Day Three-Hundred Eleven January 15, 1918
No food has been delivered to the Second Company and we are beginning to fear for the worst death of all- hunger. In addition to the offensive infantry on our backs, the British and French have begun employing the flamethrower. What a vile threat this flamethrower poses! The German Bundeswehr has been utilizing this weapon for some time…yet, we seem to have underestimated the extent of our enemy’s plots. Here in camp we have two Flammenwerfere to select from: the Kleinflammenwerfer and the Grossflammenwerfer. The light Flammenwerfer is the Kleinflammenwerfer which a single man can carry through the frontline; however, I have seen no soul survive the turmoil of battle with such a heavy load on their backs. Furthermore, the Grossflammenwerfer is t he larger of the two Flammenwerfere and provides the farthest range of fire. Not many men employ the Grossflammenwerfer since it is a very heavy weapon and uses expensive fuel. Kat says the Bundeswehr value fuel over meals for the soldier which, unfortunately, is a true fact of the German military!
Day Three-Hundred Thirteen January 17, 1918
Today we faced a menace much stronger than the devastating urge of hunger- the tank. Although the German military is usually prominent in war technology, the British have beaten us to this destructive war machine. There was talk of this “landship” in Second Company camp during last year’s British trench raids; however, no man could comprehend the amount of force which struck the German Army within a few minutes of combat. German forces have begun to work on a particular design for a military tank so we can fight back against British and French forces. Talk around camp gives us information that a battle will ensue at Villers Bretonneux around April 24, 1918 and that the German hope to employ their tanks in the battle. Unlike other forces, the Bundeswehr aspire to use the tank as a defensive system and as an aid to infantry. In other words— I’m sorry, Tjaden has just bellowed that Kindervater has shown signs of shell shock, particularly the thousand-yard stare. I must take my leave; hopefully the British and French will not dispatch another tank squadron against our deprived troops…
Day Three-Hundred Fourteen January 18, 1918
A new weapon was introduced today to the camp of Second Company; it is called the machine gun. Unlike our petty rifles, this gun can fire faster and kill an abundant amount of troops in three rounds. Although they weight from 30 kg to 60 kg, all the machine guns we received came with a tripod device which would allow us to mount it in the general direction of the enemy trenches. Müller tells me that he has heard that these guns overheat very easily and begin to malfunction soon afterwards. Apparently, these machine guns have been employed by the German military for three years now. It saddens me to learn that such a powerful weapon could have saved thousands of soldiers had it been delivered to Second Company sooner. On a lighter note, Kat tells me that the British Royal Army has rejected these machine guns since they believe that they merely serve as a burden for their soldiers. Of course, the people making the decisions are simply politicians in furnished offices, not soldiers in grim and destructive combat.
Day Three-Hundred Sixteen January 20, 1918
I am sorry for the delay in writing this journal entry; however, life has been very intriguing as a new soldier who was recently on a German submarine has entered Second Company. Although he does not like to talk about his travels much, he has revealed that the German military has employed submarines called U-boats, which is simply short for Unterseeboot (undersea boat). These submarines are primarily utilized by the German military even though the United States and Britain dwelled upon this technology a couple of years ago. From what I’ve been told, the German military sends the submarines off in fleets which allows for a safer journey to the desired port or battlefront. I’ve come to wonder how these magnificent underwater boats could breeze the ocean without changing fuel an abundant amount of times. The soldier explained that for surface cruising, a diesel engine was used and that an extra medium-caliber deck gun was also employed for maximum firepower and support. It will probably be a while before I will see a submarine; however, the aspects of this great ship seem earth-shattering, even in words.
Day Three-Hundred Eighteen January 22, 1918
Today, an interesting fellow was deported to the Second Company camp; he was a former pilot who flew above the British Army and gathered intelligence. I was intrigued by his adventures in flight and learned that he did not fly airplanes in combat, but merely flew airplanes as a “scout”. A scout was a pilot who simply flew airplanes above or around the general vicinity of an enemy base to gather military intelligence. It was not until years later, he says, that the British, American, and German militaries began using these airplanes as combat systems. He stated that many times, German planes would be mounted with machine guns which would fire behind the plane to prevent any enemy tailings. I believe that I scared him through such a vast amount of questions, but he did mention that French pilots began to experiment with constructing planes which had high-caliber guns on the front side of the airplane. These planes are though to already be in production as of 1918 and are sure to devastate German troops and German planes alike. If only this war would end, then no suffering would be endured through the vast amount of technological advancements…
Day Three-Hundred Nineteen January 23, 1918
Another day at battle and another precious solder lost to deadly clutches of war. If not for our 3” trench mortars, there is no telling how Second Company would survive the gruesome battlefield. It is through these mortars that we reduce our chance of death in the trenches since these mortars are capable of killing hundreds of men in only a few well-aimed shots. Albert Kropp always comments on how the war is only destroying lives, not mending relations; however, these words do not stop Second Company from employing the mortars as they are our only survival tactic. The German military is currently the most advanced military in relation to trench mortars; however, the British, American, and French forces are slowly creeping up to our combat standards and are begin to utilize the mortars as well. In about six months or so, they shall be using the mortars as heavily as we are, only creating more turmoil and destruction. I will cry with joy when this war ends since I will be able to go back home and meet my mother, father, and sister once more…everything will be back to normal.
