On Sunday morning, August 23, 1914, the Germans began the bombardment
of Fort Suarlée. This fort repeated the heroic resistance of Fort
Boncelles at Liege. It held out until the afternoon of August 25. It
was apparently then blown up by the explosion of its own magazine,
thus again repeating the end of Fort Loncin at Liege. Meantime the
Germans had succeeded in reducing Forts Cognelée and Emines.

The Germans entered Namur on the afternoon of August 23, 1914. There
seems to have been some oversight in the plan, for the advance guard
found themselves under fire of their own guns directed upon the citadel
and the Grande Place. This, however, was speedily rectified. Their
behavior was much the same as at Louvain and Brussels. They marched
in with bands playing and singing patriotic songs. Proclamations
were at once issued warning the citizens not to commit any hostile
act. The inhabitants were far too cowed to contemplate anything
but submission. Good discipline was preserved, and though the city
took fire that night there is nothing to show it was from German
design. The citizens were induced to come forth from their cellars
and hiding places to reopen the cafés and shops.

General von Bülow entered Namur on Monday morning August 24, 1914.
He was accompanied by Field Marshal Baron von der Goltz, recently
appointed Governor General of Belgium. Previous to the former Balkan
War he had been employed in reorganizing the Turkish army. An onlooker
in Namur thus describes the German Field Marshal:--"An elderly
gentleman covered with orders, buttoned in an overcoat up to his
nose, above which gleamed a pair of enormous spectacles."

General Michel attributed his defeat to the German siege guns. The