The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-30
GERMAN LOSS ABOVE
100000 AT VERDUN
Estimates From Documents
Show Heavy Casualties of
kaiser's Troops.
so FAR IN WAR. 2.730.917
special corespon6erce 20 rHs sr~.

special Correspondence 20 rHe srS.
LONDON. April lo.-The following par
ticulars regarding the German losses be-
fore Verdun have been received from a
reliable source. The statement covers
the period Of forty days from February
81 to April /. Figures quoted from the
German casualty lists give the to,al
losses since the beginning Of the war as
2.13O.aIT.
Written documents. evidence and
many declarations checked by authorlta-
tive information now make 4: possible to
establish definitely the losses Of the
Germans on the Nerdun front between
February 81 and April !.
They have been very great-so great
that the startled German General Staff.
20 counteract the depression which these
new and ~unavailing sacrifices will cause
through the empire. is endea voring 10
maintain that FOR once. thanks 10 Ser
man methods. the losses Of the attacking
force have been less than those Of the
defence.
Il 10 known thai. two army COPS. thc
81 and the 18th. were withdrawn for re-
constitution from the front. having left
Oh the field IN the frs. attacks a. least
"A third OF their efect.N.s. on their re-
appearance. reconstructed. on the firing
Inc they again suffered heavy losses.
The reerforcements Of the German ar
mes. indeed. melt away as they arrive
on TIE battlefield. In all. the 1874 Army
Corps lost 1000 men and the Sd $4,000.
Many Regiments Decimsted.
Exact figures can be given regarding
the l.lst Division OF Infantry. which
went or the secen north o. Naux about
March ~. More than half the eth Reg.-
tnent OF Reserve was mown down by the
French machine guns In an attack on the
approaches 10 the fort. which had no
result. The Soth Regiment lost so per
cent. 81 Us electives. The 10th Infantry
Regiment on March . IN attacking the
village of NauN had similar losses. The
18TH Company was surprised and ami
Inflated IN houses In the village. The
lst Battalion was reduced By 60 ger cent.
The three regiments OF Infantry OF the
llth Hawaiian Division. which led the
attack on Malancour, and Avocourt
woods or March 90 and 90. lost so 20 60
per cent. of their men. The four Land
WEIR regiments OF the I'd Division. at
tackinG under the same conditions. suf-
fe-ed similar loss.
These we're ,osses susta med in the
course % an attack. Besides The reCi-
men's IN the trenches or in reserve sus-
tanned losses from French artillery fire
every day. |. is known that. In the case
OF certain German regiments these losses
were very heavy, The attn Regiment OF
lnfantry. for instance. surprised by the
French fire during a change OF position.
'ost QUO men and was so tried BY the
experience that II was unable on March
10 to make the attack on Vaux which
II was to undertake. as the 18th Reg,-
ment had been decimated BY the French
machine guns.
During the forty days from February
II 70 April I the Germans had engaged
on the Nernun front between Avocourt
and Les Epargcs c3e battalions Of In
lah'rE' representing at lcas, l,n7G In
lah'r| companies, and twenty-three bat
'a!ioiis or pioneers Of three companies or
Las companies in all. These Companies
had been equally strengthened. Before
me attack they numbered In some cases
20" men. The average number Of men
IN a company may he taken a, ESQ men.
50 that the "arnte de Choc" numbered.
in infantry alone, caS,ooo men.
10000 In First Line Fall.
Since February 81 no fewer than eighty
battalions have been withdrawn TO h,
recons'itu'ed the others were reinforced
whcre they stood. II is Understanding
Wv '"'EN w shy t1dt Inc lnTantrv en-
Edged ~ the action has numbered nea r,y
'~""'"o", and the statements Of prison
trS, 'o.lated and checked. lead to tho
conclusion that at least a third OF the
infantry engaged were lost. That is TO
say, IN the first line alone $50, 900 men
have fallen.
Hut the German losses do not etop
tcre, III the evidence points to the fact
wat The German artillery. of whom the
woods were full, suffered losses COM
larHhic 10 those Of infantry who 10
not tax" a direct part IN the assault.
B"sldcs this the French long RANGE
Guns have dealt destruction among the
troops carrying on various army ser.
wees behind Tho lines On the mos.
m"uerate estimate ITO conclusion is
reached tina, the losses Of the Germans
hei"rc Neriun cannot have been le.s
man ""o, 600 men, II was reported that
lhe German General Stan came to tho
ue'ISinn mat the taking OF Ncrdun h, the
I ioMh 'rln,c was WORT the sacrifice
or 100000 Of the kaiscr's subjects. T,,is
Ngurr was exceeded. and the Ea ser and
his son have still to reach the French
fortress.