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After getting sick in March and a stint in the hospital, then at home, August Weber returns to the front at the beginning of May.

1915
Mai/May

29/4 Left in the morning for Saarbrucken. Visited an artillery ammunition factory, very interesting. 5:20pm, continued to Trier through the beautiful Saar valley.

30/4-3/5 Service by the 2./29 .

4/5 8:56am, trip through the beautiful Mosel valley to Coblenz. From here a train over Berlin to Posen. Arrive 3:am the next day

5/5 Checked into Residenz Hotel and visited Posen with Rittmeister Heinbeck (sp?).  Interesting castle and Government buildings. 2pm continue on to Thorn then to Amberburg (sp?) where we arrive 7am the next day.

6/5 Visit the town, 11am continue on to Tilsit. Boring journey. Spent hours waiting at stations. 5pm arrival in Tilsit. Armeeabteilung Leinenstein (sp?) (Illegible)

7/5 Slept well. Visited town, tried to find motor vehicle, no luck.

8/5 From early morning until afternoon look for a vehicle. That afternoon promised a ride by the Etappen Sanitaets Kolonne.

9/5 6:30 depart over Tauroggen (sp?) to Skandivile (sp?). Nice drive, beautiful weather. Bridges in front of Tauroggen had been blown up. Emergency bridge had been built. Church very nice. Tauroggen had been destroyed. Arrived Skandivile at 9pm. A nice town.

10/5 9am left with Sanitaets column over Keilburg to Schawle (sp?). Arrive 12 noon. A nice but difficult drive. Learn in Schawle xxx baggage xxx baggage delivered to 9./258. Got quarters from the Zahlmeister I./258. 9pm orders for the baggage column to pull back. Pull back 20kms and arrive at 1:30am. Overnight in abandoned house.

11/5 Morning 10am, travel direction Schemben (sp?) to Bubie. Met Oberleutnant Cremer who had broken his hand. Travel with him to Kupny (sp?) arriving at 9pm. Provisionally posted to 9./258. Joined company, spent night in barn.

12/5 Cold. From 4am shooting between the I./258 and the Russians on the heights and in the village of Pajtajoy (sp?). Reported to major Neuhof at 5am and was giving Temporary command of the 9. Komp. At 9am ordered to take 20 men and advance on Patajoy to see if it was still occupied and if so, determine the strength of the enemy. As we moved forward the village was attacked from the South by our troops and the purpose of the patrol no longer existed.

At 10am attack on Pajtajey by I. and III./258 and I./260 from the west. As the III./258 was soon no longer needed for the action it joined the II./258 in attacking Wow..yszky and the heights to the south which were occupied by the Russians. The 9. and 11. 258 were at the front of the attack. The enemy was in good positions with machine guns. Our artillery fired very well. The village “W” was soon in flames. There was an Artillery and Infantry Duel. Towards evening the Russians attempted to storm our positions but were beaten back. In the sector of the Neighboring regiment the Russians succeed in breaking through. We have to pull back. At 11:30pm we pull back over Rupry, Jodyki to Sawginne. There is no food.

13/5 Early morning, we arrive at Jakytagai-Wielkie and dug in. Nice area. Night spent on alert, patrols out front of the lines.

14/5 At 2am the troops to our right were attacked. Attack beaten off. Reinforced the 12./258. 11./258 pulled out of the line. 9./258 and 10./258 take their place. We spend the day improving the positions then at 3pm we march towards the enemy positions at Dankze-Joduci. At 10pm we return to our positions without attacking.

15/5 Occupy and improve the positions. 10pm we move to the forward positions at Bubie, arrive at 1am.

16/5 Right away we dig in. the 7. and 10./258 occupy the positions at Jaksztagie. They fall back at midday attacked by strong enemy forces. From our positions we see weak enemy forces and the artillery opens fire on them, they are too far for us to shoot at.

17/5 1am, our regiment is relieved by Regt35 and we march direction back to Kieluny. Rest from 7:30am to 2:30pm then march over Kieluny to Rumdze. Arrive at 9pm. Took over quarters of 12./258.

18/5 Nice weather. Leave 8:15am. Rest from 12-3pm. Continue to Rossiere, arrive 7:30pm. Quartered with xxx and xxx , they had a gramophone. Slept very well.

19/5 4:20am, alarm. Fighting close by. Enemy is pushed back by early afternoon. Worked on the positions.

20/5 12:30am Abmarsch. 3am we force across the Dubrissa at Point 55. The Russians pull back. We pursue direction Sutkajcie-Kawlocki to Posandrowo. Then turn back to xxx. In the afternoon fighting in the direction of Giedwicky-Wiczkucie. March towards Lachowo as strong Russian forces are approaching from the North. In lachowo we take up position. That night we protect the columns on the road to Dawgody. Here we rest.

21/5 The company assembles. 8am return to Rossierie where we take up quarters. 12noon we march to Romanowo. Occupy trenches. Guard and patrols at night.

