_Summary Report._
Andenne is a small industrial Belgian town of about 8000 inhabitants,
situated on the southern bank of the Meuse, half-way between the
fortresses of Huy and Namur, in the province of Namur. During their
advance, the German troops had constantly come into contact with
Andenne. About the 20th August 1914 two infantry regiments and a Jäger
Battalion marched from Coutisse towards Andenne, towards the north, in
order to be able to cross the pontoon bridge there over the Meuse. They
were commanded by Major-General Freiherr von Langermann and Erlencamp;
Major von Polentz was at the head of one of the infantry battalions.
The inhabitants of Andenne received the passing troops in an apparently
friendly manner; they gave them water, and the soldiers believed that
in the quiet of the evening they would be able to pass peaceably
through Andenne and reach the Meuse, flowing northwards. But scarcely
had the head of the marching column arrived at the bridge over the
Meuse, when the peaceful picture presented by the town suddenly
changed, and the inhabitants showed their true character, a thing which
unfortunately occurred only too often in Belgium. This time their
deeds were truly devilish. Bells pealed from the church tower; as they
ceased, the citizens, recently so helpful, suddenly disappeared from
the streets, and bolted their doors and let down the shutters. A mad
fire from all sides was poured upon the unsuspecting troops. In the
town they shot from the cellars and from specially prepared openings
in the roofs, and bombs and hand-grenades were hurled down on the
defenceless men who happened to be nearest. Machine-guns sent their
murderous bullets through the soldiers' ranks. At the same time, hidden
francs-tireurs began firing from the heights opposite the end of the
bridge over the Meuse. Besides which men and women in wild fury poured
boiling water from the half-open windows upon the German troops. Of
Major v. Polentz's men alone over one hundred were scalded. Against
this inhumanity the troops had to defend themselves energetically. They
pressed into the houses and shot down the cowardly aggressors in their
hiding-places. The houses which had served them for cover were set on
fire. About two hundred inhabitants lost their lives in these fights.
These are the details of the street-fighting in Andenne, which are
supplemented by the official report attached, made by Major-General von
Langermann and Erlencamp; and also by the evidence on oath of Major von
Polentz, as well as of Rifleman Roleff--all eye-witnesses--who gave
evidence without prejudice; and by the report of Lieutenant Goetze.
BERLIN, _the 29th of September 1915_.
Military Court of Inquiry into the Violation of the Laws of War.
Signed: Major BAUER.
Signed: Dr. WAGNER, Member of the Supreme Court of Judicature.
B. App. 1.
BERLIN, _January 21st, 1915_.
_Official Report._
On the afternoon of August 20, 1914, I received the command to march
from Coutisse to Andenne with the brigade (1st and 2nd Guard Reserve
Regiment and Guard Reserve Jäger Battalion); from there we were to
cross the pontoon bridge over the Meuse. In the industrial town of
Andenne we had to call a halt of about ten minutes, during which
the inhabitants standing before their houses in the narrow streets
willingly gave us water and behaved in a remarkably friendly manner.
Just as I had crossed the bridge at the head of 1st Guard Reserve
Regiment, we heard suddenly and simultaneously a furious rifle-fire
coming from the heights opposite the bridge and from the houses. Not
only men fired at us, but also--as I was informed--isolated women.
Our men pressed into the houses from which the firing proceeded, and
shot down the armed inhabitants. By my order the houses, from which
firing had proceeded, were set alight. These measures were helpful; the
rifle-fire gradually decreased and finally ceased altogether, but was
renewed later against the troops that followed my brigade. Marvellous
to relate, our losses were insignificant; the francs-tireurs had aimed
badly. I saw no single French or Belgian soldier in the town or in
the surrounding neighbourhood. The fire directed on us came solely
from the civil population. Later it was reported to us that a document
had been found--on the next day, I believe--with the Commandant of
the town, showing the attack of the civil population to have been
minutely planned, with a fixed hour for its commencement. Shortly
before the prearranged time all the inhabitants, who had met us with
such friendliness in the streets, locked themselves in, and at the
given minute the fire was opened upon us. No cruelties of any sort were
practised by the troops under my command, and all inhabitants found
without weapons in the streets were especially spared; if they seemed
to us to be of a suspicious character they were arrested.
Signed: Freiherr VON LANGERMANN.
B. App. 2.
BERLIN, _November 21st, 1914_.
War Office.
Military Court of Inquiry into the Violation of Military Law.
Present at the Court:
Dr. WAGNER, as Judge.
Secretary to the Court, PFITZNER.
There appeared as witness Major von Polentz, of the above-named place,
who declared:
As to Person: My name is Fredrich von Polentz. I am 42 years of age;
Protestant; Major in the 3rd Foot Guards Regiment.
As to Case: In the latter half of August, as I marched through Belgium
in command of the battalion of the 2nd Reserve Guard Regiment, I
frequently saw the Belgian civil population take an active part in
hostilities against our troops; in particular, they fired upon us. I
draw attention to the fact that this happened in Birdontige, near
Stavelot, as well as in Evelette, south of Andenne. The most serious
case, however, occurred in Andenne (between Liège and Namur).
After we had marched in here, the bells from the church-tower suddenly
began to ring out a signal at about 6.30 in the evening. Thereupon iron
shutters were let down in all the houses; the inhabitants, who until
then had been standing in the streets, vanished; and from different
sides firing began on my troops, especially from the cellars and from
openings in the roofs which the inhabitants had made by removing the
tiles. Also, from many houses boiling water was poured over our men.
