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.
As to Person: My name is Max Robert Theodor Hoehne, aged 28; Protestant; art dealer; at present corporal, 4th Reserve Company, Reserve Battalion No. 162.
As to Case: On the evening of August 25th, at about 9 o'clock, our regiment marched into Louvain in column of route. At the head marched the 1st Company. Then followed the 2nd, to which I belonged. It was already dark. The gas-lamps were alight. Outside in the suburb a few windows showed light. People in civilian dress put water in the street for us. But we did not drink of it because an officer warned us not to do so. The civilians behaved in a quiet and not unfriendly manner.
We marched over the railway bridge into the town straight on. At a point where there was a square occupied by automobiles, the road made a sharp bend. We marched past this bend straight on again. Up till then nothing happened, except that we saw no civilians at all in the town. The windows of the ground floors in this part of the street were closed by shutters. The windows of the upper floors were open. But this fact only struck me when we were fired at. Shortly after my company passed the bend of the road, a shot rang out, and this was immediately followed by brisk firing. I saw many such shots flash from the upper windows, and also noticed how sparks flew about as the bullets fell into the street. Immediately at the beginning of the firing two men behind me fell; one of them was Corporal Wiessner. Wiessner sat down at the roadside; the other soldier remained lying in the street, face down. We now dispersed on both sides and fired into the upper windows. During the firing I saw yet another soldier fall. In the meantime we had destroyed the lamps by our fire, so that nothing could be seen. I cannot say how long the firing continued. After some time the order was passed along to cease firing. When we were about to reassemble we were fired at from the windows of the ground floors. I was hit by small shot that had been fired directly through a window-pane on the ground floor; the shot remained in the haversack and coat. A comrade who turned towards the window fell at once owing to, so I assume, a shot in the head.