GERMAN SOLDIER'S LETTER

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 144, 12 November 1914, Page 4

GERMAN SOLDIER'S LETTER

HOW THE WAR IS DEMORALISING THE GERMAN ARMY. One of the most remarkable documents ever included in an official dispatch from the field of battle was published on Wednesday in the account of the recent fighting sent by an officer attached to Sir John French's army for that purpose. It is from a German soldier of the 74th Infantry Regiment to his wife, and runs: — "Mr Dear Wife,—l have just been living through days that defy imagination. I should never have thought that men could stand it. Not a second has passed but my life has been in danger, and. yet not a hair of my head has been hurt. It was horrible, it was ghastly. But I have been saved for you and for our happiness, and I take heart again, although I am still terribly unnerved. God grant that 1 may see yo,u again soon, and that this horror may soon be over. None of us can do any more; human strength is at an end. THREE COLONELS LOST. "I will try to tell you about it. "On September 5 the enemy Mere reported to be taking up a position near St. Priz (north-east of Paris). The Xth Corps, which had made an astonishingly rapid advance, of course, attacked on the Sunday. "Steep slopes led v.p to heights which were held in considerable force.' With our weak detachments of the 74th and 01st Regiments we reached the crest and f came under a terrible artillery lire that I mowed us down. However, we entered St. Prix. Hardly had we done so than we were met with shell fire and a violent fusillade from the enemy's infantry. Our colonel was badly wounded—he is the third we have had. Fourteen men were killed round me. . . . We got awav in a lull without being hit. "The 7th, Bth and Dth of September 'we were constantly under shell and shrapnel fire, and suffered terrible losses. I was in a house which was hit several times. The. fear of a death of agony which is in every man's heart, and naturally so, is a terrible feeling. WORSE THAN HELL. "How often I thought of you, my darling, and what I suffered in that terrifying battle, which extended along a front of many miles near Montmirail, you cannot possibly imagine. Our heavy artillery was being used for the siege of Maubcuge; we wanted it badly, as the enemy had theirs in force, and kept up a furious bombardment. For four days I was under artillery fire; it is like •hell,, but a thousand time worse. "On the night of the ninth the order was given to retreat, as it would have. been madness to attempt to hold our position with our few men, and we should have risked a terrible defeat the next day. The first and third armies had not been able to attack with \\% a 1; we had advanced too rapidly. Our i moral plan was absolutely broken. UNHEARD-OF SACRIFICES. "In spite of unheard-of sacrifices we had achieved nothing. I cannot understand how our army, after fighting three great battles and being terribly weakened, was sent against a position which 'the enemy had prepared for three weeks. but naturally I knew nothing of the intentions of our chiefs. . . They say nothing has been lo'-t. In a word, we retired towards C'ormontreuil and Rheims by forced marches by day and night. ' ! "We hear that three armies are going to get into line, entrench ,rcst.and then j start afresh our victorious march on I Paris. It was not a defeat, but only j a strategic retreat. I have confidence I in our chiefs that everything will be sue-1 cessful. Our first battalion, which has 1 fought with unparalleled bravery, is re- ] duced from 1200 to 184 men. These numbers apeak for themselves. ,' e ,"