There appeared as witnesses the persons mentioned below, who, after the importance of the oath had been pointed out to them, were, in the absence of the witnesses to be heard subsequently, examined as follows:
1. Captain Schaefer, Reserve Field Artillery Regiment No. 18.
As to Person: My name is Walther Schaefer, aged 40; Protestant.
As to Case: I was leader of the light ammunition column, 2nd Reserve Field Artillery Regiment No. 18, and arrived with my column at the station in Louvain on August 25th, 1914, at about 8 p.m. The train was so long that only half of it could be brought up to the station platform. When the first half of the train had been unloaded, and I was remaining with about 100 horses in the goods station, a murderous gun-fire suddenly commenced. The firing evidently came from the roofs and windows of the rows of houses to the east and west of the station. It lasted from twenty minutes to half an hour. In the meantime, a train with infantry arrived. I heard subsequently that the infantry replied to this fire from the carriages.
When the firing had ceased I drew my horses under cover in a goods shed. We had barely arrived there when we were violently fired at from the direction of the church tower. I had the impression that the shots came from above; it was related generally that a machine-gun had been placed in position on the church tower. The firing lasted at first only for a short time, but was repeated at brief intervals, and continued intermittently for a few hours. I cannot state the period more accurately.
I was also in the sheds of the stations. A General Staff Officer of the IX. Reserve Corps was busy there and helped me to get the second half of my train unloaded; this was about 1 o'clock at night. At 2 o'clock I marched off in the direction of Herent-Bueken.
The General commanding the IX. Reserve Corps and Captain Vieregge were during the night in the square in front of the station.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: Schaefer.
The witness was sworn.