My War Memories, 1914-1918
gth Army were in no way affected by events on the front of the 8th Army.
On our right wing the situation of our Allies had considerably improved. The Russian pursuit over the Wislok was only half-hearted. The Austro-Hungarian Army was able to take breath and begin its advance early in October. The ist Army, under General von Dankl (destined for the advance north of the upper Vistula), and the Landwehr Corps were waiting south of the river, between the Dunajec and Cracow, to conform to the advance of the gth Army.
This corps deserves more detailed notice. It consisted of a division of Posen and Silesian Landwehr. We had originally intended to use it principally for frontier defence. But, as always happens, wherever troops may be, they get drawn in when fighting is going on. Thus in August the Landwehr Corps had joined in the advance into Poland and across the Vistula. This had involved a good many improvised arrangements among the divisions. After the crossing of the Vistula they joined in the heavy fighting in which the Austro-Hungarians were engaged south of Lublin. They then accompanied the Austrian Army in its retreat through the Tanev region, a roadless waste of marsh and forest east of the lower San.
As early as August the Landwehr Corps had been placed under General von Hindenburg's command. But we were unable to intervene and had to leave the Corps Commander complete freedom in making his decisions. This was all the easier for us as that excellent officer General von Woyrsch, and Colonel Heye his splendid Chief of the Staff, were well known to us.
Shortly before my departure from Insterburg a motor driver turned up with some documents and reported that these were such of the archives of the Landwehr Corps as had been saved. He explained that the corps had been annihilated and General von Woyrsch and his Chief of Staff killed. It was not until some days later that we were able to ascertain the facts and realize that the rumours were false.
The corps had succeeded in fighting its way through, We at Breslau immediately got into touch with them and saw to it
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