sooner or -later, and, like the good General that he was, he made every preparation -both for this, and other eventualities. Among other details, he had -arranged that the mounted infantry should be provided with plenty of -strong light wire. This was intended for the express benefit of -Frölich’s formidable cavalry brigade, which he foresaw would be most -dangerous to his command in the event of a retreat. As soon, therefore, -as the retrograde movement commenced, the mounted infantry began to -stretch their wires across every road, lane, and byway leading to the -north and north-east. Some wires were laid low, within a foot of the -ground, others high up where they could catch a rider about the neck or -breast. This operation they carried out again and again, after the -troops had passed, at various points on the route of the retreat. Thanks -to the darkness, this device well fulfilled its purpose. Frölich’s -brigade was on the heels of the retreating British soon after midnight, -but as it was impossible for them to move over the enclosed country at -night his riders were confined to the roads, and the accidents and -delays occasioned by the wires were so numerous and disconcerting, that -their advance had to be conducted with such caution that as a pursuit it -was of no use at all. Even the infantry and heavy guns of the retiring -British got over the ground nearly twice as fast. After two or three -hours of this, only varied by occasional volleys from detachments of our -mounted infantry, who sometimes waited in rear of their snares to let -fly at the German cavalry before galloping back to lay others, the enemy -recognised the fact, and, withdrawing their cavalry till daylight, -replaced them by infantry, but so much time had been lost that the -British had got several miles’ start.</p> - -<p>As has been elsewhere chronicled, the brigade of four regular battalions -with their guns, and a company<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_292" id="page_292"></a>{292}</span> of Engineers, which were to secure the -passage of the Stort and protect the left flank of the retirement, left -Saffron Walden somewhere about 10.30 p.m. The line was clear, and they -arrived at Sawbridgeworth in four long trains in a little under an hour. -Their advent did not arouse the sleeping village, as the station lies -nearly three-quarters of a mile distant on the further side of the -river. It may be noted in passing that while the Stort is but a small -stream, easily fordable in most places, yet it was important, if -possible, to secure the bridges to prevent delay in getting over the -heavy guns and wagons of the retiring British. A delay and congestion at -the points selected for passage might, with a close pursuit, easily lead -to disaster. Moreover, the Great Eastern Railway crossed the river by a -wooden bridge just north of the village of Sawbridgeworth, and it was -necessary to ensure the safe passage of the last trains over it before -destroying it to preclude the use of the railway by the enemy.</p> - -<p>There were two road bridges on the Great Eastern Railway near the -village of Sawbridgeworth, which might be required by the Dunmow force, -which was detailed to protect the same flank rather more to the -northward. The most important bridge, that over which the main body of -the Saffron Walden force was to retire, with all the impedimenta it had -had time to bring away with it, was between Sawbridgeworth and Harlow, -about a mile north of the latter village, but much nearer its station. -Thither, then, proceeded the leading train with the Grenadiers, four 4.7 -guns, and half a company of Royal Engineers with bridging materials. -Their task was to construct a second bridge to relieve the traffic over -the permanent one. The Grenadiers left one company at the railway -station, two in Harlow village, which they at once commenced to place in -a state of defence, much to the consternation of the villagers, who had -not realised how close to them were trending the red footsteps of war. -The remaining five companies with the other<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_293" id="page_293"></a>{293}</span> four guns turned northward, -and after marching another mile or so occupied the enclosures round -Durrington House and the higher ground to its north. Here the guns were -halted on the road. It was too dark to select the best position for -them, for it was now only about half an hour after midnight. The three -other regiments which detrained at Sawbridgeworth were disposed as -follows, continuing the line of the Grenadiers to the northward. The -Rifles occupied Hyde Hall, formerly the seat of the Earls of Roden, -covering the operations of the Engineers, who were preparing the railway -bridge for destruction, and the copses about Little Hyde Hall on the -higher ground to the eastward.</p> - -<p>The Scots Guards with four guns were between them and the Grenadiers, -and distributed between Sheering village and Gladwyns House, from the -neighbourhood of which it was expected that the guns would be able to -command the Chelmsford Road for a considerable distance. The Seaforth -Highlanders for the time being were stationed on a road running parallel -to the railway, from which branch roads led to both the right, left, and -centre of the position. An advanced party of the Rifle Brigade was -pushed forward to Hatfield Heath with instructions to patrol towards the -front and flanks, and, if possible, establish communication with the -troops expected from Dunmow. By the time all this was completed it was -getting on for 3 a.m. on the 13th. At this hour the advanced guard of -the Germans coming from Chelmsford was midway between Leaden Roding and -White Roding, while the main body was crossing the small River Roding by -the shallow ford near the latter village. Their few cavalry scouts were, -however, exploring the roads and lanes some little way ahead. A -collision was imminent. The Dunmow force had not been able to move -before midnight, and, with the exception of one regular battalion, the -1st Leinsters, which was left behind to the last and crowded into the -only train available, had only just arrived at the northern edge<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_294" id="page_294"></a>{294}</span> of -Hatfield Forest, some four miles directly north of Hatfield Heath. The -Leinsters, who left Dunmow by train half an hour later, had detrained at -this point at one o’clock, and just about three had met the patrols of -the Rifles. A Yeomanry corps from Dunmow was also not far off, as it had -turned to its left at the crossroads east of Takely, and was by this -time in the neighbourhood of Hatfield Broad Oak. In short, all three -forces were converging, but the bulk of the Dunmow force was four miles -away from the point of convergence.</p> - -<p>It was still profoundly dark when the Rifles at Hatfield Heath heard a -dozen shots cracking through the darkness to their left front. Almost -immediately other reports resounded from due east. Nothing could be seen -beyond a very few yards, and the men of the advanced company drawn up at -the crossroads in front of the village inn fancied they now and again -saw figures dodging about in the obscurity, but were cautioned not to -fire till their patrols had come in, for it was impossible to -distinguish friend from foe. Shots still rattled out here and there to -the front. About ten minutes later the captain in command, having got in -his patrols, gave the order to fire at a black blur that seemed to be -moving towards them on the Chelmsford Road. There was no mistake this -time. The momentary glare of the discharge flashed on the shiny -“pickel-haubes” of a detachment of German infantry, who charged forward -with a loud “Hoch!” The Riflemen, who already had their bayonets fixed, -rushed to meet them, and for a few moments there was a fierce stabbing -affray in the blackness of the night. The Germans, who were but few in -number, were overpowered, and beat a retreat, having lost several of -their men. The Rifles, according to their orders, having made sure of -the immediate proximity of the enemy, now fell back to the rest of their -battalion at Little Hyde Hall, and all along the banks and hedges which -covered the British front, our men,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_295" id="page_295"></a>{295}</span> rifle in hand, peered eagerly into -the darkness ahead of them.</p> - -<p>Nothing happened for quite half an hour, and the anxious watchers were -losing some of their alertness, when a heavy outburst of firing -re-echoed from Hatfield Heath. To explain this we must return to the -Germans. Von der Rudesheim, on obtaining touch with the British, at once -reinforced his advanced troops, and they, a whole battalion strong, -advanced into the hamlet, meeting with no resistance. Almost -simultaneously two companies of the Leinsters entered it from the -northward. There was a sudden and unexpected collision on the open -green, and a terrible fire was exchanged at close quarters, both sides -losing very heavily. The British, however, were borne back by sheer -weight of numbers, and, through one of those unfortunate mistakes that -insist on occurring in warfare, were charged as they fell back by the -leading squadrons of the Yeomanry who were coming up from Hatfield Broad -Oak. The officer commanding the Leinsters decided to wait till it was a -little lighter before again attacking the village. He considered that, -as he had no idea of the strength of the enemy, he had best wait till -the arrival of the troops now marching through Hatfield Forest. Von der -Rudesheim, on his part, mindful of his instructions, determined to try -to hold the few scattered houses on the north side of the heath which -constituted the village, with the battalion already in it, and push -forward with the remainder of his force towards Harlow. His first essay -along the direct road viâ Sheering, was repulsed by the fire of the -Scots Guards lining the copses about Gladwyns. He now began to have some -idea of the British position, and made his preparations to assault it at -daybreak.</p> - -<p>To this end he sent forward two of his batteries into Hatfield Heath, -cautiously moved the rest of his force away to the left, arranged his -battalions in the valley of the Pincey Brook ready for attacking -Sheering and Gladwyns, placed one battalion in reserve at<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_296" id="page_296"></a>{296}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/i_b_296_lg.png"> -<img src="images/i_b_296_sml.png" width="460" height="671" alt="Image unavailable: BATTLE OF HARLOW" /></a> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_297" id="page_297"></a>{297}</span></p> - -<p>Down Hall, and stationed his remaining battery near Newman’s End. By -this time there was beginning to be a faint glimmer of daylight in the -east, and, as the growing dawn began to render vague outlines of the -nearer objects dimly discernible, hell broke loose along the peaceful -countryside. A star shell fired from the battery at Newman’s End burst -and hung out a brilliant white blaze that fell slowly over Sheering -village, lighting up its walls and roofs and the hedges along which lay -its defenders, was the signal for the Devil’s Dance to begin. Twelve -guns opened with a crash from Hatfield Heath, raking the Gladwyns -enclosures and the end of Sheering village with a deluge of shrapnel, -while an almost solid firing line advanced rapidly against it, firing -heavily. The British replied lustily with gun, rifle, and maxim, the -big, high-explosive shells bursting amid the advancing Germans and among -the houses of Hatfield Heath with telling effect. But the German -assaulting lines had but six or seven hundred yards to go. They had been -trained above all things to ignore losses and to push on at all hazards. -The necessity for this had not been confused in their minds by maxims -about the importance of cover, so the south side of the village street -was taken at a rush. Von der Rudesheim continued to pile on his men, -and, fighting desperately, the Guardsmen were driven from house to house -and from fence to fence. All this time the German battery at Newman’s -End continued to fire star shells with rhythmical regularity, lighting -up the inflamed countenances of the living combatants, and the pale -upturned faces of the dead turned to heaven as if calling for vengeance -on their slayers. In the midst of this desperate fighting the Leinsters, -supported by a Volunteer and a Militia regiment, which had just come up, -assaulted Hatfield Heath. The Germans were driven out of it with the -loss of a couple of their guns, but hung on to the little church, around -which such a desperate conflict was waged that the dead above ground in -that<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_298" id="page_298"></a>{298}</span> diminutive God’s acre outnumbered the “rude forefathers of the -hamlet” who slept below.</p> - -<p>It was now past five o’clock in the morning, and by this time strong -reinforcements might have been expected from Dunmow, but, with the -exception of the Militia and Volunteer battalions just referred to, who -had pushed on at the sound of the firing, none were seen coming up. The -fact was that they had been told off to certain positions in the line of -defence they had been ordered to take up, and had been slowly and -carefully installing themselves therein. Their commanding officer, Sir -Jacob Stellenbosch, thought that he must carry out the exact letter of -the orders he had received from Lord Byfield, and paid little attention -to the firing except to hustle his battalion commanders, to try to get -them into their places as soon as possible. He was a pig-headed man into -the bargain, and would listen to no remonstrance. The two battalions -which had arrived so opportunely had been at the head of the column, and -had pushed forward “on their own” before he could prevent them. At this -time the position was as follows: One German battalion was hanging -obstinately on to the outskirts of Hatfield Heath; two were in -possession of the copses about Gladwyns; two were in Sheering village, -or close up to it, and the sixth was still in reserve at Down Hall. On -the British side the Rifles were in their original position at Little -Hyde Hall, where also were three guns, which had been got away from -Gladwyns. The Seaforths had come up, and were now firing from about -Quickbury, while the Scots Guards, after suffering fearful losses, were -scattered, some with the Highlanders, others with the five companies of -the Grenadiers, who with their four guns still fought gallantly on -between Sheering and Durrington House.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_299" id="page_299"></a>{299}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="CHAPTER_II-b" id="CHAPTER_II-b"></a>CHAPTER II<br /><br /> -<small>REPULSE OF THE GERMANS</small></h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> terrible fire of the swarms of Germans who now lined the edges of -Sheering village became too much for the four 4.7 guns on the open -ground to the south.</p> - -<p>Their gunners were shot down as fast as they touched their weapons, and -when the German field battery at Newman’s End, which had been advanced -several hundred yards, suddenly opened a flanking fire of shrapnel upon -them, it was found absolutely impossible to serve them. A gallant -attempt was made to withdraw them by the Harlow Road, but their teams -were shot down as soon as they appeared. This enfilade fire, too, -decimated the Grenadiers and the remnant of the Scots, though they -fought on to the death, and a converging attack of a battalion from Down -Hall and another from Sheering drove them down into the grounds of -Durrington House, where fighting still went on savagely for some time -afterwards.</p> - -<p>Von der Rudesheim had all but attained a portion of his object, which -was to establish his guns in such a position that they could fire on the -main body of the British troops when they entered Sawbridgeworth by the -Cambridge Road. The place where the four guns with the Grenadiers had -been stationed was within 3000 yards of any part of that road between -Harlow and Sawbridgeworth. But this spot was still exposed to the rifle -fire of the Seaforths who held Quickbury. Von der Rudesheim therefore -determined to swing forward his left, and either drive them back down -the hill towards the river, or at<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_300" id="page_300"></a>{300}</span> least to so occupy them that he could -bring up his field-guns to their chosen position without losing too many -of his gunners.</p> - -<p>By six o’clock, thanks to his enormous local superiority in numbers, he -had contrived to do this, and now the opposing forces with the exception -of the British Grenadiers, who still fought with a German battalion -between Durrington House and Harlow, faced each other north and south, -instead of east and west, as they were at the beginning of the fight. -Brigadier-General Lane-Edgeworth, who was in command of the British, had -been sending urgent messages for reinforcements to the Dunmow Force, but -when its commanding officer finally decided to turn his full strength in -the direction of the firing, it took so long to assemble and form up the -Volunteer regiments who composed the bulk of his command, that it was -past seven before the leading battalion had deployed to assist in the -attack which it was decided to make against the German right. Meantime, -other important events had transpired.</p> - -<p>Von der Rudesheim had found that the battalion which was engaged with -the Grenadiers could not get near Harlow village, or either the river or -railway bridge at that place, both of which he wished to destroy. But -his scouts had reported a lock and wooden footbridge immediately to the -westward between Harlow and Sawbridgeworth, just abreast of the large -wooded park surrounding Pishobury House on the farther side. He -determined to send two companies over by this, their movements being -hidden from the English by the trees. After crossing, they found -themselves confronted by a backwater, but, trained in crossing rivers, -they managed to ford and swim over, and advanced through the park -towards Harlow Bridge. While this was in progress, a large force was -reported marching south on the Cambridge Road.</p> - -<p>While Von der Rudesheim, who was at the western end of Sheering hamlet, -was looking through his glasses<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_301" id="page_301"></a>{301}</span> at the new arrivals on the scene of -action—who were without doubt the main body of the Royston command, -which was retiring under the personal supervision of Lord Byfield—a -puff of white smoke rose above the trees about Hyde Hall, and at top -speed four heavily loaded trains shot into sight going south. These were -the same ones that had brought down the Regular British troops, with -whom he was now engaged. They had gone north again, and picked up a -number of Volunteer battalions belonging to the retreating force just -beyond Bishop’s Stortford. But so long a time had been taken in -entraining the troops in the darkness and confusion of the retreat, that -their comrades who had kept to the road arrived almost simultaneously. -Von der Rudesheim signalled, and sent urgent orders for his guns to be -brought up to open fire on them, but by the time the first team had -reached him the last of the trains had disappeared from sight into the -cutting at Harlow Station. But even now it was not too late to open fire -on the troops entering Sawbridgeworth.</p> - -<p>Things were beginning to look somewhat bad for Von der Rudesheim’s -little force. The pressure from the north was increasing every moment, -his attack on the retreating troops had failed, he had not so far been -able to destroy the bridges at Harlow, and every minute the likelihood -of his being able to do so grew more remote. To crown all, word was -brought him that the trains which had just slipped by were disgorging -men in hundreds along the railway west of Harlow Station, and that these -troops were beginning to move forward as if to support the British -Grenadiers, who had been driven back towards Harlow. In fact, he saw -that there was even a possibility of his being surrounded. But he had no -intention of discontinuing the fight. He knew he could rely on the -discipline and mobility of his well-trained men under almost any -conditions, and he trusted, moreover, that the promised reinforcements -would not be very long in turning up. But he could not hold on just -where he<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_302" id="page_302"></a>{302}</span> was. He accordingly, by various adroit manœuvres, threw -back his right to Down Hall, whose copses and plantations afforded a -good deal of cover, and, using this as a pivot, gradually wheeled back -his left till he had taken up a position running north and south from -Down Hall to Matching Tye. He had not effected this difficult -manœuvre without considerable loss, but he experienced less -difficulty in extricating his left than he had anticipated, since the -newly arrived British troops at Harlow, instead of pressing forward -against him, had been engaged in moving into a position between Harlow -and the hamlet of Foster Street, on the somewhat elevated ground to the -south of Matching, which would enable them to cover the further march of -the main body of the retreating troops to Epping.</p> - -<p>But he had totally lost the two companies he had sent across the river -to attack Harlow Bridge. Unfortunately for them, their arrival on the -Harlow-Sawbridgeworth Road synchronised with that of the advanced guard -of Lord Byfield’s command. Some hot skirmishing took place in and out -among the trees of Pishobury, and finally the Germans were driven to -earth in the big square block of the red-brick mansion itself.</p> - -<p>Here they made a desperate stand, fighting hard as they were driven from -one storey to another. The staircases ran with blood, the woodwork -smouldered and threatened to burst into flame in a dozen places. At -length the arrival of a battery of field guns, which, unlimbered at -close range, induced the survivors to surrender, and they were disarmed -and carried off as prisoners with the retreating army.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>By the time Von der Rudesheim had succeeded in taking up his new -position it was past ten o’clock, and he had been informed by despatches -carried by motor-cyclists that he might expect assistance in another -hour and a half.</p> - -<p>The right column, consisting of the 39th Infantry<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_303" id="page_303"></a>{303}</span> Brigade of five -battalions, six batteries, and a squadron of Dragoons, came into -collision with the left flank of the Dunmow force, which was engaged in -attacking Von der Rudesheim’s right at Down Hall, and endeavouring to -surround it. Sir Jacob Stellenbosch, who was in command, in vain tried -to change front to meet the advancing enemy. His troops were nearly all -Volunteers, who were incapable of quickly manœuvring under difficult -circumstances; they were crumpled up and driven back in confusion -towards Hatfield Heath. Had Von Kronhelm been able to get in the bulk of -his cavalry from their luckless pursuit of the Ist and Vth British Army -Corps, who had been driven back on Brentwood the evening previous, and -so send a proportion with the 20th Division, few would have escaped to -tell the tale. As it was, the unfortunate Volunteers were shot down in -scores by the “feu d’enfer” with which the artillery followed them up, -and lay in twos and threes and larger groups all over the fields, -victims of a selfish nation that accepted these poor fellows’ gratuitous -services merely in order that its citizens should not be obliged to -carry out what in every other European country was regarded as the first -duty of citizenship—that of learning to bear arms in the defence of the -Fatherland.</p> - -<p>By this time the greater portion of the retreating British Army, with -all its baggage, guns, and impedimenta, was crawling slowly along the -road from Harlow to Epping. Unaccustomed as they were to marching, the -poor Volunteers, who had already covered eighteen or twenty miles of -road, were now toiling slowly and painfully along the highway. The -regular troops, who had been engaged since early morning, and who were -now mostly in the neighbourhood of Moor Hall, east of Harlow, firing at -long ranges on Von der Rudesheim’s men to keep them in their places -while Sir Jacob Stellenbosch attacked their right, were now hurriedly -withdrawn and started to march south by a track running parallel to the -main Epping Road, between it<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_304" id="page_304"></a>{304}</span> and that along which the covering force of -Volunteers, who had come in by train, were now established in position. -The 1st and 2nd Coldstreamers, who had formed Lord Byfield’s rear-guard -during the night, were halted in Harlow village.</p> - -<p>Immediately upon the success obtained by his right column, General -Richel von Sieberg, who commanded the 20th Hanoverian Division, ordered -his two centre and left columns, consisting respectively of the three -battalions 77th Infantry and two batteries of Horse Artillery, then at -Matching Green, and the three battalions 92nd Infantry, 10th Pioneer -Battalion, and five batteries Field Artillery, then between High Laver -and Tilegate Green, to turn to their left and advance in fighting -formation in a south-westerly direction, with the object of attacking -the sorely harassed troops of Lord Byfield on their way to Epping.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The final phase of this memorable retreat is best told in the words of -the special war correspondent of the <i>Daily Telegraph</i>, who arrived on -the scene at about one o’clock in the afternoon:</p> - -<p class="r"> -“<span class="smcap">Epping</span>, 5 p.m., <i>September 9</i>.<br /> -</p> - -<p>“Thanks to the secrecy preserved by the military authorities, it was not -known that Lord Byfield was falling back from the Royston-Saffron Walden -position till seven this morning. By eight, I was off in my car for the -scene of action, for rumours of fighting near Harlow had already begun -to come in. I started out by way of Tottenham and Edmonton, expecting to -reach Harlow by 9.30 or 10. But I reckoned without the numerous military -officials with whom I came in contact, who constantly stopped me and -sent me out of my way on one pretext or another. I am sure I hope that -the nation has benefited by their proceedings. In the end it was close -on one before I pulled up at the Cock Inn, Epping, in search of -additional information, because for some time I had been aware of the -rumbling<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_305" id="page_305"></a>{305}</span> growl of heavy artillery from the eastward, and wondered what -it might portend. I found that General Sir Stapleton Forsyth, who -commanded the Northern section of the defences, had made the inn his -headquarters, and there was a constant coming and going of orderlies and -staff-officers at its portals. Opposite, the men of one of the new -irregular corps, dressed in dark green corduroy, blue flannel cricketing -caps, and red cummerbunds, sat or reclined in two long lines on either -side of their piled arms on the left of the wide street. On inquiry I -heard that the enemy were said to be bombarding Kelvedon Hatch, and also -that the head of our retreating columns was only three or four miles -distant.</p> - -<p>“I pushed on, and, after the usual interrogations from an officer in -charge of a picket, where the road ran through the entrenchments about a -mile farther on, found myself spinning along through the country in the -direction of Harlow. As I began to ascend the rising ground towards -Potter Street I could hear a continuous roll of artillery away to my -right. I could not distinguish anything except the smoke of shells -bursting here and there in the distance, on account of the scattered -trees which lined the maze of hedgerows on every side. Close to Potter -Street I met the head of the retreating army. Very tired, heated, and -footsore looked the hundreds of poor fellows as they dragged themselves -along through the heat. It was a sultry afternoon and the roads inches -deep in dust.</p> - -<p>“Turning to the right over Harlow Common, I met another column of men. I -noticed that these were all Regulars, Grenadiers, Scots Guards, a -battalion of Highlanders, another of Riflemen, and, lastly, two -battalions of the Coldstreamers. These troops stepped along with rather -more life than the citizen soldiers I had met previously, but still -showed traces of their hard marching and fighting. Many of them were -wearing bandages, but all the more seriously wounded had been left -behind to be looked after by the Germans.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_306" id="page_306"></a>{306}</span> All this time the firing was -still resounding heavy and constant from the north-east, and from one -person and another whom I questioned I ascertained that the enemy were -advancing upon us from that direction. Half a mile farther on I ran into -the middle of the fighting. The road ran along the top of a kind of flat -ridge or upland, whence I could see to a considerable distance on either -hand.</p> - -<p>“Partially sheltered from view by its hedges and the scattered cottages -forming the hamlet of Foster Street was a long, irregular line of guns -facing nearly east. Beyond them were yet others directed north. There -were field batteries and big 4·7’s. All were hard at work, their gunners -working like men possessed, and the crash of their constant discharge -was ear-splitting. I had hardly taken this in when “Bang! Bang! Bang! -Bang!”—four dazzling flashes opened in the air overhead, and shrapnel -bullets rattled on earth, walls, and roofs, with a sound as of handfuls -of pebbles thrown on a marble pavement. But the hardness with which they -struck was beyond anything in my experience.</p> - -<p>“It was not pleasant to be here, but I ran my car behind a little -public-house that stood by the wayside, and, dismounting, unslung my -glasses and determined to get what view of the proceedings I could from -the corner of the house. All round khaki-clad Volunteers lined every -hedge and sheltered behind every cottage, while farther off, in the -lower ground, from a mile to a mile and a half away I could distinguish -the closely packed firing lines of the Germans advancing slowly but -steadily, despite the gaps made in their ranks by the fire of our guns. -Their own guns, I fancied I could make out near Tilegate Green, to the -north-east. Neither side had as yet opened rifle fire. Getting into my -car I motored back to the main road, but it was so blocked by the -procession of wagons and troops of the retreating army that I could not -turn into it. Wheeling round I made my way back to a parallel lane I had -noticed, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_307" id="page_307"></a>{307}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/i_b_307_lg.png"> -<img src="images/i_b_307_sml.png" width="459" height="670" alt="Image unavailable: BATTLE OF HARLOW - -FINAL PHASE" /></a> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_308" id="page_308"></a>{308}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">turning to the left again at a smithy, found myself in a road bordered -by cottages and enclosures. Here I found the Regular troops I had lately -met lining every hedgerow and fence, while I could see others on a knoll -further to their left. There was a little church here, and, mounting to -the roof, I got a comparatively extensive view. To my right the long, -dusty column of men and wagons still toiled along the Epping Road. In -front, nearly three miles off, an apparently solid line of woods -stretched along the horizon, surmounting a long, gradual, and open -slope. This was the position of our lines near Epping, and the haven for -which Lord Byfield’s tired soldiery were making. To the left the serried -masses of drab-clad German infantry still pushed aggressively forward, -their guns firing heavily over their heads.</p> - -<p>“As I watched them three tremendous explosions took place in their -midst, killing dozens of them. Fire, smoke, and dust rose up twenty feet -in the air, while three ear-splitting reports rose even above the -rolling thunder of the gunfire. More followed. I looked again towards -the woodland. Here I saw blaze after blaze of fire among the dark masses -of trees. Our big guns in the fortifications had got to work, and were -punishing the Germans most severely, taking their attack in flank with -their big 6-inch and 7·5-inch projectiles. Cheers arose all along our -lines, as shell after shell, fired by gunners who knew to an inch the -distances to every house and conspicuous tree, burst among the German -ranks, killing and maiming the invaders by hundreds. The advance paused, -faltered, and, being hurriedly reinforced from the rear, once more went -forward.</p> - -<p>“But the big high explosive projectiles continued to fall with such -accuracy and persistence that the attackers fell sullenly back, losing -heavily as they did so. The enemy’s artillery now came in for attention, -and also was driven out of range with loss. The last stage in the -retreat of Lord Byfield’s command was now secured. The extended troops -and guns gradually drew off from their positions, still keeping a -watchful eye on the foe,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_309" id="page_309"></a>{309}</span> and by 4·30 all were within the Epping -entrenchments. All, that is to say, but the numerous killed and wounded -during the running fight that had extended along the last seven or eight -miles of the retreat, and the bulk of the Dunmow force under Sir Jacob -Stellenbosch, which, with its commander, had, it was believed, been made -prisoners. They had been caught between the 39th German Infantry Brigade -and several regiments of cavalry, that it was said had arrived from the -northward soon after they were beaten at Hatfield Heath. Probably these -were the advanced troops of General Frölich’s Cavalry Brigade.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_310" id="page_310"></a>{310}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="CHAPTER_III-b" id="CHAPTER_III-b"></a>CHAPTER III<br /><br /> -<small>BATTLE OF EPPING</small></h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> following is extracted from the <i>Times</i> of 15th September:—</p> - -<p class="r"> -“<span class="smcap">Epping</span>, <i>14th September, Evening</i>.<br /> -</p> - -<p>“I have spent a busy day, but have no very important news to record. -After the repulse of the German troops attacking Lord Byfield’s -retreating army and the arrival of our sorely harassed troops behind the -Epping entrenchments, we saw no more of the enemy that evening. All -through the night, however, there was the sound of occasional heavy gun -firing from the eastward. I have taken up my quarters at the Bell, an -inn at the south end of the village, from the back of which I can get a -good view to the north-west for from two to four miles. Beyond that -distance the high ridge known as Epping Upland limits the prospect. The -whole terrain is cut up into fields of various sizes and dotted all over -with trees. Close by is a lofty red brick water-tower, which has been -utilised by Sir Stapleton Forsyth as a signal station. Away about a mile -to my left front as I look from the back of the Bell a big block of -buildings stands prominently out on a grassy spur of high ground. This -is Copped Hall and Little Copped Hall.</p> - -<p>“Both mansions have been transformed into fortresses, which, while -offering little or no resistance to artillery fire, will yet form a -tough nut for the Germans to crack, should they succeed in getting -through our entrenchments at that point. Beyond, I can just see a corner -of a big<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_311" id="page_311"></a>{311}</span> earthwork that has been built to strengthen the defence line, -and which has been christened Fort Obelisk, from a farm of that name, -near which it is situated. There is another smaller redoubt on the slope -just below this hostelry, and I can see the gunners busy about the three -big khaki-painted guns which are mounted in it. There are a 6-inch and -two 4·7-inch guns, I believe. This morning our cavalry, consisting of a -regiment of yeomanry and some mounted infantry, who had formed a portion -of Lord Byfield’s force, went out to reconnoitre towards the north and -east. They were not away long, as they were driven back in every -direction in which they attempted to advance, by superior forces of the -enemy’s cavalry, who seemed to swarm everywhere.</p> - -<p>“Later on, I believe, some of the German reiters became so venturesome -that several squadrons exposed themselves to the fire of the big guns in -the fort at Skip’s Corner, and suffered pretty severely for their -temerity. The firing continued throughout the morning away to the -eastward, and about noon I thought I would run down and see if I could -find out anything about it. I therefore mounted my car and ran off in -that direction. I found that there was a regular duel going on between -our guns at Kelvedon Hatch and some heavy siege guns or howitzers that -the enemy had got in the neighbourhood of the high ground about Norton -Heath, only about 3000 yards distant from our entrenchments. They did -not appear to have done us much damage, but neither, in all probability, -did we hurt them very much, since our gunners were unable to exactly -locate the hostile guns.</p> - -<p>“When I got back to Epping, about three o’clock, I found the wide single -street full of troops. They were those who had come in the previous -afternoon with Lord Byfield, and who, having been allowed to rest till -midday after their long fighting march, were now being told off to their -various sections of the defence line. The Guard regiments were allocated -to the northernmost position between Fort Royston and Fort<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_312" id="page_312"></a>{312}</span> Skips. The -rifles were to go to Copped Hall, and the Seaforths to form the nucleus -of a central reserve of Militia and Volunteers, which was being -established just north of Gaynes Park. Epping itself and the contiguous -entrenchments were confided to the Leinster Regiment, which alone of Sir -Jacobs Stellenbosch’s brigade had escaped capture, supported by two -Militia battalions. The field batteries were distributed under shelter -of the woods on the south, east, and north-east of the town.</p> - -<p>“During the afternoon the welcome news arrived that the remainder of -Lord Byfield’s command from Baldock, Royston, and Elmdon had safely -arrived within our entrenchments at Enfield and New Barnet. We may now -hope that what with Regulars, Militia, Volunteers, and the new levies, -our lines are fully and effectively manned, and will suffice to stay the -further advance of even such a formidable host as is that at the -disposal of the renowned Von Kronhelm. It is reported, too, from -Brentwood that great progress has already been made in reorganising and -distributing the broken remnants of the 1st and 5th Armies that got back -to that town after the great and disastrous battle of Chelmsford. -Victorious as they were, the Germans must also have suffered severely, -which may give us some breathing time before their next onslaught.”</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The following are extracts from a diary picked up by a <i>Daily Mirror</i> -correspondent, lying near the body of a German officer after the -fighting in the neighbourhood of Enfield Chase. It is presumed that the -officer in question was Major Splittberger, of the Kaiser Franz Garde -Grenadier Regiment, since that was the name written inside the cover of -the diary.</p> - -<p>From inquiries that have since been instituted, it is probable that the -deceased officer was employed on the staff of the General commanding the -IVth Corps of the invading Army, though it would seem from the contents -of his diary that he saw also a good deal<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_313" id="page_313"></a>{313}</span> of the operations of the Xth -Corps. Our readers will be able to gather from it the general course of -the enemy’s strategy and tactics during the time immediately preceding -the most recent disasters which have befallen our brave defenders. The -first extract is dated September 15, and was written somewhere north of -Epping:</p> - -<p>“<i>Sept. 15.</i>—So far the bold strategy of our Commander-in-Chief, in -pushing the greater part of the Xth Corps directly to the west -immediately after our victory at Chelmsford, has been amply justified by -results. Although we just missed cutting off Lord Byfield and a large -portion of his command at Harlow, we gained a good foothold inside the -British defences north of Epping, and I don’t think it will be long -before we have very much improved our position there. The IVth Corps -arrived at Harlow about midday yesterday in splendid condition, after -their long march from Newmarket, and the residue of the Xth joined us -about the same time. As there is nothing like keeping the enemy on the -move, no time was lost in preparing to attack him at the very earliest -opportunity. As soon as it was dark the IVth Corps got its heavy guns -and howitzers into position along the ridge above Epping Upland, and -sent the greater portion of its field batteries forward to a position -from which they were within effective range of the British -fortifications at Skip’s Corner.</p> - -<p>“The IXth Corps, which had arrived from Chelmsford that evening, also -placed its field artillery in a similar position, from which its fire -crossed that of the IVth Corps. This corps also provided the assaulting -troops. The Xth Corps, which had been engaged all day on Thursday, was -held in reserve. The howitzers on Epping Upland opened fire with petrol -shell on the belt of woods that lies immediately in rear of the position -to be attacked, and with the assistance of a strong westerly wind -succeeded in setting them on fire and cutting off the most northerly -section of the British defences from reinforcement. This was soon after<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_314" id="page_314"></a>{314}</span> -midnight. The conflagration not only did us this service, but it is -supposed so attracted the attention of the partially trained soldiers of -the enemy that they did not observe the IXth Corps massing for the -assault.</p> - -<p>“We then plastered their trenches with shrapnel to such an extent that -they did not dare to show a finger above them, and finally carried the -northern corner by assault. To give the enemy their due, they fought -well, but we outnumbered them five to one, and it was impossible for -them to resist the onslaught of our well-trained soldiers. News came -to-day that the Saxons have been making a demonstration before Brentwood -with a view of keeping the British employed down there so that they -cannot send any reinforcements up here. At the same time they have been -steadily bombarding Kelvedon Hatch from Norton Heath.</p> - -<p>“We hear, too, that the Garde Corps have got down south, and that their -front stretches from Broxbourne to Little Berkhamsted, while Frölich’s -Cavalry Division is in front of them, spread all over the country, from -the River Lea away to the westward, having driven the whole of the -British outlying troops and patrols under the shelter of their -entrenchments. Once we succeed in rolling up the enemy’s troops in this -quarter, it will not be long before we are entering London.”</p> - -<p>“<i>Sept. 16.</i>—Fighting went on all yesterday in the neighbourhood of -Skip’s Corner. We have taken the redoubt at North Weald Basset and -driven the English back into the belt of burnt woodland, which they now -hold along its northern edge. All day long, too, our big guns, hidden -away behind the groves and woods above Epping Upland, poured their heavy -projectiles on Epping and its defences. We set the village on fire three -times, but the British contrived to extinguish the blaze on each -occasion.</p> - -<p>“I fancy Epping itself will be our next point of attack.</p> - -<p>“<i>Sept. 17.</i>—We are still progressing, fighting is now all but -continuous. How long it may last I have<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_315" id="page_315"></a>{315}</span> no idea. Probably there will be -no suspension of the struggle until we are actually masters of the -metropolis. We took advantage of the darkness to push forward our men to -within three thousand yards of the enemy’s lines, placing them as far as -possible under cover of the numerous copses, plantations, and hedgerows -which cover the face of this fertile country. At 4 a.m. the General -ordered his staff to assemble at Latton Park, where he had established -his headquarters. He unfolded to us the general outline of the attack, -which, he now announced, was to commence at six precisely.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/i_b_315_lg.png"> -<img src="images/i_b_315_sml.png" width="459" height="403" alt="Image unavailable: GERMAN ATTACK ON THE LINES OF LONDON" /></a> -</div> - -<p>“I thought myself that it was a somewhat inopportune time, as we should -have the rising sun right in our eyes; but I imagine that the idea was -to have as much daylight as possible before us. For although we had<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_316" id="page_316"></a>{316}</span> -employed a night attack against Skip’s Corner, and successfully too, yet -the general feeling in our Army has always been opposed to operations of -this kind. The possible gain is, I think, in no way commensurable with -the probable risks of panic and disorder. The principal objective was -the village of Epping itself; but simultaneous attacks were to be -carried out against Copped Hall, Fort Obelisk, to the west of it, and -Fort Royston, about a mile north of the village. The IXth Corps was to -co-operate by a determined attempt to break through the English lining -the burnt strip of woodland and to assault the latter fort in rear. It -was necessary to carry out both these flanking attacks in order to -prevent the main attack from being enfiladed from right and left. At -5.30 we mounted, and rode off to Rye Hill about a couple of miles -distant, from which the General intended to watch the progress of the -operations. The first rays of the rising sun were filling the eastern -sky with a pale light as we cantered off, the long wooded ridge on which -the enemy had his position standing up in a misty silhouette against the -growing day.</p> - -<p>“As we topped Rye Hill I could see the thickly-massed lines of our -infantry crouching behind every hedge, bank, or ridge, their -rifle-barrels here and there twinkling in the feeble rays of the early -sun, their shadows long and attenuated behind them. Epping with its -lofty red water-tower was distinctly visible on the opposite side of the -valley, and it is probable that the movement of the General’s cavalcade -of officers, with the escort, attracted the attention of the enemy’s -lookouts, for half-way down the hillside on their side of the valley a -blinding violet-white flash blazed out, and a big shell came screaming -along just over our heads, the loud boom of a heavy gun following fast -on its heels. Almost simultaneously another big projectile hurtled up -from the direction of Fort Obelisk, and burst among our escort of Uhlans -with a deluge of livid flame and thick volumes of greenish brown smoke.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_317" id="page_317"></a>{317}</span> -It was a telling shot, for no fewer than six horses and their riders lay -in a shattered heap on the ground.</p> - -<p>“At six precisely our guns fired a salvo directed on Epping village. -This was the preconcerted signal for attack, and before the echoes of -the thunderous discharge had finished reverberating over the hills and -forest our front lines had sprung to their feet and were moving at a -racing pace towards the enemy. For a moment the British seemed stupefied -by the suddenness of the advance. A few rifle shots crackled out here -and there, but our men had thrown themselves to the ground after their -first rush before the enemy seemed to wake up. But there was no mistake -about it when they did. Seldom have I seen such a concentrated fire. -Gun, pom-pom, machine gun, and rifle blazed out from right to left along -more than three miles of entrenchments. A continuous lightning-like line -of fire poured forth from the British trenches, which still lay in -shadow. I could see the bullets raising perfect sand-storms in places, -the little pom-pom shells sparkling about all over our prostrate men, -and the shrapnel bursting all along their front, producing perfect -swathes of white smoke, which hung low down in the still air in the -valley.</p> - -<p>“But our artillery was not idle. The field guns, pushed well forward, -showered shrapnel upon the British position, the howitzer shells hurtled -over our heads on their way to the enemy in constantly increasing -numbers as the ranges were verified by the trial shots, while a terrible -and unceasing reverberation from the north-east told of the supporting -attack made by the IXth and Xth Corps upon the blackened woods held by -the English. The concussion of the terrific cannonade that now resounded -from every quarter was deafening; the air seemed to pulse within one’s -ears, and it was difficult to hear one’s nearest neighbour speak. Down -in the valley our men appeared to be suffering severely. Every forward -move of the attacking lines left a perfect litter of prostrate forms -behind it, and for some time I felt very doubtful in my own mind if<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_318" id="page_318"></a>{318}</span> the -attack would succeed. Glancing to the right, however, I was encouraged -to see the progress that had been made by the troops detailed for the -assault on Copped Hall and Obelisk Fort, and, seeing this, it occurred -to me that it was not intended to push the central attack on Epping home -before its flank had been secured from molestation from this direction. -Copped Hall itself stood out on a bare down almost like some mediæval -castle, backed by the dark masses of forest, while to the west of it the -slopes of Fort Obelisk could barely be distinguished, so flat were they -and so well screened by greenery.</p> - -<p>“But its position was clearly defined by the clouds of dust, smoke, and -débris constantly thrown up by our heavy high-explosive shells, while -ever and anon there came a dazzling flash from it, followed by a -detonation that made itself heard even above the rolling of the -cannonade, as one of its big 7·5-in. guns was discharged. The roar of -their huge projectiles, too, as they tore through the air, was easily -distinguishable. None of our epaulments were proof against them, and -they did our heavy batteries a great deal of damage before they could be -silenced.</p> - -<p>“To cut a long story short, we captured Epping after a tough fight, and -by noon were in possession of everything north of the Forest, including -the war-scarred ruins that now represented the mansion of Copped Hall, -and from which our pom-poms and machine guns were firing into Fort -Obelisk. But our losses had been awful. As for the enemy, they could -hardly have suffered less severely, for though partially protected by -their entrenchments, our artillery fire must have been utterly -annihilating.”</p> - -<p>“<i>Sept. 18.</i>—Fighting went on all last night, the English holding -desperately on to the edge of the Forest, our people pressing them -close, and working round their right flank. When day broke the general -situation was pretty much like this. On our left the IXth Corps were in -possession of the Fort at Toothill, and a redoubt that lay between it -and Skip’s Fort. Two batteries<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_319" id="page_319"></a>{319}</span> were bombarding a redoubt lower down in -the direction of Stanford Rivers, which was also subjected to a cross -fire from their howitzers near Ongar.</p> - -<p>“As for the English, their position was an unenviable one. From Copped -Hall—as soon as we have cleared the edge of the Forest of the enemy’s -sharp-shooters—we shall be able to take their entrenchments in reverse -all the way to Waltham Abbey. They have, on the other hand, an outlying -fort about a mile or two north of the latter place, which gave us some -trouble with its heavy guns yesterday, and which it is most important -that we should gain possession of before we advance further. The Garde -Corps on the western side of the River Lea is now, I hear, in sight of -the enemy’s lines, and is keeping them busily employed, though without -pushing its attack home for the present.</p> - -<p>“At daybreak this morning I was in Epping and saw the beginning of the -attack on the Forest. It is rumoured that large reinforcements have -reached the enemy from London, but as these must be merely scratch -soldiers they will do them more harm than good in their cramped -position. The Xth Corps had got a dozen batteries in position a little -to the eastward of the village, and at six o’clock these guns opened a -tremendous fire upon the north-east corner of the Forest, under cover of -which their infantry deployed down in the low ground about Coopersale, -and advanced to the attack. Petrol shells were not used against the -Forest, as Von Kronhelm had given orders that it was not to be burned if -it could possibly be avoided. The shrapnel was very successful in -keeping down the fire from the edge of the trees, but our troops -received a good deal of damage from infantry and guns that were posted -to the east of the Forest on a hill near Theydon Bois. But about seven -o’clock these troops were driven from their position by a sudden flank -attack made by the IXth Corps from Theydon Mount. Von Kleppen followed -this up by putting some of his own guns up there, which were able to -fire on the edge of the Forest after those<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_320" id="page_320"></a>{320}</span> of the Xth Corps had been -masked by the close advance of their infantry. To make a long story -short, by ten the whole of the Forest east of the London Road, as far -south as the cross roads near Jack’s Hill, was in our hands. In the -meantime the IVth Corps had made itself master of Fort Obelisk, and our -gunners were hard at work mounting guns in it with which to fire on the -outlying fort at Monkham’s Hall. Von Kleppen was at Copped Hall about -this time, and with him I found General Von Wilberg, commanding the Xth -Corps, in close consultation. The once fine mansion had been almost -completely shot away down to its lower storey. A large portion of this, -however, was still fairly intact, having been protected to a certain -extent by the masses of masonry that had fallen all around it, and also -by the thick ramparts of earth that the English had built up against its -exposed side.</p> - -<p>“Our men were still firing from its loopholes at the edge of the woods, -which were only about 1200 yards distant, and from which bullets were -continually whistling in by every window. Two of our battalions had dug -themselves in in the wooded park surrounding the house, and were also -exchanging fire with the English at comparatively close ranges. They -had, I was told, made more than one attempt to rush the edge of the -Forest, but had been repulsed by rifle fire on each occasion. Away to -the west I could see for miles, and even distinguish our shells bursting -all over the enemy’s fort at Monkham’s Hall, which was being subjected -to a heavy bombardment by our guns on the high ground to the north of -it. About eleven Frölich’s Cavalry Brigade, whose presence was no longer -required in front of the Garde Corps, passed through Epping, going -south-east. It is generally supposed that it is either to attack the -British at Brentwood in the rear, or, which I think is more probable, to -intimidate the raw levies by its presence between them and London, and -to attack them in flank should they attempt to retreat.</p> - -<p>“Just after eleven another battalion arrived at<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_321" id="page_321"></a>{321}</span> Copped Hall from -Epping, and orders were given that the English position along the edge -of the Forest was to be taken at all cost. Just before the attack began -there was a great deal of firing somewhere in the interior of the -Forest, presumably between the British and the advanced troops of the -Xth Corps. However this may have been, it was evident that the enemy -were holding our part of the Forest much less strongly, and our assault -was entirely successful, with but small loss of men. Once in the woods, -the superior training and discipline of our men told heavily in their -favour. While the mingled mass of Volunteers and raw free-shooters, of -which the bulk of their garrison was composed, got utterly disorganised -and out of hand under the severe strain on them that was imposed by the -difficulties of wood fighting, and hindered and broke up the regular -units, our people were easily kept well in hand, and drove the enemy -steadily before them without a single check. The rattle of rifle and -machine gun was continuous through all the leafy dells and glades of the -wood, but by two o’clock practically the whole Forest was in the hands -of our Xth Corps. It was then the turn of the IVth Corps, who in the -meantime, far from being idle, had massed a large number of their guns -at Copped Hall, from which, aided by the fire from Fort Obelisk, the -enemy’s lines were subjected to a bombardment that rendered them -absolutely untenable, and we could see company after company making -their way to Waltham Abbey.</p> - -<p>“At three the order for a general advance on Waltham Abbey was issued. -As the enemy seemed to have few, if any, guns at this place, it was -determined to make use of some of the new armoured motors that -accompanied the Army. Von Kronhelm, who was personally directing the -operations from Copped Hall, had caused each corps to send its motors to -Epping, so that we had something like thirty at our disposal. These -quaint, grey monsters came down through the Forest and advanced on -Epping by two parallel roads, one passing by the south of Warlies Park, -the other being the main road from Epping. It<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_322" id="page_322"></a>{322}</span> was a weird sight to see -these shore-going armour-clads flying down upon the enemy. They got -within 800 yards of the houses, but the enemy contrived to block their -further advance by various obstacles which they placed on the roads.</p> - -<p>“There was about an hour’s desperate fighting in the village. The old -Abbey Church was set on fire by a stray shell, the conflagration -spreading to the neighbouring houses, and both British and Germans being -too busy killing each other to put it out, the whole village was shortly -in flames. The British were finally driven out of it, and across the -river by five o’clock. In the meantime every heavy gun that could be got -to bear was directed on the fort at Monkham’s Hall, which, during the -afternoon, was also made the target for the guns of the Garde Corps, -which co-operated with us by attacking the lines at Cheshunt, and -assisting us with its artillery fire from the opposite side of the -river. By nightfall the fort was a mass of smoking earth, over which -fluttered our black cross flag, and the front of the IVth Corps -stretched from this to Gillwell Park, four miles nearer London.</p> - -<p>“The Xth Corps was in support in the Forest behind us, and forming also -a front to cover our flank, reaching from Chingford to Buckhurst Hill. -The enemy was quite demoralised in this direction, and showed no -indication of resuming the engagement. As for the IXth Corps, its -advanced troops were at Lambourne End, in close communication with -General Frölich, who had established his headquarters at -Haveringatte-Bower. We have driven a formidable wedge right into the -middle of the carefully elaborated system of defence arranged by the -English Generals, and it will now be a miracle if they can prevent our -entry into the capital.</p> - -<p>“We had not, of course, effected this without great loss in killed and -wounded, but you can’t make puddings without breaking eggs, and in the -end a bold and forward policy is more economical of life and limb than -attempting to avoid necessary losses as our present opponents did<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_323" id="page_323"></a>{323}</span> in -South Africa, thereby prolonging the war to an almost indefinite period, -and losing many more men by sickness and in driblets than would have -been the case if they had followed a more determined line in their -strategy and tactics. Just before the sun sank behind the masses of new -houses which the monster city spreads out to the northward I got orders -to carry a despatch to General von Wilberg, who was stated to be at -Chingford, on our extreme left. I went by the Forest road, as the -parallel one near the river was in most parts under fire from the -opposite bank.</p> - -<p>“He had established his headquarters at the Foresters’ Inn, which stands -high up on a wooded mound, and from which he could see a considerable -distance and keep in touch with his various signal stations. He took my -despatch, telling me that I should have a reply to take back later on. -‘In the meanwhile,’ said he, ‘if you will fall in with my staff you will -have an opportunity of seeing the first shots fired into the biggest -city in the world.’ So saying, he went out to his horse, which was -waiting outside, and we started off down the hill with a great clatter. -After winding about through a somewhat intricate network of roads and -by-lanes we arrived at Old Chingford Church, which stands upon a species -of headland, rising boldly up above the flat and, in some places, marshy -land to the westward.</p> - -<p>“Close to the church was a battery of four big howitzers, the gunners -grouped around them silhouetted darkly against the blood-red sky. From -up here the vast city, spreading out to the south and west, lay like a -grey, sprawling octopus spreading out ray-like to the northward, every -rise and ridge being topped with a bristle of spires and chimney-pots. -An ominous silence seemed to brood over the teeming landscape, broken -only at intervals by the dull booming of guns from the northward. Long -swathes of cloud and smoke lay athwart the dull, furnace-like glow of -the sunset, and lights were beginning to sparkle out all over the vast -expanse which lay before us mirrored here and there in<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_324" id="page_324"></a>{324}</span> the canals and -rivers that ran almost at our feet. ‘Now,’ said Von Wilberg at length, -‘commence fire.’ One of the big guns gave tongue with a roar that seemed -to make the church tower quiver above us. Another and another followed -in succession, their big projectiles hurtling and humming through the -quiet evening air on their errands of death and destruction in I know -not what quarter of the crowded suburbs. It seemed to me a cruel and -needless thing to do, but I am told that it was done with the set -purpose of arousing such a feeling of alarm and insecurity in the East -End that the mob might try to interfere with any further measures for -defence that the British military authorities might undertake. I got my -despatch soon afterwards and returned with it to the General, who was -spending the night at Copped Hall. There, too, I got myself a shakedown -and slumbered soundly till the morning.</p> - -<p>“<i>Sept. 19.</i>—To-day we have, I think, finally broken down all organised -military opposition in the field, though we may expect a considerable -amount of street fighting before reaping the whole fruits of our -victories. At daybreak we began by turning a heavy fire from every -possible quarter on the wooded island formed by the river and various -back-waters just north of Waltham Abbey. The poplar-clad islet, which -was full of the enemy’s troops, became absolutely untenable under this -concentrated fire, and they were compelled to fall back over the river. -Our Engineers soon began their bridging operations behind the wood, and -our infantry, crossing over, got close up to a redoubt on the further -side and took it by storm. Again we were able to take a considerable -section of the enemy’s lines in reverse, and as they were driven out by -our fire, against which they had no protection, the Garde Corps -advanced, and by ten were in possession of Cheshunt.</p> - -<p>“In the meanwhile, covered by the fire of the guns belonging to the IXth -and Xth Corps, other bridges had been thrown across the Lea at various -points between Waltham and Chingford, and in another hour the crossing<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_325" id="page_325"></a>{325}</span> -began. The enemy had no good positions for his guns, and seemed to have -very few of them. He had pinned his faith upon the big weapons he had -placed in his entrenchments, and these were now of no further use to -him. He had lost a number of his field guns, either from damage or -capture, and with our more numerous artillery firing from the high -ground on the eastern bank of the river we were always able to beat down -any attempt he made to reply to their fire.</p> - -<p>“We had a day of fierce fighting before us. There was no manœuvring. -We were in a wilderness of scattered houses and occasional streets, in -which the enemy contested our progress foot by foot. Edmonton, Enfield -Wash, and Waltham Cross were quickly captured; our artillery commanded -them too well to allow the British to make a successful defence; but -Enfield itself, lying along a steepish ridge, on which the British had -assembled what artillery they could scrape together, cost us dearly. The -streets of this not too lovely suburban town literally ran with blood -when at last we made our way into it. A large part of it was burnt to -ashes, including unfortunately the ancient palace of Queen Elizabeth, -and the venerable and enormous cedar tree that overhung it.</p> - -<p>“The British fell back to a second position they had apparently prepared -along a parallel ridge further to the westward, their left being between -us and New Barnet and their right at Southgate.</p> - -<p>“We did not attempt to advance further to-day, but contented ourselves -in reorganising our forces and preparing against a possible -counter-attack, by barricading and entrenching the further edge of -Enfield Ridge.</p> - -<p>“<i>Sept. 20.</i>—We are falling in immediately, as it has been decided to -attack the British position at once. Already the artillery duel is in -progress. I must continue to-night, as my horse is at the door.”</p> - -<p>The writer, however, never lived to complete his diary, having been shot -half-way up the green slope he had observed the day previous.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_326" id="page_326"></a>{326}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="CHAPTER_IV-b" id="CHAPTER_IV-b"></a>CHAPTER IV<br /><br /> -<small>BOMBARDMENT OF LONDON</small></h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">Day</span> broke. The faint flush of violet away eastward beyond Temple Bar -gradually turned rose, heralding the sun’s coming, and by degrees the -streets, filled by excited Londoners, grew lighter with the dawn. -Fevered night thus gave place to day—a day that was, alas! destined to -be one of bitter memory for the British Empire.</p> - -<p>Alarming news had spread that Uhlans had been seen reconnoitring in -Snaresbrook and Wanstead, had ridden along Forest Road and Ferry Lane at -Walthamstow, through Tottenham High Cross, up High Street, Hornsey, -Priory Road, and Muswell Hill. The Germans were actually upon London!</p> - -<p>The northern suburbs were staggered. In Fortis Green, North End, -Highgate, Crouch End, Hampstead, Stamford Hill, and Leyton the quiet -suburban houses were threatened, and many people, in fear of their -lives, had now fled southward into central London. Thus the huge -population of greater London was practically huddled together in the -comparatively small area from Kensington to Fleet Street, and from -Oxford Street to the Thames Embankment.</p> - -<p>People of Fulham, Putney, Walham Green, Hammersmith, and Kew had, for -the most part, fled away to the open country across Hounslow Heath to -Bedfont and Staines; while Tooting, Balham, Dulwich, Streatham, Norwood, -and Catford had retreated farther south into Surrey and Kent.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_327" id="page_327"></a>{327}</span></p> - -<p>For the past three days thousands of willing helpers had followed the -example of Sheffield and Birmingham, and constructed enormous -barricades, obstructing at various points the chief roads leading from -the north and east into London. Detachments of Engineers had blown up -several of the bridges carrying the main roads out eastwards—for -instance, the bridge at the end of Commercial Road, East, crossing the -Limehouse Canal, while the six other smaller bridges spanning the canal -between that point and the Bow Road were also destroyed. The bridge at -the end of Bow Road itself was shattered, and those over the Hackney Cut -at Marshall Hill and Hackney Wick were also rendered impassable.</p> - -<p>Most of the bridges across the Regent’s Canal were also destroyed, -notably those in Mare Street, Hackney, the Kingsland Road, and New North -Road, while a similar demolition took place in Edgware Road and the -Harrow Road. Londoners were frantic, now that the enemy were really upon -them. The accounts of the battles in the newspapers had, of course, been -merely fragmentary, and they had not yet realised what war actually -meant. They knew that all business was at a standstill, that the City -was in an uproar, that there was no work, and that food was at famine -prices. But not until German cavalry were actually seen scouring the -northern suburbs did it become impressed upon them that they were really -helpless and defenceless.</p> - -<p>London was to be besieged!</p> - -<p>This report having got about, the people began building barricades in -many of the principal thoroughfares north of the Thames. One huge -obstruction, built mostly of paving-stones from the footways, overturned -tramcars, wagons, railway trollies, and barbed wire, rose in the -Holloway Road, just beyond Highbury Station. Another blocked the -Caledonian Road a few yards north of the police-station, while another -very large and strong pile of miscellaneous goods, bales of wool and -cotton stuffs, building material, and stones brought from the Great -Northern Railway depôt, obstructed<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_328" id="page_328"></a>{328}</span> the Camden Road at the south corner -of Hildrop Crescent. Across High Street, Camden Town, at the junction of -the Kentish Town and other roads, five hundred men worked with a will, -piling together every kind of ponderous object they could pillage from -the neighbouring shops—pianos, iron bedsteads, wardrobes, pieces of -calico and flannel, dress stuffs, rolls of carpets, floorboards, even -the very doors wrenched from their hinges—until, when it reached to the -second storey window and was considered of sufficient height, a pole was -planted on top, and from it hung limply a small Union Jack.</p> - -<p>The Finchley Road, opposite Swiss Cottage Station, in Shoot Up-hill, -where Mill Lane runs into it; across Willesden Lane, where it joins the -High Road in Kilburn; the Harrow Road close to Willesden Junction -Station; at the junction of the Goldhawk and Uxbridge roads; across the -Hammersmith Road in front of the Hospital, other similar obstructions -were placed with a view to preventing the enemy from entering London. At -a hundred other points, in the narrower and more obscure thoroughfares, -all along the north of London, busy workers were constructing similar -defences, houses and shops being ruthlessly broken open and cleared of -their contents by the frantic and terrified populace.</p> - -<p>London was in a ferment. Almost without exception the gunmakers’ shops -had been pillaged, and every rifle, sporting gun, and revolver seized. -The armouries at the Tower of London, at the various barracks, and the -factory out at Enfield had long ago all been cleared of their contents; -for now, in this last stand, every one was desperate, and all who could -obtain a gun, did so. Many, however, had guns but no ammunition; others -had sporting ammunition for service rifles, and others cartridges, but -no gun.</p> - -<p>Those, however, who had guns and ammunition complete mounted guard at -the barricades, being assisted at some points by Volunteers who had been -driven in from Essex. Upon more than one barricade in North<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_329" id="page_329"></a>{329}</span> London a -Maxim had been mounted, and was now pointed, ready to sweep away the -enemy should they advance.</p> - -<p>Other thoroughfares barricaded, beside those mentioned, were the Stroud -Green Road, where it joins Hanley Road; the railway bridge in the -Oakfield Road in the same neighbourhood; the Wightman Road, opposite -Harringay Station, the junction of Archway Road and Highgate Hill; the -High Road, Tottenham, at its junction with West Green Road, and various -roads around the New River reservoirs, which were believed to be one of -the objectives of the enemy. These latter were very strongly held by -thousands of brave and patriotic citizens, though the East London -reservoirs across at Walthamstow could not be defended, situated so -openly as they were. The people of Leytonstone threw up a barricade -opposite the schools in the High Road, while in Wanstead a hastily -constructed but perfectly useless obstruction was piled across Cambridge -Park, where it joins the Blake Road.</p> - -<p>Of course, all the women and children in the northern suburbs had now -been sent south. Half the houses in those quiet, newly-built roads were -locked up, and their owners gone; for as soon as the report spread of -the result of the final battle before London and our crushing defeat, -people living in Highgate, Hampstead, Crouch End, Hornsey, Tottenham, -Finsbury Park, Muswell Hill, Hendon, and Hampstead saw that they must -fly southward, now the Germans were upon them.</p> - -<p>Think what it meant to those suburban families of City men! The ruthless -destruction of their pretty, long-cherished homes, flight into the -turbulent, noisy, distracted, hungry city, and the loss of everything -they possessed. In most cases the husband was already bearing his part -in the defence of the metropolis with gun or with spade, or helping to -move heavy masses of material for the construction of the barricades. -The wife, however, was compelled to take a last look at all<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_330" id="page_330"></a>{330}</span> those -possessions that she had so fondly called “home,” lock her front door, -and with her children join in those long mournful processions moving -ever southward into London, tramping on and on—whither she knew not -where.</p> - -<p>Touching sights were to be seen everywhere in the streets that day.</p> - -<p>Homeless women, many of them with two or three little ones, were -wandering through the less frequented streets, avoiding the main roads -with all their crush, excitement, and barricade-building, but making -their way westward, beyond Kensington and Hammersmith, which was now -become the outlet of the metropolis.</p> - -<p>All trains from Charing Cross, Waterloo, London Bridge, Victoria, and -Paddington had for the past three days been crowded to excess. Anxious -fathers struggled fiercely to obtain places for their wives, mothers, -and daughters—sending them away anywhere out of the city which must in -a few hours be crushed beneath the iron heel.</p> - -<p>The South-Western and Great Western systems carried thousands upon -thousands of the wealthier away to Devonshire and Cornwall—as far as -possible from the theatre of war; the South-Eastern and Chatham took -people into the already crowded Kentish towns and villages, and the -Brighton line carried others into rural Sussex. London overflowed -southward and westward until every village and every town within fifty -miles was so full that beds were at a premium, and in various places, -notably at Chartham, near Canterbury, at Willesborough, near Ashford, at -Lewes, at Robertsbridge, at Goodwood Park, and at Horsham, huge camps -were formed, shelter being afforded by poles and rick-cloths. Every -house, every barn, every school, indeed every place where people could -obtain shelter for the night, was crowded to excess, mostly by women and -children sent south, away from the horrors that it was known must come.</p> - -<p>Central London grew more turbulent with each hour<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_331" id="page_331"></a>{331}</span> that passed. There -were all sorts of wild rumours, but, fortunately the Press still -preserved a dignified calm. The Cabinet were holding a meeting at -Bristol, whither the Houses of Commons and Lords had moved, and all -depended upon its issue. It was said that Ministers were divided in -their opinions whether we should sue for an ignominious peace, or -whether the conflict should be continued to the bitter end.</p> - -<p>Disaster had followed disaster, and iron-throated orators in Hyde and -St. James’s Parks were now shouting “Stop the war! Stop the war!” The -cry was taken up but faintly, however, for the blood of Londoners, slow -to rise, had now been stirred by seeing their country slowly, yet -completely, crushed by Germany. All the patriotism latent within them -was now displayed. The national flag was shown everywhere, and at every -point one heard “God Save the King!” sung lustily.</p> - -<p>Two gunmakers’ shops in the Strand, which had hitherto escaped notice, -were shortly after noon broken open, and every available arm and all the -ammunition seized. One man, unable to obtain a revolver, snatched half a -dozen pairs of steel handcuffs, and cried with grim humour as he held -them up: “If I can’t shoot any of the sausage-eaters, I can at least bag -a prisoner or two!”</p> - -<p>The banks, the great jewellers, the diamond merchants, the safe-deposit -offices, and all who had valuables in their keeping, were extremely -anxious as to what might happen. Below those dark buildings in Lothbury -and Lombard Street, behind the black walls of the Bank of England, and -below every branch bank all over London, were millions in gold and -notes, the wealth of the greatest city the world has ever known. The -strong rooms were, for the most part, the strongest that modern -engineering could devise, some with various arrangements by which all -access was debarred by an inrush of water; but, alas! dynamite is a -great leveller, and it was felt that not a single strong room in the -whole<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_332" id="page_332"></a>{332}</span> of London could withstand an organised attack by German -engineers.</p> - -<p>A single charge of dynamite would certainly make a breach in concrete -upon which a thief might hammer and chip day and night for a month -without making much impression. Steel doors must give to blasting force, -while the strongest and most complicated locks would also fly to pieces.</p> - -<p>The directors of most of the banks had met, and an endeavour had been -made to co-operate and form a corps of special guards for the principal -offices. In fact, a small armed corps was formed, and were on duty day -and night in Lothbury, Lombard Street, and the vicinity. Yet what could -they do if the Germans swept into London? There was but little to fear -from the excited populace themselves, because matters had assumed such a -crisis that money was of little use, as there was practically very -little to buy. But little food was reaching London from the open ports -on the west. It was the enemy that the banks feared, for they knew that -the Germans intended to enter and sack the metropolis, just as they had -sacked the other towns that had refused to pay the indemnity demanded.</p> - -<p>Small jewellers had, days ago, removed their stock from their windows -and carried it away in unsuspicious-looking bags to safe hiding in the -southern and western suburbs, where people for the most part hid their -valuable plate, jewellery, etc., beneath a floor-board, or buried them -in some marked spot in their small gardens.</p> - -<p>The hospitals were already full of wounded from the various engagements -of the past week. The London, St. Thomas’s, Charing Cross, St. George’s, -Guy’s, and Bartholemew’s were overflowing; and the surgeons, with -patriotic self-denial, were working day and night in an endeavour to -cope with the ever-arriving crowd of suffering humanity. The field -hospitals away to the northward were also reported full.</p> - -<p>The exact whereabouts of the enemy was not known. They were, it seemed, -everywhere. They had practically<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_333" id="page_333"></a>{333}</span> overrun the whole country, and the -reports from the Midlands and the North showed that the majority of the -principal towns had now been occupied.</p> - -<p>The latest reverses outside London, full and graphic details of which -were now being published hourly by the papers, had created an immense -sensation. Everywhere people were regretting that Lord Roberts’ solemn -warnings in 1906 had been unheeded, for had we adopted his scheme for -universal service such dire catastrophe could never have occurred. Many -had, alas! declared it to be synonymous with conscription, which it -certainly was not, and by that foolish argument had prevented the public -at large from accepting it as the only means of our salvation as a -nation. The repeated warnings had been disregarded, and we had, -unhappily, lived in a fool’s paradise, in the self-satisfied belief that -England could not be successfully invaded.</p> - -<p>Now, alas! the country had realised the truth when too late.</p> - -<p>That memorable day, September 20, witnessed exasperated struggles in the -northern suburbs of London, passionate and bloody collisions, an -infantry fire of the defenders overwhelming every attempted assault; and -a decisive action of the artillery, with regard to which arm the -superiority of the Germans, due to their perfect training, was apparent.</p> - -<p>A last desperate stand had, it appears, been made by the defenders on -the high ridge north-west of New Barnet, from Southgate to near Potter’s -Bar, where a terrible fight had taken place. But from the very first it -was utterly hopeless. The British had fought valiantly in defence of -London, but here again they were outnumbered, and after one of the most -desperate conflicts in the whole campaign—in which our losses were -terrible—the Germans at length had succeeded in entering Chipping -Barnet. It was a difficult movement, and a fierce contest, rendered the -more terrible by the burning houses, ensued in the streets and away -across the low hills southward—a struggle full of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_334" id="page_334"></a>{334}</span> vicissitudes and -alternating successes, until at last the fire of the defenders was -silenced, and hundreds of prisoners fell into the German hands.</p> - -<p>Thus the last organised defence of London had been broken, and the -barricades alone remained.</p> - -<p>The work of the German troops on the lines of communication in Essex had -for the past week been fraught with danger. Through want of cavalry the -British had been unable to make cavalry raids; but, on the other hand, -the difficulty was enhanced by the bands of sharpshooters—men of all -classes from London who possessed a gun and who could shoot. In one or -two of the London clubs the suggestion had first been mooted a couple of -days after the outbreak of hostilities, and it had been quickly taken up -by men who were in the habit of shooting game, but had not had a -military training.</p> - -<p>Within three days about two thousand men had formed themselves into -bands to take part in the struggle and assist in the defence of London. -They were practically similar to the Francs-tireurs of the Franco-German -War, for they went forth in companies and waged a guerilla warfare, -partly before the front and at the flanks of the different armies, and -partly at the communications at the rear of the Germans. Their position -was one of constant peril in face of Von Kronhelm’s proclamation, yet -the work they did was excellent, and only proved that if Lord Roberts’ -scheme for universal training had been adopted the enemy would never -have reached the gates of London with success.</p> - -<p>These brave, adventurous spirits, together with “The Legion of -Frontiersmen,” made their attacks by surprise from hiding-places or from -ambushes. Their adventures were constantly thrilling ones. Scattered all -over the theatre of war in Essex and Suffolk, and all along the German -lines of communication, the “Frontiersmen” rarely ventured on an open -conflict, and frequently changed scene and point of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_335" id="page_335"></a>{335}</span> attack. Within one -week their numbers rose to over 8000, and, being well served by the -villagers, who acted as scouts and spies for them, the Germans found -them very difficult to get at. Usually they kept their arms concealed in -thickets and woods, where they would lie in wait for the Germans. They -never came to close quarters, but fired at a distance. Many a smart -Uhlan fell by their bullets, and many a sentry dropped, shot by an -unknown hand.</p> - -<p>Thus they harassed the enemy everywhere. At need they concealed their -arms and assumed the appearance of inoffensive non-combatants. But when -caught red-handed, the Germans gave them “short shrift”, as the bodies -now swinging from telegraph poles on various high roads in Essex -testified.</p> - -<p>In an attempt to put a stop to the daring actions of the “Frontiersmen”, -the German authorities and troops along the lines of communication -punished the parishes where German soldiers were shot, or where the -destruction of railways and telegraphs had occurred, by levying money -contributions, or by burning the villages.</p> - -<p>The guerilla war was especially fierce along from Edgware up to -Hertford, and from Chelmsford down to the Thames. In fact, once -commenced, it never ceased. Attacks were always being made upon small -patrols, travelling detachments, mails of the field post-office, posts -or patrols at stations on the lines of communication, while -field-telegraphs, telephones, and railways were everywhere destroyed.</p> - -<p>In consequence of the railway being cut at Pitsea, the villages of -Pitsea, Bowers Gifford, and Vange had been burned. Because a German -patrol had been attacked and destroyed near Orsett, the parish were -compelled to pay a heavy indemnity. Upminster near Romford, Theydon -Bois, and Fyfield, near High Ongar, had all been burned by the Germans -for the same reason; while at the Cherrytree Inn, near Rainham, five -“Frontiersmen” being discovered by Uhlans in a<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_336" id="page_336"></a>{336}</span> hay loft asleep, were -locked in and there burned alive. Dozens were, of course, shot at sight, -and dozens more hanged without trial. But they were not to be deterred. -They were fighting in defence of London, and around the northern suburbs -the patriotic members of the “Legion” were specially active, though they -never showed themselves in large bands.</p> - -<p>Within London every man who could shoot game was now anxious to join in -the fray, and on the day that the news of the last disaster reached the -metropolis, hundreds left for the open country out beyond Hendon.</p> - -<p>The enemy, having broken down the defence at Enfield and cleared the -defenders out of the fortified houses, had advanced and occupied the -northern ridges of London in a line stretching roughly from Pole Hill, a -little to the north of Chingford, across Upper Edmonton, through -Tottenham, Hornsey, Highgate, Hampstead, and Willesden, to Twyford -Abbey. All the positions had been well reconnoitred, for at grey of dawn -the rumbling of artillery had been heard in the streets of those places -already mentioned, and soon after sunrise strong batteries were -established upon all the available points commanding London.</p> - -<p>These were at Chingford Green, on the left-hand side of the road -opposite the inn at Chingford; on Devonshire Hill, Tottenham; on the -hill at Wood Green; in the grounds of the Alexandra Palace; on the high -ground above Churchyard Bottom Wood; on the edge of Bishop’s Wood, -Highgate; on Parliament Hill, at a spot close to the Oaks on the Hendon -road; at Dollis Hill, and at a point a little north of Wormwood Scrubs, -and at Neasden, near the railway works.</p> - -<p>The enemy’s chief object was to establish their artillery as near London -as possible, for it was known that the range of their guns even from -Hampstead—the highest point, 441 feet above London—would not reach -into the actual city itself. Meanwhile, at dawn the German cavalry, -infantry, motor-infantry, and armoured motor-cars—the latter mostly -35-40 h.p. Opel-Darracqs,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_337" id="page_337"></a>{337}</span> with three quick-firing guns mounted in each, -and bearing the Imperial German arms in black—advanced up the various -roads leading into London from the north, being met, of course, with a -desperate resistance at the barricades.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/i_b_337_lg.png"> -<img src="images/i_b_337_sml.png" width="468" height="400" alt="Image unavailable: THE BOMBARDMENT AND DEFENCES OF LONDON on Sept. 20th & -21st" /></a> -</div> - -<p>On Haverstock Hill, the three Maxims, mounted upon the huge obstruction -across the road, played havoc with the Germans, who were at once -compelled to fall back, leaving piles of dead and dying in the roadway, -for the terrible hail of lead poured out upon the invaders could not be -withstood. Two of the German armoured motor-cars were presently brought -into action by the Germans, who replied with a rapid fire, this being -continued for a full quarter of an hour without result on either side. -Then the Germans,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_338" id="page_338"></a>{338}</span> finding the defence too strong, again retired into -Hampstead, amid the ringing cheers of the valiant men holding that gate -of London. The losses of the enemy had been serious, for the whole -roadway was now strewn with dead; while behind the huge wall of -paving-stones, overturned carts, and furniture, only two men had been -killed and one wounded.</p> - -<p>Across in the Finchley Road a struggle equally as fierce was in -progress; but a detachment of the enemy, evidently led by some German -who had knowledge of the intricate side-roads, suddenly appeared in the -rear of the barricade, and a fierce and bloody hand-to-hand conflict -ensued. The defenders, however, stood their ground, and with the aid of -some petrol bombs which they held in readiness, they destroyed the -venturesome detachment almost to a man, though a number of houses in the -vicinity were set on fire, causing a huge conflagration.</p> - -<p>In Highgate Road the attack was a desperate one, the enraged Londoners -fighting valiantly, the men with arms being assisted by the populace -themselves. Here again deadly petrol bombs had been distributed, and men -and women hurled them against the Germans. Petrol was actually poured -from windows upon the heads of the enemy, and tow soaked in paraffin and -lit flung in among them, when in an instant whole areas of the streets -were ablaze, and the soldiers of the Fatherland perished in the roaring -flames.</p> - -<p>Every device to drive back the invader was tried. Though thousands upon -thousands had left the northern suburbs, many thousands still remained -bent on defending their homes as long as they had breath. The crackle of -rifles was incessant, and ever and anon the dull roar of a heavy field -gun and the sharp rattle of a Maxim mingled with the cheers, yells, and -shrieks of victors and of vanquished.</p> - -<p>The scene on every side was awful. Men were fighting for their lives in -desperation.</p> - -<p>Around the barricade in Holloway Road the street<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_339" id="page_339"></a>{339}</span> ran with blood; while -in Kingsland, in Clapton, in West Ham, and Canning Town the enemy were -making an equally desperate attack, and were being repulsed everywhere. -London’s enraged millions, the Germans were well aware, constituted a -grave danger. Any detachments who carried a barricade by assault—as, -for instance, they did one in the Hornsey Road near the station—were -quickly set upon by the angry mob and simply wiped out of existence.</p> - -<p>Until nearly noon desperate conflicts at the barricades continued. The -defence was even more effectual than was expected; yet, had it not been -that Von Kronhelm, the German generalissimo, had given orders that the -troops were not to attempt to advance into London before the populace -were cowed, there was no doubt that each barricade could have been taken -in the rear by companies avoiding the main roads and proceeding by the -side streets.</p> - -<p>Just before noon, however, it was apparent to Von Kronhelm that to storm -the barricades would entail enormous losses, so strong were they. The -men holding them had now been reinforced in many cases by regular -troops, who had come in in flight, and a good many guns were now manned -by artillerymen.</p> - -<p>Von Kronhelm had established his headquarters at Jack Straw’s Castle, -from which he could survey the giant city through his field-glasses. -Below lay the great plain of roofs, spires, and domes, stretching away -into the grey mystic distance, where afar rose the twin towers and -double arches of the Crystal Palace roof.</p> - -<p>London—the great London—the capital of the world—lay at his mercy at -his feet.</p> - -<p>The tall, thin-faced General, with the grizzled moustache and the -glittering cross at his throat, standing apart from his staff, gazed -away in silence and in thought. It was his first sight of London, and -its gigantic proportions amazed even him. Again he swept the horizon -with his glass, and knit his grey brows. He remembered the parting woods -of his Emperor as he backed out of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_340" id="page_340"></a>{340}</span> that plainly—furnished little -private cabinet at Potsdam:</p> - -<p>“You must bombard London, and sack it. The pride of those English must -be broken at all costs. Go, Kronhelm—go—and may the best of fortune go -with you!”</p> - -<p>The sun was at the noon causing the glass roof of the distant Crystal -Palace to gleam. Far down in the grey haze stood Big Ben, the Campanile, -and a thousand church spires, all tiny and, from that distance, -insignificant. From where he stood the sound of crackling fire at the -barricades reached him, and a little behind him a member of his staff -was kneeling on the grass with his ear bent to the field telephone. -Reports were coming in fast of the desperate resistance in the streets, -and these were duly handed to him.</p> - -<p>He glanced at them, gave a final look at the outstretched city that was -the metropolis of the world, and then gave rapid orders for the -withdrawal of the troops from the assault of the barricades, and the -bombardment of London.</p> - -<p>In a moment the field-telegraphs were clicking, the telephone bell was -ringing, orders were shouted in German in all directions, and next -second, with a deafening roar, one of the howitzers of the battery in -the close vicinity to him gave tongue and threw its deadly shell -somewhere into St. John’s Wood.</p> - -<p>The rain of death had opened! London was surrounded by a semicircle of -fire.</p> - -<p>The great gun was followed by a hundred others as, at all the batteries -along the northern heights, the orders were received. Then in a few -minutes, from the whole line from Chingford to Willesden, roughly about -twelve miles, came a hail of the most deadly of modern projectiles -directed upon the most populous parts of the metropolis.</p> - -<p>Though the Germans trained their guns to carry as far as was possible, -the zone of fire did not at first, it seemed, extend farther south than -a line roughly taken<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_341" id="page_341"></a>{341}</span> from Notting Hill through Bayswater, past -Paddington Station, along the Marylebone and Euston Roads, then up to -Highbury, Stoke Newington, Stamford Hill, and Walthamstow.</p> - -<p>When, however, the great shells began to burst in Holloway, Kentish -Town, Camden Town, Kilburn, Kensal Green, and other places lying within -the area under fire, a frightful panic ensued. Whole streets were -shattered by explosions, and fires were breaking out, the dark clouds of -smoke obscuring the sunlit sky. Roaring flames shot up everywhere, -unfortunate men, women, and children were being blown to atoms by the -awful projectiles, while others distracted sought shelter in any cellar -or underground place they could find, while their houses fell about them -like packs of cards.</p> - -<p>The scenes within that zone of terror were indescribable.</p> - -<p>When Paris had been bombarded years ago, artillery was not at the -perfection it now was, and there had been no such high explosive known -as in the present day. The great shells that were falling everywhere, on -bursting filled the air with poisonous fumes, as well as with deadly -fragments. One bursting in a street would wreck the rows of houses on -either side, and tear a great hole in the ground at the same moment. The -fronts of the houses were torn out like paper, the iron railings twisted -as though they were wire, and paving-stones hurled into the air like -straws.</p> - -<p>Anything and everything offering a mark to the enemy’s guns was -shattered. St. John’s Wood and the houses about Regent’s Park suffered -seriously. A shell from Hampstead, falling into the roof of one of the -houses near the centre of Sussex Place, burst and shattered nearly all -the houses in the row; while another fell in Cumberland Terrace, and -wrecked a dozen houses in the vicinity. In both cases the houses were -mostly empty, for owners and servants had fled southward across the -river as soon as it became apparent that the Germans actually intended -to bombard.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_342" id="page_342"></a>{342}</span></p> - -<p>At many parts in Maida Vale shells burst with appalling effect. Several -of the houses in Elgin Avenue had their fronts torn out, and in one, a -block of flats, there was considerable loss of life in the fire that -broke out, escape being cut off owing to the stairs having been -demolished by the explosion. Abbey Road, St. John’s Wood Road, Acacia -Road, and Wellington Road were quickly wrecked.</p> - -<p>In Chalk Farm Road, near the Adelaide, a terrified woman was dashing -across the street to seek shelter with a neighbour when a shell burst -right in front of her, blowing her to fragments; while in the early -stage of the bombardment a shell bursting in the Midland Hotel at St. -Pancras caused a fire which in half an hour resulted in the whole hotel -and railway terminus being a veritable furnace of flame. Through the -roof of King’s Cross Station several shells fell, and burst close to the -departure platform. The whole glass roof was shattered, but beyond that -little other material damage resulted.</p> - -<p>Shots were now falling everywhere, and Londoners were staggered. In -dense, excited crowds they were flying southward towards the Thames. -Some were caught in the streets in their flight, and were flung down, -maimed and dying. The most awful sights were to be witnessed in the open -streets: men and women blown out of recognition, with their clothes -singed and torn to shreds, and helpless, innocent children lying white -and dead, their limbs torn away and missing.</p> - -<p>Euston Station had shared the same fate as St. Pancras, and was blazing -furiously, sending up a great column of black smoke that could be seen -by all London. So many were the conflagrations now breaking out that it -seemed as though the enemy were sending into London shells filled with -petrol, in order to set the streets aflame. This, indeed, was proved by -an eye-witness, who saw a shell fall in Liverpool Road, close to the -Angel. It burst with a bright red flash, and next second the whole<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_343" id="page_343"></a>{343}</span> of -the roadway and neighbouring houses were blazing furiously.</p> - -<p>Thus the air became black with smoke and dust, and the light of day -obscured in Northern London. And through that obscurity came those -whizzing shells in an incessant hissing stream, each one, bursting in -these narrow, thickly-populated streets, causing havoc indescribable, -and a loss of life impossible to accurately calculate. Hundreds of -people were blown to pieces in the open, but hundreds more were buried -beneath the débris of their own cherished homes, now being so ruthlessly -destroyed and demolished.</p> - -<p>On every side was heard the cry: “Stop the war—stop the war!”</p> - -<p>But it was, alas! too late—too late.</p> - -<p>Never in the history of the civilised world were there such scenes of -reckless slaughter of the innocent and peace-loving as on that -never-to-be-forgotten day when Von Kronhelm carried out the orders of -his Imperial master, and struck terror into the heart of London’s -millions.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_344" id="page_344"></a>{344}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="CHAPTER_V-b" id="CHAPTER_V-b"></a>CHAPTER V<br /><br /> -<small>THE RAIN OF DEATH</small></h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">Through</span> the whole afternoon the heavy German artillery roared, belching -forth their fiery vengeance upon London.</p> - -<p>Hour after hour they pounded away, until St. Pancras Church was a heap -of ruins, and the Foundling Hospital a veritable furnace, as well as the -Parcel Post offices and the University College in Gower Street. In -Hampstead Road many of the shops were shattered, and in Tottenham Court -Road both Maple’s and Shoolbred’s suffered severely, for shells bursting -in the centre of the roadway had smashed every pane of glass in the -fronts of both buildings.</p> - -<p>The quiet squares of Bloomsbury were, in some cases, great yawning -ruins—houses with their fronts torn out revealing the shattered -furniture within. Streets were, indeed, filled with tiles, chimney pots, -fallen telegraph wires, debris of furniture, stone steps, paving stones, -and fallen masonry. Many of the thoroughfares, such as the Pentonville -Road, Copenhagen Street, and Holloway Road, were, at points, quite -impassable on account of the ruins that blocked them. Into the Northern -Hospital, in the Holloway Road, a shell fell, shattering one of the -wards, and killing or maiming every one of the patients in the ward in -question, while the church in Tufnell Park Road was burning fiercely. -Upper Holloway, Stoke Newington, Highbury, Kingsland, Dalston, Hackney, -Clapton, and Stamford Hill were being swept at long range by the guns on -Muswell<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_345" id="page_345"></a>{345}</span> Hill and Churchyard Bottom Hill, and the terror caused in those -densely populated districts was awful. Hundreds upon hundreds lost their -lives, or else had a hand, an arm, a leg blown away, as those fatal -shells fell in never-ceasing monotony, especially in Stoke Newington and -Kingsland. The many side roads lying between Holloway Road and Finsbury -Park, such as Hornsey Road, Tollington Park, Andover, Durham, -Palmerston, Campbell, and Forthill Roads, Seven Sisters Road, and -Isledon Road were all devastated, for the guns for a full hour seemed to -be trained upon them.</p> - -<p>The German gunners in all probability neither knew nor cared where their -shells fell. From their position, now that the smoke of the hundreds of -fires was now rising, they could probably discern but little. Therefore -the batteries at Hampstead Heath, Muswell Hill, Wood Green, Cricklewood, -and other places simply sent their shells as far distant south as -possible into the panic-stricken city below. In Mountgrove and -Riversdale Roads, Highbury Vale, a number of people were killed, while a -frightful disaster occurred in the church at the corner of Park Lane and -Milton Road, Stoke Newington. Here a number of people had entered, -attending a special service for the success of the British arms, when a -shell exploded on the roof, bringing it down upon them and killing over -fifty of the congregation, mostly women.</p> - -<p>The air, poisoned by the fumes of the deadly explosives and full of -smoke from the burning buildings, was ever and anon rent by explosions -as projectiles frequently burst in mid-air. The distant roar was -incessant, like the noise of thunder, while on every hand could be heard -the shrieks of defenceless women and children, or the muttered curses of -some man who saw his home and all he possessed swept away with a flash -and a cloud of dust. Nothing could withstand that awful cannonade. -Walthamstow had been rendered untenable in the first half-hour of the -bombardment, while in Tottenham the loss of life had been very enormous, -the German gunners at Wood Green having apparently turned<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_346" id="page_346"></a>{346}</span> their first -attention upon that place. Churches, the larger buildings, the railway -station, in fact anything offering a mark, was promptly shattered, being -assisted by the converging fire from the batteries at Chingford.</p> - -<p>On the opposite side of London, Notting Hill, Shepherd’s Bush, and -Starch Green were being reduced to ruins by the heavy batteries above -Park Royal Station, which, firing across Wormwood Scrubs, put their -shots into Notting Hill, and especially into Holland Park, where -widespread damage was quickly wrought.</p> - -<p>A couple of shells falling into the generating station of the Central -London Railway, or “Tube”, as Londoners usually call it, unfortunately -caused a disaster and loss of life which were appalling. At the first -sign of the bombardment many thousands of persons descended into the -“tube” as a safe hiding-place from the rain of shell. At first the -railway officials closed the doors to prevent the inrush, but the -terrified populace in Shepherd’s Bush, Bayswater, Oxford Street, and -Holborn, in fact, all along the subterranean line, broke open the doors, -and descending by the lifts and stairs found themselves in a place which -at least gave them security against the enemy’s fire.</p> - -<p>The trains had long ago ceased running, and every station was crowded to -excess, while many were forced upon the line itself and actually into -the tunnels. For hours they waited there in eager breathlessness, -longing to be able to ascend and find the conflict over. Men and women -in all stations of life were huddled together, while children clung to -their parents in wonder; yet as hour after hour went by, the report from -above was still the same—the Germans had not ceased.</p> - -<p>Of a sudden, however, the light failed. The electric current had been -cut off by the explosion of the shells in the generating station at -Shepherd’s Bush, and the lifts were useless! The thousands who, in -defiance of the orders of the company, had gone below at Shepherd’s Bush -for shelter, found themselves caught like rats in a hole. True, there -was the faint glimmer of an oil light<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_347" id="page_347"></a>{347}</span> here and there, but, alas! that -did not prevent an awful panic.</p> - -<p>Somebody shouted that the Germans were above and had put out the lights, -and when it was found that the lifts were useless a panic ensued that -was indescribable. The people could not ascend by the stairs, as they -were blocked by the dense crowd, therefore they pressed into the narrow -semi-circular tunnels in an eager endeavour to reach the next station, -where they hoped they might escape; but once in there women and children -were quickly crushed to death, or thrown down and trampled upon by the -press behind.</p> - -<p>In the darkness they fought with each other, pressing on and becoming -jammed so tightly that many were held against the sloping walls until -life was extinct. Between Shepherd’s Bush and Holland Park Stations the -loss of life was worst, for being within the zone of the German fire the -people had crushed in frantically in thousands, and with one accord a -move had unfortunately been made into the tunnels, on account of the -foolish cry that the Germans were waiting above.</p> - -<p>The railway officials were powerless. They had done their best to -prevent anyone going below, but the public had insisted, therefore no -blame could be laid upon them for the catastrophe.</p> - -<p>At Marble Arch, Oxford Circus, and Tottenham Court Road Stations, a -similar scene was enacted, and dozens upon dozens, alas! lost their -lives in the panic. Ladies and gentlemen from Park Lane, Grosvenor -Square, and Mayfair had sought shelter at Marble Arch Station rubbing -shoulders with labourers’ wives and costerwomen from the back streets of -Marylebone. When the lights failed, a rush had been made into the tunnel -to reach Oxford Circus, all exit by the stairs being blocked, as at -Shepherd’s Bush, on account of the hundreds struggling to get down.</p> - -<p>As at Holland Park, the terrified crowd fighting with each other became -jammed and suffocated in the narrow<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_348" id="page_348"></a>{348}</span> space. The catastrophe was a -frightful one, for it was afterwards proved that over four hundred and -twenty persons, mostly weak women and children, lost their lives in -those twenty minutes of darkness before the mains at the generating -station, wrecked by the explosions, could be repaired.</p> - -<p>Then, when the current came up again, the lights revealed the frightful -mishap, and people struggled to emerge from the burrows wherein they had -so narrowly escaped death.</p> - -<p>Upon the Baker Street and Waterloo and other “tubes” every station had -also been beseiged. The whole of the first-mentioned line from north to -south was the refuge of thousands, who saw in it a safe place for -retreat. The tunnels of the District Railway, too, were filled with -terror-stricken multitudes, who descended at every station and walked -away into a subterranean place of safety. No trains had been running for -several days, therefore there was no danger from that cause.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile the bombardment continued with unceasing activity.</p> - -<p>The Marylebone station of the Great Central Railway, and the Great -Central Hotel, which seemed to be only just within the line of fire, -were wrecked, and about four o’clock it was seen that the hotel, like -that at St. Pancras, was well alight, though no effort could be made to -save it. At the first two or three alarms of fire the Metropolitan Fire -Brigade had turned out, but now that fresh alarms were reaching the -chief station every moment, the brigade saw themselves utterly powerless -to even attempt to save the hundred buildings, great and small, now -furiously blazing.</p> - -<p>Gasometers, especially those of the Gas Light and Coke Company at Kensal -Green, were marked by the German gunners, who sent them into the air; -while a well-directed petrol bomb at Wormwood Scrubs Prison set one -great wing of the place alight, and the prisoners were therefore -released. The rear of Kensington Palace,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_349" id="page_349"></a>{349}</span> and the fronts of a number of -houses in Kensington Palace Gardens were badly damaged, while in the -dome of the Albert Hall was a great, ugly hole.</p> - -<p>Shortly after five o’clock occurred a disaster which was of national -consequence. It could only have been a mishap on the part of the -Germans, for they would certainly never have done such irreparable -damage willingly, as they destroyed what would otherwise have been the -most valuable of loot.</p> - -<p>Shots suddenly began to fall fast in Bloomsbury, several of them badly -damaging the Hotel Russell and the houses near, and it was therefore -apparent that one of the batteries which had been firing from near Jack -Straw’s Castle had been moved across to Parliament Hill, or even to some -point south of it, which gave a wider range to the fire.</p> - -<p>Presently a shell came high through the air and fell full upon the -British Museum, striking it nearly in the centre of the front, and in -exploding carried away the Grecian-Ionic ornament, and shattering a -number of the fine stone columns of the dark façade. Ere people in the -vicinity had realised that the national collection of antiques was -within the range of the enemy’s destructive projectiles, a second shell -crashed into the rear of the building, making a great gap in the walls. -Then, as although all the guns of that particular battery had converged -in order to destroy our treasure-house of art and antiquity, shell after -shell crashed into the place in rapid succession. Before ten minutes had -passed, grey smoke began to roll out from beneath the long colonnade in -front, and growing denser, told its own tale. The British Museum was on -fire.</p> - -<p>Nor was that all. As though to complete the disaster—although it was -certain that the Germans were in ignorance—there came one of those -terrible shells filled with petrol, which, bursting inside the -manuscript room, set the whole place ablaze. In a dozen different places -the building seemed to be now alight, especially the library, and thus -the finest collection of books, manuscripts,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_350" id="page_350"></a>{350}</span> Greek and Roman and -Egyptian antiques, coins, medals, and prehistoric relics, lay at the -mercy of the flames.</p> - -<p>The fire brigade was at once alarmed, and at imminent risk of their -lives, for shells were still falling in the vicinity, they, with the -Salvage Corps and the assistance of many willing helpers—some of whom -unfortunately lost their lives in the flames—saved whatever could be -saved, throwing the objects out into the railed-off quadrangle in front.</p> - -<p>The left wing of the Museum, however, could not be entered, although -after most valiant efforts on the part of the firemen the conflagrations -that had broken out in other parts of the building were at length -subdued. The damage was, however, irreparable, for many unique -collections, including all the prints and drawings, and many of the -mediæval and historic manuscripts, had already been consumed.</p> - -<p>Shots now began to fall as far south as Oxford Street, and all along -that thoroughfare from Holborn as far as Oxford Circus, widespread havoc -was being wrought. People fled for their lives back towards Charing -Cross and the Strand. The Oxford Music Hall was a hopeless ruin, while a -shell crashing through the roof of Frascati’s restaurant, carried away a -portion of the gallery and utterly wrecked the whole place. Many of the -shops in Oxford Street had their roofs damaged or their fronts blown -out, while a huge block of flats in Great Russell Street was practically -demolished by three shells striking in rapid succession.</p> - -<p>Then, to the alarm of all who realised it, shots were seen to be passing -high over Bloomsbury, south towards the Thames. The range had been -increased, for, as was afterwards known, some heavier guns had now been -mounted upon Muswell Hill and Hampstead Heath, which, carrying to a -distance of from six to seven miles, placed the City, the Strand, and -Westminster within the zone of fire. The zone in question stretched -roughly from Victoria Park through Bethnal Green and Whitechapel,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_351" id="page_351"></a>{351}</span> -across to Southwark, the Borough, Lambeth, and Westminster to -Kensington, and while the fire upon the northern suburbs slackened, -great shells now came flying through the air into the very heart of -London.</p> - -<p>The German gunners at Muswell Hill took the dome of St. Paul’s as a -mark, for shells fell constantly in Ludgate Hill, in Cheapside, in -Newgate Street, and in the churchyard itself. One falling upon the steps -of the Cathedral tore out two of the columns of the front, while another -striking the clock tower just below the face, brought down much of the -masonry and one of the huge bells, with a deafening crash, blocking the -road with débris. Time after time the great shells went over the -splendid Cathedral, which the enemy seemed bent upon destroying, but the -dome remained uninjured, though about ten feet of the top of the second -tower was carried away.</p> - -<p>On the Cannon Street side of St. Paul’s a great block of drapery -warehouses had caught fire, and was burning fiercely, while the drapers’ -and other shops on the Paternoster Row side all had their windows -shattered by the constant detonations. Within the cathedral two shells -that had fallen through the roof had wrought havoc with the beautiful -reredos and choir-stalls, many of the fine windows being also wrecked by -the explosions.</p> - -<p>Whole rows of houses in Cheapside suffered, while both the Mansion -House, where the London flag was flying, and the Royal Exchange were -severely damaged by a number of shells which fell in the vicinity. The -equestrian statue in front of the Exchange had been overturned, while -the Exchange itself showed a great yawning hole in the corner of the -façade next Cornhill. At the Bank of England a fire had occurred, but -had fortunately been extinguished by the strong force of Guards in -charge, though they gallantly risked their lives in so doing. Lothbury, -Gresham Street, Old Broad Street, Lombard Street, Gracechurch Street, -and Leadenhall Street were all more or less scenes of fire, havoc, and -destruction. The loss of life was not great in this<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_352" id="page_352"></a>{352}</span> neighbourhood, for -most people had crossed the river or gone westward, but the high -explosives used by the Germans were falling upon the shops and -warehouses with appalling effect.</p> - -<p>Masonry was torn about like paper, ironwork twisted like wax, woodwork -shattered to a thousand splinters as, time after time, a great -projectile hissed in the air and effected its errand of destruction. A -number of the wharves on each side of the river were soon alight, and -both Upper and Lower Thames Streets were soon impassable on account of -huge conflagrations. A few shells fell in Shoreditch, Houndsditch, and -Whitechapel, and these, in most cases, caused loss of life in those -densely populated districts.</p> - -<p>Westward, however, as the hours went on, the howitzers at Hampstead -began to drop high explosive shells into the Strand, around Charing -Cross, and in Westminster. This weapon had a calibre of 4·14 inches, and -threw a projectile of 35 lb. The tower of St. Clement Dane’s Church -crashed to the ground and blocked the roadway opposite Milford Lane; the -pointed roof of the clock-tower of the Law Courts was blown away, and -the granite fronts of the two banks opposite the Law Courts entrance -were torn out by a shell which exploded in the footpath before them.</p> - -<p>Shells fell, time after time, in and about the Law Courts themselves, -committing immense damage to the interior, while a shell bursting upon -the roof of Charing Cross Station, rendered it a ruin as picturesque as -it had been in December 1905. The National Liberal Club was burning -furiously; the Hotel Cecil and the Savoy did not escape, but no material -damage was done them. The Garrick Theatre had caught fire, a shot -carried away the globe above the Coliseum, and the Shot Tower beside the -Thames crashed into the river.</p> - -<p>The front of the Grand Hotel in Trafalgar Square showed, in several -places, great holes where the shell had struck, and a shell bursting at -the foot of Nelson<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_353" id="page_353"></a>{353}</span>’s monument turned over one of the -lions—overthrowing the emblem of Britain’s might!</p> - -<p>The clubs in Pall Mall were, in one or two instances, wrecked, notably -the Reform, the Junior Carlton, and the Athenæum, into each of which -shells fell through the roof and exploded within.</p> - -<p>From the number of projectiles that fell in the vicinity of the Houses -of Parliament it was apparent that the German gunners could see the -Royal Standard flying from the Victoria Tower, and were making it their -mark. In the west front of Westminster Abbey several shots crashed, -doing enormous damage to the grand old pile. The hospital opposite was -set alight, while the Westminster Palace Hotel was severely damaged, and -two shells falling into St. Thomas’s Hospital created a scene of -indescribable terror in one of the overcrowded casualty wards.</p> - -<p>Suddenly one of the German high explosive shells burst on the top of the -Victoria Tower, blowing away all four of the pinnacles, and bringing -down the flagstaff. Big Ben served as another mark for the artillery at -Muswell Hill, for several shots struck it, tearing out one of the huge -clock faces and blowing away the pointed apex of the tower. Suddenly, -however, two great shells struck it right in the centre, almost -simultaneously, near the base, and made such a hole in the huge pile of -masonry that it was soon seen to have been rendered unsafe, though it -did not fall.</p> - -<p>Shot after shot struck other portions of the Houses of Parliament, -breaking the windows and carrying away pinnacles.</p> - -<p>One of the twin towers of Westminster Abbey fell a few moments later, -and another shell, crashing into the choir, completely wrecked Edward -the Confessor’s shrine, the Coronation chair, and all the objects of -antiquity in the vicinity.</p> - -<p>The old Horse Guards escaped injury, but one of the cupolas of the new -War Office opposite was blown away, while shortly afterwards a fire -broke out in the new<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_354" id="page_354"></a>{354}</span> Local Government Board and Education Offices. -Number 10 Downing Street, the chief centre of the Government, had its -windows all blown in—a grim accident, no doubt—the same explosion -shattering several windows in the Foreign Office.</p> - -<p>Many shells fell in St. James’s and Hyde Parks, exploding harmlessly, -but others, passing across St. James’s Park, crashed into that high -building, Queen Anne’s Mansions, causing fearful havoc. Somerset House, -Covent Garden Market, Drury Lane Theatre, and the Gaiety Theatre and -Restaurant all suffered more or less, and two of the bronze footguards -guarding the Wellington Statue at Hyde Park Corner were blown many yards -away. Around Holborn Circus immense damage was being caused, and several -shells bursting on the Viaduct itself blew great holes in the bridge.</p> - -<p>So widespread, indeed, was the havoc, that it is impossible to give a -detailed account of the day’s terrors. If the public buildings suffered, -the damage to property of householders and the ruthless wrecking of -quiet English homes may well be imagined. The people had been driven out -from the zone of fire, and had left their possessions to the mercy of -the invaders.</p> - -<p>South of the Thames very little damage was done. The German howitzers -and long-range guns could not reach so far. One or two shots fell in -York Road, Lambeth, and in the Waterloo and Westminster Bridge Roads, -but they did little damage beyond the breaking of all the windows in the -vicinity.</p> - -<p>When would it end? Where would it end?</p> - -<p>Half the population of London had fled across the bridges, and from -Denmark Hill, Champion Hill, Norwood, and the Crystal Palace they could -see the smoke issuing from the hundred fires.</p> - -<p>London was cowed. Those northern barricades, still held by bodies of -valiant men, were making a last desperate stand, though the streets ran -with blood. Every man fought well and bravely for his country, though he -went to his death. A thousand acts of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_355" id="page_355"></a>{355}</span> gallant heroism on the part of -Englishmen were done that day, but, alas! all to no purpose. The Germans -were at our gates, and were not to be denied.</p> - -<p>As daylight commenced to fade the dust and smoke became suffocating. And -yet the guns pounded away with a monotonous regularity that appalled the -helpless populace. Overhead there was a quick whizzing in the air, a -deafening explosion, and as masonry came crashing down the atmosphere -was filled with poisonous fumes that half asphyxiated all those in the -vicinity.</p> - -<p>Hitherto the enemy had treated us, on the whole, humanely, but finding -that desperate resistance in the northern suburbs, Von Kronhelm was -carrying out the Emperor’s parting injunction. He was breaking the pride -of our own dear London, even at the sacrifice of thousands of innocent -lives.</p> - -<p>The scenes in the streets within that zone of awful fire baffled -description. They were too sudden, too dramatic, too appalling. Death -and destruction were everywhere, and the people of London now realised -for the first time what the horrors of war really meant.</p> - -<p>Dusk was falling. Above the pall of smoke from the burning buildings the -sun was setting with a blood-red light. From the London streets, -however, this evening sky was darkened by the clouds of smoke and dust. -Yet the cannonade continued, each shell that came hurtling through the -air exploding with deadly effect and spreading destruction on all hands.