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Testimony of: T/3 Henry J. Wells (Contd)

574 A Yes, sir.

575 Q Were you there when General Linden arrived?

A I saw General Linden there. I don't know at what time General Linden did arrive.

576 Q Do you recall the attack on the tower which is to the left of the main entrance into the stockade proper?

A Yes, sir.

577 Q Will you tell me what you know about that action?

A The main gate is directly to the front of the enclosure. Here is a tower to the left of the main gate as you enter the camp. Inmates of the camp pointed to the tower and called my attention to the fact that there were German SS soldiers in there which I could not determine but I saw enemy personnel. I approached that tower to determine what was in there. Half way I noticed enemy personnel moving around. I fired a burst as I was rather scared that someone would open up on me after turning around and seeing that no one was covering me. After I got to the actual tower I took immediate cover and stepped to the left of the door and fired one burst into the door of the tower, whereupon enemy personnel came out. SS personnel, rather. I asked the second or third one how many were in there and I believe he said sixteen. They had their belts on and it could be that some were armed with small arms, side arms. The correct military procedure then was to line them up in two ranks, give them a right face and march them to the PW enclosure. After they were lined up in two ranks there were numerous American soldiers around these PW's. Now, I believe that an enemy soldier must have mad e the wrong movement because somebody commenced firing. After somebody commenced firing everybody started firing, and as I was in the middle of the two ranks I was surprised that I didn't get hit myself.

578 Q When these Germans came out of the tower did they come out with their hands up?

A Some did and some did not, as I recall.

579 Q Did you have any trouble lining them up?

A That is a hard question to answer.

580 Q Can you talk German?

A Yes, sir.

581 Q Did any of these Germans protest your orders?