As to Person: My name is Hans Ludwig Oldenburg, aged 24; Protestant;
student of law; at present non-commissioned officer, 3rd Reserve
Company, Reserve Battalion No. 162.
As to Case: On August 25th, between 9 and 10 o'clock p.m., our regiment
entered Louvain in marching order. The standard of the battalion was at
the head of our company. It was already dark and, in marked contrast to
the places through which we had passed the previous night, a surprising
number of gas-lamps were alight. In the doors of the houses stood
Belgians in civilian dress who behaved in a quiet and not unfriendly
fashion. I saw no windows illuminated. Having marched into Louvain for
about ten minutes, there was suddenly a halt. Two to three minutes
later, but perhaps sooner, we were suddenly fired at from the houses of
the right and left. I also saw the flashes of several shots from the
houses near me. From one house I also saw bombs fall; one fell about
10 metres away from me in the street and exploded there with great
detonation. I do not know whether anyone was hit by it. I can point out
accurately the house from which the bomb fell. It stood on the left
side, near the second lamp, which stands behind the next cross-road, or
the next yard-entrance, on the left.
When the bomb fell, no shots had as yet been fired by us. We now
received orders, "About turn, march." But after we had turned we were
ordered from the rear to shoot into the houses. We then fired into both
fronts of the houses. I cannot say what reply was made to our fire
because the noise and confusion was too great. It also became at once
quite dark, because we demolished the lamps with our fire so as to
offer no aim to the opponent. This firing may have lasted a full hour.
During the firing I saw a soldier near me fall. I was then run over
and lost consciousness. When I recovered from my swoon, the firing was
still continuing. I dragged myself to the nearest wall, and was then
driven by an automobile to the field hospital.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: OLDENBURG.
The witness was sworn.