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile the barricades at the north had not escaped Von Kronhelm’s -attention. About four o’clock he gave orders by field telegraph for -certain batteries to move down and attack them.</p> - -<p>This was done soon after five o’clock, and when the German guns began to -pour their deadly rain of shell into those hastily improvised defences -there commenced a slaughter of the gallant defenders that was horrible. -At each of the barricades shell after shell was directed, and very -quickly breaches were made. Then upon the defenders themselves the fire -was directed—a withering,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_356" id="page_356"></a>{356}</span> awful fire from quick-firing guns which none -could withstand. The streets, with their barricades swept away, were -strewn with mutilated corpses. Hundreds upon hundreds had attempted to -make a last stand, rallied by the Union Jack they waved above, but a -shell exploding in their midst had sent them to instant eternity.</p> - -<p>Many a gallant deed was done that day by patriotic Londoners in defence -of their homes and loved ones—many a deed that should have earned the -V.C.—but in nearly all cases the patriot who had stood up and faced the -foe had gone to straight and certain death.</p> - -<p>Till seven o’clock the dull roar of the guns in the north continued, and -people across the Thames knew that London was still being destroyed, nay -pulverised. Then with one accord came a silence—the first silence since -the hot noon.</p> - -<p>Von Kronhelm’s field telegraph at Jack Straw’s Castle had ticked the -order to cease firing.</p> - -<p>All the barricades had been broken.</p> - -<p>London lay burning—at the mercy of the German eagle.</p> - -<p>And as the darkness fell the German Commander-in-Chief looked again -through his glasses, and saw the red flames leaping up in dozens of -places, where whole blocks of shops and buildings, public institutions, -whole streets in some cases, were being consumed.</p> - -<p>London—the proud capital of the world, the “home” of the -Englishman—was at last ground beneath the iron heel of Germany!</p> - -<p>And all, alas! due to one cause alone—the careless insular apathy of -the Englishman himself!<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_357" id="page_357"></a>{357}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="CHAPTER_VI-b" id="CHAPTER_VI-b"></a>CHAPTER VI<br /><br /> -<small>FALL OF LONDON</small></h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">Outside</span> London the September night had settled down on the blood-stained -field of battle. With a pale light the moon had risen, partly hidden by -chasing clouds, her white rays mingling with the lurid glare of the -fires down in the great terrified metropolis below. Northward, from -Hampstead across to Barnet—indeed, over that wide district where the -final battle had been so hotly fought—the moonbeams shone upon the -pallid faces of the fallen.</p> - -<p>Along the German line of investment there had now followed upon the roar -of battle an uncanny silence.</p> - -<p>Away to the west, however, there was still heard the growling of distant -conflict, now mounting into a low crackling of musketry fire, and again -dying away in muffled sounds. The last remnant of the British Army was -being hotly pursued in the direction of Staines.</p> - -<p>London was invested and bombarded, but not yet taken.</p> - -<p>For a long time the German Field-Marshal had stood alone upon Hampstead -Heath apart from his staff, watching the great tongues of flame leaping -up here and there in the distant darkness. His grey, shaggy brows were -contracted, his thin aquiline face thoughtful, his hard mouth twitching -nervously, unable to fully conceal the strain of his own feelings as -conqueror of the English. Von Kronhelm’s taciturnity had long ago been -proverbial. The Kaiser had likened him to<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_358" id="page_358"></a>{358}</span> Moltke, and declared that “he -could be silent in seven languages.” His gaze was one of musing, and yet -he was the most active of men, and perhaps the cleverest strategist in -all Europe. Often during the campaign he had astonished his -aides-de-camp by his untiring energy, for sometimes he would even visit -the outposts in person. On many occasions he had actually crept up to -the most advanced posts at great personal risk to himself, so anxious -had he been to see with his own eyes. Such visits from the Field-Marshal -himself were not always exactly welcome to the German outposts, who, as -soon as they showed the least sign of commotion consequent upon the -visit, were at once swept by a withering English fire.</p> - -<p>Yet he now stood there—the conqueror. And while many of his officers -were installing themselves in comfortable quarters in houses about North -End, North Hill, South Hill, Muswell Hill, Roslyn Hill, Fitzjohn’s -Avenue, Netherhall, and Maresfield Gardens, and other roads in that -vicinity, the great Commander was still alone upon the Heath, having -taken nothing save a nip from his flask since his coffee at dawn.</p> - -<p>Time after time telegraphic despatches were handed to him from Germany, -and telephonic reports from his various positions around London, but he -received them all without comment. He read, he listened, but he said -nothing.</p> - -<p>For a full hour he remained there, strolling up and down alone in quick -impatience. Then, as though suddenly making up his mind, he called three -members of his staff, and gave orders for the entry into London.</p> - -<p>This, as he knew, was the signal for a terrible and bloody encounter. -Bugles sounded. Men and officers, who had believed that the storm and -stress of the day were over, and that they were entitled to rest, found -themselves called upon to fight their way into the city that they knew -would be defended by an irate and antagonistic populace.</p> - -<p>Still, the order had been given, and it must be<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_359" id="page_359"></a>{359}</span> obeyed. They had -expected that the advance would be at least made at dawn, but evidently -Von Kronhelm feared that six hours’ delay might necessitate more -desperate fighting. He intended, now that London was cowed, that she -should be entirely crushed. The orders of his master the Kaiser were to -that effect.</p> - -<p>Therefore, shortly before nine o’clock the first detachments of German -Infantry marched along Spaniards Road, and down Roslyn Hill to -Haverstock Hill, where they were at once fired upon from behind the -débris of the great barricade across the junction of Prince of Wales -Road and Haverstock Hill. This place was held strongly by British -Infantry, many members of the Legion of Frontiersmen,—distinguished -only by the little bronze badge in their buttonholes,—and also by -hundreds of citizens armed with rifles.</p> - -<p>Twenty Germans dropped at the first volley, and next instant a Maxim, -concealed in the first floor of a neighbouring house, spat forth its -fire upon the invaders with deadly effect. The German bugle sounded the -“Advance rapidly,” and the men emulously ran forward, shouting loud -hurrahs. Major von Wittich, who had distinguished himself very -conspicuously in the fighting around Enfield Chase, fell, being shot -through the lung when just within a few yards of the half-ruined -barricade. Londoners were fighting desperately, shouting and cheering. -The standard-bearer of the 4th Battalion of the Brunswick Infantry -Regiment, No. 92, fell severely wounded, and the standard was instantly -snatched from him in the awful hand-to-hand fighting which that moment -ensued.</p> - -<p>Five minutes later the streets were running with blood, for hundreds, -both Germans and British, lay dead and dying. Every Londoner struggled -valiantly until shot down; yet the enemy, already reinforced, pressed -forward, until ten minutes later the defenders were driven out of their -position, and the house from which the Maxim was sending forth its -deadly hail had been entered and the gun captured. Volley after volley<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_360" id="page_360"></a>{360}</span> -was still, however, poured out on the heads of the storming party, but -already the pioneers were at work clearing a way for the advance, and -very soon the Germans had surmounted the obstruction and were within -London.</p> - -<p>For a short time the Germans halted, then, at a signal from their -officers, they moved forward along both roads, again being fired upon -from every house in the vicinity, many of the defenders having retired -to continue their defence from the windows. The enemy therefore turned -their attention to these houses, and after desperate struggles house -after house was taken, those of the defenders not wearing uniform being -shot down without mercy. To such no quarter was given.</p> - -<p>The contest now became a most furious one. Britons and Germans fought -hand to hand. A battalion of the Brunswick Infantry with some riflemen -of the Guard took several houses by rush in Chalk Farm Road; but in many -cases the Germans were shot by their own comrades. Quite a number of the -enemy’s officers were picked off by the Frontiersmen, those brave -fellows who had seen service in every corner of the world, and who were -now in windows and upon roofs. Thus the furious fight from house to -house proceeded.</p> - -<p>This exciting conflict was practically characteristic of what was at -that moment happening in fifty other spots along the suburbs of North -London. The obstinate resistance which we made against the Germans was -met with equally obstinate aggression. There was no surrender. Londoners -fell and died fighting to the very last.</p> - -<p>Against those well-trained Teutons in such overwhelming masses we, -however, could have no hope of success. The rushes of the infantry and -rifles of the Guards were made skilfully, and slowly but surely broke -down all opposition.</p> - -<p>The barricade in the Kentish Town Road was defended with valiant -heroism. The Germans were,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_361" id="page_361"></a>{361}</span> as in Chalk Farm Road, compelled to fight -their way foot by foot, losing heavily all the time. But here, at -length, as at other points, the barricade was taken, and the defenders -chased, and either taken prisoner or else ruthlessly shot down. A body -of citizens armed with rifles were, after the storming of the barricades -in question, driven back into Park Street, and there, being caught -between two bodies of Germans, slaughtered to a man. Through those unlit -side-streets between the Kentish Town and Camden Roads—namely, the -Lawford, Bartholomew, Rochester, Caversham, and Leighton Roads, there -was much skirmishing, and many on both sides fell in the bloody -encounter. A thousand deeds of bravery were done that night, but were -unrecorded. Before the barricade in the Holloway Road—which had been -strongly repaired after the breach made in it by the German shells—the -enemy lost very heavily, for the three Maxims which had there been -mounted did awful execution. The invaders, however, seeing the strong -defence, fell back for full twenty minutes, and then, making another -rush, hurled petrol bombs into the midst of our men.</p> - -<p>A frightful holocaust was the result. Fully a hundred of the poor -fellows were literally burned alive; while the neighbouring houses being -set in flames, compelled the citizen free-shooters to quickly evacuate -their position. Against such terrible missiles even the best-trained -troops cannot stand, therefore no wonder that all opposition at that -point was soon afterwards swept away, and the pioneers quickly opened -the road for the victorious legions of the Kaiser.</p> - -<p>And so in that prosaic thoroughfare, the Holloway Road, brave men fought -gallantly and died, while a Scotch piper paced the pavement sharply, -backwards and forwards, with his colours flying. Then, alas! came the -red flash, the loud explosions in rapid succession, and next instant the -whole street burst into a veritable sea of flame.</p> - -<p>High Street, Kingsland, was also the scene of several<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_362" id="page_362"></a>{362}</span> fierce conflicts; -but here the Germans decidedly got the worst of it. The whole infuriated -population seemed to emerge suddenly from the side streets of the -Kingsland Road on the appearance of the detachment of the enemy, and the -latter were practically overwhelmed, notwithstanding the desperate fight -they made. Then ringing cheers went up from the defenders.</p> - -<p>The Germans were given no quarter by the populace, all of whom were -armed with knives or guns, the women mostly with hatchets, crowbars, or -edged tools.</p> - -<p>Many of the Germans fled through the side streets towards Mare Street, -and were hotly pursued, the majority of them being done to death by the -maddened mob. The streets in this vicinity were literally a -slaughter-house.</p> - -<p>The barricades in Finchley Road and in High Road, Kilburn were also very -strongly held, and at the first named it was quite an hour before the -enemy’s pioneers were able to make a breach. Indeed, then only after a -most hotly contested conflict, in which there were frightful losses on -both sides. Petrol bombs were here also used by the enemy with appalling -effect, the road being afterwards cleared by a couple of Maxims.</p> - -<p>Farther towards Regent’s Park the houses were, however, full of -sharpshooters, and before these could be dislodged the enemy had again -suffered severely. The entry into London was both difficult and -perilous, and the enemy suffered great losses everywhere.</p> - -<p>After the breaking down of the defences in High Road, Kilburn, the men -who had held them retired to the Town Hall, opposite Kilburn Station, -and from the windows fired at the passing battalions, doing much -execution. All efforts to dislodge them proved unavailing, until the -place was taken by storm, and a fearful hand-to-hand fight was the -outcome. Eventually the Town Hall was taken, after a most desperate -resistance, and ten minutes later wilfully set fire to and burned.</p> - -<p>In the Harrow Road and those cross streets between Kensal Green and -Maida Vale the advancing Germans<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_363" id="page_363"></a>{363}</span> shared much the same fate as about -Hackney. Surrounded by the armed populace, hundreds upon hundreds of -them were killed, struck down by hatchets, stabbed by knives, or shot -with revolvers, the crowd shouting, “Down with the Germans! Kill them! -Kill them!”</p> - -<p>Many of the London women now became perfect furies. So incensed were -they at the wreck of their homes and the death of their loved ones that -they rushed wildly into the fray with no thought of peril, only of -bitter revenge. A German, whenever caught, was at once killed. In those -bloody street fights the Teutons got separated from their comrades and -were quickly surrounded and done to death.</p> - -<p>Across the whole of the northern suburbs the scenes of bloodshed that -night were full of horror, as men fought in the ruined streets, climbing -over the smouldering débris, over the bodies of their comrades, and -shooting from behind ruined walls. As Von Kronhelm had anticipated, his -Army was compelled to fight its way into London.</p> - -<p>The streets all along the line of the enemy’s advance were now strewn -with dead and dying. London was doomed.</p> - -<p>The Germans now coming on in increasing, nay, unceasing, numbers, were -leaving behind them everywhere the trail of blood. Shattered London -stood staggered.</p> - -<p>Though the resistance had been long and desperate, the enemy had again -triumphed by reason of his sheer weight of numbers.</p> - -<p>Yet even though he were actually in our own dear London, our people did -not mean that he should establish himself without any further -opposition. Therefore, though the barricades had been taken, the Germans -found in every unexpected corner men who shot at them, and Maxims which -spat forth their leaden showers beneath which hundreds upon hundreds of -Teutons fell.</p> - -<p>Yet they advanced, still fighting. The scenes of carnage were awful and -indescribable, no quarter being<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_364" id="page_364"></a>{364}</span> given to any armed citizens not in -uniform, be they men, women, or children.</p> - -<p>The German Army was carrying out the famous proclamation of -Field-Marshal von Kronhelm to the very letter!</p> - -<p>They were marching on to the sack of the wealthiest city of the world.</p> - -<p>It wanted still an hour of midnight, London was a city of shadow, of -fire, of death. The silent streets, whence all the inhabitants had fled -in panic, echoed to the heavy tread of German infantry, the clank of -arms, and the ominous rumble of guns. Ever and anon an order was shouted -in German as the Kaiser’s legions went forward to occupy the proud -capital of the world. The enemy’s plans appeared to have been carefully -prepared. The majority of the troops coming from the direction of -Hampstead and Finchley entered Regent’s Park, whence preparations were -at once commenced for encampment; while the remainder, together with -those who came down the Camden, Caledonian, and Holloway Roads turned -along Euston Road and Oxford Street to Hyde Park, where a huge camp was -formed, stretching from the Marble Arch right along the Park Lane side -away to Knightsbridge.</p> - -<p>Officers were very soon billeted in the best houses in Park Lane and -about Mayfair,—houses full of works of art and other valuables that had -only that morning been left to the mercy of the invaders. From the -windows and balconies of their quarters in Park Lane they could overlook -the encampment—a position which had evidently been purposely chosen.</p> - -<p>Other troops who came in never-ending procession by Bow Road, Roman -Road, East India Dock Road, Victoria Park Road, Mare Street, and -Kingsland Road all converged into the City itself, except those who had -come from Edmonton down the Kingsland Road, and who, passing along Old -Street and Clerkenwell, occupied the Charing Cross and Westminster -districts.</p> - -<p>At midnight a dramatic scene was enacted when,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_365" id="page_365"></a>{365}</span> in the blood-red glare -of some blazing buildings in the vicinity, a large body of Prince Louis -Ferdinand of Prussia’s 2nd Magdeburg Regiment suddenly swept up -Threadneedle Street into the great open space before the Mansion House, -whereon the London flag was still flying aloft in the smoke-laden air. -They halted across the junction of Cheapside with Queen Victoria Street -when, at the same moment, another huge body of the Uhlans of Altmark and -Magdeburg Hussars came clattering along Cornhill, followed a moment -later by battalion after battalion of the 4th and 8th Thuringen Infantry -out of Moorgate Street, whose uniforms showed plain traces of the -desperate encounters of the past week.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/i_b_365_lg.png"> -<img src="images/i_b_365_sml.png" width="458" height="368" alt="Image unavailable: LONDON after the BOMBARDMENT." /></a> -</div> - -<p>The great body of Germans had halted before the Mansion House, when -General von Kleppen, the commander of the IVth Army Corps—who, it will -be remembered, had landed at Weybourne—accompanied by<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_366" id="page_366"></a>{366}</span> -Lieutenant-General von Mirbach of the 8th Division, and Frölich, -commander of the cavalry brigade, ascended the steps of the Mansion -House and entered.</p> - -<p>Within, Sir Claude Harrison, the Lord Mayor, who wore his robes and -jewel of office, received them in that great, sombre room wherein so -many momentous questions concerning the welfare of the British Empire -had been discussed. The representative of the City of London, a short, -stout, grey-haired man, was pale and agitated. He bowed, but he could -not speak.</p> - -<p>Von Kleppen, however, a smart, soldierly figure in his service uniform -and many ribbons, bowed in response, and in very fair English said:</p> - -<p>“I regret, my Lord Mayor, that it is necessary for us to thus disturb -you, but as you are aware, the British Army have been defeated, and the -German Army has entered London. I have orders from Field-Marshal von -Kronhelm to place you under arrest, and to hold you as hostage for the -good behaviour of the City during the progress of the negotiations for -peace.”</p> - -<p>“Arrest!” gasped the Lord Mayor. “You intend to arrest me?”</p> - -<p>“It will not be irksome, I assure you,” smiled the German commander -grimly. “At least, we shall make it as comfortable as possible. I shall -place a guard here, and the only restriction I place upon you is that -you shall neither go out nor hold any communication with anyone outside -these walls.”</p> - -<p>“But my wife?”</p> - -<p>“If her ladyship is here I would advise that she leave the place. It is -better that, for the present, she should be out of London.”</p> - -<p>The civic officials, who had all assembled for the dramatic ceremonial, -looked at each other in blank amazement.</p> - -<p>The Lord Mayor was a prisoner!</p> - -<p>Sir Claude divested himself of his jewel of office, and handed it to his -servant to replace in safe keeping. Then he took off his robe, and -having done so, advanced<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_367" id="page_367"></a>{367}</span> closer to the German officers, who, treating -him with every courtesy, consulted with him, expressing regret at the -terrible loss of life that had been occasioned by the gallant defence of -the barricades.</p> - -<p>Von Kleppen gave the Lord Mayor a message from Von Kronhelm, and urged -him to issue a proclamation forbidding any further opposition on the -part of the populace of London. With the three officers Sir Claude -talked for a quarter of an hour, while into the Mansion House there -entered a strong guard of men of the 2nd Magdeburg, who quickly -established themselves in the most comfortable quarters. German double -sentries stood at every exit and in every corridor, and when a few -minutes later the flag was hauled down and the German Imperial Standard -run up, wild shouts of triumph rang from every throat of the densely -packed body of troops assembled outside.</p> - -<p>The joyous “hurrahs!” reached the Lord Mayor, still in conversation with -Von Kleppen, Von Mirbach, and Frölich, and in an instant he knew the -truth. The Teutons were saluting their own standard. The civic flag had, -either accidentally or purposely, been flung down into the roadway -below, and was trampled in the dust. A hundred enthusiastic Germans, -disregarding the shouts of their officers, fought for the flag, and it -was instantly torn to shreds, and little pieces preserved as souvenirs.</p> - -<p>Shout after shout in German went up from the wildly excited troops of -the Kaiser when the light wind caused their own flag to flutter out, and -then as with one voice the whole body of troops united in singing the -German National Hymn.</p> - -<p>The scene was weird and most impressive. London had fallen.</p> - -<p>Around were the wrecked buildings, some still smouldering, some emitting -flame. Behind lay the Bank of England with untold wealth locked within; -to the right, the damaged façade of the Royal Exchange was illuminated -by the flickering light, which also shone<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_368" id="page_368"></a>{368}</span> upon the piled arms of the -enemy’s troops, causing them to flash and gleam.</p> - -<p>In those silent, narrow City streets not an Englishman was to be seen. -Everyone save the Lord Mayor and his official attendants had fled.</p> - -<p>The Government offices in Whitehall were all in the hands of the enemy. -In the Foreign Office, the India Office, the War Office, the Colonial -Office, the Admiralty and other minor offices were German guards. -Sentries stood at the shattered door of the famous No. 10 Downing -Street, and all up Whitehall was lined with infantry.</p> - -<p>German officers were in charge of all our public offices, and all -officials who had remained on duty were firmly requested to leave. -Sentries were stationed to guard the archives of every department, and -precautions were taken to guard against any further outbreaks of fire.</p> - -<p>Across at the Houses of Parliament, with their damaged towers, the whole -great pile of buildings was surrounded by triumphant troops, while -across at the fine old Abbey of Westminster was, alas! a different -scene. The interior had been turned into a temporary hospital, and upon -matresses placed upon the floor were hundreds of poor maimed creatures, -some groaning, some ghastly pale in the last moments of agony, some -silent, their white lips moving in prayer.</p> - -<p>On one side in the dim light lay the men, some in uniform, others -inoffensive citizens, who had been struck by cruel shells or falling -débris; on the other side lay the women, some mere girls, and even -children.</p> - -<p>Flitting everywhere in the half light were nurses, charitable ladies, -and female helpers, with numbers of doctors, all doing their best to -alleviate the terrible sufferings of that crowded place, the walls of -which showed plain traces of the severe bombardment. In places the roof -was open to the angry sky, while many of the windows were gaunt and -shattered.</p> - -<p>A clergyman’s voice somewhere was repeating a<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_369" id="page_369"></a>{369}</span> prayer in a low, distinct -voice, so that all could hear, yet above all were the sighs and groans -of the sufferers, and as one walked through that prostrate assembly of -victims more than one was seen to have already gone to that land that -lies beyond the human ken.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/i_b_369_lg.png"> -<img src="images/i_b_369_sml.png" width="471" height="546" alt="Image unavailable: DAMAGE DONE in the CITY by the BOMBARDMENT. - -(The shaded portions indicate houses or buildings injured by shells or -fire.)" /></a> -</div> - -<p>The horrors of war were never more forcibly illustrated than in -Westminster Abbey that night, for the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_370" id="page_370"></a>{370}</span> grim hand of Death was there, and -men and women lying with their faces to the roof looked into Eternity.</p> - -<p>Every hospital in London was full, therefore the overflow had been -placed in the various churches. From the battlefields along the northern -defences, Epping, Edmonton, Barnet, Enfield, and other places where the -last desperate stand had been made, and from the barricades in the -northern suburbs ambulance wagons were continually arriving full of -wounded, all of whom were placed in the churches and in any large public -buildings which had remained undamaged by the bombardment.</p> - -<p>St. George’s, Hanover Square, once the scene of many smart weddings, was -now packed with unfortunate wounded soldiers, British and Germans lying -side by side, while in the Westminster Cathedral and the Oratory at -Brompton the Roman Catholic priests made hundreds of poor fellows as -comfortable as they could, many members of the religious sisterhoods -acting as nurses. St. James’s Church in Piccadilly, St. Pancras Church, -Shoreditch Church, and St. Mary Abbotts’, Kensington, were all -improvised hospitals, and many grim and terrible scenes of agony were -witnessed during that long eventful night.</p> - -<p>The light was dim everywhere, for there were only paraffin lamps, and by -their feeble illumination many a difficult operation had to be performed -by those London surgeons who one and all had come forward, and were now -working unceasingly. Renowned specialists from Harley Street, Cavendish -Square, Queen Anne Street, and the vicinity were directing the work in -all the improvised hospitals, men whose names were world-famous kneeling -and performing operations upon poor unfortunate private soldiers or upon -some labourer who had taken up a gun in defence of his home.</p> - -<p>Of lady helpers there were hundreds. From Mayfair and Belgravia, from -Kensington and Bayswater, ladies had come forward offering their -services, and their devotion to the wounded was everywhere apparent. In<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_371" id="page_371"></a>{371}</span> -St. Andrew’s, Wells Street, St. Peter’s, Eaton Square, in the Scottish -Church in Crown Court, Covent Garden, in the Temple Church, in the Union -Chapel in Upper Street, in the Chapel Royal, Savoy, in St. Clement Danes -in the Strand, and in St. Martin’s-in-the-Fields there were wounded in -greater or less numbers, but the difficulties of treating them were -enormous owing to the lack of necessaries for the performance of -operations.</p> - -<p>Weird and striking were the scenes within those hallowed places, as, in -the half darkness with the long, deep shadows, men struggled for life or -gave to the women kneeling at their side their name, their address, or a -last dying message to one they loved.</p> - -<p>London that night was a city of shattered homes, of shattered hopes, of -shattered lives.</p> - -<p>The silence of death had fallen everywhere. The only sounds that broke -the quiet within those churches were the sighs, the groans, and the -faint murmurings of the dying.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_372" id="page_372"></a>{372}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="CHAPTER_VII-b" id="CHAPTER_VII-b"></a>CHAPTER VII<br /><br /> -<small>TWO PERSONAL NARRATIVES</small></h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">Some</span> adequate idea of the individual efforts made by the citizens of -London to defend their homes against the invader may be gathered from -various personal narratives afterwards printed in certain newspapers. -All of them were tragic, thrilling, and struck that strong note of -patriotism which is ever latent in the breast of every Englishman, and -more especially the Londoner.</p> - -<p>The story told to a reporter of the <i>Observer</i> by a young man named -Charles Dale, who in ordinary life was a clerk in the employ of the -Royal Mail Steam Packet Company, in Moorgate Street, depicted, in -graphic details, the frightful conflict. He said:</p> - -<p>“When the Hendon and Cricklewood Rifle Club was formed in 1906 I joined -it, and in a month we had over 500 members. From that time the -club—whose practices were held at the Normal Powder Company’s range, in -Reuter’s Lane, Hendon—increased until it became one of the largest -rifle clubs in the kingdom. As soon as news of the sudden invasion -reached us, we all reported ourselves at headquarters, and out of four -thousand of us there were only thirty-three absentees, all the latter -being too far from London to return. We were formed into small parties, -and, taking our rifles and ammunition, we donned our distinctive khaki -tunics and peaked caps, and each company made its way into Essex -independently, in order to assist the Legion of Frontiersmen and the -Free-shooters to harass the Germans.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_373" id="page_373"></a>{373}</span></p> - -<p>“Three days after the enemy’s landing, I found myself, with seventeen of -my comrades, at a village called Dedham, close to the Stour, where we -opened our campaign by lying in ambush and picking off a number of -German sentries. It was exciting and risky work, especially when, under -cover of darkness, we crept up to the enemy’s outposts and attacked and -harassed them. Assisted by a number of the Frontiersmen, we scoured the -country across to Sudbury, and in that hot, exciting week that followed -dozens of the enemy fell to our guns. We snatched sleep where we could, -concealing ourselves in thickets and begging food from the cottagers, -all of whom gave us whatever they could spare. One morning, when just -outside Wormingford village, we were surprised by a party of Germans. -Whereupon we retired to a barn, and held it strongly for an hour until -the enemy were forced to retire, leaving ten of their number dead and -eight wounded. Ours was a very narrow escape, and had not the enemy been -compelled to fight in the open, we should certainly have been -overwhelmed and exterminated. We were an irregular force, therefore the -Germans would give us no quarter. We carried our lives in our hands -always.</p> - -<p>“War brings with it strange companions. Many queer, adventurous spirits -fought beside us in those breathless days of fire and blood, when Maldon -was attacked by the Colchester garrison, and our gallant troops were -forced back after the battle of Purleigh. Each day that went past -brought out larger numbers of free-shooters from London, while the full -force of the patriotic Legion of Frontiersmen had now concentrated until -the whole country west of the line from Chelmsford to Saffron Walden -seemed swarming with us, and we must have given the enemy great trouble -everywhere. The day following the battle of Royston I had the most -narrow escape. Lying in ambush with eight other men, all members of the -Rifle Club, in College Wood, not far from Buntingford, I was asleep, -being utterly worn out, when we were suddenly discovered<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_374" id="page_374"></a>{374}</span> by a large -party of Uhlans. Two of my comrades were shot dead ere they could fire, -while five others, including one of my best friends, Tom Martin, a clerk -in the National Provincial Bank, who had started with me from Hendon, -were taken prisoners. I managed to dodge the two big Uhlans who -endeavoured to seize me, and into the face of one I fired my revolver, -blowing half his bearded face away. In a moment a German bullet whistled -past me; then another and another; but by marvellous good luck I was not -hit, and managed to escape into the denser part of the wood, where I -climbed a high tree, hiding among the branches, while the Germans below -sought in vain for me. Those moments seemed hours. I could hear my own -heart beat. I knew that they might easily discover me, for the foliage -was not very thick. Indeed, twice one of the search parties passed right -beneath me. Of my other comrade who had fled I had seen nothing. For -three hours I remained concealed there. Once I heard loud shouts and -then sounds of shots close by, and wondered whether any of our comrades, -whom I knew were in the vicinity, had discovered the Germans. Then at -last, just after sundown, I descended and carefully made my way out. For -a long time I wandered about until the dusk was deepening into night, -unable to discover my whereabouts. At last I found myself on the -outskirts of the wood, but hardly had I gone a hundred yards in the open -ere my eyes met a sight that froze my blood. Upon trees in close -proximity to each other were hanging the dead bodies of my five -comrades, including poor Tom Martin. They presented a grim, ghastly -spectacle. The Uhlans had strung them to trees, and afterwards riddled -them with bullets!</p> - -<p>“Gradually, we were driven back upon London. Desperately we fought, each -one of us, and the personal risk of every member of our club, of any -other of the rifle clubs, and of the Frontiersmen, for the matter of -that, was very great. We were insufficient in numbers.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_375" id="page_375"></a>{375}</span> Had we been more -numerous, I maintain that we could have so harassed the enemy that we -could have held him in check for many months. With the few thousands of -men we have we made it extremely uncomfortable for Von Kronhelm and his -forces. Had our number been greater we could have operated more in -unison with the British regular arms, and formed a line of defence -around London so complete that it could never have been broken. As it -was, however, when driven in, we were compelled to take a stand in -manning the forts and entrenchments of the London lines, I finding -myself in a hastily constructed trench not far from Enfield. While -engaged there with the enemy, a bullet took away the little finger of my -left hand, causing me excruciating pain, but it fortunately did not -place me hors-de-combat. Standing beside me was a costermonger from -Leman Street, Whitechapel, who had once been in the Militia, while next -him was a country squire from Hampshire, who was a good shot at grouse, -but who had never before handled a military rifle. In that narrow trench -in which we stood beneath the rain of German bullets we were of a verity -a strange, incongruous crowd, dirty, unkempt, unshaven, more than one of -us wearing hastily applied bandages upon places where we had received -injury. I had never faced death like that before, and I tell you it was -a weird and strange experience. Every man among us knit his brows, -loaded and fired, without speaking a word, except, perhaps, to ejaculate -a curse upon those who threatened to overwhelm us and capture our -capital.</p> - -<p>“At last, though we fought valiantly—three men beside me having fallen -dead through injudiciously showing themselves above the earthworks—we -were compelled to evacuate our position. Then followed a terrible -guerilla warfare as, driven in across by Southgate to Finchley, we fell -back south upon London itself. The enemy, victorious, were following -upon the heels of our routed army, and it was seen that our last stand -must be made at the barricades, which, we heard, had<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_376" id="page_376"></a>{376}</span> in our absence -been erected in all the main roads leading in from the Northern Heights.</p> - -<p>“On Hampstead Heath I found about a dozen or so of my comrades, whom I -had not seen since I had left Hendon, and heard from them that they had -been operating in Norfolk against the German Guards, who had landed at -King’s Lynn. With them I went through Hampstead and down Haverstock Hill -to the great barricade that had been erected across that thoroughfare -and Prince of Wales Road. It was a huge, ugly structure, built of every -conceivable article—overturned tramcars, furniture, paving stones, -pianos, wardrobes, scaffold boards, in fact everything and anything that -came handiest—while intertwined everywhere were hundreds of yards of -barbed wire. A small space had been left at the junction of the two -roads in order to allow people to enter, while on the top a big Union -Jack waved in the light breeze. In all the neighbouring houses I saw men -with rifles, while from one house pointed the menacing muzzle of a -Maxim, commanding the greater part of Haverstock Hill. There seemed also -to be other barricades in the smaller roads in the vicinity. But the one -at which I had been stationed was certainly a most formidable obstacle. -All sorts and conditions of men manned it. Women, too, were there, -fierce-eyed, towsled-haired women, who in their fury seemed to have -become half savage. Men shouted themselves hoarse, encouraging the armed -citizens to fight till death. But from the determined look upon their -faces no incentive was needed. They meant, every one of them, to bear -their part bravely, when the moment came.</p> - -<p>“ ‘We’ve been here three whole days awaiting the enemy,’ one man said to -me, a dark-haired, bearded City man in a serge suit, who carried his -rifle slung upon his shoulder.</p> - -<p>“ ‘They’ll be ’ere soon enough now, cockie,’ remarked a Londoner of the -lower class from Notting Dale. ‘There’ll be fightin’ ’ere before long, -depend on’t. This<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_377" id="page_377"></a>{377}</span></p> - -<div class="bbox"> - -<p class="c"> -<img src="images/i_b_377.jpg" -width="185" -height="51" -alt="Image unavailable" -/></p> - -<p class="c"><b><big>COUNTY OF LONDON.</big></b></p> - -<p class="cb">———</p> - -<p class="c"><big><big><b>LOOTING, HOUSEBREAKING, AND</b><br /> -<b>OTHER OFFENCES.</b></big></big></p> - -<p class="cb">———</p> - -<p class="c"><big><b>TAKE NOTICE.</b></big></p> - -<p>(1) That any person, whether soldier or civilian, who enters any -premises whatsoever for the purposes of loot; or is found with loot -in his possession; or who commits any theft within the meaning of -the Act; or is guilty of theft from the person, or robbery, with or -without violence; or wilfully damages property; or compels by threats -any person to disclose the whereabouts of valuables, or who demands -money by menaces; or enters upon any private premises, viz. house, -shop, warehouse, office, or factory, without just or reasonable cause, -will be at once arrested and tried by military court-martial, and be -liable to penal servitude for a period not to exceed twenty years.</p> - -<p>(2) That from this date all magistrates at the Metropolitan Police -Courts will be superseded by military officers empowered to deal and -adjudicate upon all offences in contravention to law.</p> - -<p>(3) That the chief Military Court-martial is established at the -Metropolitan Police Court at Bow Street.</p> - -<p class="r"><b>FRANCIS BAMFORD, General,<br /> -Military Governor of London.</b></p> - -<p class="hang"> -Governor’s Headquarters,<br /> -New Scotland Yard, S.W.,<br /> -<i>September 19th, 1910</i>.</p> - -</div> - -<p class="c"> -THE ABOVE PROCLAMATION WAS POSTED ALL OVER THE<br /> -METROPOLIS ON THE DAY PRIOR TO THE BOMBARDMENT.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_378" id="page_378"></a>{378}</span><br /> -</p> - -<p class="nind">is more excitin’ sport than Kempton Park, ain’t it—eh?’</p> - -<p>“That man was right, for a few hours later, when Von Kronhelm appeared -upon Hampstead Heath and launched his infantry upon London, our -barricade became a perfect hell. I was on the roof of a house close by, -lying full length behind a sheltering chimney-stack, and firing upon the -advancing troops for all I was worth. From every window in the vicinity -we poured forth a veritable rain of death upon the Germans, while our -Maxim spat fire incessantly, and the men at the barricade kept up a -splendid fusillade. Ere long Haverstock Hill became a perfect inferno. -Perched up where I was, I commanded a wide view of all that was in -progress. Again and again the Germans were launched to the assault, but -such a withering fire did we keep up that we held them constantly in -check. Our Maxim served us admirably, for ever and anon it cut a lane in -the great wall of advancing troops, until the whole roadway was covered -with dead and maimed Germans. To my own gun many fell, as to those of my -valiant comrades, for every one of us had sworn that the enemy should -never enter London if we could prevent it.</p> - -<p>“I saw a woman with her hair dishevelled deliberately mount to the top -of the barricade and wave a small Union Jack; but next instant she paid -for her folly with her life, and fell back dead upon the roadway below. -If the enemy lost heavily, we did not altogether escape. At the -barricade and in the houses in the immediate vicinity there were a -number of dead and a quantity of wounded, the latter being carried away -and tended to by a number of devoted ladies from Fitzjohn’s Avenue, and -the more select thoroughfares in the neighbourhood. Local surgeons were -also there, working unceasingly. For fully an hour the frightful -conflict continued. The Germans were dogged in their perseverance, while -we were equally active in our desperate resistance. The conflict was -awful. The<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_379" id="page_379"></a>{379}</span> scenes in the streets below me now were beyond description. -In High Street, Hampstead, a number of shops had been set on fire and -were burning; while above the din, the shouts and the crackle of the -rifles, there was now and then heard the deep boom of field guns away in -the distance.</p> - -<p>“We had received information that Von Kronhelm himself was quite near -us, up at Jack Straw’s Castle, and more than one of us only wished he -would show himself in Haverstock Hill, and thus allow us a chance of -taking a pot-shot at him.</p> - -<p>“Suddenly the enemy retreated back up Roslyn Hill, and we cheered loudly -at what we thought was our victory. Alas! our triumph was not of long -duration. I had descended from my position on the roof, and was walking -at rear of the barricade, where the pavement and roadway were slippery -with blood, when of a sudden the big guns, which it seemed had now been -planted on Hampstead Heath, gave tongue, and a shot passed high above us -far south into London. In a moment a dozen other guns roared, and within -ten minutes we found ourselves beneath a perfect hail of high explosive -projectiles, though being so near the guns we were comparatively safe. -Most of us sought shelter in the neighbouring houses. No enemy was in -sight, for they had now gathered up their wounded and retired back up to -Hampstead. Their dead they left scattered over the roadway, a grim, -awful sight on that bright, sunny morning.</p> - -<p>“ ‘They’re surely not going to bombard a defenceless city?’ cried a man -to me—a man whom I recognised as a neighbour of mine at Hendon. ‘It’s -against all the rules of war.’</p> - -<p>“ ‘They are bombarding London because of our defence,’ I said, and -scarcely were those words out of my mouth when there was a bright red -flash, a loud report, and the whole front of a neighbouring house was -torn out into the roadway, while my friend and myself reeled by force of -the terrific<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_380" id="page_380"></a>{380}</span> explosion. Two men standing near us had been blown to -atoms.</p> - -<p>“Some of the women about us now became panic-stricken. But the men were -mostly cool and determined, standing within the shelter walls of the -houses, down areas, or in coal cellers beneath the street. Thus for over -three hours we waited under fire, not knowing from one moment to another -whether a shell might not fall among us.</p> - -<p>“Suddenly our fears were increased, when, soon after four o’clock, the -Germans again appeared in Haverstock Hill, this time with artillery, -which, notwithstanding the heavy fire we instantly directed upon them, -they established in such a position as to completely command our -hastily-constructed defences. The fire from Hampstead Heath was -slackening when suddenly one of those guns before us on Haverstock Hill -sent a shell right into the centre of our barricade. The explosion was -awful. The whole front of the house in which I was fell out into the -roadway, while a dozen heroic men were blown out of all recognition, and -a great breach made in the obstruction. Another shell, another and -another, struck in our midst, utterly disorganising our defence, and -each time making great breaches in our huge barricade. Neither Maxim nor -rifle was of any use against those awful shells.</p> - -<p>“I stood in the wrecked room covered with dust and blood, wondering what -the end was to be. To fire my rifle in that moment was useless. Not only -did the German artillery train their guns upon the barricade, but on the -houses which we had placed in a state of defence. They pounded away at -them, and in a few minutes had reduced several to ruins, burying in the -débris the gallant Londoners defending them. The house upon the roof of -which I had, earlier in the day, taken up my position, was struck by two -shells in rapid succession, and simply demolished, over forty brave men -losing their lives in the terrible catastrophe.</p> - -<p>“Again the enemy, after wrecking our defences,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_381" id="page_381"></a>{381}</span> retired smartly up the -hill as the terrible bombardment of London ceased. Our losses in the -shelling of the barricade had been terrible. The roadway behind us was -strewn with dead and dying, and with others I helped to bandage the -wounded and remove them to private houses in the Adelaide and King -Henry’s Roads, where the doctors were attending to their injuries. In -Haverstock Hill lay the bodies of many women, more than one with a -revolver still grasped in her stiffened hand. Ah! the scenes at that -barricade defy description. They were awful. The pavements were like -those of slaughter-houses and the whole road to beyond the Adelaide had -been utterly wrecked, there being not a single house intact.</p> - -<p>“And yet we rallied. Reinforcements came up from the direction of -Regent’s Park—a great, unorganised crowd of armed men and women, doubly -enraged by the cruel bombardment and the burning of their homes. With -these reinforcements we resolved to still hold the débris of our -barricade—to still dispute the advance of the invader, knowing that one -division must certainly come down that road. So we reorganised our force -and waited—waited while the sun sank with its crimson afterglow and -darkness crept on, watching the red fires of London reflected upon the -night sky, and wondering each one of us what was to be our fate.</p> - -<p>“For hours we waited there, until the Kaiser’s legions came upon us, -sweeping down Roslyn Hill to where we were still making a last stand. -Though the street lamps were unlit, we saw them advancing by the angry -glare of the fires of London, while we, too, were full in the light, and -a mark for them. They fired upon us, and we returned their fusillade. We -stood man to man, concealed behind the débris wherever we could get -shelter from the rain of lead they poured upon us. They advanced by -rushes, taking our position by storm. I was in the roadway, concealed -behind an overturned tramcar, into the woodwork of which bullets were -constantly imbedding themselves. The man next<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_382" id="page_382"></a>{382}</span> me fell backward—dead, -without a word. But I kept on, well knowing that in the end we must give -way. Those well-equipped hordes of the Kaiser I saw before me were, I -knew, the conquerors of London. Yet we fought on valiantly for King and -country—fought even when we came hand to hand. I shot a standard-bearer -dead, but in an instant another took his place. For a second the German -standard was trampled in the dust, but next moment it was aloft again, -amid the ringing cheers of the conquerors. Again I fired, again, and yet -again, as fast as I could reload, when of a sudden I knew that we were -defeated, for our fire had slackened, and the Germans ran in past me. I -turned, and as I did so I faced a big, burly fellow with a revolver. I -put my hand to my own, but ere I could get it out a light flashed full -in my face, and then I knew no more. When I recovered consciousness I -found myself in the North-West London Hospital, in Kentish Town Road, -with my head bandaged, and a nurse looking gravely into my face.</p> - -<p>“And that is very briefly my story of how I fared during the terrible -siege of London. I could tell you of many and many horrible scenes, of -ruthless loss of life, and of women and children the innocent victims of -those bloody engagements. But why should I? The horrors of the war are -surely known to you, alas, only too well—far too well.”</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>Another narrative of great interest as showing the aspect of London -immediately following its occupation by the Germans was that of a -middle-aged linotype operator named James Jellicoe, employed on the -<i>Weekly Dispatch</i>, who made the following statement to a reporter of the -<i>Evening News</i>. It was published in the last edition of that journal -prior to the suppression of the entire London Press by Von Kronhelm. He -said:</p> - -<p>“When the barricades in North London had been<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_383" id="page_383"></a>{383}</span> stormed by the Germans, -and they had fought their way down to Oxford Street and Holborn, I -chanced to be in Farringdon Street. Right through the bombardment during -the whole afternoon we compositors on the <i>Mail</i>, the <i>Evening News</i>, -and the <i>Dispatch</i> were compelled to work, and it had been a most -exciting time, I can tell you. We didn’t know from one moment to another -when a shell might fall through the roof among us. Two or three places -in Whitefriars were struck, and <i>Answers’</i> office in Tudor Street had -been burned out. I had left work at eleven and gone to meet my boy -Frank, who is on the <i>Star</i> in Stonecutter Street, intending to take him -home to Kennington Park Road, where I live, when I first caught sight of -the Germans. They were passing over the Viaduct, marching towards the -City, while some of them ran down the steps into the Farringdon Road, -ranging themselves along beneath the Viaduct as guards, in order to -protect it, I suppose. They seemed a tall, sturdy, well-equipped body of -men, and entirely surprised me, as they did the other people about me, -who now saw them for the first time. I had been setting up ‘copy’ about -the enemy for the past ten days or so, but had never imagined them to be -such a sturdy race as they really were. There was no disorder among -them. They obeyed the German words of command just like machines, while -up above them marched battalion after battalion of infantry, and troop -after troop of clattering cavalry, away to Newgate Street and the City.</p> - -<p>“I heard it said that the Lord Mayor had already been taken a prisoner, -and that the streets of the City proper were swarming with Germans. A -quarter of an hour later I called for my boy, and together we made our -way back along New Bridge Street to Blackfriars Bridge, when, to my -amazement, I found such a great press of people flying south that many -helpless women and children were being crushed to death. There was a -frightful scene, illuminated by the red glare of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_384" id="page_384"></a>{384}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/i_b_384_lg.png"> -<img src="images/i_b_384_sml.png" width="454" height="548" alt="Image unavailable: damage done in WESTMINSTER by the BOMBARDMENT. - -The shaded portions indicate houses or buildings injured by shells or -fire." /></a> -</div> - -<p class="nind">flames devouring St. Paul’s Station. The railway bridge was thus cut -off, otherwise it might have considerably relieved the frantic traffic. -After half a dozen futile attempts to get across—for it seemed that -there were two human tides meeting there, persons desirous of -re-entering London after the bombardment, and those flying in terror -from the enemy—I resolved to abandon<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_385" id="page_385"></a>{385}</span> it. Therefore, with my boy Frank, -I walked along the Embankment until I got close to Waterloo Bridge, -when, as I approached the great single arch that spans the roadway, I -noticed a boat containing three men shoot out into the river from -beneath the wall, close to where we were walking. It slipped silently -beneath the shadow of the second arch, where there was some scaffolding, -the fine old bridge being under repair.</p> - -<p>“The bridge above was just as crowded as that at Blackfriars, the throng -struggling both ways, meeting and fighting among themselves for the -mastery. In those frantic efforts to cross the river, men and women had -their clothes literally torn from their backs. The men were demons in -that hour of terror; the women became veritable furies. On the -Embankment where I stood in the shadow, however, there were few persons. -The great fires in the Strand threw their reflection upon the surface of -the water, but the Savoy, Somerset House, and the Cecil also threw great -black shadows. The mysterious movements of the three men beneath the -bridge attracted me. They had rowed so suddenly out just as we passed -that they startled me, and now my curiosity became aroused. Concealed in -the deep shadow I leaned over the parapet, and watching saw them make -fast the boat to the scaffold platform on a level with the water, and -then one man, clinging to the ladder, clambered up into the centre of -the arch beneath the roadway. I could not distinctly see what he was -doing, for he was hidden among the scaffolding and in the darkness.</p> - -<p>“Presently a second man from the boat swung himself upon the ladder and -ascended to his companion on the platform above. I could distinguish -them standing together, apparently in consultation. Close to me was the -pier of the Thames Police, and both of us slipped down there, but found -nobody in charge. The police, Metropolitan, City, and Thames, were all -engaged in the streets on that memorable night. Nevertheless,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_386" id="page_386"></a>{386}</span> the trio -beneath the bridge were acting suspiciously. What could we do? German -secret agents had committed many outrages during the past ten days, more -especially in blowing up bridges and wrecking public buildings with -bombs, in order to disorganise any attempt at resistance, and strike -terror into the hearts of Londoners. A bomb had been exploded on the -terrace of the House of Commons two days before, causing great havoc, -while the entrance hall of the Admiralty had also been wrecked. Penge -tunnel had, by explosives, been rendered impassable, and an attempt in -the tunnel at Merstham had very nearly been successful. Were these -suspicious men engaged in the dastardly act of blowing up Waterloo -Bridge?</p> - -<p>“It suddenly struck me that it might be part of Von Kronhelm’s scheme to -blow up certain of the bridges in order to prevent those who had fled -south from returning and harassing his troops, or else he wished to keep -the inhabitants remaining north of the Thames, and prevent them from -escaping. As I stood upon the police pier I saw the two men high upon -the scaffold motion to the third man, still in the boat, when, after a -few moments the last-named individual left the boat, carrying something -very carefully, an object looking like a long iron cylinder, and slowly -made his way up the perpendicular ladder to where the pair were standing -right beneath the crown of the huge arch.</p> - -<p>“Then I knew that they were Germans, and realised their foul intention. -A few feet above them hundreds were fighting and struggling, all -unconscious of that frightful explosive they were affixing to the arch. -What could I do? To warn the crowd above was impossible. I was far -below, and my voice would not be heard above the din.</p> - -<p>“ ‘What are those fellows doing, do you think, father?’ inquired my boy, -with curiosity.</p> - -<p>“ ‘Doing?’ I cried. ‘Why, they’re going to blow up the bridge! And we -must save it. But how?’<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_387" id="page_387"></a>{387}</span></p> - -<p>“I looked around, but there was unfortunately no one in the immediate -vicinity. I had no weapon, but the fellows were no doubt armed and -desperate. Into the dark police office I peered, but could see nothing. -Then suddenly an idea occurred to me. If I raised the alarm at that -moment, they would certainly escape. Both Frank and I could row, -therefore I sprang into the police boat at the pier, unmoored her, and -urged my son to take an oar with me. In less time than it takes to -relate we had pulled across into the shadow of the big arch, and were -alongside the empty boat of the conspirators.</p> - -<p>“ ‘Row away for your life!’ I cried to Frank, as I sprang into the other -boat. Then taking out my knife I cut her adrift in an instant and pulled -out hard with the tide towards Cleopatra’s Needle, while Frank, grasping -my intention, shot away towards the Surrey bank. Scarce had I taken out -my knife to sever the cord, however, than the three men above noticed me -and shouted down in broken English. Indeed, as I pulled off there was -the sharp crack of a revolver above me, and I think I narrowly escaped -being winged. Nevertheless, I had caught the three blackguards in a -trap. The explosive had already been fixed to the crown of the arch, but -if they lit the fuse they must themselves be blown to atoms.</p> - -<p>“I could hear their shouts and curses from where I rested upon my oars, -undecided how to act. If I could only have found at that moment a couple -of those brave ‘Frontiersmen’ or ‘Britons,’ or members of rifle clubs, -who had been such trouble to the enemy out in Essex! There were hundreds -upon hundreds of them in London, but they were in the streets still -harassing the Germans wherever they could. I rested on my oars in full -view of the spies, but beyond revolver range, mounting guard upon them, -as it were. They might, after all, decide to carry out their evil -design, for if they were good swimmers they might ignite the fuse and -then dive into the water, trusting to luck to<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_388" id="page_388"></a>{388}</span> get to the steps around -Cleopatra’s Needle. Would they dare do this?</p> - -<p>“They kept shouting to me, waving their hands excitedly; but I could not -distinguish what they said, so great was the din on the bridge above. -Frank had disappeared. Whither he had gone I knew not. He had, however, -seen the revolver fired at me, and recognising what was taking place -would, I felt certain, seek assistance. One of the men descending the -ladder to the water, shouted again to me, waving his hand frantically -and pointing upward. From this I concluded that he intended to convey -that the time-fuse was already ignited and they were begging for their -lives to be saved. Such men are always cowards at the supreme moment -when they must face death. I saw the fellow’s pale, black-bearded face -in the shadow, and an evil, murderous countenance it was, I assure you. -But to his shouts, his threats, his frantic appeals I made no response. -I had caught all three of them, and paused there triumphant. Would Frank -ever return? Suddenly, however, I saw a boat in the full light out in -the centre of the river, crossing in my direction, and hailed it -frantically. The answering shout was my boy’s, and as he drew nearer I -saw that with him were four men armed with rifles. They were evidently -four Freeshooters who had been in the roadway above to hold the bridge -against the enemy’s advance!</p> - -<p>“With swift strokes of the oars Frank brought the police boat up -alongside mine, and in a few brief sentences I explained the situation -and pointed to the three conspirators.</p> - -<p>“ ‘Let’s shoot them from where we are!’ urged one of the men, who wore -the little bronze badge of a Frontiersman, and without further word he -raised his rifle and let fly at the man clinging to the ladder. The -first shot went wide, but the second hit, for with a cry the fellow -released his hold and fell back into the dark tide, his lifeless body -being carried in our direction.</p> - -<p>“The other three men in the boat, members of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_389" id="page_389"></a>{389}</span> Southfields (Putney) -Rifle Club, opened a hail of fire upon the pair hidden in the -scaffolding above. It was a dangerous proceeding, for had a stray bullet -struck that case full of explosives, we should have been all blown to -atoms in an instant. Several times all four emptied their magazines into -that semicircular opening, but to no effect. The fusilade from the river -quickly attracted the attention of those above, to whom the affair was a -complete mystery. One rifleman upon the bridge, thinking we were the -enemy, actually opened fire upon us; but we shouted who we were, and -that spies were concealed below, whereupon he at once desisted.