Generalleutnant Eugen von Dorrer: Letters from the Flanders, October - December 1914

[2ndCMR]

 

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But, as I already wrote, the terrain is to the utmost awkward for the offender.

 

These are well worth reading; much interesting material for the observant.  I assume the above would be called a freudian slip?

[Heinrich von Reichenbach]

 

von Dorrer translation

Part 8

 

6^th Nov. 14 Twartegat, north of Ypres

Today there was again a marvellous sunny autumn day and I wish for my poor troops to get many more similar, particularly in the moist area wherein we are staying to this day. As far as here unfortunately, the stopping up of all the canals by the Belgians makes itself felt. Our fighting area of the first two weeks are said already to be an endless sheet of water. Otherwise we would not have abandoned it. The attached segment from the “Lokalanzeiger” [local journal] of Oct 31^st had been handed to me by a gentleman of my staff because it refers to the fighting of my Division (The impossible German bravery). Unfortunately some of those braves lie now under the waters. – One day only we were at rest when we left for the Korps Beseler, and being there we immediately stormed on the 1^st day the village of Bixschoote which had been stoutly defended by Highlanders, and of all troups of the III Reserve Korps we gained the first ongoing success.

Unfortunately my neighbours to the left and to the right have not been able even to this day to keep pace, hereby embarrassing our further advancing because my forces, forming a protruding angle, are being much annoyed by enfilading fire. To protect themselves they make use of all aspects of field fortifications but nevertheless every day costs us casualties. My best officers are gone. Today a splendid young captain, Euler, who was complete in every respect and leading one of the shell-wrecked regiments, has fallen, being shot through his head by one of the damned English. Yesterday [likewise] one of the best battery commanders. Such losses hurt me as a human being and even more as a Division commander because the faint-hearted wherefrom there are unfortunately many too many, remain in - relatively seen - even bigger numbers. Those need to be treated severely because the ones who now give in do not only give themselves up but also the Fatherland. Notably the enormous sacrifices that we already made demand strong evidence that they were not in vain. Rather gamble the entire division than to give in.

Of course we will stick at it and finally will prevail. I am convinced of this so firmly that thanks to God up to today I did not lose the inner calm or indeed the outer one, despite of all crises. Today at noon, to the delight of my lads I had an excellent midday sleep on a bundle of straw, while the hostile grenades were bursting not even 100 paces away from us. At the same time, I am happy yet that my Lilo is not a boy and not a war volunteer. What must the feelings of the poor chaps be who hoped to leave their grammar schools and universities to a fresh war where huge battles and glorious victories are being won. For three weeks now they are in a trench, laying for days without warm food or drinkable water under terrible artillery fire, opposite a mainly invisible opponent who contests every step behind water ditches and wire obstructions. After the storming of Bixschoote however, many French and shortskirts will also have laid around in heaps. May heaven give us an early, lucky outcome!

 

[trajan]

On 2/19/2018 at 12:50, Hugh Shipman said:

...  6^th Nov. 14 Zwartegat, north of Ypres ... I believe that the outcome of the war will be determined here around Ypres.... 

 

Not far wrong in some respects... What an extraordinary chap, one who clearly believed from as near to the front as possible given his overall reponsibilities.

[HenryTheGerman]

@trajan

"Leadership from behind" was the common standard in WWI but among the high-ranked German staff officers there were quite a number who were not only conducting scarce official "front inspections" but were also popping up in the trenches regularly without notice. "Führung von vorn" (leadership from the front) later became the key to success (see Guderian and Rommel), timely being a prerequisite for battles of integrated weapons (battles of combined arms). Nowadays the modern communication techniques partly allow the leaders to return to the leadership-from-behind habit.
By all means, von Dorrer must have been courageous as well, as being convinced of leadership from the front. But both this cost him his life: In the run of a front excursion close to Verdun on Jan 31st 1916 he was lethally wounded.

[Loader]

Excellent postings. His description of the student volunteers & the conditions they are facing in the trenches is right out of ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT.

[28juni14]

Excellent Heinrich!   You labours are much appreciated !  Soldier on, Sir !

[Hugh Shipman]

Part 9

 

9^th Nov. 14 Zwartegat near Ypres,

 

Regretably for us the fight has taken on a stable nature, as everywhere. The main reason for this are the tremendous losses, particularly of officers, having been suffered by the infantry in the first engagements which blunts their aggression and power. My infantry has melted down to half of its size, the Jaeger battalion, being the best, even shrank to a quarter, without the officers being considered! To make matters worse, our artillery is unable to find a single target in the confusing terrain that is mostly covered in autumnal fog, thus failing to combat the foe successfully. Therefore the poor infantry, deployed in forward trenches that are daily intricately investigated by the excellent French aviators, are being exposed to terrible shelling day and night which over the time causes heavier losses and shatters the nerves more than the most hazardous attack under difficult circumstances would do.

