My War Memories, 1914-1918
Officers' Corps had a special tradition handed down, as in the Guards Officers' Corps. Such traditions are quite justifiable, but they should not lead to favouritism and vanity; when that occurs they arouse resentment and should be discarded.
The attack on Kovno was rendered more difficult by the lack of the heaviest howitzers. Such as had been supplied by G.H.Q. at the end of July had to be used at Novo Georgievsk. All we got was a few additional batteries, which could be brought into position by light railways and the range of which was only short. ^But we allowed no difficulties to deter us, and we built the railways. A broad survey of the position made it clear that the attack could only be made between the Wirballen-Kovno railway and the Niemen. The right wing of the attacking troops was always very seriously threatened, and the menace increased the more ground we gained. At any moment the Russians might rake its flank very effectively with their artillery- The left wing was covered to the north by a Landsturm brigade, which during the offensive of the Nieinen Army had been pushed forward across the Dubissa as far as the north-west works of Kovno.
By the beginning of August the railways were ready. There was now a lack of ammunition for the heavy field howitzers. I gave up my reserve, for the Director of Field Ordnance in the East, Lieutenant-Colonel Rostock, always had something in hand. So at last, on August 8th, after much trouble, everything was ready and the attack could begin. No fortress has ever been attacked with such scanty material, but the troops entrusted with the work were inspired by the gallant spirit of their commander.
At this time, as I mentioned before, the Russians were still close to the Vistula opposite Warsaw.
On August 6th the infantry in the assembly positions had got up close, in order to obtain better artillery observation. On the 8th the bombardment began. During the next few days a number of strong positions had to be stormed. The vigour of the attack appeared to be waning, but General Litzmann continued to work his way along the line of forts until the I5th. Luckily the Russians proved to be incapable of withstanding the fire of the heavy artillery. A fresh, attack, by a company which
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