Part 25
At noon, on August 25th, I had arrived at Louvain with the 2nd Battalion, Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 75. Whilst we were being provisioned from the field-kitchens in that part of the town which is near the suburb of Herent we were struck by the number of young strong people who were in the street and putting their heads together. At Herent I was transferred to the baggage because of foot-trouble whilst my battalion marched on. I was about to draw water from a well when suddenly the baggage was being fired on from all sides. The baggage had already turned about, and as the horses could not be stopped we returned to Louvain at full speed. But there, too, all was not safe, as we heard from stragglers; we wanted to drive past the station into the nearest village in order to spend the night there. We got, however, only about 50 metres beyond the station, and had to halt there because a wheel had come off a cart. Hardly had the carts stopped on the perfectly dark road when we were violently fired at from the houses near us, as well as from those on the other side of the railway and from the bushes on the railway embankment. The man beside me on the cart immediately received a shot in the foot. We dismounted and tried to make ourselves safe. At that moment a civilian came running up towards me from a house, pointing a revolver at me. I immediately shot the person down. A hand-grenade exploded immediately after this, about 7 to 8 metres away from me, and smashed a horse. Three of us now sought cover in the recess of a house, from which we succeeded in reaching a goods-shed. At this time--about 9 p.m.--the 3rd Battalion arrived, which we joined. During the night the detonations never ceased, and the houses round the station were burning. From the Hôtel du Nord a machine-gun had even been fired, as could be distinctly heard from the regular shots. On the following morning I ascertained that five horses of the baggage transport had been killed. I remained in front of the station building until noon on August 26th, and I here saw that about forty persons were examined by an officer and about half of them were shot. Two clergymen were also brought forward, one of whom declared himself a German, and said that he had not fired. I heard subsequently, however, that a Browning pistol was found on him. I also saw a man of Regiment No. 162 or 163 carried past on a stretcher. He whimpered terribly, and I heard that whilst doing patrol duty in the town several inhabitants fell upon him and cut off the scrotum. Later on I heard that the man had died of his wound. A Belgian who addressed me in German declared that the whole misfortune could have been avoided if the clergy did not from the pulpit praise those who fire upon German troops. At noon on the same day we followed the company with the baggage after having previously received fresh horses. We only found a heap of ruins where the village of Herent had stood. About three days later I met Lieutenant Foerster (now of the 4th Company, Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 75). He told me that German soldiers had had the genital members cut off and put into the mouth, and that the latter had then been sewn up.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: WESTERKAMP.
The witness was sworn according to regulations.
Signed: AHRENS, Lieutenant and Judicial Officer. Signed: HEINHORST, Non-commissioned Officer.
D. App. 38.
ALTONA, _March 1st, 1915_.
Court of the Commandant.
Present: President, Dr. STEENGRAFE. Secretary, KOCH.
There appeared the merchant Gruner as witness, and, after the importance of the oath had been pointed out to him, he was examined as follows:
As to Person: My name is Richard Gruner, aged 23; Protestant; merchant in Hamburg.
As to Case: After mobilisation I offered my services voluntarily and went into the field as a motor driver on the staff of the IX. Reserve Army Corps. On the evening of August 25th, 1914, we arrived at Louvain. As a sortie had been announced from Antwerp, the German troops were taken from Louvain and, as I assume, employed in the attack. The baggage, including the motors, stopped in the square in the immediate vicinity of the Hôtel Métropole. At the command of Captain von Esmarch, I followed the troops who were marching off and brought back one company for the protection of the staff, which was then drawn up in the place mentioned above. At about 9 o'clock p.m. I saw a green rocket ascend over the town. At the same moment commenced the firing upon us from the houses surrounding the place. I also heard the regular "tak, tak" of machine-guns. The German soldiers fired again and succeeded in beating down the hostile fire; the houses from which firing had taken place were set alight. I had the impression that the proceedings had been systematically prepared. Up till then we had been treated by the inhabitants with the greatest kindness and amiability.
After the attack in the centre of the town had been dealt with, the troops in the interior of the town were conducted to the station. Until then I had not seen any sign of interference on the part of the Belgian clergy. On the way to the station I saw a man in clerical garb, with unmistakable clerical physiognomy and a broad-brimmed hat with two tassels, directing our troops to a certain road. I myself drove along another road, following some cars before me. Subsequently I heard that the troops who had followed the directions of the clergyman reached a cul-de-sac, and were there exposed to fire from the houses.