The ever successful attacks of my Division cost the fewest number of casualties. At the River Yser as well as now, the neighbours were unable to keep at the same intensity, leaving us emplaced in a protruding salient where concentric fire hails in from three sides. Hopefully there will be an attack by the entire line, providing some relief. The aviators attached to our Army do not perform at all and fail totally while the French and English ones stay in the air all the time, covering any crowd of people or horses with bombs and arrows. However, the comforting fact is that it must be looking even worse at enemy’s side. The one who sticks it out longer will win! Unfortunately in Russian-Poland the Austrians again completely let us down.

 

11^th Nov. 14 Zwartegat,

 

The 10^th of November you may mark red in the calendar. Yesterday morning a general storm assault by the entire army front from the Argonnes up to the Northern Sea should have been launched. The roaring of the guns – “thundering” hardly describes it – during the day before and the night was more vigorous than ever before. Already at 6:00 ‘o clock in deep darkness we had taken position at our command posts because at 6:30 ‘o clock the attack would be initiated by the Korps Beseler, to which I have belonged for 10 days. Such we did with my Division, and if the others next to us had done their part like my faithful Division, the children would be staying off school today, and flags would be flown.

 

I can say this without any exaggeration because it was deserved by the brave troops who, not even counting 4.000 men, got over all opposing obstacles and captured the French emplacements up to the River Yser. During forenoon already more than 1000 prisoners were brought back, and by evening their number grew to a minimum of 1500 with 6 – 8 machine guns. A similar number lay dead or wounded in trenches that partly were filled with corpses. In consequence of the severe losses in the run of the past weeks, being inflicted by an absolutely invisible opponent, my men had been so embittered that initially they battered all to death and started to take prisoners only after becoming fatigued by the bloody work.

 

Unfortunately – which for me is the most melancholy aspect besides the delightful success on which Beseler and Falkenhayn kindly sent me their congratulations – after that day my Division has hardly preserved the strength of a regiment. If we had some rest now, a few days only, the strength would be built up again quickly, even though the total losses are very substantial, but rest are only to be found in the grave! That much used phrase never pertains better than in war! My neighbouring Divisions unfortunately did not keep in step with us, still trailing back so much that today we probably do not need to move on any further but nevertheless will not be left in peace because the French and English artillery which is very strong and cannot be spotted by our airmen does not let up on the troops. How I wish to foresee at some point an end to these conditions but the French and Englishmen do their utmost, throwing all they have still left into the scales. Yesterday we faced 3 strong brigades, mainly Southern French regiments. According to the prisoners the rations over there are very bad, and spirits likewise. After my Division’s first attack they supposedly run away like hares and whole companies surrendered. As they passed us by, how enjoyable to see the beaming faces even of the badly wounded and to hear them recounting the events. All of them want to be back to their units soon, in order to keep it going. Nothing makes people able to overcome anything, even the worst, better than success being within reach!

 

[nigelcave]

On 3/3/2018 at 17:17, HenryTheGerman said:

@trajan

"Leadership from behind" was the common standard in WWI but among the high-ranked German staff officers there were quite a number who were not only conducting scarce official "front inspections" but were also popping up in the trenches regularly without notice. "Führung von vorn" (leadership from the front) later became the key to success (see Guderian and Rommel), timely being a prerequisite for battles of integrated weapons (battles of combined arms). Nowadays the modern communication techniques partly allow the leaders to return to the leadership-from-behind habit.
By all means, von Dorrer must have been courageous as well, as being convinced of leadership from the front. But both this cost him his life: In the run of a front excursion close to Verdun on Jan 31st 1916 he was lethally wounded.

I am sure that the higher command of the BEF would fit the category of being well up front as well - the casualty list of brigade and divisional commanders was vey high at Ypres 1914 - as well as amongst the various formation staffs. Even the Corps commander at one stage moved up dangerously (recklessly?) close to the front line.

Edited 9 March , 2018 by nigelcave

[Heinrich von Reichenbach]

von Dorrer translation

Part 10

 

12th Nov. 14 Zwartegat,

Sadly, the fine success of my Division at the 10th had not been taken advantage of by the Corps. A new Division had been tragicomically deployed yesterday morning before daybreak in unknown terrain against an enemie’s position of such a strength that that Division left more than1.000 men behind and arrived today decimated where it two days before should have been deployed in the first place, that is to say behind me. [If it had been deployed correctly] the huge success of my Division could have been exploited and the entire French frontline ahead of Ypres could have been penetrated.

