The Kingdom of serbia : report upon the atrocities committed by the Austro-Hungarian Army during the first invasion of Serbia

REPORT UPON THE ATROCITIES COM-

MITTED BY THE AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN

ARMY DURING THE FIRST INVASION OF SERBIA

I EXPLOSIVE BULLETS

AFTER the defeat of the Austrians on the Yadar and the Tzer, your soldiers returning from the front related that when the enemy attacked them with rifle-fire, one could hear two detonations, viz. : the sharp crack when the bullet left the rifle, and a second detonation, which sometimes seemed to take place behind, and sometimes in front of them. The solution of the mystery was soon found. In the cartridge-pouches of the Austrian prisoners of war were found cartridges outwardly similar to ordinary cartridges in every respect except for a black or red band round the cartridge-case close to the rim. On opening these bullets it was proved that they were genuine explosive bullets, forbidden by the rules and conventions of war.

Subsequently your army not only found such cartridges in the possession of its prisoners, but seized whole ammunition - cases full of them. Besides this, machine-gun belts were found, filled entirely with cartridges containing explosive bullets. Other machine-gun belts were filled as follows :first 15 cartridges containing explosive bullets, then

1