My War Memories, 1914-1918
As I had expected, the operations of the allied armies in Poland to the east of the Vistula meant purely frontal pressure on the enemy and incessant fighting. Repeated efforts to envelop the Russians ended in failure. The Russian armies were certainly kept on the move, but they escaped. They frequently made fierce counter-attacks with strong forces, and again and again took advantage of the many marshy areas in the neighbourhood of rivers and streams to rally and offer prolonged resistance. Owing to the continuous movement for many weeks on bad roads and, generally speaking, in bad weather, the strain on our troops was tremendous. Clothing and boots were in rags and tatters. Supply was difficult. It was almost impossible to find billets, as the Russians systematically destroyed or burned stores and villages. They drove the cattle before them and left them to die on the high road. The population which they carried off with them were driven into the swamps at the sides of the road if they blocked the way. Many scenes in the Russian campaign have been indelibly imprinted on my memory.
The supply and transport conditions became more unfavourable from day to day, especially with the lath Army, which was getting further and further away from its railheads. Communications with the rear were improved for the 8th Army after the capture of Lomza-Osowiec. It was then possible, but still very difficult, to send supplies from that side. What vehicles we had were principally employed in bringing up ammunition. In attack our exhausted infantry required more support from the artillery the further east they got. As the distances increased, the difficulty in bringing up ammunition increased proportionately. Thus the advance slowed down and lost its impetus.
After the conclusion of peace with Russia, a highly-placed Russian officer told me he had never been able to understand why we had not pushed on with greater vigour, as if we had the'Rtissian Army would have gone to pieces. Officers and
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