22/5 Observe Cossack patrols. The company sector increased to include Bakweia. Village is burned down that afternoon. At 7:30pm the positions are improved by Armierungs soldiers. Received a company worth of reinforcements. In our sector the night is quiet. Deeply dug in. To our right heavy fighting.

23/5 Share trench with 3./258. Wonderful weather. Improved positions. In the afternoon received fire from Russian positions. My house receives much fire. High state of alert in the night.

24/5 4:3am , troops from the division Beckmann pass through our trenches in their attack on Dejuie. Enemy was occupying village Dejuie. Our artillery had fired well. 9am we left our trenches for Perejgio. Here the battalion assembled. March over Klussy to woods to the west of Markiszkc. 3. amd 11. Komp in front, 12. to the rear.

Enemy chased over the Dubissa. 12./258 had 2 wounded in fighting. In the afternoon return to Rossierie. Italy has declared war. Our men sing “Wacht am Rhein” and “Deutschland ueber Alles” in Response. Spend the night at Rossierie.

25/5 9:30am march to Girtakol, 12km South East of Rossierie. Rest. Drank Ruedesheimer (wine). Nice quarters.

26/5 Rest. Visited the Church. Nice artwork on the roof and woodwork. Whole church made of wood. 8pm move to field positions at Mankuny. Xxxx xxxx Kpt. Von Olberg.

27/5 3pm we attack Russian trenches. Prisoners taken and advance to village Roszcze. At night pull back to original positions. As these now occupied by other unit we return to village of Mankuny.

28/5 10am the Regt. Assembles at Wizburg and marches over Polepie to xxx. Rest till 4pm then continue over Jodajcie to Stauburyuy. Slow advance. Arrive at 11pm in Stauburyuy and sleep in a barn.

29/5 9am Abmarsch to Pagausonice. Rest from 10am to 9pm. March to Upstoli to Regiment  21 no longer necessary so to Pokarkle. Arrive 12pm.

30/5 (Sunday) Continue to Upsoli. Continue South to Zardyszki behind the Regt. 21. In Zardyszki we receive orders to assemble at Upstoli. Return to Upstoli. Arrive 3:30pm. Leave for Dzidzinte, arrive 8pm. Receive replacements.

31/5 12:00am alarm sounded. Russians broken through. 1am march to Girtakol. Arrive 4am. Take over our old positions. Our baggage arrives.




Above: A Russian Postcard sent home by August Weber


June

1/6 Rest day. Clean weapons and uniforms.

2/6 7am ready to march to Rossierie. Ordered suddenly to march north of Mankuny to support Regt. 260. Arrive in forest of Pojechaliszki. Attack on village Galina. 11. and M.G.K. to right Regt. 260 and 54. Two sections of 12. Komp. involved.  One on left flank, one to support returning troops. 1 section in the forest of Pojechaliszki. At nightfall dig positions 300m in front of the forest. Heavy artillery fire that day, especially on the flanks. A number of losses. Fought off Russian attack in the night.

3/6 3am the 1st Section ordered into the front line. Took over Russian lines to west Galina as our trenches to full. In the day heavy artillery fire, heavy losses. Position to be cleared at 8:30pm. Russian infantry with machine guns move forward at 5pm to attack. Regt 260 leaves it positions. Our battalion now in danger of being cut off and as a result leaves its positions as well, especially as the Russians have bypassed our right flank. In heavy artillery and infantry fire we pull back to the wood, then to the north of Mankuny. Hear the battalion assembles. Field Kitchen arrives. 9:30pm into quarters.

4/6 12:30am alarm is sounded. 6:30 march to Rossierie. Eat at field kitchen along the way. Arrive in Rossierie at midday. Rest till 9pm, first in the gardens, then houses. 9:30 march to Zyczkiski. Arrive midnight.

5/6 The  Battalion is division reserve. Quartered in warehouse. Some in barn (10. and 12. Komp.). Very nice garden around the premises, but not looked after. 5pm march to Szynolawki. Arrive 9pm. 26 replacements.

6/6 Rest. Roast goose. Changed quarters in the evening as old ones to windy. Drank punch.

7/6 11:30am orders to march. 12:30 leave over Szynolawki to Lidowicny. Through nice Dubissa valley. Arrive Szydlowo at 7pm. Very nice town. The 12./258 had been point company during the march. Hessische Kavallerie Brigade was already in Szydlowo.

8/6 2am wake up, 3:30 march. To XX 1.5km Northwest Dykaimie. Here hit by artillery and infantry fire. Patrols sent out, enemy sighted at XX.

9/6 Progression 6am against Height 111. 11. Komp against Dykaimie next to them the 11. Komp and 12. Komp. Each covers 200m stretching to the southern edge of the woods to the west of Height 111. Fired on from South East. One section covers to the South East and later serves to protect the flank. Half a section is engaged to the South. Not possible to progress as fired on from two sides. One section of the 10./258 with a machine gun are supposed to attack to the South and take the Russian positions but they ran into solid positions and pulled back to the level of the 12./258, 400meters to their right. Another section of the 10. was sent in here, the 9. and 11. Komp make no progress either.

