1914 Chapter 6

6. The surrender of Maubeuge.

Peter Weiner,, Hauptmann

Fort Cerfontaine was another similar one to the previous one which we had taken over earlier. Our first target was the gate to the fort but we had a problem. The gate was joined to the main rampart by a bridge, but the bridge was not in existence. It could have been blown by the enemy. So, there was the moat to cross over. The depth of the moat was about twice our height in-depth and that would be a difficult task. The fort was built into the hill like the previous one, and if we are thinking of coming from the top, we have to contend with bunkers which were manned by machine guns.

I took relief of the arrival of the Skoda Guns which will aid us in the bombardment of the fort. I held back the men while they bombarded the fort. Every time the guns impacted and created a large explosion, the men cheered the artillery parties. I took aside the Gefreiter to speak to him.

"Gefreiter, I need you to take a mission for me. Can you do it?" The Gefreiter nodded his head. I whispered to him to do some works for me. He asked to take one man with him, and I nodded to him.

Dieter Luther, Gefreiter

I was lowered into the moat by Rudy, where Dietrich is waiting for me. Both of us made our way along the moat hugging the side on the French side. We are stepping over dead bodies and debris on the moat bottom while we checked the walls. Then the opportunity came for us when I spotted an opening but it was grated over its opening. I point to Dietrich and shook his head. I can understand why he was shaking his head. It was probably a sewer outlet and a messy job.

I got Dietrich to stand over and climbed onto his shoulder for the extra height. I just managed over the edge and tested the strength of the grating. It was loosened by the constant bombardment on the wall of the fortress. I applied my strength and managed to remove the grating. I lowered the grating to Dietrich and pulled myself into the narrow tunnel. I have removed my knapsack and only carry my Mauser and two stick grenades. It was a slow crawl into the tunnel. I made my way in and was soon inside the fort in the one place they won't bother to guard; the latrines. I made out by one of the service openings to climb out.

I put aside the rifle and grenades while I poured water over my uniform. It’s a good bath after so many days of fighting. I was retrieving my weapons when the French man came running in with a need to use the latrine. I guessed the need to relieved oneself does not take into account the prevailing situation. We stood transfixed for a while and then we both reacted reaching for our weapon. But I was faster and shot him in the chest before he can have reached for his gun. The noise of the shot was deafened by the bombing impact.

I walked over to him and noticed he was an officer. I searched his body for anything of value but I found nothing. I peek out of the door and can see the corridor is free of any soldiers. I sneak out and walked towards the directions of the gate with the bombardment raining above on the roof of the fortress. I then had my second encounter with the French. Three French soldiers were running towards me, and I had to shoot at them.

“Boche!” I heard their caution call. They leveled their rifles and shot at me. Soon, I was pinned down by the soldiers by the narrow cover I had sheltered behind. I return fire until down to my last bullet clip. I took out stick grenade and tossed it over. It did not impact the soldiers there and more were reinforcing the trio.

"Dieter, we are here. Hang on." I heard the voice down the corridor behind me.

It was Dietrich and some of the squad men. They lent firepower on the French soldier. Dietrich tossed a grenade and the explosion killed two of the French soldiers. It was then the French soldiers retreated from the corridor.

“Call the Hauptmann and get him to send more men.” I told Dietrich.

“Why me? I am not going there again.” Dietrich refused to move. I then told another volunteer to do it. Meanwhile, the bombardment was ongoing. It was also causing us concern for the ceiling of the corridor we were in was vibrating from the bombardment.

“We need to move on. We can’t stay here.” I told the men. No one volunteer to stay back to guide the reinforcement. Peter Weiner, Hauptmann

The task I gave to Gefreiter remain unreported and I was tired of waiting so I told the artillery to concentrate on the gate. The concentrated bombardment soon smashed the gate and collapsed part of the walls around it. The collapsed walls formed a slope to the fortress entrance. The company was taking initiative to cross the moat and into the fortress.

We were in the fortress interior and the reports came in.

"Herr Hauptmann, we are in but there are a series of tunnels to tackle." I have not seen the tunnels but I sent in the men to check.

“Seal them if need be.” I told the men to destroy some of the tunnels to block the access when I was told that the French soldiers have escaped using the tunnels. We started placing more explosives to block the tunnels and clearing the resistance.

It was then I stumbled on an injured officer in one of the rooms. He was a French Officer and his wounds are fatal. The men who found him held at gunpoint although he could not be a threat to them. He was dying and would be dead if there is no medical assistance given.

"I am Hauptmann Weiner, Third Company, 1^st Guards."

"Capitaine Antoinne Marcel, Artillery Division, 2^nd Army. I am pleased to meet you in such unusual circumstances." The officer was bleeding over his blue uniform. I shouted for the medical orderlies but none was responding.

"Can I move you to my Medical Tent? You will need a doctor." But the officer declined my offer and smiled.

"No, Herr Hauptmann. I prefer to die as a free Frenchman than to be taken to prison. I know that we are to treat each other according to the Geneva Convention but I also know my current status. I would be dead soon and I prefer to do it my way. You, of course, would not permit me a gun nor would I consider that as the way to die. But you could offer me a cigarette. I would like that." He was coughing and that may have hurt for he turned his face away. I lighted up a cigarette and passed him the stick.

