The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-12-22
NINE MEN CAPTURE 1929.
Dsshin1 Exploit by Germans in an
East Prusslan Village.

In Rome they are telling story of
how nine German soldiers, alone and
unaided. captured 1923 Russian sol
diers. The story IS told In a report
made by Capt. = WHITE Of the Ger
man Army, the officer who was In
command of the German squad that
effected the capture OF the Russians.
The report of Capt. Witte as trans
lated by the German information
Service, reads
Lance Corporal Arthur Mertineit
Of the reserve. Privates Bruno Pick,
Gustave Haase. Ernest Szczcesmy.
and Fritz Stoermer of tho sharpshoot-
ers and myself had strayed FROM our
detachment, the Fourth Company Of
the Sharpshooters' Reserve Battalion
No /. and intended to join tho same
at the village of Mallwischken. where
our battalion was staying. Arriving
at the village, we met Sergeant of
tho cavalry police. who informed MS
that he had received the news that
there we're about $50 Russians left
in the village of Smeilen. He asked
us to join him and his two cavalry
policemen to capture the Russians.
We advanced from the left under
cover TO the first farmstead, while the
Sergeant of the cavalry police and
his two men rode up from the op-
posite side We called out to tho
Russians there to disa-m at once. in
timating that several regiments of
infantry and artillery were lying in
position behind US. which at the FIRST
shot would blow up the farmstead
and not ono would escape alive a
Russian Captain who spoke German
thercupon commanded his troops.
numbering 400. to disarm. They did
so almost immediately. aud mean
while more Russians kept on coming
from other farmstcads.
They al put down their arms up-
ou the order of the Captain except
thirty of them The latter we're rath-
e. inclined TO take up the fight and
thuse put us in q critical position. We
therefore. were compelled 10 proceed
vigorously, and. thanks 60 our energy
and the repeated cntreatios Of the
Russian Captain. these men all put
down their arms We estimated Che
total numbe- of the men at over 500.
and there were also several machine
gum
After We had successfully accom-
plishcd this capture. We arranged cnr
prisoners in groups and columns on
the way to Msllwischkcn An exact
count gives the following figures
One Lieutenant Colonel - uihe ut
fcers. .o2a men. aud Z machine guns.
As VIC had to convoy this transport
alone without reinforcement Tor an
other four miles until We should
reach Mallwischkcn. Private Szczccs-
my Cummsndccrcd the horse of the
Lieutenant Colonel and. -aving his
sword which made the latter surrcn-
der To- him. kept on riding around the
transport Of prisoners. accompanied
bf The cavalry police Lance Cor
Meriincit and The Sergeant . Of the
cavalry police rpdc ahead. while Fri-
Yates Haasc. fick aud Stoermcr pro
tccicd the sides.
We kept our prisoners at double
uuick. 80 they would have No chance
To- -cslizc the real condition 81 az
fairs. - we had 10 take them TO Mall
wischkon Arrived there. VIC got
about fifty men who were guarding
the baggage OF che lsudsturm Ac-
compsnied by tho landsturm men. VIC
drove our prisoners 20 Gumbiunen. "A
distance of twenty-five miles, whore
We arrived at $50 .. m and where
we CHARTERED them in the barracks