The Washington times., 1916-10-03
WHAT THE CASUALTY STATS
TICS REALLY MEAN

TICS REALLY MEAN
The other day a statement came
from London showing British losses
in the Somme movement running
about 1000 per day. The inquiry is
often made as to what that really
MEANS How many are killed, cap
tured, wounded to the point Of per-
manent disability, or slightly wound
ed and ultimately able to return to
the fighting line?
Losses, as shown in such reports,
mean killed, wounded, missing, and
prisoners. OF the total, experience
in this war shows that about 20 per
cent are killed, or die Of wounds or
disease; 10 per cent are missing,
which is pretty nearly synonymous
with prisoners in the enemy's hands;
the rest are wounded, in varying de-
grees Of severity. About ne-third
Of the total listed as losses ultimate
ly return to their commands; vari-
Gus reports show that from 75 to 90
per cent Of the wounded finally re-
join their commands. The German
authorities have claimed that 89h
per cent of their wounded return to
the line, but there is feeling among
the observers that this is an over
statement. The French give just
about the same figure, which is be-
lieved in their case also to be rather
too high.
On the basis of these calculations,
loss of 1000 in single day would
be distributed about thus:
Killed or dying Of wounds or dis
ease ''''''''''''.'''''''.'.. SVO
Prlsoners ''.'....................., BOO
Wounded. not fatally. 2.cG0
The wounded 1900 would be dis
tributed about thus:
Return to duty (s5 per cent?. 2210
Permanently disabled. ................ go
Reports from a study Of conditions
in hospital for the severely wound
ed covered the analysis of 2,203
cases. Among these the mortality
was 233, or about 10 per cent; of
the rest, Is per cent were invalided
as unfit for further service; over rs
per cent returned to the firing line.
This being a showing for hospital
handling only severe wounds, requir-
ing surgical attention, the proper
ton Of those returning to service is
less than of all wounded.
There is much conflict of testi-
mony about the comparative losses
Of attackers and defenders in the
trench and artillery warfare such as
now is conducted in the west. The
attacking force is commonly the
heavier loser, all losses aggregating
apparently about 81 per cent Of it's
total strength. In some circum-
stances the defenders may be heav-
lest losers, but these must still be
regarded as exceptional. The re-
ports at hand indicate that the at
tackers' losses average about % per
cent more than the defenders. At
Verdun the French insisted that the
German attackers sustained losses
fully double those Of the French de-
tenders. On the other hand, on the
Somme the French and British have
given the impression that they be-
lieved the Germans, as defenders,
were losing more than the allies, in
the offensive. 1t is reasonable to as
sumo that II the German attackers
lost most at Verdun, the Anglo
French attackers on the Somme like
wise lost most.
In the trench-artillery fighting,
the men defending the front line of
trenches have almost no chance, if
the trench is taken. They are first
raked by a fearful artillery fire.
Then when the attacking column ap-
proaches the fire is lifted SO as to
drop the curtain of fire in the rear
of the trenches, cutting off retreat
for the defenders. Caught between
this curtain and the oncoming assail-
ants, the trench force must choose
between being killed and surrender
ing. To retire into the curtain Of
fire is fatal; to wait, while a supe-
rior force under full impetus comes
to grips, is to invite slaughter; so
the men are apt to throw up their
hands and surrender when they see
that otherwise death lies either be-
fore or behind them.