Pic belonging to 'Paranoid_ Womb' on Flickr and colourised by In Colore Veritas
The following is Danish-German soldier Hemming Skov's account of going over-the-top on the Eastern Front on January 5, 1915, today 109 years ago. Translated by myself:
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"On the night of January 5th our platoon commander reported to us what this day would bring - a frontal assault. After being given such an upsetting message, anxiety looms over one, which would be unbearable if one didn't have faith in destiny. You degenerate into deep carelessness. You don't think anymore, can't think. In silence and patience, one anticipates the pure dread.
The silence utterly dominated. No one said a thing. Truly a condition where fear is the dominant force - for a moment, you're paralyzed with fear. You stiffen, can't even turn your head. You feel yourself as a lump of living terror.
The moment approaches. The commanding officers look at their watches. Across the entire line, a whistle is blown and everyone storms ahead. In rows we advance. No command is heard, instead protesting voices and painful screams from those who don't make it. Soon we we will lock eyes with the enemy, and someone nearly shouts: "Put your hands up!".
We jump into the empty Russian trench and the nerves, which are tensed to their limits, find relief. The sound of the guns almost seem benevolent. The crackle of machine-gun- and rifle fire is almost calming. But around lie dead and wounded, comrade and enemy among each other. Dusk soon set upon us and we expected to be at peace.
However, at once a sudden disturbance occurred: "The Russians are coming!" was heard as we stumbled about. For a few seconds we stood shaking and saw them approaching in long rows. At the last moment we made our decision; we fled, almost in the instance the Russians entered the trench.
We were stuck in the barbed-wire while the Russians shot in the dark for us, and when we finally entered our trenches we only recognized our wounded Company commander, who died the same night. A horrible night, and between the trenches lay both wounded and dead."
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