</p> - -<p>“A dozen times our party fired, when at last one man’s dark body fell -heavily into the stream with a loud splash; and about a minute later the -third fell backwards, and the rolling river closed over him. All three -had thus met with their well-merited deserts.</p> - -<p>“ ‘I wonder if they’ve lit the fuse?’ suggested one Frontiersman. ‘Let’s -go nearer.’</p> - -<p>“We both rowed forward beneath the arch, when, to our horror, we all saw -straight above us, right under the crown, a faint red glow. A fuse was -burning there!</p> - -<p>“ ‘Quick!’ cried one of the sharpshooters. ‘There’s not an instant to -spare. Land me at the ladder, and then row away for your lives. I’ll go -and put it out if there’s yet time.’</p> - -<p>“In a moment Frank had turned the bow of the boat, and the gallant -fellow had run nimbly up the ladder as he sheered off again. We saw him -up upon the scaffolding. We watched him struggling to get the iron -cylinder free from the wire with which it was bound against the stone. -He tugged and tugged, but in vain. At any instant the thing might -explode and cause the death of hundreds, including ourselves. At last, -however, something suddenly fell with a big splash into the stream. Then -we sent up a ringing cheer.</p> - -<p>“Waterloo Bridge was saved!<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_390" id="page_390"></a>{390}</span></p> - -<p>“People on the bridge above shouted down to us, asking what we were -doing, but we were too occupied to reply, and as the man who had so -gallantly risked his life to save the grand old bridge from destruction -regained the boat we pulled away back to the police pier. Hardly had we -got ashore when we distinctly saw a bright red flash beneath the -Hungerford railway bridge, followed by a terrific explosion, as part of -the massive iron structure fell into the river, a tangled mass of -girders. All of us chanced to have our faces turned towards Charing -Cross at that moment, and so great was the explosion that we distinctly -felt the concussion. The dastardly work was, like the attempt we had -just foiled, that of German spies, acting under orders to cause a series -of explosions at the time of the entry of the troops into London, thus -to increase the terror in the hearts of the populace. But instead of -terrifying them it only irritated them. Such wanton destruction was both -unpardonable and inconceivable, for it seemed most probable that the -Germans would now require the South-Eastern Railway for strategic -purposes. And yet their spies had destroyed the bridge.</p> - -<p>“With the men who had shot the three Germans and my lad Frank I ascended -to Waterloo Bridge by the steps from the Embankment, and there we fought -our way through the entrance of the huge barricade that had been hastily -erected. The riflemen who had so readily responded to Frank’s alarm -explained to us that they and their companions, aided by a thousand -armed civilians of all kinds, intended to hold the bridge in case the -enemy attempted to come southward upon the Surrey side. They told us -also that all the bridges were being similarly held by those who had -survived the terrible onslaught upon the barricades in the northern -suburbs. The Germans were already in the City, the Lord Mayor was a -prisoner, and the German flag was flying in the smoke above the War -Office, upon the National Gallery, and other buildings. Of all this we -were aware, and from the aspect of those fierce, determined<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_391" id="page_391"></a>{391}</span>-looking men -around us we knew that if the enemy’s hordes attempted to storm the -bridges they would meet with a decidedly warm reception.</p> - -<p>“Behind the bridge the multitude pressed on both ways, so that we were -stopped close behind the barricade, where I found myself held tightly -beside a neat-looking little Maxim, manned by four men in different -military uniforms—evidently survivors from the disaster at Epping or at -Enfield. This was not the only machine gun, for there were, I saw, four -others, so placed that they commanded the whole of Wellington Street, -the entrances to the Strand and up to Bow Street. The great crowd in the -open space before Somerset House were struggling to get upon the bridge; -but news having been brought of bodies of the enemy moving along the -Strand from Trafalgar Square, the narrow entrance was quickly blocked up -by paving-stones and iron railings, torn up from before some houses in -the vicinity.</p> - -<p>“We had not long to wait. The people left in Wellington Street, finding -their retreat cut off, turned back into the Strand or descended the -steps to the Embankment, and so had nearly all dispersed, when, of a -sudden, a large body of the enemy’s infantry swept round from the -Strand, and came full upon the barricade. Next second our Maxims spat -their deadly fire with a loud rattle and din, and about me on every hand -men were shooting. I waited to see the awful effect of our rain of lead -upon the Germans. Hundreds dropped, but hundreds still seemed to take -their place. I saw them place a field-gun in position at the corner of -the Strand, and then I recognised their intention to shell us. So, being -unarmed and a non-combatant, I fled with my son towards my own home in -the Kennington Park Road. I had not, however, got across the bridge -before shells began to explode against the barricade, blowing it and -several of our gallant men to atoms. Once behind I glanced, and saw too -plainly that the attempt to hold the bridge was utterly hopeless. There -were not sufficient riflemen. Then we both ran on—to save our lives. -And<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_392" id="page_392"></a>{392}</span> you know the rest—ruin, disaster, and death reigned in London that -night. Our men fought for their lives and homes, but the Germans, -angered at our resistance, gave no quarter to those not in uniform. Ah! -the slaughter was awful.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_393" id="page_393"></a>{393}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="CHAPTER_VIII-b" id="CHAPTER_VIII-b"></a>CHAPTER VIII<br /><br /> -<small>GERMANS SACKING THE BANKS</small></h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">Day</span> dawned dismally and wet on September the 21st.</p> - -<p>Over London the sky was still obscured by the smoke-pall, though as the -night passed many of the raging fires had spent themselves.</p> - -<p>Trafalgar Square was filled with troops, who had piled arms and were -standing at their ease. The men were laughing and smoking, enjoying a -rest after the last forward movement and the street fighting of that -night of horrors.</p> - -<p>The losses on both sides during the past three days had been enormous; -of the number of London citizens killed and wounded it was impossible to -calculate. There had, in the northern suburbs, been wholesale butchery -everywhere, so gallantly had the barricades been defended.</p> - -<p>Great camps had now been formed in Hyde Park, in the Green Park between -Constitution Hill and Piccadilly, and in St. James’s Park. The Magdeburg -Fusiliers were being formed up on the Horse Guards Parade, and from the -flagstaff there now fluttered the ensign of the commander of an army -corps in place of the British flag. A large number of Uhlans and -Cuirassiers were encamped at the west end of the Park, opposite -Buckingham Palace, and both the Wellington Barracks and the Cavalry -Barracks at Knightsbridge were occupied by Germans.</p> - -<p>Many officers were already billeted in the Savoy, the Cecil, the -Carlton, the Grand, and Victoria hotels,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_394" id="page_394"></a>{394}</span> while the British Museum, the -National Gallery, the South Kensington Museum, the Tower, and a number -of other collections of pictures and antiques were all guarded strongly -by German sentries. The enemy had thus seized our national treasures.</p> - -<p>London awoke to find herself a German city.</p> - -<p>In the streets lounging groups of travel-worn sons of the Fatherland -were everywhere, and German was heard on every hand. Every ounce of -foodstuff was being rapidly commandeered by hundreds of foraging -parties, who went to each grocer’s, baker’s, or provision shop in the -various districts, seized all they could find, valued it, and gave -official receipts for it.</p> - -<p>The price of food in London that morning was absolutely prohibitive, as -much as two shillings being asked for a twopenny loaf. The Germans had, -it was afterwards discovered, been all the time, since the Sunday when -they landed, running over large cargoes of supplies of all sorts to the -Essex, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk coasts, where they had established huge -supply bases, well knowing that there was not sufficient food in the -country to feed their armed hordes in addition to the population.</p> - -<p>Shops in Tottenham Court Road, Holborn, Edgeware Road, Oxford Street, -Camden Road, and Harrow Road were systematically visited by the foraging -parties, who commenced their work at dawn. Those places that were closed -and their owners absent were at once broken open, and everything seized -and carted to either Hyde Park or St. James’s Park, for though Londoners -might starve, the Kaiser’s troops intended to be fed.</p> - -<p>In some cases a patriotic shopkeeper attempted to resist. Indeed, in -more than one case a tradesman wilfully set his shop on fire rather than -its contents should fall into the enemy’s hands. In other cases the -tradesmen who received the official German receipts burned them in -contempt before the officer’s eyes.</p> - -<p>The guidance of these foraging parties was, in very many cases, in the -hands of Germans in civilian clothes,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_395" id="page_395"></a>{395}</span> and it was now seen how complete -and helpful the enemy’s system of espionage had been in London. Most of -these men were Germans who, having served in the army, had come over to -England and obtained employment as waiters, clerks, bakers, -hairdressers, and private servants, and being bound by their oath to the -Fatherland had served their country as spies. Each man, when obeying the -Imperial command to join the German arms, had placed in the lapel of his -coat a button of a peculiar shape, with which he had long ago been -provided, and by which he was instantly recognised as a loyal subject of -the Kaiser.</p> - -<p>This huge body of German solders, who for years had passed in England as -civilians, was, of course, of enormous use to Von Kronhelm, for they -acted as guides not only on the march and during the entry to London, -but materially assisted in the victorious advance in the Midlands. -Indeed, the Germans had for years kept a civilian army in England, and -yet we had, ostrich-like, buried our heads in the sand and refused to -turn our eyes to the grave peril that had for so long threatened.</p> - -<p>Systematically, the Germans were visiting every shop and warehouse in -the shopping districts, and seizing everything eatable they could -discover. The enemy were taking the food from the mouths of the poor in -East and South London, and as they went southward across the river, so -the populace retired, leaving their homes at the mercy of the ruthless -invader.</p> - -<p>Upon all the bridges across the Thames stood German guards, and none -were allowed to cross either way without permits.</p> - -<p>Soon after dawn Von Kronhelm and his staff rode down Haverstock Hill -with a large body of cavalry, and made his formal entry into London, -first having an interview with the Lord Mayor, and an hour afterwards -establishing his headquarters at the new War Office in Whitehall, over -which he hoisted his special flag as Commander-in-Chief. It was found -that, though a<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_396" id="page_396"></a>{396}</span> good deal of damage had been done externally to the -building, the interior had practically escaped, save one or two rooms. -Therefore, the Field-Marshal installed himself in the private room of -the War Minister, and telegraphic and telephonic communication was -quickly established, while a wireless telegraph apparatus was placed -upon the ruined summit of Big Ben for the purpose of communicating with -Germany, in case the cables were interrupted by being cut at sea.</p> - -<p>The day after the landing a similar apparatus had been erected on the -Monument at Yarmouth, and it had been daily in communication with the -one at Bremen. The Germans left nothing to chance. They were always -prepared for every emergency.</p> - -<p>The clubs in Pall Mall were now being used by German officers, who -lounged in easy-chairs, smoking and taking their ease, German soldiers -being on guard outside. North of the Thames seemed practically deserted, -save for the invaders, who swarmed everywhere. South of the Thames the -cowed and terrified populace were asking what the end was to be. What -was the Government doing? It had fled to Bristol and left London to its -fate, they complained.</p> - -<p>What the German demands were was not known until midday, when the -<i>Evening News</i> published an interview with Sir Claude Harrison, the Lord -Mayor, which gave authentic details of them.</p> - -<p>They were as follows:—</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p class="hang">1. <i>Indemnity of £300,000,000, paid in ten annual instalments.</i></p> - -<p class="hang">2. <i>Until this indemnity is paid in full, German troops to occupy -Edinburgh, Rosyth, Chatham, Dover, Portsmouth, Devonport, Pembroke, -Yarmouth, Hull.</i></p> - -<p class="hang">3. <i>Cession to Germany of the Shetlands, Orkneys, Bantry Bay, -Malta, Gibraltar, and Tasmania.</i></p> - -<p class="hang">4. <i>India, north of a line drawn from Calcutta to Baroda, to be -ceded to Russia.</i></p> - -<p class="hang">5. <i>The independence of Ireland to be recognised.</i></p></div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_397" id="page_397"></a>{397}</span></p> - -<p>Of the claim of £300,000,000, fifty millions was demanded from London, -the sum in question to be paid within twelve hours.</p> - -<p>The Lord Mayor had, it appeared, sent his secretary to the Prime -Minister at Bristol bearing the original document in the handwriting of -Von Kronhelm. The Prime Minister had acknowledged its receipt by -telegraph both to the Lord Mayor and to the German Field-Marshal, but -there the matter had ended.</p> - -<p>The twelve hours’ grace was nearly up, and the German Commander, seated -in Whitehall, had received no reply.</p> - -<p>In the corner of the large, pleasant, well-carpeted room sat a German -telegraph engineer with a portable instrument, in direct communication -with the Emperor’s private cabinet at Potsdam, and over that wire, -messages were continually passing and repassing.</p> - -<p>The grizzled old soldier paced the room impatiently. His Emperor had -only an hour ago sent him a message of warm congratulation, and had -privately informed him of the high honours he intended to bestow upon -him. The German Eagle was victorious, and London—the great, -unconquerable London—lay crushed, torn, and broken.</p> - -<p>The marble clock upon the mantelshelf chimed eleven upon its silvery -bells, causing Von Kronhelm to turn from the window to glance at his own -watch.</p> - -<p>“Tell His Majesty that it is eleven o’clock, and that there is no reply -to hand,” he said sharply in German to the man in uniform seated at the -table in the corner.</p> - -<p>The instrument clicked rapidly, and a silence followed.</p> - -<p>The German Commander waited anxiously. He stood bending slightly over -the green tape in order to read the Imperial order the instant it -flashed from beneath the sea.</p> - -<p>Five minutes—ten minutes passed. The shouting of military commands in -German came up from Whitehall below. Nothing else broke the quiet.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_398" id="page_398"></a>{398}</span></p> - -<p>Von Kronhelm, his face more furrowed and more serious, again paced the -carpet.</p> - -<p>Suddenly the little instrument whirred and clicked as its thin green -tape rolled out.</p> - -<p>In an instant the Generalissimo of the Kaiser’s army sprang to the -telegraphist’s side, and read the Imperial command.</p> - -<p>For a moment he held the piece of tape between his fingers, then crushed -it in his hand and stood motionless.</p> - -<p>He had received orders which, though against his desire, he was -compelled to obey.</p> - -<p>Summoning several members of his staff who had installed themselves in -other comfortable rooms in the vicinity, he held a long consultation -with them.</p> - -<p>In the meantime telegraphic despatches were received from Sheffield, -Manchester, Birmingham, and other German headquarters, all telling the -same story—the complete investment and occupation of the big cities and -the pacification of the inhabitants.</p> - -<p>One hour’s grace was, however, allowed to London—till noon.</p> - -<p>Then orders were issued, bugles rang out across the parks, and in the -main thoroughfares, where arms were piled, causing the troops to fall -in, and within a quarter of an hour large bodies of infantry and -engineers were moving along the Strand, in the direction of the City.</p> - -<p>At first the reason of all this was a mystery, but very shortly it was -realised what was intended when a detachment of the 5th Hanover Regiment -advanced to the gate of the Bank of England opposite the Exchange, and, -after some difficulty, broke it open and entered, followed by some -engineers of Von Mirbach’s Division. The building was very soon -occupied, and, under the direction of General von Klepper himself, an -attempt was made to open the strong-rooms, wherein was stored that vast -hoard of England’s wealth. What actually occurred at that spot can only -be imagined, as the commander of the IVth Army Corps and one or two -officers and men were the only persons present. It is surmised,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_399" id="page_399"></a>{399}</span> -however, that the strength of the vaults was far greater than they had -imagined, and that, though they worked for hours, all was in vain.</p> - -<p>While this was in progress, however, parties of engineers were making -organised raids upon the banks in Lombard Street, Lothbury, Moorgate -Street, and Broad Street, as well as upon branch banks in Oxford Street, -the Strand, and other places in the West End.</p> - -<p>At one bank on the left-hand side of Lombard Street, dynamite being used -to force the strong-room, the first bullion was seized, while at nearly -all the banks sooner or later the vaults were opened, and great bags and -boxes of gold coin were taken out and conveyed in carefully-guarded -carts to the Bank of England, now in the possession of Germany.</p> - -<p>In some banks—those of more modern construction—the greatest -resistance was offered by the huge steel doors and concrete and steel -walls and other devices for security. But nothing could, alas! resist -the high explosives used, and in the end breaches were made, in all -cases, and wealth uncounted and untold extracted and conveyed to -Threadneedle Street for safe keeping.</p> - -<p>Engineers and infantry handled those heavy boxes and those big bundles -of securities gleefully, officers carefully counting each box or bag or -packet as it was taken out to be carted or carried away by hand.</p> - -<p>German soldiers under guard struggled along Lothbury beneath great -burdens of gold, and carts, requisitioned out of the East End, rumbled -heavily all the afternoon, escorted by soldiers. Hammersmith, -Camberwell, Hampstead, and Willesden yielded up their quota of the great -wealth of London; but though soon after four o’clock a breach was made -in the strong-rooms of the Bank of England by means of explosives, -nothing in the vaults was touched. The Germans simply entered there and -formally took possession.</p> - -<p>The coin collected from other banks was carefully kept, each separate -from another, and placed in various rooms under strong guards, for it -seemed to be the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_400" id="page_400"></a>{400}</span> intention of Germany simply to hold London’s wealth as -security.</p> - -<p>That afternoon very few banks—except the German ones—escaped notice. -Of course, there were a few small branches in the suburbs which remained -unvisited, yet by six o’clock Von Kronhelm was in possession of enormous -quantities of gold.</p> - -<p>In one or two quarters there had been opposition on the part of the -armed guards established by the banks at the first news of the invasion. -But any such resistance had, of course, been futile, and the man who had -dared to fire upon the German soldiers had in every case been shot down.</p> - -<p>Thus, when darkness fell, Von Kronhelm, from the corner of his room in -the War Office, was able to report to his Imperial Master that not only -had he occupied London, but that, receiving no reply to his demand for -indemnity, he had sacked it and taken possession not only of the Bank of -England, but of the cash deposits in most of the other banks in the -metropolis.</p> - -<p>That night the evening papers described the wild happenings of the -afternoon, and London saw herself not only shattered but ruined.</p> - -<p>The frightened populace across the river stood breathless.</p> - -<p>What was now to happen?</p> - -<p>Though London lay crushed and occupied by the enemy, though the Lord -Mayor was a prisoner of war and the banks in the hands of the Germans, -though the metropolis had been wrecked and more than half its -inhabitants had fled southward and westward into the country, yet the -enemy received no reply to their demand for an indemnity and the cession -of British territory.</p> - -<p>Von Kronhelm, ignorant of what had occurred in the House of Commons at -Bristol, sat in Whitehall and wondered. He knew well that the English -were no fools, and their silence, therefore, caused him considerable -uneasiness. He had lost in the various engagements over 50,000 men, yet -nearly 200,000 still remained. His<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_401" id="page_401"></a>{401}</span></p> - -<div class="bbox"> - -<p class="c"> -<img src="images/i_b_401.jpg" -width="115" -height="103" -alt="Image unavailable" -/></p> - -<div class="sml"> - -<p class="c"><b><big>CITIZENS OF LONDON.</big></b></p> - -<p>WE, the GENERAL COMMANDING the German Imperial Army occupying London, -give notice that:</p> - -<p>(1) THE STATE OF WAR AND OF SIEGE continues to exist, and all categories -of crime, more especially the contravention of all orders already -issued, will be judged by Councils of War, and punished in conformity -with martial law.</p> - -<p>(2) THE INHABITANTS OF LONDON and its suburbs are ordered to instantly -deliver up all arms and ammunition of whatever kind they possess. The -term arms includes firearms, sabres, swords, daggers, revolvers, and -sword-canes. Landlords and occupiers of houses are charged to see that -this order is carried out, but in the case of their absence the -municipal authorities and officials of the London County Council are -charged to make domiciliary visits, minute and searching, being -accompanied by a military guard.</p> - -<p>(3) ALL NEWSPAPERS, JOURNALS, GAZETTES, AND PROCLAMATIONS, of whatever -description, are hereby prohibited, and until further notice nothing -further must be printed, except documents issued publicly by the -military commander.</p> - -<p>(4) ANY PRIVATE PERSON OR PERSONS taking arms against the German troops -after this notice will be EXECUTED.</p> - -<p>(5) ON THE CONTRARY, the Imperial German troops will respect private -property, and no requisition will be allowed to be made unless it bears -the authorisation of the Commander-in-Chief.</p> - -<p>(6) ALL PUBLIC PLACES are to be closed at 8 P.M. -All persons found in the streets of London after 8 P.M. -will be arrested by the patrols. There is no exception to this rule -except in the case of German Officers, and also in the case of doctors -visiting their patients. Municipal officials will also be allowed out, -providing they obtain a permit from the German headquarters.</p> - -<p>(7) MUNICIPAL AUTHORITIES MUST provide for the lighting of the streets. -In cases where this is impossible, each householder must hang a lantern -outside his house from nightfall until 8 A.M.</p> - -<p>(8) AFTER TO-MORROW morning, at 10 o’clock, the women and children of -the population of London will be allowed to pass without hindrance.</p> - -<p>(9) MUNICIPAL AUTHORITIES MUST, with as little delay as possible, -provide accommodation for the German troops in private dwellings, in -fire-stations, barracks, hotels, and houses that are still habitable.</p> - -<p class="r"><b>VON KRONHELM,</b><br /> -<b>Commander-in-Chief.</b></p> - -<p class="hang">German Military Headquarters,<br /> -Whitehall, London, <i>September 21, 1910</i>.</p> - -</div> -</div> - -<p class="c"> -VON KRONHELM’S PROCLAMATION TO THE CITIZENS<br /> -OF LONDON.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_402" id="page_402"></a>{402}</span><br /> -</p> - -<p class="nind">army of invasion was a no mean responsibility, especially when at any -moment the British might regain command of the sea. His supplies and -reinforcements would then be at once cut off. It was impossible for him -to live upon the country, and his food bases in Suffolk and Essex were -not sufficiently extensive to enable him to make a prolonged campaign. -Indeed, the whole scheme of operations which had been so long discussed -and perfected in secret in Berlin was more of the nature of a raid than -a prolonged siege.</p> - -<p>The German Field-Marshal sat alone and reflected. Had he been aware of -the true state of affairs he would certainly have had considerable cause -for alarm. True, though Lord Byfield had made such a magnificent stand, -considering the weakness of the force at his disposal, and London was -occupied, yet England, even now, was not conquered.</p> - -<p>No news had leaked out from Bristol. Indeed, Parliament had taken every -precaution that its deliberations were in secret.</p> - -<p>The truth, however, may be briefly related. On the previous day the -House had met at noon in the Colston Hall—a memorable sitting, indeed. -The Secretary of State for War had, after prayers, risen in the hall and -read an official despatch he had just received from Lord Byfield, giving -the news of the last stand made by the British north of Enfield, and the -utter hopelessness of the situation.</p> - -<p>It was received by the assembled House in ominous silence.</p> - -<p>During the past week through that great hall the Minister’s deep voice, -shaken by emotion, had been daily heard as he was compelled to report -defeat after defeat of the British arms. Both sides of the House had, -after the first few days, been forced to recognise Germany’s superiority -in numbers, in training, in organisation—in fact, in everything -appertaining to military power. Von Kronhelm’s strategy had been -perfect. He knew more of Eastern England than the British Commander<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_403" id="page_403"></a>{403}</span> -himself, and his marvellous system of spies and advance agents—Germans -who had lived for years in England—had assisted him forward, until he -had now occupied London, the city always declared to be impregnable.</p> - -<p>Through the whole of September 20 the Minister constantly received -despatches from the British Field-Marshal and from London itself, yet -each telegram communicated to the House seemed more hopeless than its -predecessor.</p> - -<p>The debate, however, proceeded through the afternoon. The Opposition -were bitterly attacking the Government and the Blue Water School for its -gross negligence in the past, and demanding to know the whereabouts of -the remnant of the British Navy. The First Lord of the Admiralty flatly -refused to make any statement. The whereabouts of our Navy at that -moment was, he said, a secret which must, at all hazards, be withheld -from our enemy. The Admiralty were not asleep, as the country believed, -but were fully alive to the seriousness of the crisis. He urged the -House to remain patient, saying that as soon as he dared make a clear -statement, he would do so.</p> - -<p>This was greeted by loud jeers from the Opposition, from whose benches, -members, one after another, rose, and, using hard epithets, blamed the -Government for the terrible disaster. The cutting down of our defences, -the meagre naval programmes, the discouragement of the Volunteers and of -recruiting, and the disregard of Lord Roberts’ scheme in 1906 for -universal military training, were, they declared, responsible for what -had occurred. The Government had been culpably negligent, and Mr. -Haldane’s scheme had been all insufficient. Indeed, it had been nothing -short of criminal to mislead the Empire into a false sense of security -which did not exist.</p> - -<p>For the past three years Germany, while sapping our industries, had sent -her spies into our midst, and laughed at us for our foolish insular -superiority. She had turned her attention from France to ourselves, -notwithstanding<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_404" id="page_404"></a>{404}</span> the <i>entente cordiale</i>. She remembered how the -much-talked-of Franco-Russian alliance had fallen to pieces, and relied -upon a similar outcome of the friendship between France and Great -Britain.</p> - -<p>The aspect of the House, too, was strange; the Speaker in his robes -looked out of place in his big uncomfortable chair, and members sat on -cane-bottomed chairs instead of their comfortable benches at -Westminster. As far as possible the usual arrangement of the House was -adhered to, except that the Press were now excluded, official reports -being furnished to them at midnight.</p> - -<p>The clerks’ table was a large plain one of stained wood, but upon it was -the usual array of despatch-boxes, while the Serjeant-at-Arms, in his -picturesque dress, was still one of the most prominent figures. The lack -of committee rooms, of an adequate lobby, and of a refreshment -department caused much inconvenience, though a temporary post and -telegraph office had been established within the building, and a -separate line connected the Prime Minister’s room with Downing Street.</p> - -<p>If the Government were denounced in unmeasured terms, its defence was -equally vigorous. Thus, through that never-to-be-forgotten afternoon the -sitting continued past the dinner hour on to late in the evening.</p> - -<p>Time after time the despatches from London were placed in the hands of -the War Minister, but, contrary to the expectation of the House, he -vouchsafed no further statement. It was noticed that just before ten -o’clock he consulted in an earnest undertone with the Prime Minister, -the First Lord of the Admiralty, and the Home Secretary, and that a -quarter of an hour later all four went out and were closeted in one of -the smaller rooms with other members of the Cabinet for nearly half an -hour.</p> - -<p>Then the Secretary of State for War re-entered the House and resumed his -seat in silence.</p> - -<p>A few minutes afterwards, Mr. Thomas Askern,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_405" id="page_405"></a>{405}</span> member for one of the -metropolitan boroughs, and a well-known newspaper proprietor, who had -himself received several private despatches, rose and received leave to -put a question to the War Minister.</p> - -<p>“I would like to ask the Right Honourable the Secretary of State for -War,” he said, “whether it is not a fact that soon after noon to-day the -enemy, having moved his heavy artillery to certain positions commanding -North London, and finding the capital strongly barricaded, proceeded to -bombard it? Whether that bombardment, according to the latest -despatches, is not still continuing at this moment; whether it is not a -fact that enormous damage has already been done to many of the principal -buildings of the metropolis, including the Government Offices at -Whitehall, and whether great loss of life has not been occasioned?”</p> - -<p>The question produced the utmost sensation. The House during the whole -afternoon had been in breathless anxiety as to what was actually -happening in London; but the Government held the telegraphs and -telephone, and the only private despatches that had come to Bristol were -the two received by some roundabout route known only to the ingenious -journalists who had despatched them. Indeed, the despatches had been -conveyed the greater portion of the way by motor-car.</p> - -<p>A complete silence fell. Every face was turned towards the War Minister, -who, seated with outstretched legs, was holding in his hand a fresh -despatch he had just received.</p> - -<p>He rose, and, in his deep bass voice, said—</p> - -<p>“In reply to the honourable member for South-East Brixton, the statement -he makes appears, from information which has just reached me, to be -correct. The Germans are, unfortunately, bombarding London. Von -Kronhelm, it is reported, is at Hampstead, and the zone of the enemy’s -artillery reaches, in some cases, as far south as the Thames itself. It -is true, as the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_406" id="page_406"></a>{406}</span> honourable member asserts, an enormous amount of damage -has already been done to various buildings, and there has undoubtedly -been great loss of life. My latest information is that the non-combatant -inhabitants—old persons, women, and children—are in flight across the -Thames, and that the barricades in the principal roads leading in from -the north are held strongly by the armed populace, driven back into -London.”</p> - -<p>He sat down without further word.</p> - -<p>A tall, thin, white-moustached man rose at that moment from the -Opposition side of the House. Colonel Farquhar, late of the Royal -Marines, was a well-known military critic, and represented West Bude.</p> - -<p>“And this,” he said, “is the only hope of England! The defence of London -by an armed mob, pitted against the most perfectly equipped and armed -force in the world! Londoners are patriotic, I grant. They will die -fighting for their homes, as every Englishman will when the moment -comes; yet, what can we hope, when patriotism is ranged against modern -military science? There surely is patriotism in the savage negro races -of Central Africa, a love of country perhaps as deep as in the white -man’s heart; yet a little strategy, a few Maxims, and all defence is -quickly at an end. And so it must inevitably be with London. I contend, -Mr. Speaker,” he went on, “that by the ill-advised action of the -Government from the first hour of their coming into power, we now find -ourselves conquered. It only remains for them now to make terms of peace -as honourable to themselves as the unfortunate circumstances will admit. -Let the country itself judge their actions in the light of events of -to-day, and let the blood of the poor murdered women and children of -London be upon their heads. (Shame.) To resist further is useless. Our -military organisation is in chaos, our miserably weak army is defeated, -and in flight. I declare to this House that we should sue at this very -moment for peace—a dishonourable peace<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_407" id="page_407"></a>{407}</span> though it be; but the bitter -truth is too plain—England is conquered!”</p> - -<p>As he sat down amid the “hear, hears” and loud applause of the -Opposition there rose a keen-faced, dark-haired, clean-shaven man of -thirty-seven or so. He was Gerald Graham, younger son of an aristocratic -house, the Yorkshire Grahams, who sat for North-East Rutland. He was a -man of brilliant attainments at Oxford, a splendid orator, a -distinguished writer and traveller, whose keen brown eye, lithe upright -figure, quick activity, and smart appearance rendered him a born leader -of men. For the past five years he had been marked out as a “coming -man.”</p> - -<p>As a soldier he had seen hard service in the Boer War, being mentioned -twice in despatches; as an explorer he had led a party through the heart -of the Congo and fought his way back to civilisation through an -unexplored land with valiant bravery that had saved the lives of his -companions. He was a man who never sought notoriety. He hated to be -lionised in society, refused the shoals of cards of invitation which -poured in upon him, and stuck to his Parliamentary duties, and keeping -faith with his constituents to the very letter.</p> - -<p>As he stood up silent for a moment, gazing around him fearlessly, he -presented a striking figure, and in his navy serge suit he possessed the -unmistakable cut of the smart, well-groomed Englishman who was also a -man of note.</p> - -<p>The House always listened to him, for he never spoke without he had -something of importance to say. And the instant he was up a silence -fell.</p> - -<p>“Mr. Speaker,” he said, in a clear, ringing voice, “I entirely disagree -with my honourable friend the member for West Bude. England is not -conquered! She is not beaten!”</p> - -<p>The great hall rang with loud and vociferous cheers from both sides of -the House. Then, when quiet was<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_408" id="page_408"></a>{408}</span> restored by the Speaker’s stentorian -“Order-r-r! Order!” he continued—</p> - -<p>“London may be invested and bombarded. She may even be sacked, but -Englishmen will still fight for their homes, and fight valiantly. If we -have a demand for indemnity, let us refuse to pay it. Let us -civilians—let the civilians in every corner of England—arm themselves -and unite to drive out the invader! (Loud cheers.) I contend, Mr. -Speaker, that there are millions of able-bodied men in this country who, -if properly organised, will be able to gradually exterminate the enemy. -Organisation is all that is required. Our vast population will rise -against the Germans, and before the tide of popular indignation and -desperate resistance the power of the invader must soon be swept away. -Do not let us sit calmly here in security, and acknowledge that we are -beaten. Remember, we have at this moment to uphold the ancient tradition -of the British race, the honour of our forefathers, who have never been -conquered. Shall we acknowledge ourselves conquered in this the -twentieth century?”</p> - -<p>“No!” rose from hundreds of voices, for the House was now carried away -by young Graham’s enthusiasm.</p> - -<p>“Then let us organise!” he urged. “Let us fight on. Let every man who -can use a sword or gun come forward, and we will commence hostilities -against the Kaiser’s forces that shall either result in their total -extermination or in the power of England being extinguished. Englishmen -will die hard. I myself will, with the consent of this House, head the -movement, for I know that in the country we have millions who will -follow me and will be equally ready to die for our country if necessary. -Let us withdraw this statement that we are conquered. The real, earnest -fight is now to commence,” he shouted, his voice ringing clearly through -the hall. “Let us bear our part, each one of us. If we organise and -unite, we shall drive the Kaiser’s hordes into the sea. They shall sue -us for peace, and be made to pay us an indemnity, instead<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_409" id="page_409"></a>{409}</span> of us paying -one to them. I will lead!” he shouted; “who will follow me?”</p> - -<p>In London the Lord Mayor’s patriotic proclamations were now obliterated -by a huge bill bearing the German Imperial arms, the text of which told -its own grim tale. It is reproduced on next page, and at its side was -printed a translation in German text.</p> - -<p>In the meantime the news of the fall of London was being circulated by -the Germans to every town throughout the kingdom, their despatches being -embellished by lurid descriptions of the appalling losses inflicted upon -the English. In Manchester, a great poster, headed by the German -Imperial arms, was posted up on the Town Hall, the Exchange, and other -places, in which Von Kronhelm announced the occupation of London; while -in Leeds, Bradford, Stockport, and Sheffield, similarly worded official -announcements were also posted. The Press in all towns occupied by the -Germans had been suppressed, papers only appearing in order to publish -the enemy’s orders. Therefore, this official intelligence was circulated -by proclamation, calculated to impress upon the inhabitants of the -country how utterly powerless they were.</p> - -<p>While Von Kronhelm sat in that large sombre room in the War Office, with -his telegraph instrument to Potsdam ever ticking, and the wireless -telegraphy constantly in operation, he wondered, and still wondered, why -the English made no response to his demands. He was in London. He had -carried out his Emperor’s instructions to the letter, he had received -the Imperial thanks, and he held all the gold coin he could discover in -London as security. Yet, without some reply from the British Government, -his position was an insecure one. Even his thousand and one spies who -had served him so well ever since he had placed foot upon English soil -could tell him nothing. The deliberations of the House of Commons at -Bristol were a secret.</p> - -<p>In Bristol the hot, fevered night had given place to a gloriously sunny -morning, with a blue and cloudless<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_410" id="page_410"></a>{410}</span></p> - -<div class="bbox"> - -<p class="c"> -<img src="images/i_b_410.jpg" -width="75" -height="99" -alt="Image unavailable" -/></p> - -<p class="c"><big><b>NOTICE AND ADVICE.</b></big></p> - -<p class="cb">———</p> - -<p class="c"><b>TO THE CITIZENS OF LONDON.</b></p> -<div class="sml"> - -<p class="cb">———</p> - -<p>I ADDRESS YOU SERIOUSLY.</p> - -<p>We are neighbours, and in time of peace cordial relations have always -existed between us. I therefore address you from my heart in the cause -of humanity.</p> - -<p>Germany is at war with England. We have been forced to penetrate -into your country.</p> - -<p>But each human life spared, and all property saved, we regard as in the -interests of both religion and humanity.</p> - -<p>We are at war, and both sides have fought a loyal fight.</p> - -<p>Our desire is, however, to spare disarmed citizens and the inhabitants -of all towns and villages.</p> - -<p>We maintain a severe discipline, and we wish to have it known that -punishment of the severest character will be inflicted upon any who are -guilty of hostility to the Imperial German arms, either open or in -secret.</p> - -<p>To our regret any incitements, cruelties, or brutalities we must judge -with equal severity.</p> - -<p>I therefore call upon all local mayors, magistrates, clergy, and -schoolmasters to urge upon the populace, and upon the heads of families, -to urge upon those under their protection, and upon their domestics, to -refrain from committing any act of hostility whatsoever against my -soldiers.</p> - -<p>All misery avoided is a good work in the eye of our Sovereign Judge, -who sees all men.</p> - -<p>I earnestly urge you to heed this advice, and I trust in you.</p> - -<p>Take notice!</p> - -<p class="r"><b>VON KRONHELM,</b><br /> -<b>Commanding the Imperial German Army.</b></p> - -<p class="hang">German Military Headquarters,<br /> -Whitehall, London, <i>September 20, 1910</i>.</p> - -</div> - -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_411" id="page_411"></a>{411}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">sky. Above Leigh Woods the lark rose high in the sky, trilling his song, -and the bells of Bristol rang out as merrily as they ever did, and above -the Colston Hall still floated the Royal Standard—a sign that the House -had not yet adjourned.</p> - -<p>While Von Kronhelm held London, Lord Byfield and the remnant of the -British Army, who had suffered such defeat in Essex and north of London, -had, four days later, retreated to Chichester and Salisbury, where -reorganisation was in rapid progress. One division of the defeated -troops had encamped at Horsham. The survivors of those who had fought -the battle of Charnwood Forest, and had acted so gallantly in the -defence of Birmingham, were now encamped on the Malvern Hills, while the -defenders of Manchester were at Shrewsbury. Speaking roughly, therefore, -our vanquished troops were massing at four points, in an endeavour to -make a last attack upon the invader. The Commander-in-Chief, Lord -Byfield, was near Salisbury, and at any hour he knew that the German -legions might push westward from London to meet him and to complete the -<i>coup</i>.</p> - -<p>The League of Defenders formed by Gerald Graham and his friends was, -however, working independently. The wealthier classes, who, driven out -of London, were now living in cottages and tents in various parts of -Berks, Wilts, and Hants, worked unceasingly on behalf of the League, -while into Plymouth, Exmouth, Swanage, Bristol, and Southampton more -than one ship had already managed to enter laden with arms and -ammunition of all kinds, sent across by the agents of the League in -France. The cargoes were of a very miscellaneous character, from modern -Maxims to old-fashioned rifles that had seen service in the war of 1870. -There were hundreds of modern rifles, sporting guns, revolvers, -swords—in fact, every weapon imaginable, modern and old-fashioned. -These were at once taken charge of by the local branches of the League, -and to those men who presented their tickets of identification the arms -were<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_412" id="page_412"></a>{412}</span> served out, and practice conducted in the open fields. Three -shiploads of rifles were known to have been captured by German warships, -one off Start Point, another a few miles outside Padstow, and a third -within sight of the coastguard at Selsey Bill. Two other ships were -blown up in the Channel by drifting mines. The running of arms across -from France and Spain was a very risky proceeding; yet the British -skipper is nothing if not patriotic, and every man who crossed the -Channel on those dangerous errands took his life in his hand.</p> - -<p>Into Liverpool, Whitehaven, and Milford weapons were also coming over -from Ireland, even though several German cruisers, who had been up at -Lamlash to cripple the Glasgow trade, had now come south, and were -believed still to be in the Irish Sea.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_413" id="page_413"></a>{413}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="CHAPTER_IX-b" id="CHAPTER_IX-b"></a>CHAPTER IX<br /><br /> -<small>WHAT WAS HAPPENING AT SEA</small></h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">Our</span> fleet, however, was not inactive. The Germans had mined the Straits -of Dover, and one of the turbine Channel steamers had been sunk with -great loss of life. They had bombarded Brighton, mined Portsmouth, and -made a raid on the South Wales coal ports.</p> - -<p>How these raiders were pursued is best described in the official history -of the invasion, as follows:—</p> - -<p>The Trevose wireless station signalled that the Germans were off Lundy -about 2 p.m., steaming west with fourteen ships of all kinds, some -moving very slowly. The <i>Lion</i> and <i>Kincardineshire</i> at once altered -course to the north, so as to intercept them and draw across their line -of retreat. At the same time they learnt that two British protected -cruisers had arrived from Devonport off the Longships, and were holding -the entrance to the English Channel, and moving slowly north behind -them.</p> - -<p>About 3.30 the wireless waves came in so strongly from the north-east -that the captain of the <i>Lion</i>, who was in charge of the cruiser -division, became certain of the proximity of the German force. The -signals could not be interpreted, as they were tuned on a different -system from the British. The Germans must have also felt the British -signals, since about this time they divided, the three fast liners -increasing speed and heading west, while the rest of the detachment -steered north-west. The older German vessels were delayed some fifteen -minutes by the work of destroying the four<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_414" id="page_414"></a>{414}</span> colliers, which they had -carried off forcibly with them from Cardiff, and removing their crews. -Delay at such a moment was most dangerous.</p> - -<p>Soon after 3.45 p.m. the lookout on board the <i>Lion</i> reported from the -masthead, smoke on the horizon right ahead. The <i>Lion’s</i> head was set -towards the smoke, which could be only faintly seen, and her speed was -increased to twenty-one knots. The <i>Kincardineshire</i> altered course -simultaneously—she was ten miles away on the port beam of the <i>Lion</i>, -and in constant communication by wireless with the <i>Selkirk</i>, which was -still farther out. Ten minutes later the <i>Selkirk</i> signalled that she -saw smoke, and that with the ten destroyers accompanying her she was -steering towards it. Her message added that the Irish Sea destroyers -were in sight, coming in very fast from the north, nine strong, with -intervals of two miles between each boat, still keeping their speed of -thirty knots.</p> - -<p>The cordon was now complete, and the whole force of twenty-two cruisers -and torpedo craft turned in towards the spot where the enemy was -located. At 4.5 the lookout on the <i>Lion</i> reported a second cloud of -smoke on the horizon, rather more to starboard than the one first seen, -which had been for some minutes steadily moving west. This second cloud -was moving very slowly north-westwards.</p> - -<p>The captain of the <i>Lion</i> determined to proceed with his own ship -towards this second cloud, and directed the <i>Kincardineshire</i>, which was -slightly the faster cruiser, to follow the movements of the first-seen -smoke and support the <i>Selkirk</i> in attacking the ships from which it -proceeded.</p> - -<p>The enemy’s fleet soon came into view several miles away. Three large -steamers were racing off towards the Atlantic and the west; seven -smaller ships were steaming slowly north-west. In the path of the three -big liners were drawn up the <i>Selkirk</i> and the ten destroyers of the -Devonport flotilla, formed in line abreast, with intervals of two miles -between each vessel, so as<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_415" id="page_415"></a>{415}</span> to cover as wide an extent of sea as -possible. The <i>Kincardineshire</i> was heading fast to support the -<i>Selkirk</i> and attack the three large German ships. Farther to the north, -but as yet invisible to the <i>Lion</i>, and right in the path of the -squadron of old German ships, were nine destroyers of the Irish Sea -flotilla, vessels each of 800 tons and thirty-three knots, also drawn up -in line abreast, with intervals of two miles to cover a wide stretch of -water.</p> - -<p>The moment the Germans came into view the two protected cruisers at -Land’s End were called up by wireless telegraphy, and ordered to steam -at nineteen knots towards the <i>Selkirk</i>. The two Devonport battleships, -which had now reached Land’s End, were warned of the presence of the -enemy.</p> - -<p>Sighting the ten Devonport destroyers and the <i>Selkirk</i> to the west of -them, the three fast German liners, which were the <i>Deutschland</i>, -<i>Kaiser Wilhelm II.</i>, and <i>Kronprinz Wilhelm</i>, all three good for -twenty-three knots in any weather, made a rush for the gap between the -Devonport destroyers and the <i>Kincardineshire</i>. Perceiving their -intention, the <i>Kincardineshire</i> turned to cut them off, and the ten -destroyers and the <i>Selkirk</i> headed to engage them. In danger of all -being brought to action and destroyed if they kept together, the German -liners scattered at 4.15: the <i>Deutschland</i> steered south-east to pass -between the <i>Kincardineshire</i> and the <i>Lion</i>; the <i>Kaiser Wilhelm</i> -steered boldly for a destroyer which was closing in on her from the -starboard bow; and the <i>Kronprinz Wilhelm</i> ran due north.</p> - -<p>The <i>Deutschland</i>, racing along at a tremendous speed, passed between -the <i>Kincardineshire</i> and the <i>Lion</i>. The <i>Lion</i> at long range put three -9.2-inch shells into her without stopping her; the <i>Kincardineshire</i> -gave her a broadside from her 6-inch guns at about 5000 yards, and hit -her several times. But the British fire did not bring her to, and she -went off to the south-west at a great pace, going so fast that it was -clear the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_416" id="page_416"></a>{416}</span> armoured cruisers would stand little chance of overhauling -her.</p> - -<p>The <i>Kaiser Wilhelm</i> charged through the line of destroyers, receiving a -heavy fire from the 6-inch weapons of the <i>Selkirk</i> and -<i>Kincardineshire</i>, and in her turn pouring a rapid fire upon two of the -Devonport destroyers, which attempted to torpedo her, and missed her at -about 900 yards. The <i>Selkirk</i>, however, was close astern of her, and -with her engines going twenty-three knots, which was just a fraction -less than what the German engineers were doing, concentrated upon her a -very heavy fire from all her 6-inch guns that would bear.</p> - -<p>The fore-turret with its two 6-inch weapons in two minutes put twenty -shells into the German stern. One of these projectiles must have hit the -steering gear, for suddenly and unexpectedly the <i>Kaiser Wilhelm</i> came -round on a wide circle, and as she wheeled, the broadside of the British -cruiser came into action with a loud crash, and at 3000 yards rained -100-lb. and 12-lb. shells upon the liner. The beating of the pom-poms in -the <i>Selkirk</i> could be heard above the roar of the cannonade; and seeing -that the liner was now doomed, the British destroyers drew off a little.</p> - -<p>Under the storm of shells the German crew could not get the steering -gear in working order. The great ship was still turning round and round -in a gigantic circle, when the <i>Lion</i> came into action with her two -9·2’s and her broadside of eight 6-inch weapons. Round after round from -these was poured into the German ship. The British gunners shot for the -water-line, and got it repeatedly. At 4.40, after a twenty minutes’ -fight, the white flag went up on board the <i>Kaiser Wilhelm</i>, and it was -seen that she was sinking. Her engines had stopped, she was on fire in -twenty places, and her decks were covered with the dying and the dead. -The first of the raiders was accounted for.</p> - -<p>Meantime, the <i>Kronprinz Wilhelm</i> had with equal swiftness dashed north, -receiving only a few shots from<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_417" id="page_417"></a>{417}</span> the <i>Selkirk</i>, as she passed her, 8000 -yards away. The British armoured cruiser <i>Kincardineshire</i> followed in -the German ship’s wake ten miles astern and quite out of range. The -German liner was seen by the ocean-going destroyers of the Irish Sea -flotilla, which headed after her, and four of them going thirty knots -easily drew ahead of her. To attack such a vessel with the torpedo was -an undertaking which had no promise of success.</p> - -<p>The British destroyer officers, however, were equal to the occasion. -They employed skilful tactics to effect their object. The four big -destroyers took station right ahead of the German ship and about 1500 -yards away from her. In this direction none of her guns would bear. From -this position they opened on her bows with their sternmost 13-pounders, -seeking to damage the bow of the <i>Kronprinz Wilhelm</i>, breach the forward -compartments, and so delay the ship. If she turned or yawed, her turn -must give time for the <i>Kincardineshire</i> to get at her.</p> - -<p>The gunners in the four destroyers shot magnificently. Their projectiles -were small, but for fifteen minutes they made incessant hits upon the -German ship’s bow. At last their punishment had the desired effect upon -her. Angry at the attack of these puny little antagonists, the German -captain turned to bring his broadside to bear. As he did so, the -destroyers quickened to thirty knots, and altered course. Though the -German guns maintained a rapid fire upon them, they were going so fast -that they escaped out of effective range without any serious damage, -regained their station on their enemy’s bow, and then reduced speed till -they were within easy range for their little guns. But in the interval -the <i>Kincardineshire</i> had perceptibly gained on the German ship, and was -now within extreme range. About 5.50 p.m. she fired a shot from her -fore-turret, and, as it passed over the German ship, opened a slow but -precise fire from all her 6-inch guns that would bear at about 9000 -yards range.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_418" id="page_418"></a>{418}</span></p> - -<p>The small shells of the destroyers were beginning to have some effect. -The fore-compartment of the <i>Kronprinz Wilhelm</i> was riddled, and water -was pouring into it at such a pace that the pumps could not keep the -inrush down. The trim of the ship altered slightly, and with this -alteration of trim her speed fell by nearly a knot. The -<i>Kincardineshire</i> began to gain visibly, and her fire to tell more and -more. At 6.50 she was only 7000 yards off the German ship, and her -6-inch guns began to make many hits on the enemy’s stern.</p> - -<p>To increase his speed to the utmost the captain of the <i>Kincardineshire</i> -set all his spare hands at work to jettison coal, and flung overboard -every bit of lumber. The spare water in his tanks shared the fate of his -surplus fuel. At the same time the stokers in the engine-rooms were told -that the ship was closing the enemy, and worked with a redoubled will. -Large parties of bluejackets led by lieutenants were sent down to pass -coal from the bunkers; in the engine-rooms the water was spouting from -half a dozen hoses upon the bearings. The engineer-lieutenants, standing -in a deluge of spray, kept the pointer of the stokehold telegraphs -always at “more steam.” Smoke poured from the funnels, for no one now -cared about the niceties of naval war.</p> - -<p>The ship seemed to bound forward, and with a satisfied smile the -engineer-captain came down into the turmoil to tell his men that the -cruiser was going twenty-four knots, her speed on her trials nearly six -years before. Five minutes later the shock and heavy roar of firing from -twenty guns told the men below that the broadside battery was coming -into action, and that the race was won.</p> - -<p>At 7.25 the <i>Kincardineshire</i> had closed the German ship within 5000 -yards. About this time the <i>Kronprinz Wilhelm’s</i> speed seemed markedly -to decline, and the big armoured cruiser gained upon her rapidly, -spouting shell from all her guns that would bear.</p> - -<p>At 7.40 the British warship was only 3000 yards off,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_419" id="page_419"></a>{419}</span> and slightly -altered course to bring her enemy broader on the beam and get the -broadside into battle. Five minutes later a succession of 6-inch hits -from the British guns caused a great explosion in the German ship, and -from under the base of her fourth funnel rose a dense cloud of steam, -followed by the glow of fire through the gathering darkness.</p> - -<p>A minute later the <i>Kronprinz Wilhelm</i> stopped, and the chase was over. -She hoisted the white flag, while her captain opened her sea-valves, to -send her to the bottom. But the British destroyers were too quick for -him; a boarding party dashed on board from the <i>Camelopard</i>, and closed -the Kingston valves before enough water had been taken into the double -bottom to endanger the liner.</p> - -<p>In this brief action between two very unequally matched ships, the -Germans suffered very severely. They had fifty officers and men killed -or wounded out of a crew of 500, while in the British cruiser and the -destroyers only fifteen casualties were recorded. The <i>Kincardineshire</i> -stood by her valuable prize to secure it and clear the vessel of the -German crew. The <i>Kronprinz Wilhelm</i> was on fire in two places, and was -badly damaged by the British shells. One of her boilers had exploded, -and her fore-compartment was full of water. But she was duly taken into -Milford next morning, to be repaired at Pembroke Dockyard, and hoist the -British flag.</p> - -<p>Meantime, the <i>Lion</i> had been attending to the other German vessels. -After taking part in the destruction of the <i>Kaiser Wilhelm</i> she had -turned north and chased them, aided by the <i>Selkirk</i>. Five of the -ocean-going destroyers and the ten Devonport destroyers had already -proceeded to keep them under observation and harry them to the utmost.</p> - -<p>They were still going north-west, and had obtained about twenty-five -miles’ start of the two big British cruisers. But as they could only -steam twelve or thirteen knots, while the British ships were good for<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_420" id="page_420"></a>{420}</span> -twenty-one, they had little chance of escape, the less so as the -14,000-ton-protected cruiser <i>Terrific</i>, the flagship of the torpedo -flotilla, was fast coming up at twenty knots from Kingstown, and at 6 -p.m. had passed the Smalls, reporting herself by wireless telegraphy, -and taking charge of the operations in virtue of the fact that she -carried a rear-admiral’s flag.</p> - -<p>The approach of this new antagonist must have been known to the Germans -by the indications which her wireless waves afforded. On the way she had -received the news of a serious British defeat in the North Sea, and her -Admiral was smarting to have some share in reversing that great -calamity.</p> - -<p>Before dusk she was in sight of the seven German ships, with their -attendant British destroyers. The Germans once more scattered. The -<i>Gefion</i>, which was the only really fast ship, made off towards the -west, but was promptly headed off by the <i>Terrific</i> and driven back. The -<i>Pfeil</i> headed boldly towards Milford, and as the batteries at that -place were not yet manned, caused some moments of great anxiety to the -British. Two of the fast ocean-going destroyers were ordered to run in -between her and the port and to torpedo her if she attempted to make her -way in through the narrow entrance. Observing their manœuvre, the -German captain once more turned south. The other five German ships kept -in line, and attemped to pass between the Smalls and the Welsh coast.</p> - -<p>The <i>Terrific</i> had now closed the <i>Gefion</i> sufficiently to open fire -with her 9·2’s and 6-inch guns. The fight was so unequal that it could -not be long protracted. With every disadvantage of speed, protection, -and armament, the German cruiser was shattered by a few broadsides, and, -in a sinking condition, surrendered just after dark.