The farmer and mechanic., 1915-04-27
FROM GERMAN
SOLDIERS IN EAST
PRUSSIA AND POLAND


ia pid fire that We were almost divi-
sion Late in the night things got |
quiet, and we slept tip-top in sticky |
mud, almost better than betnd my |
paravent. On the morning of the
18TH we left Lautenburg again and fol- |
lowed our army in the direction Of |
SOldau. | must say here that a great |
quantity OF provisions ard military
stores had arrived in Lautenburg for
our troops. Against this attack the
armored train, which preceded each
train, made a heroic defense The
fate of that part of the enemy that
had been cut off, l am sorry to say
L do not know, for we kept advanc-
ing further and further. Thus on we
went after the enemy. Our motto was,
Let us follow the rescals SO hard
that they will lose their minds" Dur
ing the night of the 1929 we reached
the rear OF our troops and biyouaced
IN the open.
L shall close by telling you about
our privatiOns and struggles, about the
devastation wrought by the Russians
and about their methods Of fighting
as they were described to me by a
captive German-Russian.
On the 18th occurred the assault on
I Soldau. By tremendous drive the
Russians were driven out, and we
1
SOldau heap of ruins. Our projec-
tiles had wrought fearful destruction.
Dead horses and cattle lay all about
the streets. Thousands Of accOuter-
ments belonging to the panic-stricke en-,
fleeing Russians were in the streets
No more city, but burning heap Of
ruins. Our horses suffered consider
ably from the heat
| We advanced under fire of the Rus
sian artillery to the narest village and
occupied it as a prOvision"l measure.
After few hours we withdrew and
took up our quarters at Habersdorf
Machine guns occupied Soldan first
and engaged the enemy. From
lNeidenburg another army corps
swung around in order tC drive the
enemy from here. The idea was tc
get the Russians in a tigl place, and
then annihilate four of their army
corps.
| On the 30th, about four o'clock il
the afternoon, our sQuad-on, follow
; ed. by artillery and infantry agoir
: moved out to pursue the rapidly re
5 ing concealed in a forest. III front o
? this forest our squadron drilled il
? squads. It appeared as if we wanted
: to show off before the Russians. The,
=. did not stir but drew back, Of thei
2 own accord. 1t is pity they did; w
SHOulO nave Deen glaQ TO nave enQe(
V our drilling with an attack.
S Being too weak, our corps Wa
3 again driven out by the Russians
, When the reinforcemel,ts arrived
a which our squadron had to send
messenger to get, Neidenburf becam
8 ours in the same way that Soldan did
r Thirty thousand Russians, an. entir
: army corps, was captured, and ais
= a commanding general.
o According to our program, the fou
:. Russian army corps have Lee gotte
" into tight place and will be captur
I ed shortly. When this is accomplish
J. ed, l believe the corps stationed her
l. will get q, rest for the present an
: will soon be done with Russia. w
e have done much, suffered much, O.
= been much in want, but all with grea
d love and JOY for the Fatlerla,u<
vi How sweet is the peace tlat only tn
:; soldier in war knows how to value
a To gaze a hundred times into the eye
N Of the dead and rot blink your eye
KS not to quit the place that has been as
10 signed you, that is German nature an
re loyalty With the teeth fir1nl
ct clenched we attack the enemy Fac
in German does his duty. Of that | al
VS. positive from what l have seer IN
re experienced.