Today it had been ascertained that the battlefield of my Division is covered with 1.000 - 1.100 Frenchmen killed. Thus they must have had not less than 2.000 wounded who would have been retrieved by them. Adding the 1.500 who were taken prisoner, total loss of about 4.500 men. In the fight my Division lost 500 – 600 men at most which in the light of subsequent experiences is no more casualties than would be received in deployment for about 5 days under enemy artillery fire. So it seems to be a brilliant result, and if the Division had still been fresh and complete as it was at the beginning of the battles on the Yser river, we would have been entirely successful. But, however, the Division went into the fights with barely more than 4.000 men, which means that casualties of 4.500 being inflicted to the enemy is worth cherishing !

Sadly, this evening after a severe storm rainy weather has started, which, I apprehend, will not be of short duration. The roads in this region are already bad, now daily being rutted by hundreds of troop vehicles and for automobiles barely being passable. The other day I got stalled in the Houthulst forest, so I had to cover by foot ¾ hour to our quarters in the pitchdark night with Wöllerath. The surroundings here are rather pitiful compared with the ones we marched through before. Mainly small, far-flung farms, the low houses often roofed with straw and only in the huge Forêt d’ Houthulst where our operation centres are located, are there some hunting chateaus of which the best one, although totally wrecked, is in my vicinity.

How much longer we will be doomed to sit here? After the successes of two days ago I was able indeed to move my staff quarters some few kilometres but here there are ruins only. Moreover, the Frenchmen and Englishmen do like to send salutations up to their longest ranges of fire not only by day but even by night although at least during night the higher staffs should be spared from them.

13th Nov. 14 Zwartegat

Hopefully some days of rest and recuperation will start now for my division which has shrivelled to almost 1/10 of its primary troop strength. I am tired, too, not bodily but mentally, which is worse. This is not because of the difficult tasks my Division had to complete and truly did complete, but because of the daily fighting against resentment, pettiness and stupidity. Since I have been with the Corps, the neighbours to the right and left of mine left me, in other words my Division, in the lurch despite their boastful words before and afterwards. Our heavy losses partly occurred because the neighbours did not keep up with our pace. Yesterday before noon I was with Beseler who was utmost friendly to me as always. I described to him my Division’s condition which did not surprise him following the 4 weeks incessant fighting, and I diplomatically urged him to exploit as soon as possible the big advantage gained by my Division as a consequence of so many deaths, by prompting the 9.. Reserve Division. The one that had been shoved into the defeat of the 10th by our Armee Oberkommando, to enlarge the big gap that had been cut by us. Fortunately the Chief of Staff was not present, so I managed to motivate B. to take proper measures.

In cheerful mood I rode back to my Division, hoping now that all our sacrifices were not made in vain but would possibly build a basis for further successes. Such thought would have raised the morale of my blokes from whom complaints already were getting through to us that, just as it had been at the Yser river, all the blood has been flowing for nothing. To my most bitter disappointment however, I got the message in the evening that B.’s mind had again been changed by his superior, so that things will remain as they are, in other words the troops will be staying in these shitholes wherein every offensive spirit is being drowned. I am tired of the matter, now asking again for the transfer of my Division back to the 22.Corps where by reason of its echelon connections it will be recovering faster than amongst the mean-spirited, hesitant neighbours in the foreign formation here. How sad and depressing in such great times to have to struggle against so much narrowmindedness.

B. is also worn out on the inside, so the only people who win with him are those who realise that a hundred lead weights weigh on each decision. But snap out of it! Perhaps the bad weather is damping my mood too. Hopefully I will be able to send you better news soon!

[HenryTheGerman]

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Hopefully some days of rest and recuperation will start now for my division which has shrivelled to almost 1/10 of its primary troop strength

 

Some days of rest were completely useless. Replacement and reinforcements would have been more helpful.

 

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... now asking again for the transfer of my Division back to the 22.Corps where by reason of its echelon connections it will be recovering faster than amongst the mean-spirited, hesitant neighbours in the foreign formation here.

 

What an unworldly way of thinking.

[Hugh Shipman]

Von Dorrer Part 11

 

 

14^th of Nov. 14 Zwartegat

 

Sad to hear that in the forces’ mail service there are some mean elements, stealing mail items and intercepting them. Those rotters need to be court-martialled and shot because the correspondence between the ones away at the wars and their beloved ones at home is something so sacrosanct, so unimpeachable that only the utmost base-souled are capable of preying upon it for their vicious purposes. Unfortunately such varlets still do exist.