</p> - -<p>The <i>Selkirk</i> and <i>Lion</i> passed her and fired a few shots at her just -before she struck, but were ordered by the Rear-Admiral to attend to the -other German ships. Five shots from the <i>Lion’s</i> bow 9·2-inch gun -settled the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_421" id="page_421"></a>{421}</span> <i>Pfeil</i>, which beached herself in Freshwater Bay, where the -crew blew up the ship, and were captured a few hours later. Thus four of -the ten raiders were disposed of, and there now remained only five -within reach of the British ships clearing the Bristol Channel.</p> - -<p>It was 9 p.m. before the <i>Lion</i> and <i>Selkirk</i> had closed on the remnant -of the German squadron which had raided the South Wales ports -sufficiently to engage it. The five German ships had passed through the -dangerous passage between the Smalls and the mainland without -misadventure, and were slightly to the north-west of St. David’s Head.</p> - -<p>Right ahead of them were the British destroyers, ready to co-operate in -the attack as soon as the big cruisers came up; abreast of the German -line were the two large British armoured cruisers; well astern of them -was the <i>Terrific</i>, heading to cut off their retreat. The German ships -were formed up with the <i>Cormoran</i> at the head, and astern of her in -line the <i>Sperber</i>, <i>Schwalbe</i>, <i>Meteor</i>, and <i>Falke</i>. None of these -poor old vessels mounted anything larger than a 4-inch gun, and none of -them could steam more than twelve knots. The only course remaining for -them was to make some show of fight for the honour of the German flag, -and to their credit be it said that they did this.</p> - -<p>The task of the British cruisers was a simple one. It was to destroy the -German vessels with their powerful ordnance, keeping at such a distance -that the German projectiles could do them no serious damage. At 9.10 the -fight began, and the <i>Lion</i> and <i>Selkirk</i> opened with their entire -broadsides upon the <i>Cormoran</i> and <i>Falke</i>. The Germans gallantly -replied to the two great cruisers, and for some minutes kept up a -vigorous fire.</p> - -<p>Then the <i>Cormoran</i> began to burn, and a few minutes later the <i>Falke</i> -was seen to be sinking. The British ships turned all their guns upon the -three remaining vessels. The <i>Meteor</i> blew up with a terrific crash, and -went to the bottom; the <i>Sperber</i> and <i>Schwalbe</i> immediately after this -hoisted the white flag and made<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_422" id="page_422"></a>{422}</span> their surrender. The battle, if it -could be called a battle, was over before ten, and the officers and men -of the British ships set to work to rescue their enemies. The British -casualties were again trifling, and the German list a heavy one. Of the -officers and men in the five German cruisers over a hundred were -drowned, killed, or wounded.</p> - -<p>Thus the British Navy had made a speedy end of the raiders in the -Bristol Channel, and, owing to the vigorous initiative of the Devonport -commander and the Rear-Admiral in charge of the torpedo flotilla, had -practically wiped out a German squadron. Only the <i>Deutschland</i> had got -away to sea, but the Portsmouth armoured cruisers had been instructed to -proceed in search of her, co-operating with the cruisers of the Channel -Fleet.</p> - -<p>The Channel Cruiser Squadron during the afternoon of Sunday had been -ordered to deflect its movement and steer for Queenstown, so as to get -across the line of retreat of the German ships. Constant communication -with it was maintained by the great long-distance naval wireless station -at Devonport, one of the three such stations for which funds had been -obtained with the utmost difficulty by the Admiralty from a reluctant -Treasury. Its value at the present juncture was immense.</p> - -<p>As night came down, Rear-Admiral Hunter, in command of the Channel -Cruiser Squadron, was informed that a large German liner had escaped -from the Bristol Channel. His most advanced ship was now in touch with -Queenstown, and about sixty miles from the place. The rest of his force -was spaced at intervals of ten miles between each ship, covering eighty -miles of sea.</p> - -<p>The two protected cruisers of the Devonport Reserve Squadron, -<i>Andromache</i> and <i>Sirius</i>, ships of 11,000 tons and about nineteen knots -sea speed, had taken station to the north of the Scillies, with one of -the battleships of the Devonport Reserve supporting them. The other -battleship was posted between the Scillies and the Longships. Off Land’s -End a powerful naval force was<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_423" id="page_423"></a>{423}</span> fast assembling, as ships and torpedo -vessels came up one by one from Devonport as soon as they had mobilised.</p> - -<p>Ten more destroyers arrived at four on Sunday afternoon, and were at -once extended north; at 8 p.m. the two fast Portsmouth armoured cruisers -<i>Southampton</i> and <i>Lincoln</i> arrived, and steamed northwards to prolong -the cordon formed by the ships to the north of the Scillies, and a few -minutes later a third ship of the “County” class, hastily mobilised, the -<i>Cardigan</i>, arrived, and placed herself under Rear-Admiral Armitage, -commanding the Devonport Reserve. She was stationed just to the south of -the Scillies.</p> - -<p>All the evening, wireless signals had been coming in from the Channel -Cruiser Squadron, as it moved northwards far out at sea beyond the -advanced guard about Land’s End. At 8.50 p.m. a signal from it announced -that a large liner was in sight moving south-west, and that Admiral -Hunter’s ships were in full chase of her. The British cruiser -<i>Andromache</i>, off the Scillies, and the three ships of the “County” -class off Land’s End, were at once directed upon the point where Admiral -Hunter’s signals had reported the enemy. Thirteen British vessels thus -were converging upon her, twelve of them good for twenty-three knots or -more.</p> - -<p>The captain of the <i>Deutschland</i>, after dashing through the British -cordon off Lundy Island, stood for several hours westwards at twenty -knots, intending at dusk to turn and pass wide of the Scillies, and -hoping to escape the British under cover of darkness. He was under no -illusions as to the danger which threatened him. From every quarter -British wireless signals were coming in—from the west, south, and -north—while to the east of him was the <i>cul-de-sac</i> of the Bristol -Channel. All lights were screened on board his gigantic liner.</p> - -<p>About 8 p.m. his lookouts reported a large ship rapidly moving north, -ten miles away. He slightly altered course, hoping that he had escaped -observation, and stood more to the south. Two minutes later the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_424" id="page_424"></a>{424}</span> -lookouts reported another very large ship with four funnels passing -right across the line of his advance.</p> - -<p>The strange ship, which was the British armoured cruiser <i>Iphigenia</i>, -fired a gun and discharged two rockets in quick succession. Another -half-minute and the beam of a searchlight from her rose skywards, -signalling to her sister ships that here at last was the prey. Five -other searchlight beams travelled swiftly over the water towards the -<i>Deutschland</i> and caught the liner in their glare. Forthwith from south -and north came the flashing of searchlights and the heavy boom of guns, -and the whole nine cruisers of the Channel Squadron over their front of -eighty miles began to move in upon the German vessel.</p> - -<p>Her only chance was to make a dash through one of the wide gaps that -parted each pair of British cruisers, and this was not a very hopeful -course. The German captain had already recognised the British ships from -their build, and knew that the two nearest were good for 23½ knots, and -that they each carried four 12-inch and eight 9·2-inch guns. He steered -between the <i>Iphigenia</i> and <i>Intrepid</i>, fearful if he turned back that -he would be cut off by the British cruisers behind him in the Bristol -Channel.</p> - -<p>Observing his tactics, the two British ships closed up, steaming inwards -till the gap narrowed to five miles. The <i>Deutschland</i> turned once more, -and endeavoured to pass south of the <i>Iphigenia</i> and between her and the -next vessel in the British line, the <i>Orion</i>; but her change of course -enabled the <i>Iphigenia</i> to close her within 7000 yards and to open fire -from the forward 12-inch barbette. Five shots were fired with both -vessels racing their fastest, the <i>Deutschland</i> to escape and the -<i>Iphigenia</i> to cut her off, and the fifth shell caught the German vessel -right amidships, exploding with great violence. The starboard 9·2-inch -barbette simultaneously hit her three times astern, just between her -fourth funnel and the mainmast, but all these shells seemed to pass -right through the ship. The <i>Deutschland</i> doubled yet again, to<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_425" id="page_425"></a>{425}</span> avoid -the fire, but now found the <i>Orion</i> coming up astern.</p> - -<p>The German vessel was going about twenty-four knots, but the <i>Orion</i> put -two 12-inch shells into her from the fore-barbette before she passed out -of practical range. Just then the <i>Sirius</i> came up from the east, and -steering across the bows of the <i>Deutschland</i> at about 5000 yards fired -in a couple of minutes about 120 6-inch shells at her, hitting her -repeatedly.</p> - -<p>The arrival of this new antagonist from the east compelled the German -captain to alter course afresh and make one more bid for safety. The -damage done to his ship by the British shells had been exceedingly -serious; two fires had broken out amidships, and were gaining; one of -the funnels was so riddled that the draught in the group of boilers -which it served had fallen, and the speed of the ship had diminished by -a full knot. The big British armoured cruisers, after being for a few -minutes left astern, were fast gaining on her. Nevertheless she now -stood towards them and endeavoured to pass between them.</p> - -<p>The desperate effort was doomed to fail. The <i>Orion</i> and <i>Iphigenia</i> -closed her, one on each beam, and opened fire with their tremendous -broadsides. The end came quickly. Three 12-inch shells from the -<i>Iphigenia</i> caught her amidships, low down on the hull near the -waterline, and amidst a series of explosions her engines stopped and she -began to sink. The injury done to her was too extensive to save her, and -at 9.50 p.m. the sea closed over the last of the German raiders in that -vicinity.</p> - -<p>Those of the crew who survived were rescued by the <i>Orion</i>. Meantime the -rest of the British cruisers had set to work to scout in the entrance to -the Channel in order to capture the German ships which had appeared off -Portsmouth. No trace, however, could be discovered of them, and at dawn -on Monday the British Admiral reported that the Channel was thoroughly -cleared. The <i>Sirius</i> and <i>Andromache</i> were then instructed to proceed -to the west coast of Ireland, off which three German<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_426" id="page_426"></a>{426}</span> liners had -appeared, damaged the Atlantic cables at Valentia, and captured a -British steamer in sight of Cape Clear.</p> - -<p>After the hard work in the Channel, most of the cruisers needed coal. -Detachments of the Fleet put into Falmouth, Portland, Milford, and -Queenstown to fill their bunkers. Two of the “County” cruisers were sent -north to watch off Cape Wrath for the approach of any German force from -Lerwick. Two more of the same class were sent up the Channel and took -station between Dungeness and Boulogne. Monday and Tuesday were quiet -days from the naval point of view, as there was great delay in the -coaling, owing to the damage done by the Germans in South Wales.</p> - -<p>For military reasons, the Admiralty, which had now at last been freed -from hampering civilian control and granted a free hand, issued orders -on the Sunday night that all news of the British successes should be -suppressed. It was publicly given out in London that the raiders had -escaped after a sharp action in the Channel, and that only one of them -had been captured. The officers and men in the British ships engaged -most loyally observed secrecy, and the large number of prisoners were -sent north to the Isle of Man, control of which island and the telegraph -cables leading to it the Admiralty had now taken over.</p> - -<p>It was strange and tragi-comic that, though the German ships which had -made the raid were lying at the bottom of the sea or in British hands, -the public furiously attacked the Navy for its failure to destroy them -or prevent their attacks. The news had come during the afternoon of -Sunday that heavy and continuous firing had been heard off the South -Wales coast. From Newquay, reports had been telegraphed to much the same -effect, of heavy gusts of cannonading during the afternoon and evening -far out to sea, and had raised men’s hopes and expectations.</p> - -<p>No one was allowed to telegraph from Milford the news that a great -German liner had arrived there under<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_427" id="page_427"></a>{427}</span> a British prize crew. The Press -messages were accepted at the post-office and were quietly popped into -the waste-paper basket by a lieutenant, who, with a file of marines, had -been installed there to act as censor. The towns of Pembroke and Milford -were placed under martial law by special proclamation, and on Sunday -night a British general order appeared stating that any person found -sending military or naval news would be shot by drum-head court-martial.</p> - -<p>On Monday similar proclamations were posted up in Portsmouth, Devonport, -and Chatham, and caused quite a scurry of correspondents from these -towns. The Government and the Admiralty were most furiously attacked for -this interference with liberty, and, but for the terrible series of -defeats and the rapid progress of the German invasion, the Government -would probably have thrown the Admiralty over and surrendered to the -cries of the mob.</p> - -<p>Most violent were the attacks upon the Admiralty for its foolish and -unwise reductions in the Navy, for selling old ships which might in this -emergency have done good service, for its failure to station torpedo -craft along the east coast, and to instal wireless telegraph stations -there. These attacks had reason behind them, and they greatly weakened -the hand of the Admiralty at a dangerous moment. Fortunately, however, -the young officers of the Navy had been taught fearlessness of all -consequences, and they carried out with an iron hand the regulations -which were essential for success in regaining the command of the sea.</p> - -<p>Nor were the Germans even on the east coast, where they were as yet left -undisturbed, to have matters all their own way. Their cruisers, indeed, -were stationed right up the coast, maintaining an effective blockade and -transmitting wireless signals. At Lerwick was a considerable squadron; -off Wick was the <i>Kaiserin Augusta</i>; off Aberdeen, the <i>Hansa</i>; off -Newcastle, the <i>Vineta</i>; off Hull, the <i>Freya</i>; and farther south the -whole massed force of the German Navy. They levied<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_428" id="page_428"></a>{428}</span> ransoms, intercepted -shipping, and did what they liked beyond the range of the few coast -batteries.</p> - -<p>But in the Straits of Dover they had one very serious misadventure. -People on the cliffs of Dover on Tuesday morning, watching that stretch -of water, which was now empty of all shipping but for the German torpedo -vessels incessantly on the patrol, and but for the outlines of large -German cruisers on the northern horizon, were certain that they saw one -of the big German cruisers strike a mine.</p> - -<p>There was a great cloud of smoke, and a heavy boom came over the sea; -then a big four-funnelled vessel was seen to be steering for the French -coast with a very marked list. On the Wednesday it was known that the -German armoured cruiser <i>Scharnhorst</i> had struck one of the German mines -adrift in the Straits of Dover, and had sustained such serious injury -that she had been compelled to make for Dunkirk in a sinking condition.</p> - -<p>There she was immediately interned by the French authorities, and when -the German Government remonstrated, the French Ministry pointed out that -a precisely similar course had been taken by Germany at Kiaochau, during -the Far Eastern war, with the Russian battleship <i>Tzarevitch</i>.</p> - -<p class="cb">* * * * * * *</p> - -<p>Very late on Monday night the battleships of the Channel Fleet passed -the Lizard, having received orders to proceed up Channel and join the -great fleet assembling at Portland. Already there were concentrated at -that point eleven battleships of the Devonport and Portsmouth reserve -squadrons, seven armoured cruisers, and fifty torpedo vessels of all -kinds. At Chatham, where the activity shown had not been what was -expected of the British Navy, the Commander-in-Chief had been removed on -Monday morning and replaced, and a fresh officer had also been appointed -to the command of the reserve squadron.</p> - -<p>The policy enjoined on him was, however, a waiting one; the vessels at -Chatham, being exposed, if they<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_429" id="page_429"></a>{429}</span> ventured out, to attack by the whole -force of the Germans, were to remain behind the guns of the forts, or -such guns as had not been sold off by the War Office and the British -Government in the general anxiety to effect retrenchments. The entire -naval force was mobilised, though the mobilisation was not as yet quite -complete.</p> - -<p>On Tuesday night the British Admiralty had available the following -ships:—</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p class="nind"> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">AT PORTLAND—</span><br /> - -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Eleven battleships of the Channel Fleet.</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Eleven battleships of the Reserve.</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Seven armoured cruisers.</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Twelve ocean-going destroyers.</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Twelve coastal destroyers.</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Ten submarines.</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Twenty older destroyers.</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Ten protected cruisers.</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">OFF DUNGENESS—</span><br /> - -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Two armoured cruisers.</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Ten submarines.</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Four sea-going destroyers.</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Ten older destroyers.</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Twelve coastal destroyers.</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">WEST COAST OF IRELAND—</span><br /> - -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Two large protected cruisers.</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">MILFORD HAVEN—</span><br /> - -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Nine armoured cruisers of the Channel Cruiser Squadron.</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Eight ocean-going destroyers.</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">LAND’S END—</span><br /> - -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">One large protected cruiser.</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Ten older destroyers.</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">CAPE WRATH—</span><br /> - -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Two armoured cruisers.</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Ten older destroyers.</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Twelve ocean-going destroyers.</span><br /> -</p> -</div> - -<p>And at various points along the south coast twelve coastal destroyers -and a dozen old protected cruisers. The Chatham ships were not included -in this force,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_430" id="page_430"></a>{430}</span> and mustered eight battleships, four armoured cruisers, -twelve coastal destroyers, twenty older destroyers, and twenty -submarines, besides a number of smaller and older cruisers of doubtful -value.</p> - -<p>On Tuesday evening the Admiralty ordered the Channel Armoured Cruiser -Squadron to put to sea from Milford, proceed north round the coast of -Scotland, picking up on its way the two armoured cruisers and torpedo -flotilla off Cape Wrath, which had taken up their position at Loch -Eriboll, and then to attack the German detachment at Lerwick, and clear -the northern entrance to the North Sea. A large number of colliers were -to accompany or follow the fleet, which was strictly ordered not to risk -an engagement with the main German forces, but to retire if they -appeared, falling back on the Irish Sea.</p> - -<p>The squadron at 6 p.m. that night, with bunkers full, weighed anchor and -proceeded at 18 knots. It passed rapidly up the west coast of Scotland -without communicating with the shore, and shortly before midnight on -Wednesday joined the Loch Eriboll detachment, which was waiting its -arrival, ready to proceed with it. At Loch Eriboll it refilled its -bunkers from four colliers that had been sent in advance, and soon after -daybreak on Thursday steamed out from that remote Scottish haven for the -scene of action, leaving four destroyers to watch the harbour. Two more -colliers arrived as it left.</p> - -<p>One of the armoured cruisers and eight ocean-going destroyers were -instructed to wait till the afternoon, and then move towards the -Pentland Firth. Six of the older destroyers were to follow them, and -hold the waters of the Firth if the Germans were not in any great force. -The other ten armoured cruisers, with four ocean-going destroyers, would -make a wide sweep at full speed round the north of the Orkneys, so as to -cut off any German vessels in the Pentland Firth. Strict orders were -given that if the German battleships or armoured cruisers in any force -were encountered a prompt retreat must be beaten, and that until the -approach of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_431" id="page_431"></a>{431}</span> British Fleet had been detected by the enemy, wireless -signalling was not to be used.</p> - -<p>The great expanse of ocean was troubled only by a heavy swell as the ten -cruisers passed away from sight of land to the north-east. At 10 a.m. -they passed to the north of Westray; at noon they rounded North -Ronaldshay. Up to this point not a vessel had been seen, whether foe or -friend or neutral. Now they steered south, keeping well out so as to -come in upon the Orkneys, where the Germans were believed to have landed -men, from the east. They were a little to the south of Fair Island when -a large destroyer was seen running away fast to the north.</p> - -<p>Two of the four ocean-going destroyers with the cruisers at once started -in pursuit, and the armoured cruiser <i>Lincoln</i> followed in support. The -rest of the British squadron continued towards the Pentland Skerries, -and as it moved, felt the wireless signals of a strange force. Five -minutes later a steamer was made out to the south, and, when the British -cruisers neared her, was seen to be the <i>Bremen</i>, or one of her class. -She fired guns, and stood away to the east.</p> - -<p>The <i>Orion</i> at once gave chase to her, while the other eight British -cruisers now divided, two making a wide sweep south for Wick, to look -for the German cruiser reported off that place, and the remaining six -steering for the Pentland Firth, in which, according to local reports, -the German torpedo craft were constantly cruising. The <i>Orion</i> was soon -lost to view as she went off fast to the east after the German ship.</p> - -<p>Three hours after passing North Ronaldshay the six cruisers and their -two destroyers drew in towards the Pentland Skerries from the east. The -sound of shots from the Firth and from behind Stroma told that the -co-operating division of the fleet was already at work. And presently -through the Firth came racing, at top speed, two German torpedo boats, -with eight British destroyers firing furiously at them, astern of them.</p> - -<p>The chase was over in a minute. Finding themselves<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_432" id="page_432"></a>{432}</span> surrounded and their -escape cut off, with the much faster British destroyers astern of them -and the Armoured Cruiser Squadron ahead of them, the two German boats -turned and ran ashore close under John o’ Groats House, where their -crews blew them up and surrendered.</p> - -<p>The Firth was cleared, and the co-operating squadron joined hands with -the main force. A fresh detachment of two cruisers was sent off to steam -direct for Aberdeen, and attack the German cruiser off that place, in -case she had not already retired. If she had gone, the two cruisers were -to move direct on Lerwick. But the arrival, two hours later, of the two -cruisers which had been sent to look after the German ship at Wick, with -the news that she had hurriedly left about the time when the <i>Bremen</i> -was sighted, no doubt alarmed by the <i>Bremen’s</i> wireless signals, -suggested that there was little chance of catching the enemy at -Aberdeen.</p> - -<p>The seven armoured cruisers and the ten big destroyers now steamed well -out into the North Sea, going full speed to get upon the German line of -retreat from Lerwick, before moving up along it on the Shetlands. For -six hours they kept generally eastwards, and at 10 p.m. were extended -over a front of about 100 miles, with six miles’ interval between each -cruiser and destroyer. Two of the very fastest turbine destroyers, which -could do 30 knots at sea, formed the north-eastern extremity of the -line, to the east of the Bressay Bank.</p> - -<p>These skilful tactics were rewarded with a measure of success. The -wireless signals of the <i>Bremen</i> had alarmed the German squadron at -Lerwick, about 1 p.m. on Thursday. Its division of fast cruisers put to -sea without a moment’s delay. The older cruisers, <i>Irene</i> and <i>Grief</i>, -however, were coaling, and were delayed two hours in getting to sea, -while the two gun-boats <i>Eber</i> and <i>Panther</i> had not got steam up, and -had to be left to co-operate with the garrison.</p> - -<p>Two torpedo boats were also detached for the purpose of assisting the -German land force, which had thrown up<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_433" id="page_433"></a>{433}</span> two batteries and mounted two -5-in. howitzers and two 4-in. guns to protect the mine-fields laid in -the entrances to the harbour. The Germans knew every point and feature -in the island group, as the British Admiralty had permitted them to use -it for their manœuvres in 1904.</p> - -<p>Of the German torpedo flotilla, one large destroyer had been cruising -off the Orkneys, and had been seen and chased without success by the -British Fleet. Two torpedo boats in the Pentland Firth had already been -accounted for. Four large destroyers were lying with steam up at -Lerwick, and put to sea with the fast German cruisers. Seven other -destroyers, boats of 750 tons, were engaged in patrolling the waters -eastwards from the Shetlands to the Norway coast, and were speedily -warned.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/i_b_433_lg.png"> -<img src="images/i_b_433_sml.png" width="281" height="431" alt="Image unavailable: Scotland-Shetland" /></a> -</div> - -<p>The faster German vessels successfully escaped round the front of the -British cordon of cruisers and destroyers. The <i>Irene</i> and <i>Grief</i> were -less fortunate. They were sighted soon after 10 p.m., steaming due east, -and were easily overtaken and destroyed with little more than a show of -resistance. The British vessels which were innermost in the long line -were near<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_434" id="page_434"></a>{434}</span> Lerwick a couple of hours later, and sent in three -ocean-going destroyers to watch the port, waiting till daylight before -attacking it.</p> - -<p>During the night the <i>Orion</i> communicated by wireless signals the news -that, after a long chase, she had overtaken and sunk the <i>Bremen</i>, which -had made a gallant fight against overwhelming odds. The <i>Lincoln</i>, with -her two destroyers, rejoined the fleet, reporting that the German -destroyer which they had pursued had got away. A British destroyer was -sent south to Fair Island to watch the channel between the Orkneys and -Shetlands. Another destroyer was sent off to Loch Eriboll to bring up -the rest of the older British destroyers and the colliers to Kirkwall, -where the British vessels intended to establish an advanced base. The -news of the successes gained was at once communicated to the Admiralty -by cipher message.</p> - -<p>On Friday at daybreak one of the British ocean-going destroyers steamed -into Lerwick under the white flag, with a demand from Rear-Admiral -Hunter for the immediate surrender of the place. Failing surrender, the -communication informed the German commandant that the British ships -would shell the town, and would exact exemplary punishment from the -German force. The commander of the destroyer was instructed, if the -German commandant showed a bold front, to call upon him to clear the -town of civilians and permit the British inhabitants to withdraw.</p> - -<p>The British destroyer which took in this communication was not permitted -to approach the mine-field. One of the German torpedo boats came out and -received the letter. If the demand for the surrender was acceded to the -German commandant was instructed to hoist a white flag within twenty -minutes.</p> - -<p>The officers of the destroyer could see that four large merchant -steamers and some warships were inside Bressay Sound. Small guns could -be made out on Fort Charlotte and the Wart of Bressay, and two heavy<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_435" id="page_435"></a>{435}</span> -weapons in position near Lerwick behind newly-raised earthworks.</p> - -<p>The British note stated that operations would be at once commenced -against the town, but the Admiral gave his ships orders not as yet to -train their weapons on it, hoping to escape the cruel necessity of -shelling a British seaport. At the expiration of twenty minutes the -German flag still flew over the German works, and it became clear that -the enemy did not intend to surrender. Signals were therefore made in -the international code that a respite of three and a half hours would be -allowed for the civilians, women and children, to quit Lerwick, but that -the British warships would forthwith attack the German positions away -from the harbour.</p> - -<p>Four of the smaller destroyers pushed carefully in under Hildesay, -searching and sweeping for mines. They were fired upon from the shore, -and replied with their 12-pounders, shelling the German works -vigorously, but carefully avoiding the town. Apparently the Germans had -not mined the waters to the west of the long and narrow peninsula upon -which Lerwick stands. Mines were seen at both ends of Bressay Sound, but -Deal’s Voe seemed to be clear.</p> - -<p>At noon the <i>Iphigenia</i> steamed inside Hildesay to shell the town and -works from the west. The <i>Orion</i> closed in cautiously from the -north-east upon Deal’s Voe. The other armoured cruisers took up a -position about 8000 yards from Lerwick, to the south of the southern -entrance to Bressay Sound. The destroyers were close at hand, and one of -the large cruisers was stationed to the south-east to give timely notice -in case any German naval force should appear.</p> - -<p>At 12.5 the first shot was fired by the <i>Iphigenia</i>, which trained her -two forward 12-in. guns upon Fort Charlotte and fired them in -succession. Both hit the target, and the two huge shells demolished the -fort, putting the small German guns there out of action, and killing or -wounding their gunners. Simultaneously<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_436" id="page_436"></a>{436}</span> the other cruisers had opened -upon Lerwick and the German works on the Wart of Bressay, firing their -12-in. and 9·2-in. guns slowly, with extreme accuracy and prodigious -effect. A few shots silenced the four heavy German guns.</p> - -<p>The <i>Orion</i> did magnificent shooting with her 9·2’s, which she chiefly -used; these big guns tore down the German earthworks, and set the town -on fire. The cruisers to the south directed several shells upon the -German ships in the Sound, and sank one of the big steamers, setting -another on fire, and badly damaging the gunboats <i>Eber</i> and <i>Panther</i>. -Both the German torpedo boats were hit and damaged.</p> - -<p>The German force was in a difficulty—indeed, a desperate position. -Seemingly, the German Admiralty had not calculated upon such a rapid -move of the British cruisers by the Irish Sea northward, but had rather -expected them to come up the North Sea. Reports that a movement up the -North Sea was intended had reached Berlin from the German secret agents -in London late on Tuesday night, with the result that the German Fleet -had concentrated off the Suffolk coast.</p> - -<p>The troops at Lerwick had not had time to fortify the position or to -construct bomb-proofs and shelters. If the bulk of the garrison withdrew -from the town, the British ships might land parties of Marines and seize -it; if the Germans remained, they must face a terrific fire, which did -great execution, and this though a good many of the British shells -failed to explode.</p> - -<p>From time to time the British destroyers came in closer than the large -ships, and, now that the German artillery was silenced, shelled the town -and any troops that they saw with their 12-pounders and 3-pounders. They -were also getting to work in the Sound to clear away the mines, -exploding heavy charges in the minefield, and sweeping for mines under -the guns of the big ships.</p> - -<p>They made so much progress that late in the afternoon the <i>Warspite</i> was -able to steam in to 4500 yards, at<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_437" id="page_437"></a>{437}</span> which range her 9·2-in. guns -speedily completed the destruction of the war-vessels and shipping in -the harbour. She was also able to fire with deadly effect upon the -German earthworks. Her shells exploded a magazine of ammunition and set -fire to a large depôt of food, consisting of boxes which had been -hastily landed, and were lying ashore covered with tarpaulins.</p> - -<p>Her smaller guns at this short range were most effective; the 3-pounders -played on the German works on the Wart of Bressay, and drove the remnant -of the force holding them to flight. But as the troops endeavoured to -make their escape they were caught by the fire of two of the destroyers, -which turned their 12-pounders and rained shells upon them.</p> - -<p>At dusk the British cruisers to the east of Lerwick drew off, to avoid -any mines that might have got adrift. The <i>Iphigenia</i> remained to the -west of the town, and fired several shots during the night, while the -British destroyers were most active, firing their small guns whenever -they saw any sign of movement.</p> - -<p>Early next day the attack was about to recommence, when the German -colonel in command hoisted the white flag, and made his surrender. Owing -to the destruction of his food depôt and the explosion of his magazine -he was short both of ammunition and food. Thus, after a brief spell of -German rule—for the place had been solemnly annexed to the German -Empire by proclamation—the British took possession of a ruined town and -captured a considerable German force, numbering about 1100 men.</p> - -<p>While the British cruisers were busy recovering control of the -Shetlands, the Atlantic Fleet, four battleships strong, had arrived at -Portland, and joined the imposing fleet which was assembling at that -splendid harbour. The Mediterranean Fleet, four battleships strong, was -following in its wake, detaching its two armoured cruisers for work off -Gibraltar and the entrance to the Mediterranean, where German -commerce-destroyers were reported to be busy.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_438" id="page_438"></a>{438}</span></p> - -<p>The British Admiralty had decided to evacuate the Mediterranean and -leave Egypt to its fate. Orders were given to block the Suez Canal, and -though this act was an obvious infraction of international law, it -elicited only mild protests from the Powers, which anxiously hoped for a -British victory in the war. The protests were formal, and it was -intimated that there was no intention of supporting them by force, -provided the British Government would defray the loss caused by its -action to neutral shipping.</p> - -<p>A conflict between the military and civil authorities occurred on the -Saturday following the outbreak of war. The Admiralty up to this point -had succeeded in throwing a veil of silence over the British movements, -and not even the striking successes of the British Fleet were generally -known. But Ministers, and the First Lord of the Admiralty in particular, -fearing for their own lives, and appalled by the furious outcry against -themselves, on Saturday insisted upon issuing an official notice to the -effect that the German Fleet which had raided South Wales had been -completely annihilated, and Lerwick recaptured by the British Navy. -Hundreds of German prisoners, added the proclamation, had been made.</p> - -<p>To such a degree had the public lost faith in the Government, that the -news was received with scepticism. The official Press in Germany -ridiculed the intelligence, though the German Government must have been -aware of its truth. It was only with extreme difficulty that the -civilian members of the Government were prevented from publishing the -exact strength of the British naval force available for operations -against the Germans, but a threat by the Sea Lords to take matters into -their own hands and appeal to the nation, prevented such a crowning act -of folly.</p> - -<p>Four armoured cruisers of the “County” class, exceedingly fast ships, -had been pushed up behind the Channel cruisers, with instructions to -carry on the work of harassing the Germans while the Channel cruisers -coaled.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_439" id="page_439"></a>{439}</span> The new cruiser detachment was to join the two ships of the -“County” class already at Kirkwall, move cautiously south, with six -ocean-going destroyers and six of the older destroyers, along the Scotch -coast, establish its base at Aberdeen or Rosyth, and raid the German -line of communications.</p> - -<p>It was to be known as the Northern Squadron, and was placed under the -orders of Rear-Admiral Jeffries, an able and enterprising officer. In -case the Germans moved against it in force, it was to retire northwards, -but its commander was given to understand that on September 17 the main -British Fleet would advance from the north and south into the North Sea -and deliver its attack upon the massed force of the German Navy.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile, in preparation for the great movement, assiduous drill and -target practice proceeded in the neighbourhood of Portland. The British -battleships daily put to sea to fire and execute evolutions. The most -serious difficulty, however, was to provide the ample supplies of -ammunition needed, now that the Germans were in possession of so much of -England, that the railway service was disorganised, and that an enormous -consumption of cordite by the British land forces was taking place. The -coal question was also serious, as the South Wales miners had struck for -higher wages, and had only been induced to return to their work by the -promise of great concessions. The officers and men of the Navy could not -but be painfully struck by the strange want of zeal and national spirit -in this great emergency shown by the British people.</p> - -<p>On the 11th two of the “County” cruisers steamed south from Dingwall to -replace the two ships which had, earlier in the operations against the -Shetlands, been despatched to Aberdeen, and which were now to rejoin the -Channel cruisers and concentrate in the Dornoch Firth. They reported -that the German cruiser off Aberdeen had made good her escape, and that -they had scouted so far south as the entrance of the Forth without -discovering any trace of German vessels.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_440" id="page_440"></a>{440}</span></p> - -<p>On the 12th the four other cruisers of the “County” class and the -destroyers reached Aberdeen early in the morning, and the Rear-Admiral -set to work with zeal and energy to disturb and harass his enemy to the -utmost. The <i>Southampton</i> and <i>Kincardine</i>, two of the fast cruisers, -with two ocean-going destroyers, were instructed to steam direct for the -German coast, and sink any vessel that they sighted. The <i>Selkirk</i> and -<i>Lincoln</i>, with the rest of the destroyers, under his own orders, would -clear the Forth entrance and move cautiously southward towards -Newcastle, if no enemy were encountered. Yet another pair of cruisers, -the <i>Cardigan</i> and <i>Montrose</i>, were to steam for the Dutch coast and -there destroy German vessels and transports. Two of the older protected -cruisers were brought to link up the advanced detachments by wireless -telegraphy with the Forth, when the Germans were forced away from that -point.</p> - -<p>About noon the Rear-Admiral, with his cruisers, appeared off the Forth, -and learnt that for three days no German vessels had been reported off -the coast, but that the entrance to the estuary was believed to have -been mined afresh by the Germans and was exceedingly unsafe. The -armoured cruiser <i>Impérieuse</i>, which had been damaged in the battle of -North Berwick, had now been sufficiently repaired to take the sea again. -She had coaled and received ammunition, and was at once ordered to join -the Northern Squadron.</p> - -<p>The armoured cruisers <i>Olympia</i> and <i>Aurora</i>, and the battleship -<i>Resistance</i>, which had been badly damaged in the torpedo attack that -opened the war, were also nearly ready for service, and could be counted -on for work in forty-eight hours. It had been supposed at the time that -they were permanently injured, but hundreds of skilled Glasgow artisans -had been brought over by train and set to work upon them, and with such -energy had they laboured that the damage had been almost made good. For -security against any German attack, the ships lay with booms surrounding -them<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_441" id="page_441"></a>{441}</span> behind a great mine-field, which had been placed by the naval -authorities.</p> - -<p>The Rear-Admiral in command of the Northern Fleet ordered a passage -through the German minefield to be cleared without delay, and the -repaired ships to remain for the time being to guard the port, as their -speed was not such as to enable them to run if the enemy appeared in -force. Taking with him the <i>Impérieuse</i>, he moved down the coast towards -Newcastle, steaming at 15 knots. At 8 p.m. he passed the mouth of the -Tyne, and sighted the <i>Southampton</i>, one of the two cruisers which he -had despatched to menace the German coast; they had chased and sunk a -large German collier, apparently proceeding to Lerwick, and quite -unaware of the sudden turn which the naval war had taken.</p> - -<p>The <i>Southampton</i> had returned to report the fact that she had sighted -three German destroyers, which went off very fast to the south, one now -having rejoined the flag. The four British armoured -cruisers—<i>Southampton</i>, <i>Selkirk</i>, <i>Lincoln</i>, and -<i>Impérieuse</i>—extended in open order, with the four ocean-going -destroyers in advance and the six older destroyers inshore, on the -lookout for Germans.</p> - -<p>In this order the Admiral moved, with all lights out, towards the German -line of communications. Steering wide of Flamborough Head, and clearing -the sandbanks off the Wash, he passed down what was now an enemy’s -coast, carefully refraining from using his ships’ long-distance wireless -instruments, which might have given the alarm.</p> - -<p>At about 1 a.m. of the 13th the <i>Southampton</i> sighted a large steamer -proceeding slowly eastwards. She gave chase forthwith, and in fifteen -minutes was alongside the stranger. The vessel proved to be a German -transport returning from Hull empty. A small prize-crew was placed on -board, the German seamen were transhipped to the British cruiser, and -the vessel was sent back to Newcastle under escort of one of the older -destroyers.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_442" id="page_442"></a>{442}</span></p> - -<p>At 3.30 a.m. the flagship <i>Selkirk</i> sighted another large steamer -proceeding west, towards the Wash. Chase was instantly given to her, and -in ten minutes the fast cruiser, running 21 knots, was within easy -range. As the steamer did not obey the order to stop, even when shotted -guns were fired over her bow, the <i>Selkirk</i> poured a broadside into her -at 3000 yards. This brought her to, and two ocean-going destroyers were -sent to overhaul her, while the <i>Lincoln</i> and <i>Southampton</i> steamed in -towards her, with guns laid upon her to prevent any tricks.</p> - -<p>A few minutes later the destroyers signalled that the vessel was laden -with German troops, reserve stores, ammunition, and supplies of all -kinds. It would have been awkward to sink her and tranship the men, and -remembering the humanity which the Germans had displayed in the battles -at the opening of the war, the Admiral ordered the <i>Impérieuse</i> to -escort her to Newcastle, with instructions to sink her if she offered -any resistance. A lieutenant and ten men were put on board her, to keep -an eye on her crew and see that they obeyed the injunctions of the -<i>Impérieuse</i>, which followed 300 yards astern with her 9·2-in. guns -trained menacingly upon the transport.</p> - -<p>Scarcely had possession been taken of this vessel, which proved to be -the 10,000-ton Hamburg-American cargo-vessel <i>Bulgaria</i>, when two more -ships were sighted, and the sound of alarm guns hurriedly firing was -heard from the <i>Leman</i> lightship. To silence the lightship, which was -known to be in German hands, a fast destroyer was despatched with orders -to torpedo it and destroy it.</p> - -<p>As the enemy had undoubtedly taken the alarm, and might be expected any -minute to put in an appearance, the British cruisers made ready to -retire. The destroyers were sent off to the north; the three remaining -armoured cruisers hovered waiting for the Germans to show, as they -intended to draw them off towards the north-east, and thus take them -away from the <i>Bulgaria</i> and her escort.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_443" id="page_443"></a>{443}</span></p> - -<p>At 4.20 a.m. a big ship, evidently an armoured cruiser, accompanied by -two or three destroyers, was seen approaching from the direction of -Hull. Simultaneously wireless waves came in strong from the south, and -from that quarter there came into sight another big armoured cruiser, -accompanied by at least six destroyers and two smaller cruisers. They -were the scouts of the German Fleet, and before them ran at 30 knots the -British destroyer which had been charged with the destruction of the -<i>Leman</i> lightship, and which had accomplished her task only two or three -minutes before the Germans appeared from the south.</p> - -<p>Noting that his enemy was in no great strength, and feeling minded to -deal him a blow, if possible, the British Admiral now fell back -north-eastward, without increasing speed sufficiently to draw away from -the Germans. His ships, of the “County” class, with their weak 6-in. -batteries, were no match for the German cruisers, but if he could entice -the Germans within reach of the armoured vessels at Rosyth it would be -another matter. Moreover, at any moment his detached armoured cruisers -might rejoin the fleet.</p> - -<p>Both forces were keeping well together, the Germans not steaming more -than 20 knots, so as not to draw away from their smaller cruisers, while -the British cruisers and destroyers made their pace with perfect ease, -and for hours maintained an interval of eight miles from the enemy.</p> - -<p>After two hours’ chase the British Admiral altered course slightly, and -began to edge away to the north-east. The Germans followed, and at five -in the afternoon of the 13th both squadrons were abreast of St. Abbs -Head, far out to sea. About this time another German cruiser was noted, -following to the support of the German vessels, and simultaneously the -British Admiral opened up wireless communication with the powerful -armoured ships at Rosyth.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_444" id="page_444"></a>{444}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="CHAPTER_X-b" id="CHAPTER_X-b"></a>CHAPTER X<br /><br /> -<small>SITUATION SOUTH OF THE THAMES</small></h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> enemy on land had operated rapidly and decisively upon a prearranged -scheme that was perfect in every detail.</p> - -<p>By September 24th, three weeks after the first landing, England had, -alas! learnt a bitter lesson by the shells showered down upon her open -towns if they made a show of resistance. She had been taught it by her -burning villages, scientifically fired with petrol, for having harboured -Frontiersmen or Free-shooters, whom the German Staff did not choose to -acknowledge as belligerents, by the great sacrifice of lives of innocent -children and women, by war contributions, crushing requisitions, and the -ruin and desolation that had marked every bivouac of the invading army. -And now, while the Germans stood triumphant in London north of the -Thames, South London was still held by the desperate populace, aided by -many infantry and artillery, who, after their last stand on the northern -heights, had made a detour to the south by crossing the river at -Richmond Bridge and coming up to the Surrey shore by way of Wandsworth. -By their aid the barricades were properly reconstructed with -paving-stones, sacks of sand and sawdust, rolls of carpet, linoleum and -linen—in fact, anything and everything that would stop bullets.</p> - -<p>The assault at Waterloo Bridge on the night of the enemy’s occupation -had in the end proved disastrous to the Germans, for, once within, they -found themselves surrounded by a huge armed mob in the Waterloo Road<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_445" id="page_445"></a>{445}</span> -and in the vicinity of the South-Western terminus; notwithstanding their -desperate defence, they were exterminated to a man, until the gutters -beneath the railway bridges ran with blood. Meanwhile the breach in the -barricade was repaired, and two guns and ammunition captured from the -enemy mounted in defence. There was a similar incident on Vauxhall -Bridge, the populace being victorious, and now the Germans were offering -no further opposition, as they had quite sufficient to occupy them on -the Middlesex side.</p> - -<p>The division of Lord Byfield’s army which had gone south to Horsham had -moved north, and on the 24th were holding the country across from Epsom -to Kingston-on-Thames, while patrols and motorists were out from Ewell, -through Cheam, Sutton, Carshalton, Croydon, and Upper Norwood, to the -high ground at the Crystal Palace. From Kingston to the Tower Bridge all -approaches across the Thames were barricaded and held by desperate mobs, -aided by artillerymen.</p> - -<p>In those early days after the occupation, military order had apparently -disappeared in London, as far as the British were concerned. General Sir -Francis Bamford had, on the proclamation of martial law in London, been -appointed military governor, and had, on the advance of the Germans, -retired to the Crystal Palace, where he had now established his -headquarters in the palace itself, with a wireless telegraph apparatus -placed upon the top of the left-hand tower, by means of which he was in -constant communication with Lord Byfield at Windsor, where the apparatus -had been hoisted upon the flagstaff of the Round Tower.</p> - -<p>The military tribunals established by the Proclamation of the 14th still -existed in the police courts of South London, but those north of the -Thames had already been replaced by German officers, and the British -officers went across the bridges into the British lines. Von Kronhelm’s -clever tactics, by which he had established an advisory board of British -officials to assist in the government of London, seemed to have had the -desired<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_446" id="page_446"></a>{446}</span> effect of reassurance in the case of London north of the -Thames. But south of the river the vast population in that huge area -from Gravesend, through Dartford, Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Merton, -Wimbledon, and Kingston, lived still at the highest tension, while the -defenders at the bridges and along the river-front kept up unceasing -vigilance night and day, never knowing at what spot the Germans might -throw across their pontoons. In peace time the enemy had for years -practised the pontooning of the Rhine and the Elbe; therefore, they knew -it to be an easy matter to cross the narrower reaches of the Thames if -they so desired.</p> - -<p>On the 24th the rumour became current, too, that during the night German -wagons had moved large quantities of specie from the Bank of England out -to their base at Southminster; but, though it was most probable, the -news was not confirmed. On this date the position as regards London, -briefly reviewed, was as follows:—</p> - -<p>London north of the Thames, eastward to the sea, and the whole of the -country east of a line drawn from the metropolis to Birmingham, was in -the hands of the Germans. The enemy’s Guard Corps, under the Duke of -Mannheim, who had landed at King’s Lynn, had established their -headquarters at Hampstead, and held North London, with a big encampment -in Regent’s Park. The Xth Corps, under Von Wilberg, from Yarmouth, were -holding the City proper; the IXth Corps, from Lowestoft, were occupying -the outskirts of East London, and keeping the lines of communication -with Southminster; the IVth Corps, from Weybourne, under Von Kleppen, -were in Hyde Park, and held Western London; while the Saxons had been -pushed out from Shepperton through Staines to Colnbrook, as a safeguard -from attack by Lord Byfield’s force, so rapidly being reorganised at -Windsor. The remnants of the beaten army had gone to Chichester and -Salisbury, but were now coming rapidly north, as the British -Commander-in-Chief, had, it appeared, decided<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_447" id="page_447"></a>{447}</span> to give battle again, -aided by the infuriated populace of Southern London.</p> - -<p>At no spot south of the Thames, except perhaps the reconnoitring parties -who crossed at Egham, Thorpe, and Weybridge, and recrossed each night, -were there any Germans. The ground was so vast and the population so -great, that Von Kronhelm feared to spread out his troops over too great -an area. The Saxons had orders simply to keep Lord Byfield in check, and -see that he did not cross the river. Thus it became for the time a drawn -game. The Germans held the north of the Thames, while the British were -continually threatening and making demonstrations from the south.</p> - -<p>So great, however, was the population now assembled in South London that -food was rising to absolutely famine prices. The estuary of the river -had been so thickly mined by the Germans that no ships bearing food -dared to come up. The Straits of Dover and the Solent were still -dangerous on account of the floating mines, and it was only at places -such as Brighton, Eastbourne, Hastings, and Folkestone that supplies -could be landed at that moment. Trucks full of flour, coffee, rice, -brandy, canned meats, boots, uniforms, arms, were daily run up to -Deptford, Herne Hill, Croydon, and Wimbledon, but such supplies were -very meagre for the millions now crowded along the river front, full of -enthusiasm still to defy the enemy. At the first news of the invasion -all the coal and coke in London had been expressly reserved for public -purposes, small quantities only being issued to printing establishments -and other branches of public necessity; but to private individuals they -were rigorously denied. Wood, however, was sold without restriction, and -a number of barges, old steamers of the County Council, and such-like -craft were broken up for fuel.</p> - -<p class="cb">* * * * * * *</p> - -<p>Through the past ten days the darkness, gloom, and ever-deepening hunger -had increased, and though London retained the same spirit with which it -had<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_448" id="page_448"></a>{448}</span> received the news of the audacious invasion, that portion south of -the Thames was starving. Between the 20th and 24th September the price -of every article of food rose enormously. On the 24th Ostend rabbits -were sold in the Walworth Road for a sovereign each, and a hare cost -double. An apple cost 1s. 6d., a partridge 15s., a fresh egg 2s., while -bacon was 6s. 6d. a pound, and butter £1 per pound. Shops in the Old -Kent Road, Camberwell, Brixton, Kennington, Walworth, Waterloo, and -London Roads, which had hitherto been perhaps the cheapest places in -which to buy provisions in the whole of London, were now prohibitive in -their prices to the poor, though ladies habitually living in the West -End and driven there through force of circumstances readily paid the -exorbitant charges demanded. Indeed, there was often a fight in those -shops for a rabbit, a ham, or a tin of pressed beef, one person bidding -against another for its possession. Tallow was often being used for the -purposes of cookery, and is said to have answered well.</p> - -<p>If South London was in such a state of starvation, even though small -quantities of food were daily coming in, Von Kronhelm’s position must -have been one of extreme gravity when it is remembered that his food -supply was now cut off. It was calculated that each of his five army -corps operating upon London consumed in the space of twenty-four hours -18,000 loaves weighing 3 lb. each, 120 cwt. of rice or pearl barley, -seventy oxen or 120 cwt. of bacon, 18 cwt. of salt, 30 cwt. of coffee, -12 cwt. of oats, 3 cwt. of hay, 3500 quarts of spirits and beer, with 60 -cwt. of tobacco, 1,100,000 ordinary cigars, and 50,000 officers’ cigars -for every ten days.</p> - -<p>And yet all was provided for at Southminster, Grimsby, King’s Lynn, -Norwich, and Goole. Huge food bases had been rapidly established from -the first day of the invasion. The German Army, whatever might be said -of it, was a splendid military machine, and we had been in every way -incapable of coping with it. Yet it was impossible not to admire the -courage<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_449" id="page_449"></a>{449}</span> and patriotism of the men under Byfield, Hibbard, and Woolmer -in making the attempt, though from the first the game had been known to -be hopeless.</p> - -<p>West of London the members of the Hendon and other rifle clubs, together -with a big body of Frontiersmen and other free-shooters, were -continually harassing the Saxon advanced posts between Shepperton and -Colnbrook, towards Uxbridge. On the 24th a body of 1,500 riflemen and -Frontiersmen attacked a company of Saxon Pioneers close to where the -Great Western Railway crosses the River Crane, north of Cranford. The -Germans, being outnumbered, were obliged to withdraw to Hayes with a -loss of twenty killed and a large force of wounded. Shortly afterwards, -on the following day, the Pioneers, having been reinforced, retraced -their steps in order to clear the districts on the Crane of our -irregular forces; and they announced that if, as reported, the people of -Cranford and Southall had taken part in the attack, both places would be -burned.</p> - -<p>That same night the railway bridges over the Crane and the Grand -Junction Canal in the vicinity were blown up by the Frontiersmen. The -fifty Saxons guarding each bridge were surprised by the British -sharpshooters, and numbers of them shot. Three hours later, however, -Cranford, Southall, and Hayes were burned with petrol, and it was stated -by Colonel Meyer, of the Saxons, that this was to be the punishment of -any place where railways were destroyed. Such was the system of -terrorism by which the enemy hoped to terminate the struggle. Such -proceedings—and this was but one of a dozen others in various outlying -spots beyond the Metropolitan area—did not produce the effect of -shortening the duration of hostilities. On the contrary, they only -served to prolong the deadly contest by exciting a wild desire for -revenge in many who might otherwise have been disposed towards an -amicable settlement.</p> - -<p>With the dawn of the 25th September, a grey day with fine drizzling rain -in London, the situation seemed<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_450" id="page_450"></a>{450}</span> still more hopeless. The rain, however, -did not by any means damp the ardour of the defenders at the bridges. -They sang patriotic songs, while barrel-organs and bands played about -them night and day. Though hungry, their spirits never flagged. The -newspapers printed across the river were brought over in small boats -from the Surrey side, and eagerly seized and read by anxious thousands. -The lists of British casualties were being published, and the populace -were one and all anxious for news of missing friends.</p> - -<p>The chief item of news that morning, however, was a telegram from the -Emperor William, in which he acknowledged the signal services rendered -by Field-Marshal Von Kronhelm and his army. He had sent one hundred and -fifty Orders of the Iron Cross for distribution among officers who had -distinguished themselves, accompanied by the following telegraphic -despatch, which every paper in London was ordered to print:—</p> - -<div class="bbox"> -<p class="c"><b><big><big>THE KAISER’S TELEGRAM.</big></big></b></p> - -<p class="r">Potsdam, <i>Sept. 21st, 1910</i>.</p> - -<p>GENERAL VON KRONHELM,—Your heroic march, -your gallant struggle to reach London, your victorious -attack and your capture of the Capital of the British Empire, -is one of the greatest feats of arms in all history.</p> - -<p>I express my royal thanks, my deepest acknowledgments, -and bestow upon you the Grand Cross of the Red Eagle, -with the sword, as proof of this acknowledgment.</p> - -<p class="c">Your grateful Emperor,</p> -<p class="r"><b>WILHELM.