Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1917-11-16
FLUx and REFLUX
OF GERMAN army
English Writer Shows How
Forces Were Swung to
and Fro.
WEST TOTAL near MAXIMUM
On Sept. I the Fighting Troops There,
He Figures, Reached 1859 BataI-
ions-Roumania's Entry
Causes Swift Change.

ions-Roumania's Entry
Causes Swift Change
With the French Armies.-The flux
and reflux of the German forces on the
western and eastern fronts, together
with their rapid augmentation on
either side whenever occasion called
for an increase of effectives. have been
now clearly set forth. The figures
given refer to the various phases of
the war, starting with the invasion of
Belgium in August, 1914, going right
through the allied offensives of 1915
and 1916 the German operations be-
fore Verdun, the movements on the
Russian and Roumanian frontiers, and
concluding with the position as it was
on September 1 this year.
1t will be seen that in 1914 the Ger
mans threw onto the western front,
including the army that forced it's way
through Belgium, 1,190 battalions of
infantry; while on the Russian front,
from which they did not await much
activity, they left only 800 battalions.
BY September 1 this year these totals
had been enormously raised, for on
that date they had on the Franco-Bel-
gian-British front no fewer than 1859
battalfons, while ON the eastern front
they had in position 965 battalions.
Thus at the present moment they are
employing 1884 battalions on both
fronts, whereas at the opening of hos
tilities only 1,512 were engaged.
From One Side to Other
| A glance at the totals of the battal-
ions in line on the two fronts at differ
ent periods of the war is interesting,
as showing how the principal effort of
the Germans has swung from time to
time from one side to the other.
The attack on Belgium and France
absorbed the attention of the German
staff when war broke out in August,
1914, and the Russian front was left to
a very great extent to take care of
itself. At that time the infantry effec
tives were disposed as follows:
I Divisions of
4Rgts. each. Baths.
On the western 'front.'. 961a 1,190
| On the eastern front. 261a 800
The battle of the User in November,
1914, caused the Germans to intensity
their effort in the West. They brought
up their effectives to a higher total
there, but at the same time they were
becoming rather anxious about the Rus
sian front, and therefore added to the
number of their troops on that side,
making the position as follows:
Divisions of
Regis. Baths,
On the western front.-1041A 1923
On the eastern 'front.'. 32k S99
Then came the Russian offensive,
which compelled Germany to look
round in order to find more troops to
meet it. She therefore reduced her
electives somewhat on the western
front and sent them eastward. at the
same time bringing some more battal-
ions from the interior to add to those
in the Russian frontier. In September,
1915, by which time the maximum of
the German effort had been reached on
that side, the position stood:
Divisions of
3 or Rgts. Baths.
On the western front. 1120
On the eastern 'front.'. ST 7SC
ment the Germans had in view, and in
order to win a victory there they had
changed the disposition of their infan.
try effectives by bringing many divi-
sions westward, so that the position in
June, 1916, was:
Divisions of
or Rgts. Baths
On the western front........125 1,37t
On the eastern 'front.'. As 81
Brings Further Changes.
A fresh awakening of activity in the
East was occasioned when Roumania
came into the war. This brought fur
ther changes in the proportiona
strength of the German forces on the
respective fronts. In December, 1916
they were as follows:
Divisions of
8 or Rgts. Baths
On the western front. .......129 1,31
On the eastern front........ 79 SO
In July, 1917, which saw the opening
of both British and French offensive
movements, the Germans were com
PEELED to reinforce their armies OF
the western front, and this brough
with it reduction of their strength
on the eastern frontier. The total
were then:
Divs. generally
of Rgts. Baths
On the western front........155 Lac
On the eastern front. 79 sc
Owing to events connected with tn
revolution in Russia, Germany threv
some more troops into the eastern fiel
of operations, and on September 1 tn
situation was as follows:
Divisions Of
3Rgts. Battn.
On the western front. 1.3C
On the eastern front........ 92 81
These figures refer merely to th
: troops engaged in the fighting line, an
) leave out of account those in garriso
in the interior of the country, as we
l as those on the lines of commune;
? ton.
J. At the beginning Of the war th
! strength of the German battalion wa
9 about 1000 men. On the assumptio
4 that this strength has been maintaine
; the correspondents statement ind
:. Gates the presence of 1,369,000 Germa
troops on the western front in Septen
Der.
j, SETS OUT TO CATCH KkISE
W American Marine Is Found Wande
ing, Demented, by French
p Soldiers.