The following article details the 15 day Martian invasion from the original book that took place in June 1901.
Pre-Invasion[]
Oct 20, 1894: Casting of the Martian Gun is seen by telescopes.
Dec 11, 1896: Peculiar markings seen on Mars, probably marcian troops moviments.
Feb 12, 1901: First jet of gas seen spewing from Mars, probably a test fire on the marcian cannon.
Feb 13, 1901: Narrator’s vigil at Ogilvy’s observatory described in chapter 1.
Feb 12-22, 1901: Cylinders fired each night at midnight for ten days straight.
Feb 22, 1901: Mars at opposition. The martians cylinders travel at ~12 miles per second towards Earth for the next four months.
Day One - Friday[]
Jun 14, 1901: The First cylinder crash lands on Horsell Common in the early morning and by sunset had cooled and was beginning to open. By the time the Martians emerged from the cylinder three policemen including one on horseback had arrived to control the gathering a crowd of 300 people. Several officers from the Inkerman barracks were also present including one Major Eden who disappeared that night.
Stent, the Royal Astronomer, sent an immediate telegram from Horsell to the barracks requesting a company of soldiers to protect the Martians. At half past 8 he and 40 others were wiped out by the Martian's first use of their heat ray against their advancing deputation. At this point it was still wrongly assumed that the creatures didn't have the strength to emerge from the crater.
The first company of soldiers came through Horsell at about 11 o'clock to cordon off the common followed by a second who marched through Chobham to secure the north side of the common. An hour later the colonel of "the regiment" [1] arrived and began questioning the survivors from the common.
Day 2 - Saturday[]
Jun 15, 1901: In the first few seconds after midnight the Second cylinder fell in the Addlestone Golf Links. The 11 o'clock morning papers reported that 400 men from the Cardigan Regiment with 2 Maxim guns and a squadron of hussars were on their way up from Aldershot. By the afternoon the authorities had set up in the Horsell and Chobham church towers and local residents were told to evacuate the outskirts of the former town.
At 3 o'clock a gun in Chertsey or Addlestone began bombarding the Second cylinder hoping to destroy it before it opened. The Battle of Horsell Common began at 6 o'clock as the first Martian fighting vehicle made its way from the first crater to the second. After a crushing victory three Martians headed on to sack Horsell, Woking and Chobham. After 11 o'clock the Third cylinder landed in Pyrford.
Day 3 - Sunday[]
June 16, 1901: By the third day a significant force had assembled around Weybridge under Brigadier-General Marvin complete with men from the 8th Hussars, grenadiers and at least 6 twelve-pounder guns. Efforts were made to fortify the town. Even the South-Eastern and South Western railways collaborated to bring guns and still optimistic soldiers from Woolwich and Chatham to cover Kingston while others were gathered from Windsor, Portsmouth and Aldershot. More hussars were deployed in Chertsey. At this point it was still hoped that future cylinders could be destroyed before they became operable.
After midday the Martians renewed their advance with 5 fighting machines charging the assembled batteries around the Wey river. The first to cross came up near Shepperton and the 6 guns hidden nearby opened fire. This was the only Martian to be killed by human action as a shell struck its casing and split it open. In response the remaining 4 Martians returned fire but soon retreated with what remained of the destroyed machine.
Though this improved British morale it also taught the Martians a valuable lesson. Under the eyes of artillery scouts they consolidated their equipment at the Horsell Common site.
From 8 o'clock heavy guns could be heard in the distance across South London as three Martians crept towards Ripley and Weybridge. At first they met little resistance as one unseasoned battery at Ripley fired a single wild volley and fled, exposing more guns at Painshill park which were destroyed. However, hidden among some pine trees on St George's Hill was a more disciplined unit who managed to cripple a walker with two volleys at a thousand yards before they too were despatched by the two supporting machines.
By 9 o'clock all 3 tripods were operational again and a few minutes later they were joined by 4 others who I'll equipped them with rocket tubes for launching the Black Smoke. Deployed in a long crescent from St George's Hill to Send their movement was heralded by rockets from scouts in the surrounding hills before being joined by another 4 tripods, extending their line to a stretch of 12 miles. It was expected that once in range they would be obliterated by the waiting artillery at Sutton and Esher but by laying down a covering screen of deadly Black Smoke they were able to proceeded unscathed as the gunners were killed in droves. At 11 o'clock the searchlights and siege guns at Richmond and Kingston Hill were smothered in the same way and the Forth cylinder fell in Bushey Park. By the end of the night the line had made it as far as Hanwell, Coombe and Malden.