 

The casualties of officers and men are heavy; but thank God they are even heavier among our enemies over there. What we get to read in the documents of Frenchmen who were captured or killed on the 10^th of Nov. speaks in harrowing language. But even with us there is more than enough of distress. Many a young, fresh person, many an upright, firm family man to whom I had talked shortly before and whose hand I had given a squeeze, just a few hours later was laying dead somewhere in the open or – even worse – laid severely wounded at the very front where no stretcher-bearers were able to reach him because at day and night the French are strafing the battlefield with such unbelievable ammo wasting fire, shooting at all the stretcher-bearers despite their white armbands with red crosses and already having killed many of them while they were doing their Samaritan work. They do not worry about that for the same reason their own wounded and dead men remain laying there for days until they are half eaten by the numerous pigs that are around here. A staff officer who had returned from over there reported on many a gruesomeness. No surprise that already many of the older and of the younger too have such frayed nerves that they need to brought home. The ones of my Division who, after 25 days incessant fighting that was interrupted only for one day on Nov. 1^st, are currently sheltered under the utmost primitive conditions, are weather resistant and battle hardened. With them, one can catch the devil out of hell. These are the men who in Bixschote that at an earlier stage had been stormed by others and been lost again, brought a piano on the street and played “Deutschland, Deutschland über alles” when fresh troops were marching past, in defiance of shrapnels and shells that were uninterruptedly hailing onto that village at day and at night. The ones who every evening, in order to annoy the Frenchmen, put a gramophone on the trench parapet and played jolly melodies towards the enemy and jumped for joy when the French were shooting with machine guns at the gramophone. Sadly there are barely more than 2000 left from this kind of men that are so needed in war, because they are always at the very front, offering most sacrifices. 

 

Today I stayed only until midday at the command post which had by now been taken over by the Reserve Division. As I observed the bustle there, my grief again was great that our success from the 10^th has not been exploited. The will has become weak, responsibility is not taken by the leaders as keenly as it is urgently needed when it is about decisive strikes. What a flood of lamentations I received from the very front line after the storming of Bixschote but on the 10^th iron necessity made the scrambled and black mooded troops beat decisively a threefold superior foe. – Everything is possible if only the will is present. And the sacrifices are not bigger than in a long lasting pioneer war in which all is ruinous.

[2ndCMR]

One wonders if it occurred to the gentleman that his men having by his own statement beaten or bayoneted to death 1500 French wounded and prisoners, in a fit of righteous anger at being bombarded  and forced to lay in the rain, might have had anything to do with the fate of his stretcher-bearers? 

[charlie962]

On 09/03/2018 at 18:25, Heinrich von Reichenbach said:

Today it had been ascertained that the battlefield of my Division is covered with 1.000 - 1.100 Frenchmen killed. Thus they must have had not less than 2.000 wounded who would have been retrieved by them. Adding the 1.500 who were taken prisoner, total loss of about 4.500 men.

 

On 04/03/2018 at 12:47, Hugh Shipman said:

During forenoon already more than 1000 prisoners were brought back, and by evening their number grew to a minimum of 1500 with 6 – 8 machine guns. A similar number lay dead or wounded in trenches that partly were filled with corpses. In consequence of the severe losses in the run of the past weeks, being inflicted by an absolutely invisible opponent, my men had been so embittered that initially they battered all to death and started to take prisoners only after becoming fatigued by the bloody work.

 

From the above it seems to me that the 1100 Frenchmen killed are battle casualties as well as "battered to death". Thus a dangerous distortion/exageration to say:

1 hour ago, 2ndCMR said:

beaten or bayoneted to death 1500 French wounded and prisoners,

 

Charlie

[Heinrich von Reichenbach]

Translation von Dorrer

Part 12

 

15th of Nov. 14  Zwartegat,

Today it is both snowing and raining, and although it is Sunday the cannons are thundering without interruption. Fortunately, today only my artillery is currently working, the infantry is under roof, recovering from the almost inhuman exertions of the past weeks. I likewise find time to take care of urgent writing matters.Because of my melted-down size I asked Korps Falkenhain, which coordinates our rear connections to stand down my Division. As much as I adore B. [von Beseler] as a person and soldier, the conditions in his Korps are more than unpleasant.

16^th Nov. 14  Zwartegat,

Yesterday Falkenhayn visited me in my dirt dump, telling me that Duke Albrecht [Duke of Württemberg] who had been with him immediately before, was full of praise of my division. Indeed, along the entire northern army wing we were the only who had put the order from the 10^th to attack into practice. Only too bad that we were too weak to taking advantage of our success. The Duke also forsees the prospect of our return to the XXII. Armee Korps before long. I shall be happy to get away soon, out of these dirt holes wherein you literally bog down. Conditions are atrocious in all directions. Even the most basic, primitive accomodation standards cannot be established.

