New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-15
Hindenburg Compelled to
Take Troops from
Russian Line
100000 Men Shifted
Fierce Battle in France Has
Wiped Out Whole
German Units

London. May 14.-Gcrman losses on
the French front declared by French
officers TO have been greater than those
Of any nation in any equal period OF
the war. have forced Hindenburg TO
withdraw about 100000 men from the
Russian front, according TO dispatches
received here to-day.
According to information from kuS-
sian headquarters. published IN the
Petrograd papers. Germany has with
drawn forty divisions. The present
strength Of German division IN
France averages 5000 men. which
would make at least $4,000 with
drawn. But n German division was
originally about $4,000 men, and 1t is
not known whether the Eastern dlvi-
sions have been reorganized, so the
total may be 10000.
The figures or German losses are
based on official French estimates
Since the battle OF Arras began, on
April Q. the British and French have
taken 1853 prisoners, including 9o'
officers. A careful compilation by
French headquarters, based on dVi-
sional figures and captured documents
indicates that the total German loss
in electives on the French front alone
reached 100000 between April 10 ana
Nav /. The armies which face the
British cannot have suffered less.
Many Divisions Withdrawn
Between Apfil l6 and April p alone
losses compelled the withdrawal oil
twenty German divisions from the
French front-approximately 10000
men. Since then more than twelve
divisions have been driven 10 the rear
Many Of the divisions stlll IN inc
trenches have lost heavily. g.,
Some divisions have been prhcIloail!
wiped out. The 9th Bavarian heSeIHc'
nj n strength Of 1000 men, lost three
forr,bs and ceased 10 exist. The French
took g.3S3 as prisoners. rms means
,bat an least 5000 more were killed
or wounded. oon
The Dist Infantry Division lost 2.1Oo
prisoners. the 9Th Bayarian Reserve
Ig1a. the AID Reserve 1914, and the
10Th Reserve III. The French stan
calculates conservatively that in each
case the loss of electives ran IRON
one-half TO three-quarters of the whole
Forty-fourth Wiped Out
The 44th Reserve lost so heavily at
Isssignv. La Fore and Mont during the
Hindenburg retreat that when IT went
into battle on the Chemln- des-Da
on April is il mustered only 100 men
IN a company. Between that date and
Nav 3 the French artillery wiped out
between - and 30 per cent OF IT'S re-
naming numbers, and of these the
French infantry seized 1000 prisoners
The division no longer exists.
The 214th, the 4Sth and the 5sth
divisions. which entered the battle be-
tween April Is and 30, had to be with
drawn after a single day of fighting
The 5th and 9th divisions had their
company average reduced TO eighty
mon. The 2l3th. after being reduced 10
a company average Of llj men, was
temporarily withdrawn. and siXty-seven
men were added 10 each company. Re
entering the battle on May y. 1t has
again suffered fearful loss.
In addition 20 the loss OF personnel
the German loss in materiel and equip
mort has neen the greatest ever sus-
tanned by the German Empire. The
Allies up 20 May - captured 444 heavy
and field cannon, 943 machine guns and
$50 trench mortars.