In consequence, some bitter street-fighting ensued between the civil
population and my troops, who had given no cause for this treacherous
attack. That these measures were well prepared, and carried out by the
whole population of the town of Andenne and its suburbs, is proved by
the fact that 100--one hundred--of my men were hurt by scalding alone.
Also the marching column of troops following me was attacked by the
civil population of Andenne, as well as those sections of the marching
column preceding me, who were fired upon.
In Lenze, north of Namur, I was met by the priest of the place, who
at first assured me in a friendly manner, on his word of honour, that
no hostilities of any sort need be expected from the people in his
parish. In spite of this, shots from six or eight houses were heard
fifteen minutes later. These shots could only have come from the civil
population, as the regular enemy troops had long since been pressed
back.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: VON POLENTZ.
The witnesses were thereupon sworn as above.
Signed: WAGNER. Signed: PFITZNER.
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.
Signed: HUGO ROLEFF.
Signed: STACK.
Signed: RUDOLF WESSELMANN.
B. App. 4.
NAMUR, _January 8th, 1915_.
REPORT of the Inquiry into the alleged atrocities in Andenne.
At the command of the Imperial Military Government of Namur I went,
on the 5th inst., to Andenne, in order to obtain information from the
Mayor Emile de Jaer regarding the atrocities of war that were said to
have occurred in Andenne. He only knew that on August 20, at 7 o'clock
in the evening, a murderous fire was opened on our troops, who wanted
to cross the bridge leading to Seilles. At my request he handed me over
a list of those who had been shot; it contained 234 names. On examining
this list it turned out that only 196 persons had been shot without any
doubt whatsoever; 28 were missing. I instructed the Mayor to procure a
number of trustworthy witnesses, who in his opinion were in a position
to give information concerning the events.
Thereupon appeared:
1. Hermann Frerand, Place du Perron, merchant. He could give no
evidence, as he had been a prisoner from August 21 to 23.
2. Alexander Wery, Rue Brun, merchant. He declared that he had kept in
hiding during the days of agitation. He therefore knows nothing, but
only heard reports.
3. Léon Lambert, Place des Tilleuls, merchant. He knows nothing of the
events, as he had been in hiding in his cellar.
4. Florent Sebrun, factory director, Rue Wouters. On the evening of
August 20, at 7 o'clock, he was in the garden of his brother-in-law,
Dr. Melin, Grande Rue. A large aeroplane appeared at a great height,
and the German troops immediately fired at it. Suddenly fire opened
from all sides of the town.
5. Madame Ermine Blanchart, Rue de l'Hôtel de Ville, will state
personal grievances, but knows nothing of the events.
6. Ernest Thys, Rue Brun, merchant, hid himself for five days in his
cellar.
7. Dr. Isidor Loroy, Rue de l'Industrie, only knows that the Mayor,
Camus, who was a doctor in private life, was shot in the Rue du Pont on
August 20, after having spent the night as a hostage, together with the
priest, in the town hall. He was released towards the morning. Loroy
only knows of the events by report.
8. Pane Tillmann, Rue Bran, chemist, had been wounded since August 21,
and can give no evidence.
9. Louis Cartiaux, Place du Chapitre, priest, was arrested on August
19, at 9 o'clock in the evening, and taken to the town hall. Here he
met the Mayor, Camus, who had already been taken as hostage. Cartiaux
was, however, released during the night. About the alleged events
he could only state that a detachment of troops had already made
an inquiry in September, and that three suspected persons had been
arrested, who were, however, not inhabitants of Andenne. He did not
know what had happened to these three people. He refers the matter
of the boy who was supposed to have been shot because he carried a
cartridge on his person, to George Belin, schoolmaster, Rue Bertrand.
The latter had told him that a boy was going to be shot because he wore
some lead as a charm that had been given him by his brother.
10. Achilles Rambeaux, Rue Bertrand, assistant to a notary, has nothing
to report, as he had kept in hiding in his cellar.
11. G. Belin, the schoolmaster referred to in No. 9, was heard at Namur
on the morning of January 6. He was asked if he was prepared to swear
to his alleged statement concerning the shooting of a boy. He denied
ever having made such a statement in the most vigorous terms. Pressure
being brought to bear, he admits further that in Andenne the opinion is
held that a Belgian soldier of the 8th Line Infantry Regiment stayed
behind, put on civilian clothes, and actually fired on the German
troops. This soldier was universally known to the townsfolk by the
nickname of "Le Petit Roux," and was Flemish. Another Flemish soldier,
also in mufti, had been in his company. Both had deserted from their
detachments.
Furthermore all the above-named persons declared unanimously that
another doctor (not Mayor Camus), aged 64 years, had not been shot.
Those rumours were also false which gave out that seven members of one
family had been killed by German bullets; this matter concerned two
families and, moreover, two brothers of the name of Savin.
That a number of people had been brought out from the cellars,
threatened with death, and placed in front of the machine-guns, in case
of firing from the nearest barricades, could be proved from no side.
It was universally admitted, however, that rumours went round the town,
including those that gave out that inhabitants had been killed with
blows from an axe.
In Andenne itself 25 houses were destroyed, 12 in the suburb Peau
d'Eau, together therefore 37, while Andenne contained 1900 houses. Not
a single factory was destroyed or burnt. Naturally, as is unavoidable
in street-fighting, many houses were damaged by gun-shots, but not so
severely as to cause the owners any considerable losses. It is true
that a large number of window-panes were shattered when the cannon
fired from the market-place.
According to the statement of the schoolmaster Belin, the population
of Andenne is rather a simple-minded one, which accounts for the
incredible rumours abroad in the town.
Signed: GOETZE, Lieutenant.