The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-10-27
HOW The GERMANS
:: TROOP MOVEMENTS
EBBED AND Flowed

EENClT FORT. S"N:. - ,t"r""S7""d-
ence "a char .,!":, e: III" bib rn'; s.''"
Of the tdrS -: German forces "it 'hf
eastern and western fronts titr:HS ~
various phases al tti.. VA IRON" 80 'f'tI'-
ing OF hoStiii;IrS III l"tI. '!ii II" t'. S.''-
ming OF September. lH:.. - "h'a.N'H rom
carefully complied :H:"r:'aG"l wHirn tae
correSpn9dcn, 81 II" -NS~"N''tF" ''SS
Is enabled {" transmit.
From this K is gathered ;hi' when me
Germans started tn. war ~ invading
Belgium. thry launched 1870 mutations
of infantry formed int" "hi Gir:S;''rss -
four regiments Zach on The franc"-i'ri-
uisn front whilr TN th.' Russian front
they enployctt only 81 ha,;aii"ns FORM
Il into 26t- divisions OF four r"G!n'catS
-snh On September ! ;htS var then
had on the Franco Bel gitn-krlcSh tront-
1859 battalionS formed into il' dI'i-
sions some OF which were ~ tHfSe ana
others OF four regiments cich. Will" on
: the RuSso-Ruman:au front "'a batta1-
ions formed into 50 divisions were In
line II will thus be seen that IN" Ger
r-1an armies on the fighting fronts have
been increased In the three years o. war
from 1912 battalions to 1894 ahttati"ns'
A review Of the different periods OF
the war will show how these troops nave
been employed at various times, accord
ing to whether the principal effort OF
the Germans has been directed toward
the western or the eastern front.
In August. 1914, the attention ~ the
German high command was absorbed oy
the attack on Belgium and tra:IS''"hi'e
the Russian front was regarded us Sec
ondary ocucpatton. Al that time lne "'-
fantry effectlveS on the western 's""S
numbered 1.l90 battaliors in 9Si- dtvI-
regiments On the eastern r"Ht, me
Germans then had 81 battaIt"nS CONF
prfsinE 26E divisions.
when the battle OF the fS"T WAS
fought In November. 1874. Ill" Germans
intensified their effort IN the west and
brought up their electives 70 hiEh"r
figure and az III" same nn" Increased
the number OF bat;aiouS on thel; EASTERN
front 40 that they then had l-"3 ah''ai-
ions on the western front and @'' on
the eastern front.
Then came the Russian offensive IN
Galicia and 20 check the Russian I'D
,-ance toward the German frontier. Ger
roanv WAS compelled to throw more
troops on her eastern FROM. increasing
the number OF hattalionS there IN sep
TENDER, 1915. TO 80. To q this II WAS
necessary TO reduce TN" number "t 'i"T-
man hattalicnS on the western 'front.'
from 1898 to LEO.
MANY divisions were transferred from
the eastern 20 the western front whca
the Germans gathered their forces t"7
the beginning o. the great h2tti" ot Yer
dun with the result that In June. i9ie'
there were 1876 German h2iiaii"aS On
the western front and those on IN ''lS.-
ern front wer, reduced from .SN l" o't.
The German drive against E"maa:e
was made possible" h. adding nl"r" 'hAH
300 battaIioas TO their eastern "''''H
line bringing the total on the eastern
front to $50. This was done wi'a""N
reducing the number Of ha:tallvas on
the western :-on; below 1900.
When the French ard British h,-aa
,hrtr crea; ct:raS;ye operations IN JH':.
1s1I. the Germans were competed 10
bring fresh forces % the western t:"ht.
Increasing their ha:,aiirnS there 20 iio"
hu, reducing chc number OF thci. asst
.r, front only TO $50. Subsequently inc
German ba.talinnS along IN" RUSSIAN
-h,rtle line wcr. Increased b. the aV'"-
,ion. OF more than 100 batta!!oaS. orlNS-
ir- the total there "a J6a on sept mnsF
,f .b;s year These were divided INTO
- divisions ~ three regiments c2ca'
;,,rinr this movement the ba;t@tiCnS on
tia western front were reduced !" '@'''
divided into IA divisions and that IS De-
ilrvcd to have been the nu'nh"S on 'ns
IG.rroaa western front on september l.
cn.... figures q" not include any Ter
troops on garrison duty IN ih' IN
Dr OF the country nor tn"S" ina'h-
hing lines OF COMMUNICATION.