The German Army in Belgium, the White Book of May 1915

by Germany. Auswärtiges Amt

Until the evening, even on the march to the crossing-place at Les Rivages, the regiment was fired on from the houses (Apps. 1, 5, 7, 10, 11).

The Regiments No. 108 and No. 182 had similar experiences when they, to the north of the Guards Regiment, reached Dinant. From the moment they reached the most easterly houses they came under fire. The farm of Malais was stormed by the 1st Battalion of the Rifles (Fusilier) Regiment No. 108, and the whole of the francs-tireurs who made a stand there were destroyed. Fighting hotly for every house, our men pressed forward in the direction of the market, all the time expecting to be fired at by invisible foes from cellars, caves, and hill-sides. It was here that, among others, Major Lommatzsch of Infantry Regiment No. 182 was fatally wounded by the bullets of two civilians from the windows of a house. They even fired down from the cathedral (Apps. 12, 14, 18). Already in the course of the forenoon the Commanding Officer of the 46th Brigade recognised that it was impossible, without artillery bombardment, to gain the mastery over the fanatical population.

The troops were, however, too much involved in house-to-house fighting to be immediately withdrawn. It was only after 3 o'clock in the afternoon that it was possible to withdraw the troops to the heights north of Dinant, so that the artillery, in particular, sections of Field Artillery Regiment No. 12 and a battery of heavy artillery, could now bring Dinant, from Leffe, more effectually under their fire (Apps. 12, 19, 21).

In the early morning Infantry Regiment No. 178 had set out from Thynes on their march towards Leffe, making use of the Leffe valley road. Already before reaching Leffe the advance company was fired on from detached holdings as well as from the steep hill slopes (partially wooded), which stretched along on the right and the left of the road. This harassing fire was directed with particular activity from the paper-mill situated on the left of the road and the adjacent houses. For this reason, the slopes were searched for francs-tireurs, later on with the co-operation of the 11th Jägers, and the barricaded houses forcibly opened and cleared of inhabitants. All those caught with weapons in their hands were shot. More and more vigorously the advancing regiment was attacked by the inhabitants concealed in the houses. There was firing from all the houses, although in many of them no one was found. The marksmen crept into their hiding-places in order to leave them later on and renew their firing on the German troops. This made it necessary to set on fire a number of houses in order to drive out the marksmen from their places of concealment. A number of inhabitants were marched off as hostages to the monastery (Apps. 22-32).

The 9th Company of the 178th Regiment occupied the garden of a villa along the Meuse and a factory which fronted the enemy on the left bank of the Meuse (Apps. 25, 30, 79).

Here again they were fired on; the villa and the factory were therefore cleared of their occupants. The proprietor and a large number of the workpeople were fetched out of the cellar of the factory and shot, whilst the women and children found there were lodged in the monastery.

Practically for the whole of the day the 178th Regiment carried on a hot fight with the population of Leffe, and suffered severe losses (Apps. 25, 26).

Infantry Regiment No. 103, which reached Leffe towards evening, was also fired on by francs-tireurs from the slopes of the Leffe ravine as well as from the houses, and defended itself in the same way by disarming and shooting the men found with arms, and by burning down single houses which could not otherwise be cleared (Apps. 33, 36).

In the evening it became quiet in Leffe. The assumption, however, that nothing more was to be feared from the inhabitants proved to be erroneous. After nightfall the left-wing outpost of the 2nd Battalion of Infantry Regiment No. 178, posted as a guard against attack along the Meuse, was assailed by a large body of the inhabitants to the south of the barracks of the 13th Belgian Infantry Regiment. A detachment of reinforcements cleared this locality and the adjoining district, being continually fired upon from the houses by francs-tireurs. A large number of persons caught with weapons in their hands were shot (Apps. 22, 24, 29).

In the night, towards 12 o'clock, the Detachment of Zeschau came from Houx by the northern entrance to Leffe. Scarcely had they reached the first houses when the foremost company received a brisk rifle fire. The houses, the doors of which were barred and the windows barricaded with furniture and beds, were stormed and set on fire as a security against francs-tireurs, who were not otherwise to be caught. The men found in them who were carrying arms were shot (App. 38).