Military Court Examination of Non-commissioned Officer Gruber, Bombardier Schökel, and Captain Neumann, all of the 1st Infantry Munitions Column, X. Army Corps.
Alsfeld le Ville, November 25th, 1914.
Present:
Officer of the Court, Lieutenant Maack.
Secretary, Non-commissioned Officer Schütte.
With reference to what took place at the surprise attack at Louveigné, the under-mentioned witnesses, after the importance and sanctity of the oath had been pointed out to them, made the following statements:
1. Non-commissioned Officer Gruber.
As to Person: My name is Fritz Gruber. I am 35 years old; Protestant; non-commissioned officer, 1st Infantry Munitions Column, X. Army Corps; implement-smith in a machine factory in Hanover.
As to Case: On the second day of our march through Belgium we passed through Louveigné. The place was already burnt down. We halted here, and orders were given to water the horses. As we were waiting for the command to make ready, a shot was suddenly fired at us from a house in the street on our right, and after this a number of other shots followed from other points. I was standing by the last waggon in front of the supplementary convoy, so pretty nearly at the end of the column. We forced our way in the direction of the shots into the garden belonging to the house, and here caught two civilians, one of whom had his hand in his pocket full of cartridges. He was hidden in some bushes, and tried to escape on our approach; the other was standing close beside him.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: Fritz Gruber.
The witness was sworn.