Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-07-20
BIG LOSS SUFFERED
BY GERMAN ARMY
ON WESTERN LINE
In Three Months It Is ESti-
mated TeutonS Lost $4,000
Men-DiviSionS Transferred
From East Freshly Trained


FRENCH FRONT. June 25-(Corre-
spondence of the Associated Press.)
Severe inroads have been made on the
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.
An estimate made on we'll established
averages demonstrates that these losses
must approximate $4,000 men.
Before 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 COM
mand of the crown prince. The other
confronted the British from the North
sea to the Disc and was commanded by
the Bavarian crown prince.
At the beginning of the Franco-Brit-
ism offensives the Germans had at their
disposal on the whole front stretching
from the North sea to Switzerland LAT
divisions, of which 105 were actually
in the front line and forty-two in the
rear ready any moment their help was
needed. These reserve divisions were
about equally distributed in the north
ern and southern sectors. The Russian
situation permitted the Germans to
detach some of their active divisions
from that front 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 and Brit
Ish was 155, in spite of the fact that
they had replaced the active divisions
brought from Russia by landwehr units
sent from this side.
The strength of the German forces
on the FTanco-British front cannot
however be calculated exactly from
the number of their divisions, for no
fewer than 112 Of the 165 have been
thrown into the battles at various times
and twenty-three of them have been
twice engaged, thus toraling in reality
1876 divisions which have been in ac-
ton.
AS a general rule a division is not
withdrawn from the fighting line until
it has lost one-thiU Of it's electives
and thus the German losses may be
fairly accurately gagged. For instance.
German division nowadays when at
full strength numbers approximately
$500 infantrymen. Therefore the 135
divisions which have passed through
the fire in all probability each lost
$500 killed, wounded and prisoners,
making in all 347, 500 casualties in the
infantry alone in less than three months
without regard to losses among the ar
tillery. engineers and other service
troops.
Forty-three of the German divisions
on this front have not taken part in
&hz Cob onriG htRhfAnn
landwehr divisions considered as second
line troops and twenty-five other divi-
sions.
Some of the German divisions have
had to be withdrawn after only two
days fighting on account OF their
losses, others after from four to six
DAYS and still others only after ten
days or even a month.
During quiet periods. such as now,
division may remain as long as six or
seven weeks in a front sector without
relief. and 1t is known that at least
seven German divisions now engaged
have occupied their sectors OF the 'front.'
line for this period.
A German division which has suf-
fered heavy losses is generally given a
rest varying from five to twelve days
in which TO recuperate and have its
ranks refilled from the depots and then
IT is sent to hold calm sector. Some
times, however, IT has been found nee
essary to send such a division back
to active work almost Immediately,
while in other cases a months rest has
been necessary.
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 a fresh course of train
ing. as It was found the troops had
lost much of their dash.