Part 17
There appeared as witness Grenadier Bischoff, who, being warned to speak the truth, made the following statement:
As to Person: My name is Karl Bischoff. I was born on January 18th, 1893, at Dürschau, near Zittau; Protestant; by trade butcher.
As to Case: When the 7th Company was marching through Dinant at about 7 o'clock p.m. on August 23rd we were fired on from two houses. I was struck in the left arm and the left leg. An examination of the wounds in the leg showed that they resulted from a discharge of small shot.
In the Carolahaus in Dresden a small round bullet was removed in an operation by Dr. Kretzschmar from the left foot; besides this a pellet was located in the left upper thigh, and is still there. On December 10th I returned again to the 7th Company.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: KARL BISCHOFF.
The witness was thereupon sworn.
Signed: V. LOEBEN, Lieutenant and Officer of the Court. Signed: BAIER, Non-commissioned Officer and Clerk of the Court.
C. App. 58.
Present: Lieutenant of Landwehr OERTEL, as Officer of the Court.
## Acting-Sergeant-Major SOMMERBURG, as Clerk of the Court.
PROVISEUX, _March 2nd, 1915_.
There appeared for examination as witness Deputy-Officer Ebert, who, after the importance of the oath had been pointed out to him, made the following statement:
As to Person: My name is Eduard Kurt Ebert, Deputy-Officer,
## Acting-Sergeant-Major, 11th Company, Grenadier Regiment No. 101; 33
years old; Protestant.
As to Case: On August 23rd, 1914, I came back early, towards 9 o'clock, from a patrol which I had undertaken on the previous evening from before Château Reux to Dinant in company with Lieutenant Schurig and some men of the 9th and 12th Companies of my regiment, which lay in readiness about half an hour's distance from Dinant. On the way back from Dinant to the regiment we found at the end of the town a non-commissioned officer and six men of Rifle Regiment No. 108 lying dead in the road. Some of the dead showed wounds on the face and chest, which Lieutenant Schurig, as well as myself, recognised without doubt as having been caused by small shot.
On the evening of the same day, probably about 5 p.m., I stood with the 12th Company of Grenadier Regiment No. 101 in the street on the bank of the Meuse below the place where the bridge was being built. All at once a heavy fire was opened on us from all sides, especially from above. A man of the 12th Company, who stood beside me, received a shot in the stock of the rifle. I removed the missile myself from the wood; it was a small round bullet. The firing then died down, and I was put across the Meuse. After I had crossed over, I received the order from Lieutenant and Adjutant Stark to guard the civilian prisoners who had been rounded up there, and later the military prisoners also. I then saw how men of my guard handed water to the captive women and children and gave them chocolate. I myself bandaged a wounded French sergeant.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: EDUARD KURT EBERT.
The witness Ebert was thereupon sworn.
Signed: OERTEL, Lieutenant of Reserve and Officer of the Court. Signed: SOMMERBURG, Acting-Sergeant-Major and Clerk of the Military Court.
C. App. 59.
Present: Lieutenant of Reserve DACHSEL, as Officer of the Court. Non-commissioned Officer of Reserve STEIGER, as Clerk of the Court.
LA VILLE-AUX-BOIS PRÈS PONTAVERT, _March 6th, 1915_.
At the request of the Imperial German Court of Justice of the General Government in Belgium there appeared by order, as witness, Medical-Corps Non-commissioned Officer Rost, who, after the importance of the oath had been pointed out to him, and he had been warned to speak the truth, made the following statement:
As to Person: My name is Paul Richard Rost, Medical-Corps Non-commissioned Officer, 6th Company, Rifle (Fusilier) Regiment No. 108; 25 years old; Protestant.
As to Case: When I was attending the wounded in Dinant on the night of August 21st and 22nd, I noticed that behind the men, some in their shirt-sleeves, who were firing from the windows, the heads of women were also visible.
The next day I saw in the courtyard of the Château of Sorinnes, among the dead lying there on biers, Corporal Kirchhof of my company. He had an injury to the skull which could only have originated from a blunt instrument. The brain-pan was quite smashed in.
On August 23rd I found on a detached estate near Dinant, close by the road which leads from Sorinnes to Dinant, a German soldier almost completely carbonised, lying under a burnt heap of straw. He appeared to be a Jäger, judging from portions of his equipment which lay near. I was told by comrades that a second Jäger had been found in a field in the vicinity of Dinant, with his face burnt. The estate, where I found the Jäger, had been organised as a dressing-station for wounds.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: PAUL RICHARD ROST.
