GUIGNICOURT, _January 8th, 1915_.
_Deposition._
Lieutenant Prietzel of the Reserve appeared as witness and, being
warned to speak the truth, in lieu of oath declared as follows:
As to Person: My name is Ernst Rudolf Prietzel. I am 29 years of age;
Evangelical-Lutheran; Dr. Jur. of Bautzen.
As to Case: When the 5th Company of the 1st (Guards) Grenadier Regiment
marched into Dinant it was fired on from the houses situated in the
narrow lane leading from Herbuchenne. I was myself able to observe
shots from about three windows. Grenadier Oberlander was killed;
probably two or three Grenadiers were wounded. The shots undoubtedly
did not come from the opposite bank of the Meuse, which, at that time,
was only weakly occupied by the enemy troops. On the contrary, the
shots were discharged by the civilian population. In the narrow lane,
and previously towards Herbuchenne, there lay numerous dead and wounded
of the 8th Company, which had, in the same way, been fired at by the
civilian population from the houses.
One could plainly see in the burning houses of Dinant, mostly wrecked
by our artillery, that cartridges were exploding in the flames. These
houses were unsuitable for military purposes, especially for defence.
The cartridges must therefore have originated from the civilian
population.
On the other side of the Meuse was a building provided with a Red Cross
flag. The walls enclosing this building had loopholes. The building was
therefore, despite the Red Cross flag, adapted for defence. The 5th
Company, in passing through the narrow lane mentioned above, replied to
the fire of the civilian population.
It is not true that soldiers of the Guards Regiment or of any other
regiment have taken any action which was not absolutely required by the
military situation or in consequence of the behaviour of the civilian
population.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: Lieutenant of Reserve PRIETZEL.
Witness was thereupon sworn.
Signed: VON LOEBEN, Lieutenant and Officer of the Court.
Signed: BAIER, Non-commissioned Officer
and Clerk of the Military Court.