Felix serves in the Bavarian Reserve-Infantrie-Regiment No. 16 until 1916, when he is promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and is transferred to the RIR No. 3. In July 1916, his batallion is stationed at the Eastern Front in the district of Poworsk, in today's Ukraine. We take up the story on July 30, 1916, with the first entry in one of Felix's diaries. He has just returned from leave in Munich, where he married his sweetheart Erne.
July 30, 1916
Return from leave. I leave Munich one day too early, which I only notice when I read the date in the "Berliner Tageblatt" - after the train has already left Berlin. This mistake is quite remarkable for Aulan, who made my leave possible. I spend the remaining day in Warsaw, which nevertheless made the impression of a beautiful and - in part - modern city on me in the short time. I will have pleasant memories of the officers' quarters in the Hotel Polonia opposite the Viennese Station, the premier hotel of the city. The journey was good, and spent in the pleasant company of comrades from my division. The division headquarters is in the Poworsk quarter; the brigade headquarters is stationed in the village itself, and I receive information from them. The regimental headquarters is residing in dugouts west of Hill 188 opposite Hulewicze. I spend the night at the batallion headquarters III/3, which is located somewhat nearer the front.
Return from leave. I leave Munich one day too early, which I only notice when I read the date in the "Berliner Tageblatt" - after the train has already left Berlin. This mistake is quite remarkable for Aulan, who made my leave possible. I spend the remaining day in Warsaw, which nevertheless made the impression of a beautiful and - in part - modern city on me in the short time. I will have pleasant memories of the officers' quarters in the Hotel Polonia opposite the Viennese Station, the premier hotel of the city. The journey was good, and spent in the pleasant company of comrades from my division. The division headquarters is in the Poworsk quarter; the brigade headquarters is stationed in the village itself, and I receive information from them. The regimental headquarters is residing in dugouts west of Hill 188 opposite Hulewicze. I spend the night at the batallion headquarters III/3, which is located somewhat nearer the front.
July 31, 1916
I go down to the position to take over my platoon. The batallion is lying in constructed (swamp) trenches opposite Hulewicze; the 1st company in the advanced stronghold of the Hulewicze quarter.
My platoon is lying in the main position. On the 28, 29 and 30 July, and after good preparatory artillery strikes (4 hours of barrage fire with 18 cm shells), the Russians attacked by trying to go over the [River] Stochod and the swamp on footbridges constructed during the night.
However, our machine guns in the stronghold (quarter) furnished them with such heavy losses that they didn't even make it further than the barbed wire.
July 31 is peaceful.
In the evening, the III/3 is relieved by the II/22.
During the night, the batallion takes up resting position in the forest around 800 m to the east of the Poworsk quarter.
August 1, 1916
Peaceful.
August 2, 1916
The batallion is setting up a reserve position on the outskirts of Poworsk, which is to stretch all around the entire Front at the Stochod River. I receive the order to set up machine gun positions in the trenches, which are partially finished. When I return, the command to take over the 2nd machine gun company during the course of the day is awaiting me. In the afternoon, I ride to the 2nd Batallion, which is lying around 1 km north of Cerkowka in the forest in reserve. In the evening, I take over the company; the 2nd platoon of my company is with the 7th company as a support. The position here is not very good; the Russians have pentrated over the Stochod slightly to the north and have fought successfully against the imperial troops! I ride - on a wonderful horse, by the way - to my 2nd platoon. At 10 o'clock in the evening there is heavy fire to the left of us. We are alerted, as we are fearful here. At 11 o'clock we are able to lay down for the night. A peaceful night.
August 3, 1916
I order machine gun stands to be installed in the reserve position at Hill 181 to the north of Cerkowka. Peaceful afternoon, because the relief of the 13-ers is planned for the evening. At 4 pm comes a countercommand: stand by to march. The Polish legion is being heavily attacked at Jeziorno, we have to move towards Poworsk.
.jpg)
Quarter to 5, we move out - arrive around 9 am. Major v. Döhla and Adjutant Oblt. Eikesmayer have already ridden on in advance and receive us with the consoling news that we can move into the camp that the III/3 left a few hours ago to go and help the Poles, another 800 m east of the Poworsk area. 2 am alarm. The Hulwicze and Zajazowka areas are being heavily shot at by the Russians; an attack is expected. There is such a strong storm from the west that we can't hear any shots. And it's pouring with rain. So we wait until 4 am. Then the alarm is canceled and we set up our tents again.
