Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-09-08
GERMAN OFFICERS DIARY
NOW IN BRITISH HANDS
Continual Comments on Allied SUI
pcrfority Over Germans APP
pear in Documents.
TEUToN NEWSPAPERS BRAG
But All Their Bluster About Flying
Service Cannot Disguise Fact Of
Inferiority in Number and Equip
ment OF Machines.
Try International News Service. !

An unusually interesting document
has f:.llcn into the hands OF the British
in the form OF diary kept by an Of
hccr OF the Seventy-third Fusilier Regi-
ment of the Eleventh German Division,
covering the period from carly in April
to nearly tho end OF July this year
during which time he was in what may
be roughly called the Bapaume- Albert
area. The subjects on which the writer.
good soldier is most illuminating are
the morale Of the present German in
fantry and the efficiency OF British ain
planos and guns. The British he al
Here are some OF the more interesting
entries. and they make one regret that
the dSy S Was ve afser ,hs kept
man onensives OF the year he Is SO
convinced that the war is won that
the only explanation can find for
the obstinacy of our enemies lin going
lost"
April Cove have been drilling
for week with other fatigues Men
came out with the last draft some Of
whom had hardly had any training at
all In this respect the people at home
These old chaps even have to be In
structed in the light machine gun
drill"
May Is.-"At o'clock we moved on.
I marched my little crowd across coun-
try to our destination. There arc seven
teen enemy machines overhead. There
is an f.nRllSn ammunition dump aQ-
mirably laid out. which we use for a
similar purpose. There these fellows
drop about 100 bombs day. sometimes
with. very often without, results. Con-
scious of our might not q single Ger
man machine shows up! Although the
newspapers cannot brag and buster
enough when they publish anything
themselves admit we are inferior to the
enemy in numbers and equipment. In
any case. they are not as impudent
IT. I.xl.t
head dropping bombs past all count
ing"
July 1o.-"We were working every
day on the ammunition dump in tho
had nothing to do. We had visits from
airmen every day. With clockwork
certainty the flights arrived. dropped
their eggs and disappeared. AS n rule.
our Arches could not touch them as
they flew ut heights the shell never
reached Our airmen show little ac-
superiority consists AT night the air.
men worry US great deal Two Of
ficers of the Third Machine-Gun Com
Company. too. had casualties from
bombs. One man with six children. who
was employed as kitchen orderly. fell
4 victim to this treacherous arm.
the training OF the men. They can't
shoot, and in other ways they lack the
most elementary notions Of soldier.
l have long ceased to lose my temper
ION the evening OF the 9Th some of
the officers of the Third Battalion had
a little drinking bout. Finally sought
my sorrowful couch as drunk as an
owl"
July 12-"On the 18th we went into
the line. 1t had been raining: the
ground was waterlogged. and tho going
was bad. Tommy was shellinS In front
OF and behind us, and we were lucky
10 get through. Moving up is the most
! trying experience for the infantryman
| You may have bad luck in the line. too
but at least there he does not drum
I the trenches to pieces every day.
Great livcliness prevails in the all
! above us. not from our side, but from
the enemys. During our last day ir
rest Tommy crashed three contact
patrols of ours. The enemy has got
! faster and more fieNibble machines thar