Yesterday the Colonel-General Doctor (Generaloberstarzt) and the always obliging Cavalry Captain von Wulffen commandeered in Roulers a number of small paraffin heaters and also brought one for me. In the miserable farmsteads of this area there are no heating devices at all. In winter time the locals surely gather around the kitchen stove, which over here is done by the lower ranks and orderlies. In our room which is all at once office, phone-, dining-, wash- and dressing room for the attached sleeping holes, besides that being our only dry refuge, writing and reading room, at that having only the size of our childrens' bedroom, About 25 – 30 people are hanging around which means that we do not really have need of an oven.

17^th Nov. 14 Zwartegat,

In the present days that are dingy in every direction, the lines of yours were a bright spot. Despite my veneration for B I am eager to get away from this Corps. If I shall be condemned to have to linger in this do-nothing-association for any time longer, I would become a total pessimist. If I was in B's place, I would apply for the immediate dismissal of all the commanders of the divisions and brigades. Otherwise there won’t be any progress.

Hard to believe that on 10^th of Nov. when the entire Army was ordered to attack, my shrivelled Division was the only one of the entire Army that fulfilled this order. The result is already known to you! What would the success have been if all the others had followed their most simple military duty! It would make me want to tear my hair out if I had some of them left. Of course my Division therefore won fame as the “best and bravest” in the Army, of which the survivors can be proud. Owing to the inactivity of the neighbours however, the casualty rate amongst us was even bigger, and the success dearly paid for has not been exploited. When one is engaged in a task with such passion and beyond all the hardship and misery and keeping in mind the goal which we have to attain at all costs, one cannot get over what I had to witness during the last days. – Hopefully the fresh troups that will be coming hither in a few days will carry it out now.

Yesterday it was said that in this matter that I shall be awarded a special task. I am curious about it. – For now I receive cavalry- and artillery officers for my infantry regiments that are bereft of almost all officers. Hopefully the men will be turning up, too. Fortunately the majority of the casualties are lightly wounded and sooner or later will be reporting for duty again. After all, the number of troops fallen is frighteningly high, indeed. I do hope the young rifleman Moser still is alive, I shall enquire after him sometime. – Tomorrow I shall relocate my staff quarters.  In the long run the dirt and the awful lack of space are hard to take. Formerly only goats were our house guests but here there are numerous pigs which is beneficial only because from time to time one of them gets slaughtered and eaten. The former inhabitants are nowhere to be found. Everybody has fled. Owing to the constant beastly weather the roads are barely passable, so some hundred squalid residents have been rounded up to do repair work. They will hardly achieve much. Our troops will surely [be achieving] even less because the reaction to all the Herculanean efforts they have made is being felt now. Diseases are propagating and despite them not being serious the poor men cannot perform their tasks properly. How I wish the war would take a turn for the better. The present conditions here, the dull, wet winter weather, in sum so many aspects shatter the mind!

[2ndCMR]

On 3/18/2018 at 13:16, charlie962 said:

From the above it seems to me that the 1100 Frenchmen killed are battle casualties as well as "battered to death". Thus a dangerous distortion/exageration to say:

Charlie

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I can say this without any exaggeration because it was deserved by the brave troops who, not even counting 4.000 men, got over all opposing obstacles and captured the French emplacements up to the River Yser. During forenoon already more than 1000 prisoners were brought back, and by evening their number grew to a minimum of 1500 with 6 – 8 machine guns. A similar number lay dead or wounded in trenches that partly were filled with corpses. In consequence of the severe losses in the run of the past weeks, being inflicted by an absolutely invisible opponent, my men had been so embittered that initially they battered all to death and started to take prisoners only after becoming fatigued by the bloody work.

I suppose it would be a matter of guesswork to determine how many might be killed before the attackers became "fatigued by the bloody work".  What would your guess be?

 

Personally I suspect the point is moot: such actions would of course have been observed by French troops adjoining the area attacked or who managed to flee the scene of combat.  Their reports would have travelled through the surrounding French troops within hours, and some perhaps of a less pacific nature than our good selves would determine to take their revenge. 

 

I leave it to you to say which side had the better claim to "revenge" in this case.

 

I notice that Herr General saw nothing to condemn in such conduct, even in his private diary. 

 

 

[HenryTheGerman]

History and emotions being related to historic incidences cannot ve judged from logic and moralic viewpoints of today. For us it is hard or even impossible to fully relieve the Spirit of the Age ("Zeitgeist").

 

11 hours ago, 2ndCMR said:

I notice that Herr General saw nothing to condemn in such conduct, even in his private diary

 

The observation is true. But what stands behind it? - The generals of either sides did not hesitate to sacrifice their own men, targetting "dead enemy = good enemy". Even the own troops were nothing but peasants on the chess board, not to talk about the opposing ones.

Staff officers of both parties did not distinguish themselves by compassion, neither for themselves nor for others. - The interesting question for me is: How would I have behaved myself in a situatiion like the one described, being either the role of a staff officer or of a poor infantry grunt ...? And: Would my modern education, adaption and socialization keeping me off from acting and thinking differently?