</b> </p> -</div> - -<p class="c"> -THE TELEGRAM SENT BY THE GERMAN EMPEROR TO<br /> -FIELD-MARSHAL VON KRONHELM.<br /> -</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_451" id="page_451"></a>{451}</span></p> - -<p>The wharves and embankments of the Surrey shore of the Thames, from -Erith to Kingston, were being patrolled day and night by armed men. Any -boat crossing the river was at once challenged, and not allowed to -approach unless under a flag of truce, or it was ascertained that its -occupants were non-belligerents. Everywhere the greatest precaution was -being taken against spies, and on the two or three occasions when the -Germans had reconnoitered by means of balloons, sharpshooters had -constantly fired at them.</p> - -<p>As may well be imagined, spy-mania was now rife in every quarter in -South London, and any man bearing a foreign name, no matter of what -nationality, or known to be a foreigner, was at once suspected, and -often openly insulted, even though he might be a naturalised Englishman. -It was very unsafe for any foreigner now to go abroad. One deplorable -incident occurred that afternoon. A German baker, occupying a shop in -Newington Butts, and who had lived in England twenty-five years and -become a naturalised British subject, was walking along the Kennington -Road with his wife, having come forth in curiosity to see what was in -progress, when he was met by a man with whom he had had some business -quarrel. The man in question, as he passed, cried out to the crowd that -he was a German. “He’s one of Von Kronhelm’s spies!” he shouted.</p> - -<p>At the word “spy” the crowd all turned. They saw the unfortunate man had -turned pale at this charge, which was tantamount to a sentence of death, -and believed him to be guilty. Some wild and irrepressible men set up a -loud cry of “Spy! Spy! Down with him! Down with the traitor!” and ere -the unfortunate baker was aware of it he was seized by a hundred hands, -and lynched.</p> - -<p>More than once real spies were discovered, and short shrift was meted -out to them; but in several instances it is feared that gross mistakes -were made, and men accused as spies out of venomous personal<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_452" id="page_452"></a>{452}</span> spite. -There is little doubt that under cover of night a number of Von -Kronhelm’s English-speaking agents were able to cross the river in boats -and return on the following night, for it was apparent by the tone of -the newspapers that the German generalissimo was fully aware of what was -in progress south of the river.</p> - -<p>To keep a perfect watch upon a river-front of so many miles against -watermen who knew every landing-place and every point of concealment, -was utterly impossible. The defenders, brave men all, did their best, -and they killed at sight every spy they captured; but it was certain -that the enemy had established a pretty complete system of intelligence -from the camp of the defiant Londoners.</p> - -<p>At the barricades was a quiet, calm enthusiasm. Now that it was seen -that the enemy had no immediate intention of storming the defences at -the bridges, those manning them rested, smoked, and, though ever -vigilant, discussed the situation. Beneath every bridge men of the Royal -Engineers had effected certain works which placed them in readiness for -instant destruction. The explosives were there, and only by the pressing -of the button the officer in command of any bridge could blow it into -the air, or render it unsafe for the enemy to venture upon.</p> - -<p>The great League of Defenders was in course of rapid formation. Its -proclamations were upon every wall. When the time was ripe, London would -rise. The day of revenge was fast approaching.</p> - -<p>London, north of the Thames, though shattered and wrecked, began, by -slow degrees, to grow more calm.</p> - -<p>One half of the populace seemed to have accepted the inevitable; the -other half being still terrified and appalled at the havoc wrought on -every hand. In the case of Paris, forty years before, when the Germans -had bombarded the city, their shells had done but little damage. In -those days neither guns nor ammunition were at such perfection as they -now were, the enemy<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_453" id="page_453"></a>{453}</span>’s high-power explosives accounting for the fearful -destruction caused.</p> - -<p>A very curious fact about the bombardment must here be noted. Londoners, -though terrified beyond measure when the shells began to fall among them -and explode, grew, in the space of a couple of hours, to be quite -callous, and seemed to regard the cannonade in the light of a -pyrotechnical display. They climbed to every point of vantage, and -regarded the continuous flashes and explosions with the same -open-mouthed wonder as they would exhibit at the Crystal Palace on a -firework night.</p> - -<p>The City proper was still held by the Xth Corps under General von -Wilburg, who had placed a strong cordon around it, no unauthorised -person being allowed to enter or leave. In some of the main roads in -Islington, Hoxton, Whitechapel, Clapton, and Kingsland, a few shops that -had not been seized by the Germans had courageously opened their doors. -Provision shops, bakers, greengrocers, dairies, and butchers were, -however, for the most part closed, for in the Central Markets there was -neither meat nor vegetables, every ounce of food having been -commandeered by German foraging parties.</p> - -<p>As far as possible, however, the enemy were, with the aid of the English -Advisory Board, endeavouring to calm the popular excitement and -encourage trade in other branches. At certain points such as at Aldgate, -at Oxford Circus, at Hyde Park Corner, in Vincent Square, Westminster, -at St. James’s Park near Queen Anne’s Gate, and in front of Hackney -Church, the German soldiers distributed soup once a day to all comers, -Von Kronhelm being careful to pretend a parental regard for the -metropolis he had occupied.</p> - -<p>The population north of the Thames was not, however, more than one -quarter what it usually was, for most of the inhabitants had fled across -the bridges during the bombardment, and there remained on the Surrey -side in defiance of the invader.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_454" id="page_454"></a>{454}</span></p> - -<p>Night and day the barricade-builders were working at the bridges in -order to make each defence a veritable redoubt. They did not intend that -the disasters of the northern suburbs—where the bullets had cut through -the overturned carts and household furniture as through butter—should -be repeated. Therefore at each bridge, behind the first -hastily-constructed defence, there were being thrown up huge walls of -sacks filled with earth, and in some places where more earth was -obtainable earthworks themselves with embrasures. Waterloo, Blackfriars, -Southwark, London, and Cannon Street bridges were all defended by -enormous earthworks, and by explosives already placed for instant use if -necessary. Hungerford Bridge had, of course, been destroyed by the -Germans themselves, huge iron girders having fallen into the river; but -Vauxhall, Lambeth, Battersea, Hammersmith, and Kew and other bridges -were equally strongly defended as those nearer the centre of London. -Many other barricades had been constructed at various points in South -London, such as across the Bridge End Road, Wandsworth, several across -the converging roads at St. George’s Circus, and again at the Elephant -and Castle, in Bankside, in Tooley Street, where it joins Bermondsey -Street, at the approach to the Tower Bridge, in Waterloo Road at its -junction with Lower Marsh, across the Westminster Bridge and Kennington -Roads, across the Lambeth Road where it joins the Kennington Road, at -the junction of Upper Kennington Lane with Harleyford Road, in Victoria -Road at the approach to Chelsea Bridge, and in a hundred other smaller -thoroughfares. Most of these barricades were being built for the -protection of certain districts rather than for the general strategic -defence of South London. In fact, most of the larger open spaces were -barricaded, and points of entrance carefully blocked. In some places -exposed barricades were connected with one another by a covered way, the -neighbouring houses being crenellated and their windows protected with -coal sacks filled<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_455" id="page_455"></a>{455}</span> with earth. Cannon now being brought in by Artillery -from the south were being mounted everywhere, and as each hour went by -the position of South London became strengthened by both men and guns.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_456" id="page_456"></a>{456}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="CHAPTER_XI-b" id="CHAPTER_XI-b"></a>CHAPTER XI<br /><br /> -<small>DEFENCES OF SOUTH LONDON</small></h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">Preparations</span> were being continued night and day to place the -working-class districts in Southwark and Lambeth in a state of strong -defence, and the constant meetings convened in public halls and chapels -by the newly-formed League of Defenders incited the people to their -work. Everybody lent a willing hand, rich and poor alike. People who had -hitherto lived in comfort in Regent’s Park, Hampstead, or one or other -of the better-class northern suburbs, now found themselves herded among -all sorts and conditions of men and women, and living as best they could -in those dull, drab streets of Lambeth, Walworth, Battersea, and -Kennington. It was, indeed, a strange experience for them. In the sudden -flight from the north parents had become separated from their children -and husbands from their wives, so that in many cases haggard and forlorn -mothers were in frantic search of their little ones, fearing that they -might have already died of starvation or been trampled under foot by the -panic-stricken multitudes. The dense population of South London had -already been trebled. They were penned in by the barricades in many -instances, for each district seemed to be now placing itself in a state -of defence, independent of any other.</p> - -<p>Kennington, for instance, was practically surrounded by barricades, tons -upon tons of earth being dug from the “Oval” and the “Park.” Besides the -barricades in Harleyford Road and Kennington Lane, all the streets<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_457" id="page_457"></a>{457}</span> -converging on the “Oval” were blocked up, a huge defence arm just being -completed across the junction of Kennington and Kennington Park roads, -and all the streets running into the latter thoroughfare from that point -to the big obstruction at the “Elephant” were blocked by paving stones, -bags of sand, barrels of cement, bricks, and such-like odds and ends -impervious to bullets. In addition to this, there was a double -fortification in Lambeth Road—a veritable redoubt—as well as the -barricade at Lambeth Bridge, while all the roads leading from Kennington -into the Lambeth Road, such as St. George’s Road, Kennington Road, High -Street, and the rest, had been rendered impassable and the neighbouring -houses placed in a state of defence. Thus the whole district of -Kennington became therefore a fortress in itself.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/i_b_457_lg.png"> -<img src="images/i_b_457_sml.png" width="462" height="359" alt="Image unavailable: THE DEFENCES OF SOUTH LONDON - -on Sept 26th" /></a> -</div> - -<p>This was only a typical instance of the scientific<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_458" id="page_458"></a>{458}</span> methods of defence -now resorted to. Mistakes made in North London were not now repeated. -Day and night every able-bodied man, and woman too, worked on with -increasing zeal and patriotism. The defences in Haverstock Hill, -Holloway Road, and Edgware Road, which had been composed of overturned -tramcars, motor ’buses, household furniture, etc., had been riddled by -the enemy’s bullets. The lesson had been heeded, and now earth, sand, -tiles, paving stones, and bricks were very largely used.</p> - -<p>From nearly all the principal thoroughfares south of the river, the -paving-stones were being rapidly torn up by great gangs of men, and -whenever the artillery brought up a fresh Maxim or field-gun the wildest -demonstrations were made. The clergy held special services in churches -and chapels, and prayer-meetings for the emancipation of London were -held twice daily in the Metropolitan Tabernacle at Newington. In -Kennington Park, Camberwell Green, the Oval, Vauxhall Park, Lambeth -Palace Gardens, Camberwell Park, Peckham Rye, and Southwark Park a -division of Lord Byfield’s army was encamped. They held the Waterloo -terminus of the South-Western Railway strongly, the Chatham Railway from -the Borough Road Station—now the terminus—the South-Eastern from -Bricklayers’ Arms, which had been converted into another terminus, as -well as the Brighton line, both at Battersea Park and York Road.</p> - -<p>The lines destroyed by the enemy’s spies in the early moments of the -invasion had long ago been repaired, and up to the present railway and -telegraphic communication south and west remained uninterrupted. The -<i>Daily Mail</i> had managed to transfer some of its staff to the offices of -a certain printer’s in Southwark, and there, under difficulties, -published several editions daily despite the German censorship. While -northern London was without any news except that supplied from German -sources, South London was still open to the world, the cables from the -south coast being, as yet,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_459" id="page_459"></a>{459}</span> in the hands of the British, and the -telegraphs intact to Bristol and to all places in the West.</p> - -<p>Thus, during those stifling and exciting days following the occupation, -while London was preparing for its great uprising, the <i>South London -Daily Mirror</i>, though a queer, unusual-looking sheet, still continued to -appear, and was read with avidity by the gallant men at the barricades.</p> - -<p>Contrary to expectation, Von Kronhelm was leaving South London severely -alone. He was, no doubt, wise. Full well he knew that his men, once -within those narrow, tortuous streets beyond the river, would have no -opportunity to manœuvre, and would, as in the case of the assault of -Waterloo Bridge, be slaughtered to a man. His spies reported that each -hour that passed rendered the populace the stronger, yet he did nothing, -devoting his whole time, energy, and attention to matters in that half -of London he was now occupying.</p> - -<p>Everywhere the walls of South London were placarded with manifestoes of -the League of Defenders. Day after day fresh posters appeared, urging -patience and courage, and reporting upon the progress of the League. The -name of Graham was now upon everyone’s lips. He had, it seemed, arisen -as saviour of our beloved country. Every word of his inspired -enthusiasm, and this was well illustrated at the mass meeting on Peckham -Rye, when, beneath the huge flag of St. George, the white banner with -the red cross,—the ancient standard of England,—which the League had -adopted as theirs, he made a brilliant and impassioned appeal to every -Londoner and every Englishman.</p> - -<p>Report had it that the Germans had set a price upon his head, and that -he was pursued everywhere by German spies—mercenaries who would kill -him in secret if they could. Therefore he was compelled to go about with -an armed police guard, who arrested any suspected person in his -vicinity. The Government, who had at first laughed Graham’s enthusiasm -to scorn, now believed in him. Even Lord Byfield, after a long council, -declared<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_460" id="page_460"></a>{460}</span> that his efforts to inspire enthusiasm had been amazingly -successful, and it was now well known that the “Defenders” and the Army -had agreed to act in unison towards one common end—the emancipation of -England from the German thraldom.</p> - -<p>Some men of the Osnabrück Regiment, holding Canning Town and Limehouse, -managed one night, by strategy, to force their way through the Blackwall -Tunnel and break down its defence on the Surrey side in an attempt to -blow up the South Metropolitan Gas Works close by.</p> - -<p>The men holding the tunnel were completely overwhelmed by the numbers -that pressed on, and were compelled to fall back, twenty of their number -being killed. The assault was a victorious one, and it was seen that the -enemy were pouring out, when, of a sudden, there was a dull, heavy roar, -followed by wild shouts and terrified screams, as there rose from the -centre of the river a great column of water, and next instant the tunnel -was flooded, hundreds of the enemy being drowned like rats in a hole.</p> - -<p>The men of the Royal Engineers had, on the very day previous, made -preparations for destroying the tunnel if necessary, and had done so ere -the Germans were aware of their intention. The exact loss of life is -unknown, but it is estimated that over 400 men must have perished in -that single instant, while those who had made the sudden dash towards -the Gas Works were all taken prisoners, and their explosives -confiscated.</p> - -<p>The evident intention of the enemy being thus seen, General Sir Francis -Bamford from his headquarters at the Crystal Palace gave orders for the -tunnels at Rotherhithe and that across Greenwich Reach, as well as the -several “tube” tunnels and subways, to be destroyed, a work which was -executed without delay, and was witnessed by thousands, who watched for -the great disturbances and upheavals in the bed of the river.</p> - -<p>In the Old Kent Road the bridge over the canal, as well as the bridges -in Wells Street, Sumner Road, Glengall<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_461" id="page_461"></a>{461}</span> Road, and Canterbury Road, were -all prepared for demolition in case of necessity, the canal from the -Camberwell Road to the Surrey Docks forming a moat behind which the -defenders might, if necessary, retire. Clapham Common and Brockwell Park -were covered with tents, for General Bamford’s force, consisting mostly -of auxiliaries, were daily awaiting reinforcements.</p> - -<p>Lord Byfield, now at Windsor, was in constant communication by wireless -telegraphy with the London headquarters at the Crystal Palace, as well -as with Hibbard on the Malvern Hills and Woolmer at Shrewsbury. To -General Bamford at Sydenham came constant news of the rapid spread of -the national movement of defiance, and Lord Byfield, as was afterwards -known, urged the London commander to remain patient, and invite no -attack until the League were strong enough to act upon the offensive.</p> - -<p>Affairs of outposts were, of course, constantly recurring along the -river bank between Windsor and Egham, and the British free-shooters and -Frontiersmen were ever harassing the Saxons.</p> - -<p>Very soon Von Kronhelm became aware of Lord Byfield’s intentions, but -his weakness was apparent when he made no counter-move. The fact was -that the various great cities he now held required all his attention and -all his troops. From Manchester, from Birmingham, from Leeds, Bradford, -Sheffield, and Hull came similar replies. Any withdrawal of troops from -either city would be the signal for a general rising of the inhabitants. -Therefore, having gained possession, he could only now sit tight and -watch.</p> - -<p>From all over Middlesex, and more especially from the London area, came -sensational reports of the drastic measures adopted by the Germans to -repress any sign of revolt. In secret, the agents of the League of -Defenders were at work going from house to house, enrolling men, -arranging for secret meeting-places, and explaining in confidence the -programme as put forward by the Bristol committee. Now and then, -however, these<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_462" id="page_462"></a>{462}</span> agents were betrayed, and their betrayal was in every -case followed by a court-martial at Bow Street, death outside in the -yard of the police station, and the publication in the papers of their -names, their offence, and the hour of the execution.</p> - -<p>Yet, undaunted and defiantly, the giant organisation grew as no other -society had ever grown, and its agents and members quickly developed -into fearless patriots. It being reported that the Saxons were facing -Lord Byfield with the Thames between them, the people of West London -began in frantic haste to construct barricades. The building of -obstructions had, indeed, now become a mania north of the river as well -as the south. The people, fearing that there was to be more fighting in -the streets of London, began to build huge defences all across West -London. The chief were across King Street, Hammersmith, where it joins -Goldhawk Road, across the junction of Goldhawk and Uxbridge Roads, in -Harrow Road where it joins Admiral Road, and Willesden Lane, close to -the Paddington Cemetery, and the Latimer Road opposite St. Quintin Park -Station. All the side streets leading into the Goldhawk Road, Latimer -Road, and Ladbroke Grove Road, were also blocked up, and hundreds of -houses placed in a state of strong defence.</p> - -<p>With all this Von Kronhelm did not interfere. The building of such -obstructions acted as a safety-valve to the excited populace, therefore -he rather encouraged than discountenanced it. The barricades might, he -thought, be of service to his army if Lord Byfield really risked an -attack upon London from that direction.</p> - -<p>Crafty and cunning though he was, he was entirely unaware that those -barricades were being constructed at the secret orders of the League of -Defenders, and he never dreamed that they had actually been instigated -by the British Commander-in-chief himself.</p> - -<p>Thus the Day of Reckoning hourly approached, and London, though crushed -and starving, waited in patient vigilance.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_463" id="page_463"></a>{463}</span></p> - -<p>At Enfield Chase was a great camp of British prisoners in the hands of -the Germans, amounting to several thousands. Contrary to report, both -officers and men were fairly well treated by the Germans, though with -his limited supplies Von Kronhelm was already beginning to contemplate -releasing them. Many of the higher grade officers who had fallen into -the hands of the enemy, together with the Lord Mayor of London, the -Mayors of Hull, Goole, Lincoln, Norwich, Ipswich, and the Lord Mayors of -Manchester and Birmingham, had been sent across to Germany, where, -according to their own reports, they were being detained in Hamburg and -treated with every consideration. Nevertheless, all this greatly -incensed Englishmen. Lord Byfield, with Hibbard and Woolmer, was leaving -no stone unturned in order to reform our shattered Army, and again -oppose the invaders. All three gallant officers had been to Bristol, -where they held long consultation with the members of the Cabinet, with -the result that the Government still refused to entertain any idea of -paying the indemnity. The Admiralty were confident now that the command -of the sea had been regained, and in Parliament itself a little -confidence was also restored.</p> - -<p>Yet we had to face the hard facts that nearly two hundred thousand -Germans were upon British soil, and that London was held by them. -Already parties of German commissioners had visited the National -Gallery, the Wallace Collection, the Tate Gallery, and the British and -South Kensington Museums, deciding upon and placing aside certain art -treasures and priceless antiques ready for shipment to Germany. The -Raphaels, the Titians, the Rubenses, the Fra Angelicos, the Velasquezes, -the Elgin Marbles, the best of the Egyptian, Assyrian, and Roman -antiques, the Rosetta Stone, the early Biblical and classical -manuscripts, the historic charters of England, and suchlike treasures -which could never be replaced, were all catalogued and prepared for -removal. The people of London knew this; for though there had been no -newspapers, information ran rapidly<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_464" id="page_464"></a>{464}</span> from mouth to mouth. German -sentries guarded our world-famous collections, which were now indeed -entirely in the enemy’s hands, and which the Kaiser intended should -enrich the German galleries and museums.</p> - -<p>One vessel flying the British flag had left the Thames laden with spoil, -in an endeavour to reach Hamburg, but off Harwich she had been sighted -and overhauled by a British cruiser, with the result that she had been -steered to Dover. Therefore our cruisers and destroyers, having thus -obtained knowledge of the enemy’s intentions, were keeping a sharp -lookout along the coast for any vessels attempting to leave for German -ports.</p> - -<p>Accounts of fierce engagements in the Channel between British and German -ships went the rounds, but all were vague and unconvincing. The only -solid facts were that the Germans held the great cities of England, and -that the millions of Great Britain were slowly but surely preparing to -rise in an attempt to burst asunder the fetters that now held them.</p> - -<p>Government, Army, Navy, and Parliament had all proved rotten reeds. It -was now every man for himself—to free himself and his loved ones—or to -die in the attempt.</p> - -<p>Through the south and west of England, Graham’s clear, manly voice was -raised everywhere, and the whole population were now fast assembling -beneath the banner of the Defenders, in readiness to bear their part in -the most bloody and desperate encounter of the whole war—a fierce -guerilla warfare, in which the Germans were to receive no quarter. The -firm resolve now was to exterminate them.</p> - -<p>The swift and secret death being meted out to the German sentries, or, -in fact, to any German caught alone in a side street, having been -reported to Von Kronhelm, he issued another of his now famous -proclamations, which was posted upon half the hoardings in London, but -the populace at once amused themselves by<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_465" id="page_465"></a>{465}</span> tearing it down wherever it -was discovered. Von Kronhelm was the arch-enemy of London, and it is -believed that there were at that moment no fewer than five separate -conspiracies to encompass his death. Londoners detested the Germans, but -with a hatred twenty times the more intense did they regard those men -who, having engaged in commercial pursuits in England, had joined the -colours and were now acting as spies in the service of the enemy.</p> - -<p>Hundreds of extraordinary tales were told of Germans who, for years, had -been regarded as inoffensive toilers in London, and yet who were now -proved by their actions to be spies. It was declared, and was no doubt a -fact, that without the great army of advance-agents—every man among -them having been a soldier—Germany would never have effected the rapid -coup she had done. The whole thing had been carefully thought out, and -this invasion was the culmination of years of careful thought and most -minute study.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_466" id="page_466"></a>{466}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="CHAPTER_XII-b" id="CHAPTER_XII-b"></a>CHAPTER XII<br /><br /> -<small>DAILY LIFE OF THE BELEAGUERED</small></h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">They</span> were dark days in London—days of terror, starvation—death.</p> - -<p>Behind the barricades south of the Thames it was vaguely known that our -Admiralty—whose chief offices had been removed to Portsmouth before the -entry of the enemy into London—were keenly alive to the critical -position. Reports of the capture of a number of German liners in the -Atlantic, and of several ships laden with provisions, attempting to -cross the North Sea were spread from mouth to mouth, but so severe was -the censorship upon the Press that no word of such affairs was printed.</p> - -<p>The <i>London Gazette</i>, that journal which in ordinary circumstances the -public never sees, was published each evening at six o’clock, but, alas, -in German. It contained Von Kronhelm’s official orders to his army, and -the various proclamations regarding the government of London. The <i>Daily -Mail</i>, as the paper with the largest circulation, was also taken over as -the German official organ.</p> - -<p>At the head of each newspaper office in and about Fleet Street was a -German officer, whose duty was to read the proofs of everything before -it appeared. He installed himself in the editorial chair, and the -members of the staff all attempted to puzzle him and his assistants by -the use of London slang. Sometimes this was passed by the officer in -question, who did not wish to betray his ignorance, but more often it -was promptly<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_467" id="page_467"></a>{467}</span> crossed out. Thus the papers were frequently ridiculous in -their opinions and reports.</p> - -<p>The drawn game continued.</p> - -<p>On one side of the Thames the Germans held complete possession, while on -the other the people of London were defiant behind their barricaded -bridges. West London was occupied in building barricades in all quarters -to prevent any further entry into London, while Von Kronhelm, with his -inborn cunning, was allowing the work to proceed. In this, however, the -German Commander-in-Chief did not display his usual caution, as will be -seen in later chapters of this history.</p> - -<p>Once it was rumoured that the enemy intended to besiege the barricades -at the bridges by bringing their field howitzers into play, but very -soon it became apparent that Von Kronhelm, with discreet forbearance, -feared to excite further the London populace.</p> - -<p>The fact that the Lord Mayor had been deported had rendered them -irritable and viciously antagonistic, while the terms of the indemnity -demanded, now known everywhere—as they had been published in papers at -Brighton, Southampton, Bristol, and other places—had aroused within the -hearts of Londoners a firm resolve to hold their own at no matter what -cost.</p> - -<p>Beyond all this remained the knowledge of Gerald Graham’s movement—that -gigantic association, the League of Defenders, which had for its object -the freeing of England from the grip of the now detested eagle of -Germany.</p> - -<p>Daily the League issued its bulletins, notices, manifestoes, and -proclamations, all of which were circulated throughout South London. -South Coast resorts were now crowded to excess by fugitive Londoners, as -well as towns inland. Accommodation for them all was, of course, -impossible, but everywhere were encampments over the Kentish hop fields -and the Sussex pastures.</p> - -<p>Some further idea of life in South London at this time may be obtained -from the personal narrative of Joseph Cane, a tram driver, in the employ -of the London<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_468" id="page_468"></a>{468}</span> County Council, living at Creek Road, Battersea. His -story, written by himself, and subsequently published in the <i>Daily -Express</i>, was as follows:—</p> - -<p>“Five days have passed since the Germans bombarded us. I have been out -of work since the seventh, when the Council suspended greater part of -the tramway service, my line from Westminster Bridge included. I have a -wife and four children dependent upon me, and, unfortunately, all of -them are starving. We are waiting. The Defenders still urge us to wait. -But this waiting is very wearisome. For nineteen days have I wandered -about London in idleness. I have mixed with the crowds in the West End; -I have listened to the orators in the parks; I helped to build the big -barricade in the Caledonian Road; I watched the bombardment from the -waterside at Wandsworth, and I saw, on the following day, German -soldiers across on West Wharf.</p> - -<p>“Since that day we South Londoners have barricaded ourselves so strongly -that it will, I am certain, take Von Kronhelm all his time to turn us -out. Our defences are abundant and strong. Not only are there huge -barricades everywhere, but hundreds of houses and buildings have been -put in a state of defence, especially the positions commanding the main -thoroughfares leading to the bridges. As a member of the League of -Defenders, I have been served with a gun, and practise daily with -thousands of others upon the new range in Battersea Park. My post, -however, is at the barricade across Tarn’s Corner and Newington -Causeway, opposite the Elephant and Castle.</p> - -<p>“Every road to the bridges at that converging point is blocked. The -entrances to St. George’s Road, London Road, Walworth Road, and -Newington Butts are all strongly barricaded, the great obstructions -reaching up to the second storey windows. The New Kent Road remains -open, as there is a barricade at the end of Great Dover Street. The -houses all round are also fortified. From Tarn’s, quantities of goods,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_469" id="page_469"></a>{469}</span> -such as bales of calico, flannel, and dress materials, have been seized -and utilised in our barriers. I assisted to construct the enormous wall -of miscellaneous objects, and in its building we were directed by a -number of Royal Engineers. Our object is to repel the invader should he -succeed in breaking down the barrier at London Bridge.</p> - -<p>“All is in readiness, as far as we are concerned. Seven maxims are -mounted on our defence, while inside Tarn’s are hundreds of -Frontiersmen, sharpshooters, members of rifle clubs, and other men who -can shoot. Yesterday some artillery men arrived with five field guns, -and upon our barricade one has been mounted. The men say they have come -across from Windsor, and that other batteries of artillery are on their -way to strengthen us. Therefore, old Von Kronhelm, notwithstanding all -his orders and daily proclamations about this and about that, has us -Cockneys to deal with yet. And he’ll find the Elephant and Castle a -tough nut to crack. Hundreds of the men in our tram service are at the -barricades. We never thought, a month ago, when we used to drive up and -down from the bridges, that we’d so soon all of us become soldiers. -Life, however, is full of ups and downs. But nowadays London doesn’t -somehow seem like London. There is no traffic, and the side streets all -seem as silent as the grave. The main thoroughfares, such as the -Walworth, Old Kent, Kennington Park, Clapham, and Wandsworth Roads, are -crowded night and day by anxious, hungry people, eager for the revenge -which is declared by the Defenders to be at hand. How soon it comes no -one cares. There is still hope in Walworth and Kennington, and though -our stomachs may be empty we have sworn not to capitulate.</p> - -<p>“Food is on its way to us, so it is said. We have regained command of -the sea, therefore the ports are reopened, and in a day or two food will -no longer be scarce.</p> - -<p>“I saw this morning a poster issued by the League<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_470" id="page_470"></a>{470}</span> of Defenders, the -<i>Daily Bulletin</i>, it is called, declaring that relief is at hand. I hope -it is, for the sake of my distracted wife and family. The County Council -have been very good to us, but as money won’t buy anything, what is the -good of it? The supply is growing daily more limited. Half a crown was -paid yesterday by a man I know for a small loaf of bread at a shop in -the Wandsworth Road.</p> - -<p>“Our daily life at the barricade is monotonous and very wearying. Now -that the defences are complete and there is nothing to do, everyone is -anxious to have a brush with the enemy, and longing that he may make an -attack upon us. As newspapers are very difficult to get within the -barricades, several new ones have sprung up in South London, most of -them queer, ill-printed sheets, but very interesting on account of the -news they give.</p> - -<p>“The one most in favour is called <i>The South London Mirror</i>. I think it -is in connection with the <i>Daily Mail</i>. It now and then gives -photographs, like the <i>Daily Mirror</i>. Yesterday it gave a good one of -the barricade where I am stationed. The neighbourhood of the Elephant -presents an unusual picture, for everywhere men are scrambling over the -roofs, and windows of the houses are being half-covered with sheet iron, -while here and there is seen protruding the muzzle of a Maxim.</p> - -<p>“I hear on the best authority that explosives are already in position -under all the bridges, ready to blow them up at any moment. Yesterday I -went along to Southwark Bridge to see the defences there. They are -really splendid. Before they can be taken by assault the loss of life -must be appalling to the enemy. There are mines laid in front by which -the Germans could be blown to atoms. Certainly our first line of defence -is at least a reliable one. Now that Londoners have taken the law into -their own hands, we may perhaps hope for some success. Our Army, our -Navy, our War Office, our Admiralty, have proved themselves utterly -incompetent.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_471" id="page_471"></a>{471}</span></p> - -<p>“By day and by night we guard our barricades. The life is an idle one, -now that there is no further work to do. Imagine a huge wall erected -right across the road from Tarn’s front to the public-house opposite, an -obstruction composed of every conceivable object that might resist the -German bullets, and with loopholes here and there to admit of our fire. -Everything, from paving-stones torn up from the footpath to iron -coal-scuttles, has been used in its construction, together with -thousands of yards of barbed wire. Roughly, I believe that fully a -thousand men are holding my own particular defence, every one of them -members of this new League, which, encouraged and aided by Government, -is making such rapid progress in every direction. Every man who stands -shoulder to shoulder with me has sworn allegiance to King and Country, -and will fight and die in the defence of the city he loves. During the -past four days I have only been home once. Alas! my clean little home is -now one of suffering and desolation. I cannot bear to hear the children -cry for bread, so I now remain at my post, bearing my own humble part in -the defence of London. The wife bears up in patience, as so many -thousands of the good wives of humble folk are now doing. She is -pale-faced and dark-eyed, for privation is fast telling upon her. Yet -she uttered no word of complaint. She only asked me simply when this -cruel war would end.</p> - -<p>“When? Ay, when?</p> - -<p>“It will end when we have driven the Germans back into the sea—when we -have had blood for blood—when we have avenged the lives of those -innocent Englishmen and Englishwomen who have been killed in Suffolk, -Norfolk, Essex, and Yorkshire. Then the war will end—with victory for -our dear old England.</p> - -<p>“Of tobacco and drink there is still an abundance. Of the latter, alas, -we see examples of its abuse every day. Men and women, deprived of food -in many cases, have recourse to drink, with terrible effect. In every -quarter, as one walks through South London, one sees<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_472" id="page_472"></a>{472}</span> riotous -drunkenness, and often a lawlessness, which, if not put down by the -people themselves, would quickly assume alarming proportions. There are -no police now; but the Defenders act the part of officers of the law, -and repress any acts of violence or riotous behaviour.</p> - -<p>“A certain section of the public are, of course, in favour of stopping -the war at all costs, and towards that end are continually holding -meetings, and have even gone the length of burning the barricade outside -the police station in Kennington Road. This shameful act was committed -last night, and one of its perpetrators was, I hear, caught and promptly -lynched by the infuriated mob. The barricade is now in rapid process of -re-building. On every hand, horses—or the few that now remain in South -London—are being killed and used as food. Even such meat as that is at -a price almost prohibitive. This afternoon a company of military -telegraph engineers came to our barricade, and established telephonic -communication between us and the similar obstructions at London Bridge, -and on our right in Great Dover Street. From one hour to another we -never know when Von Kronhelm may give the order to attack the bridges, -therefore through the whole twenty-four hours we have to be alert and -watchful, even though we may smoke and gossip around our stacks of piled -arms. When the conflict comes it will be a long and bloody one, that is -certain. Not a man in South London will shirk his duty to the Empire. -The future, whether England shall still remain Mistress of the World, -lies with us. It is that important all-present fact that the League of -Defenders is impressing upon us from all the hoardings, and it is also -the fact which stimulates each one of us to bear our part in the defence -of our homes and our loved ones.</p> - -<p>“Germany shall yet rue the day when she launched her legions upon us.”</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>Life in London north of the Thames at that moment<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_473" id="page_473"></a>{473}</span> was more exciting -than that within the fortress of South London. In the latter, everyone -was waiting in hunger and patience the march of events, while north of -the river the ever-present Germans in foraging parties were a constant -source of annoyance and anger.</p> - -<p>All roads leading into London from the west, right across from -Hammersmith Bridge nearly to the Welsh Harp, were now heavily -barricaded. More than once Von Kronhelm was inclined to forbid this, but -the real fact was that he was pleased to allow the people some vent for -their outraged feelings. Londoners declared that they would allow no -more Germans to enter, and for that reason they were blocking the roads.</p> - -<p>Had it not been for the fact that the bulk of London’s millions had been -driven south of the Thames by the bombardment and subsequent street -fighting, Von Kronhelm, with his men now seriously reduced, would have -found himself in a very queer position.</p> - -<p>As it was, London was, for him, a hornets’ nest.</p> - -<p>The disposition of his troops was as follows: Along the northern heights -of London was spread Frölich’s cavalry division. The IXth Corps from -Essex, who were still practically fresh, were guarding the lines of -communication to Southminster and Harwich; the Xth Corps were occupying -the City proper, the IVth Corps were encamped in Hyde Park and held West -London, the Garde Corps were holding the Regent’s Park neighbourhood, -while the Saxons were outside London at Staines. From this latter -quarter constant brushes with the British and with bodies of auxiliaries -were being reported, and Staines Bridge had at last been blown up by the -Germans.</p> - -<p>Notwithstanding all Von Kronhelm’s cunning and diplomacy, London was -nevertheless a city of growing unrest. Union Jacks still flew, though -the Germans were on the alert everywhere, and the <i>Daily Bulletin</i> of -the Defenders, encouraging the people of London to hold out, made its -appearance upon hoardings and walls in every quarter. Many homeless -people were<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_474" id="page_474"></a>{474}</span> living in the ruins of houses, but, alas, hardly living, -such was the acute state of affairs. Daily the enemy distributed soup, -but only in meagre quantities, for, truth to tell, the portion of the -Metropolis under German rule was quite as badly off for food as the huge -fortress across the Thames.</p> - -<p>“Courage” was everywhere the Londoners’ watchword. A band of adventurous -spirits, having captured a small party of German engineers in -Pentonville Road as they were about to demolish some unsafe houses with -explosives, seized the latter, and got safely away. The next day, the -26th, with great daring they made an attempt to blow up Von Kronhelm’s -apartments in the new War Office.</p> - -<p>The manner in which it was accomplished, it appears, was by two of the -number obtaining German infantry uniforms—exactly how it is not stated, -but probably from dead soldiers—of the regiment who were mounting guard -in Whitehall. Thus disguised, they were enabled to pass the sentries, -obtain access to the long corridor leading past the big room of the -Commander-in-Chief, and there place the explosive already prepared in -the form of a bomb fired by clockwork, just beside the door. They ran -for their lives, and just succeeded in escaping when there was a -terrific explosion, and the whole front behind those columns of the -façade on the principal floor was blown, with its furniture, etc., out -into Whitehall.</p> - -<p>Four German clerks and a secretary were killed; but Von Kronhelm -himself, who was believed to have been at work there, had, half an hour -before, gone across the road to the Horse Guards.</p> - -<p>The sensation caused among Londoners was enormous, for it was at first -rumoured that Von Kronhelm had really been killed. Upon this there were -wild demonstrations on the part of the more lawless section of the -public, a section which was indeed increasing hourly. Even quiet, -respectable citizens found their blood boiling when they gazed upon -their wrecked homes and realised that their fortunes were ruined.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_475" id="page_475"></a>{475}</span></p> - -<p>The explosion at Whitehall resulted in a most vigorous inquiry. The -German Field-Marshal’s headquarters were removed to another portion of -the building, and within an hour of the outrage the telegraph -instrument—which had been blown to atoms—was replaced by another, and -communication with Berlin re-established.</p> - -<p>Most rigorous measures were now ordered to be taken for the preservation -of law and order. That evening still another of those famous -proclamations made its appearance, in which the regulations were -repeated, and it was also ordered that in consequence of the outrage any -person found in the possession of arms or of explosives was liable to be -shot at sight and without any form of trial.</p> - -<p>The vagabond part of London was, however, to the fore in giving the -Germans all the trouble they could. As the soldiers patrolled the -streets they were closely scanned, pointed at, hooted, and assailed with -slang that they could not understand. Often the people, in order to show -their antagonism, would post themselves in great numbers across a -street, say, in Piccadilly, Oxford Street, or the Strand, and refuse to -move, so that the troops, to avoid a collision, were obliged to go round -by the side streets, amid the loud jeers of the populace.</p> - -<p>Whenever a German flag was discovered, a piece of crape was tied to it, -or it received some form of insult. The Germans went about with -self-possession, even with bravado. In twos or threes they walked -together, and seemed as safe as though they were in large numbers. -Sometimes a mob of boys would follow, hooting, ridiculing them, and -calling them by opprobrious epithets. Occasionally men and women formed -around them in groups and engaged in conversation, while everywhere -during that first week of the occupation the soldiers of the Kaiser were -objects of great curiosity on the part of the alien rabble of the East -End.</p> - -<p>Hundreds upon hundreds of German workers from Whitechapel fraternised -with the enemy, but woe betide<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_476" id="page_476"></a>{476}</span> them when the angry bands of Londoners -watched and caught them alone afterwards. In dozens of cases they paid -for their friendliness with the enemy with their lives.</p> - -<p>From the confident tone of the Berlin Press, coupled with the actions of -Von Kronhelm, it was quite plain to all the world that the German -Emperor was now determined to take the utmost advantage of his success, -and, having England in his power, to make her drink the cup of adversity -to the very dregs.</p> - -<p>Many a ghastly tale was now reaching London from West Middlesex. A party -of eleven Frontiersmen, captured by the Saxons five miles north of -Staines, were obliged to dig their own graves, and were then shot as -they stood before them. Another terrible incident reported by a reliable -war correspondent was that, as punishment for an attack on a -requisitioning party, the entire town of Feltham had been put to the -sword, even the children. Eighty houses were also burnt down. At -Bedfont, too, a whole row of houses had been burned, and a dozen men and -women massacred, because of a shot fired at a German patrol.</p> - -<p>The German Army might possess many excellent qualities, but chivalry was -certainly not among them. War with them was a business. When London fell -there was no sentimental pity for it, but as much was to be made out of -it as possible.</p> - -<p>This was apparent everywhere in London. As soon as a German was -quartered in a room his methods were piratical. The enemy looted -everywhere, notwithstanding Von Kronhelm’s orders.</p> - -<p>Gradually to the abyss of degradation was our country thus being -brought. Where would it end?</p> - -<p>England’s down-trodden millions were awaiting in starvation and patience -the dawn of the Day of Revenge.</p> - -<p>It now became known that the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs had -sent to the British diplomatic agents abroad (with a view to its -ultimate submittal to the various European Cabinets) a protest of the -British Government against the bombardment of London.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_477" id="page_477"></a>{477}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="CHAPTER_XIII-b" id="CHAPTER_XIII-b"></a>CHAPTER XIII<br /><br /> -<small>REVOLTS IN SHOREDITCH AND ISLINGTON</small></h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">On</span> the night of the 27th September, a very serious conflict, entailing -much loss of life on both the London civilian and German side, occurred -at the point where Kingsland Road joins Old Street, Hackney Road, and -High Street. Across both Hackney and Kingsland Roads the barricades -built before the bombardment still remained in a half-ruined state, any -attempt at clearing them away being repulsed by the angry inhabitants. -Dalston, Kingsland, Bethnal Green, and Shoreditch were notably -antagonistic to the invaders, and several sharp encounters had taken -place. Indeed, those districts were discovered by the enemy to be very -unsafe.</p> - -<p>The conflict in question, however, commenced at the corner of Old Street -at about 9.30 in the evening, by three German tailors from Cambridge -Road being insulted by two men, English labourers. The tailors appealed -in German to four Westphalian infantrymen who chanced to be passing, and -who subsequently fired and killed one of the Englishmen. This was the -signal for a local uprising. The alarm given, hundreds of men and women -rushed from their houses, many of them armed with rifles and knives, -and, taking cover behind the ruined barricades, opened fire upon a body -of fifty Germans, who very quickly ran up. The fire was returned, when -from the neighbouring houses a perfect hail of lead was suddenly rained -upon the Germans, who were then forced to retire down High Street -towards<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_478" id="page_478"></a>{478}</span> Liverpool Street Station, leaving many dead in the roadway.</p> - -<p>Very quickly news was sent over the telephone, which the Germans had now -established in many quarters of London, and large reinforcements were -soon upon the scene. The men of Shoreditch had, however, obtained two -Maxim guns, which had been secreted ever since the entry of the Germans -into the Metropolis, and as the enemy endeavoured to storm their -position they swept the street with a deadly fire. Quickly the situation -became desperate, but the fight lasted over an hour. The sound of firing -brought hundreds upon hundreds of Londoners upon the scene. All these -took arms against the Germans, who, after many fruitless attempts to -storm the defences, and being fired upon from every side, were compelled -to fall back again.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 304px;"> -<a href="images/i_b_478_lg.png"> -<img src="images/i_b_478_sml.png" width="304" height="457" alt="Image unavailable: SCENE OF THE STREET FIGHTING IN SHOREDITCH on Sept. -27th" /></a> -</div> - -<p>They were followed along High Street into Bethnal Green Road, up Great -Eastern Street into Hoxton Square and Pitfield Street, and there cut up, -being given no quarter at the hands of the furious populace.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_479" id="page_479"></a>{479}</span> In those -narrow thoroughfares they were powerless, and were therefore simply -exterminated, until the streets ran with blood.</p> - -<p>The victory for the men of Shoreditch was complete, over three hundred -and fifty Germans being killed, while our losses were only about fifty.</p> - -<p>The conflict was at once reported to Von Kronhelm, and the very fact -that he did not send exemplary punishment into that quarter was quite -sufficient to show that he feared to arouse further the hornets’ nest in -which he was living, and more especially that portion of the populace -north of the City.</p> - -<p>News of the attack, quickly spreading, inspired courage in every other -part of the oppressed Metropolis.</p> - -<p>The successful uprising against the Germans in Shoreditch incited -Londoners to rebel, and in various other parts of the Metropolis, -especially in Westbourne Grove, in Notting Hill, in Marylebone Road, and -in Kingsland, there occurred outbreaks of a more or less serious nature.</p> - -<p>Between invaders and defenders there was now constant warfare. Von -Kronhelm had found to his cost that London was not to be so easily -cowed, after all, notwithstanding his dastardly bombardment. The size -and population of the Metropolis had not been sufficiently calculated -upon. It was as a country in itself, while the intricacies of its -by-ways formed a refuge for the conspirators, who were gradually -completing their preparations to rise <i>en masse</i> and strike down the -Germans wherever found. In the open country his great army could march, -manœuvre, and use strategy, but here in the maze of narrow London -streets it was impossible to know in one thoroughfare what was taking -place in the next.</p> - -<p>Supplies, too, were now running very short. The distress among our -vanquished populace was most severe; while Von Kronhelm’s own army was -put on meagre rations. The increasing price of food and consequent -starvation had not served to improve the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_480" id="page_480"></a>{480}</span> relations between the invaders -and the citizens of London, who, though they were assured by various -proclamations that they would be happier and more prosperous under -German rule, now discovered that they were being slowly starved to -death.</p> - -<p>Their only hope, therefore, was in the efforts of that now gigantic -organisation, the League of Defenders.</p> - -<p>A revolt occurred in Pentonville Road, opposite King’s Cross Underground -Station, which ended in a fierce and terrible fray. A company of the -Bremen Infantry Regiment No. 75, belonging to the IXth Corps, were -marching from the City Road towards Regent’s Park, when several shots -were fired at them from windows of shops almost opposite the station. -Five Germans fell dead, including one lieutenant, a very gorgeous person -who wore a monocle. Another volley rang out before the infantrymen could -realise what was happening, and then it was seen that the half-ruined -shops had been placed in such a state of defence as to constitute a -veritable fortress.</p> - -<p>The fire was returned, but a few moments later a Maxim spat its deadly -fire from a small hole in a wall, and a couple of dozen of the enemy -fell upon the granite setts of the thoroughfare. The rattle of musketry -quickly brought forth the whole of that populous neighbourhood—or all, -indeed, that remained of them—the working-class district between -Pentonville Road and Copenhagen Street. Notwithstanding the wreck of -London, many of the poorer classes still clung to their own districts, -and did not migrate with the middle and upper classes across the Thames.</p> - -<p>Quickly the fight became general. The men of Bremen endeavoured to take -the place by assault, but found that it was impossible. The strength of -the defences was amazing, and showed only too plainly that Londoners -were in secret preparing for the great uprising that was being planned. -In such a position were the houses held by the Londoners, that their -fire commanded both the Pentonville and King’s Cross<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_481" id="page_481"></a>{481}</span> Roads; but very -soon the Germans were reinforced by another company of the same -regiment, and these being attacked in the rear from Rodney Street, -Cumming Street, Weston Street, York Street, Winchester Street, and other -narrow turnings leading into the Pentonville Road, the fighting quickly -became general.</p> - -<p>The populace came forth in swarms, men and women, armed with any weapon -or article upon which they could lay their hands, and all fired with the -same desire.</p> - -<p>And in many instances they succeeded, be it said. Hundreds of men who -came forth were armed with rifles which had been carefully secreted on -the entry of the enemy into the metropolis. The greater part of those -men, indeed, had fought at the barricades in North London, and had -subsequently taken part in the street fighting as the enemy advanced. -Some of the arms had come from the League of Defenders, smuggled into -the metropolis nobody exactly knew how. All that was known was that at -the various secret headquarters of the League, rifles, revolvers, and -ammunition were forthcoming, the majority of them being of foreign make, -and some of them of a pattern almost obsolete.</p> - -<p>Up and down the King’s Cross, Pentonville, and Caledonian Roads the -crowd swayed and fought. The Germans against that overwhelming mass of -angry civilians seemed powerless. Small bodies of the troops were -cornered in the narrow by-streets, and then given no quarter. -Brave-hearted Londoners, though they knew well what dire punishment they -must inevitably draw upon themselves, had taken the law into their own -hands, and were shooting or stabbing every German who fell into their -hands.</p> - -<p>The scene of carnage in that hour of fighting was awful. The <i>Daily -Chronicle</i> described it as one of the most fiercely-contested encounters -in the whole history of the siege. Shoreditch had given courage to -King’s Cross, for, unknown to Von Kronhelm, houses in all quarters were -being put in a state of defence, their<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_482" id="page_482"></a>{482}</span> position being carefully chosen -by those directing the secret operations of the League of Defenders.</p> - -<p>For over an hour the houses in question gallantly held out, sweeping the -streets constantly with their Maxim. Presently, however, on further -reinforcements arriving, the German colonel directed his men to enter -the houses opposite. In an instant a door was broken in, and presently -glass came tumbling down as muzzles of rifles were poked through the -panes, and soon sharp crackling showed that the Germans had settled down -to their work. The movements of the enemy throughout were characterised -by their coolness and military common sense. They did the work before -them in a quiet, business-like way, not shirking risk when it was -necessary, but, on the other hand, not needlessly exposing themselves -for the sake of swagger.</p> - -<p>The defence of the Londoners was most obstinate. In the streets, -Londoners attacked the enemy with utter disregard for the risks they -ran. Women, among them many young girls, joined in the fray, armed with -pistols and knives.</p> - -<p>After a while a great body of reinforcements appeared in the Euston -Road, having been sent hurriedly along from Regent’s Park. Then the -option was given to those occupying the fortified house to surrender, -the colonel promising to spare their lives. The Londoners peremptorily -refused. Everywhere the fighting became more desperate, and spread all -through the streets leading out of St. Pancras, York, and Caledonian -Roads, until the whole of that great neighbourhood became the scene of a -fierce conflict, in which both sides lost heavily. Right across -Islington the street fighting spread, and many were the fatal traps set -for the unwary German who found himself cut off in that maze of narrow -streets between York Road and the Angel. The enemy, on the other hand, -were shooting down women and girls as well as the men, even the -non-combatants—those who came out of their houses to ascertain what was -going on—being promptly fired at and killed.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_483" id="page_483"></a>{483}</span></p> - -<p>In the midst of all this somebody ignited some petrol in a house a few -doors from the chapel in Pentonville Road, and in a few moments the -whole row of buildings were blazing furiously, belching forth black -smoke and adding to the terror and confusion of those exciting moments. -Even that large body of Germans now upon the scene were experiencing -great difficulty in defending themselves. A perfect rain of bullets -seemed directed upon them on every hand, and to-day’s experience -certainly proves that Londoners are patriotic and brave, and in their -own districts they possess a superiority over the trained troops of the -Kaiser.</p> - -<p>At length, after a most sanguinary struggle, the Londoners’ position was -carried, the houses were entered, and twenty-two brave patriots, mostly -of the working class, taken prisoners. The populace now realising that -the Germans had, after all, overpowered their comrades in their -fortress, fell back; but being pursued northward towards the railway -line between Highbury and Barnsbury Stations, many of them were -despatched on the spot.</p> - -<p>What followed was indeed terrible. The anger of the Germans now became -uncontrollable. Having in view Von Kronhelm’s proclamation,—which -sentenced to death all who, not being in uniform, fired upon German -troops,—they decided to teach the unfortunate populace a lesson. As a -matter of fact, they feared that such revolts might be repeated in other -quarters.</p> - -<p>So they seized dozens of prisoners, men and women, and shot them down. -Many of these summary executions took place against the wall of the St. -Pancras Station at the corner of Euston Road. Men and women were -pitilessly sent to death. Wives, daughters, fathers, sons were ranged up -against that wall, and, at signal from the colonel, fell forward with -German bullets through them.