The witness was thereupon sworn.
Signed: DACHSEL. Signed: STEIGER.
C. App. 60.
Present: Lieutenant of Reserve DACHSEL, as Officer of the Court. Non-commissioned Officer STEIGER, as Clerk of the Court.
LA VILLE-AUX-BOIS PRÈS PONTAVERT, _March 6th, 1915_.
At the request of the Imperial German Court of Justice of the General Government in Belgium, there appeared by order, as witness, Rifleman Lange, who, after the importance of the oath had been pointed out to him, and he had been warned to speak the truth, made the following statement:
As to Person: My name is Emil Bruno Lange, Rifleman of Reserve, 7th Company, Rifle (Fusilier) Regiment No. 108; 25 years old; Protestant.
As to Case: In the night-fighting at Dinant on August 21st I saw an elderly woman firing at us from a house which was brightly lighted up by a lamp burning in the street. After some time she fell backwards; apparently she had been hit by us.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: EMIL BRUNO LANGE.
The witness was thereupon sworn.
Signed: DACHSEL. Signed: STEIGER.
C. App. 61.
Present: Lieutenant of Reserve DACHSEL, as Officer of the Court. Non-commissioned Officer of Reserve STEIGER, as Clerk of the Court.
LA VILLE-AUX-BOIS PRÈS PONTAVERT, _March 6th, 1915_.
By request of the Imperial German Court of Justice of the General Government in Belgium, there appeared by order, as witness, Rifleman Vorwieger, who, after the importance of the oath had been pointed out to him, and he had been warned to speak the truth, made the following statement:
As to Person: My name is Paul Vorwieder, Rifleman, 6th Company, Rifle (Fusilier) Regiment No. 108; 20 years old; Protestant.
As to Case: In the street-fighting in Dinant on August 21st I saw in a house, which I was just about to enter, a woman about thirty years of age standing with a revolver in her hand, ready to fire.
On August 23rd I found in an open field, about 600 metres from Dinant, a dead Saxon Jäger--I recognised him as such by his uniform--with face completely carbonised. He lay on his back, his arms widely extended.
Read over, approved, signed.
The witness was thereupon sworn.
Signed: DACHSEL. Signed: STEIGER.
C. App. 62.
There appeared as witness Reservist Hund, who stated:
As to Person: My name is Artur Otto Hund; I was born on February 15th, 1889, at Dresden; Protestant; at the time Reservist in the 12th Company, Infantry Regiment No. 178.
As to Case: I saw how the twelve-year-old son of the Lawyer Adam shot at me and two comrades with a revolver. The two comrades were wounded.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: HUND. Signed: RYSSEL, Lieutenant and Officer of the Court. Signed: SCHULTZ, Acting-Sergeant-Major and Clerk of the Military Court.
Present: President of the Court, SCHWEINITZ. Secretary, LIPS.
QUARTERS OF INFANTRY REGIMENT NO. 178, _March 3rd, 1915_.
In the inquiry concerning the events in Dinant there appeared as witness Reservist Hund, who stated:
As to Person: My name is Artur Otto Hund; I was born on February 15th, 1889, at Dresden; Protestant; at the time Reservist in the 12th Company, Infantry Regiment No. 178; coachman by calling.
As to Case: I was sent with two comrades into the house to see if it was vacant, so that it could be turned into a hospital. We were shot at in the garden behind. When we went in the direction of the shots we found under a bush a twelve-year-old boy with a revolver in his hand. One of my comrades was fatally wounded by the shots, the other slightly. The lad was shot on the spot by one of the comrades who had also come up. We knew by photographs in the house that he was the son of the occupier of the house.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: HUND.
The witness was thereupon sworn.
Signed: SCHWEINITZ. Signed: LIPS.
C. App. 63.
There appeared Private Trenkler, 12th Company, Infantry Regiment No. 178, who stated:
As to Person: My name is Max Julius Trenkler; I was born on December 31st, 1891, at Markersdorf; Protestant; at the time on the active list, 12th Company, Infantry Regiment No. 178.
As to Case: I have seen civilians firing with (small) shot, and, in a like manner, children have fired on our soldiers in the rear of the convent.