Day Three-Hundred Twenty-Eight February 1, 1918
…One of our own men has recently been killed in “No man’s land”, a dreadful piece of land which is the battleground for British and German combat since it has no particular occupied forces. Usually the Second Company refers to “No man’s land” as the land between our trench and the enemy’s trench. Since no man wishes to risk his life, this land remains unoccupied, yet the bloodshed of war continues without fail. While huddled in our barren trench, I drew a quick sketch of this demonic piece of land which plagued Second Company from ever achieving victory and bliss from British and French forces…
Day Three-Hundred Thirty February 3, 1918
Another day passes and another horrid death of one of Second Company’s comrades. This time the death was through the British and French’s utilization of mustard gas, a destructive gas which was originally developed by our military forces. This gas badly blistered our comrade and left him defenseless in the frontline while we scurried away to save our own hides. In war, many things men do may seem sinister; however, we are merely protecting ourselves and acting on instinct and training. The other gas known as chlorine gas caused many of our soldiers to cough and choke to death, although many had been shot in the lungs before the gas could kill them. Furthermore, phosgene gas was inhaled by some of our company’s troops and no medics could notice the effect of the gas until two days on the frontline. The death of our comrades whilst in the trenches due to a gas was a horrid sight to behold and left a permanent scar on my soul…Hopefully tomorrow will bring joy, though I shudder to contemplate more biological warfare upon our devastated soldiers!
Day Three Hundred Thirty-Three February 6, 1918
Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen was one of the most successfully flying aces of World War I and a great aid to the German military. Haie Westhus continues to mention his name while in the trenches, stating how his glory amplified the courage of the German military. The reason for Haie Westhus’ sudden obsession with the “Red Baron” as many call him is because he has recently crashed in the fields of Morlancourt, France. All of the soldiers in Second Company grieved over his sudden death and contemplate whether or not his death will mean a destruction of the German military. The Red Baron’s fame came from his powerful air raids and flying abilities. It is rumored that he has had over eighty flight victories, a number which is thought to be unachievable. The soldiers of Second Company say that he was flying to close to the ground and was shot by infantry. Although he could have survived, battle fatigue took over his senses and he was soon found dead in the fields of France…
Day Three Hundred Thirty-Six February 9, 1918
The Schlieffen Plan is a war strategy created by Alfred Graf von Schlieffen and is highly criticized by all soldiers of the Second Company! This foolish plan gave hope to all the soldiers of Second Company, informing us that we would receive victory against France on the Western front and Russia on the Eastern front…neither victories were achieved. The Battle of the Marne halted the offensive plan and what looked like the end of a simple war resulted in years of trench warfare for all the soldiers of the German military. As the years went by, the promises of the Schlieffen plan become faint and all the soldiers began to realize that this war was far from over! This military strategy was merely a joke and its purpose of ending the war in a sufficient manner simply prolonged the war for years to come. Hopefully the war will end soon and I will be able to return to a normal life with my friends…
Day Three Hundred Thirty-Seven February 10, 1918
Today Tjaden and I spent the evening remembering the cause of the war and how we were initially affected by the grave announcement. We both remember being to Kantorek’s classroom and hearing about the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne. Soon after, a series of diplomatic events followed which eventually lead to the breakout of war in Germany and surrounding countries! It is hard to believe that a single being, the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, could have been the sole catalyst of the war; however, the papers insist upon this fact. The entire Second Company believes that the assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand may have been a factor in the cause of the war, but not the sole factor. Even though we are petty soldiers compared to the great politicians of the Twentieth century, we still hold a thirst for knowledge and desire to know the cause of the war which has killed so many of our own comrades and partners…
Day Three Hundred Thirty-Nine February 12, 1918
Recently, a peculiar soldier entered Second Company temporarily and told us of a French army nurse named Helen Burrey. This nurse was originally born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania and moved to France during this war in order to help the French soldiers in need. Although this soldier was German, he felt that such a kind act could not go unnoticed and that he was obligated to tell someone of her kind and selfless actions during the war. He stated that she was a Red Cross nurse and had helped an abundant amount of soldiers, even saving lives near the battlefront. As he was telling this tale, I was intrigued that such a young woman would jeopardize her life in order to help the armed soldiers in need. His words touched my soul and I felt, for once, that there was some good left in the world. I continue to lie awake at night and hope that this war will end and allow me to explore my soul and gain insight of things in life which do not include suffering and bloodshed…
Day Three Hundred Forty February 13, 1918
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