</p> - -<p>Of the men who had so gallantly held the fortified house, not a single -one escaped. Strings of men and women were hurried to their doom in one -day, for the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_484" id="page_484"></a>{484}</span> troops were savage with the lust of blood, and Von -Kronhelm, though he was aware of it by telephone, lifted not a finger to -stop those arbitrary executions.</p> - -<p>But enough of such details. Suffice it to say that the stones of -Islington were stained with the blood of innocent Londoners, and that -those who survived took a fierce vow of vengeance. Von Kronhelm’s -legions had the upper hand for the moment, yet the conflict and its -bloody sequel had the effect of arousing the fiercest anger within the -heart of every Briton in the metropolis.</p> - -<p>What was in store for us none could tell. We were conquered, oppressed, -starved; yet hope was still within us. The League of Defenders were not -idle, while South London was hourly completing her strength.</p> - -<p>When the day dawned for the great revenge—as it would ere long—then -every man and woman in London would rise simultaneously, and the -arrogant Germans would cry for quarter that certainly would never be -given them.</p> - -<p>It seems that after quelling the revolt at King’s Cross wholesale -arrests were made in Islington. The guilt or innocence of the prisoners -did not seem to matter, Von Kronhelm dealing out to them exemplary and -summary punishment. In all cases the charges were doubtful, and in many -cases the innocent have, alas! paid the penalty with their lives.</p> - -<p>Terror reigns in London. One newspaper correspondent—whose account is -published this morning in South London, having been sent across the -Thames by carrier pigeon, many of which were now being employed by the -newspapers—had an opportunity of witnessing the wholesale executions -which took place yesterday afternoon outside Dorchester House, where Von -Kleppen has established his quarters. Von Kleppen seems to be the most -pitiless of the superior officers. The prisoners, ranged up for -inspection in front of the big mansion, were mostly men from Islington, -all of whom knew only too well the fate in store for them. Walking -slowly along and eyeing the ranks of these unfortunate wretches,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_485" id="page_485"></a>{485}</span> the -German General stopped here and there, tapping a man on the shoulder or -beckoning him out of the rear ranks. In most cases, without further -word, the individual thus selected was marched into the Park at Stanhope -Gate, where a small supplementary column was soon formed.</p> - -<p>Those chosen knew that their last hour had come. Some clasped their -hands and fell upon their knees, imploring pity, while others remained -silent and stubborn patriots. One man, his face covered with blood and -his arm broken, sat down and howled in anguish, and others wept in -silence. Some women—wives and daughters of the condemned men—tried to -get within the Park to bid them adieu and to urge courage, but the -soldiers beat them back with their rifles. Some of the men laughed -defiantly, others met death with a stony stare. The eye-witness saw the -newly-dug pit that served as common grave, and he stood by and saw them -shot and their corpses afterwards flung into it.</p> - -<p>One young fair-haired woman, condemned by Von Kleppen, rushed forward to -that officer, threw herself upon her knees, implored mercy, and -protested her innocence wildly. But the officer, callous and pitiless, -simply motioned to a couple of soldiers to take her within the Park, -where she shared the same fate as the men.</p> - -<p>How long will this awful state of affairs last? We must die, or conquer. -London is in the hands of a legion of assassins—Bavarians, Saxons, -Würtembergers, Hessians, Badeners—all now bent upon prolonging the -reign of terror, and thus preventing the uprising that they know is, -sooner or later, inevitable.</p> - -<p>Terrible accounts are reaching us of how the Germans are treating their -prisoners on Hounslow Heath, at Enfield, and other places; of the awful -sufferings of the poor unfortunate fellows, of hunger, of thirst, and of -inhuman disregard for either their comfort or their lives.</p> - -<p>At present we are powerless, hemmed in by our<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_486" id="page_486"></a>{486}</span> barricades. Behind us, -upon Sydenham Hill, General Bamford is in a strong position, and his -great batteries are already defending any attack upon London from the -south. From the terrace in front of the Crystal Palace his guns can -sweep the whole range of southern suburbs. Through Dulwich, Herne Hill, -Champion Hill, and Denmark Hill are riding British cavalry, all of whom -show evident traces of the hard and fierce campaign. We see from -Sydenham constant messages being heliographed, for General Bamford and -Lord Byfield are in hourly communication by wireless telegraphy or by -other means.</p> - -<p>What is transpiring at Windsor is not known, save that every night there -are affairs of outposts with the Saxons, who on several occasions have -attempted to cross the river by pontoons, and have on each occasion been -driven back.</p> - -<p>It was reported to Parliament at its sitting at Bristol yesterday that -the Cabinet had refused to entertain any idea of paying the indemnity -demanded by Germany, and that their reply to Von Kronhelm is one of open -defiance. The brief summary of the speeches published shows that the -Government are hopeful, notwithstanding the present black outlook. They -believe that when the hour comes for the revenge, London will rise as a -man, and that Socialists, Nonconformists, Labour agitators, Anarchists, -and demagogues will unite with us in one great national, patriotic -effort to exterminate our conquerors as we would exterminate vermin.</p> - -<p>Mr. Gerald Graham has made another great speech in the House, in which -he reported the progress of the League of Defenders and its widespread -ramifications. He told the Government that there were over seven -millions of able-bodied men in the country ready to revolt the instant -the word went forth. That there would be terrible bloodshed he warned -them, but that the British would eventually prove the victors he was -assured. He gave no details of the organisation, for<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_487" id="page_487"></a>{487}</span></p> - -<div class="bboxbld"> - -<p class="c"><big>LEAGUE OF DEFENDERS.</big></p> -<p class="c">———</p> -<p class="c"><big>DAILY BULLETIN.</big></p> -<p class="c">———</p> - -<p class="nind">The League of Defenders of the British Empire -publicly announce to Englishmen, although the -North of London is held by the enemy:</p> - -<p>(1) That England will soon entirely regain -command of the sea, and that a rigorous blockade -of the German ports will be established.</p> - -<p>(2) That three of the vessels of the North -German Lloyd Transatlantic passenger service -have been captured, together with a number of -minor German ships in the Channel and Mediterranean.</p> - -<p>(3) That four German cruisers and two destroyers -have fallen into the hands of the -British.</p> - -<p> -(4) That</p> - -<p class="c">ENGLAND’S MILLIONS ARE READY<br /> -TO RISE!</p> - -<p class="c">Therefore</p> - -<p class="c">WE ARE NOT YET BEATEN!<br /> -BE PREPARED, AND WAIT.</p> - -<p> League of Defenders.</p> - -<p class="r">Central Office: Bristol.</p> -</div> - -<p class="c"> -COPY OF THE “DAILY BULLETIN” OF THE LEAGUE<br /> -OF DEFENDERS.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_488" id="page_488"></a>{488}</span><br /> -</p> - -<p class="nind">to a great measure it was a secret one, and Von Kronhelm was already -taking active steps to combat its intentions; but he declared that there -was still a strong spirit of patriotism in the country, and explained -how sturdy Scots were daily making their way south, and how men from -Wales were already massing in Oxford.</p> - -<p>The speech was received on both sides of the House with ringing cheers, -when, in conclusion, he promised them that, within a few days, the fiat -would go forth, and the enemy would find himself crushed and powerless.</p> - -<p>“South London,” he declared, “is our stronghold, our fortress. To-day it -is impregnable, defended by a million British patriots, and I defy Von -Kronhelm—indeed, I dare him to attack it!”</p> - -<p>Von Kronhelm was, of course, well aware of the formation of the -Defenders, but treated the League with contempt. If there was any -attempt at a rising, he would shoot down the people like dogs. He -declared this openly and publicly, and he also issued a warning to the -English people in the German official <i>Gazette</i>, a daily periodical -printed in one of the newspaper offices in Fleet Street in both German -and English.</p> - -<p>The German Commander fully believed that England was crushed; yet, as -the days went on, he was puzzled that he received no response to his -demand for indemnity. Twice he had sent special despatch-bearers to -Bristol, but on both occasions the result was the same. There was no -reply.</p> - -<p>Diplomatic representations had been made in Berlin through the Russian -Ambassador, who was now in charge of British interests in Germany, but -all to no purpose. Our Foreign Minister simply acknowledged receipt of -the various despatches. On the Continent the keenest interest was -manifested at what was apparently a deadlock. The British had, it was -known, regained command of the sea. Von Kronhelm’s supplies were already -cut off. The cables in direct communication<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_489" id="page_489"></a>{489}</span> between England and Germany -had been severed, and the Continental Press, especially the Paris -journals, gleefully recounted how two large Hamburg-American liners -attempting to reach Hamburg by passing north of Scotland had been -captured by British cruisers.</p> - -<p>In the Channel, too, a number of German vessels had been seized, and one -that showed fight off the North Foreland was fired upon and sunk. The -public at home, however, were more interested in supremacy on land. It -was all very well to have command of the sea, they argued, but it did -not appear to alleviate perceptibly the hunger and privations on land. -The Germans occupied London, and while they did so all freedom in -England was at an end.</p> - -<p>A great poster headed “Englishmen,” here reproduced, was seen -everywhere. The whole country was flooded with it, and thousands upon -thousands of heroic Britons, from the poorest to the wealthiest, -clamoured to enrol themselves. The movement was an absolutely national -one in every sense of the word. The name of Gerald Graham, the new -champion of England’s power, was upon everyone’s tongue. Daily he spoke -in the various towns in the west of England, in Plymouth, Taunton, -Cardiff, Portsmouth, and Southampton, and, assisted by the influential -committee, among whom were many brilliant speakers and men whose names -were as household words, he aroused the country to the highest pitch of -hatred against the enemy. The defenders, as they drilled in various -centres through the whole of the west of England, were a strange and -incongruous body. Grey-bearded Army pensioners ranged side by side with -keen, enthusiastic youths, advised them and gave them the benefit of -their expert knowledge. Volunteer officers in many cases assumed -command, together with retired drill sergeants. The digging of trenches -and the making of fortifications were assigned to navvies, bricklayers, -platelayers, and agricultural labourers, large bodies of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_490" id="page_490"></a>{490}</span></p> - -<div class="bboxbld"> - -<p class="c"><big><big><b><span class="sans">ENGLISHMEN!</span></b></big></big></p> - -<div class="poetry"><div class="poem"> -<span class="sans"><big><big>Your Homes are Desecrated!<br /> -Your Children are Starving!<br /> -Your Loved Ones are Dead!</big></big></span></div></div> - -<p class="c"><b>WILL YOU REMAIN IN COWARDLY -INACTIVITY?</b></p> - -<p class="hang">The German Eagle flies over London. Hull, Newcastle, -and Birmingham are in ruins. Manchester -is a German City. Norfolk, Essex, and Suffolk -form a German colony.</p> - -<p class="hang">The Kaiser’s troops have brought death, ruin, and -starvation upon you.</p> - -<p class="c"><span class="sans"><big><b>WILL YOU BECOME GERMANS?</b></big></span></p> - -<p class="c"><b><span class="sans"><big><big>NO!</big></big></span></b></p> - -<p>Join THE DEFENDERS and fight for England.</p> -<p>You have England’s Millions beside you.</p> - -<p class="c"><span class="sans"><big><big><b>LET US RISE!</b></big></big></span></p> - -<p>Let us drive back the Kaiser’s men.</p> - -<p>Let us shoot them at sight.</p> - -<p>Let us exterminate every single man who has -desecrated English soil.</p> - -<p>Join the New League of Defenders.</p> - -<p>Fight for your homes. Fight for your wives. Fight -for England.</p> - -<p class="c"><span class="sans"><big><big><b>FIGHT FOR YOUR KING!</b></big></big></span></p> - -<p class="c">The National League of Defenders’ Head Offices, -Bristol, September 21st, 1910.</p> -</div> - -<p class="c"> -<span class="smcap">A COPY OF THE MANIFESTO OF THE LEAGUE OF<br /> -DEFENDERS ISSUED ON 21st SEPTEMBER 1910.</span><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_491" id="page_491"></a>{491}</span><br /> -</p> - -<p class="nind">whom were under railway gangers, and were ready to perform any -excavation work.</p> - -<p>The Maxims and other machine guns were mostly manned by Volunteer -artillery; but instruction in the working of the Maxim was given to -select classes in Plymouth, Bristol, Portsmouth, and Cardiff. Time was -of utmost value, therefore the drilling was pushed forward day and -night. It was known that Von Kronhelm was already watchful of the -movements of the League, and was aware daily of its growth. Whether its -gigantic proportions would place him upon his guard was, however, quite -uncertain.</p> - -<p>In London, with the greatest secrecy, the defenders were banding -together. In face of the German proclamation posted upon the walls, -Londoners were holding meetings in secret and enrolling themselves. Such -meetings had, perforce, to be held in unsuspected places, otherwise all -those present would be arrested and tried for conspiracy by martial law. -Many of the smaller chapels in the suburbs, schoolrooms, mission halls, -and such-like buildings were used as meeting-places; but the actual -local headquarters of the League were kept a profound secret except to -the initiated.</p> - -<p>German spies were everywhere. In one case at a house in Tottenham Court -Road, where a branch of the League was discovered, no fewer than -twenty-seven persons were arrested, three of whom were on the following -day shot on the Horse Guards’ Parade as warning to others who might seek -to incite the spirit of revolt against German rule.</p> - -<p>Nevertheless, though there were many arrests, and though every branch of -the Defenders was crushed vigorously and stamped out wherever found, the -movement proceeded apace, and in no city did it make greater headway, -nor were the populace more eager to join, than in our dear old London.</p> - -<p>Though the German Eagle flew in Whitehall and from the summit of St. -Stephen’s Tower, and though the heavy tramp of German sentries echoed in -Trafalgar<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_492" id="page_492"></a>{492}</span> Square, in the quiet, trafficless streets in the vicinity, -England was not yet vanquished.</p> - -<p>The valiant men of London were still determined to sell their liberty -dearly, and to lay down their lives for the freedom of their country and -honour of their King.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_493" id="page_493"></a>{493}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="BOOK_III" id="BOOK_III"></a>BOOK III<br /><br /> -THE REVENGE</h2> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_494" id="page_494"></a>{494}</span></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_495" id="page_495"></a>{495}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="CHAPTER_I-c" id="CHAPTER_I-c"></a>CHAPTER I<br /><br /> -<small>A BLOW FOR FREEDOM</small></h3> - -<p class="r"> -“<span class="smcap">‘Daily Mail’ Office</span>, <i>Oct. 1st</i>, 2 p.m.<br /> -</p> - -<p>“Three days have passed since the revolt at King’s Cross, and each day, -both on the Horse Guards’ Parade and in the Park, opposite Dorchester -House, there have been summary executions. Von Kronhelm is in evident -fear of the excited London populace, and is endeavouring to cow them by -his plain-spoken and threatening proclamations, and by these wholesale -executions of any person found with arms in his or her possession. But -the word of command does not abolish the responsibility of conscience, -and we are now awaiting breathlessly for the word to strike the blow in -revenge.</p> - -<p>“The other newspapers are reappearing, but all that is printed each -morning is first subjected to a rigorous censorship, and nothing is -allowed to be printed before it is passed and initialled by the two -gold-spectacled censors who sit and smoke their pipes in an office to -themselves. Below, we have German sentries on guard, for our journal is -one of the official organs of Von Kronhelm, and what now appears in it -is surely sufficient to cause our blood to boil.</p> - -<p>“To-day, there are everywhere signs of rapidly-increasing unrest. -Londoners are starving, and are now refusing to remain patient any -longer. The <i>Daily Bulletin</i> of the League of Defenders, though the -posting of it is punishable by imprisonment, and it is everywhere torn -down where discovered by the Germans, still gives daily brief news of -what is in progress,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_496" id="page_496"></a>{496}</span> and still urges the people to wait in patience for -‘the action of the Government,’ as it is sarcastically put.</p> - -<p>“Soon after eleven o’clock this morning a sudden and clearly -premeditated attack was made upon a body of the Bremen infantry who were -passing along Oxford Street from Holborn to the Marble Arch. The -soldiers were suddenly fired upon from windows of a row of shops between -Newman Street and Rathbone Place, and before they could halt and return -the fire they found themselves surrounded by a great armed rabble, who -were emerging from all the streets leading into Oxford Street on either -side.</p> - -<p>“While the Germans were manœuvring, some unknown hand launched from a -window a bomb into the centre of them. Next second there was a red -flash, a loud report, and twenty-five of the enemy were blown to atoms. -For a few moments the soldiers were demoralised, but orders were shouted -loudly by their officers, and they began a most vigorous defence. In a -few seconds the fight was as fierce as that at King’s Cross; for out of -every street in that working-class district lying between the Tottenham -Court Road and Great Portland Street on the north, and out of Soho on -the south, poured thousands upon thousands of fierce Londoners, all bent -upon doing their utmost to kill their oppressors. From almost every -window along Oxford Street a rain of lead was now being poured upon the -troops, who vainly strove to keep their ground. Gradually, however, they -were, by slow degrees, forced back into the narrow side-turnings up -Newman Street, and Rathbone Place into Mortimer Street, Foley Street, -Goodge Street, and Charlotte Street; and there they were slaughtered -almost to a man.</p> - -<p>“Two officers were captured by the armed mob in Tottenham Street, and -after being beaten were stood up and shot in cold blood as vengeance for -those shot during the past three days at Von Kleppen’s orders at -Dorchester House.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_497" id="page_497"></a>{497}</span></p> - -<p>“The fierce fight lasted quite an hour; and though reinforcements were -sent for, yet, curiously enough, none arrived.</p> - -<p>“The great mob, however, were well aware that very soon the iron hand of -Germany would fall heavily upon them; therefore, in frantic haste they -began soon after noon to build barricades, and block up the narrow -streets in every direction. At the end of Rathbone Place, Newman Street, -Berners Street, Wells Street, and Great Titchfield Street huge -obstructions soon appeared, while on the east all by-streets leading -into Tottenham Court Road were blocked up, and the same on the west in -Great Portland Street, and on the north where the district was flanked -by the Euston Road. So that by two o’clock the populous neighbourhood -bounded by the four great thoroughfares was rendered a fortress in -itself.</p> - -<p>“Within that area were thousands of armed men and women from Soho, -Bloomsbury, Marylebone, and even from Camden Town. There they remained -in defiance of Von Kronhelm’s newest proclamation, which stared one in -the face from every wall.”</p> - -<p class="cb">* * * * * * *</p> - -<p class="r"> -“<span class="smcap">‘Daily Telegraph’ Office, Fleet Street</span>,<br /> -<i>Oct. 1st</i>, 2 p.m.<br /> -</p> - -<p>“The enemy were unaware of the grave significance of the position of -affairs, because Londoners betrayed no outward sign of the truth. Now, -however, nearly every man and woman wore pinned upon their breasts a -small piece of silk about two inches square, printed as a miniature -Union Jack—the badge adopted by the League of Defenders. Though Von -Kronhelm was unaware of it, Lord Byfield, in council with Greatorex and -Bamford, had decided that, in order to demoralise the enemy and give him -plenty of work to do, a number of local uprisings should take place -north of the Thames. These would occupy Von Kronhelm, who would -experience great difficulty in quelling them, and would no<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_498" id="page_498"></a>{498}</span> doubt -eventually recall the Saxons from West Middlesex to assist. If the -latter retired upon London they would find the barricades held by -Londoners in their rear and Lord Byfield in their front, and be thus -caught between two fires.</p> - -<p>“In each district of London there is a chief of the Defenders, and to -each chief these orders had been conveyed in strictest confidence. -Therefore, to-day, while the outbreak occurred in Oxford Street, there -were fully a dozen others in various parts of the metropolis, each of a -more or less serious character. Every district has already prepared its -own secret defences, its fortified houses, and its barricades in hidden -by-ways. Besides the quantities of arms smuggled into London, every dead -German has had his rifle, pistol, and ammunition stolen from him. -Hundreds of the enemy have been surreptitiously killed for that very -reason. Lawlessness is everywhere. Government and Army has failed them, -and Londoners are now taking the law into their own hands.</p> - -<p>“In King Street, Hammersmith; in Notting Dale, in Forest Road, Dalston; -in Wick Road, Hackney; in Commercial Road East, near Stepney Station; -and in Prince of Wales Road, Kentish Town, the League of Defenders this -morning—at about the same hour—first made their organisation public by -displaying our national emblem, together with the white flags, with the -scarlet St. George’s Cross, the ancient battle-flag of England.</p> - -<p>“For that reason, then, no reinforcements were sent to Oxford Street. -Von Kronhelm was far too busy in other quarters. In Kentish Town, it is -reported, the Germans gained a complete and decisive victory, for the -people had not barricaded themselves strongly; besides, there were large -reinforcements of Germans ready in Regent’s Park, and these came upon -the scene before the Defenders were sufficiently prepared. The flag was -captured from the barricade in Prince of Wales Road, and the men of -Kentish Town lost over four hundred killed and wounded.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_499" id="page_499"></a>{499}</span></p> - -<p>“At Stepney the result was the reverse. The enemy, believing it to be a -mere local disturbance and easily quelled, sent but a small body of men -to suppress it. But very quickly, in the intricate by-streets off -Commercial Road, these were wiped out, not one single man surviving. A -second and a third body were sent, but so fiercely was the ground -contested that they were at length compelled to fall back and leave the -men of Stepney masters of their own district. In Hammersmith and in -Notting Dale the enemy also lost heavily, though in Hackney they were -successful after two hours’ hard fighting.</p> - -<p>“Everyone declares that this secret order issued by the League means -that England is again prepared to give battle, and that London is -commencing by her strategic movement of local rebellions. The gravity of -the situation cannot now, for one moment, be concealed. London north of -the Thames is destined to be the scene of the fiercest and most bloody -warfare ever known in the history of the civilised world. The Germans -will, of course, fight for their lives, while we shall fight for our -homes and for our liberty. But right is on our side, and right will win.</p> - -<p>“Reports from all over the metropolis tell the same tale. London is -alert and impatient. At a word she will rise to a man, and then woe -betide the invader! Surely Von Kronhelm’s position is not a very -enviable one. Our two censors in the office are smoking their pipes very -gravely. Not a word of the street fighting is to be published, they say. -They will write their own account of it before the paper goes to press!</p> - -<p class="r"> -“10 p.m.<br /> -</p> - -<p>“There has been a most frightful encounter at the Oxford Street and -Tottenham Court Road barricades—a most stubborn resistance and gallant -defence on the part of the men of Marylebone and Bloomsbury.</p> - -<p>“From the lips of one of our correspondents who was within the -barricades I have just learned the details.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_500" id="page_500"></a>{500}</span> It appears that just about -four o’clock General Von Wilberg sent from the City a large force of the -19th Division under Lieutenant-General Frankenfeld, and part of these, -advancing through the squares of Bloomsbury into Gower Street, attacked -the Defenders’ position from the Tottenham Court Road, while others -coming up Holborn and New Oxford Street entered Soho from Charing Cross -Road and threw up counter barricades at the end of Dean Street, Wardour -Street, Berwick, Poland, Argyll, and the other streets, all of which -were opposite the defences of the populace. In Great Portland Street, -too, they adopted a similar line, and without much ado the fight, -commenced in a desultory fashion, soon became a veritable battle.</p> - -<p>“Within the barricades was a dense body of armed and angry citizens, -each with his little badge, and every single one of them was ready to -fight to the death. There is no false patriotism now, no mere bravado. -Men make declarations, and carry them out. The gallant Londoners, with -their several Maxims, wrought havoc among the invaders, especially in -the Tottenham Court Road, where hundreds were maimed or killed.</p> - -<p>“In Oxford Street, the enemy being under cover of their -counter-barricades, little damage could be done on either side. The -wide, open, deserted thoroughfare was every moment swept by a hail of -bullets, but no one was injured. On the Great Portland Street side the -populace made a feint of giving way at the Mortimer Street barricade, -and a body of the enemy rushed in, taking the obstruction by storm. But -next moment they regretted it, for they were set upon by a thousand -armed men and by wild-haired women, so that every man paid for his -courage with his life. The women, seizing the weapons and ammunition of -the dead Germans, now returned to the barricade to use them.</p> - -<p>“The Mortimer Street defences were at once repaired, and it was resolved -to relay the fatal trap at some other point. Indeed, it was repeated at -the end of Percy<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_501" id="page_501"></a>{501}</span> Street, where about fifty more Germans, who thought -themselves victorious, were set upon and at once exterminated.</p> - -<p>“Until dusk the fight lasted. The Germans, finding their attack futile, -began to hurl petrol bombs over the barricades, and these caused -frightful destruction among our gallant men, several houses in the -vicinity being set on fire. Fortunately, there was still water in the -street hydrants, and two fire-engines had already been brought within -the beleaguered area in case of necessity.</p> - -<p>“At last, about seven o’clock, the enemy, having lost very heavily in -attempting to take the well-chosen position by storm, brought down -several light field guns from Regent’s Park; and, placing them at their -counter-barricades—where, by the way, they had lost many men in the -earlier part of the conflict while piling up their shelters—suddenly -opened fire with shell at the huge obstructions before them.</p> - -<p>“At first they made but little impression upon the flagstones, etc., of -which the barricades were mainly composed. But before long their -bombardment began to tell; for slowly, here and there, exploding shells -made great breaches in the defences that had been so heroically manned. -More than once a high explosive shell burst right among the crowd of -riflemen behind a barricade, sweeping dozens into eternity in a single -instant. Against the fortified houses each side of the barricades the -German artillery trained their guns, and very quickly reduced many of -those buildings to ruins. The air now became thick with dust and smoke; -and mingled with the roar of artillery at such close quarters came the -screams of the injured and the groans of the dying. The picture drawn by -the eye-witness who described this was a truly appalling one. Gradually -the Londoners were being overwhelmed, but they were selling their lives -dearly, fully proving themselves worthy sons of grand old England.</p> - -<p>“At last the fire from the Newman Street barricade of the Defenders was -silenced, and ten minutes later, a<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_502" id="page_502"></a>{502}</span> rush being made across from Dean -Street, it was taken by storm. Then ensued fierce and bloody -hand-to-hand fighting right up to Cleveland Street, while almost at the -same moment the enemy broke in from Great Portland Street.</p> - -<p>“A scene followed that is impossible to describe. Through all those -narrow, crooked streets the fighting became general, and on either side -hundreds fell. The Defenders in places cornered the Germans, cut them -off, and killed them. Though it was felt that now the barricades had -been broken the day was lost, yet every man kept courage, and fought -with all the strength left within him.</p> - -<p>“For half an hour the Germans met with no success. On the contrary, they -found themselves entrapped amid thousands of furious citizens, all -wearing their silken badges, and all sworn to fight to the death.</p> - -<p>“While the Defenders still struggled on, loud and ringing cheers were -suddenly raised from Tottenham Court Road. The people from Clerkenwell, -joined by those in Bloomsbury, had arrived to assist them. They had -risen, and were attacking the Germans in the rear.</p> - -<p>“Fighting was now general right across from Tottenham Court Road to -Gray’s Inn Road, and by nine o’clock, though Von Wilberg sent -reinforcements, a victory was gained by the Defenders. Over two thousand -Germans are lying dead and wounded about the streets and squares of -Bloomsbury and Marylebone. The League had struck its first blow for -Freedom.</p> - -<p>“What will the morrow bring us? Dire punishment—or desperate victory?”</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p class="r"> -“<span class="smcap">‘Daily Mail’ Office</span>, <i>Oct. 4</i>, 6 p.m.<br /> -</p> - -<p>“The final struggle for the possession of London is about to commence.</p> - -<p>“The metropolis is in a ferment of excitement. Through all last night -there were desultory conflicts between the soldiers and the people, in -which many lives have, alas! been sacrificed.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_503" id="page_503"></a>{503}</span></p> - -<p>“Von Wilberg still holds the City proper, with the Mansion House as his -headquarters. Within the area already shown upon the map there are no -English, all the inhabitants having been long ago expelled. The great -wealth of London is in German hands, it is true, but it is Dead Sea -fruit. They are unable either to make use of it or to deport it to -Germany. Much has been taken away to the base at Southminster and other -bases in Essex, but the greater part of the bullion still remains in the -Bank of England.</p> - -<p>“Here, in Whitefriars, the most exciting stories have been reaching us -during the last twenty-four hours, none of which, however, have passed -the censor. For that reason I, one of the sub-editors, am keeping this -diary, as a brief record of events during the present dreadful times.</p> - -<p>“After the terrific struggle in Marylebone three days ago, Von Kronhelm -saw plainly that if London were to rise <i>en masse</i> she would at once -assume the upper hand. The German Commander-in-Chief had far too many -points to guard. On the west of London he was threatened by Lord Byfield -and hosts of auxiliaries, mostly sworn members of the National League of -Defenders; on the south, across the river, Southwark, Lambeth, and -Battersea formed an impregnable fortress, containing over a million -eager patriots ready to burst forth and sweep away the vain, victorious -army; while within central London itself the spirit of revolt was rife, -and the people were ready to rise at any moment. The train is laid. Only -the spark is required to cause an explosion.</p> - -<p>“Reports reaching us to-day from Lord Byfield’s headquarters at Windsor -are numerous, but conflicting. As far as can be gathered, the authentic -facts are as follows: Great bodies of the Defenders, including many -women, all armed, are massing at Reading, Sonning, Wokingham, and -Maidenhead. Thousands have arrived, and are hourly arriving by train, -from Portsmouth, Plymouth, Exeter, Bristol, Gloucester, and, in<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_504" id="page_504"></a>{504}</span> fact, -all the chief centres of the West of England, where Gerald Graham’s -campaign has been so marvellously successful. Sturdy Welsh colliers are -marching shoulder to shoulder with agricultural labourers from Dorset -and Devon, and clerks and citizens from the towns of Somerset, Cornwall, -Gloucestershire, and Oxfordshire are taking arms beside the riff-raff of -their own neighbourhoods. Peer and peasant, professional man and pauper, -all are now united with one common object—to drive back the invader, -and to save our dear old England.</p> - -<p>“Oxford has, it seems, been one of the chief points of concentration, -and the undergraduates who re-assembled there to defend their colleges -now form an advance-guard of a huge body of Defenders on the march, by -way of Henley and Maidenhead, to follow in the rear of Lord Byfield. The -latter holds Eton and the country across to High Wycombe, while the -Saxon headquarters are still at Staines. Frölich’s Cavalry Division are -holding the country across from Pinner through Stanmore and Chipping -Barnet to the prison camp at Enfield Chase. These are the only German -troops outside west London, the Saxons being now barred from entering by -the huge barricades which the populace of West London have during the -past few days been constructing. Every road leading into London from -West Middlesex is now either strongly barricaded or entirely blocked up. -Kew, Richmond, and Kingston Bridges have been destroyed, and Lord -Byfield, with General Bamford at the Crystal Palace, remains practically -in possession of the whole of the south of the Thames.</p> - -<p>“The conflict which is now about to begin will be one to the death. -While, on the one hand, the Germans are bottled up among us, the fact -must not be overlooked that their arms are superior, and that they are -trained soldiers. Yet the two or three local risings of yesterday and -the day previous have given us courage, for they show that the enemy -cannot manœuvre in the narrow streets, and soon become demoralised. -In London we<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_505" id="page_505"></a>{505}</span> fail because we have so few riflemen. If every man who now -carries a gun could shoot we could compel the Germans to fly a flag of -truce within twenty-four hours. Indeed, if Lord Roberts’s scheme of -universal training in 1906 had been adopted, the enemy would certainly -never have been suffered to approach our capital.</p> - -<p>“Alas! apathy has resulted in this terrible and crushing disaster, and -we have only now to bear our part, each one of us, in the blow to avenge -this desecration of our homes and the massacre of our loved ones.</p> - -<p>“To-day I have seen the white banners with the red cross—the ensign of -the Defenders—everywhere. Till yesterday it was not openly displayed, -but to-day it is actually hung from windows or flown defiantly from -flagstaffs in full view of the Germans.</p> - -<p>“In Kilburn, or, to be more exact, in the district lying between the -Harrow Road and the High Road, Kilburn, there was another conflict this -morning between some of the German Garde Corps and the populace. The -outbreak commenced by the arrest of some men who were found practising -with rifles in Paddington Recreation Ground. One man who resisted was -shot on the spot, whereupon the crowd who assembled attacked the German -picket, and eventually killed them to a man. This was the signal for a -general outbreak in the neighbourhood, and half an hour later, when a -force was sent to quell the revolt, fierce fighting became general all -through the narrow streets of Kensal Green, especially at the big -barricade that blocks the Harrow Road where it is joined by Admiral -Road. Here the bridges over the Grand Junction Canal have already been -destroyed, for the barricades and defences have been scientifically -constructed under the instruction of military engineers.</p> - -<p>“One of our reporters despatched to the scene has just given me a -thrilling account of the desperate struggle, in which no quarter was -given on either side. So overwhelming were the number of the populace, -that after an hour’s hard fighting the Germans were driven back across<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_506" id="page_506"></a>{506}</span> -Maida Vale into St. John’s Wood, where, I believe, they were held at bay -for several hours.</p> - -<p>“From an early hour to-day it has been apparent that all these risings -were purposely ordered by the League of Defenders to cause Von Kronhelm -confusion. Indeed, while the outbreak at Kensal Green was in progress, -we had another reported from Dalston, a third from Limehouse, and a -fourth from Homerton. Therefore, it is quite certain that the various -centres of the League are acting in unison upon secret orders from -headquarters.</p> - -<p>“Indeed, South London also took part in the fray this morning, for the -Defenders at the barricade at London Bridge have now mounted several -field-guns, and have started shelling Von Wilberg’s position in the -City. It is said that the Mansion House, where the General had usurped -the apartments of the deported Lord Mayor, has already been half reduced -to ruins. This action is, no doubt, only to harass the enemy, for surely -General Bamford has no desire to destroy the City proper any more than -it has already been destroyed. Lower Thames Street, King William Street, -Gracechurch Street, and Cannon Street have, at any rate, been found -untenable by the enemy, upon whom some losses have been inflicted.</p> - -<p>“South London is every moment anxious to know the truth. Two days after -the bombardment we succeeded at night in sinking a light telegraph cable -in the river across from the Embankment at the bottom of Temple Avenue, -and are in communication with our temporary office in Southwark Street. -Over this we report the chief incidents which occur, and they are -printed for the benefit of the beleaguered population over the water. -The existence of the cable is, however, kept a strict secret from our -pair of gold-spectacled censors.</p> - -<p>“The whole day has been one of tension and excitement. The atmosphere -outside is breathless, the evening overcast and oppressive, precursory -to a storm. An hour ago there came, through secret sources, information<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_507" id="page_507"></a>{507}</span> -of another naval victory to our credit, several German warships being -sunk and captured. Here, we dare not print it, so I have just wired it -across to the other side, where they are issuing a special edition.</p> - -<div class="bbox"> - -<p class="c"> -<img src="images/i_b_507.jpg" -width="105" -height="82" -alt="Image unavailable" -/></p> - -<p class="c"><big><big><b>LEAGUE OF DEFENDERS.</b></big></big></p> - -<p class="c">CITIZENS OF LONDON AND LOYAL PATRIOTS.</p> - -<p>The hour has come to show your strength, and to -wreak your vengeance.</p> - -<p>TO-NIGHT, OCT. 4, AT 10 P.M., rise, and strike -your blow for freedom.</p> - -<p>A MILLION MEN are with Lord Byfield, already -within striking distance of London; a million follow -them, and yet another million are ready in South London.</p> - -<p>RISE, FEARLESS AND STERN. Let “England for -Englishmen” be your battle-cry, and avenge the blood of -your wives and your children.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p class="c">AVENGE THIS INSULT TO YOUR<br /> -NATION.<br /> -<br /> -REMEMBER: TEN O’CLOCK TO-NIGHT! -</p> - -</div> - -<p>“Almost simultaneously with the report of the British<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_508" id="page_508"></a>{508}</span> victory, namely, -at five o’clock, the truth—the great and all-important truth—became -revealed. The mandate has gone forth from the headquarters of the League -of Defenders that London is to rise in her might at ten o’clock -to-night, and that a million men are ready to assist us. Placards and -bills on red paper are everywhere. As if by magic, London has been -flooded with the defiant proclamation of which the copy here reproduced -has just been brought in to me.</p> - -<p>“Frantic efforts are being made by the Germans all over London to -suppress both posters and handbills, but without avail. The streets are -littered with them, and upon every corner they are being posted, even -though more than one patriot has paid for the act with his life.</p> - -<p>“It is now six o’clock. In four hours it is believed that London will be -one huge seething conflict. Night has been chosen, I suppose, in order -to give the populace the advantage. The by-streets are for the most part -still unlit, save for oil-lamps, for neither gas nor electric light are -yet in proper working order after the terrible dislocation of -everything. The scheme of the Defenders is, as already proved, to lure -the Germans into the narrower thoroughfares, and then exterminate them. -Surely in the history of the world there has never been such a bitter -vengeance as that which is now inevitable. London, the greatest city -ever known, is about to rise!</p> - -<p class="r"> -“Midnight.<br /> -</p> - -<p>“London has risen! How can I describe the awful scenes of panic, -bloodshed, patriotism, brutality, and vengeance that are at this moment -in progress? As I write, through the open window I can hear the roar of -voices, the continual crackling of rifles, and the heavy booming of -guns. I walked along Fleet Street at nine o’clock, and I found, utterly -disregarding the order that no unauthorised persons are to be abroad -after nightfall, hundreds upon hundreds of all classes, all wearing -their little silk Union Jack badges pinned to their coats, on<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_509" id="page_509"></a>{509}</span> their way -to join in their particular districts. Some carried rifles, others -revolvers, while others were unarmed. Yet not a German did I see in the -streets. It seemed as though, for the moment, the enemy had vanished. -There was only the strong cordon across the bottom of Ludgate Hill, men -who looked on in wonder, but without bestirring themselves.</p> - -<p>“Is it possible that Von Kronhelm’s strategy is to remain inactive, and -refuse to fight?</p> - -<p>“The first shot I heard fired, just after ten o’clock, was at the Strand -end of Fleet Street, at the corner of Chancery Lane. There, I afterwards -discovered, a party of forty German infantrymen had been attacked, and -all of them killed. Quickly following this, I heard the distant booming -of artillery, and then the rattle of musketry and pom-poms became -general, but not in the neighbourhood where I was. For nearly half an -hour I remained at the corner of Aldwych; then, on going farther along -the Strand, I found that the defenders from the Waterloo Road had made a -wild sortie into the Strand, but could find no Germans there.</p> - -<p>“The men who had for a fortnight held that barricade at the bridge were -more like demons than human beings; therefore I retired, and in the -crush made my way back to the office to await reports.</p> - -<p>“They were not long in arriving. I can only give a very brief résumé at -the moment, for they are so numerous as to be bewildering.</p> - -<p>“Speaking generally, the whole of London has obeyed the mandate of the -League, and, rising, are attacking the Germans at every point. In the -majority of cases, however, the enemy hold strong positions, and are -defending themselves, inflicting terrible losses upon the unorganised -populace. Every Londoner is fighting for himself, without regard for -orders or consequences. In Bethnal Green the Germans, lured into the -maze of by-streets, have suffered great losses, and again in -Clerkenwell, St. Luke’s, Kingsland, Hackney, and Old Ford. Whitechapel, -too, devoid of its alien population, who<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_510" id="page_510"></a>{510}</span> have escaped into Essex, has -held its own, and the enemy have had some great losses in the streets -off Cable and Leman Streets.</p> - -<p>“With the exception of the sortie across Waterloo Bridge, South London -is, as yet, remaining in patience, acting under the orders of General -Bamford.</p> - -<p>“News has come in ten minutes ago of a fierce and sudden night attack -upon the Saxons by Lord Byfield from Windsor, but there are, as yet, no -details.</p> - -<p>“From the office across the river I am being constantly asked for -details of the fight, and how it is progressing. In Southwark the -excitement is evidently most intense, and it requires all the energy of -the local commanders of the Defenders to repress another sortie across -that bridge.</p> - -<p>“There has just occurred an explosion so terrific that the whole of this -building has been shaken as though by an earthquake. We are wondering -what has occurred.</p> - -<p>“Whatever it is, one fact is only too plain. Both British and Germans -are now engaged in a death-struggle.</p> - -<p>“London has struck her first blow of revenge. What will be its sequel?”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_511" id="page_511"></a>{511}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="CHAPTER_II-c" id="CHAPTER_II-c"></a>CHAPTER II<br /><br /> -<small>SCENES AT WATERLOO BRIDGE</small></h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> following is the personal narrative of a young chauffeur named John -Burgess, who assisted in the defence of the barricade at Waterloo -Bridge.</p> - -<p>The statement was made to a reporter at noon on October 5, while he was -lying on a mattress in the Church of St. Martin’s-in-the-Fields, so -badly wounded in the chest that the surgeons had given him up.</p> - -<p>Around him were hundreds of wounded who, like himself, had taken part in -the sudden rising of the Defenders, and who had fallen beneath the hail -of the German Maxims. He related his story with difficulty, in the form -of a farewell letter to his sister, who was a telegraph clerk at the -Shrewsbury Post Office. The reporter chanced to be passing by the poor -fellow, and, overhearing him asking for someone to write for him, -volunteered to do so.</p> - -<p>“We all did our best,” he said, “every one of us. Myself, I was at the -barricade for thirteen days—thirteen days of semi-starvation, -sleeplessness, and constant tension, for we knew not, from one moment to -another, when a sudden attack might be made upon us. At first our -obstruction was a mere ill-built pile of miscellaneous articles, half of -which would not stop bullets; but on the third day our men, -superintended by several non-commissioned officers in uniform, began to -put the position in a proper state of defence, to mount Maxims in the -neighbouring houses, and to place explosives in the crown of two of the -arches of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_512" id="page_512"></a>{512}</span> the bridge, so that we could instantly demolish it if -necessity arose.</p> - -<p>“Fully a thousand men were holding the position, but unfortunately few -of them had ever handled a rifle. As regards myself, I had learned to -shoot rooks when a boy in Shropshire, and now that I had obtained a gun -I was anxious to try my skill. When the League of Defenders was started, -and a local secretary came to us, we all eagerly joined, each receiving, -after he had taken his oath and signed his name, a small silk Union -Jack, the badge of the League, not to be worn till the word went forth -to rise.</p> - -<p>“Then came a period—long, dreary, shadeless days of waiting—when the -sun beat down upon us mercilessly and our vigilance was required to be -constant both night and day. So uncertain were the movements of the -enemy opposite us that we scarcely dared to leave our positions for a -moment. Night after night I spent sleeping in a neighbouring doorway, -with an occasional stretch upon somebody’s bed in some house in the -vicinity. Now and then, whenever we saw Germans moving in Wellington -Street, we sent a volley into them, in return receiving a sharp reply -from their pom-poms. Constantly our sentries were on the alert along the -wharves and in the river-side warehouses, watching for the approach of -the enemy’s spies in boats. Almost nightly some adventurous spirits -among the Germans would try and cross. On one occasion, while doing -sentry duty in a warehouse backing on Commercial Road, I was sitting -with a comrade at a window overlooking the river. The moon was shining, -for the night was a balmy and beautiful one, and all was quiet. It was -about two o’clock in the morning, and as we sat smoking our pipes, with -our eyes fixed upon the glittering water, we suddenly saw a small boat -containing three men stealing slowly along in the shadow cast by the -great warehouse in which we were.</p> - -<p>“For a moment the rowers rested upon their oars, as if undecided, then -pulled forward again in search<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_513" id="page_513"></a>{513}</span> of a landing-place. As they passed below -our window I shouted a challenge. At first there was no response. Again -I repeated it, when I heard a muttered imprecation in German.</p> - -<p>“ ‘Spies!’ I cried to my comrade, and with one accord we raised our -rifles and fired. Ere the echo of the first shot had died away I saw one -man fall into the water, while at the next shot a second man half rose -from his seat, threw up his hands, and staggered back wounded.</p> - -<p>“The firing gave the alarm at the barricade, and ere the boat could -approach the bridge, though the survivor pulled for dear life, a Maxim -spat forth its red fire, and both boat and oarsman were literally -riddled.</p> - -<p>“Almost every night similar incidents were reported. The enemy were -doing all in their power to learn the exact strength of our defences, -but I do not think their efforts were very successful. The surface of -the river, every inch of it, was under the careful scrutiny of a -thousand watchful eyes.</p> - -<p>“Day after day passed, often uneventfully. We practically knew nothing -of what was happening across the river, though we could see the German -standard flying upon the public buildings. The ruins of London were -smoking for days after the bombardment, and smouldering fires broke out -again in many instances.</p> - -<p>“Each day the <i>Bulletin</i> of our national association brought us tidings -of what was happening beyond the barricades. We had regained command of -the sea, which was said to be a good deal, though it did not seem to -bring us much nearer to victory.</p> - -<p>“At last, however, the welcome word came to us, on the morning of -October 4th, that at ten that night we were to make a concerted attack -upon the Germans. A scarlet bill was thrust into my hand, and as soon as -the report was known we were all highly excited, and through the day -prepared ourselves for the struggle. I regret to say that some of my -comrades, prone to<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_514" id="page_514"></a>{514}</span> drink, primed themselves with spirits obtained from -the neighbouring public-houses in York Road and Waterloo Road. Not that -drunkenness had been the rule. On the contrary, the extreme tension of -those long, hot days had had a sobering effect, and even men used to -drink refrained from taking any. Ah! I have of late seen some splendid -examples of self-denial, British patriotism, and fearless valour. Only -Englishmen could have conducted themselves as my brave comrades have -done. Only Englishmen could have died as they have done.</p> - -<p>“Through all yesterday we waited, watching every movement of the enemy -in our line of fire. Now and then we, as usual, sent him greetings in -the form of a shell or two, or else a splutter from a Maxim, and in -reply there came the sweeping hail of bullets, which flattened -themselves upon our wall of paving-stones. The sunset was a red, dusky -one, and over London westward there spread a blood-red light, as though -precursory to the awful catastrophe that was about to fall. With the -after-glow came the dark oppression of a thunderstorm—a fevered -electrical quiet that could be felt. I stood upon the barricade gazing -over the river, and wondering what would happen ere the dawn. At ten -o’clock London, the great, mysterious, unknown city, was to rise and -cast off the German yoke. How many who rebelled would live to see the -sunrise?</p> - -<p>“I had watched the first flash of the after-glow beyond Blackfriars -Bridge every morning for the past ten days. I had breathed the fresh -air, unsullied by smoke, and had admired the beauty of the outlines of -riverside London in those early hours. I had sat and watched the faint -rose turn to purple, to grey, and then to the glorious yellow sunrise. -Yes. I had seen some of the most glorious sunrises on the river that I -have ever witnessed. But should I ever see another?</p> - -<p>“Dusk crept on, and deepened into night—the most momentous night in all -the history of our giant city. The fate of London—nay, the fate of the -greatest<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_515" id="page_515"></a>{515}</span> Empire the world has ever seen, was to be decided! And about -me in groups waited my comrades with fierce, determined faces, looking -to their weapons and gossiping the while. Each of us had brought out our -precious little badge and pinned it to our breasts. With the Union Jack -upon us we were to fight for country and for King.</p> - -<p>“Away, across, upon a ruined wall of Somerset House the German standard -floated defiantly; but one and all of us swore that ere the night was -past it should be pulled down, and our flag—the flag of St. George of -England, which flapped lazily above our barricades—should replace it.</p> - -<p>“Night fell—a hot, fevered night, breathless and ominous of the storm -to come. Before us, across the Thames, lay London, wrecked, broken, but -not yet conquered. In an hour its streets would become, we knew, a -perfect hell of shot and shell. The oil lamps in Wellington Street, -opposite Somerset House, threw a weird light upon the enemy’s -counter-barricade, and we could distinctly see Germans moving, preparing -for a defence of their position, should we dare to cross the bridge. -While we waited three of our gallant fellows, taking their lives in -their hands, put off in a boat and were now examining the bridge beneath -to ascertain whether the enemy had imitated our action in placing mines. -They might have attached them where the scaffold was erected on the -Middlesex side, that spot which had been attacked by German spies on the -night of the bombardment. We were in a position to blow up the bridge at -any moment; but we wanted to ascertain if the enemy were prepared to do -likewise.</p> - -<p>“Minutes seemed like hours as we waited impatiently for the appointed -moment. It was evident that Von Kronhelm feared to make further arrests, -now that London was flooded by those red handbills. He would, no doubt, -require all his troops to keep us in check. On entering London the enemy -had believed the war<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_516" id="page_516"></a>{516}</span> to be over, but the real struggle is only now -commencing.</p> - -<p>“At last the low boom of a gun sounded from the direction of -Westminster. We looked at our watches, and found that it was just ten -o’clock. Next moment our bugle sounded, and we sprang to our positions, -as we had done dozens, nay, hundreds, of times before. I felt faint, for -I had only had half a pint of weak soup all day, for the bread did not -go round. Nevertheless the knowledge that we were about to strike the -blow inspired me with fresh life and strength. Our officer shouted a -brief word of command, and next moment we opened a withering fire upon -the enemy’s barricade in Wellington Street.</p> - -<p>“In a moment a hundred rifles and several Maxims spat their red fire at -us, but as usual the bullets flattened themselves harmlessly before us. -Then the battery of artillery which Sir Francis Bamford had sent us -three days before, got into position, and in a few moments began hurling -great shells upon the German defences. We watched, and cheered loudly as -the effect of our fire became apparent.</p> - -<p>“Behind us was a great armed multitude ready and eager to get at the -foe, a huge, unorganised body of fierce, irate Londoners, determined -upon having blood for blood. From over the river the sound of battle was -rising, a great roaring like the sound of a distant sea, with ever and -anon the crackling of rifles and the boom of guns, while above the night -sky grew a dark blood-red with the glare of a distant conflagration.</p> - -<p>“For half an hour we pounded away at the barricade in Wellington Street -with our siege guns, Maxims, and rifles, until a well-directed shell -exploded beneath the centre of the obstruction, blowing open a great gap -and sending fragments high into the air. Then it seemed that all -resistance suddenly ceased. At first we were surprised at this; but on -further scrutiny we found that it was not our fire that had routed the -enemy, but that they were being attacked in their rear<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_517" id="page_517"></a>{517}</span> by hosts of -armed citizens surging down from Kingsway and the Strand.</p> - -<p>“We could plainly discern that the Germans were fighting for their -lives. Into the midst of them we sent one or two shells; but fearing to -cause casualties among our own comrades, we were compelled to cease -firing.</p> - -<p>“The armed crowd behind us, finding that we were again inactive, at once -demanded that our barricade should be opened, so that they might cross -the bridge and assist their comrades by taking the Germans in their -rear. For ten minutes our officer in charge refused, for the order of -General Greatorex, Commander-in-Chief of the League, was that no sortie -was to be made at present.</p> - -<p>“At last, however, the South Londoners became so infuriated that our -commander was absolutely forced to give way, though he knew not into -what trap we might fall, as he had no idea of the strength of the enemy -in the neighbourhood of the Strand. A way was quickly opened in the -obstruction, and two minutes later we were pouring across Waterloo -Bridge in thousands, shouting and yelling in triumph as we passed the -ruins of the enemy’s barricade, and fell upon him with merciless -revenge. With us were many women, who were, perhaps, fiercer and more -unrelenting than the men. Indeed, many a woman that night killed a -German with her own hands, firing revolvers in their faces, striking -with knives, or even blinding them with vitriol and allowing them to be -despatched by others.</p> - -<p>“The scene was both exciting and ghastly. At the spot where I first -fought—on the pavement outside the Savoy—we simply slaughtered the -Germans in cold blood. Men cried for mercy, but we gave them no quarter. -London had risen in its might, and as our comrades fought all along the -Strand and around Aldwych, we gradually exterminated every man in German -uniform. Soon the roadways of the Strand, Wellington Street, Aldwych, -Burleigh Street, Southampton<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_518" id="page_518"></a>{518}</span> Street, Bedford Street, and right along to -Trafalgar Square, were covered with dead and dying. The wounded of both -nationalities were trodden underfoot and killed by the swaying, -struggling thousands. The enemy’s loss must have been severe in our -particular quarter, for of the great body of men from Hamburg and Lübeck -holding their end of Waterloo Bridge I do not believe a single one was -spared, even though they fought for their lives like veritable devils.</p> - -<p>“Our success intoxicated us, I think. That we were victorious at that -point cannot be doubted, but with foolish disregard for our own safety -we pressed forward into Trafalgar Square, in the belief that our -comrades were similarly making an attack upon the enemy there. The error -was, alas! a fatal one for many of us. To fight an organised force in -narrow streets is one thing, but to meet him in a large open space with -many inlets, like Trafalgar Square, is another.</p> - -<p>“The enemy were no doubt awaiting us, for as we poured out from the -Strand at Charing Cross we were met with a devastating fire from German -Maxims on the opposite side of the square. They were holding -Whitehall—to protect Von Kronhelm’s headquarters—the entrances to -Spring Gardens, Cockspur Street, and Pall Mall East, and their fire was -converged upon the great armed multitude which, being pressed on from -behind, came out into the open square only to fall in heaps beneath the -sweeping hail of German lead.</p> - -<p>“The error was one that could not be rectified. We all saw it when too -late. There was no turning back now. I struggled to get into the small -side-street that runs down by the bar of the Grand Hotel, but it was -blocked with people already in refuge there.