August 4, 1916
The rain has abated, but a heavy gale is blowing through every bone. I'm grateful to be putting on my fur jacket. The batallion has been enlisted to dig trenches at Poworsk station; for the time being, it's peaceful.
Insert: One man is completely louse-ridden; he throws his underclothes away and places his uniform in an anthill to bring about a bitter death to the lice.
In the afternoon we receive the command that the machine gun company has to build dugouts near the already installed machine gun stands. I ride to the position with my platoon leaders to give them instructions and then to the pioneer park at the station to order the material. Later, I visit the building to see how far it has advanced. The dugouts are being made fairly secure against infantry fire and fragment impact using corrugated iron framework in a very simple manner. These frameworks are around 3 ridges wide and around 1 meter high and have the form of gothic windows.
6 of them suffice to offer space for one machine gun and 2 men below them. The framework stands on 2 boards which are resting on a base of clubs to stop the framework from subsiding. A 70 cm high bulge and possibly a small baricade of sandbags to cover the entrance and make it smaller complete the construction.
In the evening, I receive a visit from Walter Pfeiffer, who also belongs to the II Batallion and who was promoted to official second-in-command today and we drink a bottle of wine in my tent, which helped us to rummage out old memories of Döberitz and everywhere.
August 1, 1916
Peaceful.
August 2, 1916
The batallion is setting up a reserve position on the outskirts of Poworsk, which is to stretch all around the entire Front at the Stochod River. I receive the order to set up machine gun positions in the trenches, which are partially finished. When I return, the command to take over the 2nd machine gun company during the course of the day is awaiting me. In the afternoon, I ride to the 2nd Batallion, which is lying around 1 km north of Cerkowka in the forest in reserve. In the evening, I take over the company; the 2nd platoon of my company is with the 7th company as a support. The position here is not very good; the Russians have pentrated over the Stochod slightly to the north and have fought successfully against the imperial troops! I ride - on a wonderful horse, by the way - to my 2nd platoon. At 10 o'clock in the evening there is heavy fire to the left of us. We are alerted, as we are fearful here. At 11 o'clock we are able to lay down for the night. A peaceful night.
August 3, 1916
I order machine gun stands to be installed in the reserve position at Hill 181 to the north of Cerkowka. Peaceful afternoon, because the relief of the 13-ers is planned for the evening. At 4 pm comes a countercommand: stand by to march. The Polish legion is being heavily attacked at Jeziorno, we have to move towards Poworsk.
Quarter to 5, we move out - arrive around 9 am. Major v. Döhla and Adjutant Oblt. Eikesmayer have already ridden on in advance and receive us with the consoling news that we can move into the camp that the III/3 left a few hours ago to go and help the Poles, another 800 m east of the Poworsk area. 2 am alarm. The Hulwicze and Zajazowka areas are being heavily shot at by the Russians; an attack is expected. There is such a strong storm from the west that we can't hear any shots. And it's pouring with rain. So we wait until 4 am. Then the alarm is canceled and we set up our tents again.
August 4, 1916
The rain has abated, but a heavy gale is blowing through every bone. I'm grateful to be putting on my fur jacket. The batallion has been enlisted to dig trenches at Poworsk station; for the time being, it's peaceful.
Insert: One man is completely louse-ridden; he throws his underclothes away and places his uniform in an anthill to bring about a bitter death to the lice.
In the afternoon we receive the command that the machine gun company has to build dugouts near the already installed machine gun stands. I ride to the position with my platoon leaders to give them instructions and then to the pioneer park at the station to order the material. Later, I visit the building to see how far it has advanced. The dugouts are being made fairly secure against infantry fire and fragment impact using corrugated iron framework in a very simple manner. These frameworks are around 3 ridges wide and around 1 meter high and have the form of gothic windows.
6 of them suffice to offer space for one machine gun and 2 men below them. The framework stands on 2 boards which are resting on a base of clubs to stop the framework from subsiding. A 70 cm high bulge and possibly a small baricade of sandbags to cover the entrance and make it smaller complete the construction.
In the evening, I receive a visit from Walter Pfeiffer, who also belongs to the II Batallion and who was promoted to official second-in-command today and we drink a bottle of wine in my tent, which helped us to rummage out old memories of Döberitz and everywhere.
No comments:
Post a Comment