When I arrived at the station I heard that here, too, an attack had been made upon the German soldiers by the civilian population from the surrounding houses, and had been defeated; in the station square and throughout the town houses were burning. All citizens taken were conducted to the station square, examined, and, if their guilt was ascertained, shot according to martial law. I myself acted as interpreter during part of the examinations. The examinations continued through the night until the following morning. The number of persons shot by court-martial may have been eighty to a hundred; among them may have been ten to fifteen clergymen. This number is exclusive of one man in unmistakable clerical garb, because beneath his clerical garb he wore civilian dress. Among the clergymen shot was the one I mentioned previously, and of this I am quite sure. He was pointed out by soldiers as the one who had directed them and their comrades into the cul-de-sac; he, too, was shot. I interpreted during the examination of two further clergymen. On one of them a revolver was found that still contained four cartridges, and one had been discharged; he, too, was shot. It had, moreover, been announced previously that every inhabitant on whom arms were found would be shot. I cannot now say what was furthermore ascertained in relation to this clergyman; but no one was shot whose participation in the attacks upon the German troops was not determined beyond doubt by at least two witnesses, or on whom arms were not found. Those brought up for examination must have rendered themselves suspect in some way, otherwise they would not have been examined at all.
During the night isolated attacks upon German troops took place, also during the day.
During the examinations many of the Belgians related that their behaviour towards the Germans had been represented to them by the authorities, also by the preachers, as a matter of faith. When we fetched the wounded in automobiles during the night we were fired at, and also from a convent.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: GRUNER.
The witness was duly sworn.
Authenticated:
Signed: STEENGRAFE, President. Signed: KOCH.
BERLIN, _March 19th, 1915_.
Ministry of War.
Military Examination Bureau for Infringements of Martial Law.
Present: President, Dr. GRASSHOFF. Secretary, PAHL.
There appears on citation merchant Richard Gruner of Hamburg-Grossborstel, Holunderweg 12.
The importance of the oath was pointed out to the witness, and he declared:
As to Person: My name is Richard Gruner, aged 23; Protestant.
As to Case: I repeat, first of all, all the statements made during my judicial examination at Altona on March 1st, 1915. This statement, which has just been read to me, is perfectly true in all respects. I add further what follows:
The examination of the volunteers brought forward by the German troops on the station square at Louvain on the night of August 25th to 26th, 1914, was conducted by Captain Albrecht, who was then reporting officer on the staff of the IX. Reserve Army Corps, and who fell later, at the end of October 1914, at Noyon. Captain Albrecht was attached to the Grand General Staff in peace time. I was requested by him to act as interpreter during part of the examinations. The examination proceeded in such a way that the soldiers brought forward the civilians taken by them, whilst the firing in the town continued. I was given about 100 to 200 persons to search and to examine. Captain Albrecht passed from one group of persons assembled in the station square for examination to another group, and inquired the result in order to give instructions for the further treatment of the accused. Altogether about 600 persons may have been brought forward, at least 500 of whom were spared death by shooting because no sure proof of their guilt was brought forward during the examination. These persons were led aside; the men amongst them were later on sent to Germany, whilst it was left to the women and children to go to Anvers.
It is not true that the persons were arbitrarily selected when arrangements for shooting them were made; on the contrary, the examinations were carried out strictly according to the facts. I examined myself the persons brought forward for arms, and frequently found arms on them. I also had instructions to see whether the accused were Belgian soldiers, which could be seen from the identification disc. On many of the persons brought to me I found the military disc in the pocket or in the purse. Captain Albrecht proceeded--I assume on higher command--in such a way that he ordered those to be shot on whom either arms or a rallying sign was found, or those of whom it was testified by at least two witnesses that they had fired upon the German troops. In my opinion it is quite out of the question that any innocent person lost his life; particularly Captain Albrecht did under the circumstances all that was possible to exhort the soldiers to speak the truth; if no arms or identification discs were found, he himself questioned the witnesses as to whether they could make their assertions with certitude, and he pointed out to them that the life and death of a man depended upon their word. And only when the soldiers maintained their assertions after this admonition, the command for the shooting of the condemned was given.
Amongst the persons brought forward were a number of priests; of these about ten to fifteen in all were shot. I ascertained myself that one priest carried a loaded revolver which had been fired once, and the empty cartridge-case was still in the barrel. I furthermore recognised another priest as the one who, according to the testimony of the soldiers, had intentionally decoyed them into the fire of the francs-tireurs. These two were undoubtedly genuine clergymen. On a third man wearing clerical garb, and civilian clothes underneath, I found a military identification disc.
I was in the station square during the whole examinations, and I can therefore testify from my own knowledge that no mock-execution of priests has taken place, and that not one of the involuntary spectators of these scenes was forced to applaud.