</p> - -<p>“Another instant and I was lifted from my legs by the great throng going -to their doom, and carried right in the forefront to the square. Women -screamed when they found themselves facing the enemy’s fire.</p> - -<p>“The scene was awful—a massacre, nothing more<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_519" id="page_519"></a>{519}</span> or less. For every -German’s life we had taken, a dozen of our own were now being -sacrificed.</p> - -<p>“A woman was pushed close to me, her grey hair streaming down her back, -her eyes starting wildly from her head, her bony hands smeared with -blood. Suddenly she realised that right before her red fire was spitting -from the German guns.</p> - -<p>“Screaming in wild despair, she clung frantically to me.</p> - -<p>“I felt next second a sharp burning pain in my chest.... We fell forward -together upon the bodies of our comrades.... When I came to myself I -found myself here, in this church, close to where I fell.</p> - -<p>“What has happened, I wonder? Is our barricade at the bridge still held, -and still defiant? Can you tell me?”</p> - -<p class="cb">* * * * * * *</p> - -<p>On that same night desperate sorties were made from the London, -Southwark, and Blackfriars Bridges, and terrible havoc was committed by -the Defenders.</p> - -<p>The German losses were enormous, for the South Londoners fought like -demons and gave no quarter. South London had, at last, broken its -bounds.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_520" id="page_520"></a>{520}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="CHAPTER_III-c" id="CHAPTER_III-c"></a>CHAPTER III<br /><br /> -<small>GREAT BRITISH VICTORY</small></h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> following despatch from the war correspondent of the <i>Times</i> with -Lord Byfield was received on the morning of the 5th October, but was not -published in that journal till some days later, owing to the German -censorship, which necessitated its being kept secret:—</p> - -<p class="r"> -“<span class="smcap">Willesden</span>, <i>4th October</i> (Evening).<br /> -</p> - -<p>“After a bloody but successful combat, lasting from early dawn till late -in the afternoon, the country to the immediate west of the metropolis -has been swept clear of the hated invaders, and the masses of the -‘League of Defenders’ can be poured into the West of London without let -or hindrance. In the desperate street-fighting which is now going on -they will be much more formidable than they were ever likely to be in -the open field, where they were absolutely incapable of manœuvring. -As for the Saxons—what is left of them—and Frölich’s Cavalry Division, -with whom we have been engaged all day, they have now fallen back on -Harrow and Hendon, it is said; but it is currently reported that a -constant movement towards the high ground near Hampstead is going on. -These rumours come by way of London, since the enemy’s enormous force of -cavalry is still strong enough to prevent us getting any first-hand -intelligence of his movements.</p> - -<p>“As has been previously reported, the XIIth Saxon Corps, under the -command of Prince Henry of Würtemberg, had taken up a position intended -to cover the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_521" id="page_521"></a>{521}</span> metropolis from the hordes of Defenders which, supported -by a small leaven of Regulars, with a proportion of cavalry and guns, -were known to be slowly rolling up from the west and south. Their front -facing west, extended from Staines on the south, to Pinner on the north, -passing through Stanwell, West Drayton, and Uxbridge. In addition they -had a strong reserve in the neighbourhood of Hounslow, whose business it -was to cover their left flank by keeping watch along the line of the -Thames. They had destroyed all bridges over the river between Staines -and Hammersmith. Putney Bridge, however, was still intact, as all -attacks on it had been repulsed by the British holding it on the south -side. Such was the general state of affairs when Lord Byfield, who had -established his headquarters at Windsor, formed his plan of attack.</p> - -<p>“As far as I have been able to ascertain, its general idea was to hold -the Saxons to their position by the threat of the 300,000 Defenders that -were assembled and were continually increasing along a roughly parallel -line to that occupied by the enemy at about ten miles’ distance from it, -while he attacked their left flank with what Regular and Militia -regiments he could rapidly get together near Esher and Kingston. By this -time the southern lines in the neighbourhood of London were all in -working order, the damage that had been done here and there by small -parties of the enemy who had made raids across the river having been -repaired. It was, therefore, not a very difficult matter to assemble -troops from Windsor and various points on the South of London at very -short notice.</p> - -<p>“General Bamford, to whom had been entrusted the defence of South -London, and who had established his headquarters at the Crystal Palace, -also contributed every man he could spare from the remnant of the -Regular troops under his command who were in that part of the metropolis -and its immediate neighbourhood that was still held by the British.</p> - -<p>“It was considered quite safe now that the Germans<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_522" id="page_522"></a>{522}</span> in the City were so -hardly pressed to leave the defence of the Thames bridges to the masses -of irregulars who had all along formed the bulk of their defenders. The -risk that Prince Henry of Würtemberg would take the bull by the horns, -and by a sudden forward move attack and scatter the inert and -invertebrate mass of ‘Defenders’ who were in his immediate front had, of -course, to be taken; but it was considered that in the present state of -affairs in London he would hardly dare to increase the distance between -the Saxon Corps and the rest of the German Army. Events proved the -correctness of this surmise; but owing to unforeseen circumstances, the -course of the battle was somewhat different from that which had been -anticipated.</p> - -<p>“Despite the vigilance of the German spies our plans were kept secret -till the very end, and it is believed that the great convergence of -Regular troops that began as soon as it was dark from Windsor and from -along the line occupied by the Army of the League on the west, right -round to Greenwich on the east, went on without any news of the movement -being carried to the enemy.</p> - -<p>“Before dawn this morning every unit was in the position to which it had -been previously detailed, and everything being in readiness, the Royal -Engineers began to throw a pontoon bridge over the Thames at the point -where it makes a bend to the south just above the site of Walton Bridge. -The enemy’s patrols and pickets in the immediate neighbourhood at once -opened a heavy fire on the workers, but it was beaten down by that which -was poured upon them from the houses in Walton-on-Thames, which had been -quietly occupied during the night. The enemy in vain tried to reinforce -them, but in order to do this their troops had to advance into a narrow -peninsula which was swept by a cross-fire of shells from batteries which -had been placed in position on the south side of the river for this very -purpose.</p> - -<p>“By seven o’clock the bridge was completed, and the troops were -beginning to cross over covered by the fire<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_523" id="page_523"></a>{523}</span> of the artillery and by an -advance guard which had been pushed over in boats. Simultaneously very -much the same thing had been going on at Long Ditton, and fierce -fighting was going on in the avenues and gardens round Hampton Court. -Success here, too, attended the British arms. As a matter of fact, a -determined attempt to cross the river in force had not at all been -anticipated by the Germans. They had not credited their opponents with -the power of so rapidly assembling an army and assuming an effective and -vigorous offensive so soon after their terrible series of disasters.</p> - -<p>“What they had probably looked for was an attempt to overwhelm them by -sheer force of numbers. They doubtless calculated that Lord Byfield -would stiffen his flabby masses of defenders with what trained troops he -could muster, and endeavour to attack their lines simultaneously along -their whole length, overlapping them on either flank.</p> - -<p>“They realised that to do this he would have to sacrifice his men in -thousands upon thousands, but they knew that to do so would be his only -possible chance of success in this eventuality, since the bulk of his -men could neither manœuvre nor deploy. Still they reckoned that in -the desperate situation of the British he would make up his mind to do -this.</p> - -<p>“On their part, although they fully realised the possibility of being -overwhelmed by such tactics, they felt pretty confident that, posted as -they were behind a perfect network of small rivers and streams which ran -down to join the Thames, they would at least succeed in beating off the -attack with heavy loss, and stood no bad chance of turning the repulse -into a rout by skilful use of Frölich’s Cavalry Division, which would be -irresistible when attacking totally untrained troops after they had been -shattered and disorganised by artillery fire. This, at least, is the -view of those experts with whom I have spoken.</p> - -<p>“What, perhaps, tended rather to confirm them in their theories as to -the action of the British was the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_524" id="page_524"></a>{524}</span> rifle firing that went on along the -whole of their front all night through. The officers in charge of the -various units which conglomerated together formed the forces facing the -Saxons, had picked out the few men under their command who really had -some little idea of using a rifle, and, supplied with plenty of -ammunition, had sent them forward in numerous small parties with general -orders to approach as near the enemy’s picket line as possible, and as -soon as fired on to lie down and open fire in return. So a species of -sniping engagement went on from dark to dawn. Several parties got -captured or cut up by the German outlying troops, and many others got -shot by neighbouring parties of snipers. But, although they did not in -all probability do the enemy much damage, yet they kept them on the -alert all night, and led them to expect an attack in the morning. One -way and another luck was entirely on the side of the patriots that -morning.</p> - -<p>“When daylight came the British massed to the westward of Staines had -such a threatening appearance from their immense numbers, and the fire -from their batteries of heavy guns and howitzers on the south side of -the river, which took the German left flank in, was so heavy that Prince -Henry, who was there in person, judged an attack to be imminent, and -would not spare a man to reinforce his troops at Shepperton and -Halliford, who were numerically totally inadequate to resist the advance -of the British once they got across the river.</p> - -<p>“He turned a deaf ear to the most imploring requests for assistance, but -ordered the officer in command at Hounslow to move down at once and -drive the British into the river. So it has been reported by our -prisoners. Unluckily for him, this officer had his hands quite full -enough at this time; for the British, who had crossed at Long Ditton, -had now made themselves masters of everything east of the Thames Valley -branch of the London and South-Western Railway, were being continually -reinforced, and were fast pushing their right along the western bank of -the river.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_525" id="page_525"></a>{525}</span></p> - -<p>“Their left was reported to be at Kempton Park, where they joined hands -with those who had effected a crossing near Walton-on-Thames. More -bridges were being built at Piatt’s Eyot, Tagg’s Eyot, and Sunbury Lock, -while boats and wherries in shoals appeared from all creeks and -backwaters and hiding-places as soon as both banks were in the hands of -the British.</p> - -<p>“Regulars, Militia, and, lastly, Volunteers, were now pouring across in -thousands. Forward was still the word. About noon a strong force of -Saxons was reported to be retreating along the road from Staines to -Brentford. They had guns with them, which engaged the field batteries -which were at once pushed forward by the British to attack them. These -troops, eventually joining hands with those at Hounslow, opposed a more -determined resistance to our advance than we had hitherto encountered.</p> - -<p>“According to what we learned subsequently from prisoners and others, -they were commanded by Prince Henry of Würtemberg in person. He had -quitted his position at Staines, leaving only a single battalion and a -few guns as a rearguard to oppose the masses of the Defenders who -threatened him in that direction, and had placed his troops in the best -position he could to cover the retreat of the rest of his corps from the -line they had been occupying. He had, it would appear, soon after the -fighting began, received the most urgent orders from Von Kronhelm to -fall back on London and assist him in the street fighting that had now -been going on without intermission for the best part of two days. Von -Kronhelm probably thought that he would be able to draw off some of his -numerous foes to the westward. But the message was received too late. -Prince Henry did his best to obey it, but by this time the very -existence of the XIIth Corps was at stake on account of the totally -unexpected attack on his left rear by the British regular troops.</p> - -<p>“He opposed such a stout resistance with the troops under his immediate -command that he brought the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_526" id="page_526"></a>{526}</span> British advance to a temporary standstill, -while in his rear every road leading Londonward was crowded with the -rest of his army as they fell back from West Drayton, Uxbridge, Ruislip, -and Pinner. Had they been facing trained soldiers they would have found -it most difficult, if not impossible, to do this; but as it was the -undisciplined and untrained masses of the League of Defenders lost a -long time in advancing, and still longer in getting over the series of -streams and dykes that lay between them and the abandoned Saxon -position.</p> - -<p>“They lost heavily, too, from the fire of the small rearguards that had -been left at the most likely crossing-places. The Saxons were therefore -able to get quite well away from them, and when some attempt was being -made to form up the thousands of men who presently found themselves -congregated on the heath east of Uxbridge, before advancing farther, a -whole brigade of Frölich’s heavy cavalry suddenly swept down upon them -from behind Ickenham village. The <i>débâcle</i> that followed was frightful. -The unwieldy mass of Leaguers swayed this way and that for a moment in -the panic occasioned by the sudden apparition of the serried masses of -charging cavalry that were rushing down on them with a thunder of hoofs -that shook the earth. A few scattered shots were fired without any -perceptible effect, and before they could either form up or fly the -German Reiters were upon them. It was a perfect massacre. The Leaguers -could oppose no resistance whatever. They were ridden down and -slaughtered with no more difficulty than if they had been a flock of -sheep. Swinging their long, straight swords, the cavalry-men cut them -down in hundreds, and drove thousands into the river. The ‘Defenders’ -were absolutely pulverised, and fled westwards in a huge scattered -crowd. But if the Germans had the satisfaction of scoring a local -victory in this quarter, things were by no means rosy for them -elsewhere. Prince Henry, by desperate efforts, contrived to hold<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_527" id="page_527"></a>{527}</span> on -long enough in his covering position to enable the Saxons from the -central portion of his abandoned line to pass through Hounslow, and move -along the London road, through Brentford.</p> - -<p>“Here disaster befell them. A battery of 4·7 guns was suddenly unmasked -on Richmond Hill, and, firing at a range of 5000 yards, played havoc -with the marching column. The head of it also suffered severe loss from -riflemen concealed in Kew Gardens, and the whole force had to extend and -fall back for some distance in a northerly direction. Near Ealing they -met the Uxbridge brigade, and a certain delay and confusion occurred. -However, trained soldiers such as these are not difficult to reorganise, -and while the latter continued its march along the main road the -remainder moved in several small parallel columns through Acton and -Turnham Green. Before another half-hour had elapsed there came a sound -of firing from the advanced guard. Orders to halt followed, then orders -to send forward reinforcements.</p> - -<p>“During all this time the rattle of rifle fire waxed heavier and -heavier. It soon became apparent that every road and street leading into -London was barricaded and that the houses on either side were crammed -with riflemen. Before any set plan of action could be determined on, the -retiring Saxons found themselves committed to a very nasty bout of -street fighting. Their guns were almost useless, since they could not be -placed in positions from which they could fire on the barricades except -so close as to be under effective rifle fire. They made several -desperate assaults, most of which were repulsed. In Goldhawk Road a -Jäeger battalion contrived to rush the big rampart of paving-stones -which had been improvised by the British; but once over, they were -decimated by the fire from the houses on either side of the street. Big -high explosive shells from Richmond Hill, too, began to drop among the -Saxons. Though the range was long, the gunners were evidently well -informed of the whereabouts of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_528" id="page_528"></a>{528}</span> the Saxon troops, and made wonderfully -lucky shooting.</p> - -<p>“For some time the distant rumble of the firing to the south-west had -been growing more distinct in their ears, and about four o’clock it -suddenly broke out comparatively near by. Then came an order from Prince -Henry to fall back on Ealing at once. What had happened? It will not -take long to relate this. Prince Henry’s covering position had lain -roughly between East Bedfont and Hounslow, facing south-east. He had -contrived to hold on to the latter place long enough to allow his right -to pivot on it and fall back to Cranford Bridge. Here they were, to a -certain extent, relieved from the close pressure they had been subjected -to by the constantly advancing British troops, by the able and -determined action of a portion of Frölich’s Cavalry Brigade.</p> - -<p>“But in the meantime his enemies on the left, constantly reinforced from -across the river—while never desisting from their so far unsuccessful -attack on Hounslow—worked round through Twickenham and Isleworth till -they began to menace his rear. He must abandon Hounslow, or be cut off. -With consummate generalship he withdrew his left along the line of the -Metropolitan and District Railway, and sent word to the troops on his -right to retire and take up a second position at Southall Green. -Unluckily for him, there was a delay in transmission, resulting in a -considerable number of these troops being cut off and captured. -Frölich’s cavalry were unable to aid them at this juncture, having their -attention drawn away by the masses of Leaguers who had managed to get -over the Colne and were congregating near Harmondsworth.</p> - -<p>“They cut these up and dispersed them, but afterwards found that they -were separated from the Saxons by a strong force of British regular -troops who occupied Harlington and opened a fire on the Reiters that -emptied numerous saddles. They, therefore, made off to the northward. -From this forward nothing could check the steady advance of the English, -though<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_529" id="page_529"></a>{529}</span> fierce fighting went on till dark all through Hanwell, Ealing, -Perivale, and Wembley, the Saxons struggling gamely to the last, but -getting more and more disorganised. Had it not been for Frölich’s -division on their right they would have been surrounded. As it was, they -must have lost half their strength in casualties and prisoners.</p> - -<p>“At dark, however, Lord Byfield ordered a general halt of his tired -though triumphant troops, and bivouacked and billeted them along a line -reaching from Willesden on the right through Wembley to Greenford. He -himself established his headquarters at Wembley.</p> - -<p>“I have heard some critics say that he ought to have pushed on his -freshest troops towards Hendon to prevent the remnant of our opponents -from re-entering London; but others, with reason, urge that he is right -to let them into the metropolis, which they will now find to be merely a -trap.”</p> - -<p class="cb">* * * * * * *</p> - -<p>Extracts from the diary of General Von Kleppen, Commander of the IVth -German Army Corps, occupying London:—</p> - -<p class="r"> -“<span class="smcap">Dorchester House</span>, <span class="smcap">Park Lane</span>, <i>Oct. 6</i>.<br /> -</p> - -<p>“We are completely deceived. Our position, much as we are attempting to -conceal it, is a very grave one. We believed that if we reached London -the British spirit would be broken. Yet the more drastic our rule, the -fiercer becomes the opposition. How it will end I fear to contemplate. -The British are dull and apathetic, but once aroused, they fight like -fiends.</p> - -<p>“Last night we had an example of it. This League of Defenders, which Von -Kronhelm has always treated with ridicule, is, we have discovered too -late, practically the whole of England. Von Bistram, commanding the -VIIth Corps, and Von Haeslen, of the VIIIth Corps, have constantly been -reporting its spread through Manchester, Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield, -Birmingham, and the other great towns we now occupy; but our<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_530" id="page_530"></a>{530}</span> -Commander-in-Chief has treated the matter lightly, declaring it to be a -kind of offshoot of some organisation they have here in England, called -the Primrose League....</p> - -<p>“Yesterday, at the Council of War, however, he was compelled to -acknowledge his error when I handed him a scarlet handbill calling upon -the British to make a concerted attack upon us at ten o’clock. -Fortunately, we were prepared for the assault, otherwise I verily -believe that the honours would have rested with the populace in London. -As it is, we suffered considerable reverses in various districts, where -our men were lured into the narrow side streets and cut up. I confess I -am greatly surprised at the valiant stand made everywhere by the -Londoners. Last night they fought to the very end. A disaster to our -arms in the Strand was followed by a victory in Trafalgar Square, where -Von Wilberg had established defences for the purpose of preventing the -joining of the people of the East End with those of the West....”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_531" id="page_531"></a>{531}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="CHAPTER_IV-c" id="CHAPTER_IV-c"></a>CHAPTER IV<br /><br /> -<small>MASSACRE OF GERMANS IN LONDON</small></h3> - -<p class="r"> -“<span class="smcap">‘Daily Mail’ Office</span>, <i>Oct. 12</i>, 6 p.m.<br /> -</p> - -<p>“Through the whole of last week the Germans occupying London suffered -great losses. They are now hemmed in on every side.</p> - -<p>“At three o’clock this morning, Von Kronhelm having withdrawn the -greater part of the troops from the defence of the bridges, in an -attempt to occupy defensive positions in North London, the South -Londoners, impatient with long waiting, broke forth and came across the -river in enormous multitudes, every man bent upon killing a German -wherever seen.</p> - -<p>“The night air was rent everywhere by the hoarse, exultant shouts as -London—the giant, all-powerful city—fell upon the audacious invader. -Through our windows in Carmelite Street came the dull roar of London’s -millions swelled by the Defenders from the west and south of England, -and by the gallant men from Canada, India, the Cape, and other British -colonies who had come forward to fight for the Mother country as soon as -her position was known to be critical.</p> - -<p>“In the streets are seen Colonial uniforms side by side with the -costermonger from Whitechapel or Walworth, and dark-faced Indians in -turbans are fighting out in Fleet Street and the Strand. In the great -struggle now taking place many of our reporters and correspondents have -unfortunately been wounded, and, alas! four of them killed.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_532" id="page_532"></a>{532}</span></p> - -<p>“In these terrible days a man’s life is not safe from one moment to -another. Both sides seem to have now lost their heads completely. Among -the Germans all semblance of order has apparently been thrown to the -winds. It is known that London has risen to a man, and the enemy are -therefore fully aware of their imminent peril. Already they are beaten. -True, Von Kronhelm still sits in the War Office directing -operations—operations which he knows too well are foredoomed to -failure.</p> - -<p>“The Germans have, it must be admitted, carried on the war in a -chivalrous spirit until those drastic executions exasperated the people. -Then neither side gave quarter, and now to-day all through Islington, -Hoxton, Kingsland, and Dalston, right out eastward to Homerton, a -perfect massacre of Germans is in progress.</p> - -<p>“Lord Byfield has issued two urgent proclamations, threatening the -people of London with all sorts of penalties if they kill instead of -taking an enemy prisoner, but they seem to have no effect. London is -starved and angered to such a pitch that her hatred knows no bounds, and -only blood will atone for the wholesale slaughter of the innocent since -the bombardment of the metropolis began.</p> - -<p>“The Kaiser has, we hear, left the ‘Belvedere’ at Scarborough, where he -has been living incognito. A confidential report, apparently well -founded, has reached us that he embarked upon the steam-trawler <i>Morning -Star</i> at Scarborough yesterday, and set out across the Dogger, with -Germany, of course, as his destination. Surely he must now regret his -ill-advised policy of making an attack upon England. He had gauged our -military weakness very accurately, but he had not counted upon the -patriotic spirit of our Empire. It may be that he has already given -orders to Von Kronhelm, but it is nevertheless a very significant fact -that the German wireless telegraph apparatus on the summit of Big Ben is -in constant use by the German<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_533" id="page_533"></a>{533}</span> Commander-in-Chief. He is probably in -hourly communication with Bremen, or with the Emperor himself upon the -trawler <i>Morning Star</i>.</p> - -<p>“Near Highbury Fields about noon to-day some British cavalry surprised a -party of Germans, and attempted to take them prisoners. The latter -showed fight, whereupon they were shot down to a man. The British held -as prisoners by the Germans near Enfield have now been released, and are -rejoining their comrades along the northern heights. Many believe that -another and final battle will be fought north of London, but military -men declare that the German power is already broken. Whether Von -Kronhelm will still continue to lose his men at the rate he is now -doing, or whether he will sue for peace, is an open question. -Personally, he was against the bombardment of London from the very -first, yet he was compelled to carry out the orders of his Imperial -master. The invasion, the landing, and the successes in the North were, -in his opinion, quite sufficient to have paralysed British trade and -caused such panic that an indemnity would have been paid. To attack -London was, in his opinion, a proceeding far too dangerous, and his -estimate is now proved to have been the correct one. Now that they have -lost command of the sea and are cut off from their bases in Essex, the -enemy’s situation is hopeless. They may struggle on, but assuredly the -end can only be an ignominious one.</p> - -<p>“Yet the German Eagle still flies proudly over the War Office, over St. -Stephen’s, and upon many other public buildings, while upon others -British Royal Standards and Union Jacks are commencing to appear, each -one being cheered by the excited Londoners, whose hearts are now full of -hope. Germany shall be made to bite the dust. That is the war-cry -everywhere. Many a proud Uhlan and Cuirassier has to-day ridden to his -death amid the dense mobs, mad with the lust of blood. Some of the more -unfortunate of the enemy have been lynched, and torn limb from<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_534" id="page_534"></a>{534}</span> limb, -while others have died deaths too horrible to here describe in detail.</p> - -<p>“Each hour brings to us further news showing how, by slow degrees, the -German army of occupation is being wiped out. People are jeering at the -audacious claim for indemnity presented to the British Government when -the enemy entered London, and are asking whether we will not now present -a claim to Germany. Von Kronhelm is not blamed so much as his Emperor. -He has been the catspaw, and has burned his fingers in endeavouring to -snatch the chestnuts from the fire.</p> - -<p>“As a commander, he has acted justly, fully observing the international -laws concerning war. It was only when faced by the problem of a national -uprising that he countenanced anything bordering upon capital -punishment. An hour ago our censors were withdrawn. They came and shook -hands with many members of the staff, and retired. This surely is a -significant fact that Von Kronhelm hopes to regain the confidence of -London by appearing to treat her with a fatherly solicitude. Or is it -that he intends to sue for peace at any price?</p> - -<p>“An hour ago another desperate attempt was made on the part of the men -of South London, aided by a large body of British regulars, to regain -possession of the War Office. Whitehall was once more the scene of a -bloody fight, but so strongly does Von Kronhelm hold the place and all -the adjacent thoroughfares—he apparently regarding it as his own -fortress—that the attack was repulsed with heavy loss on our side.</p> - -<p>“All the bridges are now open, the barricades are in most cases being -blown up, and people are passing and repassing freely for the first time -since the day following the memorable bombardment. London streets are, -however, in a most deplorable condition. On every hand is ruin and -devastation. Whole streets of houses rendered gaunt and windowless by -the now spent fires meet the eye everywhere. In certain places the ruins -were still smouldering, and in one or two<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_535" id="page_535"></a>{535}</span> districts the conflagrations -spread over an enormous area. Even if peace be declared, can London ever -recover from this present wreck? Paris recovered, and quickly too. -Therefore we place our faith in British wealth, British industry, and -British patriotism.</p> - -<p>“Yes. The tide has turned. The great Revenge now in progress is truly a -mad and bloody one. In Kilburn this afternoon there was a wholesale -killing of a company of German infantry, who, while marching along the -High Road, were set upon by the armed mob, and practically exterminated. -The smaller thoroughfares, Brondesbury Road, Victoria Road, Glendall -Road, and Priory Park Road, across to Paddington Cemetery, were the -scene of a frightful slaughter. The Germans died hard, but in the end -were completely wiped out. German-baiting is now, indeed, the Londoner’s -pastime, and on this dark and rainy afternoon hundreds of men of the -Fatherland have fallen and died upon the wet roads.</p> - -<p>“Sitting here, in a newspaper office, as we do, and having fresh reports -constantly before us, we are able to review the whole situation -impartially. Every moment, through the various news-agencies and our own -correspondents and contributors, we are receiving fresh facts—facts -which all combine to show that Von Kronhelm cannot hold out much longer. -Surely the Commander-in-Chief of a civilised army will not allow his men -to be massacred as they are now being! The enemy’s troops, mixed up in -the maze of London streets as they are, are utterly unable to cope with -the oncoming multitudes, some armed with rifles and others with anything -they can lay their hands upon.</p> - -<p>“Women—wild, infuriated women—have now made their reappearance north -of the Thames. In more than one instance where German soldiers have -attempted to take refuge in houses these women have obtained petrol, -and, with screams of fiendish delight, set the houses in question on -fire. Awful dramas are being<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_536" id="page_536"></a>{536}</span> enacted in every part of the metropolis. -The history of to-day is written in German blood.</p> - -<p>“Lord Byfield has established temporary headquarters at Jack Straw’s -Castle, where Von Kronhelm was during the bombardment, and last night we -could see the signals exchanged between Hampstead and Sydenham Hill, -from whence General Bamford has not yet moved. Our cavalry in Essex are, -it is said, doing excellent work. Lord Byfield has also sent a body of -troops across from Gravesend to Tilbury, and these have regained Maldon -and Southminster after some hard fighting. Advices from Gravesend state -that further reinforcements are being sent across the river to operate -against the East of London and hem in the Germans on that side.</p> - -<p>“So confident is London of success that several of the railways are -commencing to reorganise their traffic. A train left Willesden this -afternoon for Birmingham—the first since the bombardment—while another -has left Finsbury Park for Peterborough, to continue to York if -possible. So wrecked are the London termini, however, that it must be -some weeks before trains can arrive or be despatched from either Euston, -King’s Cross, Paddington, Marylebone, or St. Pancras. In many instances -the line just north of the terminus is interrupted by a blown-up tunnel -or a fallen bridge, therefore the termination of traffic must, for the -present, be at some distance north on the outskirts of London.</p> - -<p>“Shops are also opening in South London, though they have but little to -sell. Nevertheless, this may be regarded as a sign of renewed -confidence. Besides, supplies of provisions are now arriving, and the -London County Council and Salvation Army are distributing free soup and -food in the lower-class districts. Private charity, everywhere abundant -during the trying days of dark despair, is doing inestimable good among -every class. The hard, grasping employer, and the smug financier, who -hitherto kept scrupulous accounts, and have been noteworthy on account -of their uncharitableness,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_537" id="page_537"></a>{537}</span> have now, in the hour of need, come forward -and subscribed liberally to the great Mansion House Fund, opened -yesterday by the Deputy Lord Mayor of London. The subscription list -occupies six columns of the issue of to-morrow’s paper, and this, in -itself, speaks well for the open-heartedness of the moneyed classes of -Great Britain.</p> - -<p>“No movement has yet been made in the financial world. Bankers still -remain with closed doors. The bullion seized at Southminster and other -places is now under strong British guard, and will, it is supposed, be -returned to the Bank immediately. Only a comparatively small sum has -been sent across to Germany. Therefore all Von Kronhelm’s strategy has -utterly failed. By the invasion Germany has, up to the present moment, -gained nothing. She has made huge demands, at which we can afford to -jeer. True, she has wrecked London, but have we not sent the greater -part of her fleet to the bottom of the North Sea, and have we not -created havoc in German ports?</p> - -<p>“The leave-taking of our two gold-spectacled censors was almost -pathetic. We had come to regard them as necessities to puzzle and to -play practical jokes of language upon. To-day, for the first time, we -have received none of those official notices in German, with English -translations, which of late have appeared so prominently in our columns. -The German Eagle is gradually disentangling his talons from London, and -means to escape us—if he can.”</p> - -<p class="r"> -“10.30 p.m.<br /> -</p> - -<p>“Private information has just reached us from a most reliable source -that a conference has been arranged between Von Kronhelm and Lord -Byfield. This evening the German Field-Marshal sent a messenger to the -British headquarters at Hampstead under a flag of truce. He bore a -despatch from the German Commander asking that hostilities should be -suspended for twenty-four hours, and that they should make an -appointment for a meeting during that period.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_538" id="page_538"></a>{538}</span></p> - -<p>“Von Kronhelm has left the time and place of meeting to Lord Byfield, -and has informed the British Commander that he has sent telegraphic -instructions to the German military governors of Birmingham, Sheffield, -Manchester, Bradford, Leeds, Northampton, Stafford, Oldham, Wigan, -Bolton, and other places, giving notice of his suggestion to the -British, and ordering that for the present hostilities on the part of -the Germans shall be suspended.</p> - -<p>“It seems more than likely that the German Field-Marshal has received -these very definite instructions by wireless telegraph from the Emperor -at Bremen or Potsdam.</p> - -<p>“We understand that Lord Byfield, after a brief consultation by -telegraph with the Government at Bristol, has sent a reply. Of its -nature, however, nothing is known, and at the moment of writing -hostilities are still in progress.</p> - -<p>“In an hour’s time we shall probably know whether the war is to -continue, or a truce is to be proclaimed.”</p> - -<p class="r"> -“Midnight.<br /> -</p> - -<p>“Lord Byfield has granted a truce, and hostilities have now been -suspended.</p> - -<p>“London has gone mad with delight, for the German yoke is cast off. -Further information which has just reached us from private sources -states that thousands of prisoners have been taken by Lord Byfield -to-day, and that Von Kronhelm has acknowledged his position to be -absolutely hopeless.</p> - -<p>“The great German Army has been defeated by our British patriots, who -have fought so valiantly and so well. It is not likely that the war will -be resumed. Von Kronhelm received a number of British officers at the -War Office half an hour ago, and it is said that he is already making -preparations to vacate the post he has usurped.</p> - -<p>“Lord Byfield has issued a reassuring message to London, which we have -just received with instructions<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_539" id="page_539"></a>{539}</span> to print. It declares that although for -the moment only a truce is proclaimed, yet this means the absolute -cessation of all hostilities.</p> - -<p>“The naval news of the past few days may be briefly summarised. The -British main fleet entered the North Sea, and our submarines did most -excellent work in the neighbourhood of the Maas Lightship. Prince -Stahlberger had concentrated practically the whole of his naval force -off Lowestoft, but a desperate battle was fought about seventy miles -from the Texel, full details of which are not yet to hand. All that is -known is that, having now regained command of the sea, we were enabled -to inflict a crushing defeat upon the Germans, in which the German -flagship was sunk. In the end sixty-one British ships were concentrated -against seventeen German, with the result that the German Fleet has -practically been wiped out, there being 19,000 of the enemy’s officers -and men on the casualty list, the greatest recorded in any naval battle.</p> - -<p>“Whatever may be the demands for indemnity on either side, one thing is -absolutely certain, namely, that the invincible German Army and Navy are -completely vanquished.</p> - -<p>“The Eagle’s wings are trailing in the dust.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_540" id="page_540"></a>{540}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="CHAPTER_V-c" id="CHAPTER_V-c"></a>CHAPTER V<br /><br /> -<small>HOW THE WAR ENDED</small></h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">Days</span> passed—weary, waiting, anxious days. A whole month went by. After -the truce, London very gradually began to resume her normal life, though -the gaunt state of the streets was indescribably weird.</p> - -<p>Shops began to open, and as each day passed, food became more plentiful, -and consequently less dear. The truce meant the end of the war, -therefore thanksgiving services were held in every town and village -throughout the country.</p> - -<p>There were great prison-camps of Germans at Hounslow, Brentwood, and -Barnet, while Von Kronhelm and his chief officers were also held as -prisoners until some decision through diplomatic channels could be -arrived at. Meanwhile a little business began to be done; thousands -began to resume their employment, bankers re-opened their doors, and -within a week the distress and suffering of the poor became perceptibly -alleviated. The task of burying the dead after the terrible massacre of -the Germans in the London streets had been a stupendous one, but so -quickly had it been accomplished that an epidemic was happily averted.</p> - -<p>Confidence, however, was not completely restored, even though each day -the papers assured us that a settlement had been arrived at between -Berlin and London.</p> - -<p>Parliament moved back to Westminster, and daily meetings of the Cabinet -were being held in Downing Street. These resulted in the resignation of -the Ministry,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_541" id="page_541"></a>{541}</span> and with a fresh Cabinet, in which Mr. Gerald Graham, the -organiser of the Defenders, was given a seat, a settlement was at last -arrived at.</p> - -<p>To further describe the chaotic state of England occasioned by the -terrible and bloody war would serve no purpose. The loss and suffering -which it had caused the country had been incalculable; statisticians -estimated that in one month of hostilities it had amounted to -£500,000,000, a part of which represented money transferred from British -pockets to German, as the enemy had carried off some of the securities -upon which the German troops had laid their hands in London.</p> - -<p>Let us for a moment take a retrospective glance. Consols were at 50; -bread was still 1s. 6d. per loaf; and the ravages of the German -commerce-destroyers had sent up the cost of insurance on British -shipping sky-high. Money was almost unprocurable; except for the -manufacture of war material, there was no industry; and the suffering -and distress among the poor could not be exaggerated. In all directions -men, women, and children had been starving.</p> - -<p>The mercantile community were loud in their outcry for “peace at any -price,” and the pro-German and Stop-the-War Party were equally vehement -in demanding a cessation of the war. They found excuses for the enemy, -and forgot the frightful devastation and loss which the invasion had -caused to the country. They protested against continuing the struggle in -the interests of the “capitalists,” who, they alleged, were really -responsible for the war.</p> - -<p>They insisted that the working class gained nothing, even though the -British Fleet was closely blockading the German coast, and their outcry -was strengthened when a few days after the blockade of the Elbe had -begun two British battleships were so unfortunate as to strike German -mines, and sink with a large part of their crews. The difficulty of -borrowing money for the prosecution of the war was a grave obstacle in -the way of the party of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_542" id="page_542"></a>{542}</span> action, and preyed upon the mind of the British -Government.</p> - -<p>The whole character of the nation and the Government had changed since -the great days when, in the face of famine and immense peril, the -country had fought Napoleon to the last and overthrown him. The strong -aristocratic Government had been replaced by a weak Administration, -swayed by every breath of popular impulse. The peasantry who were the -backbone of the nation had vanished, and been replaced by the weak, -excitable population of the towns.</p> - -<p>Socialism, with its creed of “Thou shalt have no other god but Thyself,” -and its doctrine, “Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die,” had -replaced the religious beliefs of a generation of Englishmen taught to -suffer and to die sooner than surrender to wrong. In the hour of trial, -amidst smoking ruins, among the holocausts of dead which marked the -prolonged, bloody, and terrible battles on land and at sea, the spirit -of the nation quailed, and there was really no great leader to recall it -to ways of honour and duty.</p> - -<p>Seven large German commerce-destroyers were still at sea in the Northern -Atlantic. One of them was the splendid ex-Cunarder <i>Lusitania</i>, of 25 -knots, which had been sold to a German firm a year before the war, when -the British Government declined to continue its subsidy of £150,000 per -annum to the Cunard Company under the agreement of 1902. The reason for -withdrawing this subsidy was the need for economy, as money had to be -obtained to pay members of Parliament. The Cunard Company, unable to -bear the enormous cost of running both its huge 25-knot steamers, was -compelled to sell the <i>Lusitania</i>, but with patriotic enterprise it -retained the <i>Mauretania</i>, even though she was only worked at a dead -loss.</p> - -<p>The <i>Mauretania</i>, almost immediately after the outbreak of war, had been -commissioned as a British cruiser, with orders specially to hunt for the -<i>Lusitania</i>, which had now been renamed the <i>Preussen</i>. But it was -easier<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_543" id="page_543"></a>{543}</span> to look for the great commerce-destroyer than to find her, and -for weeks the one ship hunted over the wide waters of the North Atlantic -for the other.</p> - -<p>The German procedure had been as follows:—All their commerce-destroyers -had received orders to sink the British ships which they captured when -these were laden with food. The crews of the ships destroyed were -collected on board the various commerce-destroyers, and were from time -to time placed on board neutral vessels, which were stopped at sea and -compelled to find them accommodation. For coal the German cruisers -relied at the outset upon British colliers, of which they captured -several, and subsequently upon the supplies of fuel which were brought -to them by neutral vessels. They put into unfrequented harbours, and -there filled their bunkers, and were gone before protests could be made.</p> - -<p>The wholesale destruction of food, and particularly of wheat and meat, -removed from the world’s market a large part of its supplies, and had -immediately sent up the cost of food everywhere, outside the United -Kingdom as well as in it. At the same time, the attacks upon shipping -laden with food increased the cost of insurance to prohibitive prices -upon vessels freighted for the United Kingdom. The underwriters after -the first few captures by the enemy would not insure at all except for -fabulous rates.</p> - -<p>The withdrawal of all the larger British cruisers for the purpose of -defeating the main German fleets in the North Sea left the -commerce-destroyers a free hand, and there was no force to meet them. -The British liners commissioned as commerce-protectors were too few and -too slow, with the single exception of the <i>Mauretania</i>, to be able to -hold their adversaries in check.</p> - -<p>Neutral shipping was molested by the German cruisers. The German -Government had proclaimed food of all kinds and raw cotton contraband of -war, and when objection was offered by various neutral Governments, it -replied that Russia in the war with Japan had treated cotton and food as -contraband, and that no<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_544" id="page_544"></a>{544}</span> effective resistance had been offered by the -neutral Powers to this action. Great Britain, the German authorities -urged, had virtually acquiesced in the Russian proceedings against her -shipping, and had thus established a precedent which became law for the -world.</p> - -<p>Whenever raw cotton or food of any kind was discovered upon a neutral -vessel bound for British ports, the vessel was seized and sent into one -or other of the German harbours on the West Coast of Africa. St. Helena, -after its garrison had been so foolishly withdrawn by the British -Government in 1906, remained defenceless, and it had been seized by a -small German expedition at the very outset. Numerous guns were landed, -and it became a most useful base for the attacks of the German -commerce-destroyers.</p> - -<p>Its natural strength rendered its recapture difficult, and the British -Government had not a man to spare for the work of retaking it, so that -it continued in German hands up to the last week of the struggle, when -at last it was stormed after a vigorous bombardment by a small force -despatched from India.</p> - -<p>The absurd theory that commerce could be left to take care of itself was -exploded by the naval operations of the war. The North Atlantic had -continued so dangerous all through September that British shipping -practically disappeared from it, and neutral shipping was greatly -hampered. All the Atlantic ports of the United States and the South -American seaboard were full of British steamers, mainly of the tramp -class, that had been laid up because it was too dangerous to send them -to sea. The movement of supplies to England was carried on by only the -very fastest vessels, and these, as they ran the blockade-runners’ -risks, demanded the blockade-runners’ compensating profits.</p> - -<p>In yet another way the German Government enhanced the difficulty of -maintaining the British food supply. When war broke out, it was -discovered that German agents had secured practically all the “spot<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_545" id="page_545"></a>{545}</span> -wheat” available in the United States, and had done the same in Russia. -Germany had cornered the world’s available supply by the outlay of a -modest number of millions, and its agents were instructed not to part -with their supplies except at an enormous price. In this way Germany -recouped her outlay, made a large profit, and caused terrific distress -in England, where the dependence of the country upon foreign supplies of -food had been growing steadily all through the early years of the -twentieth century.</p> - -<p>The United Kingdom, indeed, might have been reduced to absolute -starvation, had it not been for the fact that the Canadian Government -interfered in Canada to prevent similar German tactics from succeeding, -and held the German contracts for the cornering of Canadian wheat, -contrary to public policy.</p> - -<p>The want of food, the high price of bread and meat in England, and the -greatly increased cost of the supplies of raw material sent up the -expenditure upon poor relief to enormous figures. Millions of men were -out of employment, and in need of assistance. Mills and factories in all -directions had closed down, either because of the military danger from -the operations of the German armies, or because of the want of orders, -or, again, because raw materials were not procurable. The British -workers had no such accumulated resources as the French peasant -possessed in 1870 from which to meet distress. They had assumed that -prosperity would continue for all time, and that, if it did not, the -rich might be called upon to support them and their families.</p> - -<p>Unfortunately, when the invasion began, many rich foreigners who had -lived in England collected what portable property they possessed and -retired abroad to Switzerland, Italy, and the United States. Their -example was followed by large numbers of British subjects who had -invested abroad, and now, in the hour of distress, were able to place -their securities in a handbag and withdraw them to happier countries.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_546" id="page_546"></a>{546}</span></p> - -<p>They may justly be blamed for this want of patriotism, but their reply -was that they had been unjustly and mercilessly taxed by men who derided -patriotism, misused power, and neglected the real interests of the -nation in the desire to pander to the mob. Moreover, with the income-tax -at 3s. 6d. in the pound, and with the cost of living enormously -enhanced, they declared that it was a positive impossibility to live in -England, while into the bargain their lives were exposed to danger from -the enemy.</p> - -<p>As a result of this wholesale emigration, in London and the country the -number of empty houses inordinately increased, and there were few -well-to-do people left to pay the rates and taxes. The fearful burden of -the extravagant debts which the British municipalities had heaped up was -cruelly felt, since the nation had to repudiate the responsibility which -it had incurred for the payment of interest on the local debts. The -Socialist dream, in fact, might almost be said to have been realised. -There were few rich left, but the consequences to the poor, instead of -being beneficial, were utterly disastrous.</p> - -<p>Under the pressure of public opinion, constrained by hunger and -financial necessities, and with thousands of German prisoners in their -hands, the British Government acceded to the suggested conference to -secure peace. Von Kronhelm had asked for a truce, his proposals being -veiled under a humanitarian form. The British Government, too, did not -wish to keep the German prisoners who had fought with such gallantry -longer from their hearths and homes. Nothing, it added, was to be gained -by prolonging the war and increasing the tale of bloodshed and calamity. -A just and honourable peace might allay the animosity between two great -nations of the same stock, if both would let bygones be bygones.</p> - -<p>The response of the German Government was chilling and discouraging. -Germany, it practically said, had no use for men who had surrendered. -Their hearths and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_547" id="page_547"></a>{547}</span> homes could well spare them a little longer. The -destruction of the German Navy mattered nothing to Germany, who could -build another fleet with her flourishing finances. Her army was in -possession of Holland and the mainland of Denmark, and would remain so -until the British Army—if there were any—arrived to turn it out. The -British Government must state what indemnity it was prepared to pay to -be rid of the war, or what surrender of territory it would make to -obtain peace.</p> - -<p>At the same time the German Press, in a long series of inspired -articles, contended that, notwithstanding the ultimate British -successes, England had been the real sufferer by the war. The struggle -had been fought on British soil, British trade had been ruined, British -finances thrown into utter disorder, and a great stretch of territory -added to the German Empire. Holland and Denmark were ample recompense -for the reverses at sea.</p> - -<p>The British blockade of the German coast was derided as ineffective, and -the British losses due to German mines were regarded as a sign of what -the British Navy had to expect if it continued the war. Then a picture -was painted of Germany, strong, united, triumphant, confident, firm in -her national spirit, efficient in every detail of administration, while -in England corruption, inefficiency, and incompetence were alleged to be -supreme.</p> - -<p>But these Press philippics and the haughty attitude of the German -Government were, in reality, only attempts to impose upon the British -people and the British Government. Subsequent information has shown that -German interests had suffered in every possible way, and that there was -grave danger of foreign complications. Unfortunately, the behaviour of -the German Press had the expected effect upon England. The clamour for -peace grew, and the pro-Germans openly asserted that a cessation of -hostilities must be purchased at any price.</p> - -<p>At the mediation of the French Government negotiations between the -British and German Governments were resumed in the first days of -November. But the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_548" id="page_548"></a>{548}</span> Germans still adhered inflexibly to their demand for -the <i>status quo</i>. Germany must retain Holland and Denmark, which were to -become States of the German Empire, under their existing dynasties. -Turkey must retain Egypt, whither the Turkish troops had penetrated -during the chaos caused by the invasion of England. The Dutch East -Indies must become a part of the German Empire.</p> - -<p>Certain foreign Powers, however, which had been friendly to England now -avowed their readiness to support her in resisting these outrageous -demands. But the outcry for peace in England was growing continually, -and the British Ministry was helpless before it. The Germans must have -got wind of the foreign support which was secretly being given to this -country, since at the eleventh hour they waived their demands as regards -Egypt and the Dutch East Indies.</p> - -<p>The lot of these two territories was to be settled by an International -Congress. But they finally secured the consent of the British Government -to the conclusion of a peace on the basis that each Power should retain -what it possessed at the opening of October. Thus Germany was to be -confirmed in her possession of Holland and Denmark, while England gained -nothing by the peace. The British surrender on this all-important head -tied the hands of the foreign Powers which were prepared to resist -vehemently such an aggrandisement of Germany.</p> - -<p>As for the Congress to deal with Egypt and the East Indies, this does -not fall within the sphere of our history.</p> - -<p class="cb">* * * * * * *</p> - -<p>Peace was finally signed on 13th January 1911. The British Empire -emerged from the conflict outwardly intact, but internally so weakened -that only the most resolute reforms accomplished by the ablest and -boldest statesmen could have restored it to its old position.</p> - -<p>Germany, on the other hand, emerged with an additional 21,000 miles of -European territory, with an extended seaboard on the North Sea, fronting -the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_549" id="page_549"></a>{549}</span> United Kingdom at Rotterdam and the Texel, and, it was calculated, -with a slight pecuniary advantage. Practically the entire cost of the -war had been borne by England.</p> - -<p>Looking back upon this sad page of history—sad for Englishmen—some -future Thucydides will pronounce that the decree of Providence was not -undeserved. The British nation had been warned against the danger; it -disregarded the warning. In the two great struggles of the early -twentieth century, in South Africa and the Far East, it had before its -eyes examples of the peril which comes from unpreparedness and from -haphazard government. It shut its eyes to the lessons. Its soldiers had -called upon it in vain to submit to the discipline of military service; -it rebelled against the sacrifice which the Swiss, the Swede, the -German, the Frenchman, and the Japanese made not unwillingly for his -country.</p> - -<p>In the teeth of all entreaties it reduced in 1906 the outlay upon its -army and its fleet, to expend the money thus saved upon its own comfort. -The battalions, batteries, and battleships sacrificed might well have -averted invasion, indeed, have prevented war. But to gain a few -millions, risks were incurred which ended ultimately in the loss of -hundreds of millions of money and thousands of lives, and in starvation -for myriads of men, women, and children.</p> - -<p>As is always the case, the poor suffered most. The Socialists, who had -declaimed against armaments, were faithless friends of those whom they -professed to champion. Their dream of a golden age proved utterly -delusive. But the true authors of England’s misfortunes escaped blame -for the moment, and the Army and Navy were made the scapegoats of the -great catastrophe.</p> - -<p>That the Army Council and the Admiralty had been criminally weak could -not be denied. Their weakness merely reflected the moral tone of the -nation, which took no interest in naval or military affairs, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_550" id="page_550"></a>{550}</span> then -was enraged to find that, in the hour of trial, everything for a time -went wrong. When success did come, it came too late, and could not be -utilised without a great British Army capable of carrying the war into -the enemy’s country, and thus compelling a satisfactory peace.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p class="c"><span class="smcap">The End</span></p> - -<p class="c"><i>Printed by</i> <span class="smcap">Morrison & Gibb Limited</span>, <i>Edinburgh</i></p> - -<p><a name="transcrib" id="transcrib"></a></p> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="" -style="padding:2%;border:3px dotted gray;"> -<tr><th align="center">Typographical errors corrected by the etext transcriber:</th></tr> -<tr><td align="center">United Kingdom=> United Kindgom {pg 22}</td></tr> -<tr><td align="center">atached to his=> attached to his {pg 86}</td></tr> -<tr><td align="center">had themelves been=> had themselves been {pg 215}</td></tr> -<tr><td align="center">even a possilibity=> even a possibility {pg 301}</td></tr> -<tr><td align="center">position to be atacked=> position to be attacked {pg 313}</td></tr> -<tr><td align="center">had pratically=> had practically {pg 332}</td></tr> -<tr><td align="center">cross at his thoat=> cross at his throat {pg 339}</td></tr> -<tr><td align="center">of his mazagine=> of his magazine {pg 437}</td></tr> -<tr><td align="center">the whole popluation=> the whole population {pg 464}</td></tr> -<tr><td align="center">was re-reported=> was reported {pg 525}</td></tr> -<tr><td align="center">retain Holland and Demark=> retain Holland and Denmark {pg 548}</td></tr> -</table> - -<hr class="full" /> - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Invasion of 1910, by William le Queux - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE INVASION OF 1910 *** - -***** This file should be named 51905-h.htm or 51905-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/1/9/0/51905/ - -Produced by Brian Coe, Chuck Greif and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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