nto the line, and ever-new regiments landed at Calais. Houses and
villages were taken and re-taken at the point of the bayonet, as many as
seven times. Towns and bridges were conquered and lost often eight times
in succession, accompanied by heavy artillery duels and incredible
losses."[232]

[Footnote 232: Heinrich Binder: "Mit dem Hauptquartier nach Westen," p.
123 _et seq_.]

"We[233] have just gone into billets. Not far off are the positions of
_the_ enemy--the English. There will be a battle to-morrow and everybody
is serious. Mostly by the evening, we are too tired to think, but it is
not so to-day.

[Footnote 233: Extracts from the diary of a German soldier, published in
"Der Weltkrieg" ("The World War"). Leipzig, 1915; p. 632 _et seq_.]

"Again and again I arrive at the same conclusion--war is too great a
thing to comprehend. Now we are going into battle with the
black-white-gold band on our breasts. Greetings to you all at home,
above all to you, father. I have your blessing, haven't I?

"October 24th.--We are lying before the road from Ypres to Paschendaal.
The Lt. Colonel has just told us that 'the losses cannot go on at this
rate.' By the side of the brook, on this side the road, English
sharpshooters are in hiding. They shoot damned straight. Our artillery
is not yet up; the reason for our heavy losses yesterday.

"The infantry advance with a rush towards the windmill, but we no sooner
top the hill than the English machine guns begin to rattle. Our front
ranks are mown down. Every attempt to advance fails. The order was given
to lie down and there we remained for four hours. Then we rush one after
the other through a hedge. When darkness fell we had nearly reached the
English trenches, but were recalled and spent the night in our trench.

"The next morning passed quietly, except for rifle-fire. Captain von K.
was hit, and rolled over in front of the trench. Three comrades crept
out one after the other to fetch him--all three fell. At last our
wounded captain was still too--killed by a second bullet. Being
compelled to watch this scene without power to help, was the beginning
of our day.

"Just after mid-day the music began. Crash! a shell lands in our trench
on the right. A short pause, and crash follows crash as the shells are
dropped into our trench at distances of four yards. Death walks slowly
up the trench towards us. We know that he is coming, we see him.
Everybody is lying flat on the ground