B. App. 3.
Berlin, December 5th, 1915.
Present:
President of the Military Court, Stack.
Secretary to the Military Court, Non-commissioned Officer Wesselmann.
There appeared as witness Rifleman Hugo Roleff, of the 11th Company of the 2nd Reserve Guards Regiment, and after his attention had been called to the importance of the oath, he made the following statement:
As to Person: My name is Hugo Roleff. I am 28 years of age; Protestant Reformed Church; by profession a ribbon-weaver, living in Elberfeld, Osterbaum 9.
As to Case: I joined the 2nd Company of the 2nd Reserve Guards Regiment as private, and went with the regiment to the front.
On August 20, 1914, the first half of the 2nd Company was to serve as cover to the Artillery Munition Column. We arrived at Andenne in the evening. As everything was quiet we rode into the town. All went smoothly through a few streets, but as we were going to turn into the main street, bells were suddenly heard. At the same time we received a murderous rifle-fire out of all the windows and from all sides. Hand-bombs and hand-grenades were used against us, and machine-guns were also employed. I noticed this as I lay wounded in the street, and also that regular shots came from the cellar windows, and that the characteristic noise of machine-guns could be heard.
Our horses broke loose, our waggon was struck by a hand-grenade, the horses were thrown to the ground, the waggon was overturned, and, the following waggons driving into it, a wild confusion ensued. As the waggon was overthrown, I fell out and crushed the calves of my legs. We immediately returned the fire, for it had been recommended to us, and we were prepared in consequence. Before the munition column could be set in order again and proceed, we had to endure half an hour of continuous firing, until the defence guard came to our help.
On account of my wound I was just taken to the market-place, and then lay for two days in the house of a doctor, who was, however, absent. After that I was cared for in the schoolhouse, which had been turned into a hospital. Some German families, who had lived in this place for a considerable time, looked after us here. These told us that the whole attack had been planned, and that the clergy had issued directions from the pulpits.
Read over, approved, signed.