August 26, 1914. Longwy, France & Esch-sur-Alzette, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The massive German shelling at last coerces the French garrison of the little city of Longwy to capitulate. Sixty-one officers and 3,500 soldiers had braved a terrifying weeklong pounding, many paying the supreme sacrifice. The optical telegraph facilities of the fort are destroyed early on. The defenders’ only means of communications with the outside world are homing pigeons, but who could not return as their dove-cot was obliterated. In the morning of August 26, Lieutenant-Colonel Darche confers with his surviving officers: the Germans demand an unconditional surrender. The garrison has no choice but to capitulate. The same day, around 7 p.m., Lieutenant-Colonel Darche, accompanied by his secretary, Auguste Dondelinger, a Luxembourger, engineer at Longwy, is driven to Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg to meet Crown Prince Wilhelm, Commander of Germany’s V. Army, soon to be styled Conqueror of Longwy (Eroberer von Longwy), who enjoyed himself there while his troops bled before Longwy’s fortifications. Crown Prince Wilhelm congratulates the defender of Longwy for his courage. Leaving him his sword, he asks Lieutenant-Colonel Darche if he has any wishes, maybe return to Paris, subject to his word of honor not to fight any longer against Germany. Darche responds that he wants to share the lot of his soldiers, upon which Crown Prince Wilhelm remarks ‘Well then, your captivity will not last long, in 14 days the war will be over. On September 8, we’ll be in Paris.’ Excerpted from: Storms Over Luxembourg an e-book by Fausto Gardini