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This task force entered Belgium, and it's advance scouts reached Liege on the same day, to find most of the river bridges blown, and a much more real resistance than expected. The next day, after a demand for surrender was refused, the German bombardment of Liege began. However, a overnight assault on 5-6 August resulted in high German casualties and no gains. The next day, the key personality in the siege appeared on the scene. Erich von Ludendorff, then a liaison officer, found the 14th Brigade without a commander, and taking over, managed to break though the Belgium lines to the east of the city, while remaining, at least initially, undetected. He then sent a party to the city, first to demand it's surrender, once again refused, and then on a quick raid against Leman's HQ.
The main result of this was to scare Leman into moving into Fort Loncin, west of the city, and also to send much of his garrison back to Brussels, under the misapprehension that he faced several times more troops than he actually did. However, despite this, and despite Ludendorff's force at loose within the line of forts, the defenders still held all twelve forts, and the city itself.
This was soon to change. On 7 August Ludendorff advanced against the out of date Citadel of Liege, which surrendered without fighting, giving Ludendorff control of the city, and more importantly, of intact bridges across the Meuse. Meanwhile, the first two forts fell, Fort Barchon on 8 August and then Fort Evegnee, adjacent forts to the east of the city. The fate of the remaining forts was settled on 12 August, with the arrival of the first Krupp 420 mm Howitzer, designed to be capable of smashing these very forts. The first fort to be bombarded, Fort Pontisse, was wrecked by 12.30 on 13 August, and six more forts were reduced over the next two days, ending with Fort Loncin, reduced to rubble after a shell hit the magazine. Within the ruins of the fort, General Leman was found, knocked out by the blast. The remaining two forts surrendered without a fight on 16 August.The fall of Liege removed the main obstacle to the German advance through Belgium, and also reduced the faith of all sides in the value of formal fixed fortifications, which led the French to weaken the fortresses surrounding Verdun. However, this was a false message, and when Verdun came under attack in 1916 it was found that well constructed modern forts could play a very valuable part in an active defence.