Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-04-08
French Military Authorities
Check Up Teuton
Casualties
CORPS CUT TO PIECES
Eighty Batallions Sent to Rear for
Reorganization-Later Returned to
Renew Battle.

|
Paris, April S.-The German loss
es before Verdun up to the present
time have reached the huge total OF
100000 men, one Of the greatest bat
! tie losses in the whole range Of war
fare, according to estimates made
| public here from a semi-official source
-"the result of careful inquiry made
in the highest quarters in which the
! figures have been vigorously checked
! and verified.
documentary and verbal testimony
gathered and authenticated permit the
giving of precise details concerning
the losses suffered by the Germans
and by us on the Verdun 'front.' says
the semi-oficial communication given
to The Associated Press. During
the period from February 81. when
the battle began to April /, is known
that two army corps, namely the
| Third and the Eighteenth, have been
withdrawn from the front, having
| lost in the first attacks at least one
third of their force They have reap
reared since and have again suffered
like losses.
"The. German reinforcements are
practically used up as fast as they
are put in line. The total electives
of the eighteenth Corps have in this
way lost 1900 men and the Third
Corps has lost $4,000 men.
Concerning the One Hundred and
Twenty-frst division, which took pos
session of North Vaux about March
l2, we have precise information, More
than one half Of the Seventh Regl-
| ment Of it's reserves was put out OF
action by our machine guns in the in
eAectual attack against the slope OF
the fort. The Sixieth Regiment met
similar losses, of which the total
| reached so per cent. of tho regiments
electives.
1.-THE Nineteenth German Infantry
had already suffered similar losses
in attacking the village Of Vaux on
March 9. It's Thirteenth Company was
surprised and annihilated. In entering
the village houses it's first battalion
was reduced 60 per cent.
"Three regiments of the Eleventh
Bavarian Division, which led the at
tack on the Malancourt and Avocourt
| woods on March 20 and %, were each
reduced by one-half. Their losses
varied between so and 60 per cent.
The same is true of the losses OF the
Fourth Regiment of the Second Div
ision of Landwehr engaged under
similar conditions.
Summarizing during the 40 days,
February 81 to April 1, the Germans
had on the Verdun front from Avo-
court to Eparges, Exactly 2Ss bat
talions of: infantry, representing a
minimum of LOTS companies Of in
fantry besides 90 battalions of en-,
pineers of three companies. each,
which gave an aggregate of 1il44
companies fully reinforced, the COM
panies varying from 26O to 2So men.
The assaulting army therefore re-
presented at least 295,ooO infantry
alone.
"Since February 81 the reinforce
ments have been frequent and heavy
At least 80 battalions haYe been sent
TO the rear to ;be reconstructed, 9th
ers have received their reinforcement
on the field. It is, therefore nearly
45o. 900 infantry which have appear,
ed upon the firing line, and this esti,
mate is even under the mark.
Declarations gathered from prs'
oners and our; own observations lead
! us to estimate at least one-third OF
J, the total force engaged as the mini!
mum losses of the German infantry
up TO- April /. It is therefore, 10000
men who have fallen solely upon the
first battle line.
"But the German losses do not stoE
\ there, In a modern battle, long-rang'
j guris reach far behind the first lin'
i striking lines of communication an! :
!, the quarters of troops: As the rang'
] Of tho artillery lengthens' the zone o
destruction behind the battle line in