Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-17
Gas Attack at Lens.
$50, 900 Men Lost
by Germans in West
in Spring Months

Correspondence OF the Associated Press.
FRENCH FRONT. June 25.-severe
strength of the German troops holding
the line on the Franco-British front
during the attacks delivered on them
in the months Of April. May and June
averages demonstrates that their losses
must approximate $4,000 men.
-t5ef0fe the spring operations of the
French and British began. the German
front had been divided into two sectors
entirely Independent of each other.
One faced the French between the Disc
and the Swiss frontier and was under
the command of the crown prince. The
other confronted the British from the
North sea to the Disc and was com
manded by the Bavarian crown prince.
Forces Used by Germans.
At the beginning of the Franco-Bnt.
ish offensives the Germans had at their
disposal on the whole front stretching
from the North sea to Switzerland 147
divisions. of which los were actually
In the front line and AZ in the rear
ready for employment at any point
where their help was needed These
reserve divisions were about equally
distributed in the northern and south
ern sectors. The situation on the Rus
sian front permitted the Germans TO
detach some of their active divisions
from that side and at the same time
they formed several new divisions
which they brought to the French
front. SO that on June 20 the number
OF their divisions facing the French
fact that they had replaced the active
divisions brought from Russia by land
wehr units sent from this side
The strength of the German forces
on the Franco-British front cannot.
however. be calculated exactly from
hAp IT fhni
fewer than 112 of the 1876 have been
thrown into the battle at various times
and twenty-three of them have been
twice engaged, thus totaling in reality
1875 divisions which have been in ac-
ton.
As a general rule a division Is not
Withdrawn from the fighting line until
1t has lost one-third Of its electives.
and thus the German losses may
be fairly accurately eauged. For in
when at full strength numbers approx
imately 1900 infantrymen. Therefore.
the 1875 divisions which have passed
through the fire have in all probable
ity each lost $500 killed. wounded and
prisoners. making in all 347.sOo cas-
ualties in the infantry alone in less
than three months without regard TO
the losses among the artillery, enRi-
neers and other service troops
Forty-three Of the German divisions on
this front have not taken part in the
fighting. these comprising eighteen land
wehr divisions considered as second line
troops and twenty-five other divisions
Some Cut Up Quickly.
Some OF the German divisions have had
to be withdrawn after only two davs.
fighting on account of their losses. others
after from four to six days and sill,
others only after fifteen days or even a
month.
| During quiet periods. such as now a
division may remain as long as six or
seven weeks in a front sector wifhou,
| relief, and II is known that at Lea q,
| seven German divisions now enra 49,
! have occupied their sectors of the frnni
| line for this period.
| A German division which has suffered
heavy losses Is generally given a resi-
lyarying from five to twelve DAYS in
| which to recuperate and have it's ranks
refilled from the depots and then n Is
sent to hold a calm sector SometimeA
however. it has been found necessa ~
to send such a division back to active
work almost Immediately while in Other
cases a months rest has been neces.
sary.
one peculiar feature noticed on this
front is that the German divisions
brought back from Russia have never
| been sent into the first line without
going through fresh course Of train
ing. as 1t was found the troops had los,
much of their dash.