Among the inhabitants of the town who observed the march through of the Landsturm company were astonishingly large numbers of young men, apparently belonging to the wealthier classes, who stood about in the streets and retired slowly into the houses (Apps. 7, 10, 34, 46); women and children were not to be seen. The return march through the town of the Landsturm company and other small bodies of troops most likely strengthened the inhabitants of Louvain in the belief that the Germans were beaten and retreating, and encouraged them to execute an apparently long-thought-out and prepared plan to annihilate the Germans during their retreat through the town. A little later, after the above company had arrived at the station square and settled themselves to rest, about 8 p.m. German time, rockets shot up in the town. Quite a number of soldiers saw first a green and then a red rocket appear against the dark evening sky (Apps. 7, 8, 12-17, 22, 38, 45, 46). At the same time, in consequence of this signal, the inhabitants of Louvain began to open a furious fire from different parts of the town upon the German troops who were in the town-hall square, the station square, and the intermediate town quarters. They shot with rifles, revolvers, and pistols out of cellars and out of the windows of the buildings, and especially out of windows in the roofs (Apps. 1-8, 7-13, 18-22, 24, 25, 29, 30, 32, 33, 36, 45-49); the firing sounded in several places as if machine-guns were in use (Apps. 2, 29, 38, 40, 42, 46, 49). The German soldiers were completely surprised at this attack. Many of them were wounded and some were killed before they could offer any resistance. Among the columns and the baggage sections, which had drawn up in the streets, confusion reigned, because the horses, who had shied from fright and were hit by the bullets and small-shot, broke loose and were galloping through the streets (Apps. 8, 18, 19, 37, 47). An especially violent fire was poured upon the market-place and the first échelon of the General Command stationed there. Several officers and men were wounded or killed. The Staff of the General Command alone lost 5 officers, 2 officials, 23 men, and 95 horses (App. 1). The fire was most violent in the Rue de la Gare and at the station. The Landsturm company, standing there between the baggage carts, was obliged to retire into the station in order to find better cover. A vigorous fire was also directed upon the troops drawn up at the Place du Peuple (Apps. 6, 20, 46).