[trajan]

On 3/31/2018 at 12:25, HenryTheGerman said:

...The generals of either sides did not hesitate to sacrifice their own men, targetting "dead enemy = good enemy". Even the own troops were nothing but peasants on the chess board, not to talk about the opposing ones. ... Staff officers of both parties did not distinguish themselves by compassion, neither for themselves nor for others. ...

 

Slightly off-topic but yes to the above - and hoping not to start a fight on this! My first wife's father was involved as a sapper in the crossing of the Scheldt and his diary records quite bluntly that if the crossing was done one way then X British soldiers would die, and if done another way, then Y - more - men. If I recall correctly his senior officer chose the second way, but other than noting a needless (to him) extra loss of life, nothing  more. War is a bloody business by all accounts and I am glad to have been spared it!

[Hugh Shipman]

Translation von Dorrer

 

Part 13

 

 

18^th Nov. 14 Staden,

 

My birthday at least brought in its wake sunshine and a letter. Today we relocated to a quarter that is in somewhat decent condition wherein at least we do not bog down in the dirt as we did in Zwartegat, and where we are not stacked on top of each other like sheep in a pen. During my ride over here I visited my regiments which, as I already mentioned, at this stage are doing repair work on the bottomless roads. For this purpose the forests are being thinned out well and truly, in order to supply material for log roads. Also the many ruined houses must provide their debris. At this I was pleased to see the fresh, alert faces, revealing that no more than a few days of rest are sufficient to restore the blokes’ humour. If only not so many of them would have gone ! One can’t bear to think about it. In the Division just among the officers there are about 36 killed in action, all the others besides 3 on average per regiment being wounded or diseased! Today I talked again to Beseler for an even longer time, and he sends the warmest greetings to you and deeply regrets the losses of my upright Division that has fulfilled its duties like no other in the Army. I frankly poured my heart out and I suggested to him my bitter disappointment not so much about the battle fatigue of his troops but about the leaders who are not even to be forced to continue what others had been started. He indeed fully agreed with me. For the moment however, there seems not much to do, and thus a general rest period will be following now. Considered by itself only, this is welcomed by me for my Division because in 8 – 10 days we will get a supplement of about 4000 men. Moreover, sick and lightly wounded who are recovering do return day by day so that I can hope to be able in 14 days to throw a weight into the balance.

 

Today I was allowed to invest my honest Gudowius with the Iron Cross 1^st class that I recommended for him for the 3^rd time. A more loyal and better support for the war I could not have imagined at all. When deliberating he never shrinks from being bold, therefore never hitching a lead weight to me when I am favouring that course because only who dares wins. This evening the Cross of Gudowius and my birthday were celebrated with finest champagne that had been delivered for free by the echelon together with excellent Bordeaux wines. Two days before we also received from Ostend a basket filled with capital lobsters that were impeccably prepared a’l’Américaine by our chief. Even oysters were included in this consignment. With a view towards the provisions only, one could endure here comfortably but however – it cannot continue this way for long! Otherwise the conduct of war would stray onto a wrong course.

 

Today at noon I was invited for breakfast at the Army headquarters in Thielt by Duke Albrecht, and I received a very warm welcome from him. He described the performance of my Division as beyond praise, [being] wonderful. I had better not repeat all the eulogies because otherwise I would be talking about myself too much. However, when I was relaying his commendation to my troops, the Duke immediately responded that the leader had been their soul because at the 10^th the units to my left and to my right had undertaken nothing and achieved nothing. On that day, the 43. Division of my corps had finally occupied Dixmuide, which had been shot to debris. Throwing the Frenchmen in three line formation out of their trenches along the entire frontline by means of a Division that was melted to a quarter of its strength, and ourselves capturing and slaying almost the same number of them that we were attacking, has not been proclaimed by my Division nor by anybody in the whole Army of the Duke.

 

The poem “The Young Regiments”, written by Lilo’s  [Lilo von Dorrer = son] hand and attached to your letter of today – it applies to the regiments of my Division. I will read it to him [the Duke] during the awarding of the Iron Crosses. I also had a very interesting personal debate with the Duke . I do not understand my successor at Bixschoote who has done so poorly to exploit our success. When he arrived with his fresh regiments, the first thing I said to him was that I envied him. If I had these troops I would attack without asking, the next day being by the gates of Ypres! Instead of that a long lasting council of war was held, deliberating and hesitating for 2 days. By then, the fine opportunity was forlornly lost. We now have to wait until all have caught their breath. In doing so time will fly, and time is of the essence not only in a military but also in a political sense. Eventually we shall finally beat the beggars but the propitious moment is lost. But let me stop now! Yesterday the King visited the Duke in Thielt and brought the Duke the Grand Cross of the Order of Military Merit.

