1914 Chapter 15

15 Gheluvelt

Dieter Luther, Gefreiter/Sergeant

We have been at it since the break of dawn. I guessed there must have been some rules of engagement that we do not fight until daylight. War to a certain extent was still a gentleman battle where we can hoist the white flag to collect our wounded or deaths. The only thing missing was the exchange of food and drinks. I guessed one day will do it but till then, its back to the fighting. The guns had roared some hours. It was the sign for us to get up and freshened up with the army kits check before we were called to move in. 

"If you are going to see God, make sure you are well dressed as a soldier. He may then forgive you for the killing and maiming for it was done in the act of war. We are not murderers but killers." I heard the officers said that every time we were to send to fight.

"The bombing will soften the resistance." They also told us that but we knew otherwise. We had our own share of being bombarded and we held on tight to our shelters. Some of us may die but the others like me, we will be praying for the bombs to miss us. I had seen one time a battle shocked veteran had left his shelter to be killed by the bombs but he was not even singed by any.  He did however got himself a court-martial and was shot for reckless behaviour. Since then, we became more hardened to hold their lines. 

We were pushed back that day and the officers were all disheartened by the retreat. They were more concerned on their reports than the deaths of the soldiers. 

“Sergeant, do we dig in?” I looked at the recruit. He was still young and had not felt the true impact of the war. He did not want to retreat anymore. He was eager to win for we were the bigger force.

“Son, all it takes was a bullet to kill you. It may come from one gun and even we are a hundred, we can’t stop it.” I looked hard into the recruit. 

"I am not afraid to die."

"Are you, Son? Then dig you. It may do you good." He nodded and walked back to his position. He was later to hold the veteran in the arms calling for the orderlies. He was crying out in anguish. 

"Why it must be him? He was like a brother to me." I heard the recruit. I stepped over and looked at him in the eye. 

"Out here, we are all brothers. And we may die alone or in another brother's arm. Face that reality and learned to keep you voice down and keep your head to yourself. You may just then survived the war." 

I left to attend to my other men. There were some dead and wounded. The ones I cared for were the ones alive. I told them the same message every time we fought but in different words. That time my words were like this. 

“The British are holding well. They are down to the few and yet they fight.” I nodded at them. "We will hold the line and later when we are ready we will charge at them."

I doubt many of the veterans were listening then but I knew the new recruits holding onto their rilfles took it into their heart. We soon have our chance to prove my words. 

The battle at the village was intense and came close to the hand to hand fighting. We were the bigger force but every enemy had to be dug out and killed. 

"Kill the enemy!" I called out to my men when we charged over. We had used up our ammo clips and had not the time to reload. It was then the use of the bayonets in close quarters fighting. The village buildings were like the others; all crumbled by the guns and yet it offered the enemy cover. They hid and fought from the rubbles. Every spot with cover was a hideout for them. They will spring up or bayonet you in the chest or back when you walked past. 

Or get shot in the head. 

“Sniper!” The call went out and I ducked into my cover. The shot came out from nearby and one of my men went down. I huddled behind the rubble and called out 

“Retaliate!” I called out. I was the Sergeant then and the role of the sniper was not mine anymore. It was by some others who took to rout the enemy sniper.

“I got him. In the rubble by the bush.” The platoon heard the call and more guns were levelled there. It was a constant shootout until someone called for a halt. A veteran ran on ahead and confirmed the kill.

One of our other tasks was to disable any communication lines. Once we discovered a line we will sever it there. It was to disrupt any reporting back to the flanks. There was a chateau which we attacked manned by the British. We were pinned down outside and had to lay a siege on it. It was by accident we discovered the communication line.

“Sergeant, we found a line.”

“Cut it then. I don’t care if it’s to Berlin or Paris.” I called out. We fought on and later overtook the chateau.

We caught a wounded officer with the message he received from the flanks.

“We will relief you soon.” Fuck! That meant more battles. I reported back to the Hauptmann.

“It ain’t over until it’s really over or we die.” I heard the Hauptmann said those words. We had captured the chateau but there were still pockets of resistance.

Peter Weiner, Hauptmann

"Dig in, men. We got the enemy on the way.” I called out to the men at the chateau. I saw the men all took to their assigned dugouts and more of them reinforced the sandbags. Ammunition was called in and then distributed.

“Hauptmann, we have sightings of the British approaching here.” I had sent out a small team of two to be the scouts ahead. The reports were useful then. “They are not full company.”