This marked the end of organised resistance to the Martians as the army abandoned its posts and the Naval crews sent down the Thames mutinied and turned around. Ineffective mines and pitfalls were prepared but eventually the crippled government resolved to evacuate London, warning the South-Eastern and Northern rail lines of what was to come at midnight.
Day 4 - Monday[]
Jun 17, 1901: The next morning news broke of the previous night's events and the disastrous Evacuation of London began. By 10am the police force has effectively dissolved, and by noon the railway organizations as well. A Martian is seen in London for the first time and deploys black smoke over the Thames. By 3pm everything has devolved into madness. The Martians target powder stores, telegraph lines, and railways, preventing a massacre. The Sixth cylinder fell that night at Wimbledon.
Day 5 - Tuesday[]
Jun 18, 1901: London has fallen completely to the Martians as they reach Highgate and Neasden. At this point the government has already relocated in Birmingham and is preparing vast amounts of high explosives for automatic mines in the Midlands. In a slight improvement to the situation the Midland Rail Company managed to get the trains running to ease pressure in the south. Large stocks of flour were also assembled from the north and bread was to be distributed by the we next day. That night the Seventh cylinder fell on Primrose Hill.
Day 6 - Wednesday[]
Jun 19, 1901: The plan to destroy a walker by detonating the Waltham Abbey Powder Mills fails. The Channel Fleet gathers for action off the Essex coast. At sunset on the River Blackwater, the Thunder Child takes out two Martian tripods with her guns before being obscured by smoke to an uncertain fate. The flying machine is seen for the first time that evening as it deploys black smoke over the rest of the ironclads.
Day 7 - Thursday[]
Thu Jun 20, 1901: 7th cylinder falls just after midnight.* Martians are picking apart houses and taking people to feed on during this time.
Day 8 - Friday[]
Fri Jun 21, 1901: 8th cylinder falls just after midnight.
Day 9 - Saturday[]
Sat Jun 22, 1901: 9th cylinder falls just after midnight. Very late at night while the moon is shining brightly, six large gunshots are heard by the Narrator, then 6 more. (is described as either this night or the previous night)
Day 10 - Sunday[]
Sun Jun 23, 1901: 10th and final cylinder falls just after midnight.
Day 12 - Tuesday[]
Tue Jun 25, 1901: At one point during this week some people get the electric lights working in Regent Street and party until the Martians catch them.
Day 14 - Thursday[]
Thu Jun 27, 1901: 10th day of Narrator’s imprisonment. Curate is taken by a Martian after yelling and being knocked out by Narrator.
Day 15 - Friday[]
Fri Jun 28, 1901: The noises from the Sheen pit cease as the Martians consolidate their assets to one large camp at Primrose Hill.
Day 16 - Saturday[]
Sat Jun 29, 1901: Narrator drinks for the first time after curate’s death.
Day 19 - Tuesday[]
Tue Jul 2, 1901: Dog meets Narrator, prompting him to go outside. Sheen is covered in red weed and other Martian vegetation. There is flooding due to red weed blocking the rivers.
Day 20 - Wednesday[]
Wed Jul 3, 1901: Narrator meets artilleryman again & helps him for a bit before realizing the artilleryman doesn’t know what he’s doing. Area near Kensington is on fire.
Day 21 - Thursday[]
Thu Jul 4, 1901: Parts of London are covered in black dust. Red weed is growing everywhere there is water, but is beginning to turn white due to disease. Narrator wanders London hearing the "ulla" and sees a destroyed handling-machine. The "ulla" ceases at dusk.
Day 22 - Friday[]
Fri Jul 5, 1901: Narrator sees dead Martians & tripods in the Primrose Hill pit at sunrise.
Notes[]
- ↑ In the first chapter, the Narrator mentions that a peculiar light, which he assumes now was the Martian gun being cast, was seen on Mars during the opposition of 1894. (opposition being the time that Mars is closest to Earth) Then, during the next two oppositions there are peculiar markings seen on Mars, and at the opposition following that the shots are fired. Using a calendar of historical Mars oppositions, I was able to determine that the three oppositions following 1894 took place in 1896, 1899, and 1901 respectively. Since the third opposition after 1894 was the year the War took place in, that would make it 1901.