William Cohen rushed to help Mr Scharping and went with him to hospital

Mr Scharping, bleeding and pale after the accident, first lay down on the ground by the buckled car, his glasses broken.

It is the latest of several such Defence Department gate mishaps.

Two years ago the then Japanese Defence Minister, Fukushiro Nukaga, suffered a bruised ankle when a barrier lifted under his limousine on arrival at the Pentagon.

Injuries

Accompanied by the US Defence Secretary, William Cohen, Mr Scharping spent just over three hours at Arlington Hospital, where his eyesight was checked and found to be fine.

Mr Scharping received several stitches in one foot, a Pentagon spokesman said.

"He was alert and in high spirits and was not in a great deal of pain," the spokesman added.

Mr Scharping's glasses were broken but he was said to be in good spirits

Mr Scharping and Mr Cohen held their scheduled talks at the hospital.

German Defence Attache Brigadier-General Peter Goebel and a US security agent, who received minor injuries in the incident, were also taken to hospital.

Investigation

A banquet scheduled by Mr Cohen in Mr Scharping's honour on Tuesday night was cancelled.

Mr Cohen ordered a full investigation into the accident, Pentagon spokesman Ken Bacon said.

Mr Scharping and the other occupants had to climb out of the Lincoln limousine, which was jammed by the raised barrier, a German Defence Ministry spokesman said.

Neither of the two German officials - who were on the back seat - was wearing a seatbelt, Mr Bacon said.

A security barrier also lifted as a Chinese military motorcade entered the Pentagon earlier this year, but there were no injuries.

Cohen upset

The latest accident happened while the gate was supposed to be locked down to allow several cars in a motorcade to pass unhindered, Mr Bacon said.

A security guard had pressed a button, placing the Pentagon gate in "parade rest" mode, which normally allows a series of cars to pass instead of rising after the passage of each car, the Pentagon spokesman said.

"Secretary Cohen is obviously upset by this - upset first that Minister Scharping was injured and inconvenienced by this and upset that the system malfunctioned," Mr Bacon said.