That was a relief but the battle was still on. The sun was reaching its zenith and we waited. My throat was patched but I did not move my sight ahead. It was open land and the British had to cross it. I looked back at my defences. The Maxim guns were in place and so were the riflemen.

“Fixed your bayonet.” The Sergeant called out. It was an early call but precautions were needed. The British came and despite the smaller number, they soon reached the chateau with their bayonets and rifle butts. The fighting then was a hand to hand once again.

I grabbed the shovel from my backpack and used it as a weapon. I cut down on the enemy’s arm holding the rifle and used my right elbow to smash into the face. I then shoved the shovel into the exposed neck. It was a bloody kill but it was him or me. I saw then my men were retreating despite the numbers we held. It was madness to be in that fight.

“Pull back!” I called out.

“Yes, Hauptmann.”: I heard a young recruit adhered to my order. “They are mad fiends.”

I could have told we were more in the numbers but the British were fighting mad to recover their lost front. I had no choice but to followed the men in retreat. We retreated out and then dug in our previous line. We saw the British retook the chateau and then it was all quiet.

That attack stopped our advance.

Erich Kroner, Oberst

I swiped the maps and notes off my table. We were the stronger of the two sides and we relented to the bravery of the enemies. I had the Hauptmann called in and gave him a dressing down. He was too embarrassed to reply back.

“I should have sent you to the Eastern Front.” I threatened the officer. The Eastern Front had opened up with the Empire declaring war on the Russian armies. The German 9th Army targets Warsaw, Poland, but was opposed by six Russian armies and withdraws.

The Austrians attack the Russians in Galicia (a province in northeast Austria) with indecisive results. However, the Russians fail to press their advantage at Warsaw and instead begin a split counter-offensive moving both southward against the Austrians in Galicia and northward toward Germany.

The German 9th Army then regrouped and cuts off the Russians at Lodz, Poland, halting their advance and forcing an eastward withdrawal by the Russians.

“Our Empire is at risk there. Yet we could not do much here.” I cursed at the officer. I looked hard at the Hauptmann. He knew that the Eastern Front was in need of soldiers while on the Western Front it looked like a race to nowhere.

“Hauptmann, I have not reprimanded you earlier for the death of my nephew.” I glared at him. He did not reply.

“Tell me do you have any relatives in the Army?” I probed the officer.

“None, Oberst.” The Hauptmann replied. “I am all alone.”

I dismissed the Hauptmann then. I told my an aide to replace the maps on the table, I then realized that it was colder then. I asked my aide for the date.

“It’s thanksgiving, Oberst.” A month before Christmas. I recalled that when I was in Berlin during that time, I will be shopping with my lover, Jeremiah Buttons. He was British and when the war was to erupt he left me without a word. I was not so much into the family reunions but those three years I spent Christmas with Jeremiah up on the Alps\. We both loved the snow.

“Do you want a meal, Oberst?”

“Do you have a turkey here?” I asked back.

“Nein but we can cook some food and feast with wine.” My new aide was ever useful. I nodded at him.

Abel Langer

I was not a man with surprises but Stella gave me one. We were not that busy with the wounded with the lull in the battle there so we had more time to relax. I had stepped back to my tent after my works and found a feast prepared for me. There were meat and wine on the table and there was Stella in her clean uniform

“It’s thanksgiving, Abel.” Stella smiled at me. I smiled back and we settled at the feast. It was like any we had; silent and focused on the food.

Then she told me another news

“Abel, I think I am with our child.” That was the biggest surprise for me in the war. I was taken aback and honestly, I was not prepared.

“It can’t be… The times …… I mean I should have ….” I tried to reply but Stella stopped me.

“I could abort it.” Stella cut me off. I was momentarily stunned. I reached out to her and told not to.

“We could work it out for you. And for me. I could speak to the High Command to send you back. Or I can resign my commission. I can go back with you.”

“No, I will not go to Berlin. Nor will you resign your commission. You are a good surgeon. There is a war on both fronts. Germany may be attacked. I was thinking to go to the North. I have a sister in Switzerland. I could stay until you join me.”

I nodded.

“It’s best.” My mind was on the soldiers. I had wished we were not at war. I had wished then she was not with my child but I was not ready to be that father.

“Abel, I can take care of myself. Don’t worry.”

“Fuck!” I muttered out.

“I would like that if you want.” Stella looked at me. For once in our short relationship, I made love to her.