Battle of Buggenhout

Battle of Buggenhout
Part of the Siege of Antwerp during the German invasion of Belgium in the First World War
Belgian troops in action near Antwerp in the summer of 1914
Date 25–29 September 1914 Location Buggenhout, East Flanders, Belgium 51°00′N 04°12′E / 51.000°N 4.200°E / 51.000; 4.200
Belligerents
Belgium	German Empire
Commanders and leaders
King Albert I Émile Dossin Édouard Michel Alphonse Jacques	Albrecht of Württemberg

The Battle of Buggenhout (25–29 September 1914) was fought at the beginning of the First World War in Belgium at Buggenhout, a municipality between Antwerp, Ghent and Brussels. The Belgian army sortied from Antwerp against German troops to the south. The Belgians planned to exploit German troop movements away from Antwerp and to assist the French army on the Marne. King Albert I the Belgian Commander in Chief, saw that the Germans had strengthened most of their positions south of Antwerp and reduced the attack to an operation against Landwehr Brigade 37, which had advanced from Brussels towards Dendermonde.

The attack was made by the 4th and 5th divisions of the field army. The 4th Division advanced from Grembergen and Hamme, as the 2nd and 5th regiments Chasseurs à pied of the 5th Division attacked on the left flank from Bornem and Puurs. The Cavalry Division attacked Aalst from the west but the Belgian sortie was suspended after German artillery began a bombardment of the forts of the National redoubt of Belgium (French: Réduit national, Dutch: Nationaal Reduit) around Antwerp, preparatory to its own attack.