Among the persons brought forward there were many civilians who, when they became aware that I spoke French, called to me that they were innocent, and that the priests bore the whole guilt of what had taken place. They expressly pointed to the priests who had been brought forward. Amongst them was a Belgian civilian who, as a sign of his goodwill to the Germans, showed a document, according to which the King of Prussia had bestowed the Order of the Red Eagle upon him. I took the opportunity to remonstrate with this person that he, an educated man, and the other men of his station had not stopped the populace from making the attack; he replied, "It is quite impossible for us to prevail upon the people who are in the hands of the clergy."
I remained at Louvain until August 26th, 1914, 4 p.m. During August 26th I still heard and saw, now and again, firing from the houses; comrades of mine were wounded actually at my side; thus also the voluntary soldier Wuppermann. During the morning of August 26th I spoke in the station square, where there were many women prisoners, with two of them who evidently belonged to the educated classes. One of them, an American from St. Louis, addressed me in English and begged me to release her and another known lady from imprisonment, as they were innocent. She explained to me that the clergy were responsible for the events. She then called the other lady, a Belgian, with whom I also conversed in French. She also confirmed to me that the firing from the houses was due to the conduct of the clergy. She related the following: In the evening, Belgian soldiers dressed as civilians entered individual houses and forced the inhabitants by threats to receive them and to admit them to the windows in order to shoot from them; previous to that the clergy had gone into the houses and declared to the inhabitants that it was their duty to receive and support the Belgian soldiers because the German troops were making war upon the faith of the Belgians.
During the critical days, particularly violent firing on the German troops came from a convent outside Louvain, on the road from Louvain to Bueken. I have heard this repeatedly from soldiers, and on August 26th, 1914, in the afternoon, whilst going in my automobile to Bueken, I had to pass the street near the convent under special protective measures. In order to be safe from any firing from the convent we had to take with us several civilians, who were placed partly upon the footboard of the car, partly upon the cooler.
I wish to emphasise that even during the examinations in the station square we were fired at from houses there. I particularly remember the incident when about ten to twelve young people in sporting-caps--which was frequently the distinguishing mark of disguised Belgian soldiers--were brought up quite close to the station building, and that I was fired upon from a building opposite on my way to see these persons, and that the prisoners ran away, and that we Germans fired after them.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: RICHARD GRUNER.
The witness was sworn.
Proceedings closed.
Signed: PAHL. Signed: Dr. GRASSHOFF.
D. App. 39.
GUISCARD, _March 1st, 1915_.
Present: Member of the Military High Court, RIESE. Secretary, REISENER.
There appeared as a witness Non-commissioned Officer Muesfeldt, and, after the importance of the oath had been pointed out to him, he was examined as follows:
As to Person: My name is Willy Muesfeldt, aged 33; Protestant; non-commissioned officer, IX. Reserve Corps.
As to Case: On August 25th I arrived with the first party of the General Command at Louvain. We unloaded and drove with the baggage to the market-place. Here we remained, as it was said that the English were near, and that we might have to go into action that day. In the evening, at about 9 o'clock, Captain von Esmarch, leader of our baggage, arrived in the automobile and said that matters had turned out differently, and that we could march off to quarters. The Captain mounted the horse and gave the order "Mount." He had hardly said this when firing commenced from all sides. I fetched my rifle from the cart, took cover, and fired. Then I noticed that the Captain lay on the ground, wounded; I brought him into safety beneath a cart, and continued firing. I cannot say exactly how long the firing continued. When it ceased, the order was given to search the houses from which the firing had taken place for francs-tireurs. I approached a house from which firing had taken place, battered the street door, and went down the cellar, from which shots had also been fired. I found there a man of about forty years of age, with dark pointed beard, who had a revolver in his hand. I immediately threw myself upon him, and in spite of his struggles I led him up the stairs, where I handed him over to gendarmes. I did not indeed see this man shoot, but I assume it with certainty, since I found him with the revolver in his hand; he struggled, and there was no one in the house except his wife. All this I related to Captain von Esmarch at Christmas when he was here on a visit to the General Command. There was a pharmacy in the house, which I mentioned above.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: Non-commissioned Officer MUESFELDT.
The witness was sworn.
Proceedings closed.
Signed: RIESE. Signed: REISENER.
D. App. 40.
ALTONA, _March 1st, 1915_.
Court of the Commandant.
Present: President, Dr. STEENGRAFE. Secretary, Sergeant MEYER.
There appears as witness engineer Weiss, who, after the importance of the oath has been pointed out to him, he declares as follows:
As to Person: My name is Robert Weiss; engineer, in Altona; aged 31; Christian; motor-driver.
