OK, this part stops the day before the attack... interesting to see how much value he places in letters and the depression after the original date of the attack is changed...
11th Feb
A letter from the 4th Feb from Wife,
06:00 wake up, 07:00 march to Reville. Komp. In a Hut, officers in a house.
11:30 Church service, the last before the assault. So far a day of rest. After the service I rest for 2 hours, had not fallen asleep before 02:00am last night.
Wrote some lines to my dearest then went to bed as I was not in the best of moods
12th Feb
No duty today, the planned events delayed due to the weather. Wrote a number of letters.
I was happy to receive 2 letters from my dearest, the 6. and 7.2. Answered these right away.
At 5:00 pm rollcall with assault kit. Received a letter from August, thought of my dearest and wrote numerous letters.
Went to bed thinking of my dearest after kissing her photo. Could not sleep due to snoring of a comrade.
13th Feb Sunday
In bed until 08:30, wrote some lines to my wife.
In the afternoon took a walk to look at the 30.5cm guns. We could not find them. No mail today.
A boisterous evening in our house as a number of bottles of wine were emptied. For the sober amongst us it was infuriating as it was impossible to sleep.
14th Feb
I went to see the 30.5cm artillery. The battery consists of one gun with 150 men.
On the column road to Etray about 100 stick grenades are found with the handles screwed off. The I.R. 159 had passed this way on the night from 11.2 – 12.2.
15th Feb
From 08:00 to 12:00 I watched over road work.
Was not in a good mood this afternoon. Not helped by a letter from my dear wife which she wrote on the 11.2. She was felling depressed and was not feeling well.
My mood took a turn for the worse. Was not able to do anything constructive due to this.
16th Feb
No Duty today.
Rifle inspection at 16:30.
The road from Reville to Livry has become a roaring stream.
Wrote letter and card to my wife. I hope they will arrive. Not in a good mood this afternoon. No mail from my wife, just a card from brother in law.
17th Feb
Today 3 things from dear wife, Letter and card from 12.2 and letter from 13.2. last one interesting due to birth certificate and promotion to Leutnant. Sent her letters from yesterday and today.
Afternoon 13:30 to 17:30 supervised road building. Upon return tea with Rum. Then arrival of above mentioned post. After this my mood was better, wrote her a few lines.
18th feb
Morning walk to the company.
12:15 photographs by Dr. Lührmann, all officers of the battalion.
Then Lunch, prepared by Vinzenz, peasoup, roast, asparagus, potato, cherries.
13:00-17:00 roadwork. Hauptmann Andre had given the company extra work, Vizefeldwebel Skötsch is under pressure.
Letter to Wife, Frau Schachmuth, Lichtenberg, august.
No mail from wife, just a card from Fritz.
19th Feb,
Card from the wife 16.2.
08:30-12:30 Work on the access road.
16:00 assault pack inspection.
Did not write to my wife, instead read a book, “Reise zur deutschen Front” by Ludwig Ganghofer. He describes his trip very nicely. The is no shortage of quotes from the Kaiser, for example “Soldat und Bürger, die müssen einander helfen, so gut sie können” (Soldiers and citizens must help each other as much as possible).
20th Feb Sunday,
A beautiful day.
08:00 church service with father Klingenberg
13:00-17:15 work on the access road. Wrote a letter to my dear wife (he also read parts of 2 books CB)