In Chapter 11, the German forces are at the end of their endurance, and a number of the men meet their end.
Detering, who had always "kept himself to himself," sees a cherry tree in a garden. The sight brings upon him a sense of homesickness which is beyond reason, and he goes AWOL. Detering heads directly towards Germany, which is a hopeless course; he is caught by the field gendarmes, and his friends never hear from him again.
Berger, after surviving a brutal attack with his comrades, learns that a messenger-dog lies wounded a couple of hundred yards beyond the enemy barrage. Against all common sense, he goes to rescue the dog, or put it out of its misery. Berger suffers a serious wound in the pelvis during his misguided attempt to help the dog, and the last time his comrades see him, he is being carried away.
Muller dies after being shot point-blank in the stomach. Before he dies he gives his pocket-book and boots to Paul. The soldiers bury Muller, but Paul has little hope that his body will remain long undisturbed, as the German lines are falling back too quickly.
Bertinck, the Company Commander, sacrifices himself to save the company. He crawls out of the crater where they have taken shelter to cut down two approaching enemy soldiers who are carrying a flame thrower. Bertinck suffers a chest wound but manages to return to the crater. There, his face is blown away by shrapnel.
Leer's hip is torn open by the same piece of shrapnel that kills Bertinck. He quickly bleeds to death as the men look on helplessly.
Katczinsky is struck in the shin while trying to procure some food for himself and Paul. The wound bleeds freely; the bone is shattered. Paul carries Kat to the dressing station, but when they arrive, Kat is dead. Unbeknownst to Paul, Kat "has caught a splinter in the head" while Paul was carrying him on his back (Chapter 11).
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