WORLD WAR I MEDALS. Belgium - Germany. General Leman/Fall of Fort de Loncin Bronze Medal, 1914. Fonson (Brussels) Mint. CHOICE MINT STATE. By Godefroid Devreese. 70mm. Obverse: Uniformed bust of Leman left, wearing cap; Reverse: Fallen solider on ravaged battlefield. Rich brown surfaces with an alluring matte nature.<p><em>The Fort de Loncin was one of the final forts in Liege to suffer bombardment at the hands of the Germans, and marked the debut of the "Big Bertha" howitzer. The Minenwerfer-Gerät, a 42cm siege howitzer better known by its nickname, the "Big Bertha," was an extremely large piece of artillery utilized by the German and Austro-Hungarian armies during World War I. Weighing nearly 50 tons, the hefty howitzer could only fire 8 shells per hour, but could reach a distance of nearly six miles.</em> From the Richard Jewell Collection.
