57 - Prellbock, 25 June 1915

Prellbock, 25 June 1915

[Friday]

Dear family,

Yesterday I received mother’s letter of the 20^th. I didn’t receive any parcels.

I have time now and will try to complete another letter to you.

I’v received the cigarettes you sent me, Aunt Lise’s too, and I’m enjoying them right now. They’re different from the ones before. Unfortunately they’re a little strong, but when you’ve smoked all kinds of “Kraut” [rubbish] it doesn’t really matter. At least they’re better than many of the 5 Pfg cigarettes you can buy here in the canteen. Please thank Aunt Lise for me.

It’s comical: some time ago I lost all sense of taste, and I smoked anything that would come near my beak. Not anymore though, now I immediately recognise a good cigarette. I very much like the Zuban No 25 you sent me.

Then, I’ve been meaning to write this to you for a long time, please send me a wrist strap for my watch. I don’t need underwear, socks etc, but when I do I’ll write you early enough. On the other hand I could use one coloured handkerchief. It makes it extremely difficult when you’ve got so much stuff in your backpack. You have to remember that we move every 4 days.

Furthermore I am out of sugar for the tea, the French sugar you can get here in the canteen is not at all sweet and has a nasty aftertaste.

And I’m eagerly awaiting the photographs that August took of you.

Well, this letter is turning out to be a complete wish-list. That is though because I don’t have much to write about. Please write me questions about the things you would like to know more about.

I’m happy everything in the garden is flowering so beautifully. Did the Lohengrin iris, that’s the one on the far right, not flower at all or did the flowers wither quickly? [* see letter nr 46 – 22 May]

The Spiraea not flowering well is most probably because they’ve grown too big. They should be parted in autumn and then replanted. Also remember to cut back the Delphiniums once they’ve flowered, even when the leaves are still green. Has the salmon-rose Papaver flowered yet, and how about the carnations? The papavers here in the garden are flowering beautifully.

The English were well-behaved the last couple of days. The fights of which you’ve read did only take place north of the Canal de La Bassée. We are just south of that canal.

Mother is right when she writes it’s important the enemy does not break through the Westfront, especially now that the bulk of our Army is in Russia. But we won’t let them through. Let them come.

Let’s hope it will be over quickly in the East. It seems it will now with the capture of Lemberg. [*1]

And then we can move on here, and finally get to our target.

I was planning to write you about what it looks like here in the trenches, and how our life is.

Nah, next time.

With many warm greetings to everyone   Your Fritz

[*1] 

The battle of Lemberg, 20-22 June 1915, was a short-lived Russian attempt to defend the great fortress of Lemberg against advancing German and Austrian troops during the aftermath of the great German victory at Gorlice-Tarnow. That battle had seen the Germans break through the Russian lines at the western end of the Carpathian front and advance east along the line of the mountains, forcing the Russians to abandon their attempt to invade Hungary.

Lemberg was a great Austro-Hungarian fortress at the eastern end of that front. It had been captured by the Russians during the battles of Lemberg of 1914, which had seen the Austrians first forced back to the Carpathians. In June 1915 it was defended by two tired Russian corps (VIII and XVIII) under General Brusilov. His army had been fighting in the Carpathians since the winter and was significantly under strength.

On 20 June the German XLI Reserve corps and Austrian VI corps launched an attack on Lemberg. These were relatively fresh units – the Germans in particular had been at close to full strength at the start of the Gorlice-Tarnow offensive and the Russians in Lemberg were outnumbered.

The battle was short-lived. On 22 June the Germans and Austrians broke into the outskirts of Lemberg, and to avoid being trapped Brusilov pulled his corps out of the city. The Russian retreat would continue until mid-September, and their new front line would be fifty miles east of Lemberg.  

From:   http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_lemberg1915.html

The original letter: