Omaha daily bee., 1919-02-02
AMERICAN
ARMY LOSS
in BATTLE
is 56,592
Most of These Not AIready
Reported as Dead Likely
to Be Added Finally
to Honor Roll.

Washington, Feb. Official
tables of the major battle casualties
of the American forces in France,
made public today by General
March, chief of staff, show that ap-
proximately 10000 men remain
wholly unaccounted for, nearly
three months after the ending of
hostilities. The deaths, missing and
known prisoners are tabulated lip
to January 10 for each OF the 80
combatant divisions Of General
Pershing's army. The total is So
5o2, of whom l7,434 are classified
as missing or captured An ap-
pended statment shows that only %
American military prisoners were
believed to be still in Germany jan
uary 8, and that 1890 prisoners had
been checked up as returned and
ll8 died in captivity.
Some portion of the great body
of missing men may be located as
the return of the army thins out the
American force in France. Indica-
tions are, however, that the majority
of the 10000 finally will be added 10
the roll of honor shown in the tables
of those killed or died of wounds,
now recorded as 39,l58 men.
Death Roll Now 4o,7OO.
To that figure, also, must Be
added 1,55l men of the marine bri-
gade, figures for which not carried
in the tables were obtained from Of
fcial sources. This brings the grand
aggregate of deaths from battle up
to 40,7O9 on returns estimated of.
tleially to be 95 per cent complete.
AS figures on missing and prisoners
of the marines are lacking, the num-
ber of unaecounted for which finally
will be added to the roil OF the
dead cannot be accurately estimated.
The army tables, however, give
a total of 1869 men missing n
action and 2,785 known prisoners
making up the l7,434 missing 81
captured The army rolls record
4,9l8 American military prisoners
accounted for. Admittedly, there
are many possibilities of error, but
the statement says it is anticipated
that the indicated unaccounted for
list of 1Z,5l6 will be brought down
to less than 10000"
The tables do not furnish anv data
as to the wounded or deaths other
than those resulting directly from
battle. A new estimate of the com
plete figures on American casual
ties is not possible. 1t is Significant
however, that up to tonight the War
department has published the names
of 1882 men killed or died 81
wounds, as against 3o,158 shown in
the IS per cent tables. The differ.
ence is made up by additional rex
turns since the tables were closed
January 10.
Estimate Exceeded.
On November 81 General Perish.
ing estimated that his total killed
and died of wounds would Be 4O455
Presumably, publication of the lists
OF these known deaths and ex-
elusive of the unaccounted for Is
nearly completed, having exceeded
the estimate by more than 5000 due
III part to additional deaths from
wounds and to the listing as dead 81
men formerly reported missing.
The names of 14o,4l8 wounded
had been published up to tonight
compared with a November esti-
mated total of 18o,955. OF these
missing in action, 11,676 have been
published against the estimated
1900 total and compared with the
l7,434 missing and prisoners shown
in today's tables.
The War departments explana-
ton of the table follows:
The following pages are a tabu.
lation of casualty cables received
through January 10. They give
totals of the casualties which put a
soldier permanently out Of action
They do not include wounded ip-
ures, as the lists Of those Slightly
wounded are still incomplete.
The totals given are about 9s
per cent complete for each division
Field signal battalions, ambulance
companies and trains are not ~
cluded in the tabulation of the at
visions.
"The record of units, outside a
divisions, will be available in a few
days. This addition will have a rela.
lively small effect on the totals here
given"
A summary of the casualty tables.
giving the classification Of losses by
CONTINUED on Page Two. Column Thrse.)