Signed: MAX TRENKLER. Signed: RYSSEL, Lieutenant and Officer of the Court. Signed: SCHULTZ, Acting-Sergeant-Major and Clerk of the Court.
Present: President of the Court, SCHWEINITZ. Secretary, LIPS.
QUARTERS OF INFANTRY REGIMENT NO. 178, _March 3rd, 1915_.
In the inquiry concerning the events in Dinant there appeared Private Max Julius Trenkler as witness, who, after the reading over of the preceding statement, declared: Details as to myself are correctly given; I am an excavation worker.
As to Case: On the afternoon of August 23rd, 1914, we lay in reserve on the northern slope of the Leffe valley opposite the convent in the wood. There we saw how a boy on the opposite slope behind the convent fired at us from a fir copse, and with small shot too. The shot fell in our vicinity. We called to comrades who were on the road to go and search for the lad behind the convent. They then brought him along. I do not know what they did with him.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: TRENKLER.
The witness was thereupon sworn.
Signed: SCHWEINITZ. Signed: LIPS.
C. App. 64.
REPORT on the encounter of the Machine-Gun Company with Francs-Tireurs at Leffe-Dinant on August 23rd, 1914.
Machine-Gun Company, Infantry Regiment No. 102.
The Machine-Gun Company of Infantry Regiment No. 102 had started off from Houx in the rear of the regiment towards the evening of August 23rd, 1914, and had marched along the Meuse to Leffe. When the company had entered Leffe about midnight, and the last of their vehicles were passing a bridge, two white figures were all at once seen under it. The men of the company bringing up the rear noticed these people; two shots followed close upon one another, and immediately after two figures enveloped in white clothes were seen to jump into the Meuse. The marksmen of the Machine-Gun Company fired at the two persons, who, shortly after, were washed up dead to the bank. A closer examination showed that they were two men wearing female dress, who had wrapped themselves up in white cloths. Under the bridge stood two chairs, and from here the column in marching by had been fired on. It was supposed that the two francs-tireurs wanted to blow up the bridge, and, surprised by our people, flew to arms; as their retreat was cut off, they wanted to make their way through the water.
Shortly after, Infantry Regiment No. 177, which was marching behind us, was fired at from the factory which stands close to the bridge. As was ascertained, a passage led from the bridge into the factory, which was, at any rate, made use of by other francs-tireurs in order to withdraw in safety into the factory, from the windows of which they then opened a brisk fire.
Signed: NOACK, Lieutenant and Company Leader.
C. App. 65.
Present: 1st Lieutenant WINKLER, as Officer of the Court. Non-commissioned Officer SCHWERTNER, as Clerk of the Military Court.
Near ST. MARIE, _March 7th, 1915_.
In the matter for inquiry concerning the firing on a Machine-Gun Company by francs-tireurs at Leffe-Dinant there appeared as witnesses Privates Büchner and Ulbricht of the Machine-Gun Company, Infantry Regiment No. 102, who, after the importance of the oath had been pointed out to them, were examined individually as follows:
1. Private Büchner.
As to Person: My name is Heinrich Max Emil Büchner, 22 years old; private in the Machine-Gun Company, Infantry Regiment No. 102.
As to Case: On August 23rd, 1914, the Machine-Gun Company, Infantry Regiment No. 102, marched from Houx along the Meuse by Leffe to the military bridge at Dinant. The company arrived in Leffe towards midnight of the 23rd and 24th August 1914. On the left of the line of march was a large factory. From this a brook or canal led into the Meuse. Our route passed over this brook or canal by a bridge. I marched with Ulbricht behind a provision waggon which brought up the rear. When the centre of the company was on the bridge, two shots came from the direction of the bridge towards us. I at once ran with Ulbricht to the bank of the Meuse to see if anybody there had fired. The two shots appeared to have been alarm shots, for immediately after several rifle-shots were fired from the factory. While we were running to the bank of the Meuse, two white figures came out from under the bridge in order to swim to the other bank of the Meuse. I immediately shot with Ulbricht at the two white figures. We reached one whilst still close to the bank, whilst the other was already in the middle of the Meuse. Both figures were hit, for the one who was already in the middle of the river suddenly drifted with the stream, while the other was floated up to our bank. Together with Ulbricht, I let myself down the steep bank with the aid of comrades who had come up, by means of a bearing-girth. We drew the white body from the water, threw back the white cloth, and saw by the face that it was a man. This man was wearing women's green stockings and a pair of black low shoes such as women wear. He had received a shot in the back of the head and was dead. We then went under the bridge; not far from the water stood two chairs. From the bridge, the canal went through a tunnel towards the factory. In this tunnel-canal, which was about 50 metres long, there was very little water; one could easily go upright in it. With Ulbricht, I had penetrated about two to three metres into the tunnel, but as our company was marching on and were being called by our comrades, we turned back. Behind us came men of the Machine-Gun Company, Infantry Regiment No. 177; they went into the factory in order to search it whilst I and Ulbricht went to our company. The firing only came from the factory when the two white figures had discharged the two shots, the firing, which lasted about five minutes, evidently came from the windows of the factory and originated from several persons. During this time our company halted, then it moved nearer to the military bridge. As the firing from the factory opened again shortly after, the Machine-Gun Company, Infantry Regiment No. 177, replied with the machine-guns. We now saw the flashes of the francs-tireurs' fire at the windows of the factory. The firing from the factory only ceased when the place had been set on fire.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: BÜCHNER.
