Machine Gun Course (May 1917)
Diary of a Stosstrupp Leader (Part 22)
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.
1 May 1917 through 10 May 1917
From 1 May 1917 until 10 May 1917, the weather was beautiful and warm.
11 May 1917
We saw lots of planes in the air. Russian anti-aircraft guns shot at our aircraft. We, however, must have been short of either guns or ammunition (for we did not reply in kind.)
The fuze from a Russian anti-aircraft shell came close to hitting me. It flew past my face before hitting the ground. When I picked it up, it was still hot.
12 May 1917 through 16 May 1917
Beautiful weather. Very warm.
The cherry trees blossomed in all their glory. When one saw such beauty, one forgot, if only for a moment, the ceaseless experience of war and death.
God’s creation transcends such things.
17 May 1917
I reported to the battalion headquarters, where I got orders to attend a machine gun course.
The other students included Kern, Hartmann and Linn, with whom I had traveled to the front from Mörchingen (Morhange).
The course was taught by Lieutenant Walkenhorst.
I bunked with Feldwebel (First Sergeant) Rips, in the quarters of the company trains.
18 May 1917 through 29 May 1917
We studied, theoretically and practically, the Model 08 machine gun.
No classes were held on Pentecost. I celebrated the holiday with Kern, Linn, and Hartmann.
29 May 1917
We took a both a practical test - live-fire with the machine gun - and a written one.
Captain Rettig, the machine gun officer, expressed pleasure at our knowledge.
During the course, I took a cart to Radcyn to pick up a periscope for the regiment.
In the evening, we returned to Trench B I a.
All hands stood to from nine thirty to ten in the evening and from two thirty to four the following morning.
I stand duty, and thus am responsible for the entire company sector, from twelve fifteen to two thirty in the morning.
31 May 1917
Tropical heat. A Russian aircraft went down in flames in front of our forward line.
To be continued …
Sources
The text comes from Alwin Lydding Meine Kriegstagbuch (My War Diary), an unpublished manuscript that I found at the Bundesarchiv (German Federal Archive) (Folder N 382/1).