German soldiers on guard in a trench in a forest, ca. 1915.

German soldiers on guard in a trench in a forest, ca. 1915.

"January 13 was somewhat calm. But on the 14th the storm continued, and it came without us having a clue. Suddenly we heard shouts to the right of us and terrible rifle fire. We were to flank the attack; swarm forward in a long chain towards a forest, which was held by the French.

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We were received by murderous firing, but slowly approached and I didn't see anyone fall. By the edge of the wood we waited. Then we entered with bayonets. Inside the forest we took some 50 prisoners. It hurt to disarm them, by the end my pockets were full of all sorts of knives.

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I was hoping to be put on prisoner guard duty, but shortly after we were commanded forward again. I was seperated from my company and joined some Jägers. They were held up by a machine-gun in front of us and thought it dishonorable to storm it. But eventually we went forward towards a castle, where the machine-gun up in a tower forced us to seek cover along the walls.

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The French retreated and repositioned themselves on some high-ground. We had to cross the castle garden, but from a house on the edge a machine-gun held up the entire road. We sure got up to speeds and it is beyond me how we escaped it, for the bullets hissed in the gravel around us, we almost stepped on them, but fortunately we advanced past the point and occupied the French position.

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Three of us stayed there, for we couldn't bear to run anymore, but we were heavily shelled, so soon we moved. We were joined by the 36th Company and swarmed across the meadow, digging in some 3-400 m from Soissons.

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In the evening we backtracked and found a wounded Lieutenant in the woods, whom we carried to safety. At last I made it home, but had barely done a thing before we were commanded to return to the frontlines and defend the position."