As to Case: After mobilisation I offered my services as a volunteer, and went into the field as motor-driver on the staff of the IX. Reserve Army Corps.
On the afternoon of August 25th, 1914, we arrived at Louvain. The inhabitants behaved at first more than kindly towards us.
Towards the evening I had driven a wounded man to the field hospital near the market-place. The field hospital was established in a monastery. About 9 o'clock I drove the car with Captain von Harnier in it from the monastery back to the market-place, when suddenly firing began on all sides from the houses. I stopped my car and remained unhurt; Captain von Harnier was wounded in the arm; he hurried to the market-place, and I sought cover beneath the car.
I may have remained there about half an hour when a platoon of German infantry came along the road. I called to the leader, and he had the surrounding houses, from which the shooting continued, covered by fire. I then took the car to safety in the yard of the monastery.
When, after a short time, I wished to leave, Captain von Esmarch was carried in, covered with blood. Whilst being carried to the field hospital, he was fired upon from the monastery. I went into the monastery with an infantryman; we found a revolver, but to save ourselves from being cut off we could not enter the vaults of the monastery into which the people had evidently retired.
The Belgian field hospital did not want to bandage Captain von Esmarch; I finally forced a Belgian surgeon, whom I caught by the arm, to apply the bandage.
Subsequently, on driving my car to the market-place, and from there to the station with the General Staff, I saw everywhere on the way burning houses; now and again isolated firing from the houses still took place.
At the station there were no burning houses, and strict orders had been given to set no houses on fire there. After half an hour the firing from the hotels opposite the station began. From that point right to the station there was firing with machine-guns; I could distinctly hear the regular "tak, tak."
It was only then that orders were given to raze the houses in front of the station; they were set on fire, but even from the burning houses, and finally from the ruins, the firing continued briskly. We suffered losses.
Later on, isolated shots were fired.
The citizens who had in any way taken part in the attack were brought to the station square, and, if found guilty, shot according to martial law.
The soldiers, who brought the citizens along, were exhorted--as I have myself heard--to bear witness carefully and conscientiously. The examinations were conducted by officers of the General Staff. Whoever carried loaded arms, in spite of the prohibition issued and announced, was shot at once.
In the town lay several men in clerical garb, shot; at the station, too, several men in clerical dress were shot; all were examined, but I was not present at the examinations.
On the following day, too, isolated shots fell upon us from houses.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: WEISS.
The witness was sworn in accordance with the regulations.
Signed: Dr. STEENGRAFE, President. Signed: MEYER.
D. App. 41.
Court of the Commander.
Present: President, Dr. STEENGRAFE. Secretary, MEYER.
ALTONA, _March 3rd, 1915_.
There appeared as witness merchant Dammann, who, after the importance of the oath had been pointed out to him, was examined as follows:
As to Person: My name is Carl Dammann, aged 31; Christian; merchant in Hamburg; soldier of the Reserve.
As to Case: After mobilisation I volunteered for duty as motor-driver, and as such I was assigned to the Staff of the IX. Reserve Army Corps.
On the evening of August 25th, 1914, we arrived in Louvain. At first the inhabitants were very obliging.
My motor-car was put in the market-place, a big square near which is the Hôtel Métropole. In the evening, towards 9 o'clock, we motor-drivers stood under the trees of the place and chatted together. Comrades told me they had seen a rocket go up.
Suddenly an awful firing commenced from the houses surrounding the place. The fire was first of all directed on the baggage-carts which were to be drawn up at the place. Each one of us sought cover, I on a baggage-cart, the horses of which had just been shot. My car showed later on a hole as large as a fist in the protective cover and in the body of the car; to judge by the way the tin was bent, the shot must have come from below, from a cellar. Whilst we sought cover, the firing continued, and some of us were wounded. In my opinion this was a well-prepared and planned attack of the civilian population.
After the firing had become less violent, we drivers went to the station. At the market-place and in its small side-streets the houses were burning. During our drive to the station, German patrols passed us everywhere. In the station square firing took place principally from the four large hotels there. The firing in the station square continued till the morning.
Those persons of the town who had participated in the attack upon the Germans were taken to the station square in the course of the evening and during the night. An officer then examined them; the soldiers who had brought up the people were examined. A number of men, nearly fifty, were shot in the station square after the examination was over.
As far as I remember, there were two persons in clerical garb amongst them; but there may have been more.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: CARL DAMMANN.
The witness was then sworn.
Signed: Dr. STEENGRAFE, President. Signed: MEYER.
D. App. 42.
Court of the Commander at Altona.
Present: President, Dr. STEENGRAFE. Secretary, KAHL.
ALTONA, _December 28th, 1914_.