Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-06-03
DIARY OF GERMAN
OFFICER is TRAGIC
Captain Writes of Awful Effect Of
French Artillery Fire at
Lorette.
MANY DEMANDS FOR HELP

PARIS. June Am account Of the fight
ing IT, tho vicinity OF Notre Dame De
l.orette. as written Gown by a German
office named CAPTAIN Sievcrt In his note
book is given out today In the recital 81
The eyewitness at the front" Tho pur~
posi- is 10 serve az comparison with the
French official statements concerning
oomhats IN this vicinity
Captain Sievert, the author. wac killed.
Ills body was one Of 400 found on the
slopes Of Rettc and his notebook covers
the fighting from May TO- the day after
tho French attack M 10 May 20. the day
the captain was killed.
IN order issued on the evening OF May
y provided for the holding OF the positions
ON the plateau OF Lorette and along the
Ablain-Carency line. To carry out these
instructions Captain Sievert had avail
able only one battalion Of ~ mon. or one
third Of its normal fighting strength be
fore going into battle His notebook con
tains repeated demands for help.
Calls for Ammunition.
we absolutely need supply OF hand
grensdes Is an entry In the diary under
date of May II. The number which Cap
tain Sievert had was insufficient and he
could not carry out his attack. Further
more the lack Of proieotiles prevented all
chance OF success.
Later there was more trouble for the
captain. orders were badly given and
confusion Of sectors made necessary
marches and counter marches under
French artillery fire. The way from
Souchez 20 Ablaln Is impracticable,' the
captain wrote exposing us 90 inces-
SAINT artillery fire. Ablain. like Souchez.
is nothing but heap of ruins. Our guide
is una BILE 20 lead US further and wet with
sweat we grope elong. Tho situation Is
desperate Our mon decamp at each shell
Which falls and IL is necessary to threaten
them with court-inartial."
ReinforcementS called to arrive. further
difficulties arose and Captain S;evert
wrote that the situation was hopeless.
ARTILLERY Fire iH Awful.
The last page Of this dairy was written
At 10 D. M OF May 20. In II the captain
said:
The bombardment today complet ely
destroyed what remained OF our trenches.
The men have been without support for
three days. II Is impossible 20 hold this
position with such feeble force. ask
that an officer be sent here TO report on
the situation. ask again that the Fourth
company OF the Eleventh regiment be
placed at my disposition. Artillery fire OF
the enemy IL frightful. especially that OF
the heavy guns. We can hear the pro1ec-
tiles Of this artillery coming slowly
through the air. Every man is watchful
and tense. he wonders where this par
tieular shell u going to fall. The parapet
trembles and cloud OF earth and pieces
of shell rain down on u.s. How long must
We remain in this rat trap? / believe
now that my nerves are gone The fire
OF the enemy has attained its greatest
violence Indescribable-'
Here the tragic notes OF Captain sievert
come 90 an end.
This dairy. says the eye wituess, indi-
Gates the great success OF the French
artillery ana infantry"
At the same time IL shows the super
human efforts Germany IL Obliged to
demand OF it's army. ana this even be-
fore the participation of Italy, which on
new front will hereafter take part in
the siege OF German and Austrian fort
reAses.