 

I also must tell you that yesterday I quickly drove with Wöllerath, Roon and a third gent of my staff to Ostend – 5/4 hours in the car. The weather unfortunately was lousy, snow and rain, therefore the rather dead looking townlet did not offer a delightful sight. The beach promenade is cordoned off but a garrison’s pass opened up the barrier. We saw the washed-up English sea mines, the destruction at the Hotel Majestic where the English shells unpleasantly disturbed the breakfast of the German officers but beyond that had not done much damage. Presently in the Hotel à la Renommée we ate quite well, cheaply too, because only the gratuities are to be paid cash. Everything else is at the expense of requisition bills. After the meal I spent an hour or so with the commander of Ostend, lieutenant colonel von Bernuth. In old friendship he conceded to my staff per head a kilogram of lobsters, and champagne, as well as Bordeaux wine in great quantity that was straightaway carried home in our cars. I hadn’t had any idea at all about the volume that is being requisitioned here. The hotels in Ostende had to hand over their entire on-hand stocks. The invoices for it, in other words the requisition bills later have to be paid by the Belgian state – hopefully not by us!

[Hugh Shipman]

Thanks to the wonder of the internet and the research of one John Aspeslagh, there is a full description of the bombardment of Ostend by a British sea squadron in October 1914 here:-

 

http://siagrius.be/siagrius/?p=7906

 

The full gory details of the German officers' breakfast are about halfway down the page. In Nederlands, but with a couple of photos of the very damage mentioned to the Hotel Majestic. 

 

Sad to see also that Hotel à la Renommée, latterly called "De Renommee", closed in 2014 after annoying various Francophone guests.

 

https://fr.tripadvisor.ch/Restaurant_Review-g188672-d2573364-Reviews-De_Renommee-Ostend_West_Flanders_Province.html

[trajan]

Well, given the treatment I have had sometimes in France, perhaps we can get a few closed there... 

[johntanner]

I've only just found this and it's interrupted the floor varnishing big time - coffee break somewhat extended.

 

There is extensive coverage of 44 Res Div and it's various regiments in Jack Sheldon's The German Army at Ypres 1914.  I've only managed to skim the index for the moment however.

[Heinrich von Reichenbach]

Quote

 HenryTheGerman wrote:
The generals of either sides did not hesitate to sacrifice their own men, targetting "dead enemy = good enemy". Even the own troops were nothing but peasants on the chess board, not to talk about the opposing ones

 

On ‎01‎.‎04‎.‎2018 at 17:39, trajan said:

Slightly off-topic but yes to the above - and hoping not to start a fight on this!

 

There is a strong topic relevance of the above remark of HenryTheGerman to von Dorrer: Let me "talk a bit out of School in advance":
In a letter dating from Nov. 26th, von Dorrer gave an appraisal about von Beseler, writing: "... B. is a generous man who at most only lacks the ruthlessness and sharpness being necessary against his unit leaders to be a great leader."

Ruthlessness ... it was one of the preferred words of Hitler, too. - Please understand that I do not intend to generally put v. Dorrer on a level with Hitler but regarding this matter they both have something in common.

 

Regards

 

HvR

[Heinrich von Reichenbach]

Translation von Dorrer

Part 14

 

22^nd of Nov. 14 Staden,

My deep resentment about the passivity of B.’s corps [Korps Beseler] that you might have gathered from the row of latest letters is generally shared here, that at least is no secret. I am sorry for B. as a person because I adore him not only as an individual but also still at the same level as a judicious broadminded leader. He is only too considerate and noble to encounter the marked military nonchalance with the poise necessary, i.e. to unceremoniously do away with such wedges under the wheels [Hemmschuhe]. From today's very nicely written 'order of the day' about which I wanted to thank him personally, you can see that B. has exceedingly appreciated the merits of my Division. Unfortunately he had driven to a field service at one of his divisions. Today at the ‘Sunday-of-the-Dead’ [last Sunday before Advent] prior to the trip to Kortemark I too went to a sermon and communion service given by our Divisional pastor Möhring, who spoke briefly and very well, passionately and poignantly. Oh it was a very haunting sight, the bearded young and old faces of our men who were listening attentively and religiously kneeling for the Holy Communion, after they had come face to face with death day and night for nearly one month, in fact having seen Him in His utmost terrible appearance. In any case these blokes from the Mark are splendid. No army in the world has soldiers like them. We only lack the necessary number of commissioned officers, namely of capable suitable ones because the latter are the first who fall victim to the devastating fire of the modern battle. – I am very curious as to how the next operations will develop.