2. Private Ulbricht.
As to Person: My name is Friedrich Richard Ulbricht, 22 years old; Protestant; private in the Machine-Gun Company, Infantry Regiment No. 102.
As to Case: The statements of Private Büchner, which were read over to me, I fully endorse.
I have nothing further to add.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: ULBRICHT.
The witnesses were thereupon sworn.
Signed: WINKLER, 1st Lieutenant and Officer of the Court. Signed: SCHWERTNER, Non-commissioned Officer and Clerk of the Court.
C. App. 66.
Present: Lieutenant of Reserve GLASER, as Officer of the Court.
## Acting-Sergeant-Major of Reserve Referendar RICHTER,
as Clerk of the Court.
SINZBARACKEN, _February 25th, 1915_.
Rifleman Kähler, 1st Company, Rifle (Fusilier) Regiment No. 108, after the importance of the oath had been pointed out to him, stated:
As to Person: My name is Emil Robert Kähler, 22 years old; Protestant; electrician at Kiel, on active service since October 14th, 1913, in the Rifle (Fusilier) Regiment No. 108.
As to Case: On August 23rd, 1914, I saw in a street at Dinant a civilian, about twenty-seven years old, who wore a band on the left arm with the Geneva badge, and who fired a revolver from a house door at a Pioneer, but without hitting him. I thereupon shot the civilian. The Pioneer took the revolver away from him.
Kähler took the oath as a witness.
Signed: KÄHLER. Signed: GLASER, Officer of the Court. Signed: RICHTER, as Clerk of the Court.
C. App. 67.
Present: Lieutenant of Reserve and Battalion Adjutant DACHSEL, as Officer of the Court. Non-commissioned Officer of Reserve STEIGER, as Clerk of the Court.
LA VILLE-AUX-BOIS LES PONTARVET, _February 2nd, 1915_.
There appeared by order as witness, Assistant-Surgeon Dr.med. Köckeritz, who, after the importance of the oath had been pointed out to him and he had been warned to speak the truth, made the following statement:
As to Person: My name is Albin Werner Köckeritz. I am Assistant-Surgeon of Reserve, Dr.med.; 28 years old; Protestant.
As to Case: During the night-fighting of August 21st to 22nd, I was in Dinant. I did not see any cruelties committed by our troops against the inhabitants, who fired with shot-guns and buck-shot from their windows. In the further fighting round Dinant also, at the close of which we moved into Dinant, I saw no misusage whatever of the civilian population.
That the bodies of inhabitants, who had been shot for taking part in fighting, were mutilated, is untrue. I saw, however, in a side-valley a German cavalryman, who had apparently been shot down, lying charred upon a grating and fastened with wire. This was in the vicinity of the Field Dressing Station put up by the 22nd and 3rd Battalion, Rifle (Fusilier) Regiment No. 108 and the 1st Field Artillery Regiment No. 12 and stationed west of Dinant.
The firing, which came from the hospital denoted by a Red Cross flag, lighted up for a long way the opposite bank of the Meuse.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: Dr. KÖCKERITZ.
The witness was thereupon sworn.
Signed: DACHSEL. Signed: STEIGER.
C. App. 68.
(Guards) Grenadier Regiment No. 100, Officer of Court III.
Present: Lieutenant of Reserve BANDEL, as Officer of the Court.