10/6 Arrival Givmeny 4am. Prepared positions. Very nice, good bunkers. At 9:30pm the 12./258 leaves the area (occupied by the 259 as well) to move to the Estate “Lachowo”. The positions were on the South East side of Lachowo stretching from the road to the end of the Estate grounds. The the West of the Estate was the I. Batl., North of the stream that flowed into the Dubrissa river. We stayed in contact with them through a series of small positions between us. That night high state of alert. Found a wonderful bunker in the estate park, surrounded by chestnut and apple trees. Telephone lines layed.

11/6 Went to sleep in the early morning. 7am went into the frontline position. Russians had reoccupied their positions about 1000-1200 meters in front of us and were working on them. Walking through the estate park looking for flowers I found a 4 leaf and 2 leaf clover. Nice weather.

Midday, terrible artillery fire, lasts until nightfall. The barrage covered our entire position, made a disturbing impression on our new men. Still, only one man lightly wounded. One of the two machine guns in the company sector was put out of action. As night came the artillery died down. Sent men to fetch food. Had wire entanglements improved. Searchlight.

12/6 Soon Russian infantry turns up. Are beaten back. Enemy artillery starts again. Falls behind us in the Estate Park. The enemy probably thinks we have reserves there. I had fetched the small searchlight which had been with the 4./258 to our positions. With help of flares establish enemy has pulled back. Halted fire. Sent new listening posts forward. They returned right away and reported the approach of the enemy. A wave of enemy was about 120 meters from our trench. Opened fire and the enemy fell back. In the mean time another wave of attackers was advancing on the positions of the 4./258 to our right. We saw them in time. I ordered the machine gun on my right flank open fire on them. They fled back to their positions, some dropped to the ground and began to dig in.

The machine gun stopped. The enemy began to try to move small groups forward but did not succeed.

It began to get light. We noticed isolated Russian soldiers dug in before us. One after the other we began to pick them off until a white flag appeared. We waved them forward. 11 Men. Then more troops came from the Russian line. Not to surrender, but to attack. We fire on them and they take cover. A prisoner tells us the attack will continue, they have 3000 men with orders to take our positions.

I got a Russian (and others) to call for the others to surrender. They did and we had 42 prisoners. I had a nap. The day was relatively quiet At night erected obstacles and wire. We await a night attack. It does not come. Slept from 3-9am.

13/6 Sunday, wonderful weather. Russian trenches on hill 109 have been pushed 30m closer. Houses have been pulled down. Lot of artillery fire, no losses. Now and then rifle fire. Night, worked on wire and obstacles, improved bunker.

From our right flank to I. Batl. The pioneers had strung out wire. At midnight heavy firing on our left flank. Nothing to report in our sector. Slept from 3-8am.

14/6 Bad weather, cold and wet. Night spent improving our positions, all was calm. Drank beer and wine.

15/6 Rainy, depressing morning then some sunshine. Large searchlight for our position. Drank 2 bottles Ruedelsheimer wine with Lt Bion (sp?) and Martin. During the night barbed wire, communications and trenches improved. Same for bunkers.

16/6 Some sunshine, our arty firing. Used Estate pond to bathe in. Night rather quiet, slept well.

17/6 Sunny. Arty in the afternoon. Night calm, received parcel.

18/6 A bit of rain. Arty fire. Night bright and quiet.

19/6 Nice weather, afternoon some arty fire. Major Zundman (sp?) visited the positions. Improved bunkers. Night quiet. Schutzschilde (Armoured shield received?)

20/6 Sunday. Nice weather. Morning quiet. From 2pm arty fire. 15cm shell falls next to my shelter. A big bugger, everything shakes. Kirchew (sp?) at my shelter, happy reunion. Night is quiet.

21/6 Nice weather, Russian arty leaves us alone.

22/6 Quiet day and night

23/6 38.8 degree fever. Have bunker improved. Wrap up throat, take Aspirin. Trenches dug.

24/6 Fever down to 37.6 degrees. Nice weather. Night quiet.

25/6 Nice weather. Night, violent attack on 9. Komp. Had strawberry punch. All quiet.

26/6 Wonderful weather. Changed position at night. Sector from Northern border of Givenany east to 600meters north of there. Old positions of 7. and 8. Komp 259. In the positions were 3 machine guns and 1 rifle grenade thrower as well as hand grenades. Nice position.  

27/6 Sunday, nice weather. Had communications trenches dug. Night quiet.

28/6 Rainy weather. Read war reports. Continued to prepare positions. Regt commander inspects positions. Night quiet.

29/6 Wonderful weather. Received chest. At night advance sentry post returns, another failure (enemy attack.cb?) Then quiet.

30/6 Wonderful weather. Had trees chopped down. 7pm Russian heavy artillery falls on positions of Regt. 290