Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-05-14
Two III undred Thousand
Men Killed, Wounded and
Captured by the French
Alone From April 16 to
May Whole Divisions
Wiped Out.
BY HENRY WOOD.
United Press Staff Correspo LEM

With the French Armies in tho
Field. May 14.-Germany lost 200, 900
men in killed, wounded and captured
IN the period from April Is to May l
on the French front alone. In two
weeks since May /, 1t was estimated
today. her additional losses have been
proportionately greater even than this
staggering mortality.
The figures on which this estimate
is based are those Of headquarters.
They are conservative. The totals may
be much more.
Between April 16 and 81, It is known,
the Germans were forced on account of
losses to withdraw 20 divisions Zap
proximately 100000 mem from the
front. replacing them with fresh re-
serves. Since that date more than Il
dozen additional divisions have been
similarly replaced.
FIFTY THOUSAND PRISONERS.
Between April and May - the
French and English troops in the great
allied offensive captured total of 49,
579 prisoners.
Included in this number were 976 Of
Ulcers. Other captures comprised 444
heavy and field cannon, 943 machine
guns and 1856 trench cannon.
This vast number Of prisoners is be-
ing added to hourly. Raids all aloog
the French troops marrying German
lines and Selling prisoners SO that they
could ascertain from the German SOL
diers stories and their regimental in
sigma how Hindenburg's troops are
now disposed against them.
DIVISIONS WIPED OUT.
Many German divisions have been
practically wiped out The Ninth Ba-
varian reserve division, numbering
1000 in its battle array, lost 1888 in
prisoners alone, which, according to
established scientific military statis-
tics. means a minimum of 5000 killed
and wounded. This means the division
lost three -fourths Of it's entire number
Of electives.
The same calculations, confirmed by
special fnformtion obtained by French
army headquarters and applied to the
Twenty-first German infantry division
which lost 2100 prisoners; the Fifth
Bavarian reserve division--which lost
serve division, lilo prisoners-show
each sustained total losses averagingl
from half to three-fourths of their eff
fectives.
Other German divisions have suffer-
ed such losses that they now exist in
name only. The Forty fourth division
Of German reserves, for instance, sus- |
HcciNy lOSSSS the ftlnQ6n- |
burg retreat at Iassigny, La Fere and |
Mont. 1t entered the battle Of Chemin !
des Danes on April Is. averaging only
l16 men per company.
Between that date and May S, |
French artillery wiped out from 20 to |
so per cent of the electives of its
various battalions and French in
fantry took 1900 prisoners OF its
ranks.
THE LOSSES OF ONE DAY.
The Two hundred and Forty-first, the
Fourty- eighth and the Thirty ninth
German divisions entering the battle
between April IS and 30 were all with
irawn after single days fighting be-
cause they were practically wiped out.
The Fifth and Sixth divisions had
heir companies reduced to an average
IF so men.
The Two Hundred and Thirteenth
division of infantry, after having its
reduced to an average of
rs men each, was temporarily with
lrawn April 22 and reinforced by ad-
ling an average of 81 men to each
company. The same German division
'e-entered the fighting on May sand
lgain suffered the heaviest losses.