Battle Battalion (May 1918)
Diary of a Stosstrupp Leader (Part 50)
This post continues the translation of the diary of a German soldier who fought in the First World War. Readers can find links to other posts in this series in the following guide.
7 May 1918
Our First Battalion (I/97), which had been employed as ready reserve battalion for the regiment, was scheduled to relieve the Third Battalion (III/97), which had been serving as the battle battalion (Kampfbataillon).
Right before the battalion stepped off, while the sunken road was filled with soldiers weighted down with backpacks and all sorts of other items, and we stood in the entrances to our dugout, a shell exploded in our midst.
We threw ourselves into our dug out. Dead and wounded soldiers filled the sunken road. Captain von Schönfelder was with us (in our dugout).
The change in air pressure extinguished the lights in our dugout. We lay crowded together. Remarkably, none of us had been wounded.
At midnight, we started to move again. The night was pitch-black, so we used a telephone cable that ran towards the enemy as our guide.
What a frightful path. At two in the morning we arrived at the (command post) of the Commander of the Battle Battalion (KTK=Kampftruppenkommandeur).
The shelter was so bad, indescribably so, simply unworthy of human habitation. A small hole, covered with a shelter half (Zeltbahn), which did little to stop the streams of water caused by the rain. Our feet were entirely covered in water and mud.
The 1st Battalion (I/97) completed its relief of the 3rd Battalion (III/97) by four in the morning.
Those of us in the command post of the battle battalion (KTK) lived a grim life. We slept in awkward positions - half sitting, half standing - soaked to the skin, frozen, and hungry. Towards eleven, we climbed into the shallow trench where our bâtmen had been standing in water and mud.
The weather improved, which improved things somewhat. There was, however, not much we could do. We could not enlarge our hole without reducing its ability to protect us against enemy shells. Digging out the sides would increase the danger of large amounts of earth collapsing and burying us.
The British snipers cause much discomfort. Shrapnel bullets fly over us, a hair’s breadth over our heads. In the evening, heavy enemy artillery fire fell.
A surprise concentration of enemy artillery fire hit the 1st Machine Gun Company while it was taking part in a relief, killing and wounding many. Fähnrich Arnold was wounded as well. (The 1st Machine Gun Company was the machine gun company of 1st Battalion.)
Our rifle companies suffer additional losses. We got nothing to eat. Apparently, the ration carriers were killed.
At night, drum-like artillery fire (fell near us). Towards morning, (we were hit by) heavy fire.
9 May 1918
The weather was clear, but somewhat cold. A dead British soldier lay in front of our shell hole. As we couldn’t go out during the day, we waited until nightfall to bury him in the nearest shell hole.
The remains of dead soldiers lie all around us.
10 May 1915
Towards three, an airplane dropped bombs, causing ammunition to explode.
11 May 1915
Towards evening, a few aircraft flew over us. Praise God, I was sent to the rear.
About eleven in the evening, Fritz (my horse), Genwo (my groom), and Minni (my groom’s horse) arrived at the entrance to the village of Lamotte. Shortly before ten, I left the command post of the battle battalion (KTK), taking shelter in shell holes each time surprise concentrations of enemy artillery shells fell near me.
Sometimes, I jumped on top of dead British soldiers.
I wanted to meet up with Dr. Kanzow in Lamotte, so that we could ride together. Alas, (by the time I got there) he had found a car to give him a ride, and so was already gone.
I found my groom Genwo, along with (our horses) Mini and Fritz. Fritz was still somewhat lame from all of the advance party rides we took.
Once in the saddle, I trotted quickly away from the place of horrors. Soon, the artillery started to fire again.
12 May 1918
I found myself east of Méricourt, where I found Dr. (Kanzow) and (Lieutenant) Spengler in a Nissen hut.
I slept in a British stretcher. Despite the fact that it was soaked with blood, I slept soundly.
After washing myself - for the first time in ten days - I felt human again. I bought some cigars, got some mail, which made me happy. In the last position, fourteen men of our battalion died and thirty-five were wounded.
to be continued …
Sources
The text comes from Alwin Lyding Meine Kriegstagbuch (My War Diary), an unpublished manuscript that I found at the Bundesarchiv (German Federal Archive) (Folder N 382/1).
Related Reading
Truly the horrors of war.