) Suddenly village A was fired at. Out of it
bursts our baggage train, and the Fourth Company of the Twenty-seventh
Regiment who had lost their way and been shelled by our own artillery.
From the point D.P., (shown in diary,) I shoot a civilian with rifle at
400 meters slap through the head, as we afterward ascertained." Within a
few hours, Hoffman, while in house 3, was himself under fire from his
own comrades and narrowly escaped being killed. A German, ignorant that
house 8 had been occupied, reported, as was the fact, that he had been
fired upon from that house. He had been challenged by the field patrol,
and failed to give the countersign. Hoffman continues:
"Ten minutes later, people approach who are talking
excitedly--apparently Germans. I call out 'Halt, who's there?'
Suddenly rapid fire is opened upon us, which I can only escape
by quickly jumping on one side--with bullets and fragments of
wall and pieces of glass flying around me. I call out 'Halt,
here Field Patrol.' Then it stops, and there appears
Lieutenant Roemer with three platoons. A man has reported that
he had been shot at out of our house; no wonder, if he does
not give the countersign.
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