Already two days ago I had roughly outlined to the Duke what we now should undertake, in order once and for all to launch a decisive blow, the more so as the freezing weather, being our best ally, had displayed itself on the plan. Because in the meantime the frost has strengthened, my idea which by the way is very obvious, would be practicable as long as the cold weather is reasonably long lasting.

Exz. v. Falkenhayn who invited me for breakfast today, was much in favour of my plan, and he wants to drive to the Duke tomorrow, in order on his part to make persuading efforts to this end. Hopefully he will be listened to. The strike which to the best of my belief already could and should have been successfully carried out after our storming of Bixschote and then after the defeat of the French at Nov. 10^th, could still be executed, perhaps with much more thoroughgoing and decisive success because of additional resources that are available now. Of course even now it won’t be without any risk, therefore I just hope and wish that the safety commissioners [Sicherheidskommissarien] do not prevail, for with these blokes one cannot accomplish anything great.

For my creature comfort whereof thank God I cannot complain in any direction, there is nothing missing. War is good for health – to a lesser extent for the troops but for the leader who always can take care for himself or, more correctly, for whom care is constantly taken. because his head needs to be clear at all times. This is good, however.

23^rd of Nov. 1914  Staden,

I can only constantly repeat that bodily I never felt so good before. Although I drink my cup of coffee and my cognac every evening after dinner, I can immediately fall asleep at 10 o’clock or 11 o’clock at the latest and sleep through until 7 o’clock in the morning. I never did sleep so well in my life. Also, I overcame in short order the winterly cold that had caught every one of us.      

Tomorrow we will be going forward into our old emplacements. The 9. Division cannot stand it any longer despite being much stronger than we are. The old “in with the potatoes, out with the potatoes” is a trump card also in the field operations. How much my old Hindenburg is needed here in the West! Here there is just amateurish tinkering. Therefore it will not soon come to an end. It’s a pity about all the blood that is uselessly being shed! If Divisions could be sacrificed for a meaningful operation, then all the sacrifices made are not in vain. Here unfortunately the latter is the case indeed. The past days and weeks since Nov. 10^th have smothered all the joy I felt. My trust in the upper leadership has unravelled, which is awful. Needless to say that I am trying to suppress my emotions to the point that my subordinates do not sense any of that. That, of course, must not happen – but it is not easy. Today I talked to F. [Falkenhayn] again who is just as little delighted by the newest turn of events as me, but there is nothing to do about it.

 

[2ndCMR]

"Fellows" would be more appropriate than "blokes" I would suggest.  

 

On 4/5/2018 at 01:58, Heinrich von Reichenbach said:

 

 

There is a strong topic relevance of the above remark of HenryTheGerman to von Dorrer: Let me "talk a bit out of School in advance":
In a letter dating from Nov. 26th, von Dorrer gave an appraisal about von Beseler, writing: "... B. is a generous man who at most only lacks the ruthlessness and sharpness being necessary against his unit leaders to be a great leader."

Ruthlessness ... it was one of the preferred words of Hitler, too. - Please understand that I do not intend to generally put v. Dorrer on a level with Hitler but regarding this matter they both have something in common.

 

Regards

 

HvR

 

I would say more in common with Rommel, who had a similar attitude to officers who he felt were too inclined to "spare" their subordinates and troops.  The crucial difference being of course that an officer who can plan a victory, and then lead his men to it, has the right to call upon their sacrifices.  The general who merely calls for their sacrifice in the hope that there will be blood enough to drown the enemy is a butcher and a fool.  Such men are worse than traitors for they cannot be shot except by their own men, and of course they are invariably behind their troops rather than ahead of them; except of course when retreating.

 

A pity the example of Admiral John Byng was not followed in WWI.   His namesake apparently saw the irony, for he reputedly deadpanned to one of his officers in March or April 1918, "Did you ever hear of an admiral of my name?"

 

Only a few such examples would have been required before their colleagues would have suddenly discovered a new-found interest in military science.  I daresay it might even have become acceptable to "talk shop" in the officer's mess!"

 

 

Edited 14 April , 2018 by 2ndCMR

[28juni14]

... Ah, but you allude to another important period of world history; The Seven Years War.   It is likely many on this forum have little idea just who Fox, Newcastle, and Pitt were; let alone the cunning drive of the latter.   And I suspect there are only a limited number of members here who are aware that the Great War of 1914-1918 was not the first World War.  While Pitt was running things, though heavily out numbered, England won control of not just Canada, but virtually all Spanish and French possessions in the Caribbean, and the Philippians by war's end.  This was done primarily by naval dominance; which , I believe had it's Geneses in the execution of Byng.  After that dark incident English naval commanders pursued their assignments like their lives depended on it.  Sadly, Pitt's successos gave it all away shortly after the Treaty of Paris.

 

Forgive my straying from the topic, but the mention of Byng drove me to this impassioned distraction.  Again, sorry.....