Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-10-26
-EBB AND FLOW
GERMAN FORCE
ON WEST LINE
REVIEW OF Different PERIODS OF
WAR SHOW HOW GERMAN TROOPS
HAVE BEEN EMPLOYED IN WAR
At VARIOUS TIMES.

NJ vNVtOOo ttWIo
tcorrcspnndencc IL The Associated rrcss.l
FRENCH FRONT. Oct. 26.-A clear
idea Of how the cbb and flow If the tides
of German forces on the eastern and west
crn fronts during the various phases at
the war from the opening of hostllitics IN
1914. til the beginning of September, 1917,
- obtained from carefully compiled IN
formation which the correspondent ot the
Associated Press i enabled IL transmit.
From this It l. gathered that when the
Germans started the war bv invading Bel
gum they launched l,I90 battalions of IN
%lantry formed INTO nIncty-six and one half
divisions of four regiments each on the
Franco Belgium front. while on the Rus
sian front they employed 322 battalions
formed INTO twcnty-~iN aud one half dNi-
>ion> Of four regiments each. TN Scptcri-
Der | of this year they had on the Franco
Belgian British front l.369 battalionS
formed INTO Ia divisions. some of which
were three and others of four regiment,
each. while on the Russo Rumanian front
800 battalion~ formed INTO nincty-two dlvi-
~lon> were in line. Ii will thus be- seen that
the German armies on the fighting front
have been increased in the three years of
war from 1,5l2 battalions To- 233l bat
Itallons.
a review Of the different periods of the
var will show how these troops have been
employed Az various times. according ~
whether the principal effort If the Ger
mans has been directed toward the western
or the eastern front.
In August. 1914. the attention of the
German high command was absorbed by
the attack on Belgium and France. while
the Russian front was REGARDED ~ 4 sec
ondary occupation. IN that time the in-
iantrv ctfcctivc~ on the western front
numbered l.l9O battahons IN ninety-Six
and one halt divisions. each division con
sisting Of four regiments. On The eastern
front, the Germans had 323 hattalion>
comprising tvcnty-~I and 81, half dIvi
sions.
When the battle ol the User was fought
in November. 1911 I, the Germans lntensi
iIcd their effort an the west and brought
mp their eiieetIyeS Ia = higher figure and
az the same time Increased the number Of
battaIion~ on their eastern front - that
they then had l.313 hattalion- ~ the
western front and 300 III the eastern front.
Then came the Russian offensive IN Ga
licia and IL check the Russian advance
toward the German frontier. Germany was
compelled to throw more troop on her
eastern front increasing the number If
hattalion- there IN September. 1918. ~
50. IT, ~ tins II was necessary nv NJ luce
the number ~ German hattali"n- ~ the
western front from los ~ ll10.
MANY divisions were tran~fcrrcd from
the eastern To the western front when the
Germans gathered their forces for the be
ginning Of the great battle of Ncrdun. with
the result that ~ June. 1916. there were
1876 German hattalion~ ~ the western
front and those on the eastern front were
reduced from $50 tn 57i.
The German duvc against Rumanla was
made possible by adding more than 300
hattalI"n~ 10 their eastern battle line.
bringing the total on the eastern front ~
500. This was done without rrdurin. nv"
nulihtT 81 hdliaiuii~ ON the western lfnnl
below 500.
When the French and British began
their great offensive operations m July.
1917. The Germans were compelled 10 bring
fresh forces tn tho western front inrrca--
mg their battaliun- there IT, l.II6 but re-
during the number ~ their eastern front
only u 500. H1k
Sub equcntlv the German battah"n-
along the Russian battle hnc were in
creased by the addition of more thln 100
! hattalion~. bringing the total there e. a65
on September ! ~ this year. There were
divided into nincty-tWu divisions NJ three
regiments each. During this movement the
battalion~ on the western front were re-
duccd to 1869. divided INTO III divisions
and that j. believed to nave been the mum
Der on the German western front on Sep
tcmbcr i.
These figures a. not include any Ger
man troops ~ GARRISON duty ~ the I'LL
terror NJ The country nor those MAINTAIN
tn. I,.A .E .,nnn,,f..tt.I