## Acting-Sergeant-Major RANKE, as Clerk of the Military Court.
GUIGNICOURT, _January 9th, 1915_.
By order there appeared as witness:
Non-commissioned Officer Martin, 10th Company (Guards) Grenadier Regiment No. 100, who, after having been warned to speak the truth, made the following statement:
As to Person: My name is Otto Kurt Martin, 22 years old; Protestant.
As to Case: Concerning the article "The incredible atrocities of the German soldiers," Martin made the following statement:
Inhabitants of the town of Dinant were only shot after it had been conclusively established that they had treacherously fired at us from the houses. Moreover, there was firing from houses which displayed the Red Cross. I did not see any mutilated inhabitants. I likewise do not know of any cruelties or crimes by our troops. I did not see that our troops were treated by a Belgian doctor. On the contrary, I noticed that wounded inhabitants were treated by German doctors and bandaged by our military non-commissioned officers. I know nothing of the remainder of the incidents mentioned in the article. I have nothing further to add.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: KURT MARTIN.
The witness was thereupon sworn.
Signed: BANDEL, Lieutenant and Officer of the Court. Signed: RANKE, Acting-Sergeant-Major and Clerk of the Military Court.
C. App. 69.
REPORT to (Guards) Grenadier Regiment No. 100.
In the fight at Dinant, heavy rifle fire was directed upon our troops from several houses on the west bank of the Meuse, especially from a large red Infirmary. These houses were all distinguished as hospitals by the hanging out of flags with the Red Cross, and were, in consequence, at first spared by our troops. Later, however, after the occupation of these houses by hostile, armed inhabitants had been definitely ascertained, and it was recognised that the Red Cross only served as a blind, the houses were brought under fire and destroyed. Witnesses to this are all the officers of the 1st Battalion (Guards) Grenadier Regiment No. 100.
Signed: ZEIDLER, Captain and Battalion Leader, (Guards) Grenadier Regiment No. 100.
C. App. 70.
Present: Military Magistrate, NAUMANN. Secretary of the Military Court, SCHWARZBACH.
LA MALMAISON, _December 10th, 1914_.
In the inquiry concerning the violations of International Law committed against German troops, there appeared as witness Non-commissioned Officer Esche, 10th Company, Grenadier Regiment No. 100, who, after the importance of the oath had been pointed out to him, made the following statement:
My name is Bruno Arno Esche, 24 years old; Protestant; factory worker.
On Sunday, August 23rd, 1914, in the afternoon, I saw plainly with field glasses from the right bank of the Meuse that the windows of a large red house on the left bank of the Meuse were blocked up with boards, mattresses or coverlets. Loopholes were cut out in the house at the height of a man. The house was flying the Red Cross flag.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: BRUNO ARNO ESCHE.
The witness was thereupon sworn.
Signed: NAUMANN. Signed: SCHWARZBACH.
C. App. 71.
ST. ERME, _December 17th, 1914_.
Staff-Surgeon Dr. Lange, after the importance of the oath had been pointed out to him, made, as witness, the following deposition:
As to Person: My name is Richard Gotthold Lange, 33 years old; Protestant; Staff-Surgeon and Battalion Surgeon of the 3rd Battalion Infantry Regiment No. 178.
As to Case: Directly after the entry of the battalion into Leffe it was surprised by shots which not only came from the two ranges of hills but also from the houses and cellars. The houses from which the shots came were thereupon searched for sharpshooters and the guilty civilians found there were shot. The houses from which there was no firing were searched in the same way, and their occupants were guarded in the street. It was reported to me that a sergeant-major of the 9th Company of my regiment had been severely wounded, whereupon I rode through the streets and was continuously fired at from the houses, especially from the cellars. I found two German wounded inside the houses, further, one dead in a cellar and another dead on a ground floor. As the number of the wounded accumulated, I saw myself obliged to arrange as a dressing-station the villa of Councillor Adam, where I was busy up till 11 o'clock at night. The number of the wounded German soldiers, on the handing over of the hospital to the 2nd Medical Company, amounted to about eighty men.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: Dr. LANGE.
The witness was thereupon sworn.
Signed: STARKE, Officer of the Court.
C. App. 72.
Present: Military Magistrate, NAUMANN. Secretary of Military Court, SCHWARZBACH.
LA MALMAISON, _December 8th, 1914_.