“Merci.” The the officer nodded his thanks and took a long puff on the stick. "If you are asking me for information on the French Army; I have none to offer you. We were asked to defend the place and we did it for so long. We would fight on but we know it won't last long."

I told the officer to stay quiet as I was not interested in his information. I was there to fight a battle and I left the information gathering to the other officers.

“Can I be left alone here? I want to do my personal prayers before I died.” I agreed and we parted company.

I had a sentry there and gave the command.

“In an hour, if the officer still alive; shoot him.” The sentry nodded. I then took to check on the battle scene. It was all over. We had finally taken the Fort that evening and I told the men to rest.

Erich Kroner, Oberst

Damn the French, for they held out long until the 8^h September before they finally surrendered, and it was not to me but to another General who had arrived to oversee the surrender. I rushed over to the Fort Leveau when I was told that the white flag was sighted there. But the Top Command has sent down their rep to meet the French General.

The Siege of Maubeuge lasted fifteen days, suffering shelling on all but four of those days. A total of 45,000 French soldiers were taken prisoner and 450 guns and 80,000 shells fell into German hands.

The siege also cost us about 60,000 fewer German soldiers that took to take to the field in the Battle of the Marne which erupted on 5 September.

Dieter Luther, Gefreiter

Sergeant Bern got hit by a sniper but he would live, so that leaves us under the Unteroffizier Marcus Dern. He was sent to see the Hauptmann on some issues there about putting me in charge. It was then Dietrich who came up to see for a favor. He said it would take only two hours to complete.

I followed Dietrich as he wants to see his sister who was married to a Frenchman some years back. They lost touch and the brother remembers the sister stayed just outside of Maubeuge. He asked me to follow him in search of his sister and I reluctantly agreed. It was some two hours later when we finally found the path to her farmhouse. From there, it was a ten minutes walk past some orchards filled with apple trees.

It was a small farmhouse with the upper level for the bedrooms. There were two small windows for the living areas and to the far right is the kitchen as we saw the chimney there. There was a small rose bed outside the house on the left, and carnations on the right.

"Marja, it’s me Dietrich." He shouted while I recon the area. I was not keen to be shot at by some irate Frenchman while we were having tea. I walked to the rear of the house and saw the two graves. I walked towards it and saw the names.

"Dietrich" I shouted for him to come, and he did with running feet as he feared I might in danger. "Your sister lies there."

The man who came to find his sister was shocked to learn that she died six months ago. He ran back to the house but he was soon to stop when he saw the man standing there.

"You bastard." Dietrich is reaching for his rifle but I intervened in time. "Find out what happened to her."

The man walked up to the house and confronted the owner. Ten minutes later, I was to know that Marja died with her new birth six months ago. She leaves behind a son who is staying with the father here. Dietrich asked to see his nephew which the father invited him to the house, but not me. I guessed the uniform was the reason for refusing me.

Soon, we were picked up the army convoy heading to Marne. It looks like the German plan was working for Marne was only thirty miles from Paris.

Erich Kroner, Oberst

General Bulow sat in Guise when he should be pursuing the French to Paris earlier. He had the nerve to report back to General von Kluck that his 2^nd Army is tired and stretched out. If it was me, I would have pressed on and maybe by then, we would have been outside Paris on that day. But that was not my decision to make. However, I have Oberstlieutant Luther Von Mathis for the company in my Command Tent.

"Herr Oberst, I can see you are getting into the battle by yourself. Good on the morale and also for your exposure to their plights." He had commented on my dusty and soiled uniform. I compared mine to his and noticed he was immaculate and clean but the boots looked worn out. He must have spent a lot of time running in the back while we were fighting.

"Oberst-lieutenant  Luther Von Mathis, how may I assist you? The last battle cost me men and time. Please express my disappointment with the General. We should have been in Paris by now if we do not stop to play tidy tat with the French." The Oberst-lieutenant knew who I was referring to but he was a diplomat first a soldier second.

"General Bulow is a bit cautious but I won't put it forward while he is still the 2^nd Army Commander. And the Kaiser likes him. But your chance to redeem the glory is here. Your companies are to take on Marne." I looked at the map of the area and mentally calculated the distance.

"Who is covering us in between Marne and here? There seems to be an open gap here. Are you sure the French would not flank us here?" I pointed at the map between the 1^st Army and 2^nd Army which showed a gap of twenty miles.

"That area would be under the control of the 2^nd Army and not of concern. yours is to march east by north and take on the rear of Paris. We get them running to the shores of Normandy." I laid my eyes on the Oberst-lieutenant Mathis but I was not entirely convinced of his strategy.

"Please proceed as per orders. I must be getting back to the Command Post. Thank you, Herr Oberst."

A move to rush for Paris and whoever captured it would be mentioned in history. I guess I needed some relief from my current stress. I called for my adjutant and had him get ready. It would be a quick one but it would out the nerves.