The German Army in Belgium, the White Book of May 1915Germany. Auswärtiges Amt
History
The German Army in Belgium, the White Book of May 1915
Germany. Auswärtiges Amt
World War, 1914-1918 -- Atrocities; World War, 1914-1918 -- Belgium
When the bomb fell, no shots had as yet been fired by us. We now
received orders, "About turn, march." But after we had turned we were
ordered from the rear to shoot into the houses. We then fired into both
fronts of the houses. I cannot say what reply was made to our fire
because the noise and confusion was too great. It also became at once
quite dark, because we demolished the lamps with our fire so as to
offer no aim to the opponent. This firing may have lasted a full hour.
During the firing I saw a soldier near me fall. I was then run over
and lost consciousness. When I recovered from my swoon, the firing was
still continuing. I dragged myself to the nearest wall, and was then
driven by an automobile to the field hospital.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: OLDENBURG.
The witness was sworn.
2. Corporal Hoehne.
As to Person: My name is Max Robert Theodor Hoehne, aged 28;
Protestant; art dealer; at present corporal, 4th Reserve Company,
Reserve Battalion No. 162.
As to Case: On the evening of August 25th, at about 9 o'clock, our
regiment marched into Louvain in column of route. At the head marched
the 1st Company. Then followed the 2nd, to which I belonged. It was
already dark. The gas-lamps were alight. Outside in the suburb a few
windows showed light. People in civilian dress put water in the street
for us. But we did not drink of it because an officer warned us not to
do so. The civilians behaved in a quiet and not unfriendly manner.
We marched over the railway bridge into the town straight on. At a
point where there was a square occupied by automobiles, the road made
a sharp bend. We marched past this bend straight on again. Up till
then nothing happened, except that we saw no civilians at all in the
town. The windows of the ground floors in this part of the street were
closed by shutters. The windows of the upper floors were open. But this
fact only struck me when we were fired at. Shortly after my company
passed the bend of the road, a shot rang out, and this was immediately
followed by brisk firing. I saw many such shots flash from the upper
windows, and also noticed how sparks flew about as the bullets fell
into the street. Immediately at the beginning of the firing two men
behind me fell; one of them was Corporal Wiessner. Wiessner sat down
at the roadside; the other soldier remained lying in the street, face
down. We now dispersed on both sides and fired into the upper windows.
During the firing I saw yet another soldier fall. In the meantime we
had destroyed the lamps by our fire, so that nothing could be seen. I
cannot say how long the firing continued. After some time the order
was passed along to cease firing. When we were about to reassemble we
were fired at from the windows of the ground floors. I was hit by small
shot that had been fired directly through a window-pane on the ground
floor; the shot remained in the haversack and coat. A comrade who
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