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Testimony of: Lt. Col. Walter J. Fellenz (Contd)

417 Q Would that road also have been on the other side of the canal from the fence?

A Yes, sir, that is right. As we approached the tower several weapons were fired including some automatic weapons.

418 Q Which of the parties that you have described were you with?

A I was with the party that went on the road across the canal.

419 Q Was this fire from the tower?

A It was from both the tower and from our own troops who were shooting at the windows of the tower.

420 Q Did you see anyone firing from the tower?

A No, not from the tower itself. As I approached the tower I could see an American soldier there and a German soldier struggling within the tower. Several bruised and beaten soldiers were coming out of the door at the same time under guard of our troops. I immediately dispatched one of the soldiers to help in the struggle in the tower above.

421 Q The struggle that you saw was on the second or third floor of the tower?

A As I recall it was on the second floor. Several more shots were fired inside the tower and when these shots were fired the men guarding the prisoners outside the tower shot through the windows of the tower and apparently the German soldiers outside the tower attempted to free themselves from the custody of our troops and were shot in the struggle. As for the total number of prisoners that is seventeen. I can't vouch for that because I didn't count them myself, but I was told that there were seventeen.

422 Q How far away were you from these German prisoners when they were shot?

A I was half inside the door going upstairs when I heard the shooting behind me. I stopped, turned around and came out the door.

423 Q How many American soldiers were guarding these prisoners?

A That is a hard question, Colonel

424 Q Can you give me names of those soldiers or any of them?